Masters of rattling - Lone Star Outdoor News
Transcription
Masters of rattling - Lone Star Outdoor News
Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper December 9, 2005 Volume 2, Issue 8 Pheasant season booming See Page 7 w w w. l o n e s t a r o u t d o o r n e w s . c o m Masters of rattling INSIDE ADVENTURE Hunters raise a ruckus with antlers to bring in the deer Fishing is year-round at Matagorda and the crowds few. Guides at the Full Stringer Lodge can help you find and land tripletails, which can give any angler all the fight he could want. See Page 9 FISHING The Packery Channel in Corpus Christi isn’t officially open for business yet. But if anglers are watchful of construction, authorities are allowing them to enter the channel. See Page 8 HUNTING Two Texas hunters died in New Mexico last month due to carbon monoxide poisoning, according to authorities. By Wes Smalling As a young boy, Jim Carpenter had heard stories about rattling — the tactic of attracting a buck by rattling antlers to imitate the sound of two clashing males dueling over territory or a doe. He had wondered if those stories were actually true. Then one day his dad made a believer out of him when he rattled in the boy’s first whitetail buck before his astonished eyes. Carpenter has been hooked on rattling ever since. The 52-year-old South Texas resident is the founder of Rattlemasters of Texas, a tournament series and annual video contest, now in its sixth year. Dubbed the “catch-andrelease” of deer hunting, two-person teams compete for prizes to capture the most bucks on video that have been fooled by rattling. You can put your skills to the test at the next Rattlemasters tournament, Dec. 17-18, in South Texas. Or submit your footage in the group’s annual video contest from now until the end of deer season. “There are some great deer contests out there, but most of them are harvest contests,” Carpenter said. “I wanted something that everybody can compete in that isn’t based on the biggest buck. We call it ‘catch-and-release’ (because the deer are not See RATTLING, Page 11 MUSIC TO THEIR EARS: Big bucks can be fooled by the sound of hunters rattling antlers. The tactic attracts deer by imitating the sound of bucks fighting during the rut. Bass catch may be record breaker See Page 6 A 13-year-old Garland girl was chosen to go hunting in North Carolina as part of a Quality Deer Management Association program to encourage youth hunting. National surveys show more females are hunting. 13.63 See Page 6 NATIONAL A Shreveport angler comes forward with his story of how he discovered a fellow Bassmaster contestant was cheating. See Page 4 CONSERVATION Private landowners willing to develop habitat to preserve imperiled species are eligible for $6.5 million in grants. See Page 5 SUCCESS ON THE HIGH PLAINS: Geese have been filling the Panhandle skies. Panhandle hunters get their goose DEPARTMENTS By Bink Grimes Migratory Bird Report Page 7 Outdoor Datebook Page 12 Product Picks Page 13 Outdoor Heroes Page 14 Crossword Puzzle Page 15 Wild in the Kitchen Page 15 Weather Page 15 Game Warden Blotter Page 16 Bordering States Page 17 Fishing Report Page 18 Word is fast getting around Texas that the Panhandle is flying high for goose hunters this year. If you’re in the area, listen for the reports and the whoops. If not, listen to Bruce Town of High Flying Outfitters in Dumas. “We have been slamming them,” Town said. “We are getting our limits on Canadas and shooting quite a few snow geese, too.” Dry conditions continue to plague watering holes on the Llano Estacado, high flat land that covers an area larger than all of New England. This year, biologists estimate less than 10 percent of playa lakes are wet. Less water means more birds piled on limited roosting sources, which bodes well in patterning goose movement, but is stressful for goose habitat. “We need the rain to help spread some of these birds out,” said Town. “Few playas have water, but those that do are roosting thousands of geese.” Decoying action for Canada geese has been good through the See GEESE, Page 10 POUNDS 24.25 INCHES LONG Catching a lake record largemouth bass from Lake Lewisville appears to be easy — it’s been done four times since June 1. Holding on to that record is harder. The latest record — pending until accepted — is also the first fish entered into the Budweiser ShareLunker program ever recorded from Lewisville. Jon Babich of Lewisville caught the 13.63-pound largemouth while fishing for crappie on the Lewisville Fishing Barge. The fish was 24.25 inches long and 21 See BIG BASS, Page 10 21 INCHES GIRTH REELING IN THE BIG ONE: Jon Babich of Lewisville caught the 13.63-pound lake record largemouth while fishing for crappie on the Lewisville Fishing Barge. PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210 IT TAKES ON KIDS. IT TAKES ON CARGO. IT EVEN TAKES ON THE COMPETITION. GMC Yukon SLT THE YUKON ADVANTAGE GMC YUKON SLT FORD EXPEDITION XLT NISSAN ARMADA LE TOYOTA SEQUOIA LIMITED TURNING DIAMETER 38.3 FT 38.7 FT 40.8 FT 42.3 FT 16/20 MPG 14/19 MPG 13/19 MPG 15/18 MPG STANDARD NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE TRI-ZONE CLIMATE CONTROL STANDARD NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE XM SATELLITE RADIO® ** AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE REAR LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE YES NO NO NO EPA EST. 2WD FUEL ECONOMY (city/highway) ONSTAR® 1-YR SAFE AND SOUND SERVICE* A CONSUMERS DIGEST BEST BUY WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE. ® SEE THE PROS AT YOUR LOCAL GMC DEALER Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. *Call 1-888-4ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) or visit onstar.com for system limitations and details. **Available in the 48 contiguous states. Basic service fees apply. Visit gm.xmradio.com for details. ©2005 OnStar Corp. All rights reserved. OnStar and the OnStar emblem are registered trademarks of OnStar Corporation. ©2005 XM Satellite Radio Inc. All rights reserved. The XM name and related logos are registered trademarks of XM Satellite Radio Inc. ©2005 General Motors Corp. All rights reserved. Yukon, GMC and the GMC logo are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. Page 4 December 9, 2005 NATIONAL Angler helps authorities catch suspect The angler whose discovery of a tethered fish led to the arrest of Paul Tormanen, 39, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., last month at the Red River Bassmaster Central Open has stepped forward to tell his story. Sam Huckabee told BassFan.com that his report of finding tethered fish began the series of events that wound up with Tormanen’s arrest for contest fraud. Tormanen was disqualified from the tournament and banned from BASS competition for life. The episode began accidentally. Three days before the tournament, Huckabee, of Shreveport, was searching for a secluded fishing spot as he practiced for the Red River Open. He probed a backwater area near the Coushatta launch in Pool 4. He threw his crankbait near a stump and, after a couple of turns on the reel, hooked up with a fish. “I was just covering water, looking for some fish in abnormal places that not everybody would find,” Huckabee said. “There’s five or six stumps out in the middle of a little lake across from Coushatta, and when I threw up by one of them I hooked a fish. Well, then I figured out that I hadn’t hooked the fish, but rather the line that the fish was hooked to, so I went over to get my crankbait back and unhook the fish.” His first thought was that the fish had broken the line of another angler, perhaps by wrapping it around one of the stumps. “Then I realized there wasn’t any hook — the fish was tied to the stump with 4 to 5 feet of braided line attached through its lower jaw,” he said. “I immediately called Bassmaster headquarters because I knew somebody was cheating. I didn’t know if it was from our tournament or not and I was really hoping it wasn’t, but (the fish) was in real good shape and you could tell it hadn’t been there long. I kept fishing in that area to see if I could find some more, but I never did.” Huckabee said the tethered fish weighed about 3 pounds. BASS officials alerted agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Agents secretly marked the fish and returned them to the stumps where they were found. Huckabee told BassFan.com he got a call from an LDWF officer who asked for the location of the fish. He gave the officer directions to the spot Canadian province launches program to help duck habitat The government of Canada and the province of Manitoba have announced the launch of a three-year pilot project for a conservation program that could revitalize sagging duck production in prairie Canada. Known in the United States as Alternate Land Use Services, the program is designed to support farmers in their efforts to deliver ecological goods and services, including waterfowl habitat. “This is great news for ducks and duck hunters,” says Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson. “The Canadian duck factory is broken, and ALUS appears to be our best hope for fixing it.” Olson says duck production on the Canadian prairies has fallen dramatically from historical levels, and lack of waterfowl habitat is a major reason for the decline. “Despite all the efforts of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, we continue to lose wetland habitat in the prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta,” Olson says. “As a result, Canada is attracting far fewer nesting ducks than it did in the 1950s and 1970s, and the ducks that do settle there aren’t nesting as successfully. “Because most of the Prairie Pothole Region lies in Canada, securing waterfowl habitat there is critical to the future of ducks and duck hunting,” says Olson. “Up to now, the burden for conservation has fallen mostly on farmers struggling to make a living. ALUS will reward farmers for protecting the habitat necessary to produce ducks.” Olson says the program is being called “the farmer’s conservation plan” because it has been endorsed by farm groups across the country. The architect of ALUS, Ian Wishart of Keystone Agricultural Producers, has worked closely with Delta in developing and promoting the ALUS concept across Canada. The initial pilot project will be in the rural municipality of Blanshard in the heart of the pothole region in Manitoba. The local government has committed $40,000 (Canadian) for each of the next three years for the ALUS pilot. U.S. sportsmen also support ALUS: The Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commission has pledged $60,000 (Canadian) annually, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission has committed $25,000 (Canadian) a year. Individual duck hunters have also provided support. Total funding for the Blanshard pilot project is expected to be $1.8 million over three years. “This is truly a new direction for agriculture and conservation in Manitoba,” said Wishart. “For the first time habitat incentives will be delivered as part of mainstream farm policy in a way that truly engages the landowner.” Olson praised three Delta staff members for their tireless efforts in promoting ALUS over the past five years: Executive Vice President Jonathan Scarth, Vice President of Policy for Canada Dr. Robert Bailey and Vice President of Policy for Prairie Canada Robert Sopuck. Sopuck said work is already underway to secure pilot projects in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Bailey said an Ontario pilot project has been launched, a new pilot project is being planned for Prince Edward Island and discussions are underway for ALUS projects in other eastern provinces. Cost-shared funding for ALUS will be provided through the environment chapter of the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) and by the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council. — A Delta Waterfowl report and was instructed not to tell anyone else about the fish. “It was real hard to keep my mouth shut all week,” Huckabee said. Capt. Peter Oliver of LDWF Region III said officers took two fin clippings from the fish that Huckabee found tied to the stump. A small piece was removed from the top of the dorsal fin, and a hole was punched through the tail. On Nov. 10, Tormanen brought the marked fish to the scales at the Grand Ecore boat launch and had them officially weighed in to count toward the total weight of his catch. Even so, Tormanen, with a five-limit catch of 8 pounds, was in 46th place after the first day. LDWF agents later questioned him, and he admitted to catching several bass before the tournament and tying them to stumps in order to weigh them in during the tournament. Tormanen was arrested and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center for contest fraud. He was released after posting a $5,000 bond. The penalty for contest fraud is a fine up to $3,000 and imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to one year or both. His arrest has led some to question his previous angling success. Tormanen has been a big-time winner in Heartland Tournament Association Pro-Ams over the past two years. He’s won four events, netting about $57,700. In nine such tournaments over the past 14 months, he’s finished no worse than 9th. Heartland Tournament Association owner Ralph Haggard said his attorney advised him not to say anything about Tormanen. However, Haggard acknowledged meeting with Tormanen. He declined to divulge details of the meeting. “I definitely have concerns,” Haggard said. “He’s won a lot more money with us than with any of the other tours. We need to get to the bottom of this and get it taken care of because I represent 3,000 people, not one person. I just don’t want to see an innocent person convicted or one who’s guilty walking free.” Tormanen has also made a mark in FLW Outdoors events, but not to the same extent. In 17 tournaments since 2002, he’s pocketed $14,537. He won the 2004 Ozark BFL at Truman Lake in Missouri by a margin of 4 pounds and 11 ounces and was fifth at this year’s Lake of the Ozarks Central EverStart. BassFan.com unsuccessfully tried to contact Tormanen for comment. Messages left at his work and on his cell phone were not returned. Huckabee, who finished 52nd in the Red River Open with two limits that weighed a combined 14 pounds and 12 ounces, said he gave LDWF wardens a written statement. The fin samples collected by the agency will be used as DNA evidence in the case against Tormanen, according to the LDWF’s Oliver. The episode marked the first time he had encountered an incidence of alleged cheating, Huckabee said. “I’d heard of people cheating by doing something like that, but it was a shock to me,” Huckabee said. “I hope they throw the book at the son of a gun. This gives the sport a black eye. It’s hard enough to win money in these things without somebody cheating. But it does make me feel good that they caught the guy and I’m part of the reason.” — Compiled from BassFan.com and LDWF reports Legislation introduced to protect waterfowl habitat Ducks Unlimited applauded legislation introduced last month that would protect critical waterfowl habitat nationwide. The Wetlands Loan Act would borrow against projected revenue from the sale of federal duck stamps and promote partnerships to protect and conserve wetlands for future generations. “Waterfowlers and other conservationists have a 71-year history of supporting conservation through the purchase of federal duck stamps,” said DU Executive Vice President Don Young. But Young says more is needed. “We continue to lose high-quality wetlands and associated nesting habitat to development at an alarming rate despite the successes of the duck stamp program to date,” Young explained. “We’ve got to act now to protect land vital to duck production and migration.” The Wetlands Loan Act, sponsored by Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-Minn., is modeled after legislation first authorized in 1961. The new legislation mirrors the original by seeking to borrow funds against future feder- al duck stamp revenues. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would use funds generated by the act to purchase lands for National Wildlife Refuges and to assist landowners in protecting existing wetlands and surrounding duck production habitat in essential breeding grounds and other areas across the United States. “Similar to what was done in the 1960s and ’70s, we believe borrowing against projected revenue from the sale of federal duck stamps is a practical solution that will ensure the most valuable habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds is not lost forever,” said DU President Jim Hulbert. “Many landowners want to protect their lands for waterfowl and other wildlife, but there’s not enough money in existing programs to get it done. This legislation would make this money available now and protect these essential habitats.” To help repay the loan, the Wetlands Loan Act calls for an incremental increase in the price of the federal duck stamp over the next decade. Since the last price increase 14 years ago, land values have skyrocketed (up 266 percent in some duck-habitat areas) along with inflation. The past 15 years have seen no price increase in the federal duck stamp – the longest period without a price increase in the stamp’s 71-year history. An analysis shows that if critical waterfowl breeding habitat is not secured now, the financial cost to hunter-conservationists to assure the future of our sport will be several times what it is today. “While no one is anxious to increase the cost of hunting, even in this relatively small way when compared with other costs associated with the sport, it’s important that waterfowlers maintain our tradition of leadership on behalf of habitat conservation,” said Scott Sutherland, director of DU’s Governmental Affairs office. “Waterfowlers have always led efforts for habitat conservation,” Sutherland continued. “And this money would be entirely used to permanently protect waterfowl habitat.” — A Ducks Unlimited report Need Insurance? EDITORIAL OFFICES: Get GOEN! 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243 Phone: (214) 361-2276 Fax: (214) 368-0344 Editor: DARLENE MCC ORMICK SANCHEZ Layout Artist: DUDLEY GREEN Associate Editor: MARK ENGLAND Associate Editor: DAVID RENFROW Subscription Services: DEBORAH C OMER Founder & CEO: Boats, Home, Auto, Ranch, Life and Crop Insurance DAVID J. SAMS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: Order online via secure Web site at www.lonestaroutdoornews.com or call toll-free (866) 361-2276 ADVERTISING SERVICES: GOEN & GOEN INS 800-288-2865 w w w. g o e n - g o e n . c o m Call (214) 361-2276 or e-mail [email protected] to request a media kit. Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A subscription is $25 for 24 issues. Copyright 2005 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Printed in Dallas, TX, by Midway Press. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243 or e-mail them to December 9, 2005 Page 5 CONSERVATION Federal funds to help manage natural resources along Gulf The Texas General Land Office announced the awarding of $1.75 million in grants to 38 programs by the agency’s Texas Coastal Coordination Council. It administers the Texas Coastal Management Program, which disperses federal funds to manage natural resources along the Gulf. “This money funds projects proposed by local communities, allowing these relatively modest grants to have a real impact where they’re needed most,” said Jerry Patterson, commissioner of the Land Office. Among other things, the awards will go to: • Repair sections of the decking and handrails of the Port Lavaca Causeway fishing pier — $60,000. • Develop a wave prediction and forecast system for the Texas coast by researchers at Texas A&M University at Galveston — $58,989. • Conduct a biological erosion control experiment. The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station will conduct side-by-side comparisons of different plant species to see which is most effective at minimizing the effects of waveinduced erosion — $48,592. • Improve the bayfront at Rockport Harbor. The Aransas Navigation District No. 1 will use its funds to repair the concrete bulkhead panel joints along the Rockport Harbor Seawall overlooking Aransas Bay — $60,000. • Upgrade the Washington Park fishing pier. The Galveston County Parks Department will address access to the fishing pier at Washington Park by installing walkways, putting up interpretative signs and repairing the pier — $51,717. A complete listing of the projects that received funding can be viewed on the Land Office’s Web site www.glo.state.tx.us by clicking on its news and information section. EVERYBODY’S COMFORTABLE. EXCEPT THE COMPETITION. GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab SLT — A Texas General Land Office report Private stewardship grants available The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it is seeking proposals for conservation projects on private lands through its Private Stewardship Grants Program. For fiscal year 2006, about $6.5 million is available through this grant program to support on-theground conservation efforts on private lands. Proposals must be submitted by Jan. 23, 2006. This program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to individuals and groups engaged in voluntary conservation efforts on private lands that benefit imperiled species such as federally listed endangered or threatened species as well as proposed, candidate and other at-risk species. Landowners and their partners may submit proposals directly to the Service for funding to support those efforts. Applicants in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas should submit proposals to the USFWS, Attn: David Frederick, 500 Gold SW (P.O. Box 1306), Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505248-6587. In September, the Service awarded 72 grants totaling more than $6.5 million to individuals and groups to undertake conservation projects for endangered, threatened, and other at-risk species on private lands in 38 states and one territory. For more information regarding this grant opportunity and on how and where to submit proposals, please visit the Service’s Private Stewardship Grants Web site at http://endangered. fws.gov/grants/private_stewardship.html. THE SIERRA ADVANTAGE — A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report GMC SIERRA TOYOTA TUNDRA FORD F-150 1500 CREW DOUBLE CAB SUPERCREW LIMITED 4x4 CAB SLT 4x4 XLT 4x4 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB SLT 4x4 ENGINE CAPACITY 5.3 L V8 4.7 L V8 4.6 L V8 4.7 L V8 STANDARD HORSEPOWER 295 HP 282 HP 231 HP 235 HP STANDARD TORQUE 335 LB-FT 325 LB-FT 293 LB-FT 300 LB-FT MAXIMUM PAYLOAD† 1701 LBS 1580 LBS 1340 LBS 1530 LBS STANDARD TOWING CAPACITY†† 7400 LBS 6500 LBS 6500 LBS 7150 LBS GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING††† 7000 LBS 6600 LBS 6900 LBS 6650 LBS AUTOMATIC REAR LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE ONSTAR®* AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE XM SATELLITE RADIO®** AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE BOSE® LUXURY AUDIO SYSTEM AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE. ® SEE THE PROS AT YOUR LOCAL GMC DEALER Maximum payload capacity includes weight of vehicle, passengers, cargo and equipment. †† Trailer ratings are calculated assuming a properly equipped base vehicle plus driver. See the GMC Trailering Guide for details. ††† When properly equipped, includes weight of vehicle, passengers, cargo and equipment. *Call 1-888-4ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) or visit onstar.com for system limitations and details. **Available in the 48 contiguous states. Basic service fees apply. Visit gm.xmradio.com for details. © 2005 OnStar Corp. All rights reserved. OnStar and the OnStar emblem are registered trademarks of OnStar Corporation. © 2005 XM Satellite Radio Inc. All rights reserved. The XM name and related logos are registered trademarks of XM Satellite Radio Inc. ©2005 Bose Corp. All rights reserved. © 2005 General Motors Corp. All rights reserved. Sierra, GMC and the GMC logo are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. † Page 6 December 9, 2005 HUNTING On the hunt Females of all ages head to the outdoors By Mary Helen Aguirre It was warm and sunny that Friday afternoon, much like the benevolent fall weather she was used to in Texas. But in North Carolina, fall blazes with color. JoAnn Davis took the time to notice how pretty the trees looked wearing their brilliant reds, oranges and yellows. But, mostly the 13-year-old was focused on the three bird dogs as she walked through thick brush that came to eye level. Each time one of the dogs would get on point, ready to flush out the quail, pheasant or chukar, the Garland teen, and fellow hunter 11-year-old Cody Patterson, would switch off shooting. On a turn toward the end of the hunt, she raised her shotgun, aimed and shot a quail. “I was very excited. It was my first time to go bird hunting,” says Davis. Davis is an example of a growing number of girls who are growing up to become hunters. In addition to tracking the number of young women who participate in trap, skeet and clay shooting, the National Shooting Sports Foundation also has noted a growth in the number of women who hunt. In 2004, 2,426,000 women of all ages hunted, up more than 20 percent compared to 2,018,000 in 1997, according to a NSSF release. Davis’ opportunity to hunt in North Carolina Nov. 10-13 was part of a new national program to encourage youth hunting and interest in the outdoors put on by the Quality Deer Management Association. QDMA is a non-profit group dedicated to ensuring a high-quality and sustainable future for white-tailed deer and white-tailed deer hunting. The Texas teen was one of 10 youngsters from across the nation chosen to participate in the all-expense paid hunting trip to the 1,200-acre Fork Farm in Norwood, N.C. Eight of the youths were randomly chosen and two slots were awarded to Hunt of a Lifetime, which helps many terminally ill children hunt. The youngsters were outfitted and taken on deer and bird hunts. But QDMA wants to go beyond promoting youth hunting. The five girls and five boys attended educational and hunter safety classes as well. Tim Lilley, QDMA’s director of public relations, said the more young people learn about what’s going on, the more open they are to issues such as conservation and wildlife management. QDMA hopes to encourage youth hunting on the local level as well as their program expands. “We will certainly encourage young women to get involved,” he said. Davis got a head start on some of the lucky trip winners. She was 10 when she went on her first deer hunt with her dad, Brian Davis. At 11, during a hunt in Henrietta, she harvested her first two does. “I shot one in the morning, and one in the afternoon on the next day,” she said. Young females are making a strong showing in shooting sports as well — often a crossover to hunting. Nationwide, over a third of all female participants in shotgun sports today are under 24, according to the NSSF. And, it’s possible that as the growing number of female hunters hit the outdoors, they’ll be drawing more young women into the sport. Julie Davenport of Dallas, a family friend who accompanied Davis on the North Carolina outing, said she enjoyed being a mentor to the young hunter. “I have such a love for nature, and when I was younger, I didn’t have the opportunity to get out,” said Davenport, who started hunting two years ago. At Responsive Management, a company specializing in research related to wildlife and out- JO ANN DAVIS, a 13-year-old hunter from Garland, poses with her rifle. Photo by David J. Sams. door recreation, Mark Duda, executive director and researcher at the company, said women who hunt are more likely to think about involving their daughters. Duda said the largest psychological barrier for female hunters is the lack of female role models — and all that entails, such as being invited to a hunt and being accepted as hunters. “There are so many issues,” he said. Mary Helen Aguirre is a native Texan with almost 15 years of experience editing and writing for newspapers, including the Atlanta JournalConstitution. She is a freelancer in New Mexico. Group targets ‘worrisome’ quail population By Mark England A hunting trip more than 30 years ago persuaded Steve Sumrow of the current need to start a Dallas chapter of Quail Forever, the second Texas chapter of an national organization less than four months old. “My father was raised around Celeste,” said Sumrow. “He took me hunting there when I was about 10 or 11. He told me stories of when he was a kid, and the quail were everywhere. We went traipsing all over the countryside, though, and didn’t find any.” Things haven’t gotten a lot better since. Texas is considered one of the best quail hunting states — though its quail population has declined 70 percent in the last 25 years. As one of its first projects, the Dallas chapter of Quail Forever is considering pitching a proposal to work with federal officials on improving quail habitat in refuges such as the Caddo National Grasslands northeast of Dallas. “That is the type of situation where there’s a chance you could see a huntable population in the next few years,” Sumrow said. Major portions of Texas’ quail range have been lost, Sumrow said. “And it’s not just quail. Where you lose upland habitat, you lose all types of animals. You lose an entire ecosystem.” Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Steve DeMaso calls the quail population “worrisome,” though areas like South Texas and the Panhandle still have strong quail populations. Urban sprawl, intensified farming and the planting of exotic grasses in pastures are a few of the reasons Texas quail have declined, he said. “Look at East Texas,” said DeMaso, upland game bird program leader. “What was small farms went to being industrial forests. It went from a savanna habitat to places having 600 to 700 pine trees an acre planted on them. Dead pine needles are not suitable nesting material for quail.” Nationwide, the population of bobwhite quail declined from 59 million to a little more than 20 million from 1980-1990. Those kinds of numbers led to the launch of Quail Forever on Aug. 10, with the first chapter formed in St. Louis. The organization has 21 chapters. Dallas came onboard on Nov. 15. “A big part of what we need to do involves education,” said Sumrow, the chapter’s first president. “We’ve got to educate the public, the landowners and our state and national leaders Texas hunters die of carbon monoxide DWINDLING NUMBERS: Texas’ quail population has declined 70 percent in the last 25 years. about what we’re trying to do and why it’s important.” Robert Perez, a TPW quail biologist, said Ducks Unlimited is proof of the power of educating the public about wildlife. “Every sixth-grader knows what wetlands are and their importance,” Perez said. “Ask them what a savanna is and why it’s important, though, and they’re not going to tell you. They don’t know. We’ve done a poor job of educating people.” Quail Forever nationally has set a goal of forming 50 chapters and recruiting 12,000 members. It hopes to acquire some of the clout of its parent organization, Pheasants Forever, whose efforts have reaped some 2 million acres of new range land for pheasants. For now, Quail Forever must marshal its resources wisely, Sumrow said. “It wouldn’t be smart to do an upland project on the edge of Plano, for example,” he said. “But, maybe, farther north toward Bonham. I don’t think Dallas will grow all the way to Bonham any time soon. We’ve got to pick our spots, pick our fights if we hope to win the war.” DeMaso said Quail Forever could have an impact. “They can work on acquiring land, ensuring that patches of quail habitat stay connected; fund a whole variety of research; and work on the legislative side of things,” he said. “Pheasants Forever, for example, has been active on the national level to make sure that conservation provisions in farm bills stay there.” Sumrow sees this as a pivotal moment in conserving quail and their habitat. “The rest of the country may think the quail hunting here is great, but tell that to the guy in East Texas who hasn’t seen one in 10 years,” he said. “There’s no reason to believe the decline of their range is going to stop.” For more information about Quail Forever, contact Sumrow at (214) 7277911 or sdsumrow@ev1. net. Mark England is associate editor of Lone Star Outdoor News. Two Texas hunters died in New Mexico of carbon monoxide poisoning over the Thanksgiving holiday. Danny Davis, 56, and Mark Jackson, 38, both of Tennessee Colony, were found by the others in their hunting party on the morning of Nov. 25, said Capt. Norbert Sanchez of the Otero County Sheriff’s Department. They were sleeping inside a gooseneck trailer, using a Coleman propane heater. “It was one of those Coleman bottles with a small heater on it,” Sanchez said. “You’re supposed to ventilate if you use them. It takes up the oxygen in the air.” The hunters were in the Sacramento Mountains, the southern branch of the Rocky Mountains, east of Cloudcroft, N.M., to hunt elk. Temperatures had dropped below freezing on the morning they died. “Come wintertime, it’s not unusual to have four or five people around here die from carbon monoxide poisoning, though usually they’re residents,” Sanchez said. “People just don’t realize the danger. Basically, you go into a comatose state and die.” December 9, 2005 Page 7 Pheasant season called best in years TBGA names November early entry winners The Texas Big Game Awards has named a hunter and landowner as the November winners of the contest’s early entry program. Marty Griffith of Houston will receive a gift from a TBGA Texas regional sponsor for mailing in his entry form early through the TBGA’s Early Entry Special Program. Macho Creek Lodge, the ranch/ landowner where the whitetail was taken, will also receive a gift. The Griffith non-typical buck was taken in Atascosa County with a gross scoring of 223. This year the TBGA has again continued the Early Entry Special Program that allows hunters and landowners who mail in their completed entry form early and include a photo for promotional purposes with the TBGA and statewide media to be automatically entered in a drawing for some great prizes. For those hunters who harvest Scored Entry qualifying animals and have their completed entry form in by the 30th of each month from November through February, some great prizes will be offered in the monthly drawings. Prizes such as a Gerber Legendary Blades Big Game Kit, Michael’s of Oregon hunting items, Gander Mountain Gift Cards, or other great rewards will be awarded. Entries must include a quality field photo of the hunter and their trophy and entry forms must be complete. Preferably, photos should be e-mailed to [email protected] or hunters Pheasant watchers expected this season to be a good one — but it appears to be exceeding everyone’s expectations. In a recent ediLongtime hunter Brett “Maverick” Parker tion of Texas Parks and Wildlife’s magazine, summed up the opening of pheasant season Danny Swepston, TPW’s district biologist in in the Panhandle with two words: “It’s cool!” Canyon, said that last year the pheasant And he’s not the only one crowing over the population was better than expected, and a good carryover of hunting. Panhandle birds was “It’s the greatest pheasant expected this season. season in 25 years,” declared Pheasants Forever foreMel Phillips, a hunter and casters also predicted well-known Panhandle outhigher than normal door radio host at Amarillo’s pheasant numbers for the KGNC 710 AM radio every Texas Panhandle. The conSaturday morning. servation group’s forecast The excitement in Parker’s said a hot and dry early voice at seeing 6,7,8 …10 spring gave way to a wetter roosters together — many of summer and things were them standing along the greener than normal this roadside of his Castro year with plenty of chicks County hunting spot south spotted near wheat, milo of Hart — was unmistakable. and corn fields during the In normal years, Parker said survey. he’ll see only a couple of Phillips said the area’s birds alongside the road. PHEASANT FRENZY: Panhandle hunters rainfall total is below But on Dec. 4, he and a are staying busy this season. normal, but the rains buddy limited in time for earlier this year must have come at exactly lunch. “I got out there early, and I have never in all the right time, allowing chicks to get plenty the years I’ve been hunting — 30 years — of food. On opening day in Dimmitt, seen so many pheasants. It’s just unbeliev- Phillips was in a group of 23 hunters who worked a field of weeds next to a cornfield to able,” Parker said. The 37 counties of the Panhandle region flush 100 roosters or better. He limited there where Parker and Phillips hunted reigns as and then, he said. “Birds were falling out of the sky,” he said. the state’s prime pheasant territory. This year’s season in the Panhandle opened Dec. “This is the most pheasants we’ve ever seen.” 3 and runs through Jan. 1, though pheasant hunting is open in the counties of Darlene McCormick Sanchez is editor of Lone Star Chambers, Jefferson and Liberty until Feb. Outdoor News. 26. By Darlene McCormick Sanchez EARLY HUNTER GETS THE PRIZE: Marty Griffith took this non-typical buck in Atascosa County. can mail in their photos with their entry forms. There will be one winner chosen for each of the three months. For the Early Entry Grand Prize, everyone who has their completed entry form in by Jan. 30, including First Harvest and Youth Division entries, will be eligible for a Texas Lifetime Hunting License. Photos for this drawing are not required but encouraged. Smith’s Abrasives and Hunter’s Specialties proudly sponsor the license reward. For more information on the Texas Big Game Awards, entry information, or for a local certified TBGA scorer, please visit www. TexasBigGameAwards.com or call (800) 839-9453, ext. 114 for more information. The final deadline to enter the Texas Big Game Awards for the 2005-2006 season is March 15, 2006. — A Texas Big Game Awards report OPEN SEASON Migratory Bird Hunting Report HIGH PLAINS MALLARD MANAGEMENT UNIT: Outfitters claim they have enjoyed some of the best decoying action for geese in years. Normally, decoying action slows a bit as December approaches; however, as many guides have attested, a young bird count is keeping many Canadas on the deck. Easy limits have been had near Dumas, Etter and Spearman. Goose hunters are taking two to three snows per man, too. Lots of young Ross’ geese have readily decoyed. Haskell County continues strong for Canadas. Specklebellies and snow geese are scattered in the mix. The recent front deposited more mallards to the area. Any playa with water is holding ducks. As a side note, outfitters claim the pheasant hunting is as good as they have seen. Limits are the norm and not the exception. Prospects are good. NORTH ZONE WATERFOWL: The second split of duck season begins 30 minutes before sunset Dec. 10. The first split of duck season was fair to good in the region. Those on area lakes and reservoirs saw good action for mallards, gadwalls, teal, divers and shovelers. Lack of rainfall remains a factor. Backwater sloughs and bayous remain dry. The recent front deposited new birds to the region. Mallards, gadwalls, wigeons and teal are holding on Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn, Cooper Lake, Lake O’ the Pines, Caddo Lake, Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork. Along the coastal prairies portion of the North Zone, recent rains recharged leveed ponds. The second-split opener should see plenty of action. Prospects are good. SOUTH ZONE WATERFOWL: The second split of duck season begins 30 minutes before sunset Dec.10. Coastal prairie ponds enjoyed as much as 3 inches of rain last week, which helped raise water levels in ponds. More mallards have found the region during the split, and expect more on ponds with forecasted cold fronts this week. Gadwalls, wigeons, teal and shovelers have been the mainstays on ponds and in hunters’ bags during the first split. In the coastal marsh, stiff north winds along with the upcoming solstice tide have dropped water levels several feet below normal. Access to shallow, tidal ponds may be tough this weekend. Rockport, Seadrift, Matagorda, Galveston Bay, Trinity Bay and the Sabine Lake marsh look promising for the second-split opener. Goose hunting has been average at best. A high ceiling has done hunters no favors. Specklebellies are getting tougher to decoy. More Canada geese have moved into the region and hunters have been happily taking the bonus dark geese. Pintails and canvasbacks are legal to harvest Dec. 22. Prospects are good. DUCK HIGH PLAINS MALLARD MANAGEMENT UNIT: Oct. 28 - Jan. 29 NORTH AND SOUTH ZONES: Dec. 10 — Jan. 29 Pintail and Canvasback (All Zones) Dec. 22 — Jan. 29 GOOSE WEST ZONE: Light and Dark Geese, Nov. 5 — Feb. 7 EAST ZONE: Light Geese, Nov. 5 — Jan. 29 White-fronted Goose, Nov. 5 — Jan. 15 Canada Goose Nov. 5 — Jan. 29 TRANS-PECOS Nov. 26 — Dec. 11 RIO GRANDE TURKEY NORTH TEXAS Nov. 5 — Jan. 1 SOUTH TEXAS Nov. 5 — Jan. 15 WILLACY, BROOKS, KENEDY & KLEBERG COUNTIES Nov. 5 — Feb. 26 SANDHILL CRANE ZONE A: Nov. 5 — Feb. 5 ZONE B: Nov .26 — Feb. 5 ZONE C: Dec. 24 — Jan. 29 LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN PHEASANT CHAMBERS, JEFFERSON AND LIBERTY COUNTIES Oct. 29 — Feb. 26 PANHANDLE Dec. 3 — Jan. 1 QUAIL Oct. 29 — Feb. 26 JAVELINA Oct. 1 — Feb. 26 WHITE—TAILED DEER NORTH TEXAS Nov. 5 — Jan. 1 SOUTH TEXAS Nov.5 — Jan. 15 MULE DEER For more information on bag limits and other open game species, check the TPW Outdoor Annual or http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hun t/season/2006/animal_listing/. WHY IS TOMMIE VAUGHN FORD DIFFERENT? • No Add-Ons To Factory Sticker • Free 1 Year/15,000 Mile Maintenance • Free Shuttle • 1 Hour Delivery • No Lies • No Hassles PRE-OWNED SPECIALS ‘97 CHEVY Z-71 Stepside, 4x4, White Tan 8999 $ 2 Tone, High Miles but Clean Truck ............................ ‘02 JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA Auto, $ Hard Doors, Maroon w/Tan Top, Nice Jeep .......... ‘03 FORD F-150 SUPER CREW Lariat, 4X4, $ Dark Shadow Grey, Nice Truck, Cool Wheels ...... ‘04 FORD F-150 SUPER CREW Lariat, 4X4, $ Nicely Equipped, Super Clean, Black Truck .......... 13,999 NEW 2006 F-250 XLT CREW CAB Automatic, A/C, AM/FM/CD, Power Pkg & Much More! $30,900 - $2500 Rebate - $500 CCA Member Discount 27,900 $ 20,499 ‘03 FORD F-350 KING RANCH CREW CAB 22,999 25,999 $ 4x4, Chestnut, Clean Truck with Some Miles ........ 713-802-6673 EMAIL: [email protected] 1201 North Shepherd • Houston, TX 1 Mile N. of I-10 Inside 610 Loop Stephen Kovacs Member of: Coastal Conservation Assoc, Texas Trophy Hunters Assoc, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo “Proudly Serving Texas for Over 50 Years!” Page 8 December 25, 2005 FISHING Cold weather angling Go deeper, fish slower they will troll some spoons, but a lot of the shad imitation crank baits have been taking fish.” “This far south, we’ll see the beginning of the white bass run in mid-December, then the height of it the end of January, first part of February,” Findeisen said. Fishing for white, or sand, bass will be active well into December as far north as Richland Chambers Lake near Corsicana, said fishing guide Bob Holmes of Red Oak. Holmes was catching daily limits of “sandies” as late as Nov. 29, when his party of four brought in 100 bass. “We’re still on a good bite. Even though it does cool down in December, your fish are still there. You look for them a little deeper and fish a little slower, but you’re catching quality fish,” Holmes said. He’s been using a 1-ounce silver minnow slab, or on windy days, a 1 3/4-ounce chartreuse slab, and going down anywhere from 17 to 36 feet. “I like to start at first light, seven o’clock,” he said. “This time of year they’re sometimes on top. In about 30 minutes, they start settling to the bottom.” North Texas had a good summer and fall for catching white bass feeding near the surface — By Diana Kunde ust when the white bass season is cooling off in North Texas, it’s about to heat up downstate. Choke Canyon Reservoir, Lake Corpus Christi and smaller Coleto Creek Reservoir should see the white bass spawning run start as soon as mid- to late December, said John Findeisen, fisheries biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife in Mathis. Fishing should be better this winter than last, because lake levels are higher, he said. “Choke Canyon had been 23 feet down, now it’s three feet low,” he said. The greater lake and river depth should make for a better spawning environment, he said. “They will run until they find the shallow gravel shoals and start the spawn. The egg . . . needs a current to keep it from suffocating in the sediment.” Anglers at Corpus Christi frequently put in at the Nueces River where U.S. Highway 59 crosses it, then follow the running fish, he said. “On the Nueces, they use shad imitations as well as road runner jigs,” Findeisen said. “In the main lake, J largely because of heavy rains in the springs of 2004 and this year, said Rafe Brock, fisheries biologist for TPW in Fort Worth. “If you have good water in the spring, you get a good recruiting class to sustain even into the next spring,” he said. That means white bass populations should be good in spring of 2006, when the spawning run begins farther north, he said. Along the Texas-Mexico border at Amistad Reservoir, now is the time for white bass fishing, said Ray Hanselman Jr., a fishing guide based in Del Rio. The fish are coming to the top right now, he said, and will typically start their spawn in early February. Hanselman uses white slabs “under the birds” when the bass are near the surface feeding. “Amistad is full of whites. You can catch limits pretty easily,” he said. “Most of the guides fish for whites in the wintertime. Once they start in December, it’s pretty solid until the first part of March.” Diana Kunde has 30 years of experience writing and editing for newspapers that include the Dallas Morning News. She is a freelancer based in Arlington, reachable at [email protected]. WINTRY WAYS: Fishing guide Bob Holmes says even though it does cool down in December, fish are still there. Anglers just have to fish in a different way. Packery expected to be fishing boon By ROBERT CADWALLADER FISHI N W O State studies legalizing blue, channel catfish G B OFFICIAL OPENING ON THE WAY: Packery Channel is expected to open in January or February. Construction began on the Corpus Christi project in October 2003. By Todd Nafe Anglers who enjoy bowfishing for carp, gar and other “rough fish” could soon have a new target in their sights — catfish. Texas Parks and Wildlife is considering a policy change that would add blue and channel catfish to the list of legal species that can be taken by bow and arrow in the Lone Star State. Bowfishing groups, led by the Texas Bowfishing Association, have been pushing the idea of legalizing The Army Corps of Engineers has decided to allow small boats in the yet-tobe-completed Packery Channel in Corpus Christi. For many anglers, the decision won’t make any difference since they have been fishing the off-limit areas anyway to catch snook, speckled trout and redfish. But officials are warning anglers to use caution in the channel, and they’re saying the area remains closed to bank fishing. Recent hurricanes halted the Army Corps of Engineers dredging work on the Packery Channel. The storms proved auspicious to anglers because they drove Gulf waters over a thin strip of beach blocking access to the channel, said Doug Bird, a veteran fishing guide of 35 years. “The first time I went out on it, we caught two trout and five snook on top water, which is the most snook I’ve ever caught in one day,’’ said Bird, who has a Saturday fishing show on KKTX radio. “I was walking on Cloud Nine.’’ The Army Corps of Engineers, though, wants anglers to come back down to earth and understand construction risks are real. The project, four months behind schedule, will open a convenient boating pass through Padre Island and is expected to officially open in January or February. Construction began in October 2003. “They will not be forcing people off the channel, but we ask that when the dredge comes back, to be very careful,’’ said Corps spokeswoman Marilyn Uhrich. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe for shore fishermen. See PACKERY, Page 11 bowfishing for catfish, and the TPW Commission is considering the idea as a way to offer more recreational opportunities to Texas anglers, said Ken Kurzawski of TPW’s Inland Fisheries Division. Officials anticipate that if the proposed changes are approved, the new law would allow the use of bowfishing equipment as a legal means to harvest catfish. All existing regulations, like length and bag limits, would also apply to bowfishing. But the proposal is meeting with some resistance. According to Kurzawski, public comment has been overwhelmingly against the change, with numbers currently running 75 percent against to 25 percent in favor. Opponents argue that permitting the harvest of catfish by bow and arrow could not only be the first step in opening up bowfishing to other game fish, but it could result in additional methods being legalized that might jeopardize fish populations. “If they’re going to let people shoot catfish with a GAME TARGET: Bowfishing groups, led by the Texas Bowfishing Association, bow and arrow, then why have been pushing the idea of legalizing bowfishing for catfish. See BOWFISHING, Page 11 December 9, 2005 Page 9 ADVENTURE Stringer full of bounty Lodge on the Matagorda second home to many outdoorsmen By David Sikes ockside banter at Matagorda’s Full Stringer Lodge was lighthearted and lively when I joined a group of anglers celebrating a pause from the everyday. Guides filleted fish while guests from separate parties mingled and relaxed with the sunset. Some of them wondered aloud what their next adventure might bring while others still were trying to choose tomorrow’s pleasure. Typically, evening topics on the deck of this hunting and fishing lodge vary considerably, reflecting seasonal pursuits of the region. In summer, conversations might involve talk of tarpon and tripletail or amberjack and ling, all within easy reach of this comfortable sportsman’s respite below Galveston. During fall, tales of angling and hunting collide to include ducks and geese and trout and redfish. Recent reports from the lodge reveal that wingshooters are enjoying a stellar waterfowl season. Ducks have been plentiful and the variety has been wide. And compared with the previous season, goose hunters have experienced a resurgence of opportunities for specklebellies, snows and a growing number of Canadas. Of course, the fishing here is year-round, enhanced by four licensed captains for offshore trips and 12 licensed bay-fishing guides. They even offer flounder gigging trips. This is pretty much how lodge proprietors Jody and David Cassady pictured it. As best they could, they wanted the Full D Stringer to showcase all of the bounty this section of the Texas coast holds. To Cotton Johnson and me, this Matagorda dream seemed complete, based on stories told over a home-style meal of grilled fish and a darned good crawfish etouffee. Matagorda might once have been considered a destination mostly visited by lost travelers. Not so today. The Cassadys’ hospitality has combined with myriad outdoor offerings to encourage return visits. It remains remote and mostly undeveloped, but worth the effort to find. This riverside community resembles a south Louisiana bayou village, with its levees, locks and waterside fishing camps. It’s situated where the Colorado River intersects with the Intracoastal Waterway, providing an interesting and scenic boat ride to the bay and on to the Gulf of Mexico. The Cassadys’ full-service roost offers rooms enough to accommodate 18 guests. They have a spacious suite upstairs with comfortable seating in a commons area with satellite TV. More private rooms behind doors grace the downstairs floor, more appropriate for families and smaller parties. It would be an ideal retreat if you’re looking to explore this lowtraffic stretch of coast. But my fishing partner, Cotton Johnson, and I were there to fish, specifically for the elusive tripletail. I say elusive because in Texas few anglers target them and only in spring or summer. It’s a strangelooking dark fish, with distinctive broad fins, tail and profile, which many people misidentify as a member of the grouper family. And they’re powerful fighters, fun to catch and relatively easy to find in West Matagorda Bay, the center of Texas tripletail fishing during spring and summer. Texas has no size or bag limit for tripletail, though Texas Parks and Wildlife officials have proposed to change this by designating it a game fish. Matagorda anglers, including Lee Warmke, a Matagorda guide who targets them regularly, impose their own daily quota. Warmke was our guide and instructor. “Reel, reel, reel,” Warmke yelled as he jammed his throttle into reverse, throwing gallons of bay water over the boat’s stern and leaving a seething trail of prop-fizz off the bow. I braced against the boat’s backward thrust, planting my feet firmly on the bow deck and tightening my grip on my fishing rod. It worked and ultimately the lesson yielded a 12-pound tripletail. And then we did it again. David Sikes writes about the outdoors for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. PLENTY TO DO: Flounder and trout are a couple of the many target game fish at Matagorda Bay’s Full Stringer Lodge. Photo by David Sikes. IF YOU GO Full Stringer Lodge, fullstringerlodge.com, (979) 8631143, [email protected], Lodging fees for full service with three meals, $100 night. Lee Warmke, half breed guide service, www.fishingwith- lee.com, [email protected] ,(979) 924-3941. Mike Mosley, saltwater addiction guide service, (979) 8637447. Bobby Gardner, south-paw guide service, www.matagor- dawadefishing.com, (979) 553-4057. Guide fee is $450 (bay trips) for three anglers; offshore trips start at $800 for four anglers. Texas, Florida to host new Redfish Nation Series — registration under way The Redfish Nation has announced the launch of the new Redfish Nation Series presented by Academy Sports and Outdoors. The RFN Series will replace last season’s Q Series providing bigger guaranteed payouts, fantastic venues and an opportunity for teams to earn a spot in the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup Championship, the sport’s most lucrative and prestigious event. The RFN Series will be comprised of six two-day events that each guarantees a first place prize of $15,000 cash. Texas and Florida will each host three RFN Series events, with the new Redfish Nation Series Championship to be held at a yet-to-be-disclosed destination. The top 5 teams from each RFN Series event will advance to the first ever Redfish Nation Series Championship. The winning team from the 30-team event will win a prize package worth more than $35,000. In addition, the teams from the Triton Western Division and Mercury Eastern Division with the highest finish at the RFN Series Championship will earn a coveted birth into the no-entry fee Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup Championship on ESPN2 later in 2006. That event will pay $75,000 to the top team. “Our Redfish Cup and RFN Series anglers continue to help us build better tournament circuits and more opportunities,” said David Healy of the Redfish Nation. “More anglers now have more chances to compete and advance to the sport’s biggest stage, the Oh Boy! Oberto GUIDED HUNTS Redfish Cup Championship on ESPN2. That’s unprecedented.” Unlike the Q Series in the past that required teams to fish all events in their division, the RFN Series allows teams to fish as many events as they like. “Redfish tournaments are competitive but they should also be fun and encourage new fans to participate,” Healy added. “This entire industry needs more people fishing, so that is what the RFN Series is all about.” The Redfish Nation Series will receive extensive media expo- sure, including coverage in Redfish Nation Magazine and comprehensive online coverage at the official Web site www.RedfishCup.com. Entry fee for the Redfish Nation Series is $500 per team per event. Registration for the 2006 Redfish Nation Series began Dec. 5. To register, visit www.RedfishNation. com/registration, call (888) 698-2591 or fax (409) 698-2616. —A Redfish Nation report LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS REACHES READERS ACROSS TEXAS. SHOW THEM YOUR CLASSIFIED AD. Call (866) 361-2276 FISHING LEASES or e-mail: [email protected] Page 10 December 9, 2005 Big bass Continued from Page 1 SKY HIGH: The goose wintering population in the Panhandle continues to increase. Geese lations; these are not the same snow geese that winter on the Texas coast. Continued from Page 1 first month of the season. Most shoots are coming from wheat or corn fields near Spearman, Dumas and Etter. Town said Lake Etter is holding the brunt of the dark and light goose population. “It (Lake Etter) is incredible to see,” he said. “Every goose in the country is using that water.” The Panhandle’s light goose population has boomed over the last 10 years. Biologist suggest a shift in migration from the New Mexico flyway has brought more white geese to spreads in the High Plains. However, the shift in the flyway has not affect coastal popu- ‘We’ve not gone a day without getting the limit. It’s amazing.’ —Pam Cooke Town, along with other outfitters in the area, say there are plenty of gray-feathered juvenile birds in the flock — which bodes well for decoying action. “We are shooting quite a few gray birds; there seems to be lots of young ones this year,” he said. Pam Cooke of Straight Line Outfitters, which conducts its geese hunts in the Panhandle, confirms that observation. She related a conversation with her husband, Terry, who started their outfit 20 years ago. “Terry said yesterday a thousand birds were coming in because of the decoys,” Cooke said. “We don’t know if it was the new birds — we’ve had the biggest hatch ever — or because we’re using new decoys, windsocks and silhouettes.” A little subterfuge helps, too. “Whether you’re hunting in corn or wheat, Terry has the exact gillie suit to match the ground cover,” Cooke said. “An Amarillo TV station, KAMR, shot some video of the guys in their suits. All you could see was their faces. It was unbelievable.” Cooke, like Town, is ecstatic about the geese hunting. “It’s probably the best we’ve ever had,” she said. “We’ve not gone a day without getting the limit. It’s amazing. We’re done by 10:30 a.m. It’s the best year that we’ve ever had.” For current goose hunting conditions in the Panhandle or any other waterfowl region of the state, read the Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report in this issue of Lone Star Outdoor News. Bink Grimes is a freelance outdoors writer. He can be contacted at www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com. inches in girth. Babich was fishing for crappie when he saw the big bass come up and eat a crappie he’d just t hrown back. He pitched a 3 1/4-inch Lunker City Fin-S Shad into t he water, and she took it. If recent events are any indication, Babich had better enjoy holding t he record while he can. An even bigger fish is probably out there just waiting to be caught. Professional angler Kevin VanDam started the recordbreaking big bass boom on Lewisville Lake June 1, when he caught an 11.81-pound fish dur ing a tour nament. That record stood only until July 17, when Houston Rogers hooked a 12.23-pounder. Rogers held the record just two weeks. Charles Pratt caught his 12.67-pounder July 31. The heaviest fish are typically caught dur ing t he spr ing spawning season, when the big females are full of eggs. The cur rent world record largemout h bass, caught in Georgia in 1932, weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces. That fish was 32.5 inches long and had a girth of 28.5 inches. There may not be a new state or world record largemouth swimming around in Lewisville Lake, but it’s almost a given that a new lake record is. The only questions are: Who will catch it, and when? — A Texas Parks and Wildlife report WANT TO SOUND OFF ON AN ISSUE? WRITE US! Lone Star Outdoor News welcomes comments and suggestions on our newspaper and your views on the Texas outdoors. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Send letters to: [email protected], or mail them to: Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243. ‘My sons and I enjoy your publication and look forward to each issue. Thanks!’ — CRAIG PFEIFFER, SAN ANTONIO 24 ISSUES FOR ONLY $25! YES! PLEASE SIGN ME UP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION TO Lone Star Outdoor News. I’ll receive 24 issues for only $25. That’s more than 40% off the newsstand price! My check, money order or credit card information is enclosed. CLIP AND MAIL THIS COUPON TO: LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243, or simply visit www.lonestaroutdoornews.com. One year: 24 issues for $25 (You’ll save 42% off the newsstand price!) Two years: 48 issues for $42 (Our best offer — save 50% off the newsstand price!) FREE HAT WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Please renew my subscrtiption NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP TELEPHONE Stone E-MAIL CREDIT CARD # SIGNATURE EXP. DATE Camo December 9, 2005 Page 11 Bowfishing Continued from Page 8 not let us catch them by hand?” asked catfisherman David Donaldson of Waco. “And what’s the difference between using an arrow and using a big hook to snag a fish out of a hole?” Opponents also cite concerns about the nature of bowfishing. Catch and release with a bow and arrow is impossible, and offtarget shots would likely result in wounded fish that initially swim away only to die later from their injuries. But Texas Bowfishing Association Associate Director Tim McKee says it’s simply a matter of ethics and judgment. “All hunters and fishermen are endowed with the responsibility of selective harvest by sight, as duck hunters must differentiate species of waterfowl on the wing and deer hunters have to distin- Packery Continued from Page 8 “The area surrounding the channel is still considered a construction area, i.e., a hard-hat area,’’ Uhrich said. “People will not be allowed on the banks of the channel until it gets done.’’ Fishing guide Bill Sheka of Corpus Christi said he believes workers and fishermen can get along safely. “You just give them the same courtesy you would in a no-wake zone,’’ he said. “Where they’re working, stay clear. It’s just common sense.’’ Bird said some parts of Packery are only 2 to 3 feet deep, and other areas are 7 to 8 feet deep. “The least amount of water I’ve guish a deer’s gender, antler size and age on the hoof.” Supporters of the change contend that what they do is more of a sport than trotlining and jug fishing, which are legal methods of catching catfish in the state. McKee says that bowfishermen are an ethical group that abide by the rules and regulations pertaining to bowfishing for flounder and sheepshead, and that the same would go for catfish. “As long as there’s no short supply of these fish, I see no reason why we shouldn’t be allowed to put some tasty fish on our tables,” McKee said. Although he’s not a bowfisherman, longtime Texoma catfisherman Loren Lookingbill agrees. “These guys are out there shooting gar and carp and other rough fish. Why not let them shoot something they can eat?” He added that the number of catfish taken by bow would probably have little effect on catfish populations in most lakes and streams. “I don’t see bowfisher- men decimating catfish numbers. There just aren’t a whole lot of people doing it and catfish aren’t easy to lure into the range of a bow and arrow,” he said. Another worry on the minds of opponents is that shallow-water spawning cats would be easy marks for bowfishermen and could affect population numbers. But McKee and others say they would gladly accept a bowfishing season to avoid periods when catfish would be especially vulnerable to bows and arrows. Bowfishing for catfish isn’t a new idea — it’s already legal in Louisiana, South Carolina, Illinois, Arkansas and Alabama. But should it be permitted in Texas? To voice an opinion e-mail TPW at [email protected] or call (512) 389-4591. had under my keel is about a foot and a half,’’ Bird said. “Everybody’s aware that it’s not finished and that you run it at your own risk. You have to be careful what size boat you take out on it.’’ After the hurricanes this summer and fall, Bird noticed a wider variety of fish in the channel, and he expects fishing to get even better when the jetties and dredging are complete. “There’s going to be more shark caught, more red fish caught,’’ he said. “It’s just going to be totally awesome. I’ve been waiting for this for 35 years.’’ The prevalence of snook on the surf side of the channel has been noticed elsewhere along the coast over the past three years, Sheka said. “I’ve never seen snook out there like I have seen, and I’ve lived here all my life,’’ Sheka said. “And I’m talking, there are 40-inch snook out there. There is more snook out there than we realized, and the size is enormous.’’ He believes the legal catch limit — one snook between 24 and 28 inches per person per day — may need to be revised, he said. Sheka and Bird said the completion of the Packery Channel should improve fishing and boost the area’s economy. “I think you’re going to see a lot of good things happen,’’ Sheka said. Todd Nafe is the outdoor writer for the Waco Tribune-Herald and can be reached at www.centexoutdoors.com. Robert Cadwallader is a Fort Worth area freelancer with more than two decades of experience as a journalist and writer. ANTLERS AWAY: Hunters can put their rattling skills to the test at the next Rattlemasters tournament, Dec. 17-18, in South Texas. Rattling Continued from Page 1 harvested), but don’t misunderstand that. I don’t have anything against harvesting. I’ve been a hunter all my life.” To Carpenter and other rattle-minded hunters, the technique is an art form and the most thrilling way to hunt deer. Just ask Lee Bevly of Skidmore who has competed in Rattlemasters of Texas contests for four years and has been rattling for more than 30 years. “To me it’s a natural way of hunting. I don’t like just sitting and watching the deer feeder and waiting for something to come in,” Bevly said. “I’ve had them as close as five yards from me. When you get them that close and they don’t know you’re there, it’s a rush.” And capturing a hoodwinked buck on video can be tougher than shooting one with a rifle, he added. “I’ve missed more deer with a camera than a gun.” Two rattlers who rarely miss a rattling photo op are Kenneth and Patricia Wallek of Beeville. The husband-and-wife duo have won the Rattlemasters Team of the Year Award the last two years. At one tournament last season, the Walleks rattled up 18 different bucks on video. The secret to successful rattling, Carpenter said, is to not be afraid to make a heck of a ruckus. If you’ve ever seen two deer fighting, they’re not playing around. “It’s a fight to the finish sometimes for some of them. They’re running over trees, brush and cactus. It’s kind of hard for some folks to understand because they’ve been taught to be quiet and real still. But we break limbs, shake trees, beat the ground.” In addition to the most bucks award, hunters compete in several categories including funniest video, oldest rattlemaster and youngest rattlemaster. An important goal of the contests, Carpenter said, is to get young people involved so the skill of rattling bucks is passed on. The contests have several youth categories. One of Carpenter’s favorite hunting memories is rattling in his son’s first buck back in 1989 — a buck that came bounding down a hillside and leapt into a creek right in front of them. “I was able to do for my son what my dad had done for me. That’s a very special memory for me,” Carpenter said. To learn more about rattling, and the group’s tournaments and video contest, visit www.rattlemasters. com or call (361) 362-2620. Wes Smalling is the former outdoors editor for the Santa Fe New Mexican and has more than a decade of experience as a writer and reporter. Page 12 December 9, 2005 OUTDOOR DATEBOOK HAVE AN EVENT TO PUBLICIZE? E-mail it to [email protected] Events must be open to the public DEC. 10: Basic fly-fishing at Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine, at 1 p.m. Learn basic techniques to flycasting. Stop by the White River Fly Shop for more information. DEC. 10: Fort Richardson SP&HS and Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway Kid's Fishing Day. Come and fish for rainbow trout on the banks of Quarry Lake. Prizes awarded. A limited number of rod and reels will be available. Bait and refresh-ments provided. Call for times and more information; (940) 567-3506. DEC. 10: Christian Anglers Bass Association Open Team Tournament, Lake Bob Sandlin (Titus County Public Ramp), $120. Call (214) 801-9944. DEC. 10–11: Chaparral WMA youth- only antlerless deer hunt. Youth must be accompanied by adult, but only youth may hunt, by special drawn permit only. Standby applicants must be present by 10 a.m., first day of hunt. No fee is charged; call (830) 676-3413. DEC. 12: Waterfowl footwear demo, Cabela’s, Fort Worth, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. DEC. 14: Dallas Safari Club holiday party at Renaissance Dallas Hotel, $55 per person, RSVP at (972) 980-9800. DEC. 14: Fly-tying class, Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Learn techniques of tying flies, freshwater to saltwater. DEC. 12–26: Black Gap WMA fishing on the Rio Grande. Valid Texas fishing license and an annual hunting or limited public use permit required for visitors ages 17 and older. Twenty-three campsites available along the river. For more information, call (432) 376-2216 or (432) 8373251. DEC.12-26: Black Gap WMA quail hunting. Call (432) 376-2216 or (432) 837-3251. DEC. 16: Concealed handgun seminar, renewal only, Cabela’s, Fort Worth. From 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call (817) 337-2400. DEC. 16–18: Matagorda Island SP&WMA Scheduled Hunts. Call (361) 983-2215 for details. DEC. 17: Basic fly-fishing, Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine. 1 p.m. Learn basic techniques to fly-casting. Stop by the White River Fly Shop for more information. DEC. 17: Lake Livingston SP, fishing with a ranger program. Bring your rods and reels for some fishing fun. Topics include fishing regulations, ethics, basic tackle assembly and more. 7-10 a.m.; reservations required. Call (956) 365-2201 ext. 11 or (936) 365-2201. DEC. 22: Muzzleloading course, Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine. Introduction to muzzleloading firearms. Class covers loading, safety, cleaning, black powder and substitute powders, bullets and accessories. No shooting is involved. Call (972) 724-2018. December 9, 2005 Page 13 PRODUCT PICKS LIGHTHEADED LOOKER: The Cat’s Eyes Quick!Light attaches to a cap to offer a hands-free light source. The 1.24ounce cap light features three LED bulbs that provide ultra bright white light. It is powered by lithium coin cell batteries offering 24-48 hours of continuous use and costs about $17. For retailers, visit www.universalmerchandisers.com or call (501) 374-1930. KAYAK IN A CRUNCH: The Yakka 80 by Bic Sport was designed for those with limited storage space. Folded, the kayak measures 59 by 30 inches and can fit in the trunk of a car or in the back of an SUV. To set up, unfold the rigid hull sections, secure the center support and inflate the sides. The 44-pound Yakka is maneuverable enough for most experienced sea and lake kayakers and can be used on lower-rated rivers, but is not recommended for whitewater use. The Yakka 80 supports riders up to 176 pounds; the Yakka 120, available in December, has a 265-pound capacity. The kayaks cost about $600. For retailers, visit www.bicsportkayaks.com or call (508) 291-2770. A CUT ABOVE: The AccuSharp Camouflage Knife Sharpener has all the features of the original AccuSharp plus a camouflage design. Its maker promises that it can sharpen knives, axes and other cutting tools in about 10 seconds. The ergonomic handle fits either hand securely while a full-length finger guard protects fingers. The sharpener has diamond-honed tungsten carbide sharpening blades and can be cleaned in the dishwasher. It costs about $20. For retailers, visit www.accusharp.com. BOTTLED HEAT: The MegaBottle from Greenhead Gear was made for those chilly, all-day hunting trips. It can hold up to 44 ounces of liquid and comes with a drink cup and soup bowl. The double-walled stainless steel bottle’s outer shell is available in two camouflage patterns. It features a carry handle plus a removable shoulder strap and a screw-in stopper to help keep contents hot. The bottle sells for about $35. For retailers, call (800) 333-5119 or e-mail the company through its Web site at www.greenheadgear.com. RAPID FIRE: Camp Chef’s Campfire In A Can is for those who don’t want to waste much time building their campfire. This campfire kit allows outdoors enthusiasts to have a contained raging fire in minutes. To clean up, just collapse it. Made for use with wood or pressed logs, the kit features a steel base, a two-piece black porcelain-coated burning cage and an aluminum canister top. It sells for about $80. An optional grill is about $10. For retailers, visit www.campchef.com or call (800) 650-2433. GOOD VIBRATIONS: Lucky Craft has launched Live LVR, a liveaction version of its LVR series of lipless crankbaits. This new 2 3/4-inch-long crankbait has a slightly wider surface near the front, which provides more water displacement across the body as well as more vibration and rattle than the current LVR series, according to professional angler Marty Stone. It costs about $20 and comes in five colors, including Bleeding Aurora Black and Bleeding Chartreuse Shad. Each has a red spot under the body and two No. 4 red treble hooks; the rear hook comes standard as a feather treble. To visit the company’s Web site, go to www.luckycraft.com; for retailers, call (800) 270-3117. EXPLORE NEW WATERS: Thales has introduced 18 detailed marine charts pre-loaded on secure digital memory cards for use with Magellan GPS handheld receivers such as the Magellan eXplorist XL. The Magellan MapSend Blue Nav XLS North America delivers cartography on tides, currents, depth contours and more for saltwater and major navigable inland waterways. The SD memory cards cost about $200 each and are available for 18 regions, including the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. For retailers or to order, go to www.magellanGPS.com or call (866) 339-0488. SHARP SHOOTER: Battenfeld Technologies’ Caldwell Muley-Pod gives shooters added stability when paired with a bipod or front rest. The device attaches to the rear sling swivel of the rifle and features one-hand fingertip elevation adjustments to help shooters stay on target. The unit features sturdy aluminum construction and a non-slip rubber pad on the bottom of the foot. The 5- to 7-inch model for prone bipods costs about $37; the 7- to 11-inch model for sitting bipods costs about $40. For retailers, visit www.battenfeldtechnologies.com or call (573) 4463857. DOUBLE FEATURE: Wenger’s G-3 Navigator Compass Watch will help show you the way and the time. The watch features a nylon strap with leather accenting and a white or black dial. A swing-out case houses a fully functional rotating compass. The watch has Swiss quartz movement and is water resistant to 165 feet. It costs about $200. For retailers, visit www.wengerna.com or call (800) 431-2996. Page 14 December 9, 2005 HEROES Patrick Powers bagged this 22-point whitetail on his property in western Oklahoma. Seven-year-old Kent Breedlove has been going to the deer stand since age 2 with his grandfather, Mike, and father, David. Kent killed his first deer, a 10-point buck, on Thanksgiving Day while hunting on the family lease near Pontotoc. Steve Fogle holds a 5.5-pound striped bass he caught at Lake Texoma. Share an adventure Want to share your great hunting or fishing adventure with the Lone Star Outdoor News family? E-mail your photo, phone and caption information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews. com, or mail to: Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX, 75243. Leret Hemphill of Mason bagged his first buck during a youth-only weekend this year. Diana Swanson took down this whitetail buck on the Covert Ranch in LaSalle County. The buck posted a 195 4/8 gross Boone & Crockett score. MADE IN TEXAS Microbiologists aglow with success of products reaching the retailers and finally the fisherman. Gergely said the baitfish become stressed in captivity. That can result in the loss of electrolytes and can affect the natural slime coat Earthworms are positively glowing thanks that helps shield them against bacteria, funto Tony and Lane Gergely. Fishermen are a litgus and viruses. tle brighter, too. Better-Bait replaces those electrolytes and it Through Seguin-based Legend Laboratories, stimulates the fish’s slime cells. It also this husband-wife microbiologist team has removes chlorine and chelates heavy metals developed Worm-Glo. It not only provides from the water. essential nutrients that keep worms nourSince Tony Gergely started Sure-Life, the ished for up to six months, but it also concompany’s product line has grown from six to tains a non-toxic biological stain that turns about 75 products sold nationally and in them a fluorescent chartreuse. Plus, it gives Canada. The different products have been the fattened-up worms a little more wiggle. formulated to work in different regions and It’s a combination that predatory fish find on specific species. For example, Please irresistible, according to Tony Gergely, whose Release Me and Walleye-Saver are for bass and sales of the Worm-Glo have been snowwalleye fishermen who like to catch and balling, largely through word of mouth. release. The Fungus-Aid and Ick-Off target fish “They catch the heck out of fish,” he said of diseases; the Foam-Off retards foam growth the bright green worms. “They really squirm on the water’s surface so oxygen can better on the hook because the food is such an enerreach the fish. gizer.” Also, the chartreuse, he explained, is Sure-Life’s newest product is Redfish-Saver. one of the few colors that can be seen all the “The Redfish-Saver calms the fish so they way to the bottom of the water. stop fighting their new environment,” said Before the Gergelys started Legend Labs in Tony Gergely, who serves as company presi2001, they were bettering other bait through dent. “Saltwater fish, especially game fish, TEAMING UP: Lane and Tony Gergely put their minds together to help fishermen. The Sure-Life Laboratories. The company, also have a harder time with ammonia so we microbiologist team has developed such products as Worm-Glo and Redfish-Saver. based in Seguin, specializes in fish-care proddevised a way to remove the ammonia from ucts for the fishing industry. Customers range the water.” from the small fisherman to bait farmers. At Lake Texoma, where shad is a favorite bait, Sure-Life’s Shad-Keeper is one of Tony Gergely, who launched Sure-Life in 1991, started experimenting on formuDave Parkey’s best sellers. las designed to keep fish in captivity alive after graduating from the University of “It’s like pulling teeth to keep shad alive and his Shad-Keeper does a super job Florida in 1981. Back then, he said, most of the products on the market were for us,” said Parkey, owner of Dave’s Ski & Tackle in Denison, near the Texaswater conditioners for aquariums. A lifelong fisherman, Gergely was interested in Oklahoma border. developing products for the fishing industry. “We sell the heck out of his products,” he adds. Better-Bait, a life extender for minnows, was his first product. “Most of the bait For more information on the two companies, visit www.sure-life.com or is raised in Arkansas and Mississippi in massive bait farms.” he said. www.legend-labs.com. The minnows go from the farm’s bait tanks to trucks to wholesalers before By Mary Helen Aguirre December 9, 2005 Page 15 WEATHER TEXAS TIDBITS TEXAS WORD TREASURES Across 1. These large fish spawn in the surf during the fall 5. Type of oak tree 7. Proper name for a catfish's whiskers 9. Shot made from something other than lead 10. Blue quail are also known as _______ 12. Wildlife Management Area (Initials) 13. Breeding period for deer 14. Must keep a fully feathered wing on these types of birds until you arrive home 16. Nickname for anglers who spend lots of time fishing piers extending into the gulf 19. The interior tube of a gun barrel Down 1. Sam Houston's nickname 2. Lead sinker sporting copper "legs" 3. Collared peccary 4. Game bird; highest concentrations found in the Panhandle 6. Taking of game with birds of prey 7. Largest of the Atlantic marlins. Hint: Makaira nigricans 8. Border lake near Del Rio 11. Teamed with Daniel Boone to form famous hunting club 1 WILD IN THE KITCHEN Venison Elizabeth 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 From time to time and occasionally on a commission basis, I create special recipes for special companies and extraordinary people. Elizabeth “Libbie” McLain is one of those special people. She was instrumental in the production and design of the first The Sporting Chef Web site. Libbie is an extremely creative and entertaining friend, but I think she’d rather eat a cheeseburger than Venison Elizabeth. She’s not too adventurous when it comes to food. 18 4 servings 19 Copyright 2004 Texas Word Treasures, Greg Berlocher. All Rights Reserved. 15. Shotguns may hold no more than ____ shells when hunting migratory birds 17. This type of trail can lead you to downed game 18. The amount of anchor rope that is deployed is known as ________ See SOLUTIONS, Page 17 2 pounds venison loin; all fat, gristle and silver skin removed 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup beef broth or game stock 1/2 cup dry red wine 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced 2 cups fresh ripe strawberries, quartered Season venison with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear venison evenly until browned, but not cooked beyond rare. Add beef broth to the pan and stir to loosen bits. Add red wine and cook for 30 seconds. Remove venison from pan. Add vinegar, garlic and rosemary and reduce liquid by about two-thirds. Return venison to pan to warm. Add strawberries and cook about 1 minute. To serve, slice venison into medallions and top with strawberries and sauce. — Chef Scott Leysath Visit SportingChef.com for more great fish and game recipes and where to catch Leysath’s TV Show, HuntFishCook. Leysath is the official chef for Realtree and Ducks Unlimited. He also appears weekly on Ducks Unlimited TV on OLN and The Sportsman Channel. Page 16 December 9, 2005 GAME WARDEN BLOTTER HE THOUGHT HE HEARD A RUSTLER • A complaint of an individual shooting deer and not retrieving them led Goliad County Game Wardens Jesse Garcia and Kevin Fagg to check the brush on a landowner’s property. The brush was thick and hard to see through. Garcia and Fagg found a deer’s carcass and were about to examine it when a shot rang out from behind them. A man about 50 yards outside the brush had fired a shot in their direction from a 30.06 rifle. The bullet fragmented. A small portion of the bullet struck Garcia in the knee and unknown debris struck Fagg in the side of the face. The shooter said he didn’t see anything, but he had heard a “rustling noise.” The man was charged with deadly conduct and taken to the Goliad County Jail. The game wardens were shaken up but otherwise OK. POACHERS ZAPPED • Bill Magee, a retired game warden, called Grimes County Game Warden Jonathan Heaton about two men suspected of hunting from the road. On arrival, Heaton found that Magee had stopped the vehicle and separated the two men. Brazos County Game Warden Chad Jones then arrived. During the game wardens’ investigation, both men confessed to hunting and shooting from the road. A search of their truck — and an aluminum boat in the bed of the truck — turned up a “zapper.” The men admitted they had been on the Navasota River earlier and used the zapper to shock fish. The driver was also a convicted felon. Both men were arrested. Multiple charges are pending. BAD INTELLIGENCE LEADS CAPTAIN ASTRAY After receiving a report of shots fired, Bell County Game Warden Shawn Moore drove to a subdivision in Harker Heights. He found a man in blaze orange dragging a deer out of the brush. The man was an Army captain from Fort Hood who was from out of state. He told Moore that his major said that it was open territory in Texas, and you could just go out THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE HUNTING WAS EXCELLENT • The Pecos County Sheriff’s Department called Ward County Game Warden Robert French about a man duck hunting on the Pecos River. French responded and located the hunter, who had cut a fence to gain access to the river. The hunter was over the bag limit on redhead ducks, hunting waterfowl with lead shot, hunting without a federal waterfowl duck stamp and failed to produce a valid hunting license. Appropriate charges were filed, and the investigation continues on the trespass charge. BACK FOR MORE • After a boat accident on Lake Texoma, Grayson County Game Warden Dale Moses interviewed the boat operator — who had been detained by the marina’s security officer. The man appeared to be intoxicated, but cooperative. Moses arrested him for BWI and transported him to the Grayson County Jail where he refused to take a breath test. The next day, Moses was back at the marina getting witness statements and taking pictures of the damaged vessels when he came upon the man arrested the night before. The man was sitting in the and get you a deer. The landowner didn’t press charges for trespassing feeling that anyone that naive couldn’t be a poacher. However, the captain also failed to tag his deer. Moore contacted a friend at Fort Hood and made sure the major got correct information on hunting in Texas. The case is pending. parking lot drinking alcohol. After inspecting the man’s boat, Moses issued him a citation for having an unregistered boat. THE HUNTING WAS BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE • Nacogdoches County Game Warden Doug Spivey filed state jail felony charges on a 30-year-old De Soto man for taking a 2-year-old buck from a scientific breeder’s pen. The man had a hunting lease adjacent to the property. A larger buck also was killed, and the investigation continues on that deer. BIG-GAME BUCK PROVES COSTLY FOR HUNTER • A local locker plant called Cass County Game Warden Dan Hill about an unusually large deer left for processing. The deer weighed 245 pounds and had holes in both ears that appeared to have had tags in them. From the hunting license tag on the deer and the location of the kill, Hill knew a big-game farm was nearby. The farm’s owner was notified. He and Hill found an area along the game-proof fence where a hole had been dug under it, then covered with leaves. Confronted, the hunter who had left the deer for processing confessed. The buck scored 158 Boone and Crockett points. The game farm owner had purchased the deer six months earlier for $5,880. The hunter was charged with a felony and several misdemeanors. A MILD CHILI COOK-OFF • Brewster County Game Warden Ray Spears and Reeves County Game Warden Jared Self assisted the Brewster County Sheriff’s Department with law enforcement at the popular Terlingua Chili CookOff. The wardens report this year’s cook-off was rather “tame” with few arrests being made. SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER • Arriving at a hunting camp just before dark, Gonzales County Game Warden Jason Davis and Bastrop County Game Warden Roger Steward found it empty. Davis noticed an ice chest with blood on it and found a quartered deer carcass inside. Steward located a buck’s head and a hide in a shed behind the deer camp. The wardens waited until three hunters arrived and asked if they had any luck. The hunters replied, “No,” then Davis asked to see their hunting licenses and noticed no tags were missing. When asked about the deer in the ice chest, one of the hunters told the wardens that his cousin had killed the deer and left to go back to Houston. After questioning another hunter, Davis found out there were actually two deer in two separate ice chests, one a doe without MLD permits. Steward walked behind the camp in search of the doe head and instead found a fourth hunter hiding in the grass. He and the hunter returned to the camp, where the hunter admitted to shooting the doe with a .22-caliber rifle. Another hunter admitted to shooting the untagged buck. One hunter was a probation officer who cooperated and told the truth. The hunter hiding in the grass was a chaplain’s assistant in the military. YOU MEAN WE DON’T GET TO GRADE OURSELVES? • Two men who had stopped at a voluntary check station with two deer prompted a call to Fayette County Game Warden Erik Nygren. Their deer did not meet the local antler regulations. After talking to the men, both from Houston, about antler restrictions, Nygren determined they were aware of the regulation. However, the men thought no one would know about the violation if they filled out the data sheet themselves. Both deer were seized and citations were issued. THEY HIT THE TRIFECTA • Wise County Game Warden Christopher Dowdy caught three men for numerous waterfowl hunting violations, including possession of lead shot, no migratory bird stamp and exceeding the daily bag limit. Holiday Gift for the Outdoorsman LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS 24 ISSUES FOR DELIVERED TO YOUR $25! MAILBOX FOR ONE YEAR 1) SEND FIRST SUBSCRIPTION TO: * PLEASE FILL OUT PAYMENT INFORMATION BELOW NAME NAME ADDRESS ADDRESS Stone FREE HAT WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery CITY ST. ZIP CITY ST. ZIP PLEASE CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX FOR STYLE * If same as billing address, just write same EMAIL 2) SEND SECOND SUBSCRIPTION TO: Camo PHONE NAME MASTER CARD CC# SIGNATURE VISA AMERICAN EXPRESS ADDRESS EXP. 112505 CITY ST. ZIP December 9, 2005 Page 17 BORDERING TEXAS ARKANSAS Caddo River access dedicated Anglers and canoeists who favor the Caddo River have another way to access their hobbies. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission dedicated a new access to the river in Glenwood last month. More than 60 people attended the dedication ceremony, including many of the partners who helped fund and construct the public access. The city of Glenwood donated $7,000 towards the access and landscaped the area. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, with funds from the Marine Fuel Tax Program and the Sportfish Restoration Program, pitched in $40,000 for materials and another $32,000 for the asphalt road into the area. Operation Game Thief Inc. wolf’s death. New Mexico OKLAHOMA Endangered animals’ deaths probed LOUISIANA Alligator hunter sentenced Kip Lastrapes, 44, of Breaux Bridge entered into a one-count plea agreement in U.S. District Court for the Western District in Lafayette, La., for taking alligators in violation of the Endangered Species Act. United States Magistrate Michael Hill sentenced Lastrapes to 180 days of home confinement and ordered him to pay the cost of electronic monitoring, a $25 assessment fee and to make a $10,000 donation to Louisiana Hunters offered waterfowl report A bald eagle and a Mexican gray wolf were found dead in the Gila region in southwest New Mexico last month, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Both the bald eagle and the wolf are federally listed under the Endangered Species Act. The wolf has been identified as the Ring Pack Alpha Female #799. A reward of up to $10,000 is offered for information leading to the apprehension of the individual or individuals responsible for the ‘My sons and I enjoy your publication and look forward to each issue. Thanks!’ With relatively warm temperatures and dry conditions across most of the state, waterfowl hunters may need all the help they can get in pinpointing where the ducks are this year. By logging on to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Web site http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/waterfowl.htm, however, they can add another scouting tool to their belt. There they’ll find statewide waterfowl reports. Crossword puzzle solution from Page 15 FREE HAT WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TODAY! NAME R E D F Stone ADDRESS CROSSWORD SOLUTION — Craig Pfeiffer, San Antonio Camo RECEIVE CITY STATE 24 issues for only $25 delivered to your home or office. My check, money order or credit card information is enclosed. CLIP AND MAIL THIS COUPON TO: LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243, or simply visit www.lonestaroutdoornews.com. ZIP TELEPHONE CREDIT CARD # C K E T T Call toll free at (866) 361-2276 SIGNATURE I R E D E B A R B E L R O Please renew my subscription EXP. DATE P V E N U S C A L E D One year: 24 issues for $25 (You’ll save 42% off the newsstand price!) Two years: 48 issues for $42 (Save 50% off the newsstand price!) E-MAIL I S H A J P A H V E E A L L S I A F A L C A M N O N T O X I C W M A T N S R U T M I G R A T O R Y A R A I H L B I R D S L E C B O R E O O P D D E OUTFITTERS ADVERTISEMENT Circle H ‘spread out far’ Shannon, Lauren, Allison and Scott Hickman in Brackettville for Easter and opening weekend of turkey season 2004. Circle H Outfitters’ acreage is vast. Outfitter Capt. Scott Hickman’s business is “spread out far — from Devers to Alvin to Rockport.” There’s 10,000 acres in South Texas for deer and turkey hunting. Plus 40,000 acres for duck, goose and dove hunting. Circle H also offers offshore and bay fishing, operating a 31-foot Stamos and a 21-foot Shallowsport for bay fishing. The business is nearing 19 years of service to the outdoorsman. “I started doing it when I was in college and just kept right on doing it,” Hickman said. Hickman is excited about what’s ahead for hunters and anglers. “On Dec. 10 duck hunting cranks back up,” he said. There are thousands of acres of big Hunt the BIG Bucks of South Texas. freshwater marsh ranches from Rockport to Refugio. The outfitter operates two lodges overlooking Copano Bay. Sleeping accomodations for 10, 2 full baths and a fullyequipped kitchen provide a comfortable place to relax before and after the hunt. “Duck hunting has been awesome on our freshwater marshes near Rockport,” Hickman said. “Plenty of gadwall, widgeon, teal, redheads and ringnecks and very good numbers of greenheads.” Big numbers of snow and specklebellies showed up both near Devers and Alvin.” And for the deer hunter “we still have some great deals on remaining hunts on our Bracketville ranches for this season.” Trophy Deer Hunting is on 24,000 acres of high-fenced South Texas ranches in Bracketville, Laredo and Refugio. All the hunts are guided and include lodging and first-class blinds. Looking for the chance to bring in that trophy trout? The action is aplenty. “Trout fishing has really started to heat up at the lodges in Rockport,” Hickman said, adding, “the soft plastic bite has been producing limits.” Whatever game is your favorite, Circle H Outfitters has it. For your next outdoors adventure, call Capt. Scott Hickman at (281) 535-1930. For more information, check the Web site — www.circleh.org. The action is starting to heat up — don’t miss out. Alberta Native Guide Services Ltd. Alberta Whitetail 10 day Only $5,000 Including Food, Lodging and Airfair from Texas Two hunts still available for late November 9000 acre Nueces River Ranch www.ghostapacheranch.com Phone: (780) 478-1988 Fax: (780) 478-1918 email: [email protected] Ken Steinhauer, Proprietor 214-929-0823 Offshore and Bay fishing 30' Stamas 21' Shallowsport LET US BRING LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS CUSTOMERS TO YOU! OUTFITTERS, HUNTING GUIDES AND FISHING GUIDES: Want to profile your business? It’s easy to advertise on this page — just send us your business card, and let us know how many weeks you want your ad to run. Purchase 12 issues of advertising and your business will be profiled with a photo in the outfitter ad section. Let all our readers know about you. Lone Star Outdoor News Hunting and Fishing Guide Business Card Listings: $20 each issue. Please include either a check or credit card billing information with your order. Mail to: Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX 75243 or email to: [email protected]. Call (866) 361-2276. South Texas Deer and Turkey Hunting 10,000 Acres Duck, Goose and Dove Hunting 40,000 Acres Capt. Scott Hickman 3218 Coral Ridge Ct. League City, TX 77573 (281) 535-1930 Fax: (281) 535-1935 www.circleh.org CLASSIFIEDS $10 A MONTH FOR 3 LINES! 37 characters per line including spaces. Each additional line is $6. You can add a photo for an extra $20. Call (866) 361-2276 or e-mail: [email protected]. Classified ads must be prepaid by check or credit card. RANCHES For Sale — High-fenced exotic game ranch — 927 acres close to Blanco, Texas. Valleys, great cover and wonderful home sites. $5,995 per acre. Call Bill Godwin - agent (214) 356-5244 or Compass1 Realty (903) 712-0999. If interested, call for a survey on DVD. For Sale — 960 Ac., Fisher Co., mule/WT deer, blue/bob quail, hogs, nice home, barn, pens, bordering the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River, income-producing ranch. $785.00 Ac. www.fickesdorety.com (817) 925-0483. PROPERTIES South Texas — Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg County Ranches. Call: David A. Lohse Real Estate, Inc. (956) 761-6699. South Padre Island Waterfront properties on the Laguna Madre and Gulf of Mexico. Call: David A. Lohse Real Estate, Inc. (956) 761-6699. GUIDED HUNTS E M P L OY M E N T Dove-Deer-Quail Bobwhite & Bluewild only. Meals/Lodging. Call Lone Star Guide Service at (361) 7293214 or visit www.fishlonestar.com. JOIN THE SALES TEAM at Lone Star Outdoor News. Sales professionals with a passion for hunting and fishing, e-mail cover letter and résumé to [email protected]. LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS REACHES READERS ACROSS TEXAS. SHOW THEM YOUR CLASSIFIED AD. Page 18 December 9, 2005 FISHING REPORT CENTRAL BASTROP: Water fairly clear. Black bass are good on watermelon red and watermelon seed soft plastic worms, and on white and silver spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, liver, and stinkbait. Yellow catfish are slow. BELTON: Water murky; 75 degrees; 1.80' low. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are slow. BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 61 degrees; 1.86' low. Black bass are fair on Strike Works jigs, and crawdad and shad colored Persuader Stealth shad crankbaits near docks and rocky areas. Hybrid striper are fair under lights and trolling. White bass are fair on Li'l Fishies, Rat-L-Traps, and crankbaits under lights. Crappie are fair on small tube jigs and minnows at the 279 Bridge and Kirkland Docks in 15 - 18 feet. Catfish are slow. BUCHANAN: Water clear; 60 degrees; 6.80' low. Black bass to 6 pounds are good on _oz. Bleeding Shad Rat-L-Traps, white custom tungsten Terminator spinnerbaits, and Texas rigged green/pumpkin Scoundrel worms along flats with stumps and laydowns in 2 - 6 feet. Striped bass to 26” are good vertically jigging _oz. Perk Minnows, white bucktails with plastic trailers, and tight lining live bait from Flag to Shaw Island in 30 feet. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair to good on live minnows over brushpiles. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are slow. CANYON LAKE: Water gin clear; 62 degrees; 1.91' low. Black bass are good on Texas rigged watermelon/red Crème Scoundrel worms, 4” pumpkin Ring Worms and smoke/red Snap Back tubes along boulders and chunk rock inside of timber with deep water nearby in 3 - 10 feet. Striped bass are fair vertically jigging Perk Minnows, weighted white Snap Back jerkbaits, and cranking or trolling deep diving Rogues over areas with humps in 40 - 60 feet. White bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are very good on smoke colored 4” JDC grubs, _oz. Rat-L-Traps, and split shot rigged Devil's Tongues over rock piles and along bluff ledges in 3 - 10 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and crappie jigs. Channel catfish are fair. Yellow catfish to 10 pounds are fair on minnows and Black Salty baitfish. COLEMAN: Water clear; 69 degrees; 1.40' low. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and red/white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are slow. COLORADO RIVER: (At Colorado Bend State Park) Water clear. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on blue/silver spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on stinkbait, nightcrawlers, shrimp, and perch. DUNLAP/MCQUEENY: Water slightly stained; 77 degrees. Black bass are fair on chrome/white Rat-L-Traps, Texas rigged soft plastic worms, and spinnerbaits in 5 - 15 feet. White bass are good on live minnows and chartreuse Curb's crappie jigs at night under lights in 10 - 20 feet. Crappie are good on live minnows. Channel catfish are good on shad, stinkbait, and shrimp. Blue catfish are good on cut shad, dead shad, and shrimp upriver in 10 - 15 feet. Yellow catfish are slow. FAYETTE: Water fairly clear; 70 degrees. Black bass are good on perch colored topwaters early and late, and on plum Carolina rigged soft plastic worms and watermelon red and watermelon seed French Fries. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp over baited holes. GRANBURY: Water slightly stained; 0.73' low. Black bass are good on chartreuse soft plastics and Rat-L-Traps, and on minnows. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and silver slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and red/white tube jigs. Catfish are good on frozen shrimp, live bait, and stinkbait. GRANGER: Water murky; 57 degrees; 0.26' low. Black bass are slow. White bass are good on slab spoons up the river among shad. Crappie are slow. Blue catfish are fair on shad in 10 - 20 feet. Yellow catfish are slow. LBJ: Water clear; 61 degrees; 0.10' low. Black bass are good in 4 - 10 feet over brushpiles, docks, and laydowns on Rat-LTraps, Texas rigged green/pumpkin Scoundrel worms, and white/chartreuse/blue Terminator spinnerbaits. Striped bass are fair on natural 3” Spoiler Shads, Rat-L-Traps, and Terminator In-Line spinnerbaits in the shoals. White bass are good on Tiny Traps and Spoiler Shads early. Crappie are fair to good on minnows at night. Channel catfish are fair. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on trotlines. NAVARRO MILLS: Water fairly clear; 3.41' low. Black bass are good on chrome/white Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, stinkbait, chicken livers, and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow. PROCTOR: Water stained; 71 degrees; 4.29' low. Black bass are good on white spinnerbaits. Striped bass are good on striper jigs, spinnerbaits, and live bait. White bass are fair on live bait. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp and shad. Yellow catfish are slow. SOMERVILLE: Water clear; 3.13' low. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair slow. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are slow. STILLHOUSE: Water clear; 70 degrees; 0.52' low. Black bass are fair on minnows and watermelon seed soft plastic worms and lizards. White bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are good on minnows and red shad. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp. Yellow catfish are slow. TRAVIS: Water clear; 68 degrees; 16.20' low. Black bass to 4 pounds are good on watermelon soft plastic worms, Radar 10 crawfish, and crankbaits in 4 - 18 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie to 12” are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs 18 30 feet. Channel and blue catfish to 6 pounds are fair on fresh cutbait and nightcrawlers in 25 - 40 feet. Yellow catfish are slow. WALTER E. LONG: Water clear; 69 degrees. Black bass are good on minnows and on watermelon/red soft plastics. Hybrid striper are good on live shad and striper jigs. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, nightcrawlers, frozen shad, and stinkbait. Yellow catfish are good on live bait. WHITNEY: Water clear; 3.77' low. Black bass are good on chrome/white Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits in 10 - 20 feet. Striped bass are fair on chartreuse/white striper jigs. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on live minnows and green tube jigs. Catfish are good on stinkbait, chicken livers, and frozen shrimp. NORTHEAST ATHENS: Water clear, 59-63 degrees; 3.6' low. Black bass are fair on soft plastics and jigs in 12-20 feet around submerged brush and standing timber along creek channels. Crappie are fair on chartreuse/black and red/white jigs in 15-24 feet around main lake brush piles. Catfish are fair on prepared baits fished over baited holes in 18-24 feet. BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 60-62 degrees; 5.14' low. Black bass are fair on black/blue jigs pitched close to standing timber. White bass are good on jigging spoons and TailHummers around humps and points in 20-30 feet. Catfish are good on prepared baits in 10-15 feet along submerged creek channels. BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 58-62. Black bass are good on shad pattern medium running crankbaits and jigs. Hybrid striper are fair on slabs, Sassy Shad and live shad. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and cut bait. CADDO: Water clear; 52-56 degrees; 2.5' low. Black bass are good on shad pattern topwaters and spinnerbaits on the edges of the creeks in pad stems. Crappie and yellow bass are excellent on shiners and red/green jigs along the edge of the main channel around Johnson's Ranch Marina in pads in 4-5 feet. CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 58-63 degrees; 3.5' low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and Texas rigged worms around main lake and secondary points. White bass are good on slabs and jigging spoons over points and humps in 20-25 feet. Hybrid striper are slow to fair on slabs and live shad. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs on main lake brush piles. Catfish are good drift fishing shad over points and humps. COOPER: Water stained; 59-63 degrees. The lake is very low. Boaters are advised to use extreme caution. FAIRFIELD: Water clear; 72-80 degrees. Black bass are good on flukes and Senkos above the grass line, and Carolina-rigs off the points. Hybrid striper are slow on white/chartreuse slabs and live shad on main lake points. Redfish are slow on live shad in the inlet cove and around the dam. Catfish are fair on prepared baits and live shad. FORK: Water clear 59-62 degrees; 3.60' low; Black bass are good along main lake grass lines and creek channels where bait fish are present. Use watermelon seed super flukes and Carolina rigged watermelon seed french frys (smaller bass are moving out and bigger ones are moving in to the shallows). Crappie are very good on minnows in 20-24 feet. Catfish are good on prepared baits in 22-24 feet. GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 59-62 degrees; 5.59' low. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and jigs off points and vertical rocky structure. Crappie are fair on minnows in 12-20 feet. White bass are fair on slabs and TailHummers around humps and points and off the north end of the island. Catfish are good on prepared baits and nightcrawlers. JOE POOL: Water stained; 58-63 degrees; 3' low. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits in 6-14 feet. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs around brush piles. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair to good on shad and prepared baits around points and humps in 8-16 feet. LAKE O' THE PINES: Water stained; 58-62 degrees; 3.51' low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigged worms and brown/chartreuse jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows around heavy brush. White bass are slow on slabs and jigging spoons. Channel catfish are good on cut bait. Yellow catfish are fair on live perch and Black Salty baitfish. LAVON: Water stained; 59-63 degrees; 8.78' low. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on white/chartreuse slabs fished vertically on main lake points in 16 -20 feet. Catfish are fair to good drifting fresh shad off points. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 59-64 degrees; 6.37' low. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and Texas rigged watermelon candy worms. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs and minnows. Catfish are good drifting fresh shad around humps and points in 20-34 feet. MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 71 degrees mid-lake, 82 at hot water discharge; normal pool. Black bass are fair on Carolina-rigged watermelon seed worms. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on stinkbait. Bream are slow. PALESTINE: Water clear; 59-64 degrees; 2.63' low. Black bass are fair on dark colored soft plastic, jigs and crankbaits in 6-14 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around deeper boathouses with brush. White bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps and slabs in 1220 feet. Hybrid striper are slow. Catfish are good on cut shad. RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 59-63 degrees; 3.28' low. Black bass are fair on shad pattern crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps and green pumpkin flukes. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 12-20 feet. White bass are fair on slabs and Humdingers. Hybrid striper are slow on slabs. Catfish are fair to good on fresh shad drifted over submerged humps and points in 12-20 feet. RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 59-62 degrees; 2.78' low. Black bass are fair on Carolina rigged soft plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on chartreuse slabs and white Road Runners. Catfish are fair on cut bait and nightcrawlers. RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 5864 degrees; 4' low. Black bass are fair on shad pattern crankbaits and wood jigs. White bass are fair to good on white or chartreuse slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows and brown/blue jigs in 12-20 feet around heavy brush and timber. Catfish are fair good drift fishing fresh shad off points and over humps. TAWAKONI: Water stained; 59-62 degrees; 6.75' low. Black bass are slow to fair on crankbaits and Texas rigged worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on white or chartreuse slabs fished close to the bottom in 16-22 feet. Striped bass and hybrid striper are slow on slabs, shad and Sassy Shad. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits. TEXOMA: Water clear; 58-64 degrees; 1.36' low. Black bass are fair on jigs, crankbaits and soft plastics. Smallmouth bass are fair to good on slabs and by free-lining shad around vertical rock structure. Crappie are fair on minnows around boathouses. Striped bass are fair to good on live shad fished on flats at the mouth of major creeks and rivers - the Sassy Shad and slab bite is beginning to pick up. Blue catfish are good on cut shad. WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.7' low. Black bass are good on dark colored soft plastics, crankbaits and chartreuse spinnerbaits. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Channel catfish are slow. White bass are poor. Bream are fair on worms. The repaired boat ramps will reopen Monday, December 5th. SOUTH AMISTAD: Water clear; 70 degrees. Black bass are very good on watermelon seed and red/red heavy jigs and drop shot rigs in 20 25 feet, and fair on spinnerbaits and topwaters in the same colors. Striped bass are fair on slabs and striper jigs in the Castle Canyon area. White bass are fair on slabs and striper jigs in the Castle Canyon area. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on cheesebait over baited holes in 40 - 50 feet. Yellow catfish are slow. BRAUNIG: Water stained; 82 degrees. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. Redfish to 14 pounds are fair on perch and shrimp. Channel and blue catfish are fair on liver, shrimp, and shad. Yellow catfish are slow. CALAVERAS: Water stained; 83 degrees. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. Redfish are fair on shrimp and perch on the bottom. Channel catfish are excellent on liver, shrimp, and nightcrawlers. Blue and yellow catfish are slow. CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 63 degrees; 2.66' low. Black bass to 10 pounds are good on magic shad Fork Frogs, white spinnerbaits, and white buzzbaits in the backs of coves in 2 - 6 feet early, and later on 1oz. Tungsten Texas rigged with cotton candy 7” YUM Zellamander lizards and watermelon chartreuse Fork Creatures in grass in 10 - 20 feet, and on perch Jackall lipless crankbaits or perch Lucky Craft Flat CB-20's along grass edges. White bass are good on live minnows and trolling firetiger crankbaits around main lake points in 5 - 10 feet. Crappie are fair on live minnows and blue Fle-Fly jigs tipped with live minnows over brushpiles and standing timber in 6 - 15 feet. Channel and blue catfish to 6 pounds are fair on Lewis King punchbait and Black Salty baitfish in 10 - 20 feet. Yellow catfish to 20 pounds are fair on trotlines and juglines baited with hybrid bluegill and goldfish. COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 72 degrees (86 degrees at hot water discharge); 2.26' low. Black bass are good on shallow diving crankbaits and spinnerbaits over weed beds in 5 - 10 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on live minnows and blue/white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are slow. FALCON: Water fairly clear; 70 degrees. Black bass are good on dark soft plastic worms and Brush Hogs in 10 - 12 feet. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on shad, cutbait, and frozen shrimp. Yellow catfish are slow. Mexican fishing licenses and boat permits are required to fish in Mexican waters. Everyone in the boat must have a Mexico Fishing License whether fishing or not. MEDINA: Water stained; 63 degrees; 8.68' low. Black bass to 6 pounds are good on white/silver spinnerbaits and white YUM buzz frogs in the backs of creeks in 2 - 8 feet early, and later on watermelon gold flake Baby Ring-Fry's and killer craw Lake Fork Flippers along main lake points in 10 - 20 feet. White bass are fair on live minnows and trolling baby bass crankbaits around main lake points in 6 - 12 feet. Smallmouth bass to 4 pounds are good on crawfish green flake YUM Crawbugs and motor oil jigs along ledges and rock piles in 10 - 25 feet. Crappie are fair on live minnows and yellow Fle-Fly jigs tipped with live minnows around brushpiles and standing timber at night under lights in 10 - 25 feet. Striped bass are good vertically jigging white Fle-Fly slabs in river channel and main lake points in 20 - 35 feet. Channel and blue catfish to 10 pounds are fair on Lewis King punchbait, Black Salty baitfish, and goldfish. Yellow catfish to 15 pounds are fair on juglines baited with perch and goldfish. SOUTHEAST CONROE: Water slightly stained; 4.05' low. Black bass are good on chrome/blue Rat-LTraps, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are good on silver spoons and striper jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Catfish are fair on frozen shrimp, stinkbait, and nightcrawlers. GIBBONS CREEK: Water slightly stained. Black bass are good on silver/blue Rat-LTraps, crankbaits, and topwaters. Crappie are fair on minnows and red/white tube jigs. Catfish are good on liver, shrimp, nightcrawlers, and stinkbait. HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 68 degrees; 0.61' low. Black bass to 9 pounds are very good on chartreuse crankbaits and chartreuse/white spinnerbaits near the marina in 6 feet. Crappie to 1 pound are good on live minnows near the dam. Bream are good on live worms off piers early and late. Catfish to 3 pounds are good on live worms and chicken livers off piers late. LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 63 degrees; 4.12' low. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on chrome/blue Rat-LTraps off sandy points. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are very good on cutbait and prepared bait. Yellow catfish are slow. SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 64 degrees; 4.82' low. Black bass are good on black/gold/orange rogues and Long A's in hydrilla in 4 - 6 feet, white and chartreuse/white spinnerbaits, and crawfish and bleeding shiner Rat-L-Traps over scattered hydrilla in 3 - 5 feet. Crappie are fair on live shiners and black/chartreuse jigs over planted brushtops in 18 - 25 feet. TOLEDO BEND: Water clear; 65 degrees; 8.95' low. Black bass are good on buzzbaits and small spinnerbaits around shallow grass early and late, watermelon/red and plum Super Flukes and Senkos along creek channel edges in 6 - 8 feet, and chartreuse/blue back and firetiger medium running crankbaits around timber in 8 - 10 feet. Crappie are fair on shiners around laydowns and brushtops along creek channels in 6 - 8 feet. Catfish are fair on prepared baits in major creek channels. PANHANDLE BAYLOR: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow. GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 21.65' low. Black bass are slow on dark jigs and live bait fished tight to cover. Crappie are slow on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on live bait and Chrome Rat-LTraps. Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait. Walleye are fair. Catfish are fair on stinkbait. MACKENZIE: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 66.8' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass and striped bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are slow. Walleye are fair on live bait. Catfish are fair. MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 24' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on live bait and crankbaits near rocky points. Smallmouth bass are fair. Walleye are fair on bottom bouncers and live bait. Channel catfish are fair. PALO DURO: Water lightly stained; 48 degrees; 42.35' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Smallmouth bass are slow. Walleye are slow. Catfish are fair. WEST ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 52 degrees. Black bass are slow on dark jigs fished tight to cover. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 1.6' low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits in back of coves and creeks. Crappie are good on minnows near the derricks about 17' and at Henrietta Bridge; and fair near State Park. White bass are good on shad-imitation baits east of State Park and Sailboat Cove. Blue catfish are good on cut shad, prepared baits and trotlines. COLORADO CITY: Water clear; 70 degrees. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. White bass are slow. Redfish are slow. Catfish are slow. FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 62 degrees; 4.45' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair. Catfish are fair on live bait. HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 61 degrees; 9.65' low. Black bass are slow on dark jigs and crankbaits near rocky points. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass and hybrid striper are fair on live bait. Catfish are slow. NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees. Black bass are fair on shad-colored crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Redfish are fair. White bass and striped bass are fair on cut shad and minnows. Catfish are fair on minnows. OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 58 degrees; 18.45' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are slow. No boat ramps open. 4x4 vehicles can unload on the dirt road near the dam. OH. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 61 degrees; 15.9' low. Black bass are fair on Carolinarigged dark soft plastics and live bait fished near creek channels. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on live bait. Smallmouth bass are fair. Channel catfish are slow. POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 55 degrees; 2.8' low. Black bass are fair in Rock Creek area. White bass are good in Bluff Creek and Neely's Slough. Striped bass are fair near piers in Willow Beach area. Blue and channel catfish are fair in the upper part of reservoir. SPENCE: Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 45.5' low. Black bass are fair. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on live bait. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair on inline spinners and minnows. Catfish are fair on prepared baits. STAMFORD: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; Black bass are fair on slow-rolled white spinnerbaits and live bait. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White and striped bass are fair on live bait. Catfish are fair. SWEETWATER: Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 31.55' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair. Catfish are fair. WHITE RIVER: Water lightly stained; 52 degrees; 22.65' low. Black bass are fair. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Walleye are fair on minnows. Channel catfish are slow. WICHITA: Water muddy; 51 degrees. Crappie are slow. White bass and hybrid striped bass are fair on large minnows and white twistertails along dam, near spillway and trolling. Channel catfish are fair on bait shrimp, punch bait or trotlines. North side public ramp is temporarily closed for maintenance. COASTAL NORTH SABINE: Trout and redfish are good under the birds on the Louisiana shoreline on She Dogs and glow plastics. Flounder are good on mullet and shad around the cuts to the marsh. SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good on the Reef on topwaters and glow Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Redfish are good at the jetty on finger mullet. Trout are fair to good at night under the lights at the causeway on DOA Shrimp and Little Fishies. BOLIVAR: Redfish are fair to good in the surf on mullet. Trout and flounder are fair to good at Rollover Pass on mud minnows and Little Fishies. TRINITY BAY: Flounder are fair to good in the cuts and channels on mud minnows and plastics. Black drum, croaker, sand trout and sheepshead are fair at the Spillway on dead shrimp. North winds have dropped tides well below normal. EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on the deep reefs in 6-8 feet of water on glow and red shad plastics. Redfish are good on the shorelines in skinny water on gold spoons, Red Killers and She Dogs. WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good over deep shell reefs on live shrimp and glow, red shad and plum Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Flounder are fair at Green's Cut on finger mullet and jigs tipped with shrimp. TEXAS CITY: Croaker, sand trout, and sheepshead are fair from the pier at the end of the dike on shrimp. Trout and black drum are fair at night on live bait. Flounder are fair at Sea Wolf Park on live bait. FREEPORT: Flounder, reds, and sheepshead are fair from the Pump Station on mullet and live shrimp. Flounder are fair from the Coast Guard Station. Redfish and black drum are fair to good in the surf on finger mullet. EAST MATAGORDA: Trout and redfish are fair over mud bottoms on bone and red shad Trout Killers, Bass Assassins and Norton Sand Eels. Trout are fair on the reefs on the north shoreline on fire tiger Bass Assassins and live shrimp. MATAGORDA: Redfish are good on the south shoreline from the Middle Grounds to Green's on black/chartreuse Norton Sand Eel Jr's, She Dogs and spoons. Trout are fair to good on deep shell on finger mullet and live shrimp. PORT O'CONNOR: Trout are fair on glow and electric blue Trout Killers on the deep shell in Espiritu Santo Bay and San Antonio Bay. Redfish are good on finger mullet in the Army Hole. Redfish and black drum are fair to good at the jetty on finger mullet. Trout are good on the mid- bay reefs of San Antonio Bay on Corkies and Catch 5s. ROCKPORT: Redfish and black drum are fair in the holes, guts and sand pockets in Redfish Bay on crabs and mullet. Trout are fair to good around Traylor Island on live shrimp. PORT ARANSAS: Redfish and black drum are good in the cuts and guts leading to the back lakes on crabs and finger mullet. Trout are fair to good while drifting the potholes on the flats on live shrimp under a popping cork. CORPUS CHRISTI: Redfish, croakers, sand trout, black drum and sheepshead are fair to good on live bait around the Oso Bridge. Trout and redfish are fair on the ledges adjacent to the Intracoastal on live shrimp. BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair around the rocks on live finger mullet and piggy perch. Trout are fair to good in the grass pockets next to the Intracoastal on pumpkinseed and glow Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. PORT MANSFIELD: Trout and redfish are fair to good at the jetty on live finger mullet. Trout and redfish are fair to good on the ledges near the Intracoastal on live shrimp and bone Trout Killers and Red Killers. SOUTH PADRE: Redfish are fair to good in the potholes on live finger mullet. Trout are staging on the drop-offs near the Intracoastal on live shrimp and DOA Shrimp under a popping cork. PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good in the holes and guts on live bait. Redfish are good on the flats in the afternoons as the water warms on topwaters and shrimptails. Black drum and redfish are good at the jetty on live finger mullet and crabs. Prices good through December 10, 2005 Like to shop at Academy? You’ll love working here. Visit Academy.com 13747 MAVERICK 12-GA. 28-IN. SHOTGUN 3-in. MAG. • Synthetic stock • 28-in. barrel • Modified choke • 2 3/4 or 3-in. chamber • #31010 MADE IN TEXAS 196 $ Everyday Low Price...218.86 870 EXPRESS SHOTGUN • 12 or 20-ga. pump-action shotgun • 26 or 28-in. barrel lengths • #25568, 25569, 25582, 25583, 25561 218 86 835 12-GA. 28-IN. CAMO SHOTGUN • 28-in. barrel • Synthetic stock • Modified choke • 3 1/2-in. chamber • #68035 3 1/2-in. MAG. 3 1/2-in. MAG. Rebate ends December 31, 2005 Everyday Low Price…..318.43 Mfg. mail-in rebate………-$50 *After mail-in rebate….268.43 268 43* 870 EXPRESS SUPER MAG. 12-GA. 28-IN. SHOTGUN • Synthetic stock • 28-in. barrel • 3 1/2-in. shell capacity • #25103 156 $ Everyday Low Price...164.86 10/22 SEMI-AUTOMATIC .22 LR. RIFLE • Patented rotary magazine • American hardwood stock • Adjustable sights • Button safety • #10/22-RB 198 83 LEVER-ACTION .22 LR. RIFLE • Short and long rifle ammo • Half-cock safety • #H001 206 86 10/22 STAINLESS STEEL .22 LR. RIFLE • Black synthetic stock • Adjustable sights • Button safety • Patented rotary magazine • Stainless steel barrel • #K1022RPF 18343 223/20-GA. COMBO • Hardwood stock and forearm • Interchangeable .223 rifle and 20-ga. shotgun barrels • Single shot • 2 3/4 or 3-in. chamber with 20-ga. barrel • #223/20 29993-31993 MODEL 710 RIFLE SCOPE COMBO • 60° bolt throw • Box magazine • Textured synthetic composite stock • Bushnell® sharpshooter 3 x 9 scope • Unique bolt design • .270, 30-06 cal. or 7 mm mag. • #7408, 7410, 7412 314 $ 700 ADL SYNTHETIC .243 RIFLE • Weatherproof composition stock • Molded checkering • Recessed bolt face allows three rings of steel: the bolt face, the end of the barrel and the receiver to surround the case head • Positive-position safety • Equipped with swivel studs • Receiver is drilled and tapped for scope mounts • #27474