hunting - Lone Star Outdoor News

Transcription

Shad search
Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper
June 11, 2010
Volume 6, Issue 20
Anglers at Lake Texoma are struggling to
find enough shad for bait. Page 7
Specks biting shallow
Inside
Fly anglers are
picking up trout
in 1 to 4 feet
By Nick Conklin
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
❘❚ HUNTING
New neighbors
Black-bellied whistling ducks are expanding
their territory in Texas.
Page 4
Mule deer moving?
The face of mule deer hunting is changing in
Texas, even if the deer population isn’t.
Page 4
❘❚ FISHING
Squaw Creek again
Anglers welcomed the reopening of Squaw
Creek Reservoir after a long closure because
of Sept. 11.
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PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
PLANO, TX
PERMIT 210
❘❚ LSONews.com
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
INSIDE
See TROUT, Page 23
❘❚ CONTENTS
Classifieds . . . . . . . .
Crossword . . . . . . . .
Fishing Report . . . . . .
For the Table . . . . . . .
Game Warden Blotter . . .
Heroes . . . . . . . . . .
Outdoor Datebook. . . . .
Outfitters and Businesses
Products . . . . . . . . .
Sun, Moon and Tide data .
Does anybody know how to tie a
croaker fly?
Some anglers have reported fast
action for speckled trout while using
croaker as bait. Fly-fishing buffs are
getting in on the fun, too, though the
bite might be a little slower.
Because of questionable weather
conditions, though, the peak of
speckled trout season has seen many
anglers struggling to produce high
numbers.
Eric Glass of
South Padre said
■ Offshore:
the conditions
Sargassum
necessary
for
could face oil
effective
sightdanger.
fishing for specks
Page 6
have not been
prevalent in his area.
“If you get some calm, sunny
weather with zero wind and bright
sun at midday,” Glass said, “then you
can go and catch a trout.”
Richard Weldon, fishing the
Laguna Madre, has found success
while drifting over some of the potholes that dot the flats around the
area.
“We have been catching trout up
to 28 inches, but the vast majority
of them have been 18 to 20 inches,”
Weldon said.
Fish have been caught around the
Laguna Madre in depths of 1 to 3 feet
while cruising the flats.
Top flies for the coast are Clouser
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POLE AND ROD: Some speckled trout are
being caught in shallow water, with some
cruising the flats and others running with
schools of tailing redfish. Photo by Scott
Sommerlatte, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Panfish fighting on mix of flies
Fly anglers favor
them, catch
high numbers
Less than 100 bands
submitted in 5 years
By Thomas Phillips
When it comes to catching panfish, fly anglers have a way of dominating the little guys.
“It’s hard not to catch them,”
said David Lemke of Houston.
Fishing on ponds in and around
Houston, Lemke catches most of
his panfish — bluegill, sunfish,
“perch” — using small hard-body
poppers and Miss Prissys. The Miss
Prissy fly has a hard popper head
with eyes painted on the side and
lots of rubber legs coming off the
hook shaft and rubber legs and
feathers for a tail.
Banded turkeys
a rarity in Texas
for hunters
By Thomas Phillips
of everywhere,” Lemke said, and
they often aren’t picky about what
Waterfowl hunters go nuts for banded
birds. The “jewelry” becomes a prized
possession and a source of instant bragging rights.
Thousands of dove in Texas also sport
shiny metal bands, used in research of
many biological factors.
And some Texas turkeys, although
not in great numbers, also strut in style,
though few hunters ever bag one.
“I would think that that would proba-
See PANFISH, Page 20
See TURKEYS, Page 26
LOTS OF LOVE: Panfish are easy to catch on flies and can be found in almost
any body of water in Texas that holds fish. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star
Outdoor News.
With panfish, figuring out
location and fly choice is not the
rocket science like it is for chasing other species. They are “kind
Page 2
June 11, 2010
Lone✯Star Outdoor News
LSONews.com
LSONews.com
June 11, 2010
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June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
HUNTING
Interest growing in mule deer; population steady
More landowners are
managing for muleys;
opportunity growing
By Bill Miller
FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
With two counties added to next fall’s
mule deer season, some hunters might guess
that the state is gaining more of the stout,
big-eared deer.
But the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Commission agreed in April to expand oppor-
tunities in Dawson and Wheeler counties
because they have enough deer, and hunting
isn’t expected to cut herd sizes.
Mule deer numbers were greater 24 years
ago when the Trans Pecos and Panhandle
regions combined held about 247,000 animals. The numbers shifted up and down,
with decreases blamed on disease, predators,
shrinking habitat and drought, but not hunting.
In the Trans Pecos in particular, mule deer
herd fluctuations correlate with annual precipitation, according to state biologists.
In 2001, estimates showed the state had
See MULEYS, Page 17
More ducks in the woods
Duck species
expanding its
territory in Texas
HIP helps
with finding
bird hunters
to follow
Survey used more
for identifying
who’s harvesting
By Craig Nyhus
Duck hunters in Central, North
and East Texas who haven’t hunted
the coast often don’t know what
the birds are or whether they can
take a shot at them. They see the
bright orange beak, long pink feet,
long neck and lengthy wingspan
with a large white patch — and
then they hear the strange whistling sound — and wonder.
Deer hunters viewing them
from their box blind have no idea
what they are. They seem to like
golf courses, and the golfers, many
who hunt, look puzzlingly.
But the black-bellied whistling
duck is on the move — north, that
is — and waterfowlers and bird
watchers are taking notice.
“They are becoming much more
common,” said Michael Rezsutek,
a Texas Parks and Wildlife waterfowl biologist based in Port
Arthur. “We are seeing more of
them, especially in summer, and
we see more of them when we are
banding mottled ducks.”
The birds range as far south
as northern Argentina, and are
plentiful in Central America.
Migrating north, good numbers
have wintered along the Texas
coast for years. More and more,
they seem to like Texas and are
sticking around.
Randy Wheeler guides near
Garwood but said he sees the
ducks mostly in the city.
“When the shooting starts, they
tend to disappear,” he said.
Wheeler, who is also one of
the organizers of the Gulf Coast
Waterfowl Festival and Expo to
be held July 31 through Aug. 1 in
Pasadena, said he has had the birds
come in when hunting at Bay City.
While the birds can be hunted, he
agrees with statements that the
birds are susceptible to overharvest
because of their unwary nature.
“Once they came, they circled
around and came back several
times,” he said.
Not much is known about why
the birds are sticking around and
moving north.
“No one is watching or studying them with any great detail,”
Rezsutek said. “But there has been
a big change in the last 20 years
— in the ’80s, they barely made it
into Texas. I don’t think they are
going back to Mexico as much.
And they are moving northward.”
Black-bellied whistling ducks
have been regulars in and around
San Antonio for some time. Now,
they are around Waco and even
MULEY STATS: Mule
deer numbers have their
ups and downs within
subregions of Texas.
But the statewide population number remains
steady, according to
Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Photo by TPW.
By Nicholas Conklin
A common misconception is that
the estimate of the harvest of migratory birds relies solely upon hunter’s
responses in the Harvest Information
Program survey.
Although these numbers play a role
in estimating the total number of birds
killed, another factor comes into play.
The HIP responses and the percentages
of wings and bands that are collected
determine the estimated kill rates of
migratory birds.
Every person who hunts migratory
birds in Texas must be HIP certified. A
hunter must answer questions about
how many birds he or she harvested last
season in order to receive the certification. Vendors administer the questionnaire when a license is purchased.
Few hunters look forward to answering questions about what migratory
birds they killed while standing in line
at the last minute to get their hunting or Super Combo license. Some just
answer “No” to each question to make
the process go faster. Others embellish
their totals — possibly to impress the
cute store clerk. Officials have known
the results aren’t always reliable but
they still use them, albeit for a purpose
that might get the hunter surveyed
even further.
Hunters’ information acts only as a
See HIP SURVEY, Page 19
NEW ARRIVALS: Black-bellied whistling ducks are known to take up residence in wood duck boxes. The birds, which are
expanding in Texas, can commingle with woodies or nest after them. Photo by Ron Gard, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Abilene. In eastern and northeastern Texas, the northern nesting
movement of the bird has been
noticed especially by landowners
watching the wood duck boxes
they installed. They are seeing a
new type of resident.
Like wood ducks, black-bellied
whistling ducks typically nest in
tree cavities but will nest on the
ground in grassy areas or under
brush or cacti near water.
Rezsutek doesn’t think the
wood duck boxes have been a factor in their spread north.
“The boxes have been around
for a long time,” he said. “It could
be the milder winters, nobody
really knows.”
Black-bellied whistling duck
Average length: About 19 inches
Average weight: About 1.8 pounds
Appearance: The most erect of all ducks, with long pink legs and long
necks. Black belly with a chestnut nape, chest and back. A chestnut cap
tops its head above its gray face, bright orange bill and white eye ring.
Call: Noisy in flight with a whistling “pa-che-che.”
Distribution: Breeds from Texas through coastal Mexico and Central
America.
Behavior: Pairs most often partner for life and share the responsibilities of incubation and brood rearing. Females lay an average of 13 eggs
and several females lay in the same nest.
Diet: Commonly feed on grain, corn at deer feeders, seeds, some
insects and mollusks and leaves and shoots found in fields and shallow
water.
HIP HUNTER: Information provided in the HIP
survey helps biologists identify hunters for
further questioning. Photo by LSON.
LSONews.com
QUACK MAGIC: Kent Cullum, right, competes with Brad Allen in the Team Real Duck category during the Ducks
Unlimited calling contest May 29 in Grapevine. Photo by Thomas Phillips, Lone Star Outdoor News.
DU supporters from all
over gather in Grapevine
Organizer gives
favorable review of
show; expo crowd light
By Thomas Phillips
Attendance was less than expected on the
expo side of the 73rd Ducks Unlimited National
Convention, held Memorial Day weekend in
Grapevine, but organizers called the expo and
convention a success.
“They both went good,” said Dana Barton,
DU’s director of meetings and conferences.
“We had a little bit of a light crowd on the expo
side.”
Organizers had hoped having the event on
Memorial Day weekend would boost attendance numbers. Ultimately, however, the holiday spelled doom for it.
“We were hoping that that wasn’t going to
be an impact, but obviously it was,” Barton
said.
Although the crowd was thin, Barton said,
vendors reported making great contacts with
potential customers.
Next year’s convention is scheduled for Aug.
12-14 at Opryland in Nashville. The 75th edition will also be held there.
See DU SHOW, Page 20
June 11, 2010
Page 5
Page 6
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
FISHING
Eager anglers return to reopened Squaw Creek
Bite is hot — sort of — at this long-unfished lake
By Thomas Phillips
Squaw Creek Reservoir reopened
to public anglers June 4 after almost
nine years behind locked gates after
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Authorities closed it for security
reasons to protect Comanche Peak
Nuclear Power Plant, whose towers
rise above the lake near Glen Rose.
And just like it was before being
closed, Squaw Creek is still one of the
hottest fishing lakes in Texas.
“I’ve never had a boat in a lake where
it said 97 degrees water temperature,”
said Charles Rhodes of Mesquite after
fishing the lake opening morning. “I
thought something was wrong with
it, and I stuck my hand out. And I told
him (fishing partner Greg Burrows),
‘I don’t even take baths in that hot of
water.’”
The power plant uses the lake’s
water in its process of making electricity. Several power plant lakes can be
found throughout Texas.
At Squaw Creek, opening day
started with excitement and wonder.
For security reasons, the plant’s
owner, Luminant, set fishing hours
from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on select days
of the week. Anglers must register in
advance, and they must pass through
screening when they arrive at the
lake.
The screening is not as intense as
at an airport, but anglers must show
their identification, and security personnel perform a walk-around on
boats.
For opening day, all 100 openings
had been booked. About 40 boats
were lined up at the entrance gate by
6:30 a.m.
Anglers had started arriving hours
before that, said Scott Stricklin, an
engineer from Benbrook.
“The man that was No. 1 was here
at 12 o’clock midnight,” Stricklin
said. “We were No. 2, and we showed
up right about 3:30, and that’s something we’d done even before this happened.”
Boats began trickling down to
the lake’s only ramp, which has five
lanes, at 7 a.m. Anglers quickly began
offloading their boats.
While waiting his turn at the boat
ramp, Stephen Teague of Cresson
talked about the rumors surrounding
See SQUAW CREEK, Page 23
NUCLEAR REACTION: Public fishing has resumed at Squaw Creek Reservoir, and all 100
boat reservations were full for opening day. Photo by Thomas Phillips, LSON.
Sargassum could play role in spill
Oil could kill algae,
but algae could make
cleanup easier
By Thomas Phillips
Fishing an offshore weed line in the Gulf of
Mexico is a hot bet for Capt. Michael Walker.
The floating sargassum algae mats teem with
life and serve as the bottom of a long food
chain.
Tiny juvenile fish, shrimp and crabs seek
shelter in the sargassum but often become
prey for bigger fish. Bar jacks and goggle eyes
become food for chicken dorado. Marlin work
the edges of mats to pick off chicken dorado.
Some of the young dorado grow up and
become, like marlin and other billfish, a target
for offshore anglers.
The sargassum might be at risk, however, because of the oil spill off the coast of
Louisiana.
“That’s pretty scary, you know, if it were
to affect that,” said Walker, who fishes out of
South Padre Island.
The floating Deepwater Horizon drilling rig
exploded in April, killing 11 workers onboard
and causing the well 5,000 feet underwater on
the Gulf floor to begin leaking. Estimates vary
on how much oil has come up, but some say
the amount is in the millions of gallons.
Currents apparently are carrying the oil
over large parts of the Gulf, mostly on the
eastern side.
The same currents also spread sargassum
around the Gulf, and the oil and algae could
meet.
That could be bad and good, said Roy
Lehman, a biology professor at Texas A&MCorpus Christi and a research associate at the
Harte Research Institute.
“It is going to affect offshore fisheries, but to
what extent it’s hard to tell,” Lehman said.
On the bad side, the oil could kill the sargassum and negatively affect animals on up
the food chain. If the oil is toxic enough when
it meets the sargassum, it could keep baitfish
away. Without baitfish, bigger sportfish will
stay away, too.
The longer the oil takes to move around the
Gulf to Texas, the better, Lehman said. Over
time, the oil weathers and becomes less toxic.
It also forms tar balls over time. Tar balls are
easier to clean up than liquid oil.
The silver lining of the situation would be
if the sargassum intercepts the oil offshore.
There, the oil could clump with the algae.
That might hurt the sargassum, but when a
mat breaks out of the prevailing current and
comes ashore, it would be easier to clean up.
“The good thing for us is the oil will have
time to have weathered,” Lehman said.
For now, the prevailing winds and currents
are pushing the oil spill east toward Florida.
It could wrap around Florida and head up
the East Coast, but it could also swing back
around the southern Gulf and make its way
WEED LINE ACTION: Above, a weedline floats behind
the Dock Holiday after Cassandra Keller, right,
caught a wahoo. Pictured with Keller is Phil Moskal,
a mate on the boat. Right, weedlines are popular
with offshore anglers because they provide cover
and food for sport fish. Top photo by Michael Walker.
Right photo by Lone Star Outdoor News
to Texas.
Lehman was reluctant to predict if or when
that would happen, saying too many variables affect the timing.
Whatever the timing, Lehman predicts it
will come to Texas.
“I believe, basically, we will have some oil
impact on Texas,” he said. “And I believe it
will cover some of the sargassum that’s on the
Loop Current, too.”
However it affects the sargassum, Walker
said he will stay away if it becomes oily.
When he heads out fishing, Walker hopes
to see a combination of three things: color
edges in the water, temperature edges and sargassum edges. If he finds all three in the same
area, the fishing is on.
“That’s going to hold some fish,” he said.
“It’s not always something I fish, but if I see
a good one, I’m going to spend some time on
it.”
LSONews.com
BAIT BUST: Catching sufficient numbers of shad has become futile at Lake Texoma for some guides. They are
finding other sources, such as baitshops and other lakes. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
Texoma guides searching
for bait after winter kill
Some buying shad
from fish farms, some
driving to other lakes
By Nicholas Conklin
Striped bass guides have had a difficult time
finding shad on lake Texoma this spring, forcing many to look elsewhere for their bait.
Guides and anglers have resorted to purchasing shad from area baitfish suppliers, or
driving to other lakes to catch their own.
Dan Barnett buys his bait from a supplier
in Arkansas, which has increased the price of
the bait.
“They’re incredibly expensive; they’re about
50 to 60 cents a piece, and we go through 100
to 150 a trip,” Barnett said.
Jay Staley said that despite Texas Parks and
Wildlife taking a proactive stance restocking
the lake in early spring, it hasn’t been much
help, as anglers have been forced to look elsewhere for their bait.
“We’re actually headed to Lake Lewisville
right now to get some,” Staley said. “Either
we have to do that or buy them at local bait
stores.”
Bruce Hysmith, a biologist for TPW, said
that the harshness of the recent winter was
the source of the dead shad.
See TEXOMA, Page 20
June 11, 2010
Page 7
Page 8
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
TEXAS FISHING REPORT
Sponsored by
HOT BITES
LARGEMOUTH
BASS
ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 78
degrees; .01’ low. Black bass are good
on live bait, shad-colored spinnerbaits or
crankbaits and watermelon red soft plastics suspended in brush and timber, with
topwater action early and midday along
brush lines and rocky points. Crappie are
good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are
good on live bait.
AMISTAD: Water clear; 75 degrees; 0.92’
low. Striped bass are good on swimbaits,
Sassy Shad and Rat-L-Traps. White bass
are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are
fair on cheesebait and punchbait. Yellow
catfish are good on trotlines baited with
live perch.
AMISTAD: Excellent on Senkos, minnows and watermelon and watermelon
red soft plastics and on topwaters
early.
FALCON: Excellent on shallow running
crankbaits in 10 feet or less.
FORK: Excellent on Yellow Magics
and LFT frogs early, later switching
to Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and jigs in
20-30 feet.
CHOKE CANYON: Very good on
crankbaits and large soft plastic lizards
and worms.
ATHENS: Water fairly clear; 83-88
degrees; 0.26’ high. Black bass are
good on Yellow Magics and buzzbaits
early, midday switching to Texas rigs and
split-shot-rigged chartreuse/pepper Ring
Frys. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and
minnows — moving to deeper water.
Catfish are good on prepared bait.
WHITE,
HYBRID,
STRIPER
BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 83-88
degrees; 0.02’ low. Black bass are fair
to good on Stanley Ribbits early, later
switching to wacky rigs, Texas rigs and
chatterbaits. Crappie are fair to good on
minnows and jigs over brush piles and
around bridge columns. White bass are
fair to good on topwaters and Rooster
Tails. Catfish are good on prepared bait.
BRAUNIG: Striped bass are excellent on
liver and perch off points.
BROWNWOOD: White bass are excellent
on Li’l Fishies and crankbaits off lighted
docks.
PROCTOR: White bass are excellent on live
shad and jigging spoons.
RAY HUBBARD: White bass are excellent
on topwaters and Rooster Tails.
TEXOMA: Striped bass are good to excellent on topwaters and live shad.
CATFISH
CALAVERAS: Channel catfish are excellent
on liver, bait shrimp, cheesebait and shad.
Blue catfish are good on liver and cut bait
near 181 Cove.
BUCHANAN: Yellow and blue catfish are
very good on juglines and trotlines baited
with goldfish and minnows.
CANYON LAKE: Yellow and blue catfish are
very good on juglines and trotlines baited
with live bait.
GIBBONS CREEK: Very good on stinkbait and
frozen shrimp.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Channel and blue
catfish are very good on trotlines baited
with stinkbait and soap.
CRAPPIE
LIVINGSTON: Excellent on minnows in
6-12 feet.
HUBBARD CREEK: Good on jigs and minnows.
BELTON: Water clear; 77 degrees;
1.87’ low. Black bass are good trolling
Rat-L-Traps. Hybrid striper are good on
minnows under lights at night in 20 feet.
White bass are slow. Crappie are good on
minnows under lights at night. Channel
and blue catfish are good on stinkbait.
Yellow catfish are good on trotlines and
juglines baited with live perch and shad.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 78 degrees.
Black bass are fair on crankbaits and
dark soft plastic worms in reeds and
near the dam. Redfish are fair. Channel
and blue catfish are excellent on liver,
shrimp, cut bait and cheesebait near
the dam.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 78
degrees; 5.33’ low. Black bass are
good on white spinnerbaits, craw jigs,
crankbaits, artificial rattlesnakes, worms
and watermelon red and redbug soft
plastics along the shoreline, among rocks
and near dead grass in 1-5 feet. Hybrid
striper are slow. Crappie are excellent on
Li’l Fishies and jigs along the shoreline
in 1-5 feet and over brush piles in 12-15
feet. Channel and blue catfish are good
on cut bait over baited holes in 8-10 feet.
Yellow catfish are fair.
BUCHANAN: Water murky; 78 degrees;
9.14’ low. Black bass are good on
watermelon topwaters, weightless wackyrigged green pumpkin soft plastics with
chartreuse tails and white/chartreuse
spinnerbaits along lake and creek points
and at Apple Head in 8-12 feet at first
light. Striped bass are fair. White bass
are fair. Crappie are good on minnows
and crappie jigs over brush piles in 12
feet. Channel catfish are good on live bait
and cut bait.
CADDO: Water murky; 84-88 degrees;
0.34’ high. Black bass are fair to good on
wacky rigs, weightless Yum Dingers and
jigs around cypress trees. Crappie are
fair. White bass are good on chartreuse
Road Runners. Catfish are fair.
CALAVERAS: Water stained; 78 degrees.
Black bass are slow. Striped bass are
good on spoons and striper jigs between
the dam and the crappie wall. Redfish
are excellent down-rigging silver and
gold spoons in 10-20 feet, on live perch,
tilapia and crawfish near the power lines
and on live bait along the crappie wall.
Crappie are slow.
CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 75 degrees;
0.95’ high. Black bass are good on
watermelon red soft plastics on shaky
head jigs, tomato red grubs and Texasrigged watermelon red worms along bluff
ledges in 8-16 feet early. Striped bass are
fair vertically jigging white striper jigs and
1 oz. artificial minnows in 40 feet. White
bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are
good on root beer/green curl tailed grubs
and craws. Crappie are fair. Channel
catfish are slow.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 79
degrees; 3.08’ low. Crappie are slow.
Drum are slow. Channel and blue catfish
are very good on stinkbait in 4-10 feet.
Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited
with live perch.
COLEMAN: Water murky; 77 degrees;
Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits and soft plastic
worms and lizards. Hybrid striper are
good on live shad near the park and the
store. Crappie are good on minnows
at night. Channel catfish are good on
trotlines baited with live perch.
COLETO CREEK: Water stained; 77
degrees (90 degrees at discharge); 0.21’
low. Black bass are fair on soft plastics
and topwaters in 4-8 feet. Striped bass
are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie
are fair on minnows in 12-14 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on trotlines
baited with liver, shrimp and perch.
Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited
with live perch.
pounds are good on metal flake plum
worms and chrome Rat-L-Traps near the
islands in 13-20 feet. Crappie are fair on
live minnows around structure near the
dam and pump station in 18-23 feet.
Bream are good on live worms off piers
and over grass beds.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 77
degrees; 5.29’ low. Black bass are good
on black/blue jigs, green pumpkin soft
plastics and live bait worked along grass
lines and timber. White bass are good
on live bait and small shad-colored
crankbaits. Catfish are good on live bait.
JOE POOL: Water off-color; 84-87
degrees; 0.1’ high. Black bass are good
on Texas rigs, wacky rigs and crankbaits.
Crappie are fair to good on minnows
and jigs over brush piles. White bass are
good on Little Georges and Road Runners. Catfish are fair.
HOT SPOT
timber. Crappie are good on minnows
and jigs. White bass are good on live bait
and chrome crankbaits. Smallmouth
bass are good on live bait and shad-colored soft plastic jerkbaits along tree lines.
Channel catfish are good on live bait.
PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 83-88
degrees; 0.46’ low. Black bass are fair
to good on chartreuse spinnerbaits,
Texas rigs and shad pattern shallow
running crankbaits. Crappie are fair to
good on minnows and jigs over brush
piles. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad.
White bass are fair to good on topwaters
and Little Georges. Catfish are fair on
cut shad.
PALO DURO: Water lightly stained; 67 degrees; 50.01’ low. Black bass are fair on
live bait, watermelon pepper soft plastics
and white spinnerbaits. Crappie are good
on jigs and live bait. Smallmouth bass
are fair on live bait and shad-colored
jerkbaits. Walleye are good on live bait.
Channel catfish are good on live bait.
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 77
on black/blue jigs and pumpkin/chartreuse soft plastics suspended in brush,
shad-colored crankbaits and live bait
with some topwater action during the
morning and midday. Crappie are good
on minnows and jigs. White bass are
good on live bait and chrome/black
crankbaits. Stripers are good on shadcolored crankbaits along the southern
lake points. Catfish are good on live bait.
PROCTOR: Water murky; 77 degrees;
crankbaits off points. Crappie are good
on minnows. Channel and blue catfish
are good on cut bait in the upper end
of the lake. Yellow catfish are fair on
trotlines baited with live bait.
Ray Roberts
Water clear; 84-88 degrees; 0.07’ low. Black bass are good on Carolina-rigged LFT Ring
Frys on points. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles. White bass are excellent
on Humdingers in 20-25 feet (reel and fall). Catfish are excellent over sour maize with
prepared baits in 2-6 feet.
CONROE: Water fairly clear; 0.42’ low.
Black bass are good on watermelon red
and watermelon gold Carolina-rigged soft
plastics, crankbaits and spinnerbaits.
Striped bass are fair on silver striper jigs
and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Catfish are good
on stinkbait, cut bait frozen shrimp.
FALCON: Water clear; 80 degrees. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on cut
bait and frozen shrimp.
FAYETTE: Water stained; 80 degrees.
Black bass are fair on soft plastics in
8-16 feet. Channel and blue catfish are
fair on shrimp over baited holes.
FORK: Water fairly clear; 82-88 degrees;
0.05’ high. Crappie are good on jigs and
minnows around the bridges and over
brush piles. Catfish are fair to good on
nightcrawlers and prepared bait.
GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Black bass
are fair on watermelon red and chartreuse soft plastics and small crankbaits.
Crappie are fair on minnows.
GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 83-88
degrees; 0.43’ high. Black bass are fair
to good on crankbaits, Yum Dingers and
shaky head jigs. Crappie are fair to good
on minnows and jigs — moving to deeper water. White bass are good on Rooster
Tails, topwaters and Little Georges.
Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers.
GREENBELT: Water lightly stained;
72 degrees; 31.01’ low. Black bass
are good on red/white Rat-L-Traps,
white spinnerbaits or buzzbaits, green
pumpkin soft plastics and live bait.
Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
White bass are good on live bait and
chrome jerkbaits. Smallmouth bass are
good on live bait and white/chartreuse
spinnerbaits or chatterbaits. Walleye are
good on live bait. Catfish are good on live
bait. Note: Low water conditions exist,
launching boats is difficult.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water fairly clear; 85
degrees; 0.24’ high. Black bass to 10
LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained;
83-88 degrees; 0.24’ high. Black bass
are fair to good on Pop Rs early, later
switching to Texas rigs, chartreuse/white
spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. Crappie are
good on minnows over brush piles.
Catfish are fair.
LAVON: Water stained; 84-89 degrees;
0.2’ low. Black bass are fair to good
on medium-diving shad or firetiger
crankbaits, Texas rigs and spinnerbaits.
Crappie are good on minnows and jigs
— moving to deeper water. Catfish are
good on cut shad and prepared bait.
LBJ: Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.42’
low. Black bass are fair on watermelon
jigs, watermelon topwaters, Bleeding Shad Rat-L-Traps and weightless
watermelon red Texas-rigged soft plastics
along riprap on seawalls and break lines
of flats in 6-10 feet early. White bass
are slow. Crappie are good on minnows
and white crappie jigs over brush piles
in 12 feet. Channel catfish are good on
minnows and dipbait. Yellow and blue
catfish are good on trotlines.
LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 83-89
degrees; conservation pool. Black bass
are fair on shaky head jigs, spinnerbaits,
crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are
fair on minnows and jigs around the
bridges. White bass are good on Little
Georges and Rooster Tails. Hybrid striper
are fair on live shad and large Rooster
Tails. Catfish are good on prepared bait.
RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 82-88
degrees; 0.49’ low. Black bass are fair to
good on spinnerbaits, Carolina rigs and
Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows
and jigs around bridges and in the marinas. Hybrid striper are fair to good on live
shad and Sassy Shad. Catfish are fair to
good on cut and prepared bait.
SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 77
degrees; 1.42’ low. Black bass are slow.
White bass are good on silver spoons.
Crappie are good on minnows over
brush piles and baited holes in 20-30
feet. Bream are good on crickets and
nightcrawlers. Catfish are good on
TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 82-88
to good on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits,
chatterbaits and wacky rigs. Crappie are
fair on minnows and jigs. White bass
are good on Rooster Tails and minnows.
Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair
on topwaters and live shad. Catfish are
fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers.
TEXOMA: Water off-color; 81-88 degrees;
0.52’ low. Black bass are fair to good
on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and Carolina
rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows
and jigs. Catfish are fair to good on cut
and live shad.
TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 79 degrees; 2.29’ low. Black bass are fair but
small on redbug and watermelon red
soft plastic worms in 12-20 feet. Striped
bass are fair on silver striper jigs. White
bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse and blue jigs over
brush in 20-25 feet. Bream are good on
crickets and nightcrawlers in 2-4 feet.
Channel and blue catfish are good on
LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 78
on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped
bass are good but small on Rat-L-Traps,
pet spoons and hellbenders. White
bass are excellent on trolling tubes, pet
spoons and slabs. Blue catfish are very
good on shad. Yellow catfish are fair.
TRAVIS: Water murky; 78 degrees; 1.70’
low. Black bass are good on chrome
topwaters, watermelon worms and
smoke grubs in 8-24 feet. Striped bass
are slow. White bass are fair on white
grubs and minnows in 20-32 feet.
Crappie are fair on minnows and pink
tube jigs in 10-25 feet. Channel and
blue catfish are fair on fresh cut bait and
nightcrawlers in 22-38 feet.
O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 77
on watermelon candy soft plastics, shadcolored crankbaits and spinnerbaits and
live bait worked along grass lines and
WHITNEY: Water fairly clear; 1.41’ low.
Black bass are slow. Striped bass are fair.
White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie
are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on
frozen shrimp and liver.
SALTWATER
SCENE
NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under
birds and pods of shad
on soft plastics.
Redfish are good
under rafts of shad
on topwaters.
SOUTH SABINE: Trout
are fair to good under birds and pods of
shad. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait
and topwaters. Sheepshead are good on live
shrimp tight to the rocks.
BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand
Eels. Waders tossing topwaters have scored
better fish around Rollover Pass.
TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on Bass
Assassins,
Trout Killers
and Sand
Eels. Trout,
redfish and
flounder are good at the spillway on live bait.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for
drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and
plum plastics. Trout are good on the south
shore.
WEST GALVESTON BAY: Sheepshead, redfish
and black drum are good at the jetty on
shrimp and crabs. Trout are good in the surf
and at the jetty. Offshore is good for kingfish,
red snapper and ling.
TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good on the reefs
and in the channel on live shrimp and croakers. Redfish and sand trout are fair to good in
Moses Lake on shrimp.
FREEPORT: Trout are good at San Luis Pass
on shrimp, MirrOlures and soft plastics. Trout,
redfish, sand trout and sheepshead are good
on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay.
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good for
drifters on live shrimp over mid-bay reefs.
Waders have taken good catches on reefs
on topwaters and plastics. Redfish are fair in
Lake Austin on shrimp.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good on
sand and grass humps on soft plastics and
topwaters. Redfish are good on topwaters and
live shrimp in Oyster Lake. Trout are fair in the
surf on live bait.
PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are good
on topwaters and live bait over sand, grass
and shell in San Antonio Bay. Trout and
redfish are fair for drifters working the back
lakes with live shrimp. Trout are fair in the surf
and at the jetty.
ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good in the guts
and channels on
free-lined shrimp.
Trout are fair
over grass.
Redfish are good
on mullet and shrimp around Dagger Island.
PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfish and
sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on
shrimp and croakers. Trout are good in the
surf on topwaters and croakers. Offshore is
good for kingfish, red snapper and ling.
CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the
edge of the spoils on Gulps and live shrimp.
Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp.
Trout are good in the surf on live bait.
BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on topwaters
around rocks and grass near Rocky Slough.
Trout are fair at night in the Land Cut on live
shrimp. Redfish are fair to good on the King
Ranch shoreline on small topwaters.
PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters
on the edge of the channel and around sand
and grass. Redfish are fair drifting pot holes.
Offshore is good for red snapper and kingfish.
SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good on live bait and
plastics under a popping cork while working
on the flats.
Trout, redfish
and jacks have
been caught at
the jetty.
PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to
good on the flats on live shrimp. Trout are
good on the deeper edges and flats on
topwaters and live shrimp.
LSONews.com
FOUL FUNGUS: Some anglers at Lake Ray Hubbard have reported catching largemouth bass with a fungus growing
on them. The problem is probably nothing to worry anglers, a biologist said. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
Dead bass with ‘fungus’ at Ray
Hubbard no cause for alarm
Deaths probably
within normal range
of seasonal afflictions
By Nicholas Conklin
Anglers on Lake Ray Hubbard have reported,
through Internet postings, finding a green
“fungus” on largemouth bass and several dead
bass in the water.
Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist Tom
Hungerford attributes the problem not to an
outbreak of disease but to the seasonal stresses
on the fish.
“The timing of this was all coinciding with
the spawn,” Hungerford said, “and anytime
those fish are stressed, they’re susceptible to
getting diseases and things like that.”
Anglers have reported the fungus on the
sides of largemouths they have been catching. Yet no apparent source of the green fungus
has been identified as no specimens have been
brought to the attention of TPW.
Hungerford said an incident last year
See BASS, Page 20
June 11, 2010
Page 9
Page 10
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
GAME WARDEN BLOTTER
DAM PRESENTS A PROBLEM
FOR LANDOWNER
The Nueces River Authority
reported that someone had been digging in the river in northern Uvalde
County. When Captain Gus Sorola
and Uvalde County Game Warden
Henry Lutz responded, they found
that an earthen dam had been constructed across the main part of the
riverbed, and a significant amount
of gravel had been pushed from the
riverbed up the side of the riverbank. The main river flow had been
diverted to an old part of the riverbed by a new channel that had been
dug to the side of the new dam. Lutz
and Sorola photographed and took
video of the riverbed destruction and
contacted the owner of the adjacent
property. He said he authorized the
dozer operator to do work along the
riverbank but not in the river. He
also admitted that he did not have a
Sand, Shell and Gravel Permit from
the state. Lutz issued the landowner
a citation for not having the permit.
Further action to restore the riverbed
and water flow is pending.
PERSONAL WATERCRAFT
THIEF CAN’T ESCAPE CHOPPER
The Brazos River Authority chief
lake ranger reported that a burglary
had occurred on Possum Kingdom
Lake, and the man suspected in the
crime had fled on the homeowner’s personal watercraft, which had
been tied up at the dock. Palo Pinto
County Game Warden Cliff Swofford
determined that the person had also
burglarized at least eight houses,
run from police and stolen a car all
in the last three weeks. Four BRA
lake rangers, deputies from Palo
Pinto, Stephens, and Young County
sheriff’s offices, Palo Pinto County
Game Warden Matt Waggoner, Young
County Game Warden Brent Isom,
Jack County Game Warden Gary
Hobbs and Stephens County Game
Warden Ed Russell all arrived to
Quick action saves boater; quick thinking saves boat
circular course. The wardens quickly
launched their boat and pulled the
uninjured man from the water. After
returning him to the dock, they went
about trying to corral the runaway
boat. The wardens determined that
attempting to jump into another boat
running in tight circles at half-throttle
was not a safe option. But they knew
they could only wait until the boat,
which had a full fuel tank, ran out of
gas. After a little thought, they came
up with a solution. They tied a bundle
of old trotline to a long bow rope and
pulled the improvised snare back
and forth in front of the runaway boat
until it finally tangled on the prop.
The rope and trotline wrapped around
the prop, bogging the motor down
enough that it stopped. They then
towed the boat back to the ramp and
returned it to an appreciative owner,
who decided that he had had all the
boat riding he wanted for one day.
assist in the search for the man. A
call was placed to A.J. Smith with
the game wardens’ aircraft division,
and within two hours the helicopter landed at the Possum Kingdom
sheriff’s substation. Swofford and
the Palo Pinto County sheriff’s patrol
captain boarded. While searching by
vehicle, Waggoner spotted the suspect walking down the road. He ran
into thick woods when Waggoner
turned around to apprehend him.
As the deputies and Waggoner were
in the woods, the officers in the air
spotted him buried under brush and
dropped down to hover over him,
keeping him at gunpoint and letting
others know exactly where he was.
The man attempted to run but was
unable to make his escape with the
helicopter hovering closely above.
After the man was arrested, the helicopter was used again in finding the
stolen watercraft, which had been
beached in reeds in a shallow creek.
water to retrieve his hook, he went
under. Schmidt and Game Wardens
Jimmy Woolley, Shawn Smith,
Dustin Balfanz and Craig Hernandez
responded and searched for the victim
until after dark. The body was recovered by the wardens the next morning.
river. Multiple charges were filled for
exceeding the bag limit and purchase
of game fish.
ANGLER GOES FOR LURE,
DOESN’T RETURN
Game Warden Jim Schmidt received
a call about a drowning on the Trinity
River. Two anglers and a 3-year-old
child had been fishing from the bank
at the Farm-to-Market Road 85 bridge
in Navarro County when one fisherman’s hook became snagged in brush
along the bank. When he entered the
DON’T ASK, DON’T
SELL GAME FISH
Two men were leaving the Sabine
River in South Newton County with
several holding nets full of catfish.
Upon contacting the men, Newton
County Game Warden Brian Srba
found them in possession of about 90
catfish, which they said they bought
from an unknown person on the
Matagorda County Game Wardens
David Janssen and Aaron Koenig were
preparing to launch a patrol boat at a
private boat ramp on Caranchua Bay
when the boat that launched before
them made an abrupt turn. The lone
occupant was thrown overboard about
200 yards from shore. The unoccupied boat made a circle, missing the
operator in the water by only a few
feet, and then ran down the shoreline
a short distance, continuing in a tight
FAMILY NEARLY DROWNS
FROM SIMPLE PROBLEM
While on boat patrol on Lake
Palestine, Anderson County Game
Wardens Oscar Jaimez and Karen
Gray were waved down by passengers
in a boat that was taking on water and
quickly submerging. All three occupants, including a 6-year-old boy, were
pulled from the water and onto the
wardens’ patrol boat. After all three
boaters were on board, the wardens
pulled the submerged boat to a nearby
beach. When the boat owner removed
his boat from the lake, he found a
freeze plug missing, causing the
engine compartment to fill with water.
PATROL OF BORDER
NETS LOTS OF NET
Maverick County Game Wardens
Armando Guzman, Wes Groth and
Cody Buckaloo along with Kinney
County Game Warden Rob Frets
teamed up to patrol the Rio Grande
River out of Eagle Pass. The wardens
seized gill net and illegal throwlines
from Mexican commercial fishing
operations on both of their patrols.
Seven pieces of gill net totaling
1,900 feet were picked up, along
with 500 feet of throwline.
DEER BREEDER BROUGHT DOWN BY
LONG INVESTIGATION
A six-month investigation in West
Texas culminated in 15 convictions
on deer breeder violations for a man.
The man requested a jury trial, and
Mason County Game Warden Cody
Hatfield and McCullough County
Game Warden Bryan Baronet and
wildlife biologist Kevin Schwausch
testified. Total fines were $3,000.
WITHOUT A TAG, A
TROTLINE IS TRASH
Llano County Game Warden Kevin
Webb removed approximately 400
feet of unmarked trotline and jug lines
from the upper end of Lake Buchanan.
POACHED FISH DON’T
GO TO WASTE AT FALCON
At Falcon Lake, Game Wardens
Stevan Ramos and Carlos Maldonado
seized 6,930 feet of gill net and two
hoop nets. Several live alligator gar
and catfish were released back into
Falcon Lake. The rest were donated to
El Tigre Island community residents.
BIRDS’ LEGAL PROTECTION DIDN’T
STOP APPARENT POACHERS
A call came in to Harris County
Game Warden Jennifer Inkster about
an incident involving hunting blue
herons in Houston. When she arrived
on scene, she discovered numerous
yellow-crowned night-heron carcasses
and several injured birds. Inkster
interviewed the landowner and discovered the suspects decided to shoot
the birds. Inkster issued citations and
ordered civil restitution be paid for
the herons. She placed the injured
birds with a local rehabilitator.
TRUCK LEFT BEHIND;
INVESTIGATION BEGINS
Navarro County Game Warden
Jimmy Woolley noticed a truck that was
stuck in the Richland Creek Wildlife
Management Area. While Woolley was
obtaining information from the truck,
the owner showed up with friends to
try to free it. Someone said they had
been mudding and stuck the truck the
night before. Written statements were
obtained.
ON UNDEVELOPED LAND,
GAME WARDENS HELP SEARCH
Houston County Game Wardens
Eddie Lehr and Zak Benge assisted
the Houston County Sheriff’s Office
with the apprehension and arrest of
an attempted murder suspect after
the suspect shot his cousin with a
12-gauge shotgun at close range and
then hid out on some family property
near Houston County Lake.
V6I20
LSONews.com
June 11, 2010
Page 11
Page 12
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
PRODUCTS
STORM MOUNTAIN GEAR BAG
This useful gear bag by Fishpond has a waterproof nylon cover and molded
bottom to keep water away from reels and other valuable fly-fishing equipment.
Features include taped seams, a drawstring closure, padded sidewalls and
dividers to cushion and protect gear, three exterior zippered
pockets and one rear slide pocket. A tippet spool accessory cord is also included on this 21- by 10- by
11.5-inch bag.
The suggested price is $195.
(970) 468-7883
www.fishpondusa.com
>>
ATB BINOCULARS
Nikon partnered with SHE Outdoor Apparel to
design the All Terrain Binoculars for the outdoor woman. The mid-sized
chocolate 10x36 ATB offers
attractive ergonomic styling
coupled with trademark performance. Features include
turn-and-slide rubber
eyecups with multi-click
adjustments and 15mm
of eye relief that allow the
binoculars to be used as
comfortably by eyeglass
wearers as those with
uncorrected vision. The
20-ounce waterproof
and fogproof binoculars
also feature a large central focus wheel and
adjustable diopter for easy focusing, plus a
314-foot field-of-view. The binoculars come
with a canvas khaki sling bag with leather
accents and a built-in optics case. The
binoculars sell for about $320. An 8x36
plum model with a green sling bag sells
for about $300.
(800) 645-6687
www.nikonsportoptics.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
EVOLUTION LT REEL
Ross Reels USA has updated its popular Evolution
line by adding more metal. Ventilation to the spool
and frame keep the weight in check. This large
arbor fly reel, the lightest in its class,
is fitted with an aluminum spool
cap, aluminum drag knob and aluminum escapement cover. It has
been designed with a triple redundancy drag system, providing
three backup systems to ensure
dependability under the most
demanding conditions. The new
series is available in five models,
including a 2.75-inch-diameter
reel designed for 1- to 3-weight
line. The reel sells for $245; an
extra spool is $128.
(970) 249-1212
www.rossreels.com
NOMOR-CLOG
This handy little device
installs to the cooler’s drain
and prevents such objects as
ice bags, game or fish from
forming a seal around the
drain and clogging it. The
Nomor-Clog, made by Lange
Enterprises, slides easily into
place. It sells for about $10.
(409) 296-9368
MINNOW FLY ROD AND REEL
Now that it is warm, an angler
might have some company on
that next fly-fishing trip. Outfit
a young novice angler with
Redington’s new fly-fishing outfit,
which is designed for children
ages 6 and older. Included are
an easy-casting, medium-action
two-piece 5/6-weight fly rod and
a durable Crosswater 4/5/6 reel
that comes preloaded with
backing, weight-forward fly
line, and a knotless leader.
Instructions on teaching a child
to fly cast and a knot and fly
guide are included. The Minnow
package will be introduced at a
price of about $100.
(800) 253-2538
www.redington.com
LSONews.com
Page 13
June 11, 2010
HEROES
KYLE DRUSHEL
caught this
blue marlin
at the East
Breaks. The
fish weighed
an estimated
450 pounds.
Drushel was
fishing on the
Bidnez with
Capt. Bill
Cannan.
KELLY STUART of Dripping Springs caught
this 8.1-pound largemouth bass on O.H.
Ivie using a perch swim bait.
MARK SEILER of Rowlett harvested this elk in northeastern New Mexico on a self-guided
hunt on a friend’s land. Seiler’s wife was the only person with him and helped dress
and take the elk to a Raton processing plant.
MICHAEL ACEVEDO shot this eight-point
buck using a .270 rifle at 75 yards in
Starr County.
ELLA HUEBOTTER, 8, caught this 16.5inch black drum while fishing with her
father, Glen, at Goose Island State Park
near Rockport.
SPENCER GEORG of San Antonio
caught this 28-inch redfish from a
kayak near Port Aransas on his 14th
birthday, which was May 8.
DREW RILEY, 16, of Poth harvested this nine-point buck with
a 25 7/8-inch spread in Atascosa County. He was shooting
a .243 rifle.
Congratulations,
Christopher! You can
claim your Nikon 10x42
Trailblazer ATB
binoculars at the
Nikon Sport Optics
dealer nearest you:
Austin Gun Liquidators
2000A Picadilly Drive
Round Rock, Texas 78664
(512) 989-8552
g while
opening mornin
Saba County on
n
00 Win
Sa
.3
a
in
th
ck
wi
bu
ence. He shot it
ot this 11-point
ur
sh
,
La
14
ah
,
nn
ce
Ha
en
sister,
Christopher Laur
oldenhour, and
s father, Joe M
hunting with hi
4.
13
er scored
Mag., and the de
Share an adventure
Want to share hunting and fishing photos with
other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? Send them
to us with contact and caption information.
[email protected]
Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane,
Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX, 75243
Page 14
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
CONSERVATION
Leopold award goes to Panhandle rancher
Prairie spread
is home to wild
game and cattle
Preserving the prairie has been a
way of life for Panhandle rancher
Jim Bill Anderson.
Located on the Canadian River
in Hemphill County, the 5,000plus-acre Anderson Ranch has
been in Anderson’s family since
1946, when his grandfather J.O.
Wells bought it.
Though his forebears also had
a high regard for the land, since
Anderson assumed full control of
the ranch in 1981 he has restored
its native grasses, eradicated watersucking invasive plant species,
managed its quail, Rio Grande turkey, white-tailed deer and the rare
lesser prairie chicken while operating a cattle ranch.
For his work, Anderson received
the 2010 Leopold Conservation
Award for Texas, a prestigious recognition conferred by the Sand
County Foundation and Texas
Parks and Wildlife as part of its
Lone Star Land Steward Awards
program.
“As Mr. Anderson puts it, he
believes in partnering with the
prairie,” said Carter Smith, TPW
executive director. “To visit his
ranch is to travel back in time for
a glimpse of the Canadian River
country pretty much the way it
was when Spanish explorers first
trekked across the Panhandle. It is
hard to imagine a more deserving
recipient of this award than Jim
Bill Anderson.”
Anderson, 59, received a $10,000
check and a crystal trophy May
Conservation
News in Brief
Pond plants are
focus of symposium
Speakers at the Aquatic Plant
Management Symposium on June 19
in Athens will delve into two questions of farm pond managers across
Texas: “What’s that stuff growing in my
pond?” and “How do I control it?”
The symposium, to be held at the
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, will
feature presentations on the statewide
aquatic plant management plan, Lake
Athens aquatic plant control rules and
a case study of aquatic plant management on Lake Conroe.
Dr. Michael Masser of Texas A&M
will speak on management of aquatic
weeds in private lakes, and Texas Parks
and Wildlife fisheries biologists Dr.
Richard Ott and Mark Webb will present information on native vegetation.
Pond owners may bring samples of
plants from their pond in waterproof
plastic bags for identification and control recommendations.
Cost is $20, which includes lunch.
To register, call (903) 676-2277.
— Texas Parks and Wildlife report
RANCH KING: Jim Bill Anderson received high honors for how he has stewarded his 5,000-acre ranch near Canadian. Texas Parks and
Wildlife and the international Sand County Foundation recently gave him the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award for Texas. Photo by TPW.
26 at the annual Lone Star Land
Steward Awards banquet in Austin.
He said he plans to use the money
toward developing an interpretive center at the ranch so visitors,
including schoolchildren and fellow ranchers, can learn about voluntary conservation techniques
and the ecosystem of his part of
Texas.
Anderson won his first conservation-related recognition in 1965,
when as a Boy Scout he earned a
merit badge in soil conservation
and nature. But it was an experience two years later that proved
transformative.
“When I was a sophomore
at Canadian High School, I got
hired for the summer by the U.S.
Department
of
Agriculture’s
Southern Plains Research Station
in
Woodward,
Oklahoma,”
Anderson said. “I loaded up two
young horses thinking I would be
spending the summer working as
a cowboy, but I spent most of my
time crawling on my hands and
knees collecting native grass clippings for analysis. That probably
woke me up as much as anything
to the importance of land stewardship, a term I like better than ‘conservation.’”
After graduating from high
school, Anderson left the high
plains for the piney woods of
East Texas, studying business at
Stephen F. Austin State University
in Nacogdoches. But after the
See RANCHER, Page 19
Texas hunters give
to RMEF causes
Money raised by Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation supporters in Texas in
the past year has helped support elk
habitat initiatives nationwide and education efforts in 12 Texas counties.
In Texas, RMEF grants totaling
$31,625, raised at chapter banquets,
will affect Austin, Burleson, Fayette,
Harris, Kaufman, Kerr, Lee, Madison,
Potter, Victoria, Washington and
Williamson counties.
— Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation report
LSONews.com
June 11, 2010
Page 15
Page 16
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
NATIONAL
NOAA opens fishing
area in Gulf near Fla.
Federal officials with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration recently opened 339
square miles of previously closed fishing area off the Florida panhandle
— the northern boundary now ends at
the Florida federal-state water line on
the east side of Choctawhatchee Bay.
This area was initially closed on June
5 as a precaution because oil from the
Deepwater Horizon spill was projected
to be coming to the area. A review of
data indicated the oil had not moved in.
The federal closed area does not
apply to any state waters.
The total closed area now covers
78,264 square miles, about 32 percent
of Gulf of Mexico federal waters. This
leaves approximately 68 percent of Gulf
federal waters available for fishing.
— NOAA report
Seagrass increases
by 25 percent in Md.
A new study indicates that underwater seagrass abundance in Maryland
and Virginia’s coastal bays increased
by 25 percent last year. The increase,
from 10,916 acres in 2008 to 13,628
acres in 2009, shows that the bays
continue to recover from a dramatic
loss in 2005.
Although this is a positive sign for
the bays, only 50 percent of the seagrass goal was reached.
— Maryland Department of Natural
Resources report
Part of Nosler ammo
plant explodes
All employees evacuated unharmed
June 2 when a worker noticed smoke
coming from the Nosler bullet fac-
River near Janesville and told game
warden Mike Dieckhoff that he bought
the crawfish at a “Chicago area grocery
store.”
Red swamp crawfish are native to
the Gulf Coast and can adversely affect
Northern ecosystems.
— Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources report
Florida governor
asks for federal aid
A map shows where fishing is off-limits in more than one-third of the Gulf of Mexico.
Graphic by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
tory in Bend, Ore., according to The
Associated Press. Moments later, part
of the building exploded.
No one was injured in the explosion, according to AP, which apparently
occurred in an area of the 80,000square-foot building where ammunition
is tested. The explosion and fire that
followed collapsed about 10 percent of
the building.
The fire started when an employee
fired a rifle in an underground rifle
range, according to The Outdoor Wire.
— Staff report
29, of Chester, according to game warden Tom Ward. Also hunting with the
men was Josh Susen, 31, of Lincoln.
A juvenile was with them, but was not
hunting.
The men came upon a turkey in the
field, split up and lost track of each
other. Joel Susen saw movement and
fired one shot from a distance of about
40 yards, striking Jewell, who was
taken to a hospital in unknown condition.
— Maine Department of Inland
Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine man shot
during turkey hunt
Wis. man cited for
illegal crawfish bait
Adam Jewell, 30, of LaGrange,
Maine, suffered serious injuries to
his face, neck and the left side of his
torso in May when he was hit by pellets while turkey hunting about 7 a.m.
He was hit with turkey load fired from a
12-gauge shotgun used by Joel Susen,
A 60-year-old Janesville, Wis., man
was cited recently by state officials for
using a live, prohibited species, a red
swamp crawfish, as bait. The citation
carries a fine ranging from $295 to
$385.
The man was fishing on the Rock
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked for
federal assistance to help the state’s
fishing industries and communities
weather the adverse impact of the BPDeepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico. Specifically, the governor
has requested that the U.S. Commerce
Department take action under federal law to provide aid to commercial
fishermen, charter boat operators and
coastal fishing communities.
“The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission has been
consulting with our fishing industry
stakeholders very closely over the past
several weeks,” said FWC Chairman
Rodney Barreto. “They are telling us
they are struggling to stay afloat even
though fishing is still open in Florida
and seafood is still being harvested.”
— Florida Wildlife Commission report
Colorado to restock
fish-killed reservoir
Colorado’s Division of Wildlife will
restock Road Canyon Reservoir near
Creede after all of the lake’s rainbow
trout died this winter. The cause was
likely a lack of oxygen caused by snow
covering the ice on the lake, affecting
aquatic plants.
Brook trout survived, though the lake
was known for its large rainbows, which
sometimes exceeded 20 inches in
length. Large rainbows could be seen
cruising the bank in early May in previous years, after the ice melted, making
for exciting sight-casting.
The DOW will restock the reservoir
with 10-inch and fingerling rainbow
trout throughout the spring and summer to rebuild the fishery.
— Staff report
Lake Erie bass
poachers fined
Three Tennessee men and three
Georgia men were sentenced June 3
in Ohio for taking 141 more than the
legal limit of smallmouth bass on Lake
Erie last April, according to the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources.
The six men pleaded guilty and
were ordered to pay $16,290 in fines,
court costs and restitution. The restitution included $50 for each fish taken
illegally. The men were also ordered to
forfeit three bass boats, three trailers
and two freezers, which have an estimated value of $32,000.
— Ohio Department
of Natural Resources report
Angling limits lifted
in some Mont. waters
Bag and possession limits have been
removed until Oct. 1 for five Montana
lakes ahead of a massive program
to eradicate nonnative sportfish and
replace them with westslope cutthroat
trout. The lakes are Wildcat, George,
Woodward, Pyramid and Pilgrim.
The limit waiver allows anglers to
maximize fish harvest before treatment.
For lakes to be genetically swamped
with cutthroats (George, Woodward,
Pyramid, Pilgrim) the intent is to
remove as many nonnative and hybrid
trout as possible. This should make
genetic swamping more effective.
— Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks report
LSONews.com
Muleys
Continued from Page 4
only about 160,000 mule deer, but the latest available TPW data show there were
190,000 to 200,000 Texas muleys in 2008.
Landowners receive a lot of credit for
that, said Shawn Gray of Alpine, the TPW
program leader for mule deer and pronghorn.
“They’ve always done a good job managing for mule deer,” he said. “But some are
using more intensive strategies.”
Some ranchers, he said, are investing in
high-energy supplemental feeding; a few
have built high fences, similar to those seen
in whitetail country.
“However, these are not required to produce quality mule deer, especially high
fence,” Gray said. “Critical pieces of the
mule deer management puzzle are creating
quality habitat.”
Examples, he said, are “improving water
distribution, conservative grazing practices, brush management and maintaining
an older age class in the harvest.”
Attention to harvest is paying off for the
C.E. Miller Ranch in Jeff Davis and Presidio
counties.
Albert Miller, who helps run his family’s ranch, said about 30 deer were taken
annually during the infamous drought of
the 1950s. (Read Elmer Kelton’s The Time it
Never Rained.)
Now the Millers allow only 10 bucks to be
bagged.
Formed in 1925, the 33,000-acre ranch
has for about six years been in TPW’s
Managed Lands Deer Permit program for
mule deer, Miller said.
The state runs a similar MLDP program
for whitetails; both are intended to boost
the quantity and quality of deer.
The Millers’ MLDP program meshes with
their conservation heritage.
In 2003, TPW awarded them the Lone
Star Land Steward Award for helping multiple species.
But mule deer, Miller said, require
patience. They don’t breed as prolifically as
whitetails, which famously number about
4 million in Texas.
“We might have started with unrealistic expectations, listening to what some of
my friends in the whitetail business have
done,” Miller said. “But that’s just part of
mule deer.
“It’s a slower process.”
Drought makes it tougher, Miller said.
“We had 12 years from 1992 to 2004
when we were below our average rainfall of
14 inches,” Miller said. “But quality depends
directly on rainfall and range conditions.
“And if a doe is not in condition to breed,
she’ll stay out of estrus.”
But population survey data used in the
MLDP program help set goals. The Millers
now lease to 10 hunters, who can take one
buck apiece.
Each deer taken, however, has to be at
least 5 1/2 years old, Miller said.
“We’ve been working on getting rid of
management bucks,” Miller said. “It’s just
difficult to get it done.
“We quit killing off our young bucks
before they reach their potential, and that
requires a lot of education on the part of
our hunters. They’ve got to be able to judge
a deer that might be 150 yards off.
“They pass up a lot of shots.”
The hunters also embrace other challenges. They don’t use bait, corn, feeders or
blinds.
This is traditional western-state hunting
— spot-and-stalk, with long-range rifles
and powerful optics.
The hunters don’t complain because they
like being part of what the family is trying
to do, Miller said.
Neighboring ranchers, he added, have
similar goals for muleys.
“Some of the fences have been out here so
long — it’s not just low fence; it’s no fence,”
Miller said. “With that in mind, if we do a
good job managing, maybe (neighbors) get
the benefit ... and vice versa.”
But the Millers are seeing better bucks.
“We killed two deer that went over 170
(Boone and Crockett) since we’ve been
in the MLDP,” Miller said. “Interesting
enough, they were both taken by the same
hunter.
“But he gets out and he really walks those
red rocks looking for that trophy, and that’s
why he gets a good deer.
“Still, we’re hoping to get a 180 some
day.”
Editor’s note: Lone Star Outdoor News contributor Bill Miller is not related to the Miller
family in this article.
Page 17
June 11, 2010
Texas mule deer
83,548
Panhandle population trend
8,727
Panhandle mule deer population trends from 1978 to 2008. Graphic by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
221,952
99,790
Trans Pecos population trend
Trans-Pecos mule deer population trends from 1978 to 2008. Only 42% of the transects (survey areas) were
surveyed in 2007; therefore, the 2007 estimate was not graphed. Graph by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Page 18
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
DATEBOOK
Through Sept. 6
Coastal Conservation Association
of Texas
State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo
www.startournament.org
June 11
Texas Coastal
Conservation
Association
2010 Interchapter
Challenge Tournament
Port Aransas
(713) 626-4222
Dallas Woods and
Waters Club
Monthly meeting
Speaker is Rick
Pope of Temple Fork
Outfitters
Sheraton North
Dallas Hotel
(214) 570-8700
Rains County Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser
Rains County Fair Grounds Exhibit
Hall, Emory
(903) 473-1590
[email protected]
June 12-13
Alamo Fly Fishers
Fence Lake Kayak Fishing Trip
(210) 479-3062
info@alamoflyfishers.org
June 12
Lone Star Bowhunters Association
Fundraiser and expo
Southfork Ranch, Parker
(281) 910-1432
www.lonestarbowhunter.com
Dallas Safari Club
Summer Fun Shoot
Elm Fork Shooting Range, Dallas
(469) 484-6777
[email protected]
Alamo National Wild
Turkey Federation
JAKES Field Day
YMCA Roberts
Ranch, Comfort
(210) 838-1075
[email protected]
June 13
Highland Lakes
Chapter National Wild
Turkey Federation
Fundraiser
Marble Falls Pavillion
(830) 377-7848
[email protected]
June 15
Plano Ducks Unlimited
Sportsman’s Night Out
Swingin’D Ranch, Parker
(214) 926-6779
[email protected]
June 17
Alvin-Pearland Chapter
Fundraiser
Knights of Columbus Hall, Pearland
(281) 923-3050
Dallas Safari Club
Monthly meeting
Speaker is Ivan Carter
Royal Oaks Country Club, Dallas
(972) 980-9800
www.biggame.org
June 18-19
UpperCoast Tomball/Magnolia Chapter
Children’s fishing tournament
Kim Vollentine
(800) 626-4222
June 18
Hemphill Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser
New Fin & Feather Resort
(409) 787-3102
[email protected]
June 19
Tomball-Magnolia Chapter
Kidfish Tournament
(832) 366-6492
June 21
Lufkin Ducks Unlimited
Lufkin Civic Center
(936) 639-8182
June 22
San Augustine Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser
San Augustine County Expo Center
(936) 275-6248
[email protected]
June 25-26
Alamo Fly Fishers
Port Aransas North Jetty Trip
(210) 479-3062
Montgomery County Chapter National
Wild Turkey Federation
Fundraiser
Lone Star Convention Center, Conroe
(936) 756-1707
[email protected]
June 29
Woodville Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser
Zs Fillin Station, Woodville
(409) 429-6268
[email protected]
Texas Wildlife Association
WildLife 2010
25th anniversary
celebration
Hyatt Regency Hill
Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio
(800) 839-9453
July 7
June 25
July 8
Texas Ducks Unlimited
State convention
Omni, San Antonio
(325) 236-6726
[email protected]
June 26-27
Central Texas Hunting,
Fishing & Outdoor Expo
Travis Country Expo Center, Austin
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(210) 832-8444
June 26
Kingsville Delta Waterfowl
Fundraiser
Lakeside Pavillion
(519) 733-9691
Amarillo National Wild Turkey Federation
Fundraiser
The Country Barn Steak House
(806) 353-7343
[email protected]
Sam Houston Chapter National
Fundraiser
Veterans Conference Center,
Huntsville
(936) 291-7300
July 10-11
Alamo Fly Fishers
Fence Lake Kayak Fishing Trip
(210) 479-3062
www.alamoflyfishers.org
July 15
Dallas Safari Club
Monthly meeting
Double Tree Campbell
Center, Dallas
(972) 980-9800
[email protected]
July 17
Lydia Ann Fly Masters
Fly Fishing Tournament
Aransas Pass
Proceeds benefit Casting for Recovery
www.lydiaannflymasters.com
Blackland Prairie Chapter National Wild
Turkey Federation
Fundraiser
The Outlets at Hillsboro
(254) 855-1175
Dallas Woods and Waters Club
Monthly meeting
Johnny Glass speaks about how to
catch giant bass
Sheraton North Dallas Hotel
(214) 570-8700
Deep East Texas Chapter National Wild
Turkey Federation
The Event Center, Jasper
(409) 382-5752
[email protected]
Dallas Safari Club
Wine Pairing Dinner
Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop
House, Addison
(972) 980-9800
[email protected]
Alamo Fly Fishers
Port Aransas North Jetty Trip
(210) 479-3062
www.alamoflyfishers.org
July 9
Sam Houston Chapter National
Veterans Conference Center,
Huntsville
(936) 291-7300
July 24
Cinnamon Creek Ranch
2010 Bowhunters Classic shoot
Roanoke
(817) 439-8998
[email protected]
July 31-August 1
Gulf Coast Waterfowl Festival
Pasadena Convention Center
(713) 429-1950
www.gulfcoastwaterfowlfestival.com
LSONews.com
Rancher
death of his father in 1974, he returned to Canadian
and began managing the family ranch.
In 1981, he built a house on the ranch and devoted
his full attention to running the ranch and 38,000
leased acres. Slowly he began buying out the various family members who owned parts of the ranch,
finally completing its reunification two years ago.
The Leopold Conservation Award honors the
legacy of Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), considered
the father of wildlife ecology. His collection of
essays, “A Sand County Almanac,” remains one
of the world’s best-selling natural history books.
Leopold’s godson, Reed Coleman, formed Sand
County Foundation in 1965 to protect the Leopold
farm from encroaching lot development along the
Wisconsin River.
“Jim Bill Anderson has transformed an average
Texas Panhandle ranch into a world-class ranch
that earns his family a living while allowing wildlife and native grasses to flourish. Anderson’s tireless efforts to sustain and improve his part of Texas
makes him more than worthy of being honored
with an award named for Aldo Leopold,” said Brent
Haglund, Sand County Foundation president.
In nominating Anderson for the award, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service biologist John Hughes (formerly based in Canadian but now assigned to the
HIP survey
sample base for the overall statistics.
Those who participate are classified into two groups, which are broken down by the species and total
number of birds each hunter killed.
They are generally separated by the
variety of species they hunt and the
number of birds they have killed.
“When you participate at a survey at the end of the season, they
use that information to develop a
harvest estimate of how many dead
ducks there were, then they take
the percentages based on the number of wings submitted,” said Dave
Morrison, the small game program
director for TPW.
Hunters were asked to send in
a clipped portion of the wing of
one of the birds they killed. This
was done so that biologists could
uncover genetic information about
the birds.
According to Morrison, the
answers given by hunters only represent a small portion of the total
equation.
“All that (HIP survey) does is
develop the sampling strategy; all
it does is stratify the sample, who
is going to be sampled and at what
rate,” Morrison said.
The question of accurate numbers
was one that Morrison defended by
saying that hunters’ responses were
only used as a guide for selecting
which hunters would be surveyed
after the season.
“If you want to lie and tell them
you’ve killed a thousand,” Morrison
said, “it just means you probably
have a better chance of getting sampled.”
Inaccurate responses were once an
issue as most hunters were surveyed
upon the purchase of the Super
Combo license. According to TPW
waterfowl biologist Bill Johnson, the
HIP questions were often asked of
hunters who didn’t hunt for migratory birds.
“That’s where it fell flat was with
the vendors,” Johnson said, “It actually hurt the final survey and added
a lot of cost to it.”
Response numbers are typically
measured against the number of
wing samples and bands that hunters send in. These are crucial pieces
of the puzzle as biologists and
researchers are then able to record
data related to species and gender,
which allows them to further categorize the number of birds killed in
the state.
“The first year you’ll keep a log of
everything you killed, then if you get
chosen for a second year, then they
ask you to clip a wing from everything you killed,” Johnson said.
The state then generally collects
between 14,000 and 22,000 wing
submissions.
From Texas they are sent to the
Central Flyway office in Flint Hills,
Kan., where a team of biologists processes them.
Denver area), cited several factors in demonstrating
the rancher’s achievements as a steward of the land:
• Use of adaptive management principles, including wildlife survey-based decisions in livestock rotation. He also uses hunting and prescribed burning
to assure the health of his land.
• Through his stewardship, he provides healthy
habitat for the endangered least tern, the threatened Arkansas River shiner and the lesser prairie
chicken. Populations of these species have either
increased or been stabilized on Anderson’s ranch as
a result of his management.
• A willingness to be innovative, one example
being grazing criollo cattle along his ranch’s river
bottom land during the dormant season. That
helped rejuvenate stagnated grasslands and encouraged new growth of cottonwood trees, a native species along the Canadian River.
• In addition to his land management work, he
has reached out to neighbors and various conservation groups, government agencies and economic
development organizations to promote land stewardship and ecotourism.
• Anderson worked with the Texas Agricultural
Land Trust to place a perpetual conservation easement on his property.
“There shouldn’t be a wall between running
livestock and promoting wildlife,” Anderson said.
“Good land management benefits both.”
June 11, 2010
Page 19
Outdoor News in Brief
Texas panel on boating
safety to meet June 18
The Texas Advisory Panel on
Recreational Boating Safety will hear
testimony on ways to keep Texas boaters
safe during a meeting June 18.
Topics for comment are:
• Texas’ current state of recreational
safety on public waters.
• How other states meet their need for
recreational safety.
• Suggested directions the panel
should take in enhancing recreational
safety on public waters in Texas.
The hearing will be open to the public,
and anyone wishing to address the panel
is invited to attend.
The public may comment, but some
officials have been invited to speak also.
They include Col. Peter Flores, director
of law enforcement for Texas Parks and
Wildlife and Steven Hall, TPW’s director
of education.
The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in
the capitol extension at 1400 Congress
Ave. in Austin.
Newest paddling trail
opens on Neches R.
Anglers who ply the waters in paddlecraft can count part of the Neches River
among Texas’ newest developed water
trails.
Located near Lufkin, the 9.2-mile
trail is bordered on the west by the Davy
Crockett National Forest boundary. In
addition to catching fish, anglers along
the Neches might see white-tailed deer,
alligators, otters and many bird species.
“The Neches River represents a
huge economic opportunity for Lufkin
as more and more people look for
ways to enjoy the natural beauty of our
area,” said Mayor Jack Gorden. “The
Neches-Davy Crockett Paddling Trail
will become known statewide and draw
people looking to experience the last
wild and scenic river in Texas.”
Page 20
June 11, 2010
Texoma
Panfish records
Species
Bluegill
Sunfish, Green
Sunfish, Hybrid Green
Sunfish, Longear
Sunfish, Orangespotted
Sunfish, Other Hybrid
Sunfish, Redbreast
Sunfish, Redear
Sunfish, Spotted
Cichlid, Rio Grande
Warmouth
Weight
2.02
1.30
0.52
0.84
0.18
1.73
1.63
2.99
0.18
1.59
1.30
LSONews.com
Length
12.5
11
8.5
9.25
6
12.5
12
14
6
12
10.5
Date caught
Nov 21, 1999
Apr 19, 2005
Apr 20, 2010
Jul 6, 2009
Nov 26, 2005
Apr 29, 2004
Aug 30, 1997
Apr 1, 1997
Jul 20, 2008
Jul 3, 2001
Jul 19, 1991
Location
Lampasas River
Burke-Crenshaw Lake
Prairie Creek
San Marcos River
Lake Fork
Bardwell
Comal River
Lady Bird Lake
San Marcos River
Llano River
Lady Bird Lake
Panfish
kind of fly is flung their way.
Lemke has his favorite flies for
panfish, but the eternal favorite
woolly bugger and other subsurface flies work well, too. For a location, Lemke’s favorite lacks a famous
name. Panfish don’t have a Lake Fork
or Laguna Madre.
Lemke’s top destination for panfish: Meyer Park Pond, a 3-acre urban
fishery inside the Interstate 610 Loop
in Houston. It is near his office so
Lemke can take fly-casting students
down there for instruction.
“That lake has always got some,”
he said.
In the Houston area, Lemke said,
the fishing has been good. The
spring warmed up quickly, which
helped turn on the bite.
In North Texas, temperatures have
been cooler, but the fishing hasn’t.
Charles Ducote and other members of the Dallas Fly Fishers club
fished at Loy Lake near Sherman
recently. The water was still cool,
and the fish had not yet spawned.
But it didn’t seem to matter.
“Most of us caught a lot of bluegill,
almost the entire day,” Ducote said.
Favorite flies there were a bumble
bee pattern, prince nymphs and also
more Miss Prissys.
“The bluegill that we saw at Loy
Lake were preparing to get on the
beds,” Ducote said. “The water was
still a little chilly. Most of what we
PRETTY PERCH: Panfish are called many
names in Texas — perch, bluegill and
bream among them — and they come
in several species. Pictured here is a
redbreast sunfish. Photo by LSON.
saw were the little males coming in
to clear the beds.”
For North Texas, panfish anglers
never know exactly what they will
catch. Their flies can appeal to a variety of fish.
“The water’s still cool enough to
support some of the rainbows, but
some of the guys in our club have
been catching crappie, carp, bass,
with bluegill mixed in,” Ducote
said.
Fly anglers famously catch high
numbers of panfish when they try
to. Aaron Riggins of Uvalde brought
196 to hand while fishing mid-May
in the annual Bud Priddy One Fly
Contest on the Nueces River.
The self-recorded total was enough
to take the contest’s top prize, where
previous winners have crossed well
beyond the 200 mark.
“I’ll honestly tell you, I didn’t think
I was going to win,” said Riggins, an
Angler
Gibbs Milliken
Billy Oldigs
Mitchell Harris
John Brownlee
Alissa Lewis
Scott Pekrul
Alex Labowski
John Runnels
Mike Schlimgen
William Carrington
Ralph Manns
Fly, lure or bait
No. 6 Clouser
Panther Martin
Worm
Plastic crawfish
Worm
Splittail spinner
Popper
Fly
occasional fishing guide in the Hill
Country.
Riggins’ go-to fly for the day was
an olive woolly bugger tied on a size
10 or 12 hook.
For the contest, anglers fish from 7
a.m. to 5 p.m. and count how many
fish they catch.
“Sometimes you don’t catch them
on every cast,” Riggins said. “You just
got to be real methodical and cover
every inch of water.”
Don “Puck” Puckett has been fishing Southeast Texas, putting up high
numbers also. His outing May 29
ended with 65 fish taking his flies.
“I predominantly catch bluegill,”
said Puckett, who was fishing private lakes that day.
Puckett prefers fly-fishing — and
using paddlecraft or a kick boat —
because they are quieter than conventional gear. The low-impact fishing helps him sneak up on bigger
panfish.
“That’s one of the joys of the flyrod,” he said.
Puckett reported that the fish had
moved off their beds and were holding around weeds, stumps and manmade structure — oftentimes lying
in ambush. He uses a yellow sponge
spider, tied on a size 10 or 12 hook.
He lets the spider sit for three or
four seconds and then gives it a wiggle. If nothing hits, he picks it up and
casts somewhere else.
“I figure if they want it, they’ll
hit it, and they usually do,” Puckett
said.
“It was among some of the harshest winters we have had up here.
Threadfin shad do not do well in the
cold temperature,” Hysmith said.
Despite the economic concerns
surrounding the purchase of bait,
the fishing on Texoma has remained
consistent.
“My business is still pretty steady,”
Barnett said. “It hasn’t affected the
fishing at all.”
Staley said that his rates have not
fluctuated despite the trouble in
finding bait.
DU show
As for the biggest DU event of the
year returning to Texas, that has not
been decided, Barton said.
“Texas is definitely a great venue
for us,” she said.
As part of the show, DU also held
a calling contest that featured some
of the top waterfowl callers in the
game. Kent Cullum of Weiner, Ark.,
took top honors in the contest.
“Anytime you don’t lose a con-
Bass
around the same time caused some
concern as dead smallmouth buffalo began to appear in the lake.
The main reason Hungerford
feels dead bass may be surfacing at
this point is because of the oxygen
levels in the lake.
“The theory is they’re spawning
this time of the year and up shallow, and some of the areas they are
spawning in are getting really low
dissolved oxygen levels,” he said.
The overnight hours can be especially dangerous for larger fish that
require high amounts of oxygen.
“When you see big fish dying like
that typically it means there is an
Shad cannot withstand water
temperatures lower than 35 degrees.
However, 45 degrees is the barrier
where most begin to die off.
The most recent case of a cold
weather kill occurred almost 10
years ago when many of the lake’s
shad perished due to a cold winter.
This was only a minor setback, as
Hysmith commented that shad are
a tough species that can rebound,
which he expects them to by midto late summer.
“They have a unique characteristic of being able to bounce back very
quickly, population-wise,” Hysmith
said.
test, it’s good,” said Cullum, 48, who
owns Hobo Duck Calls.
On his climb to taking the award
for best overall caller, Cullum faced a
personal challenge. In the team real
duck category, Cullum had to blow a
call he had not blown until the week
before — a blue-winged teal.
For the team real duck category,
the two-person team — Cullum’s
partner was Brad Allen — had to
blow mallard, wood duck, pintail, blue-winged teal and widgeon
calls.
oxygen issue,” he said.
However, no such data has been
found at Ray Hubbard.
Many guides who use the lake
had not heard of any issues with
dead bass, or even a possible fungus.
Ron Metzger had not heard of
anything different going on with
the fish, and nothing strange has
been reported from fellow guides.
Nolan Jackson recently fished
the lake and noticed nothing peculiar about the bass he was seeing.
“I saw dead (fish) spread out
across the lake,” Jackson said, “ but
as far as behaviors, they have done
what they always have done, and
the fish I caught looked healthy for
the most part.”
LSONews.com
Outdoor News in Brief
‘Coyote Special’ handgun
honors Gov. Rick Perry
A limited-edition handgun pays tribute to Gov.
Rick Perry’s deadly run-in with a coyote earlier
this year, according to The Associated Press.
Gun manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s
“Coyote Special” is a .380 LCP like the one Perry
used to kill the coyote while jogging in February.
The gun — 1,000 have been made — bears
engravings that say “Coyote Special” and “A True
Texan.”
Someone gave Perry one of the guns, according to his press assistant, Ashton Morgan. He also
thinks the gun is “great.”
Perry was out for a run early one morning with
his daughter’s young Labrador retriever when,
he said, the coyote began “menacing” the pup.
He shouted, but the coyote would not leave and
would not take its eyes off the Lab.
“I’m enjoying the run when something catches
my eye, and it’s this coyote,” Perry told The
Associated Press, which first reported the story
last month. “I know he knows I’m there. He never
looks at me, he is laser-locked on that dog.”
Perry withdrew his .380 Ruger handgun,
after the Governor’s Mansion caught fire in 2008.
Residents in the area have reported encounters with coyotes and have reported pets being
attacked by the wild predators.
“People are losing small cats and dogs all the
time out there in that community,” Perry said.
Perry told The AP he carries the gun in case he
encounters snakes during his jogs.
— Staff report
Seagrass protection
remains near Port Aransas
PRECIOUS METAL: Ruger is selling a limited edition
handgun engraved to honor Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Photo by Ruger.
loaded with hollow points, and shouted again.
When the coyote did not flee, Perry aimed the
gun’s laser sight, fired one shot and took the coyote down.
“Don’t attack my dog or you might get shot ... if
you’re a coyote,” Perry told The AP.
Perry was jogging without his security detail in
the gated community where he took up residence
State officials extended the protection of seagrass in the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area
near Port Aransas late last month.
Meadows of underwater grasses in the bay,
and elsewhere along the Texas coast, are at risk
of damage from boat propellers cutting scars into
them. The meadows are habitat for a variety of
sportfish and other organisms.
Comments received at the two public hearings
held in April were in favor of continuing these conservation efforts in Redfish Bay. Constituents also
showed interest in the possible expansion of seagrass protection to other areas of the Texas coast.
Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Coastal Fisheries
Division Director Robin Riechers told TPW
Commission members that the regulation would
June 11, 2010
Page 21
be reviewed periodically like all regulations to
determine how well it is working.
Next to coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves, shallow-water seagrass meadows are
among the most productive marine habitats on
earth. They provide many ecosystem services such
as nutrient cycling, which can prevent large-scale
algal blooms, sediment stabilization promoting
water clarity and preventing erosion, and oxygenation of the water column and sediment.
Seagrasses form the foundation of the food web
as well as protection and shelter for larvae, juvenile and adult finfish and shellfish.
The Coastal Fisheries biologists counted propeller scars along transects located in the north and
south ends of Redfish Bay during the summers
of 2005-2009. The number of scars counted
in the study decreased 45 percent during that
period. Coastal Fisheries also used aerial photography to monitor propeller scarring at the north
end of Redfish Bay. High-resolution imagery was
acquired in 2007, 2008, and 2009 and the analysis confirmed a reduction in scarring.
In 2000 Redfish Bay was designated a state
scientific area for the purpose of education, scientific research, and preservation of flora and fauna.
When the state scientific area came up for its
five-year renewal in 2005, TPW changed the rule
to prohibit the uprooting of seagrass in the area.
Page 22
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
Georgia wins Lewisville tourney; Texans finish 6th, 7th
Bass were biting on
jigs for winning team
By Nicholas Conklin
The University of Georgia outweighed the
University of North Carolina-Charlotte by
2.85 pounds May 28 on Lewisville Lake to
win the 2010 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing
Championship.
More than 300 anglers from across the country battled temperatures in the mid-90s while
fishing on the North Texas impoundment.
Ben Cleary and Bo Page of the University of
Georgia came from third place to claim the
national championship title.
After weighing in 18.34 pounds on day one,
the pair accumulated 18.07 pounds on day two,
giving them a total weight of 36.41 pounds and
a comfortable margin of victory.
The pair was successful on the first day by
using watermelon/red football jigs.
As it turned out, their consistent creel of more
than 18 pounds per day proved to be more than
enough to win the tournament.
After day one, Eric Self and Tyler Beam representing the University of North CarolinaCharlotte were in 12th place with 15.81 pounds.
Their second day haul of 17.75 pounds pushed
them into first place until the University of
Georgia ousted them.
Rounding out the top 10 on Lewisville were:
Place
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
School
Arkansas-Fayetteville
Eastern Kentucky University
Tarleton State
Texas A&M
Georgia College and State University
Oklahoma
Louisiana State-Shreveport
The team endured a tough practice that only
yielded four small keepers in two days. To finish their limit each day, Self and Beam skipped
jigs in oyster blue and watermelon craw colors
under marina catwalks and any other cover that
offered shade in about 5 feet of water.
Sitting in second place after day one with 19.68
Anglers
Clay Ramey and Kyle Billingsly
Richard Cobb V and Tyler Moberly
John Anderson and Brandon Foard
Andy Shafer and Matt McArdle
Matt Henry and Walker Smith
Chip Porché and Mark Johnson
Zach Caudle and Joe Landry
Weight
30.44
28.86
28.85
28.67
27.82
27.58
27.17
pounds, Andy Southard and David Stephens of
Western Kentucky were concerned about the
number of competitors they saw fishing their
key area. With the crowded conditions on day
two, the team abandoned the spot and pursued
their backup pattern — pitching wacky-rigged
worms to standing timber — to finish in third.
LSONews.com
Trout
minnows, rattle eye minnows and other presentations of bait-type flies.
Successful colors have been red, white, chartreuse and olive.
These techniques have proven effective in
South Padre Island, where Glass has landed
trout as large as 25 inches.
While sight-casting the flats and working
shallow water, he has been able to take advantage of spotting the trout.
Using flies like the Clouser minnow and a
seducer fly, he has caught fish by working flies
with a forked weedguard when fishing areas
with more vegetation.
The seducer fly’s slow-sinking feature has
Squaw Creek
the fish at Squaw Creek. Fishing was
allowed on rare occasions after the
lake closed so largemouth bass in the
lake have had little angling pressure.
“I hear there are a bunch of big
fish,” Teague said. “But the problem
may be the warm water right now. It’s
getting to the point where it’s going
to be tough fishing regardless of how
many fish there is.”
Teague’s prediction proved true.
A few hours later, boats were returning to the ramp. Anglers were optimistic and still excited, but they hadn’t
caught many fish.
“We didn’t catch a fish,” said Greg
Burrows of Lewisville. “I figure the
water’s too hot, maybe. We’re used to
fishing here in the winter time. I figure it’s a little too warm.”
Burrows added that he had never
fished the lake during warm months.
Power plant lakes are popular destinations during winter, when, despite
cold air temperatures, the water stays
warm, and the bass keep biting.
“We always waited till November,
December,” Burrows said. “It’s excellent through the winter, though. It’s
the best lake in Texas through the
winter, I think.”
Burrows, who was fishing with
Rhodes, fished using Carolina-rigged
attracted trout that may be cruising near the
bottom of the shallows.
The weather has been an issue, as a need for
sunny skies and clear water has been missing
from the equation. This has complicated some
of the sight-casting in the area and contributed
to lower-than-hoped-for catch totals.
However, the opportunity has not eluded
Glass, as he has been able to catch a few trout
while in search of other fish.
“There are certain flats here that give you a
good chance of seeing a trout you can sight-cast
to in shallow and clear water,” Glass said.
Joe Mendez, who fishes the bays around
Corpus Christi, said the fishing so far this year
has been great and working in areas like Baffin
Bay has been most promising.
“I have fished a lot of areas, and when this
lizards and worms in submerged trees,
off points and on the edges of points
in 35 to 8 feet of water. They had two
bites all morning.
“It was pretty slow,” Burrows said.
“Everybody we talked to out there
said it was pretty slow today. I figure
that’s pretty common for these hotwater lakes.”
Cline Strickland of Weatherford
and Jerry Woods of Whitesboro had a
similar report, but they boated fish.
“It was tough,” Strickland said. “We
caught two fish, one about 4 pounds
and one about 2 pounds. We were the
top boat of the day probably.”
They fished a variety of lures. They
caught one fish on a plastic worm
and one on a buzzbait, and they also
fished Senkos.
Both fish were caught in 9 to 10 feet
of water.
The temperature gauge on their fish
finder hit about 98 degrees, Woods
said.
The hot water had Strickland questioning the opening hours at the
lake. The open and closing hours
are meant to correspond with sunrise and sunset times, said Luminant
spokeswoman Ashley Monts.
“They are going to have to start
opening it up at maybe 6,” Strickland
said. “Or if you get down here and get
in the water at 7, instead of 8 or 9, you
might do a little better.”
June 11, 2010
place is on I think it is be hard to beat anywhere
in the country,” Mendez said.
Mendez has been fishing extremely shallow
water — 12 to 18 inches. Much of the bottom is
rocky and rarely deeper than a few feet.
Working Clousers in tan and brown has been
effective, and Mendez likes to work these when
the bite is tough. However, switching to brighter
colors can also prove successful in certain areas.
“I use a lot of Clousers in chartreuse
and white, red and white,” Mendez said.
“Sometimes a few more natural colors and crab
patterns work good when the trout are more
on the finicky side.”
The fishing around Port Arthur and Sabine
Lake remain similar with carryover in the popular presentation and colors.
Trout here have been taken early in the day,
Page 23
working at water depths of 2 to 4 feet.
Around Freeport and Galveston Bay the trout
have been holding in fairly calm waters, and
have produced fair yields of fish.
Flies tied in shrimp and crab patterns have
taken a few speckled trout in the 3- to 4-pound
range.
Tom Horbey of Port O’Connor said that
although the best time to work the flats is earlier
in the spring, some specks could be taken while
sight-fishing areas.
“You’re out their blind-casting on some sandbars, like on the drop-off, or flats where the sand
is,” Horbey said.
Simple flies have proven effective throughout the year, although sight-fishing with
Clousers and other bait-like flies have proven
most effective.
READY TO GO: Stephen Teague mans his boat as it is backed into Squaw Creek Reservoir. The clear water was hot at 7 a.m., and
anglers reported water temperatures in the upper 90s. Photo by Thomas Phillips, Lone Star Outdoor News.
For an opening day, however,
Strickland was happy — and hopeful.
“I thought the lake looked good,” he
said. “The water, the color looks great.
There was lots of bait in the water. The
fish we caught were healthy. The lake
looks fantastic. With it being a power
plant lake, it’s going to have hot temperatures in the summer.”
Page 24
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
Outdoor
News in Brief
CLASSIFIEDS
Hog Eradication
Hunts
Former TPW leaders
inducted into Hall
Two longtime state fisheries
employees were inducted Saturday
into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall
of Fame in Athens. The late Edward
W. Bonn of Denison and Phil Durocher
of Austin spent many years at Texas
Parks and Wildlife changing the way
Texas anglers fish.
Bonn was one of three fisheries
biologists hired in 1946 by what later
became TPW. As many new reservoirs were built to serve Texas’ growing
population, a sportfish able to utilize
open-water habitat was needed. Under
Bonn’s leadership and direction, experiments were carried out with striped
bass, a saltwater species, to develop
ways to stock them into Texas lakes.
Bonn also worked to develop methods to cross striped bass with native
white bass to produce hybrid stripers.
Durocher served as the director of
TPW’s Inland Fisheries Division for 19
years and retired at the end of 2009.
He went to work at TPW as a research
specialist in 1974 and served as
chief of research and management
from 1984 until he became Inland
Fisheries director in 1991.
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PIONEER REAL ESTATE
Shirley Shandley, Broker
Publisher/Editor
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Texas anglers claimed several top
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competed in the field of 185, which
consisted of male and female anglers.
James Biggs of Bedford finished
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He was fishing in sunken timber and
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— Staff report
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Contributors
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Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of
Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice
a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24
issues. Newsstand copies are free, one per
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Reproduction and/or use of any photographic
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Page 25
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Page 26
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com
Turkeys
bly be something that was exciting,”
said Nanette Stockstill, a representative of the National Wild Turkey
Federation covering Central Texas.
“But I don’t know anybody who has
shot a banded bird.”
That could be because so few turkeys in Texas are banded, and where
they are banded, they might be offlimits to hunting.
Texas Parks and Wildlife dresses
turkeys in bands when it relocates
them. For instance, the department released birds in Navarro
County in 2009 and 2010, and all
were banded. The birds, about 175
total, came from Johnson City, and
their new home was on private land
where a group of neighboring landowners had formed a wildlife cooperative called the Western Navarro
Bobwhite Restoration Initiative. The
association focuses on restoring and
maintaining its quail population,
but it had good habitat for turkeys,
too.
While the turkey population
grows there, hunting is closed for
turkeys in Navarro County. It will
probably remain closed for a few
years, and the generation of banded
birds — hens and gobblers — will
probably not survive until then.
Still, banded turkeys are harvested
every now and then, said Jason
Hardin, TPW’s top turkey biologist.
“It doesn’t happen very often,”
Hardin said. “It would be a trophy.”
If rarity contributes to trophy status, then harvesting a banded turkey
might be one of the highest achievements of the sport. About 850
banded turkeys have been released
by the state in Texas in recent years.
Fewer than 100 bands have been
turned back in to the state in five
years, Hardin said.
Besides the state, other landowners, public and private, may relocate
turkeys, too. They are allowed, but
not required, to band the birds. In
the last five years, these other land-
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e-mail [email protected].
BEJEWELED: Biologists and land managers do not often band turkeys’ legs, with perhaps
fewer than 1,000 banded in Texas in the last five years. Photo by Joshua Guthrie.
owners have released at least 144
gobblers and 397 hens, according
to TPW Wildlife Permits Assistant
Megan Russell Caldwell.
With at statewide population of
400,000 to 600,000 turkeys, the percentage is low.
Hunting near the birds also matters. With waterfowl and other
migratory birds, the bird might be
banded in Canada and pass through
several states, giving thousands of
hunters a sporting chance at collecting their ankle bracelet. Banded turkeys, however, tend to stick to their
home range of a few square miles.
“They typically stay pretty close
to where we release them,” Hardin
said.
One idea by the state might
have hunters flocking to the turkeys. Some research programs have
affixed “reward” bands to turkeys,
which the lucky hunter receives
$100 for turning in.
The idea has been discussed in
East Texas TPW offices as a means
for studying Eastern turkeys, Hardin
said. No plans have been set, and the
program has not been implemented
here.
Banding helps researchers collect
several types of data, Hardin said.
Mark-recapture surveys can help
tell about an population size, home
range, survival and life cycle, among
other things.
TPW puts bands on all turkeys it
releases, though no major studies
are under way that use them, said
Robert Perez, a biologist and leader
of the state’s upland game bird program. But they can provide information regardless.
“It costs next to nothing, it takes
very little time, and it provides a
whole lot of information,” Perez
said.
LSONews.com
LONE STAR MARKET
Puzzle
solution
from
Page 24
June 11, 2010
Page 27
Page 28
June 11, 2010
LSONews.com

hunting - Lone Star Outdoor News

Transcription

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