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Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper
March 24, 2006
Volume 2, Issue 15
ADVENTURE
Fly-fishing on
the Guadalupe
See Page 19
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
Angler flirts with
world bass record
INSIDE
FISHING
By Darlene McCormick
Sanchez
A lack of a true winter has the
notoriously picky walleye biting
early this year at Lake Meredith.
Even so, lake guides say the fish
are still fussy about what they go
after.
See Page 8
California’s Mac Weakley and his
longtime fishing buddies ended their
quest for fishing’s Holy Grail on a rainy
Monday morning with a white rattlesnake jig.
Weakley was bed-fishing near the
handicapped pier at Dixon Lake in
Escondido, Calif., March 20 when he
landed what could be the world-record
largemouth bass.
The fish weighed in at 25.1 pounds
on a hand-held Berkley digital scale,
said Weakley, 32, of Carlsbad, Calif., in
a phone interview.
“We’ve been after that fish and two
other fish for years. It’s crazy. It’s been a
wild day — a really, really, wild day,” he
said.
If the catch meets International
Game Fish Association requirements,
Weakley’s fish would break the 74-yearold record. The reigning record largemouth bass, weighing 22 pounds, 4
ounces, was caught in 1932 by George
Perry at Georgia’s Montgomery Lake.
But there’s a catch to this fish story:
Weakley foul-hooked the bass behind
See Record, Page 10
25-1 POUNDS: Mike Winn holds the fish Mac
Weakley caught. Photo by Mac Weakley.
Think you’ve caught a recordbreaking fish but all you’ve got to
weigh it on is a hand-held scale.
Well, you could still end up a
winner. Hand-held scales can be
certified by the IGFA after the
fact or by a commercial calibration company.
See Page 8
HUNTING
Increased hunting pressure
has led to “smarter” waterfowl,
experts say. They’ve learned a lot
of the hunters’ tricks — often
educated by impulsive hunters
who can’t resist firing at wary
birds that are too far away.
See Page 6
NATIONAL
More than 150,000 square
miles of ocean off the West Coast
has been deemed Essential Fish
Habitat and slated for protection
from such commercial fishing
practices as a bottom trawling,
thanks to a plan approved by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
See Page 2
CONSERVATION
Land owners along the
Canadian River in Texas and
New Mexico could get financial
help from the federal government to improve their habitat for
wildlife. The National Wild
Turkey Federation will disperse
the funds.
See Page 5
DEPARTMENTS
Across the Nation
Page 5
Product Picks
Page 13
Heroes
Page 14
Outdoor Puzzler
Page 15
Wild in the Kitchen
Page 15
Weather
Page 15
Game Warden Blotter
Page 16
Outdoor Datebook
Page 17
Fishing Report
Page 18
TV STARS: Mary Delgado and pro angler Byron Velvick show off a 7-pound bass near their new home on Amistad Reservoir. Velvick met his fiancee on the hit TV
show “The Bachelor.” Photo by David J. Sams.
Border lake luring pro fishermen
By Alan Clemons
el Rio has become a boomtown with a touch of
celebrity thanks to Amistad
Reservoir, which is being touted as
the top bass fishing lake in the
nation right now.
Major players in the professional
fishing world are snapping up
D
Bass-fishing stars looking to make
Amistad Reservoir area home
Amistad tourney time — PAGE 12
property and relocating to this
small border town.
“We usually fish from sunup to
sundown, and when the sun went
Turkey opener hit or miss
keys, which account for about 95
percent of all the wild turkeys in
Texas, this season should be high,
The joke could be on turkey according to Texas Parks and
Wildlife. The birds are found
hunters come April 1.
west of Interstate 35 up to
Despite recent heavy rains
in North Texas, ongoing Hunting safety the Panhandle with scattips
tered populations as far west
drought conditions in much
as the Midland area. They
of the state could disrupt the
PAGE 4A
spend their winters along
mating rituals this hunting
season, making hunting more diffi- creek and river bottoms. Come nesting season, they move out into
cult.
The numbers for Rio Grande turSee Turkeys, Page 10
By Mark England
down I did not want to leave,” said
New Jersey’s Mike Iaconelli, who
grabs national attention with his
bad-boy image. “I caught a 13-
pound bass, which is the biggest
one of my career. It’s an amazing
lake. I’m actually looking at buying
property here.”
Professional angler Byron
Velvick, who was featured on “The
Bachelor” in 2004, is way ahead of
the curve. He moved from Las
Vegas to Del Rio in January, and his
fiancé, Mary Delgado, is getting her
See PROS, Page 11
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
PLANO, TX
PERMIT 210
Page 2 March 24, 2006
NATIONAL
Fishery protection plan first of its kind
Area from Canada to Mexico to prohibit bottom trawling
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration approved a plan earlier this
month to establish and protect more than
150,000 square miles of marine waters off
the West Coast as Essential Fish Habitat.
The plan prohibits fishing methods within much of this area that can cause longterm damage to the ocean floor, such as bottom trawling. Developed by the Pacific
Fishery Management Council, the plan is
aimed at replenishing fish stocks. It covers
an area from Canada to Mexico, out to 200
nautical miles in some places. NOAA is the
federal agency that oversees management
of ocean fishing in the United States.
The approval of the plan will provide
much-needed habitat protection to areas
that are essential to commercially valuable
fish. The habitat protection comes on the
heels of recommendations by national
review panels that the government should
do more to protect pristine ocean areas and
fragile habitats. The action is considered
part of achieving sustainable marine fish-
Gulf refuge
damages
threaten
system
At a recent hearing in the U.S. House of
Representatives, the National Wildlife
Refuge Association detailed the massive
hurricane damage to Gulf Coast national
wildlife refuges and urged Congress to take
swift action to speed their restoration.
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and
Dennis inflicted damage to 66 national
wildlife refuges in eight states.
“This is literally an unmitigated disaster,”
said Evan Hirsche, President of the
National Wildlife Refuge Association. “The
estimated $270 million in damages represents approximately 70 percent of the
Refuge System’s annual budget. America’s
diverse wildlife heritage will suffer a great
blow if we don’t act quickly to address the
damages.”
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, total facility and habitat damages
from the 2005 storms have exceeded $270
million. At Breton NWR in Louisiana,
which includes all of the federally owned
Chandeleur islands, an estimated 50-70
percent of habitat was completely washed
away, with nothing but open water remaining. A number of refuges are also contaminated with hazardous materials. “As we sit
here today, more than 1,400 barrels of toxic
liquids and gases are sinking further into
the low-lying marsh right in the heart of
Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (La.),” said
Hirsche. “In short, we’re looking at a refuge
that’s effectively been converted to a toxic
dump.”
An emergency supplemental request
from President Bush asks for $132.4 million
for facility repair and clean up on hurricane-impacted refuges. The NWRA has
called on Congress to approve emergency
funding for refuges of at least the level
requested by President Bush. Further,
Hirsche urged members of the committee
to support an additional $88 million to
address habitat and natural resource damage in another supplemental funding bill
this year.
“Restoring the marshes and estuaries
vital to supporting wildlife is only half the
equation,” said Hirsche. “We now recognize that these areas are also critical to the
security of coastal communities and provide economic benefits in the form of recreation and tourism. By supporting additional funds to sufficiently address the massive
refuge facility and natural resource damages, both wildlife and people benefit.”
—A National Wildlife Refuge Association
report.
eries under the administration’s National
Ocean Policy.
“This is the time we have taken such an
extensive approach to protecting offshore
habitat,” said Bob Lohn, head of NOAA
Fisheries Service’s Northwest Region in
Seattle. “Over the long run, we expect that
not only will we have a healthier ocean but
that the fishing will get better as well.”
The plan was developed with support and
advice from both environmental and fishing industry groups. The agency added that
its own economic analysis of the closures,
based on historic data on landings, showed
that less than 10 percent of revenue from
commercial fishing comes from areas that
will be closed. Even that loss is expected to
be made up as fishermen move their operations to areas that remain open.
Although the NOAA Fisheries Service
does not have regulatory authority over
non-fishing activities that may damage
habitat, the plan includes designating various habitats such as kelp, sea grass and estu-
aries as “habitat areas of particular concern.” This designation will alert other
agencies that are active in these areas that
NOAA Fisheries Service may have conservation recommendations to ensure projects
do not harm bottom-dwelling fish.
The NOAA Fisheries Service said it would
not include in its areas of particular concern
any of the 13 decommissioned oil rigs off
the California coast, included in the council’s original proposal, that can attract a
wide array of plants and animals and serve
as productive habitat areas on their own.
“We’re not opposed to considering leaving some or all these platforms in place to
serve as fish habitat,” said Rod McInnis,
head of the NOAA Fisheries Service’s
Southwest Region in Long Beach, Calif.
“But we think it’s premature to designate
them as special habitat areas until we have a
better understanding of how they can best
contribute to habitat protection and
growth.”
—A NOAA report
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NATIONAL
NWTF
lists tips
for spring
hunting
Feds nail Texas
hunting violators
with 32 citations
A safe turkey hunter, like a safe
driver, is defensive-minded. Below
are tips to help you enjoy a safe,
successful hunt:
Defensive turkey
hunting tactics
• Select the largest stump, blowdown, tree trunk or rock that is
wider than your shoulders and
higher than your head to place
your back against when calling; a
hunter is more likely to spot
another hunter when moving to
the front or side than from behind.
• Eliminate the colors white,
red, black and blue from your
hunting outfit; this includes handkerchiefs, socks, underwear, etc.
These are the colors of a turkey
gobbler.
• Select your calling spot in open
timber rather than thick brush;
eliminating movement is a key to
success, not concealment.
• Be discreet when imitating the
sound of a gobbling turkey.
• A good woodsman can always
detect movement in the forest by
watching other game or listening
for the alarm cries of blue jays,
crows, squirrels or woodpeckers.
Be alert.
• When songbirds, crows or your
turkey shuts up, look out. There’s a
good chance another hunter is
moving in on your bird.
• Never move, wave or make
turkey sounds to alert another
hunter of your presence. Remain
still and speak in a loud, clear voice
to announce your presence. These
tactics are safer than quick movements. Use common sense.
SAFE HUNTING: Outdoorsmen should be defensive-minded when in quest of a wild
turkey gobbler.
Dress for safety and success guidelines
• Never wear red, white, blue or black because these are the colors of
a wild turkey gobbler. This includes handkerchiefs, socks, underwear,
etc.
• Wear dark undershirts and socks, and pants long enough to be
tucked into boots.
• Camouflage your gun.
• Keep your hands and head camouflaged when calling.
• Select a spot that is in open timber rather than thick brush: wearing camouflage clothing and eliminating movement is more critical
to success than hiding in heavy cover.
• When using a camouflage blind or netting, maintain a clear field
of view.
— A National Wild Turkey Federation report
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In reference to your 2/24 issue:
It’s nice to see your dedication to
firearm safety, as is evident in the
“Ten Commandments Of Shooting
Safety” on page 7. Very nice piece of
information, kept short and sweet.
I feel your story on the Armstrong
Ranch incident in the same issue
could just as easily saved page space
by stating: “VP Cheney broke the
following Commandments — 1, 3,
6, 9, 10 and possibly 7 as well.
Hunters, try to learn something
from this.” End of story. Why these
incidents are referred to as “accidents” is beyond me. Any act
involving the deliberate firing of a
firearm that results in injury to
another individual or damage to an
unintended target while hunting is
not an “accident.” It is a “careless
act,” most often fueled by ignorance and/or complacency. My
voicing of these opinions is by no
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Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month.
A subscription is $25 for 24 issues. Copyright 2006 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
[email protected].
means intended as a partisan jab.
Only to state that as hunters/shooters, we must all learn to take on a
much higher level of responsibility
when carrying a firearm. Know
your target. Know what’s in front,
as well as behind your target. And,
know it is safe to shoot, before you
pull the trigger.
See you safely in the fields.
J. MCWILLIAM,
KELLER TX
A citizen’s tip to a game warden led to 32 federal citations
against six people from
Delaware accused of violating
hunting
laws
on
their
Guadalupe River Delta property.
Calhoun County Game
Warden Kevin Stancik received
the tip and contacted Stacy
Campbell, a U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Agent in
Victoria, and they initiated a
joint investigation.
The law enforcement officers
began their surveillance of two
waterfowl hunting blinds
located on the private waterfowl-hunting club property in
late January. During the surveillance operation, Game
Warden Stancik and Service
Agent Campbell said they
observed the six individuals
from Delaware commit the following violations:
Take more than the limit;
take more than the daily bag
limit of a single species, wanton waste of migratory waterfowl, hunting with an
unplugged shotgun, possession of lead shot shells, hunting
without
a
Federal
Migratory Bird Hunting and
Conservation Stamp. The
hunters also lacked a state
hunting license, state waterfowl stamp and killed migratory waterfowl in a closed season.
The surveillance operation
resulted in seizure of 41 ducks
and two geese, along with 134
20-gauge lead shot shells.
The combined law enforcement effort by Texas Parks and
Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service resulted in
fines totaling $18,775. In addition they were assessed civil
wildlife restitution of $4,644
by TPW.
“We’ve had a great working
relationship with US Fish and
Wildlife Service agents that
has helped us enforce laws to
protect migratory birds in our
region,” said Capt. Rex Mayes
with TPW Law Enforcement in
Victoria.
“Game
Warden
Kevin
Stancik has worked effectively
in our area for many years. His
experience and his diligence in
working with U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service enabled us to
apprehend these individuals
and charge them with multiple offenses.”
“The enforcement of waterfowl hunting violations continues to be vital to the core
mission of the Service and as
such should re-instill legal
hunter ethics in all who hunt
waterfowl,” said Juliana Scully,
assistant special agent in
charge for the Service’s
Southwest Region.
— A TPW report
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March 24, 2006 Page 5
CONSERVATION
Grant opens door to habitat
work along Canadian River
EVERYBODY’S
COMFORTABLE.
EXCEPT THE
COMPETITION.
Landowners will also
Through a grant from
receive expert advice on
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
their conservation plans
Service, the National Wild
from NWTF biologists.
Turkey Federation will help
The first grant project
landowners enhance their
included riparian fencing,
property
along
the
invasive species control,
Canadian River in Texas
planting trees and grasses
and New Mexico this year.
and creating alternative
The $160,000 grant is
water sources for cattle. The
part of the Private
second phase of the project
Stewardship Grants prowill continue those efforts.
gram, which provides
funding assistance to con“The majority of habitat
servation efforts that benealong the Canadian River
fit at-risk wildlife species.
is privately owned,” said
With millions of acres in
Joel Pedersen, NWTF senprivate hands, it’s vital
ior biologist. “We are excitlandowners understand
ed about the past success of
their roles in wildlife conthis initiative and look forservation and the opportuward to helping additional
nities available to help
landowners enhance their
them enhance their propproperty for wildlife. It is
erty for wildlife. This is
only through landowner
especially true for running
cooperation that this projwaterways and other riparect is possible.”
ian areas.
In addition, the grant
“Riparian and watershed
also paid for a Hunting
habitat is especially imporHeritage
Landowner
tant in the West,” said Dr.
Program Field Day on the
James Earl Kennamer,
Gene Howe Wildlife
NWTF senior vice presiManagement Area so Texas
dent for conservation pro- HELPING HAND: The National Wild Turkey Federation, through a landowners could learn
grams. “It’s critical to a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grant, will help landowners along
conservation techniques
multitude of wildlife the Canadian River enhance their properties. Photo by NWTF.
for enhancing riparian
species, some considered
habitat.
endangered or at-risk, that we restore and enhance the
Through the Southern Great Plains Riparian
habitat around these flowing waterways.”
Initiative, NWTF volunteers restore wildlife habitat
The grant will fund the second phase of an NWTF along flowing waterways to prevent erosion and to proSouthern Great Plains Riparian Initiative project to vide food and cover for wildlife. Riparian habitat
enhance and restore riparian habitat along the includes rivers, streams and creeks, and is very imporCanadian River and its tributaries for lesser prairie chick- tant wildlife habitat in the southwestern states.
Landowners in the Canadian River watershed interesten, Arkansas River shiner, mountain plover, wild turkeys
ed in participating in this project should call the NWTF
and other wildlife dependent on riparian areas.
Through the grant, landowners will only have to cover a at (800) THE-NWTF.
percentage of the costs to fence waterways, eliminate invasive plant species and plant native vegetation.
—A National Wild Turkey Federation report
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THE
SIERRA
ADVANTAGE
ACROSS THE NATION
New Mexico
Hunter pays $95,000 in
auction for elk license
A license to hunt trophy elk in
New Mexico sold for a record
$95,000 at the Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation’s annual “Elk Camp”
Feb. 25 in Reno, Nev.
A Boise, Idaho, hunter was the
winning bidder for the bull elk
license, one of two sold by the state
each year, with the proceeds going
to elk research and management in
New Mexico. The second license will
be first prize in a summer raffle. Both
licenses are authorized for hunting
with any legal weapon in most areas
of the state from Sept. 1 through
Dec. 31.
This year’s auction license
brought the highest price since state
law authorized issuance of the
licenses in 2000. The bid surpassed
last year’s record of $79,000. The
drawing for the elk raffle license will
be June 20. Raffle tickets are $20
each. For tickets or more information, contact Allen Kerby at (505)
454-9390 or [email protected].
Nebraska
Turkey hunting
expectations run high
During the 2006 spring turkey
archery and shotgun turkey hunting
seasons, hunters should have the
best opportunity ever to take a
turkey in Nebraska, according to
Nebraska
Game
and
Parks
Commissions.
2005 had a record number of
turkeys, and hunters should see
good numbers of turkeys again this
spring. All areas of the state except
the Panhandle have seen large
increases in populations over the
past five years.
The 2006 statewide spring archery
season will be March 25 - May 21.
The statewide shotgun season will
be April 15 — May 21. A hunter can
have two turkey permits of any type
for the spring season and take one
bearded turkey on each permit.
Oklahoma
Smallmouth bass
record broken again
For the third time in four years, an
Oklahoma angler has broken the
state record for smallmouth bass.
Steve McLarty now holds the
record with an 8-pound, 3-ounce
smallmouth bass he caught on
March 4 on Lake Eufaula in east central Oklahoma. McLarty, who lives
in Broken Arrow, was competing in a
Fishers of Men bass tournament
when he hooked the big fish in a
quiet, rocky cove.
“We actually pulled into the area
on the way to another spot first
thing in the morning. I was using a
jerk bait and was hoping to catch a
good smallmouth, but I certainly
did not expect to catch one this big,”
McLarty said.
Pennsylvania
New state record black
bear could tie world record
Andrew Seman Jr. of Dunbar took
a 733-pound male in Dunbar
Township, Fayette County, Nov. 22.
It was the largest bear taken during
the 2005 bear seasons.
Its skull measured 23 and 3/16
inches, which officially places it as
the largest black bear ever taken
legally by a hunter in Pennsylvania.
It also preliminarily ties with a bear
taken in California as the largest ever
taken legally by a hunter in the
world.
The Seman bear’s score must be
corroborated by a panel of Boone &
Crockett Club judges during the
organization’s next Awards Program
in 2007.
The previous state record was a
black bear that scored 22 14/16 inches and weighed 739 pounds. It was
taken, in 2003, by Brian Coxe,
Weatherly, in Carbon County’s
Weatherly Borough.
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Anglers catch nearly 419,000
Lake Michigan salmon in ’05
Chinook fishing in Wisconsin
waters of Lake Michigan got even
hotter in 2005: Anglers reeled in the
highest recorded harvest of chinook
and caught them faster than ever
before, according to recently analyzed angler surveys.
Anglers caught an estimated
418,918 chinook in 2005, the most
since angler, or “creel,” surveys started in 1969. That’s 33 percent more
than the five-year average. The surveys are conducted from mid-March
through October.
“In the nearly 40 years we have
been stocking salmon and conducting creel surveys, 2005’s total was
the highest of all time,” says Matt
Coffaro, Department of Natural
Resources fish expert for southeastern Wisconsin. “A person would be
hard-pressed to find better salmon
fishing anywhere in North
America.”
GMC SIERRA
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cargo and equipment.
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†
HUNTING
Waterfowl zero in on ‘tricks’
‘Hunters have
to be smarter’
By Mark England
Are waterfowl getting smarter or are hunters
getting dumber?
Read any hunter forum and you’re likely to
find that question asked. Waterfowl experts,
though, say it’s just a case of nature in action
or evolution: birds adapting to intense hunting pressure.
But John Devney, senior vice president of
Delta Waterfowl, said it’s easy to see how
hunters could think otherwise. He recalled his
first time hunting snow geese in 1990.
“I was hunting with a college friend in
North Dakota,” he said. “We were using decoys
no more sophisticated than white plastic bags
and coat hangers. I came to the conclusion
that these were God’s dumbest creatures.
Today, in contrast, birds are very suspicious of
decoy spreads, even ones using the latest
equipment. The more aggressive guys I hunt
with will put on their Reeboks, grab a shell bag
and run to where the birds fled, hoping to get
in some shooting.”
Among waterfowl, Snow geese seem to have
adapted best to hunting, according to many
experts.
“I’ve seen more banded snow geese that
were over 10 years of age than any other waterfowl,” said Ducks Unlimited’s Chad Manlove,
manager of conservation planning for the
southern region. “They get an education flying
up and down the flyway.”
With the advent of the spring snow goose
hunting season, the species is almost constantly being hunted.
“When I hunted in 1990, we were the only
spread I saw for hundreds of square miles,”
Devney said. “Today, with the breadth of the
flyway, birds are getting hunted hard. There’s a
lot of new interest, expanded seasons and high
bag limits. I think they probably are getting
Rigs offer
hunters
customized
outings
AIR INTELLIGENCE: Some experts say waterfowl are becoming “hunt-smart.” Canada geese drop rapidly into a city lake in Lubbock after flying from peanut fields
where they feed and are hunted. Thousands of Canadas roost on the ponds every winter and are even fed bread by children and moms visiting the lakes. Photo
by David J. Sams.
hunt-smart.”
The nature of snow geese helps in their battle to survive, Manlove said. They fly in flocks
that can number into the hundreds.
“There are a lot of eyes looking down at you,
picking out things that don’t look natural,”
Manlove said. “They’re very hard to call, too.
You can’t call them like you would a Canada
goose. You can’t just pick up a mouth call and
start honking on it. They don’t respond well to
calls. They’re very vocal birds. Half the time, I
don’t think they hear you.”
Most hunting experts are reluctant to call
snow geese smart, considering it either anthro-
pomorphic or pointless.
As Devney says, “Few game animals are really stupid.”
“Geese don’t come out of the egg looking to
go into gumbo,” he said. “They kinda want to
See WATERFOWL, Page 7
Camps give youths
outdoors education
By Mary Helen Aguirre
RIGGED UP: Cline Line is one of several companies across
Texas accessorizing vehicles into hunting rigs. Photo by Cline
Line.
‘We build all kinds of odd stuff’
By Bill Miller
Hunting rigs in Texas can be as elaborate as
hulking truck with built-in margarita machines
or simple as a customized all-terrain vehicle.
And while the Texas hunting rig may be big
and bad, the price doesn’t have to be. There are
companies around Texas that will build a customhunting rig mounted on a pickup, a trailer or an
all-terrain vehicle.
It’s a competitive market, said Cline Strickland
of Weatherford, whose company Cline Line
accessorizes any vehicle into a hunting rig.
“There are some people out there making some
neat products,” he said. “Eight years ago, there
were two companies building them and now
there’s about 20.’’
Strickland’s five-member team will outfit the
vehicle you bring in, or he’ll sell you an ATV with
bells, whistles and cup holders. He recalled how
his crew once built a rig with a remote-controlled
device that released a hunting dog from its leash.
“We build all kinds of odd stuff,’’ Strickland
said. “We’ve rigged out vehicles with generators
and margarita machines, others with hot plates
to cook on. It’s all just a function of money.”
“To accessorize a vehicle for hunting, you can
spend as little as $1,000 to as much as $6,000. An
average ATV all rigged up will probably cost $1215,000 and that’s for everything.’’
Or you can build your own.
“If a guy knows how to weld, and has access to
materials, he can do all right,’’ said Robert
Steenbeke of 1A Hunting in Texas Guide Service
in Schertz.
Steenbeke has built two metal rigs for his south
Texas guide service. Both slide into the bed of a
pickup truck and lash in place with S hooks. He
said they’re designed to also slide out easily to
serve as instant deer blinds.
His advice for the do-it-yourselfer: use aluminum, not steel. It’s lighter, which makes the rig
easier to load and unload.
Steenbeke’s rigs also have adjustable seats and
mounted lights for nighttime hog and varmint
hunting. The most important features, he added,
are the lash points for securing guns.
“It’s nothing fancy,’’ he said of his rig design.
“My stuff … I don’t go for show. I go for use.’’
But, he added, “we do have some cup holders
in there, yeah.’’
Bill Miller is a Fort Worth-based free-lancer.
In the summer of 2002, David
Harrison of Midland attended the
Bobwhite Brigade’s 4 1/2-day camp in
Krooked River Ranch, north of Abilene.
There, he learned about land management and conservation, gained
knowledge about the bobwhite quail,
and explored topics such as journaling
and photography.
The 17-year-old says the favorite part
of his camping experience were the different speakers, most of whom were
experts in their fields.
“If you’re interested in wildlife, it
gives you connections and different
opportunities,” says Harrison, who
trains bird dogs.
The teen says he so enjoyed the experience that he went back to the camp
later as a “special agent” to help out
with such tasks as setting up for different events.
Harrison is one of more than 1,000
teens who have attended a Texas
Brigades
(www.texasbrigades.org)
summer camp, which offers youths
ages 13-17 the chance to learn about
habitat management, communication skills and land management at
various sites in Texas. Campers can
choose between the Buckskin
Brigades, the Bobwhite Brigade, the
Feathered Forces and the Bass Brigade,
depending on their particular interests.
The cost is $300 for a 4 1/2-day resident camp. Scholarships are available,
BUCKSKIN CLASS: Youths get an up-close
look at antlers in their deer studies. Photo
by Texas Brigades.
according to Helen Holdsworth, executive director of the Texas Brigades,
which is a program supported by the
Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas
Wildlife Association, Texas Parks and
Wildlife and several other non-profit
organizations and foundations.
Outdoor camps like the Brigades
offer youths a way to explore their
interest in hunting, fishing and outdoor sports and activities. Many offer
limited numbers of partial or full
scholarships.
See CAMPS, Page 7
Mary Helen Aguirre is a native Texan
with almost 15 years of experience
editing and writing for newspapers,
including the Atlanta JournalConstitution.
OUTDOORS YOUTH CAMPS
www.skyranch.org
Austin Nature & Science Center
Summer Camp
Austin, TX
(512) 327-8181
www.ci.austin.tx.us/ansc/
Heart O’ the Hills
Hunt, TX
(830) 238-4650
www.hohcamp.com
Hill Country Nature Science School of
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
Austin, TX
(512) 327-7622
www.wildbasin.org
Camp Balcones Springs
Marble Falls, TX
(830) 693-2267
www.campiscool.com
Camp Champions
Marble Falls, TX
(800) 696-3334
www.campchampions.com
Hunters Chase Farms
Dripping Springs, TX
(512) 264-3346
www.hunterschasefarms.com
Camp Doublecreek
Round Rock, TX
(512) 255-3661
www.campdoublecreek.com
Kickapoo Kamp
Kerrville, TX
(830) 895-5731
www.kickapookamp.com
Camp Grady Spruce (YMCA)
Graford, TX
(940) 779-3411
www.campgradyspruce.org
Camp El Har
Dallas, TX
(972) 298-3873
www.campelhar.org
Camp Lajunta
Hunt, TX
(830) 238-4621
www.lajunta.com
Camp Langston
Mount Pleasant, TX
(903) 572-5935
www.camplangston.com
Waterfowl
Continued from Page 6
make it back to the Arctic. Behavior
changes once an animal is hunted.
We’ve all seen it. I don’t think it’s
that snow geese are inherently
smarter, but they’re exposed to gunning more than most game.
Consequently, they’ve learned our
tricks.”
Still, Devney marvels at the survival skills of snow geese.
“I’ve never seen a bird that could
OUTDOOR CAMPS: The Brigades is one of many camps across Texas offering
youths a way to explore their interest in hunting, fishing and outdoor sports and
activities. Photo by Texas Brigades.
Camp Mystic for Girls
Hunt, TX
(830) 238-4660
www.campmystic.com
Camp Olympia
Trinity, TX
(800) 735-6190
www.campolympia.com
Camp Stewart for Boys
Hunt, TX
hover at 85 yards better than a snow
goose and figure out that something
was wrong,” he said. “They’re notorious for picking up decoy spreads.”
Hunters deserve much of the
credit for the savvy exhibited by
snow geese, said Dave Morrison,
waterfowl program leader for Texas
Parks and Wildlife.
“Hunters have to be smarter,”
Morrison said. “If you shoot at a
goose at 80 yards, you’re wising up a
lot of birds.”
Manlove believes a variety of
decoys put out in large numbers is
the best guarantee of a successful
(830) 238-4670
www.campstewart.com
Christian Outdoor Alliance
San Antonio, TX
www.mycoa.org
(210) 827-9802
Cross Trail Outfitters
San Antonio, TX
(866) 543-4868 (KID HUNT)
www.teamcto.org/camps
snow goose hunt. Put out a combination of rags, silhouettes and
shells, he said.
“It adds variance,” he said.
“Maybe you can get the geese in 10
yards closer.”
Sometimes, though, less is more,
Morrison said.
“Hunters have gotten so sophisticated, they’ve forgotten some of the
run-of-the-mill stuff did work,” he
said. “Toward the end of the season,
a bunch of decoys may not be the
best thing. One or two might be
better.”
Devney seconded Morrison’s
www.badboybuggiesoftexas.com
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Rocky River Ranch
Wimberley, TX
(800) 863-2267
www.rrrcamp.com
Sea Camp
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Galveston, TX
(409) 740-4525
www.tamug.tamu.edu/~seacamp/
Sea World Adventure Camps
San Antonio, TX
(210) 523-3611
www.seaworld.org
Sky Ranch
Van, TX
(800) 962-2267
advice.
“I think snow geese are getting
conditioned to seeing 500 to 1,000
decoys,” he said. “Go with full bodies, maybe a dozen. Use things like
flags to impart some motion. Then
concealment becomes paramount.
It’s harder to hide among a spread
of a dozen decoys than a thousand.”
There’s an emerging theory that
some flocks of snow geese are
becoming “refuge-smart,” meaning
they fly from one national refuge to
another — leaving hunters on the
outside looking in. The experts con-
SWT Aquatic Studies Camp
San Marcos, TX
(512) 245-2329
www.eardc.txstate.edu/camp.html
Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Wildlife Conservation Camp
Sinton, TX
(361) 364-2643
www.tctws.org
Texas Brigades
San Antonio, TX
(210) 332-3560
www.texasbrigades.org
Vista Camps - Rio Vista for boys, Sierra
Vista for girls
Ingram, TX
800-545-3233
www.vistacamps.com
Waldemar
Hunt, TX
(830) 238-4821
www.waldemar.com
YMCA Camp Cullen
Trinity, TX
(936) 594-2274
www.cullen.bunk1.com
YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow & YMCA
Robert’s Ranch
Hunt, TX
(830) 238-4631
www.campflamingarrow.org
tacted by LSON aren’t ready to
endorse that theory.
However, they acknowledge that
all waterfowl are intelligent enough
to know the good life when they
find it.
“I was at a shot show in Las
Vegas,” Devney said. “There was a
mallard in the waterfall at The
Mirage. You could have walked within a foot and a half of him. Whereas
if you slammed a car door in North
Dakota, a flock of them would bust
out at a quarter mile. Birds learn
where they’re being hunted, and
where they’re not.”
FISHING
LAKE MEREDITH
Walleye biting early this year
EARLY RUN: Walleye are astir a little earlier than normal this season at Lake Meredith.
By Wes Smalling
Call it an early spring or a nonexistent winter. Either way, Lake
Meredith’s walleye are biting earlier
than usual this year.
Lake Meredith is a national recreation area on the Canadian River in
the Texas Panhandle about 45 miles
northeast of Amarillo.
In late February, anglers were catching big females up to 9 pounds on blue
pearl grubs. And in recent weeks,
Warm winter has ‘real picky fish’ running
at one of Texas’ coolest lakes
they’ve been catching smaller males
in the shallows, which is a telltale sign
the spring spawn is a few weeks early,
said Dustin Lillard of the Lake
Meredith Marina.
“We never had our winter so that’s
why the walleye are starting to run
early,” Lillard said.
The lake’s northern location and
elevation of 3,500 feet make it the best
walleye habitat in the state because
the water stays cooler during the hot
months of summer.
The state record walleye — an 11.88pounder — came out of Lake
Meredith.
The fishing may be good now, but it
should get even better after the spawn
is over in April, said Charles Munger,
district biologist for Texas Parks and
Wildlife.
Munger recommends slow-drifting
a night crawler or minnow, and said
the fish are usually found at depths of
Anglers battle
weather at
tournament
Windy conditions and muddy water were a factor in the Redfish Nation Series event in Rockport
March 11-12.
If the tides and rough water weren’t enough,
the field of 62 had to face a Day 1 leaderboard that
looked much like the finals of the 2005 Oh Boy!
Oberto Redfish Cup Championship with familiar
names like Friermood and Franklin, Barton and
Barton, Loring and Trimble, and Young and
Catchings.
On a day that saw arguably the hottest team in
redfishing, Blaien Friermood and Jim Franklin,
not catch a single fish, Fred Lynch of Corpus
Christi and Jeff Clarkson of Austin weighed in the
largest catch of the tournament at 13.93 pounds
to finish with 25.75 pounds and a .08 pound win
over the second-place team Ralph Frazier and Jim
Hampton.
The rest of Day 1’s leaders faced a similar fate as
Friermood/Franklin with the exception of Jack
and Charlie Barton. The 2005 Team of the Year
runners-up, spun off three props within the first
four hours of Day 2, but managed to hold onto
the fourth one and weighed in at 9.63 pounds to
finish in tenth place.
Jon Loring and James Trimble were not as lucky.
After being tied for the lead on Day 1 with 13.77
pounds, the 2005 Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup
Championship runners-up caught two fish but
ran aground and required an airboat to return to
the venue.
For their win, Lynch and Clarkson earned a
check for $15,000 and one of the coveted spots in
the Redfish Nation Series Championship which
could earn them spot in the 2006 Oh Boy! Oberto
Redfish Cup Championship.
—A Redfish Nation report
15 feet or less in the spring.
“Later in the season it’s primarily
jigging,” he said.
Because of drought, the lake is very
low at only 59 feet, which doesn’t
bode well for the fishing this summer
because at such a low level the typically cool lake may get too warm.
“It’s at 6,000 acres right now. It was
12,000 acres in 2004 so it’s half the
size,” Munger said. “Right now we’re
only about a foot above our record low
of last year. It does help the fishing for
See WALLEYE, Page 11
Hand-held scales
option for
record seekers
By Aaron Reed
TIPPING THE SCALES: An angler weighs a trout on a BogaGrip. IGFA, the
world records organization, certifies as many as a dozen hand-held
scales each week.
It was Bud Rowland’s monster trout that did it. In May
2002 the Port Isabel fly-fisherman landed a 37-inch spotted
seatrout that weighed better
than 15 pounds on his handheld scale. The trout was recognized as the largest ever
taken on a fly rod and certified
as a world record by the
International Game Fish
Association.
Because Rowland released
the fish without having it
weighed on state-certified
scales, it initially was thought
to be ineligible for a state
record. Taking the fish to a certified weigh station, assuming
one could be found in the area,
would have killed it, something Rowland was loath to
do.
“That really made us look at
the scale certification issue,”
said Joedy Gray, director of the
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department’s angler recognition program.
A change in the program’s
rules — accepting weights on
scales certified by the IGFA or a
commercial calibration company and witnessed by a disinterested party — made
Rowland’s trout eligible for a
state record.
Under the new rule, scales
can even be certified up to 30
days after a fish is caught.
According
to
IGFA
Conservation Director Jason
Schratwieser,
the
world
records organization certifies
as many as a dozen hand-held
scales each week.
Schratwieser said most of
the scales the organization certifies are spring scales.
Chatillon, Manley and
BogaGrip are three brands that
routinely test well. Prices
range from about $40 for a
brass Manley scale to around
$120 for a fish-holding
BogaGrip.
“Those are tried-and-true,
rock-solid. There are other
brands, too, but those are really the top three,” Schratwieser
said. “It’s all about the spring.
If they’re built around a highquality spring, then they’re
going to be accurate repeatedly.”
The cost to have personal
See SCALES, Page 11
New strategies roll in with spring tides
High waters provide fish new feeding areas
By Danno Wise
After a winter of watching
dwindling water levels expose
bars and reefs throughout Texas
bays, Lone Star State coastal
anglers are about to face a problem of a different sort.
As spring tides begin rushing
through Gulf passes, bays up and
down the Texas coast will be filled
with more water than they can
hold — literally. Although anglers
may feel more secure with the
higher water levels, excessive tides
tend to scatter fish, leaving fishermen frustrated.
But if anglers are willing to
change their strategy a bit, then
spring tides can be fruitful.
“Once those big spring tides
start coming, you definitely have
to fish with the flow,” said Port
Isabel guide Capt. Steve “JR” Ellis.
“By that I mean fish near the passes on an outgoing tide and way
back in the bay on an incoming
tide. With those really high tides,
the fish tend to leave their normal
hiding spots on the flats and head
to the newly flooded areas that
they usually can’t get into.”
“When we get high water, we
head to the back of the coves,”
agreed Galveston Bay complex
guide Capt. Michael LaRue.
“During normal tides, most of the
fish will be in the middle of the
coves or in the feeder channels
leading into the coves. However,
when the water pushes back into
the coves, those fish can go into
areas they usually can’t go.”
Rockport-based guide Capt.
Brad Smythe agrees with Ellis and
LaRue, adding that, although the
actual baits and techniques won’t
necessarily change, more opportunities will open up with the
spring high tides.
“A lot happens when those
spring high tides come in,” said
Smythe. “First of all, it brings that
warmer Gulf water into the bays
and starts the warming trend.
That, of course, gets everything
more active.
“The other thing that happens
is the water gets up higher over
structure and pushes into the
back lakes, which gives the fish a
lot of new territory,” Smythe continued. “You won’t change what
you’re doing all that much, but
you’ll have an opportunity to do
more in other areas. For instance,
a reef which usually is dry or has
only a few inches of water over it
may have 8 or so inches over it
when the spring tides move in. So,
then you can throw topwaters
over the top of the reef.”
When it comes to eliminating
water as a factor, Ellis said to use
your eyes.
“You spend a lot more time
looking when you get big water in
the bay,” Ellis said. “But, you need
to look at something that will
attract and concentrate fish.
When the water gets up into the
grass and mangroves, fish will
push right up in there with it. If
TIDE’S UP: Wading anglers often adopt new strategies when waters rise.
there is anything that will attract
bait, it will attract the predator
fish, too.”
“It’s really pretty simple,”
Smythe surmised. “These tides
open up a lot of new territory for
these fish to feed in. Whether it’s
up on top of reefs or up tighter to
the shorelines, they going to take
advantage of the new feeding
opportunities — that’s where you
want to fish.”
Danno Wise is an outdoor writer,
artist and fishing guide who lives in
Port Isabel with his wife and two
children.
Hackney takes Rayburn Bassmaster Elite Series
Everybody
knew
that
if
Louisiana’s Greg Hackney caught
another 20-pound sack March 19,
he’d be just about impossible to
beat. He did it with 8 ounces to
spare, and the Rayburn Bassmaster
Elite Series became the second tourlevel victory for an angler who’s
already among the finest in the
sport, but still seems to get better all
the time.
His 20-pound, 8-ounce bag was
the best in the field on a drizzly Day
4 and gave him a four-day total of
79-10, which was nearly 4 pounds
more than his closest pursuer and
more than 11 pounds better than
everyone else. Texan Dean Rojas did
everything right all week and
caught an impressive 19-08 today,
but still came up 3-13 shy with a 75-
13 total. Nobody else was remotely
close.
Kevin VanDam of Michigan
caught 15-03 and finished 3rd with
68-01. Ohio rookie Bill Lowen was
4th with 16-02 and a 64-13 total.
If you’d told the 105 anglers in the
original field last week that the winning weight here would be just shy
of 80 pounds, many would have
laughed out loud and some would
have assumed you were on drugs.
No way Sam Rayburn Reservoir
could pump that out right now —
for anybody.
A high percentage of the fish
were spawned out and hidden
away, and the weather pattern was
unstable. But, mostly, Rayburn was
worn out from a long list of tournaments that had passed through —
its own, as well as those originally
scheduled for nearby Toledo Bend
that had been forced to move due
to that lake’s dearth of water.
The Hack Attack showed them,
though. He’s established himself as
one of the top anglers in the world
over the past two-plus seasons and
is No. 2 in the BassFan World
Rankings. He had a lengthy stint in
the No. 1 slot, and dropped because
of a revision of the mathematical
formula that brought VanDam’s
two Bassmaster Elite 50 wins last
summer into the mix.
And when a stick of that caliber
fishes as well as he can — maybe as
well as he ever has — then everybody else is casting around for second place. And that even includes
the great VanDam.
Hackney, who isn’t highly emotional to begin with, was rather
subdued in the wake of the victory.
It was almost as if it was preordained, and there was nothing he
could do to screw it up.
“I fished pretty good and I moved
pretty good,” he said. “Today was
much tougher than the other days
and I had to kind of grind it out.
But I stayed with my guns and kept
thinking it would happen, and (the
bites) finally came.”
He said this victory was different
than his first tour win (last year’s
Table Rock Bassmaster) because he
didn’t know that one would be his
until the final numbers registered
on the scales.
“I knew I had a big bag today, and
I knew Dean would have to have
had a tremendous, tremendous day
to beat me,” he said. “And Dean had
a great day — he did all he could.
But I had a great day, too.”
He’s finished fourth and first in
the first two events of the season,
but said it’s far too early to concern
himself about the Angler of the Year
chase. He won that honor on the
FLW Tour last year, but he’s a
Bassmaster-only pro in 2006.
“I’m not going to say it never
crosses my mind, but my goals right
now are to make every tournament
a good tournament and get back in
the (Bassmaster) Classic. I’ll start
worrying about the AOY probably at
about the Potomac (in August).
“It’s a long year and there’s a lot of
tournaments to go.”
— A BassFan.com report
Texan wins first place on
FLW Tournament Trail
Texan Scott David of Goodrich
caught a two-day total of 10 bass
weighing 35 pounds, 8 ounces, to
win $75,000 in cash and prizes at
the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament
Trail presented by Abu Garcia on
Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
The March 11-12 event attracted a field of 200 pros and 200 coanglers and featured a $220,500
purse.
David’s winnings included a
Ranger 519VX powered by a 200horsepower Evinrude outboard,
Minn Kota trolling motor,
Lowrance
electronics
and
EverStart batteries plus $10,000 as
well as an additional $20,000 for
being a registered Ranger boat
owner and meeting contingency
guidelines.
With windy conditions and
partly cloudy skies, David had to
fish several areas to fill his daily
limit. He was sight-fishing
throughout the tournament, and
most of his bites on day one came
from a pocket with stained water.
“I stayed in stained water the
first day because there was less
pressure in there,” David said.
Using a pair of polarized glasses,
David was able to pick out bedding female bass as well as one
male bass guarding fry to put
together a nice limit.
Come day two, David had to
search a little more to get his bites.
He went to the Ash Bayou area to
try and catch some bass he’d
located in practice, but it didn’t
come
through
for
him.
Ultimately, he searched for scattered fish to finally gather his
limit. David threw Zoom Speed
Craws and jigs to get his bites.
Rounding out the top five pros
were Michael Herron of Paris (10
bass, 35 pounds, 4 ounces, $8,000
plus $6,000 bonus); Nicholas
Albus of Trinity (10 bass, 33
pounds, 2 ounces, $6,000 plus
$4,000 bonus); John Guice of
Trophy Club (10 bass, 32 pounds,
11 ounces, $4,300); and David
Mullins of Coppell (10 bass, 31
pounds, 13 ounces, $3,200 plus
$2,500).
Carl Fox of Belton won the Coangler Division title with 10 bass
weighing 32 pounds, 1 ounce. He
earned $44,000, which included a
fully rigged Ranger 519VX and
$4,000. Fox was throwing a watermelon red weightless Wave Stick
Worm in 3 to 5 feet of water to
catch his bass.
The next TTT event will be held
April 1-2 on Cedar Creek
Reservoir near Gun Barrel City.
The top 50 pros and co-anglers
based on year-end points standings will advance to the $210,000
Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail
Championship Nov. 11-12 on
Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir near
Killeen. The winning pro at the
championship can earn as much
as $75,000 in cash and prizes,
including a Ranger boat.
— A FLW Outdoors report
upland habitat.
While adult numbers for the
turkeys are excellent, poor rainfall
could alter their behavior — and not
in the hunter's favor.
"The adult numbers are as good as
I've ever seen," said biologist and
guide Greg Simons. "But I don't look
for it to be a season where a guy goes
out and every time he finds a vocal
bird, he's able to call it in. It's almost
as if they go into a feeding and survival mode as opposed to a reproductive mode. They're not as fired up."
"Usually when it gets sunny and
warmer, it gets the gobblers gobbling
and displaying a little earlier," said
Steve DeMaso, turkey and quail program leader for Texas Parks and
Wildlife. "But I'm just not sure how
the dry weather is going to affect
them."
Simons thinks he knows. And it's
not good.
"When it greens up prematurely,
sometimes the birds will start a little
earlier, cycle a little faster," said
Simons, who owns Wildlife Systems,
Inc. in San Angelo. "Warm weather
neutralizes that effect. I'd say we're no
further along than we normally are.
The best places to look for Rio
Grandes is in the Rolling Plains and
the Edwards Plateau areas, DeMaso
said. There are populations scattered
in South Texas. However, the numbers aren't as high, and you'll need
access to the big ranches in that part
of the state.
Hunters should remember that the
turkeys are usually found near water,
DeMaso said.
"Most of the roost trees are associated with creeks and draws," he said.
"They're always going to back to the
trees to roost at night. If you can find
a good roosting area, they're going to
be within four or five miles of it."
Texas allows hunters to put out
feed for turkeys, but that practice is
shunned by purists, Simons said.
Still, purists will have to depend on
more than their calling skills.
"Even if you can make a call that
would make a turkey proud, calling is
only going to get you so far," Simons
said. "Hunting strategy — knowing
how to set up on birds and when to
move — is probably more important
than making a tune that sounds pretty to the ear. However, most of the
guys I consider purists are on the cutting-edge as far as their skill level.
They'll be in a good position to deal
with those kinds of birds."
Mark England is associate editor of Lone
Star Outdoor News
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Turkeys
And if we don't get some rain, it won't
progress very much. We're facing a
very poor nesting season."
The countryside may look green,
but it's something of an illusion,
Simons said. There's not enough
greenery to eat, nor enough lush
foliage for nesting.
Also, more importantly, the lack of
rainfall shrinks the insect population.
"That's not only important for
turkeys, it's essential for turkey chicks,"
Simons said. "It basically compromises
turkeys' reproductive success."
DeMaso sees the outcome of the
hunting season as still undecided,
"depending on whether we get rain."
But if it stays dry, DeMaso agrees
that turkeys may be harder to hunt.
"It's a tradeoff," DeMaso said. "Are
turkeys going to put their energy into
reproduction or surviving? Hens probably won't put the energy into producing eggs; they'll put it into surviving.
You'll probably see the same thing
with gobblers, although it takes more
energy to produce eggs than it does to
produce sperm."
Despite everything, hunters can
still find plenty of action, Simons said.
"There's going to be lots of chances
to have an interface because there's
going to be a lot of them out there," he
said. "But hunters are going to have to
sift through more birds than they normally do to find responsive birds."
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THE OFFICIAL TRUCK
OF THE
Record
its gill. He didn’t take measurements of
the fish — and ultimately released it.
The good news for Weakley is that
he’s a credible angler, as is Jed
Dickerson, his longtime fishing pal
who was with him. Both Weakley and
Dickerson are already officially recognized for boating bass within the top15 bass of all-time at Dixon Lake,
according to ESPNOutdoors.com.
Another fishing partner, Mike Winn, a
dockworker, and two others witnessed
the catch, according to Weakley. The
catch was also video taped and photographed at the weigh-in.
“I want to be upfront and honest
with everyone. Everyone has been
waiting on this,” Weakley said.
Jason Schratwieser, conservation
director for IGFA, said his phone has
been “ringing off the hook” with questions about the validity of the catch.
The catch must go through a formal
review process, but he said foul-hooking a fish doesn’t necessarily disqualify
it.
“The rules explicitly state that a
catch is disqualified if the fish was
intentionally foul-hooked. At this
point, of course, we don’t have an official stand on that. It’s too early.”
“We do like to have the measurement. But, again, we’ll just have to wait
and see. If there are witnesses who verify that they saw the weight certified
and it’s well-documented, it may not be
an issue. It usually comes into play
when there’s not good documentation.
We also like to have the measurement
because it’s information we share with
fisheries and biologists,” Schratwieser
said.
Schratwieser said he has not seen a
formal application from Weakley yet.
No matter what happens, Weakley is
a happy man — even if there’s no title
to go with the catch or big-money
deals.
Weakley said he got about 200
phone calls Monday from friends, relatives and the media — including offers
to buy his photos of the fish, which he
declined.
“It’s not about the money. I don’t
care if I don’t get a penny,” he said.
“This is actually fun.”
Weakley said he released the fish
without all the measurements because
he was afraid it might get hurt, and he
felt they had enough documentation.
As they weighed it, the fish’s eyes start-
ed to bulge.
“Let’s just let it go,” Weakley recalled
saying. “What’s the purpose of even
stressing it out more when it clearly
shattered the record? Now everybody’s
like, ‘Why didn’t you take the measurements?’”
Dickerson added they weren’t sure
the fish would count anyway given the
way it was hooked, so they didn’t want
to risk hurting her.
“It’s neck looked like it was going to
break,” said Dickerson, adding he’s
glad his friend finally caught the bass
they’ve been after for so long.
Weakley and Dickerson, who have
been fishing Dixon since they were 7
years old, believe the record fish is the
same one that Dickerson caught three
years ago when it weighed 21 pounds,
11 ounces. They said the fish has a distinguishing black spot under its right
gill plate.
Weakley and his friends had seen
the monster bass on Sunday, along
with another angler who fished for her
all that day before giving up his spot.
That’s when the trio got a camping permit and made plans to be the first people to get a fishing permit the next
morning. Lake rules allow campers
access when the area is normally
closed to others. So they went home,
tried to sleep and returned by 4 a.m.
Monday to eat donuts and wait until
sunup.
“We’d been waiting all night. We
could hardly sleep,” Weakley said.
Luckily for them, they were the first
ones in line to get a fishing permit that
day. Some other anglers showed up at
the dock shortly after them in hopes of
fishing for the trophy bass, Weakley
said.
When they got on the water, Winn
positioned the boat in the big female’s
territory. Dickerson saw the male bass
on the bottom. Weakley said he saw a
shadow about 12 feet down and figured it was the massive female.
Dickerson and Weakley began casting
and Dickerson got a couple of strikes
from the male. Weakley said he saw
the female roll over and felt a thud. His
line started to run, and that’s when
Weakley knew he had the mother fish.
“It was like a dinosaur,” Weakley
said, recalling his awe. At that
moment, Dickerson must have realized history was in the making.
That’s when Weakley heard his
friend call out to the people on the
dock: “If you boys want to see a world
record, here it is!”
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Scales
scales certified is an annual membership in the organization ($35)
and $30 for each scale certified.
Schratwieser said he usually returns
scales to members the same week he
gets them.
Another option for anglers is to
have a scale certified by a commercial scale company. Many such busi-
nesses are hesitant to certify handheld scales, which may not meet
stringent “legal for trade” criteria.
“I had a guy come in the other day,
and his scale weighed pretty good,”
said Brian Baldwin of Baldwin Scale
Company in Corpus Christi. “At 15
pounds, the thing weighed great. But
after that, it didn’t weigh so good.
That’s what I wrote on his paper:
‘Good to 15 pounds.’ I didn’t charge
him anything for it.”
Baldwin acknowledged that a
commercially certified, legal-fortrade scale likely would be out of
reach for the average, recreational
angler.
“If it’s a group or club, we try to
help them out as much as possible.
If they have a good scale that’s certifiable, usually our minimum
charge is $75. If it just takes half an
hour, we’ll do half that,” said
Baldwin. “If it’s a kid’s group –
unless they have to have a whole
lot of paperwork showing it’s certi-
fied — I’ll probably do it for free.”
Baldwin and other commercial
scale companies are more than
happy to rent scales for fishing
tournaments or ongoing events.
The minimum cost is usually about
$50, Baldwin said.
While IGFA or commercial certification can guarantee that lunker
bass or bull red gets the recognition
it deserves from the state (and lives
to fight another day), commercially certified scales also can land an
IGFA record.
“We’ll accept certification from
anybody who is an accredited
organization or uses certified
weights,” said Schratwieser. “If
there’s a weigh station that uses
certified scales, absolutely that’s
good for an IGFA record as well.”
For more information, visit
http://www.igfa.org.
Aaron Reed, kayakrockport@yahoo. com,
is a free-lance writer based in Austin.
Walleye
a while — it concentrates the fish — but in the
long run it’s not good.”
The National Park Service, which manages the
recreation area, is extending the lake’s two boat
ramps this spring because of the low water.
Jimmy Muncy, chief of maintenance for Lake
Meredith National Recreation Area, said he expects
both the Sanford Yake and Fritch Fortress boat
ramps to remain open during construction.
“There’s still plenty of water out here,” said
Lillard of the Lake Meredith Marina. “My best
advice (for boaters) is to treat it like a new lake, even
if you’ve been here before and know your way
around. You’ve got to watch for those rocks and
trees.”
Lately, a slow retrieve has worked best for anglers,
he said.
“Throw it out there, count to three, that gets it
below the shad where the walleye are hanging out,
and reel it in real slow. A slow retrieve is key. Once
the water temperature goes up another six degrees
or so that’ll probably change. They’ll get more
aggressive.”
The fishing is best early in the morning or after
dark until midnight when walleye are the most
active, he said.
But even under the best fishing conditions, walleye can be fussy.
“You’ve got to use 10-pound line or less because
if they can see it they won’t bite,” Lillard said. “Real
picky fish.”
Lake Meredith has a five-fish bag limit on walleye
and no more than two fish under 16 inches may be
kept. The lake also has good fishing for crappie,
channel catfish, yellow perch, white bass and
smallmouth bass.
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.
Pros
real estate license to practice in the
city.
After their visit for the Citgo
Bassmaster Elite Series tournament
this month, several pros purchased
land near the lake or are looking for
land so they, too, can enjoy outstanding fishing.
Skeet Reese of California fished
two days and failed to make the 50man cut during the Elite Series tour-
COOL WATERS: Lake Meredith’s northern location and elevation of 3,500 feet make it the best walleye habitat in the state because the water stays cool in
the summer. Photo by David J. Sams.
nament, so the next day he bought
three acres before heading east to
Sam Rayburn Reservoir for another
tournament.
Other big-name anglers looking
for property include: Gerald Swindle
of Alabama, Davy Hite of South
Carolina, Takahiro Omori and Stan
Gerzenyi of Texas, and Mark
Menendez of Kentucky. Menendez
actually used his brief time on the
weigh-in stage on afternoon to solicit some help.
“If anyone here is a real estate
agent, I’d like to talk with you right
now,” he said, leaving the crowd to
wonder if he was serious or joking
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around. It appeared serious when he
pointed to a woman in the crowd
and then met with her briefly after
leaving the stage.
Amistad’s great fishing is known
throughout Texas and the
Southwest. It was showcased to the
rest of the nation this spring during
three high-profile tournaments on
the FLW Outdoors Stren Series and
Bassmaster Elite Series circuits.
Winners in those four-day events
caught more than 100 pounds. A
third tournament, the Texas Bass
Federation championship, saw the
winner catch more than 85 pounds
in three days.
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Relax at a river cabin, rustic
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Photos by David J. Sams
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Velvick has been a West Coast guy
all his life and is accustomed to the
bright lights and bustle of Las Vegas,
but knew he’d be moving to Del Rio
after a practice round of fishing at
Amistad.
“I fell in love with the place,” he
said. “It’s a beautiful lake and it doesn’t have a lot of pressure. It’s better
than Mexico.”
The combination of good weather
and one of the best bass lakes in the
country was too much to ignore for
other pros, too.
“It’s just incredible out here,” said
Swindle, who came last autumn for a
few days of practice on Amistad.
“The town is small but everyone’s
nice and it has a great vibe to it. It’s
easy to get around. The fishing is
great and the hunting is great.
“I’m looking for a ranch that I can
high-fence and grow deer, which is
something I love to do. This area is
just a unique, special place. I really
like it a lot. Hunting in winter and
fishing in summer ... what more
could you ask for?”
For more information on Amistad
real estate, contact Delgado at (813)
503-5500.
Alan Clemons is the outdoors writer for
the Huntsville Times.
Texas schools hit the bull’s-eye
More than 120 student archers
from 13 public, private and charter schools descended on Temple
Feb. 24 for the first annual Texas
Archery in Schools Program tournament.
Students
from
Holloway
Middle School, Grandview ISD,
Wimberly Junior High and
Crockett High School took top
honors.
The Texas Field Archery
Association sponsored the tournament, and complete results
may be found on that organiza-
tion’s web site.
The tournament kicked-off a
national program formally adopted in Texas Feb. 1. Groundwork
for the TASP was laid in
September 2004 when the first 17
trainers and six educators were
trained. To date, 222 Texas educators have been trained.
Additional free training classes
for educators are slated for venues
around the state beginning in
April. For more information visit:
www.nasparchery.com/activea.as
p or www.texasfieldarchery.org.
HOOKED IT: Kevin VanDam sets the hook on a fish off a brushy point in the main lake near Marker 20.
Amistad
tourney
time
WINNING WAYS: Above, Ish Monroe holds up his winning fish at the weigh-in. At left, street banner greets anglers in Del Rio.
Monroe nets first BASS win
At the recent Amistad Bassmaster Elite
Series, Ish Monroe played a new game: Texas
Barely Hold ’Em. His daily weights were so
huge, he needed help holding up his fish, and
BASS tournament director Trip Weldon —
who had to hoist the fish onto the scale — was
about worn out when it all came to an end.
Amistad Reservoir fished hotter than any
lake BASS has visited in recent memory — perhaps ever. Monroe’s 4-day, 104-pound, 8ounce total was the second largest in BASS history (for a five-fish limit), and he won the bigbass award 2 of the 4 days.
Others caught ’em too — especially runnerup Fred Roumbanis, who finished 2-11
behind Monroe. But is was Monroe’s monster
34-01 Day 3 sack that made the difference.
Here’s how he clinched his first BASS win:
“Basically, I went and looked for cubbyhole areas,” he said. “I wanted stuff protected
from the wind. The majority of the fish I
found were way in the backs of pockets, where
the wind wouldn’t play that much of a factor.”
‘The fact that I
caught a 9-pounder
three of the four days
— that’s insane.’
— ISH MONROE
Good thinking, because day one of competition delivered 40-mph winds and 5-foot
rolling waves.
He did key on certain things beyond windprotection, and the bedding areas he found all
had a certain cover combination. “There had
to be brush and grass together — they couldn’t have just grass, and they couldn’t have just
brush.
“And it had to be on a flat in the back of a
pocket, but there had to be ditches leading up
to the flat, and coming through the flat — like
ON THE GO: Boats race 70 mph to the next hot spot. Photos by David J. Sams
BOAT BUCKS: $50,000 boats aplenty were on hand at Amistad
Reservoir.
a little highway from the main channel.”
So he was set up for a sight-fishing bite, but
he kept one down-card — a topwater bite in
the same areas.
With the wind a factor on day one, the guys
who shined were those who caught a few big
bed-fish early, then switched over to jerkbaits,
swimbaits or cranks.
Monroe came close, but missed setting a
new BASS 4-day weight record by 4-05 on
Amistad. Monroe went to his bed-fish, but
also took advantage of the topwater bite with
a Snag Proof Tournament Frog and Reaction
Innovations Vixen (walking bait). His topwater bite produced the kickers on Day 1, 2 and
3, but it was all bed-fishing on Day 4.
“The fact that I caught a 9-pounder three
of the four days — that’s insane. You just
don’t do that on lakes. It’s something where
you may go your whole life not catching a 9,
and I did it 3 of 4 days — not including the
ones I could have caught in practice.”
— A BASS Communications report
PRODUCT PICKS
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software system that
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swipe customer
credit cards or type
in card numbers on
their cell phones and
receive real-time,
instant authorization.
The system allows
guides or others who
need remote billing the
ability to bill clients in
the field. MobileSwipe
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the plan cost is about $15
(plus the basic voice plan). For
information, call (858) 300-3380 or visit
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STEADY AND
READY: The
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Kramer
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provides a solid
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measures less than 7
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that attaches to the gun’s “Industry
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atop each of the bipod’s legs
allow hunters to simultaneously
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Hunters can place the legs
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NO MORE SICK DAYS: A new prescription drug
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Each dose of
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BAY BOAT: Texas boat maker
Southshore Boats couples
innovative hull design with
a custom-fitted layout to
produce its angler-friendly
bay boats. Southshore’s
newest model is its 24foot Variable Dead Rise VHull boat, which has a maximum
horsepower of 300 single or 200 dual
and a 9-foot-4-inch beam. Its 24-foot
length gives fishermen plenty of elbowroom.
The boat, with 250 horsepower, sells for about $40,000.
For options or more information, visit www.southshoreboats.net or call (361) 972-3322.
BIG POWER FOR BIG BOATS: Honda
Marine’s BF225 is ideal in fresh
or saltwater, particularly for large
sport fishing and cruising boats.
According to the company, the
powerful 4-stroke outboard
motor features a state-of-theart design that gives it a
unique blend of power,
torque and efficiency at
any speed. The BF225
has a large displacement
V-6 engine. It boasts a
slim design that allows for
the mounting of dual engines
on a 26-inch center-to-center
distance. The outboard motor’s
“on-demand” 60-amp
alternator reduces heat build-up
and keeps the battery charged all
day. Its oxygen sensor feedback
system refines economy. It comes
in 30-inch, 25-inch and 20-inch
shaft models. The BF225 sells for
about $18,289. For dealers or
additional features, visit
www.hondamarine.com or call
(800) 426-7701.
GUN LUBE: SliP 2000’s Lubricant is
formulated to clean, lubricate and
preserve both small and large
caliber weapons in most climate
conditions. It is a non-toxic, nonhazardous synthetic
lubricant that can be used
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competitive shooters. It also
has been used by U.S. military
forces in Iraq. It comes in sizes
ranging from a 1-ounce field pack
with flip top ($3.45) to a 4-ounce
flip top ($7.50) to a gallon (about
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ITALIAN BEAUTY: Savage Arms introduces its new Savage
Milano Over/Under Shotgun. The shotgun, which is
manufactured in Italy, boasts a Turkish walnut stock and is finished
in a satin lacquer. Offered in 12-, 20-, 28- and 410-gauge, the shotgun
boasts such standard features as automatic ejectors, chrome-lined barrels, elongated forcing
cones, fiber-optic front sight with brass mid-rib bead and a single selective trigger. The shotguns
weigh from 6 to 7 pounds, and sell for about $1,433. For more information, visit www.savagearms.com
or call (413) 568-7001.
RAZOR SHARP: Chef’sChoice says its Exact-V Diamond
Hone Manual Sharpener Model 415 will provide razor
sharp edges on a broad range of tools and knives,
including hunting and fish-fillet knives. It uses a two-stage
sharpening system, precision angle control and diamond
abrasives to produce a sharp double-bevel edge. To use as
a conventional V-type sharpener, users can remove the
angle guides. Model 415 comes with a built-in compact
storage box for its sharpening rods and angle guide. It sells
for about $40. For dealers, go to www.chefschoice.com or
call (800) 342-3255.
BACK SAVER:
Hunt Comfort’s
Folding Classic
Cushion, made
with an
UltraSoft
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and foam
inserts,
promises
to relieve
back
pressure
and the pain
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still by
distributing
pressure
and
keeping
circulation
flowing. Its snap system allows hunters to
adjust the two cushions to suit their specific seating
environment, be it a dove stool, a stand or the ground.
The straps allow for fast set up and easy transport. The
Folding Classic Cushion, which costs about $90, comes
in various camouflage patterns. To order, visit
www.huntcomfort.com or call (888) 757-3232.
HEROES
PATRICK STARNES of Laredo caught this 13.06-pound
largemouth bass at Lake Casa Blanca. The bass was 25.75
inches long and 20.25 inches around.
NOEL ORSAK, along with her faithful golden retriever TJ, shows a widgeon drake she shot on a Ducks Unlimited-managed lease near Altaire. CHRIS
McDONNELL, her husband, shows his three greenheads.
Alba resident BILLY PFEIL pulled this 15.5-pound largemouth from Lake Fork.
The fish was 25.25 inches long and 23.5 inches around.
Arlington resident KURT WADE caught this 13.1-pound largemouth bass
at Mill Creek Reservoir. He caught it on a Yum Zellamander. The fish
measured 25.5 inches long with a 20.5-inch girth.
Share an adventure
HUNTER WELLS, 12, took down this deer on Granite
Ranch near Roosevelt. This buck scored 158 3/4 and
was shot during the youth weekend.
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.
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and stories. You’ll read about big game hunting, waterfowling, upland bird
hunting, freshwater fishing across the state and saltwater fishing all up and
down the glorious Texas Coast. Plus, you’ll get national news… conservation
updates… weather report… wild game and fish recipes… and the latest breaking news from state and federal wildlife agencies.
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WEATHER
TEXAS TIDBITS
OUTDOOR PUZZLER
For crossword puzzle solution, see Page 16
ACROSS
1. Term for trout that spawn
upstream
4. A fish coloration
8. Shotgun model, over and _____
10. Term for a group of pheasants
11. Solution used to wash out
a gun dog’s eyes
12. Coasters lay hundreds
13. A good bait for the brown trout
14. Consider this when choosing a
lure
17. A lure that attracts game, fowl
or fish
18. An art of the fly-fishermen
21. Sought after for the fur
22. To adjust a scope
24. A game hideaway
25. Stream fishermen do this
30. Term for a perch species
32. A turkey call
34. Might be in a hunting kit
35. A boat that folds up for carrying
37. Device on a fly, _____ guard
39. A shell that fails to fire
40. Bowhunting equipment
45. A game pathway
46. Color worn by hunters for safety
47. The turkey’s feet
48. Hunter’s quarry in the Rockies
DOWN
1. A species of deer
2. To make ready to shoot
3. The ____necked pheasant
4. Name for a large lake trout
5. Used for bait at times
6. A game resting place
7. Summer trout are found in ____
waters
9. A duty of the gun dog
15. Shooting at random targets
16. A two-legged support for shooting
WILD IN THE KITCHEN
Wild Turkey Stir-Fry
Stir-fry dishes are always a good
choice when faced with feeding a
family. Like the domestic chicken,
turkey meat is a good choice for
stir-fry dishes, and can add that
extra flavor “kick” to a stir-fry
recipe. Here is a great recipe from
the National Wild Turkey
Federation’s own Wild About
Turkey cookbook, which has great
wild turkey recipes and information and can be purchased
through NWTF’s Turkey Shoppe.
Ingredients:
17.
19.
20.
23.
26.
27.
Term for a whitetail’s tines
Teeth determine this on some game
A bowhunting quarry in Florida
A very good walleye bait
To ready bow or gun for a shot
An excellent pheasant gun, ____
musket
28. A good thing to have in icefishing gear
29. Used to haul catch safely into boat
30. Name refers to the wild turkey
31.
33.
36.
41.
42.
43.
44.
Used in troll fishing
Old gobblers that stay to themselves
An action on the repeating shotgun
A good grain lure for traps
A female bear
A fly lure, hares ____
Said to be best lure color to attract fish
Outdoor Puzzler,
Wilbur "Wib" Lundeen
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (1-pound) boneless, skinless
turkey breast, cut into strips
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cup snow peas or green
beans
1 medium red bell pepper, cut
into thin strips
3/4 cup sliced green onion
1 medium carrot, cut into thin
strips
2 cups cooked white or wild rice
Directions:
In a shallow glass bowl, combine
orange juice and cornstarch. Add
turkey, and stir to combine. Cover,
and chill for 2 hours. Drain turkey,
and discard juice mixture.
Combine chicken broth and soy
sauce. Set aside. In a wok or large
skillet on medium heat, add oil,
garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 30
seconds. Add broccoli, turkey and
the next 4 ingredients, then stirfry until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth mixture. Simmer
about 1 minute. Serve over rice.
Yield: 4 servings
— Recipe compliments of National
Wild Turkey Federation. For more
recipe information or to purchase the
cookbook visit www.nwtf.org.
GAME WARDEN BLOTTER
WARDEN OFFERS REALITY CHECK
•The first weekend of March
kicked off the annual white bass
run in Val Verde County. Game
Warden Jason Huebner checked
numerous fishermen who were
having some good luck. However,
some forgot to buy their fishing
license and others forgot to have
the required water-safety equipment on their vessels. Several citations were issued.
One lie leads to another
Back in mid-November, Harris
County Game Warden Derek
Spitzer issued a citation to a man
for hunting ducks without a valid
hunting license. The hunter was
very adamant that he had bought
one the night before at Wal-Mart
but forgot it at home. Spitzer
checked with Houston Communications at that time, which still
revealed no current license found
for the suspect. Warden Spitzer
advised the man that if his hunting license was at home, he could
send the judge a copy and more
than likely the citation would be
dismissed. On Dec. 9, Spitzer
received notification from the
judge that the case was dismissed
because the license was produced.
Spitzer still didn’t believe the
man’s story and contacted
Houston Communications and
found out that the man bought his
hunting license on Nov. 30, 11
days after Spitzer issued him the
citation. Spitzer went to the
judge’s office to look at the license
and to visit with the judge concerning the case. Once at the
judge’s office, Spitzer inspected
the photocopy of the hunting
Hood and Wichita Game Warden
Luett McMahen had continued in
their search for the drowning victim at Lake Arrowhead. The wardens discovered the body of the
victim in early March. The body
was floating in the area that they
had been searching over the past
several weeks. The search originally began in February.
SOMETHING WRONG
WITH YOUR EYES?
•Game Warden Chris Dowdy
investigated a complaint of people
trespassing while hunting hogs in
northern Wise County. Dowdy
made contact as the hunters
crossed the fence at the location of
the “No Trespassing” sign. Dowdy
interviewed the three men, who all
agreed to give written statements.
Charges pending.
Clint Borchardt, while patrolling
Lake Arlington for fishing violations, cited a man for no fishing
license. When the man’s partner
returned, he too was asked to produce a fishing license and identification, but could not. The name
and date of birth given by the second subject produced no matches.
The unidentified man fled on foot
to a nearby vehicle. A Good
Samaritan, who observed what had
happened, pulled in behind the
subject’s vehicle. While fleeing the
scene, the subject rammed the
Good Samaritan’s truck, jumped
the curb, and then sped away.
Warden Borchardt got the license
plate number of the fleeing vehicle
and was able to get the runner’s true
identity from his fishing buddy.
The Arlington Police Department
was notified, and they were able to
locate the vehicle. The following
day, felony warrants were obtained.
Borchardt and fellow wardens
Michael McCall and Ronald Mathis,
along with APD, tried to serve the
warrants without success. Two days
later, APD caught the man and took
him into custody, but only after
another attempt to evade arrest.
Borchardt was able to serve two warrants and write the citation for no
fishing license while the subject was
in custody at the Arlington Jail.
Arlington PD also filed an evading
arrest charge on the subject. Cases
pending.
TIDE TURNS FOR LAWLESS ANGLER
•Tarrant County Game Warden
DROWNING VICTIM SURFACES
•Clay County Game Warden Eddie
LAWBREAKERS GALORE
•Tom Green County Game
Warden Zach Havens and Irion
County Game Warden Shane
Lewis were called to the public
lands area at Twin Buttes to investigate a hunting call. While dealing
with that call and issuing citations,
they observed a pickup coming
towards them at a fast rate of
speed. The wardens signaled for
the driver of the pickup to stop,
but he ignored their efforts and
continued at a fast rate of speed
down the rough road. The wardens
got into their vehicle, caught up
with the pickup and were able to
make the stop. The ensuing investigation led to possession of drug
paraphernalia and minor in possession of alcohol citations being
filed.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS
•Tarrant County Game Warden
John Padgett went to a residence to
cite a man for lack of a non-game
collection permit. Padgett noticed
the man smelled like marijuana.
Padgett asked the man if he had
any drugs. The man said he had a
bong and some marijuana inside,
which Padgett seized. Cases for no
non-game collection permit and
the drug possession are pending.
September 24,
25,
Page 1 * November
2004 * Page
1
E
ADVENTUR
2005
A NEW SEASON
STORY
RAPHY
AND PHOTOG
BY
DAVID J. SAMS
Break out the
decoys boys,
it’s time to go
huntin’
as the fog lifts.
the decoy spread
Hunters adjust
going to string
how they are
fill the porch.
Hunters discuss
Gear decoys that
the Greenhead
clients, the birds
geese for his huntingaccommodations this
s met at and
such lush
dry in
of waterfowler find
wouldn’t have
to
ecently, a group
has been exceedingly
Hunting Lodge
year — one that state. Sherrill, an experithe Cow Camp
the
covered with
lets them
many parts of
the birds and
the porch completely
a waternew decoys —
enced guide, watches
can be hunted.
boxes of brand
the roost pond
let the
tell him when
come true.
Let the pond rest; then is
new
fowler’s dream
Only
let’s get after these
birds fill it up.
“Come on boys,
Some of
to string
it time to hunt.
deeks, we have
ponds are only
We got a
Sherrill’s
tonight.
them
season.
do,” says
hunted once a
lot of work to
worst
“Pressure is your
David Schuessler. to tear
Sherrill explains.
eager
enemy,”
is
Everyone
to keep the
and see
It is important
open the boxes
not run
Some talk,
birds here and hunting.
what’s inside.
over
by
off
some
and
them
some work
the horia new
As the sun breaks see
just drink. It is
zon, you can finally— a
year at duck camp.
gs
comes
your surroundin parWake-up time
levee
opensmall, muddy
early during the —
a green-wing teal. tially hidden by weeds. The
lab, retrieves
ing of duck season
Shot, a black
swoop in to
Teal
motionless.
3:30 a.m.
decoys sit almost Specklebellies yelp overhead.
after
About two hours the roar of thousands of
get a better look. up and the shooting begins.
of bed,
rice field.
stumbling out
The hunters load out front! Specks coming
greets you in the
beating wings disturbed by the sloshing
“Teal on the left, shot flies through the air —
Ducks and geese take flight. In the darkness,
straight in!” Steel dogs get into the game now.
The
sound of footfalls to a waterfall. Their deparcommanded
and birds fall.
fetch him up,”
the sound is akin set for waterfowlers to set
“Maggie, back,
stage
Soderquist.
ture leaves the get ready.
but they
her owner Tim
hunters’ clothing, adrenatheir spreads and has been pumped with
The
Sweat soaks the
all but the hunt. ducks and
The pond, which
lies in the midon
are oblivious to
Colorado river,
sunrise and limitsin the world of
water from the Pearce ranch near Wharton,
line rush, the
better
dle of the historic of the state’s biggest winwhat could be
—
specks
one
at
which ranks as
geese. Bill
a waterfowler? Bill Sherrill can be contacted
for ducks and
of land
tering grounds
IF YOU GO:
Garrett Court,
thousands of acres
or at 1702
fields with river
Sherrill, who leases
532-1789
rice
the
(979)
flooded
of roosting
on the ranch,
Wharton, TX 77488.
about 3,000 acres
water to create his desire to attract ducks
habitat. Without
R
license and found that the valid
“from date” and the time stamp
date had been altered from
11/30/2005 to 10/30/2005, therefore back-dating the license. The
hunter, not knowing that his case
had been dismissed, was contacted
by the judge who set a pretrial
hearing. On March 3, the hunter
showed up at the judge’s office
with his very faded, washed and
worn hunting license. The hunter
was arrested on a third-degree
felony charge of tampering with or
fabricating physical evidence.
Case pending in county court.
park the following morning. Their
boat sank, and they were in the
water from 6 p.m. on Tuseday til 6
a.m. Wednesday morning.
OIL FIELD THIEVES
CAUGHT BY WARDENS
•Hardeman
County
Game
Warden Matt Thompson and
Wilbarger County Game Warden
Dyke McMahen observed some
suspicious activity in an oilfield
recently. A vehicle had pulled in
near a well and storage tanks. The
wardens heard a noise sounding
like something was being loaded.
The vehicle left and the officers
found it pulling a trailer with no
lights. The vehicle stopped down
the road, and the wardens made
contact with the three people
inside. One suspect hesitated to
remove his hands from his coat
pockets when instructed. He was
found to have a .25 caliber automatic pistol in the pocket. The suspects
had stolen about $2,500 worth of
oilfield pipe. The subjects were
charged with criminal conspiracy,
and the one subject was charged
with unlawfully carrying a weapon.
CONVICT LOSES HIS GUNS
•Tyler County Game Wardens
Bryan Baronet and Bill Zappe concluded a lengthy investigation on a
local man, a convicted felon, after
a contact was made at a hunting
lease in December of 2005. The
convicted felon had two deer rifles,
an AR-15 and a .357 Magnum
handgun. Charges are in the works
and officers are seeking a forfeiture
of the seized weapons.
OPERATION CONTINUES
CRACKDOWN
•This second wave of Operation
Pescador at Falcon State Park seized
over 23,000 feet of illegal gill net
and arrested six subjects. One person arrested for illegal commercial
fishing was in possesion of a small
amount of cocaine, which was
turned over to DPS narcotics investigators riding along with the
game wardens. They also seized
three boats and motors. Officers
responded to a search and rescue at
Falcon State Park also. Boaters were
overdue and found by a Mexican
vessel and returned to the state
REACH
THOUSANDS
OF READERS
IN THE
goose.
a specklebelly
takes a shot at
Laurance Armor
WARDENS ARE CATCHING
THEM ON THE RIVER
•Bell County Wardens Ronnie
Langford and Shawn Moore were
patrolling the Lampasas River
above Lake Stillhouse when they
came upon three people who were
fishing. Two had no fishing
license, and the boat operator had
ADVENT
URE
Hill Country
See Page 12
*
rivers
November 11,
2005
Texas’ Premier
Outdoor Newspa
per
w w w. l o n e
INSIDE
staroutdo
ornews.co
Volume 2, Issue
6
m
*
Duck opener Target high rainfall
: areas
FISHING
an expired registration. One of the
males with no license claimed to
be a juvenile, so Warden Langford
asked for his ID. When he pulled
out his wallet, he dropped something on the floor of the boat.
When asked about the dropped
item, the teen acted like he did not
know what Langford was talking
about and tried to move his foot to
cover it. When Langford got the
item, it turned out to be a packet of
of cocaine. The 15-year-old boy
was taken to the juvenile justice
center. He was found to be on probation for assault. Charges pending.
WARDEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT
•The City of Cameron recognized
Milam County Game Warden Mike
Mitchell as its outstanding volunteer of the year. At its annual banquet, the Chamber recognized the
warden for his work in the community, primarily centered around the
successful and growing youth fishing event held there annually.
CALL AHEAD NEXT TIME
•Walker County Game Warden
Zak Benge received a call from the
sheriff’s office concerning a doe
deer in the front yard of several college students. After Benge and two
deputies arrived, it was determined
that the deer had been hit by a
vehicle the night before and that
the students then decided to have
some fresh deer meat. Since none
of the students called about the
deer, citations were issued for possession in closed season.
SQUIRREL HUNTERS GET A BREAK
•Game Warden Zak Benge received
an anonymous call concerning
two people hunting squirrels in
closed season. Benge responded to
the area and found two fifteenyear-olds hunting squirrels with a
pellet rifle. Being familiar with the
background of the two teens,
Benge issued warnings this time.
WARDENS RECEIVE AWARDS
•Kleberg County Game Warden
Jason McFall received a prestigious
Medal of Merit at the Law
Enforcement Awards held March
10 at Austin Headquarters. San
Patricio County Game Warden
Andy Valdez received recognition
for his military service in Iraq.
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
for a good hunt
By Todd Nafe
Despite dry
conditions, duck
reported a great
hunting guides
opener this month.
hunters, a successful
2005 duck seasonBut for many
on hunting near
will depend
water.
The best hunting
is concentrat
and is sparse
ed in a few areas,
elsewhere —
even in areas
ducks usually
where the
congregate.
Currently, the
normal factors
waterfowl migration
that contribute
to
aren’t in place.
weather has caused
Hot, dry
many stock tanks
wetlands to dry
and seasonal
ing southward up, and the usual cold fronts
across the Great
pushyear.
Plains are late
this
To sum up the
where you find duck hunting outlook statewide:
centrations of water, there’ll likely be good
ducks.
conBill Johnson,
a waterfowl biologist
and Wildlife
for Texas Parks
in the Panhandle
to 8 percent of
,
playas, which reports that only 7
that collect
are seasonal wetlands
rainfall runoff
uplands, are
holding water. from surrounding
substantially
The number
from
is
cent of the area’s last year, when roughly down
60 perplayas
Despite the shortage were wet.
of water, Johnson
are ducks in
says
the
are ducks,” he area. “Where there’s water, there
said.
closer to Lubbock, “The best bet would be there
to start
where they’ve
Stanfield Hunting
had more rain.”
Outfitters is located
City, one spot
in Knox
that has had
plenty of rain;
Jeff
Migrating shrimp
are leading to
a feeding frenzy
for red drum
and trout, which
is
for coastal anglers. good news
See Page 9
Texas Parks and
Wildlife
fisheries biologists
were shocked
when their electrofishi
floated a 13.9-pound ng survey
largemouth bass.
See Page 9
HUNTING
Avian influenza
has killed nearly
60 people in
Southeast Asia.
While experts
downplay the
likelihood of “bird
North American flu” reaching
game
populations this
year, they
recommend that
hunters take
precautions.
VESTED VIGIL:
Guides across
the state reported
success at the
beginning of
duck season.
SOLUTION FROM
PAGE 15
See DUCKS, Page
10
State officials
regulation cha eye
nges
See Page 7
NATIONAL
An 8-year-old
Maryland girl
took
the first black
bear
2005 bear-huntin in the state’s
g season. A
report says that
young hunters
accompanied
by an experienced
adult are the
safest hunters
in
the woods.
Proposals heard
on
several fish specie
s
By David Sikes
Proposals are
would eliminate afoot in Austin that
tag requiremen
redfish and tarpon,
ts for
meaning anglers
would be able
A conference
to
this month brings
redfish and keep keep more trophy
state agencies
a state-record tarpon.
and concerned
The Texas Parks
organizations
and Wildlife
RANGE RIDERS:
together to
Commission
Deer hunters
heard these proposals
address the threats
across the state
and others —
posed by
greeted a new
such as cracking
invasive aquatic
season last Saturday.
on a flounder
down
species.
turning tripletailslimit loophole and
See Page 5
its Nov. 3 meeting.into gamefish — at
Items within
the scoping package
could become
DEPAR TMENT
more defined after
S
lic comment
puband
Parks and Wildlife tweaking by Texas GAMING
Migratory Bird Hunting
staff. All or part
DECISION: The
the package possibly
Page 6
wildlife
of department is
considering
could return
Adventure
the commission
making
tripletails gamefish.
in January to to
Page 12
heard again. If
be commission
Product Picks
any of the proposals
’s April meeting.
survive, a final
Page 13
The redfish proposal
version of each
either be adopted
could elimination
Outdoor Heroes
calls for the
or killed during
Dry range conditions
of the annual
Page 14
the
oversizedacross much
of Texas heading
Crossword Puzzle
See PROPOSALS,
tough
Page 10
should bode well into deer season kept time observing deer, which
Page 15
a low profile because
Wild in the Kitchen
to fill their tags, for hunters looking conditions
lush
PRSRT STD
according to
Page 15
provided ample range
Parks
Texas
and
US POSTAGE
and abundant
Wildlife Departmen
This Week’s Weather
cover
food.
ogists.
t biolPage 15
Hunters likely
PAID
The Game Warden
The general
PLANO, TX
problem this fall, won’t face that
Blotter
deer
Page 16
according to Mitch
Nov. 5 statewide, season opened Lockwood,
PERMIT 210
Bordering States
except for a
TPW white-tailed
counties in
few program
deer
the
Page 17
leader.
North Zone closes Panhandle. The
This Week’s Fishing
“We’re
Jan. 1, while
Report
South Zone continues
the Lockwood dried up real bad,”
Page 18
said. “This will
for two
Outdoor Datebook
tional weeks,
be the first
ending Jan. 15. addi- year in the last
Page 19
four that I’m
For the telling
last couple of
not
years, many of
500,000 or so
Texas’ corn hunters to get away from the
deer hunters
feeders to find
had a
deer. I think
See Page 4
CONSERVATION
Mother Natur
e
aids deer season
Conditions bode
well for success
See DEER, Page
11
to fill
up more decoys
hunters string
Hunting Lodge.
At day’s end,
at the Cow Camp
out their spread
10, 2006
Page 1 * March
*
March 10, 2006
Texas’ Premier
Outdoor Newspa
per
w w w.
INSIDE
HUNTING
lonestaro
utdoornew
s.com
Volume 2, Issue
14
*
ADVENTU
RE
British Colum
bia
wilderness odysse
y
See Page 19
Amistad catche
s attention
Many heading
to Texas lake
for big year
By Alan Clemons
Texans aren't
flocking to
hunt geese during
Goose Conservati the Light
Guides say they'reon Order.
not seeing
many hunters
eager to go after
the birds after
the end of the
regular season,
and
they're also ready admit
for a break.
See Page 6
One Texas family
is gobbling
up trophies for
best turkey calling. The Nixon
family's two eldest daughters
in
acclaimed callersparticular are
practice for their who credit
which they say expertise also pays off in
the field.
See Page 6
FISHING
The spring white
bass run is
under way in
central Texas
and
will run through
Experts say that late April.
gering drought despite a linthe fishing is
good.
See Page 9
NATIONAL
Ohio and Pennsylvan
ia have
joined the list
of
mit parents to states that perpass
hunting tradition on the
dren minus legal to their chilas a minimum barriers such
hunting age and
hunter-education
requirements.
One of the nation’s
most underrated lakes may
soon receive
attention it deserves
the
are met or exceeded if expectations
in this week’s
Bassmaster Elite
Series.
Long known in
ery, and perhapsTexas as a top fishas an “underground” fishing
who didn’t want lake among anglers
to share the secret,
Amistad is poised
for one of its
biggest years
ever.
the FLW Outdoors Just weeks after
nament anglers Stren Series tourset records
Amistad, the
on
Bassmaster Elite
field will hit the
Series
lake during its
peak.
“This will be
the greatest
tournament
bass
in history,”
said Zell
Rowland of Montgome
ry, a 30-year
veteran of the
pro
in a wheelchair circuits. “If I were
I would be there.and could not walk,
dline out the I would have a hanback of the
boat or
something.”
Amistad’s growing
reputation as
an outstandin
g fishery is
deserved. At
the most recent well
Series event,
Stren
the biggest four-day
total weight
was 105 pounds,
ounces caught
8
Anglers fish twoby David Mauldin.
top 10 start over days and then the
with zero weight.
See AMISTAD,
Page 10
CAUGHT IN THE
ACT: A largemouth
bass clears the
water after being
hooked by a soft
plastic bait. Photo
by David J. Sams.
Anglers gearin
g
to walk the pla up
nks
See Page 4
CONSERVATION
The annual $1
million Star of
Texas Anglers
Rodeo put on
by
CCA Texas gives
chance to land students a
a
and their parentsscholarship
the opportunit and others
y to drive off
in
new truck or
boat. The tourna- a
ment, which
functions as a
membership
drive,
attempt to boost is also an
young anglers the number of
in the state.
See Page 5
DEPAR TMEN
Across the Nation
Product Picks
Heroes
Outdoor Puzzler
Wild in the Kitchen
Weather
Game Warden Blotter
Outdoor Datebook
Fishing Report
TS
Page 5
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 15
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
PLACE YOUR ADVERTISING
IN TEXAS’ PREMIER OUTDOOR
NEWSPAPER
Piers lined with
By Danno Wise
FISHING LINE:
Anglers line the
83rd Street Pier
in Galveston.
Travis County
man infected
with plague
after hunt
By Mary Helen
Aguirre
A hunter who
Austin/Tra
was
vis County Health
hospitalized
and treated for
Human Services
and
Department.
County hospitalplague in a Travis
“This is a very
was most likely
exposed while
Travis County unusual case for a
skinning rabbits
resident,” said
ing a hunting
dur- Adolfo
Dr.
trip to a Lea
Valadez, medical
County the
ranch in New
director for
Mexico.
Austin/Travis
County Health
The Travis County
and Human
resident
Services Departmen
positive for
non-contagious,tested “There have only
t.
been 35 cases
ticemic Yersinia
sep- plague
of
pestis, according
in the state of
a Feb. 23 statement
Texas in
to
issued by the century. The Travis County the last
patient
See PLAGUE, Page
11
rods as spring
nears
Texas coast fishing
piers.
One of the longest
running, bestknown piers on
Generations
the Texas coast,
of Texas coastal San Luis
the
Pass Fishing
anglers have
flocked
Pier
piers. More often to beachfront see some impressive catches should
hit
fishermen were than not, these boards this spring, including the
jaw-dropping
some
rewarded with
trout.
handsome catch
a
for
“Trout will be
the most soughtAs 2006 heads their efforts.
after
many modern-da toward spring, said species we have in the spring,”
pier employee
y
finding a bounty anglers are also “Every
Galen Pruett.
year we see fish
beneath the planks awaiting them 30-inch
in the 27 to
range. A lot of
of many upper
folks will be
See
PIERS, Page 10
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
PLANO, TX
PERMIT 210
Call 214-361-2276
or FAX
214-368-0344
WWW.LONESTAROUTDOORNEWS.COM
ds
The snowbir
who grind
hese are the guys season” is
the
it out. “End of They live
a foreign phrase. from the
hunt birds
and breathe to
n snow goose
North. The conservatio
to end, but these
season is about
can't get
North Texas hunters
enough.
Derek Rambo
Avery pro staffer
numbers of snows
heard about huge sprouted winter
feeding on newly Texas area. The
wheat in the North
their
a detour from
fresh
geese are taking
to rip up some
spring migration
farmers.
sprouts from dry-land
farmers
up with some
Rambo hooked
eagerly
goose hunters,
who were also
em call.
let’s-go-get-’
the
awaiting
74 and even 143
Reports of 56,
made
from their fields
downed birds
was time. Steve
It
rounds.
the
to report thouMaldonado called hay field. “Meet
in a
sands of birds
said. “We could
he
a.m.,”
4:50
we
me at
all week and then
not find them
and there they
drove over a hill
them as being
were!” He described the thousands,
by
down in a valley from the highways
hidden from view
and dirt roads.
trailer full of
Putting out a covered decoys wasgoose
Real Motion snowwaterfowlers. It's
n't work for these
the
excitement of
just part of the
But trying to keep
was
hunt for them.
droppings
goose
boots free from
impossible.
were geese in
“No kidding there
he
Rambo said, as of
here last night,”
trying to free some
kicked his foot
T
light
the manure.
ready and the
The spread was
to
what happened
was coming. But was flying, then a
the geese? Nothingright next to a
single bird landed
THE
GRACEFUL RETRIEVE:
a spread of decoys.
his way through
Champ maneuvers
800 flies over
wind from its wings
decoy and the
bad
motion. “Not
set the decoy in
one of the hunters
a
looking decoys,”
ready here comes
shouted. “Get
Maldonado said.
whole bunch,”
KILLER WEED:
The flock of about even take a
doesn't
the spread and
that all about?”
look. “What was other geese come
Two
Rambo asked.
and end up being
a bit too close
the black Lab.
retrieved by Champ, are feeding a
geese
But, most of the big bunch has not
the
mile away and
2 p.m. the hunting
left the roost. At
in.
group packs it
want to go to
Why would anyonewant to hunt
still
all that work and
Because they are is
such a hard bird?
end of the season
waterfowlers and
near.
wet fields.
to get through
makes it easy
An ATV, above,
his layout blind.
J. SAMS
camouflage to
Y BY DAVID
left photo, attaches
Derek Rambo,
PHOTOGRAPH
STORY AND
OFFICIAL
TRUCK
OF THE
OUTDOOR DATEBOOK
HAVE AN EVENT TO PUBLICIZE?
E-mail it to
[email protected]
March 25: The Aggieland Chapter of
Ducks Unlimited and Budweiser will
host the first Duck Jam in Aggieland to
help raise money for wetlands
conservation. Tickets cost $25. For
more information, including on-line
ticket purchases, go to
www.budweiserduckjam
.com. The outdoor concert will take
place in College Station at the Wolf
Pen Creek Amphitheater.
Sunday. Admission is $10; kids 13 and
under are free.
March 25: Texas Women’s Shooting
Sports will host the 2006 Ladies
Spring Shooting & Outdoors Clinic in
Dallas, featuring handgun, shotgun,
archery and fly fishing from 9 a.m.- 3
p.m. at Elm Fork Shooting Park,
10751 Luna Road. The fee is $25 per
person and includes lunch. For more
information, visit www.txdiva.org.
March 30: DU Lake Ray Hubbard
Banquet at Rockwall-Chandler’s
Landing. Contact Scott Hooper at
(972) 771-0222 or e-mail him at
[email protected].
March 25-26: Ducks Unlimited will
hold a hunter safety program course at
Market Hall in Dallas during the Dallas
Arms Collectors Gun Show. Times are
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call Charlie
Preslar at (972) 270-8688 or e-mail
him at [email protected] for
details.
March 25-26: Austin’s 2006 Fishing
Expo at the Palmer events Center in
downtown Austin. Hours will be 9 a.m.5 p.m. Saturday and 10a.m.-5 p.m.
James Daughtrey Wildlife Management
Area for 10 years, will speak at noon
on managing small acreages for
wildlife. Various divisions of TPW will
conduct hands-on activities that will
build fishing, hunting, birding and
camping skills and provide information
on where to go to apply them in East
Texas. Times are from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.;
event is free, but regular admission
fees apply (903) 676-BASS.
April 1: Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine
will offer kids a chance to catch a 10pound bass and win a $25 gift card.
Come to Aunt Mikki’s Kid Fish at the
main aquarium on Saturday at 11 a.m.,
put your name in a drawing and at 1
p.m. employees will pull three names
out and take the winners to our pond
for a chance to catch a 10-pound bass.
The child with the largest bass will
receive a $25 gift card. Free to all.
March 28: DU golf at Wild Cat Golf
Club. Contact Matthew Patterson at
(713) 843-4934 or e-mail him at
mgp@ weinsteinspira.com.
March 28: Bass Pro Shops Grapevine
Turkey Calling & Decoy Spreads Class.
Starts at 7 p.m. in the hunting department. Free to all.
April 1: Woodlands DU Dog Days TBA
in The Woodlands. Contact Kyle Cronan
at (281) 381-3562 or e-mail him at
[email protected].
March 30: DU Marshall Banquet at the
Marshall Civic Center. Contact John
Best or Glen Stone by calling (903)
935-4545; (903) 935-4594.
April 1: Junction Women in the
Outdoors event at the South Llano
River State Park. Contact Nanette
Kline at (830) 796-9816.
March 30: DU Plainview Chapter
Banquet at the Plainview Country Club.
Contact Bobby Tyler at (806) 2934400, or e-mail: [email protected].
April 1: Texas Freshwater Fisheries
Center Outdoor Fools Day. Bob Lusk, a
veteran of 27 years as a private
fisheries consultant, will speak at 10
a.m. and 1 p.m. on pond management.
Macy Ledbetter, a former Texas Parks
and Wildlife biologist who managed the
April 2: Annual East Fork/West Fork
Canoe Challenge in Houston to benefit
conservation of the San Jacinto River
— an important freshwater source for
Galveston Bay fisheries. The 14-mile
race begins at 5 a.m. at Lake Houston
State Park. Registration is $30. For
more information, visit
www.luv2paddle.com or call R.D.
Kissling at (281) 413-6049.
April 6: Victoria Landowner Workshop.
Professional presentations given on
topics including: prescribed fire to create
wildlife habitat; plan and plant food
plots for wild turkeys; and identify native
forage species for wild turkey. Sponsored
by the National Wild Turkey Federation;
participants will receive a Hunting
Heritage Club membership. Members
will receive two issues per year of the
Get in the Game magazine, decal and a
membership card. Space limited to the
first 100 people who register.
Participants who pre-register will be
entered into a drawing for a shotgun. You
may register at the door if space allows.
Held at the TPW Wildlife Field Office,
2805 N. Navarro, Classroom 100A with
field trip to Southwest Victoria County
Wildlife Management Association. Check
in 8 a.m.; fee $20 per person; preregistration deadline March 31; see flier
for information and registration form. For
more information, contact Joe Koloski,
(601) 454-4454.
April 8: Hill Country Women in the
Outdoors event at the Hill Country
Shooting Sports Center in Kerrville.
Contact Nanette Kline at (830) 7969816.
April 15: Brazos Bend SP Junior Angler
Education Class. Come join us at a free
clinic for parents and children. The
clinic will provide the opportunity for
families to spend time together while
learning the basics of fishing through
hands-on instruction. Class size is
limited to 30 participants. Children
should be 6 years old or older and
accompanied by an adult. Held at the
Nature Center. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (979)
553-5101.
April 15: Lake Mineral Wells SP &
Trailway Kid’s Wilderness Survival. This
course is a fun way for kids to learn
what to do if they become lost. The
course includes interactive games,
demonstrations and a hike on the
nature trail. Kids must be accompanied
by a parent, guardian or youth group
leader. 1-4 p.m.; reservations required
(940) 328-1171.
April 20: DU McKinney Dinner at the
Collin County Youth Barn. Contact
David Rogers at (972) 727-5892.
April 21: DU Ellis County Dinner in
Waxahachie. Contact John Reagan at
(972) 775-2185.
April 21: DU Pampa Dinner at the
Knights of Columbus. Contact Brian
Maddux at (806) 665-7296 or e-mail
[email protected].
April 22: DU Dumas Dinner at the
Boars Nest. Contact Bud Kinder at
(806) 935-2369 or e-mail
[email protected].
April 22: Grand Prairie Angler
Education Instructor Course. This free
workshop is open to anyone 17 or older
interested in teaching the basics of
fishing in their communities. The
program provides the curriculum,
equipment, materials and support to
help volunteers successfully introduce
youth and their families to fishing.
Held at the North Texas Education
Center Annex (TPWD), 4511 Robinson
Rd. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; pre-registration
required, contact Steve Campbell at
stephen.campbell@ tpwd.state.tx.us or
(972) 263-0427.
Local outdoorsmen share
expertise with Boy Scouts
Realtree.com has everything that hunters are hunting for. We’ve got new
featuresd like Guides and Outfitters, Hunting Maps, Photopost
Picture Hosting, and Real2Reel, plus a host of favorites. From our
world-famous Trophy Den and informative Forums and Chat to the
expanded Games & Arcade. Realtree.com – Always On Stand.
Dozens of local sportsmen recently came
together as part of a national youth program
to share their outdoor know-how with nearly
1,000 Boy Scouts and family members.
On March 11, Texas Parks and Wildlife representatives joined volunteers from Bass Pro
Shops,
Henderson
County
Wildlife
Committee,
Lone
Star
Bowhunters
Association, Texas Bass Federation, Texas Dog
Hunters Association, and Texas Trappers and
Fur Hunters as part of the U.S. Sportsmen’s
Alliance Foundation’s (USSAF) Trailblazer
Adventure Program.
Through the Trailblazer Adventure
Program, which is designed to expose families
to outdoor activities and promote a traditional way of life, they shared their outdoor passions with local youngsters and parents.
The Circle Ten Boy Scout Council hosted
the Trailblazer event at Clements Scout
Reservation in Athens. Participating families
received hands-on instruction for archery,
fishing, firearm safety, waterfowl hunting,
trapping, conservation education and more.
The Trailblazer Adventure Program is designed
to expose families to outdoor activities and
promote an outdoor way of life. Social trends
have left our society several generations
removed from a rural lifestyle, but Trailblazer
gives today’s youth an opportunity that is all
too often missed: the chance to experience
the wonders of nature firsthand, with expert
guidance from experienced sportsmen.
For more information about the Trailblazer
Adventure program, contact Frank Price by email at [email protected] or visit
www.trailblazeradventure.org <http://www.
trailblazeradventure.org/> .
OUTFITTERS
Offshore and Bay fishing
30' Stamas
21' Shallowsport
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
South Texas
Deer and Turkey
Hunting
10,000 Acres
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 this section.
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.
CLASSIFIEDS
$10 A MONTH FOR 3
LINES!
PROPERTIES
37 characters per line including
spaces. Each additional line is $6.
You can add a photo for an extra
$20. Classified ads must be prepaid
by check or credit card.
South Padre Island Waterfront
properties on the Laguna Madre
and Gulf of Mexico. Call: David A.
Lohse Real Estate, Inc. (956) 7616699.
For Sale — Kansas hunting tracts.
Brown Realty Co. 318-728-9544.
www.brownrealtyco.com
Call (866) 361-2276
or e-mail:
[email protected]
South Texas — Brooks, Duval,
Jim Hogg County Ranches. Call:
David A. Lohse Real Estate, Inc.
(956) 761-6699.
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) 9250483.
FISHING
J O B WA N T E D
For Sale — East Texas timber and
hunting tracts. Caddo Lake Realty
(903) 679-3741.
Private 16-acre lake — Awesome
fishing, Florida cross largemouth
bass, redear, catfish, B&B boat,
call (512) 237-4792. Great fly
fishing.
Retiring firefighter (46 years old)
looking for new career in fly-fishing
industry. Resort, shop, guide service, or ? Full or part-time. Seasonal
or year-round. Coastal, Hill Country,
or ? Travel OK. Contact Scott
Smith, P.O. Box 134, Duncan, Ok.
73534 or (580) 251-0779.
FISHING REPORT
CENTRAL
BASTROP: Water stained. Black bass are fair on watermelon and pumpkinseed/orange spinnerbaits,
crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait, nightcrawlers, and liver.
Yellow catfish are slow.
BELTON: Water clear; 63 degrees; 3.19’ low. Black
bass are good on watermelon red and watermelon seed
spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and soft plastic worms and
lizards. Hybrid striper are good on minnows, and silver
striper jigs. White bass are fair on minnows and striper
jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and blue/white tube
jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait,
shrimp, and liver. Yellow catfish are slow.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 55 degrees; 2.56’ low.
Black bass are fair on chartreuse/white spinnerbaits
and crankbaits on the main lake, and on shad
crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps. Hybrid striper are fair on
shad and crawfish crankbaits. White bass are good on
small tube jigs and Li’l Fishies. Crappie are fair on
watermelon red and watermelon green tube jigs and
minnows. Catfish are slow.
BUCHANAN: Water clear; 62 degrees; 8.60’ low. Black
bass are good on Texas rigged heavy tubes, crawfish
Rat-L-Traps, and white/chartreuse Terminator spinnerbaits along break lines in 4 - 8 feet. Striped bass are
good drifting live bait, casting Snap Back soft jerkbaits
on red Bait Jerker Hooks, and trolling above Shaw
Island. White bass are good jigging Pirk Minnows,
casting 2” Spoiler Shads, and trolling Shad Raps from
The Willows up the lake. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are good. Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines.
CANYON LAKE: Water gin clear; 65 degrees; 3.06’
low. Black bass are very good on crawfish Rat-L-Traps,
white Terminator tungsten spinnerbaits, smoke/red
tubes, and pumpkin/chartreuse Snap Back lizards along
sloping gravel flats in 4 - 10 feet. Striped bass are
fair on silver Pirk Minnows, Spoiler Shads, and trolling.
White bass are very good on 1/8oz. Tiny Traps, Pirk
Minnows, and swimming 2” Spoiler Shads in pockets
and coves in 8 - 12 feet. Smallmouth bass are good on
crawfish Rat-L-Traps, smoke/red JDC Craws, 3” tubes,
and Devil’s Tongues on drop shots over rock piles in 4
- 15 feet and ledges of main lake points early. Crappie
are good on minnows and crappie jigs at the fishing
pier and tight to trees in 4 - 8 feet. Channel catfish are
good on minnows, Black Salty baitfish and nightcrawlers. Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines
in 12 - 30 feet.
COLEMAN: Water fairly clear; 57 degrees; 2.29’ low.
Black bass are fair on soft plastic worms and lizards.
Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Crappie are good on
live minnows. 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 good
in the park area. White bass are excellent on blue/white
and chartreuse crappie jigs, Teeny Torpedoes, Rat-LTraps, and spinnerbaits. Crappie are slow. Catfish are
fair on trotlines baited with perch.
DUNLAP/MCQUEENY: Water stained; 63 degrees.
Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and watermelon
red soft plastics early, and later on watermelon and
chartreuse Texas rigged Berkley Gulp Lizards in 4 - 10
feet. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on live
minnows and chartreuse/green crappie jigs in 10 - 15
feet. Channel catfish are good on shad, chicken livers,
and frozen shrimp in 10 - 20 feet. Blue catfish are very
good on cut gizzard shad and stinkbait. Yellow catfish
are slow.
FAYETTE: Water clear; 73 degrees. Black bass are very
good on watermelon, watermelon red, and watermelon
black/green Wacky Worms and Senkos in 2 – 8 feet,
and on white and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, and on
pumpkinseed Dead Ringer worms along the outside
edges of breaks. Channel and blue catfish to 6 pounds
are good on cut shad and shrimp over baited holes.
GRANBURY: Water stained; 0.41’ low. Black bass are
good on chartreuse green and watermelon crankbaits
and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are fair on chrome/white
striper jigs and minnows. White bass are good on live
minnows and silver striper jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and clear white tube jigs. Catfish are good on live
bait, frozen shrimp, and liver.
GRANGER: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.32’ low.
Black bass are fair on white spinnerbaits and black
plastic worms upriver. White bass are good upriver.
Crappie are good on jigs in shallow water all over the
lake. Blue catfish are good on prepared baits along
windy points. Yellow catfish are fair on live perch.
LBJ: Water clear; 62 degrees; 0.20’ low. Black bass to
8 pounds are good in 2 - 6 foot flats on
watermelon/red twitch baits, wacky and Texas rigged
watermelon/chartreuse Whacky Sticks, crawfish Rat-LTraps, and white/blue/chartreuse Terminator spinnerbaits. White bass are good on Pirk Minnows, swimming
2” Spoiler Shads, and trolling on main lake points in 8
- 20 feet. Crappie to 15” are very good on crappie jigs,
small grubs, and minnows in 1 - 3 feet. Channel catfish are good on minnows and liver. Yellow and blue
catfish are good on trotlines and juglines baited with
live perch and cut perch.
NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 4.02’ low. Black bass
are good on live minnows and chartreuse soft plastics
and crankbaits. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on
minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on live
bait, bloodbait, and liver. Yellow catfish are slow.
PROCTOR: Water fairly clear; 55 degrees; 4.55’ low.
Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass
are slow. Crappie are very good on minnows and pink
tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on frozen
shrimp and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow.
SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 2.68’ 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.
STILLHOUSE: Water fairly clear; 65 degrees; 0.73’
low. Black bass are fair on watermelon and watermelon
seed crankbaits and spinnerbaits, and on
chartreuse/white Rat-L-Traps. White bass are fair on
minnows and silver striper jigs. Smallmouth bass are
slow. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs.
Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait and
frozen shrimp. Yellow catfish are slow.
TRAVIS: Water clear; 64 degrees; 17.50’ low. Black
bass to 5 pounds are good on pearl flukes, smoke
grubs, and chartreuse Bandit crankbaits in 4 – 12 feet.
Striped bass are slow. White bass to 1 pound are fair
on shad raps and chrome crippled herring spoons in 8
– 25 feet. Crappie to 1 pound are fair on minnows and
blue and white tube jigs in 10 – 22 feet. Channel and
blue catfish to 5 pounds are good on fresh cutbait and
nightcrawlers in 20 – 35 feet. Yellow catfish are slow.
WALTER E. LONG: Water clear. Black bass are good on
minnows, spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and soft plastics.
Hybrid striper are good on minnows and spinnerbaits.
White bass are good on minnows and spinnerbaits.
Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on minnows, frozen shad, bloodbait, and
cutbait. Yellow catfish are slow.
WHITNEY: Water murky; 3.89’ low. Black bass are slow
to fair on crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are
slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows.
Catfish are slow.
minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on limetreuse
Humdingers. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and
Danny King’s Punch Bait.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water fairly clear; 53-60
degrees; 5.81’ low. Black bass are fair to good on
watermelon or watermelon red Texas-rigged lizards,
black/blue jigs and Rat-L-Traps. White bass and hybrid
striper are fair on silver/chrome Humdingers. Crappie
are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on juglines set with live perch.
TAWAKONI: Water stained; 54-58 degrees; 8.87’ low.
Black bass are fair on Carolina rigged Brush Hogs
(short leader with a light weight) and Texas rigged
craws in 5-8 feet in coves and around bridge columns.
Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around bridge
columns. White bass are fair on chartreuse slabs and
live minnows. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair
on chrome Rat-L-Traps and Sassy Shad along and out
from the dam. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers.
TEXOMA: Water clear; 52-58 degrees; 1.28’ low. Black
bass are fair on crankbaits, jigs, Carolina-rigs and RatL-Traps. Smallmouth bass are slow to fair on live shad,
drop-shot rigs and silver blue Pirk Minnows. Crappie
are fair on minnows and jigs under the bridges. Striped
bass are fair on live shad and Sassy Shad. Catfish are
fair to good on cut shad.
NORTHEAST
ATHENS: Water clear to lightly stained, 54-62 degrees;
1.68’ low. Black bass to 9.97 pounds are good on soft
plastics - Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits are also catching good numbers. Crappie are good from the bank on
minnows and fair on small plastics. Catfish are slow to
fair on Canadian nightcrawlers and prepared baits from
the bank. Juglines with shad are also catching numbers.
BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 55-61 degrees; 5.66’ low.
Black bass are fair on crankbaits and Texas rigs with
small to medium soft plastics. White bass are fair on
white Road Runners and slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and live
perch.
CADDO: Water fairly clear; 64-68 degrees; 0.33’ high.
Bass are excellent, with good sizes and lots of numbers, on lizards, flukes and Senkos (in dark colors)
fished around the cypress trees. Crappie are shallow,
spawning and good on shiners around the cypress
trees. Catfish are good on limblines with blood bait.
Bream are starting to move in, but not bedding yet.
CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 56-60 degrees; 4.57’ low.
Black bass fair on soft plastics in back of creeks and
around near shore stickups, also on medium diving
crankbaits. White bass are very good on T.N.T. jigging
spoons over mid-lake humps. Hybrid striper to 11
pounds are excellent on Sassy Shad. Catfish are good
on cut shad fished around deeper points. Crappie are
good under bridges on tube jigs and small minnows.
COOPER: Water stained; 54-59 degrees; 13.77’ low.
No report available. Due to the low level of the lake,
boaters are advised to use extreme caution.
FAIRFIELD: Water clear; 68 degrees; 3.75’ low. Due to
the low water level, only one ramp is open - launching
is difficult and generally requires two people. With
more anglers accessing the lake recently, reports of fair
to good bass and red fish and particularly good catfish
fishing are coming in. Tilapia remain slow.
FORK: Water clear – upper end stained; 53-60
degrees; 3.9’ low. Black bass are fair on black/blue jigs
(trimmed) with a matching trailer fished along main
lake grass and around boat houses, ?oz. white/chartreuse spinnerbaits on windy banks, and watermelon
red wacky rigged worms in the back of coves (north
end) in 4 feet. Crappie are fair on small jigs in 30-32
feet on deeper flats, with limited numbers showing up
in 10 feet or less. Catfish fair on prepared baits in1022 feet.
GRAPEVINE: Water lightly stained; 54-58 degrees;
6.84’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas or Carolina
rigged soft plastics around near shore brush and on
crankbaits along the dam. Crappie are fair to good on
minnows and jigs over brushpiles. White bass are fair
on Humdingers. Catfish are slow to fair on nightcrawlers.
JOE POOL: Water fairly clear; 53-59 degrees; 3.22’
low. Black bass are fair on red shad lizards and perch
pattern crankbaits in 6–8 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on white Road
Runners and slabs. Catfish are fair on prepared baits.
LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 53-58 degrees;
3.46’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigged watermelon seed soft plastics and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are
fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on
cut shad and nightcrawlers.
LAVON: Water stained; 52-58 degrees; 9.72’ low.
Black bass are fair on red shad lizards, green pumpkin/red Sweet Beavers and crankbaits in 5-10 feet.
Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish
are fair on prepared bait and cut shad.
LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 55-60 degrees; 7.44’ low.
Black bass are fair on lizards and grubs off secondary
points and crankbaits fished along near shore structure.
Crappie are fair on jigs around boat slips and bridge
pilings. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and cut shad.
PALESTINE: Water fairly clear; 53-60 degrees; 2.54’
low. Black bass are fair to good on crankbaits, Rat-LTraps and brown jigs with a watermelon seed trailer.
Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 4 – 10 feet.
Catfish are fair on trotlines with cut shad. Hybrid
striper and white bass are fair on chrome Rat-L-Traps,
shad and slabs.
RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 54-60 degrees; 3.1’
low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigs, crankbaits and
spinnerbaits. Crappie are slow to fair on minnows and
jigs in the marinas and around bridge columns. White
bass are slow to fair on slabs and minnows. Catfish are
fair on prepared baits.
RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 54-59 degrees; 3.66’ low.
Black bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits, jigs and
pearl medium diving crankbaits. Crappie are fair on
WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 56-62 degrees; 7.21’
low. Black bass are fair on crankbaits around docks.
Crappie are fair in the fishing barge and marina boat
slips on Texaco jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on
nightcrawlers. White bass are fair. Bream are good on
worms. With the low water level, boaters are advised to
exercise caution.
SOUTH
AMISTAD: Water clear; 68 degrees. Black bass are
excellent on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft plastics, and
topwaters. Striped bass are good on large red jerkbaits.
White bass are good on Rat-L-Traps, slabs, and minnows up the Pecos River. Crappie are slow. Channel
and blue catfish are good on cheesebait, shrimp, and
nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 91 degrees. Black bass are
fair on crankbaits and dark blue and red soft plastic
worms around the rocks at the dam are, and in grassy
areas. Striped bass are very good on perch, shad, and
chicken livers. Redfish are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp, and shad. Yellow catfish
are slow.
CALAVERAS: Water stained; 90 degrees. Black bass
are good on shad, live minnows, and soft plastic worms
in grassy areas along the shoreline. Striped bass are
very good on liver, perch, and spoons. Redfish are slow.
Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are good on liver,
shrimp, and nightcrawlers. Blue catfish are good on
liver and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 67 degrees; 3.66’
low. Black bass to 8 pounds are very good on brown
shrimp Lucky Craft Live Pointer 95’s, chartreuse shad
Lucky Craft Pointer 100’s, watermelon 10” Berkley
Power Worms, and gold Nichols spinnerbaits on main
lake points and in the backs of coves in 2 - 10 feet.
White bass are very good on large minnows upriver,
vertically jigging Riverside Mystic Shad and chartreuse
shad Berkley Blade Dancers tipped with live minnows
around the Hwy. 99 bridge in 5 - 10 feet, and good
trolling silver shad Bomber A’s in the main river channel. Crappie are excellent on silver 2” YUM Vibra
King tubes tipped with live minnows over brushpiles
and standing timber in 4 - 12 feet. Channel and blue
catfish to 6 pounds are excellent on Lewis King
punchbait, large minnows and perch in 8 - 15 feet.
Yellow catfish to 20 pounds are good on trotlines and
juglines baited with hybrid bluegills and jumbo minnows in 20 - 30 feet.
COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 69 degrees (79 degrees
at hot water discharge); 3.22’ low. Black bass are good
on soft plastics and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are slow.
White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and
blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are slow.
FALCON: Water clear; 72 degrees. Black bass are good
on watermelon red and watermelon orange spinnerbaits, flukes, Sweet Beavers, and Brush Hogs. Striped
bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on bloodbait, cutbait, and 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; 68 degrees; 13.79’ low. Black
bass are good on chartreuse Yo-Zuri 3D Vibes, white
spinnerbaits, and chartreuse shad Lucky Craft CB001’s across main lake points and coves in 2 - 10
feet, and on watermelon/chartreuse 7” Berkley Power
worms tight to timber in 4 - 10 feet.
Striped bass are very good jigging silver C.C. spoons
around the dam, and on chrome/blue Red Fins in surface action in the middle of the day on main lake
points. White bass are very good on live minnows and
silver/blue Fle-Fly slabs upriver, and good trolling shad
colored Shad Raps. Crappie are excellent on live minnows and silver 2” YUM Vibra King tubes around
brushpiles and standing timber at night under lights
in 10 - 25 feet. Channel and blue catfish to 6 pounds
are very good on Lewis King punchbait and goldfish.
Yellow catfish to 20 pounds are good on juglines baited with perch and goldfish.
SOUTHEAST
CONROE: Water stained; 3.49’ low. Black bass are
good on chartreuse and watermelon spinnerbaits and
crankbaits, and on orange/white Rat-L-Traps. Striped
bass are fair on live bait and green striper jigs. Crappie
are fair on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Catfish
are good on cutbait, prepared baits, and frozen shrimp.
GIBBONS CREEK: Water stained. Black bass are good
on white/red spinnerbaits crankbaits, and on watermelon soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish
are fair on cutbait and cheesebait.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 61 degrees; 0.87’
high. Black bass to 7 pounds are very good on June
bug red soft plastic worms north of the marina in 8
feet. Crappie are good on live minnows in 8 feet.
Catfish are slow.
LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 59 degrees; 3.92’ low.
Black bass are good on firetiger and shad colored
crankbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on
slabs. White bass are good on slabs, crankbaits, and
Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel
and blue catfish are very good on prepared bait and
cutbait, especially cut shad. Yellow catfish are slow.
SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 61 degrees;
1.91’ low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse/blue and
chartreuse/green soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and
crankbaits, and on chrome/blue Rat-L-Traps. Crappie
are fair on live minnows and white tube jigs.
TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 5.19’ low. Very little
fishing activity due to low water level. Navigation is
dangerous due to numerous stumps and stickups.
Tournaments have been moved to Lake Sam Rayburn.
SWEETWATER: Water lightly stained; 58 degrees;
31.5’ low. Black bass are fair. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair. Catfish are fair on
cut baits.
WHITE RIVER: Water lightly stained; 57 degrees;
22.72’ low. Black bass are fair on live bait and watermelon red soft plastics near timber near grass lines.
Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Walleye are fair
on minnows and jerkbaits. Channel catfish are fair on
chicken liver and minnows.
WICHITA: Water stained but clearing; 62 degrees;
1.26’ low. Crappie are good on 1/8 oz. chartreuse jigs
or small minnows along dam riprap and near old pavilion pier poles over TPWD-placed brush. White bass and
hybrid striped bass are fair on minnows and white
twister-tails along dam and trolling. Channel catfish are
fair on bait shrimp, punchbait or trotlines baited with
shad.
PANHANDLE
COASTAL
BAYLOR: Water lightly stained; 54 degrees. Black bass
are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.
GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 25’
low. Black bass are good on shad-colored crankbaits
near points, and watermelon Senkos and white spinnerbaits along moss beds. Crappie are good on jigs and
minnows. White bass are fair on live bait and shad-colored jerkbaits. Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait
and shad-colored crankbaits near points and riprap.
Walleye are good on live bait and crankbaits. Catfish
are good on minnows.
MACKENZIE: Water lightly stained; 49 degrees; 69.35’
low. Black bass are fair on live bait and shad-colored
crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.
White bass and striped bass are good on live bait.
Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait and jerkbaits.
Walleye are good on live bait and chrome jerkbaits.
Catfish are good on minnows.
MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 51 degrees; 27.31’
low. Black bass are fair on live bait, chartreuse/white
crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs suspended 12-17 feet. White bass are good on slabs
tipped with minnows near points and humps.
Smallmouth bass are fair on chartreuse/black back
crankbaits. Walleye to 7 pounds are fair on live bait
and crankbaits near northern points and riprap.
Channel catfish are fair on live baits and cut baits.
PALO DURO: Water lightly stained; 44 degrees; 47.8’
low. Black bass are fair on live bait. Crappie are fair on
jigs and minnows. Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait
and black back jerkbaits. Walleye are fair on live bait.
Channel catfish are fair on cut baits.
NORTH SABINE: Redfish and black drum are fair to
good in the river on Carolina-rigged shad. Trout are fair
on topwaters and Corkies on the Louisiana shoreline.
SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good on red shad and
glow Bass Assassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers on the
Reef. Flounder are fair to good on the Louisiana shoreline on plum and red shad plastics tipped with shrimp.
Redfish and black drum are good on live shrimp at the
jetty.
BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the shorelines and
at Rollover Pass on live shrimp. Redfish and black
drum are fair to good at Rollover Pass on crabs and live
shrimp. Whiting are good along the beachfront on fresh
dead shrimp.
TRINITY BAY: Trout are fair to good on the east shoreline shell on Corkies, Catch 2000s and topwaters.
Black drum and sheepshead are good on shrimp
around rock pilings and structure at the Spillway.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout and black drum are fair
to good along the Houston Ship Channel on live
shrimp. Trout are good on plum/chartreuse and red
shad Bass Assassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers in 6
to 8 feet of water over shell when the wind allows.
WEST GALVESTON BAYS: Trout are fair to good over
shell and mud on glow/chartreuse and plum Bass
Assassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers. Flounder are
fair to good near Snake Island on mud minnows and
shrimp. Black drum and sheepshead are fair to good
at the jetty on crabs and live shrimp.
WEST
ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 1.75
low. Black bass to 5-pounds are good on live bait and
dark jigs fished tight to cover. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Note: Two black bass over 13-pounds
were caught and inducted into ShareLunker program.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 2.32’
low. Black bass are slow on crankbaits and soft plastics
in back of coves and creeks. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs near derricks about 15 feet and near
State Park area. White bass are fair on shad-imitation
baits near Pawnee Point. Blue catfish are good on
shad, punch bait and juglines suspended 2 feet off
bottom in upper part of lake.
COLORADO CITY: Water clear; 60 degrees; 2.12’ low.
Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and
jigs. White bass are fair on live bait. Redfish are slow.
Catfish are fair on live baits.
FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 62 degrees; 6.7’ low.
Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and
jigs. White bass are fair on live bait. Catfish are fair on
live bait.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 58 degrees;
10.82’ low. Black bass are fair on live bait and
black/blue soft plastics or jigs fished tight to cover.
Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass and
hybrid striper are good on live bait and shad colored
crankbaits. Catfish are fair on prepared baits and
worms.
NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 58 degrees. Black
bass are fair on live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows
and jigs. Redfish are fair. White bass and striped bass
are good on cut shad and minnows. Catfish are fair on
cut shad.
OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 18.43’
low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows
and jigs. Catfish are fair on minnows. No boat ramps
open. 4x4 vehicles can unload on dirt road near the
dam.
OH. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 56 degrees; 17’ low.
Black bass are fair on live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs tipped with
minnows. Smallmouth bass are fair. Channel catfish are
fair on live bait.
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 61 degrees; 3.93’
low. Black bass are fair on black/blue jigs and Senkos
in back of creeks in Rock and Caddo Creek areas.
White bass are good in and around river. Striped bass
are fair at night near lighted piers. Blue and channel
catfish are fair on juglines in the upper part of reservoir. Rainbow Trout are good below the dam near
Highway 16 Bridge with a release of 2,250 trout on
March 10.
TEXAS CITY: Oversized black drum are good from the
pier at the end of the dike on shrimp and cracked
crabs. Gafftop and sheepshead are good on shrimp
around the rocks and pilings. Redfish are fair to good
on shrimp in Moses Lake.
FREEPORT: Flounder are fair to good on mud minnows
and jigs worked at Parker’s Cut. Redfish and
sheepshead are fair to good around structure on live
shrimp and crabs. Trout are fair to good for drifters in
Christmas Bay on live shrimp and topwaters.
EAST MATAGORDA: Trout are fair while drifting scattered shell on black, red shad and fire tiger Bass
Assassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers when the wind
allows. Redfish and flounder are fair to good along the
west shoreline on soft plastics tipped with shrimp.
MATAGORDA: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on red shad and plum Bass Assassins, Sand Eels
and Trout Killers. Redfish are fair to good on the shorelines on gold spoons and MirrOlures.
PORT O’CONNOR: Trout are fair to good around Grass
Island, the grass flats in San Antonio Bay and the
Bayucos Flats on red shad and pumpkinseed Bass
Assassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers. Redfish, black
drum and sheepshead are fair to good on shrimp at the
jetty.
ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good near Traylor Island
and over the reefs in Copano Bay on live shrimp,
Corkies, Catch 2000s and She Dogs. Redfish and black
drum are fair to good in the channels and Intracoastal
on crabs and live shrimp.
PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair to good at the North
Jetty on live shrimp. Sheepshead and gafftop are good
on live shrimp at the South Jetty. Gafftop, black
drum, whiting and sharks are good on the beachfront.
CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good in the channels along the causeway on live shrimp under a popping cork and finger mullet. Redfish are fair to good on
shrimp along the drop-offs to the Intracoastal.
BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good on live shrimp
under a cork around the rocks. Black drum and redfish
are fair to good at the Land Cut on live shrimp. Trout
are fair to good near the Tide Gauge on Corkies and
Catch 2000s.
PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good while drifting
grass flats on Trout Killers, Bass Assassins, Sand Eels
and topwaters. Redfish are fair to good on topwaters
and shrimp on the flats. Sheepshead and black drum
are good on shrimp in around East Cut.
SPENCE: Water lightly stained; 58 degrees; 49.4’ low.
Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. White bass are
fair on minnows. Striped bass and hybrid striper are
fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut baits.
SOUTH PADRE: Trout, redfish and black drum are fair
to good along the Intracoastal on live shrimp and mullet. Trout are fair to good on Top Dogs at Stover Point.
Trout and redfish are fair to good on live shrimp at
Holly Beach.
STAMFORD: Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; Black
bass are fair on live bait and black/chartreuse
crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White
and striped bass are good on live bait. Catfish are fair
on minnows.
PORT ISABEL: Trout are fair to good at Airport Cove on
shrimp, Corkies and She Dogs. Trout and redfish are
fair to good on the Gas-Well Flats and Un-necessary
Island on live shrimp under a popping cork.
ADVENTURE
Fly-fishing the
Guadalupe
PLENTY TO GO AROUND: Texas Parks and Wildlife — along with Trout Unlimited — stock the Guadalupe with rainbow trout.
By Diana Kunde
G
reen water the color of old turquoise rippling past
limestone bluffs. Rainbow trout heavily stocked not
only by Texas Parks and Wildlife, but also by Trout
Unlimited.
Those are only two of many reasons to fly fish the Guadalupe
River tailwater south of Canyon Lake Dam in spring.
I wanted to introduce our Romanian friend Julian Udrica to
Texas fly-fishing. This was his first time in the States, and his
first time in Texas. He also wanted to see the Alamo — so, bingo,
the Guadalupe was it.
I contacted James Pelland, guide and owner of Guadalupe
Trout. He, my husband, Jim, Julian and I set out on a bright
February morning to wade the spring-fed river near New
Braunfels.
Pelland says he “fell in love” with this stretch of Texas river
while a MBA student at the University of Texas. He came to the
Lone Star State from Virginia, by way of Montana. Five years
with a major Austin high-tech firm after graduation convinced
him that the corporate life wasn’t for him.
Now he sings the praises of the Guadalupe and takes out parties up to three people through his guide service.
Our Monday morning was sunny and windy — neither condition exactly ideal for hooking wary trout. Pelland had us try-
TEXAS TREAT: Jim Kunde shows off a 20-inch German Brown trout
caught on the Guadalupe. Photo by Diana Kunde.
ing a variety of trailing nymphs, weighted so that our flies floated just up from the river bottom.
He found a location about 8 miles downstream from the dam,
partly protected from the fierce wind by a high limestone ridge.
It wasn’t long before we were hooking into some very nice rainbows.
Julian is family, first cousin to our son Tom’s wife, Anna, who
also hails from Romania. Because he’s a longtime athlete — a
former national soccer team player for that country and current
IF YOU GO
Guide: James Pelland charges $175 for a half-day of guided wade-fishing for one person
on the Guadalupe, with $25 for each additional person up to three. He also takes full-day
wading trips (lunch provided) and float trips. Visit www.guadalupetrout.com, or e-mail him
at [email protected]. His telephone number is (512) 413-3869. The artificials-only
stretch of the Guadalupe tailrace is about 40 minutes from downtown San Antonio.
Lodging: New Braunfels has numerous hotels, chain motels, plus bed and breakfast inns
that can be found at the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce: www.nbcham.org/.
Restaurants: New Braunfels Smokehouse, which has been around since 1945, offers
barbecue meats and can be reached at (830) 625-2416. Others can be found at the
chamber of commerce Web site.
soccer official — we figured he’d catch on to fly-casting pretty
quickly.
He did. Spotting subtle signs of a strike and then playing the
fish on a barb-less hook proved more difficult — for all of us.
Pelland tied a woolly bugger for Julian; I used a very effective size
20 RS-2 fly, an emerging mayfly imitation, and Jim had a hare’s
ear nymph.
Jim proved to be the champ, playing and netting a surprise
20-inch German brown trout. Trout Unlimited stocks a few of
these each year, Pelland said. Still, they’re not that commonly
caught.
The big brown was a keeper in this stretch of river set aside for
artificial bait only. TPW lets fishers keep one trout more than 18
inches. But Pelland opts to do all catch-and-release, and that
was fine with us. Fishing should remain excellent on this stretch
of river through April and into May.
As we crunched our way back to the car, over gravelly islands
and past the bleached skeleton of an armadillo, I asked Julian —
whose prior fishing experience was with casting rods on large
bodies of water — what he thought.
“It was very different, “ he said, “and beautiful.”
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].
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