Read entire article

Maximum
Outdoors
Your Resource for Outfitters
and Information on Hunting,
Fishing and the Outdoor Life.
Vol. 1 Issue 1
The Wages of Wading
What a Way to Start A Summer
By Paul Dockery
By Michael Marbach
“Why are your pants wet, Paul,” She asked with a
quizzical look.
“Ummm, I was walking in some water.”
“Why were you walking in water?”
“Ummm, I was looking for something.”
“Looking for what?”
“Ummm, Bass.”
I said this sheepishly, wincing and waiting to see what
her reaction would be. She just rolled her eyes and went
about her business. Whew, that one could have been
unpleasant, but then she is starting to come to terms
with my renewed passion for fishing. She has a passion
for it too, just not as profound as mine. She’s just not
as consumed with it as she should be.
Wading continuted on 6
“German Engineering
with East Texas
Attitude”
Robert Welch
Let’s get one thing settled from the very beginning.
There is no such thing as “the perfect duck boat.” Before
you start your letter to the editor stop and think about
what “perfect” means. Without blemish, lacking flaws,
fulfilling every purpose, any of these terms could be used
to define “perfect.” The only duck boat that “lacks flaws”
or is “without blemish” is on a showroom floor somewhere
and hasn’t been used for any kind of duck hunting I know
about. Further, and more importantly, no one duck boat
is “perfect” for all situations. Every kind of boat used for
duck hunting, from the massive airboats to the diminutive
pirogue, is unsuitable for some applications. Flooded tim-
ber isn’t the best environment for the high seated twentytwo foot airboat, nor is the open lake safe for the pirogue.
Most duck hunters hunt in various kinds of water. So,
deciding on a duck boat may be one of the most difficult decisions we face, not to mention one of the most
expensive. Therefore, it should be made carefully and
thoroughly.
As I’ve already mentioned there are a wide variety of
Duck Boat continuted on 2
They could not believe their eyes. The huge ram
was headed right toward them. They had been
beaded under some huge oaks trying to elude the
sun and the summer heat.
Something must have stirred in their insides.
Was it food or were they thirsty from basking in the
South Texas heat. Never the less, the small herd
got up and moved in the direction of the young
hunter.
The guide was giving some last second encouragement and the young hunter was praying that his aim
was true. This was to be his first big game animal.
The excitement level was at an all time
high. His nerves
would not settle and
it was something
that he had not felt
before.
This is just one of
the stories that the
boys could tell you
after attending the
2005 Hunting and
Fishing Adventure
camps sponsored by
the Christian Outdoor Alliance.
They spent hours
each day hunting, fishing, on the archery range,
rifle range and skeet range. Not to mention the
spiritual development that each camper took home
as well.
The summer camps are designed to encourage
our wonderful outdoor heritage and inspire young
people to learn more about God’s great outdoors.
The camps are held all over South Texas and the
Hill Country. Ranchers have opened up their gates
to invite the young people to experience the outdoors.
The kids are also blessed as many pros come
out and teach at the camps. This past camp the
kids learned from a Special Forces medical doctor, learned how to survive in the outdoors using
snares.
We also had a professional archer spend hours on
the range building their techniques. Several of the
COA
P. O. Box 790692
San Antonio, Texas
78279
boys harvested their animals with a bow.
We also had several fishermen share their Fly Fishing, bait casting and live bait skills with the kids.
The first camp was held at La Fonda Ranch, just
outside of Bracketville. The kids were able to see
many types of wildlife. The ranch has all kinds of
exotic game and native animals.
Throughout the year the ranch is used for outdoor recreation. It is prime destination for whitetail hunting, exotics, doves, quail and turkey. The
lodge is also set up for conferences and family outings.
For many of the
boys this was their
first hunt. Some of
the boys had some
experience. None
of them had ever
spent and entire
week on a ranch.
As we harvested
the rams throughout the week, the
kids helped with
the processing. The
meat was then donated to orphans in
Mexico.
As the herd started
to approach the guide and the young hunter, they
steadied the rifle for an accurate shot.
The big Corsican was about 75 yards out and
moving through the brush. As he made his way
into the open, the ram stopped and looked back at
the herd.
There was his shot! As the shot rang out the guide
noted that the ram was hit hard and went down just
a short distance away.
As they approached the ram the excitement between the two could not be explained by words.
They thanked our Heavenly Father for his gift and
the right to be free and enjoy his outdoors.
To learn more about the Christian Outdoor Alliance, go to www.mycoa.org. They also offer all
types of hunts and fishing trips to raise money for
the youth hunting program.
PRST STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SENIOR NEWS
2 Maximum Outdoors / August 2006
Duck Boat from cover
duck boat styles. There are equally as
many manufacturers. Few manufacturers make every kind of duck boat for every
kind of application. Recently, I was introduced to one of the very few duck boat
manufacturers who makes every kind of
duck boat you can think of and then some
you would probably never imagine.
Last season brought the demise of my
duck boat. It was old and had more
patches than aluminum. On the last day
of the season the rear seat floated out of
the boat because the boat had so many
leaks in it and the seating rivets had all
broken. Thanks to a healthy bilge pump
and the security of personal floatation de-
vices the crew made it back safely. I knew
then that my search for a new boat had
begun.
The first thing I had to settle was the
question of application. Where do I do
most of my duck hunting? That was not
an easy question to answer. My conclusion, after reviewing the last several years,
and imagining the coming seasons, was
that most of my hunting involved significant open water travel. Almost all
of my hunting ends up in some kind of
back water or slough, sometimes through
matted grass and often in trees. With
water safety as a major consideration I
decided that I wanted a relatively simple
yet sturdy v-bottomed boat. The v-bottom reduces the spine-jarring; teeth rattling open water running as well as aids in
quick maneuvering. My outboard engine
was almost new, so I considered whether
to keep it or go for one of the new modified mud-motors. At my age and given
the primary applications I opted to keep
my motor, primarily due to the element
of a reverse gear which the mud-motors
lack.
After contacting several boat manufacturers, all with excellent reputations, my
son, a student at Stephen F. Austin State
University in Nacogdoches, Texas mentioned seeing a boat builder in nearby
Lufkin called Duckmasters. A quick search
on Google provided a phone number and
some pictures. I contacted Egbert W. H.
Terstegen and described what I wanted.
He faxed a design sheet for me to draw the
boat for him. He gave me an estimate on
price and time to build such a boat. I was
amazed that his cost was extremely competitive with the mass produced boats.
Further, he described his manufacturing
process and invited me to come see how
he built boats. Since it was off-season and
I had to find something to do on my day
off (that didn’t include a lawnmower or
paintbrush) we scheduled a time for just
that. Well, even before the visit, I knew
this was the guy I wanted building my
boat. He shot straight, offered no resistance to my quirky wishes, and treated me
with respect. So, the order was made. He
said he could have it built in ten working
days but my schedule would not allow me
to pick it up for several weeks. There was
no hurry on my part.
Finally, a weekend was available and I
called him to see if I could pick up my
boat and take the tour of his plant. He
said, “Come on.” I was greeted by a guy
who talked like a South Louisiana boy
but was actually born and reared near
Düsseldorf, Germany of German descent.
It was there he was educated as a mechanical engineer. He was assigned a job
in Lufkin, Texas where he met and married his wife. He still works on large gears
with sub-contractors for the U.S. Navy.
He upgrades and repairs gears with incredibly small tolerances. He also trains
others to work on the machines to keep
them running well.
So, how does a guy from Germany end
up building duck boats in East Texas? It
was really quite simple. He loves to duck
hunt and had to deal with the same questions I had to deal with when deciding
on my boat. The difference being that
he knew how to build a boat anyway he
wanted. His plant is thoroughly equipped
with the best machinery available. Combined with a highly skilled team of coworkers, a customer can count on delivery
of a quality product when expected.
During the tour of the plant I saw a
lot of boats, but no two alike. He builds
the boats to order. Have you ever seen a
pirogue with a jet engine? I have. He also
had a duck boat that was twelve feet long
by eight feet wide with a removable duck
blind installed (it would double as a great
crappie boat). He had a couple of airboats on site as well as several mud boats
that made me temporarily reconsider my
choice. The growing popularity of mud
boats for duck hunting has increased Egbert’s demand for such boats. This writer
has never seen the variety or sturdiness of
any comparable boat. If you are looking
for an extreme boat for extreme conditions, this is where you need to look.
Duck Boat continuted on 3
August 2006 / Maximum Outdoors
Christian Outdoor Alliance
Sporting Clay Tournament and
Dinner at Joshua Creek Ranch
COA held its first annual sporting clay tournament at Joshua Creek
Ranch
on
May
13th.
The
tournament
consisted
of a
5 station
10 shot per station sporting clay
team tournament
and an individual
wobble trap tournament.
Upon completion of the tournament there was
a fabulous dinner
served on the patio under the Pecan trees with an
awards presentation and a guest speaker to complete
the evening.
The winners of Sporting Clay
Tournament were Chad Knibbe and
Todd Haines. First
place for the Wobble
Trap went to Edward
Dewees, III.
Along with the
tournament a silent
auction was held and
all the proceeds from
the auction and the
tournament went to
support
Christian
Outdoor
Alliance.
Roger
Hemminghaus, former CEO of Diamond
Shamrock
chaired
the event.
The
Christian
Outdoor
Alliance
would
like
to
thank all
who came
out
for
the event, and is looking forward to
next year.
Superior nutrition that gets
right to the point.
He was born with record potential, but it will take superior
for higher yields, bigger antlers,
and superior performance
in every stage of development.
Optimum Design for
greater utilization of
browse and forbs.
nutrition to get him there. And that’s what Record Rack™
Super Premium Deer and Elk Feeds are designed to do.
Proprietary By-pass
Tailor-made with Optimum Performance Technology™,
Record Rack™ Super Premium Deer
System to guarantee the
and Elk Feeds guarantee
superior nutrition for superior
results—and that’s the most
important point of all.
for optimum growth
Palatability Plus
for superior feed
consumption and
animal acceptance.
With complete feeding
programs specially designed
for professional game
managers, breeders
and sportsmen.
Amino Acid Balancing
right building blocks
and performance.
Proprietary Nutrition Formulas
Water-Guard
Pellets for superior
water resistance and
easier feeding.
Tear-Free, All-Weather Bag
to protect valuable nutrients and
prevent torn, soggy bags.
Now available at your
ACCO Feeds and Nutrena
retail outlets. Ranch delivery
available, bag and bulk.
Abilene, TX
Amarillo, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Giddings, TX
Mineola, TX
Oklahoma City, OK
Seguin, TX
1-800-592-4472
1-800-231-2226
1-800-772-2811
1-800-392-3350
1-800-274-2359
1-800-522-3561
1-800-292-7694
www.record-rack.com
Organic Trace
Mineral Complexes
for increased bioavailability and enhanced
cessful fishing effort in the rough surf
it was time to head back to the dock.
This time we were heading back in the
dark and directly into the north wind.
Normally I would feel the need to angle back and forth through the rolling
waves. To my pleasant surprise, the
boat lifted high
enough out of
the water that
criss-crossing
was not necessary.
Due
to the impressive lift out of
the water we
were able to
make the trip
with only the
navigational
lights.
This
boat screams.
Duckmaster engineering pays off where
it counts, in tough water. Call it boat
owner pride or simply an observation,
but there is no other boat on the market like a Duckmaster. High and dry,
fast and smooth, what else can a duck
hunter ask for in a boat made for open
water?
If you want a cookie cutter boat,
one that looks like every other boat on
the water, there are plenty of options.
Many of them are good. If you want
a boat that will conquer the elements,
stand the test of time, look great on the
water and the trailer, call Egbert. You
will have a one of a kind boat, built just
the way you want it. Performance can’t
be judged by a picture. Performance is
measured by the day in day out contest of a boat with the water. In the
warfare between the elements of nature
and Duckmaster Boats, nature takes a
beating.
Opinions are like navels, everybody
has one. Who builds the best boats? I
don’t know. I do know this. Duckmaster Boats, Inc. builds one fine boat.
When you combine German engineering with East Texas attitude, watch
out. Something huge is developing
in a quiet East Texas town. With all
the hoopla about Arkansas and Louisiana duck boats owning the market,
I predict a pending challenge to the
big names. The bar has been raised.
Texas pride cannot be underestimated.
Duckmaster belongs to Texas and we
can be proud of what’s coming out of
Lufkin.
Contact information: Egbert W.H.
Terstegen, Owner
www.duckmasterboats.com
Phone (936) 632-8900
Fax (936) 875-2001
Duckmaster Boats, Inc.
1308 North John Redditt Dr.
Lufkin, Texas 75904
Email: [email protected]
Duck Boat
The key to Egbert’s approach is innovation. He said, “Sometimes I’m
laying there at night and thinking ‘why
can’t we do this?’ Then I’ll go to work
to find a way to do it.” From the looks
of the boats I saw, there aren’t many
more questions to be answered.
The smallest
details make
a boat more
or less enjoyable and functional. Egbert
does not cut
any
corners
in the detail
department.
With patents
pending
on
much of his
manufacturing
process he really
builds a unique and strong boat. For
instance, most boats have ribs running
width-wise across the boat. In theory
the more and bigger the ribs, the stronger the boat will be. However, when
a boat is running through the water
those ribs become barriers to greater
speed. For years air-boats have been
built with length-wise ribs. Egbert has
applied that to his standard duck boat,
whether it’s a mudboat or a simple
outboard, like mine. Every other boat
I’ve seen has protruding runners to cut
through the water and assist in steering
the boat. The first place a leak develops will usually be one of those runners due to contact with gravel or sand
or even the trailer pads. Duckmaster
boats use inverted runners. It doesn’t
matter whether the water goes in the
edge or the edge goes in the water, it
is still the water being pushed that enables better turning.
The transoms are completely aluminum. There’s no wood in them. The
corner gussets are huge compared to
most boats. There’s no need to worry about transom cracks in this boat.
To strengthen the transom for motor
mounting he welds pipe between the
aluminum transom walls so when the
motor is mounted it can grip the transom without weakening it at all.
After picking up the boat and registering in I immediately went to Port
O’Conner to put the new boat through
its test. The wind had made an unusual turn from the north considering
it was in August. Two men in the boat
and howling north winds could make
for a very rough and wet ride in the average aluminum boat. Amazingly, the
Duckmaster boat, with its long nose
cut right through the lapping waves
and never allowed a drop to come in
over the bow. We made outstanding
time getting to the outer beach and
landed on the beach. After a very suc-
3
metabolic performance.
© 2004 Cargill Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
Waterfowl Editor
Dr. Robert Welch
Field Editor
Michael Marbach
Executive Editor
Mike Eaton
Publication Staff
Management
Michael Marbach
Director of COA
Board of Directors
David Bones
Michael Eaton
Michael Marbach
Greg Thompson
Dr. Robert Welch
Randy Weisehan
Web sites
www.MyCOA.org
www.COACamps.org
www.COAOutfitters.com
Maximum Outdoors Magazine
www.maximumoutdoors.com
Contributing Writers
Kirk Armstrong, Bill Caldwell, Jim
Darnell, Paul Dockery, Jeff Fritscher,
Joe Lee, Rodney Marbach, Kevin
Wegner, Larry Weishuhn
Published by the Christian Outdoor Alliance
Maximum Outdoors
4 Maximum Outdoors / August 2006
August 2006 / Maximum Outdoors
5
6 Maximum Outdoors / August 2006
Wading from cover
Those were the thoughts running
through my head while I was trying to
anticipate the upcoming conversation
with my wife, Kathy, as I made my way
back to San Antonio from Del Rio late
that Thursday night. Fortunately, at
eleven p.m. she was too tired to even
notice my damp pants, so I just hung
them on the handle bars of the exercise bike to dry out over the rest of the
night. The conversation never even took
place. My legs were cold, but I had another one of those warm feelings in my
heart as I crawled into bed. There is just
something about fishing that does that
to me; especially wade fishing.
It had been another one of those oneday business trips to Mexico, and the
time had just changed the Sunday before
as we “sprung forward” on the clock. This
is a great thing because it gives those of us
who love to fish extra daylight after work
to go wet a hook. I still have too many
obligations to go fish as often as I want,
but when I leave San Antonio at fivethirty a.m. to make my Mexico run, I can
usually wrap up all my stops, barring any
unforeseen calamity, sometime in the latter part of the afternoon. Being a newly
re-born fisherman, it’s really hard for me
to not go drop a hook in some water,
somewhere, every chance I get. Being this
close to the legendary Lake Amistad with
two and a half hours of day light left is
just too enticing, and one of my customers had drawn a map on a sheet of notebook paper showing me some good bank
fishing and wade fishing areas on the lake.
So, when all my work was done, I grabbed
some bottled water and drove out to San
Pedro Flats. I could fish until dark, and
still be home before eleven p.m.; even
with the three hours that it takes to make
the trip home from Del Rio.
In another article, referring to my
renewed love for fishing, I wrote something that went like ”… All I need is
an inexpensive rod and reel and a few
lures...” I was talking about how easy it
is to enjoy fishing if you have the right
frame of mind. My wife thought that
“…inexpensive,’ and ‘few lures” part
was a typo. Actually, I’m not quite at
the three zeros mark yet, just the low
double zeros, but I have managed acquire a fare amount of tackle in the last
several months. My pick-up truck is
rigged so that my fishing gear is always
handy when I need it. I still have not invested in top of the line rods and reels,
but the ones that I have are carefully
stored in rod holder straps with Velcro
™ loops mounted under my tonneau
cover. There are still a couple of loops
available for a St. Croix™ Spinning Rod
and Reel Combo or a Shimano Curado
™ bait caster with a matching Medium
Heavy Fast action rod but at two hundred dollars or more per rig, those loops
will have to wait. I have a pair of camouflaged, knee high rubber boots back
there as well, and I do have a good assortment of quality lures. My tackle
boxes are stowed behind the seat in the
front of the truck, so I am literally ready
to fish at the drop of a hat.
The hat dropped about four-thirty
that Thursday afternoon, so off I went to
Amistad. I really didn’t want to get wet
because I still had that three hour drive
ahead of me, but I did want to at least
give myself a fighting chance at hooking
a fish. So, I slipped on the rubber boots,
rigged up a couple of rods and went
down to the bank. Recent spring rains
had done Amistad some good, and the
brush that was on a dry shoreline two
weeks before was now submerged in two
to four feet of water. Amistad has been
as much as forty feet low for the last several years giving brush a chance to grow
fairly thick along the receded banks.
This would pose a challenge if I wanted
to try to stay dry. Casting is difficult
from the new waterline because of all of
the new vegetation, so I had to walk out
into the water to get some elbowroom.
Things were just fine; I wasn’t catching
anything, but didn’t really care. I was
doing exactly what I really wanted to be
doing at that particular point in time.
Springtime in the low desert of
Southwest Texas can be uncomfortable
at times, but not that day. The temperature was in the mid seventies and there
was not a cloud was in sight. The sun
warmed my skin and I quickly felt all
tension flow away like the ripples in
the water around my boots. Waterfowl
bobbed and danced their way around
the small cove known as the San Pedro
Shallows and the only sounds I could
hear were the occasional splash of a fish
or diving bird.
I casually worked my way along the
shoreline being careful to keep dry. I
was only one small boat wake away
Wading continuted on 7
August 2006 / Maximum Outdoors
Wading
from wet socks and full boots when I
needed to move just a little further out
to get a slightly different casting angle.
It was about that time that I felt the first
cool wetness at the top of my boot. Aw,
what the heck, a little water on my jeans
won’t hurt, besides, that stump over
there has got to be holding onto a really
nice bass, so I fished from that spot just
a little while longer, then continued to
work up and down the shoreline. Every
time I moved I would get a little more
water inside my boots.
By the time I decided to pack up and
head home, I had dumped a couple of
gallons of water out of my boots, and my
jeans were wet from mid-thigh down.
But it just didn’t matter because I had
had so much fun! I had tracked a couple
of bass and gotten them to go after my
plastic worm. I wasn’t able to set the
hook, but then I wasn’t out to eat the
fish anyway, I just wanted to meet them.
My legs were wet, but I was content.
There is just something about wade
fishing that appeals to me. Something
about it seems so primal, so predatory.
It just gets my motor running, and I
can’t wait to go at it again; Can’t wait to
ease out into the water, chilled at first,
and then gradually acclimating, slowly
moving from brush pile to stump to
brush pile. Flipping a lure here, casting
one over there. Always in the back of my
mind lurks the thought that there could
be a snake, or something worse lurking
under the surface, but that slight hint of
danger just adds to the excitement and
enjoyment.
As I drove home, with the heater
on just warm enough to keep my legs
warm, I thought about the afternoon. I
had every intention of staying dry, but
I had given in to the excitement, and
driving home barefooted and wet was
what I deserved for letting myself go
too far. About that time a familiar Voice
started in on me.
It is the Voice of Someone a lot smarter than me, and when I hear it, it means
something really important is coming.
What it said was that the little trickle of
water that I first felt on my leg was the
same as the other reminders that I get
when I am about to go a too far. Times
when I am doing something that maybe
I shouldn’t. At first, it doesn’t seem so
bad, and I get used to it. Then I go a
little deeper, and that isn’t too bad either. Before I know it, I am knee deep
in something that could have serious
consequences. Maybe you have heard
that Voice before too, usually about the
time you are about to wade into something that could have a lot higher cost
than soggy trousers.
Wet pant legs are not going to be the
end of me, but what I get myself into
could be when I ignore that Voice at the
wrong time. The One whose voice that
is does not sit on a throne in heaven
looking for people to zap because they
don’t listen to Him. He does not want
to take away our freedom. He gives us
some common sense rules to follow because if we don’t we could end up getting hurt, or hurting someone else. He
hates it when we break the rules, but
he’s not going to squash us like a bug
when we do. He loves us too much for
that.
The wages of my wade fishing sins
were the discomfort of having to endure
wet jeans for three hours while driving home from Amistad. The Owner’s
Manual says, “…the wages of sin is
death…” Isn’t it funny how He talks to
us? Sometimes He whispers, sometimes
He shouts, and sometimes He lets us get
all wet just so He can get our attention.
DEER CORN
3.75/bag
DIRECT FROM MANUFACTURER
SERVING SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
830-822-5348
......................................................................
QUAIL
DOVE
HOG
Y
ou don't have to trade y our passion for the outdoors and a love for
hunting or fishing when you become a Christian. Legacy Outfitters is
a ministr y that brings together men from all walks of life who share
two love s' the outdoors and Jesus Christ. If the aim of your Christian
walk could be made richer and more rewarding
through fellowship with those who share your
love of the great outdoors, become a part of
Legacy Outfitters.
www.LegacyOutfitters.org
[email protected]
(254) 399-9992
P.O. Box 24161
Waco, TX 76701
Extraordinary Hunts for Everyone
B
aker
Now
3
R
anch
bookIng
* SUMMER AXIS AND BLACKBUCK BOW
HUNTS *
* FALL WHITETAIL BOW HUNTS *
Set in the serenity of the West Texas Hill Country amongst the intense beauty
of the South Llano headwaters, Baker 3 is the premier hunter’s paradise.
With 12,000 acres of prime country that is fed year-round, the animals are
plentiful and shooting success rates are high. All hunts are exceptionally
priced and our guests’ accommodations* are supremely comfortable and
relaxing. Bring your gear and hunting skills and get ready for the kill of a
lifetime.
For more information contact:
COA OUTFITTERS
Mike Eaton
210.389.5869
HUNTS
NEAR CHOKE CANYON
CALL
www.coaoutfitters.com • Rocksprings, TX • www.baker3ranch.com
LOS SENDEROS RANCH & LODGE
Baker 3 offers Spring Turkey, year-round exotics including Axis, Black Buck Antelope, Ram and more, in season White Tail and
Combo Hunts, just to name a few. Please hurry and visit www.baker3ranch.com for other available game and rates. Our prices are
so low that the available space fills up quickly, so contact Mike today.
*Bunkhouse accommodations are available at an additional charge of $50 per hunter (price subject to change and space is limited),
otherwise primitive camping is always available and ATVs are welcome.
830-822-5348
830-609-3143
7
8 Maximum Outdoors / August 2006