July 11, 2014 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

LSONews.com LoneOStar Outdoor News July 11, 2014

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HUNTING FISHING

TPWD proposing new season dates for waterfowl and dove, and the department is seeking com-ment from hunters.

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New dates possible

CONTENTSClassifi eds . . . . . . . . . Page 32 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 22Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 28Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 16Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 22

LSONews.com

The redfi sh season hasn’t been up to par compared to other years, and the slow bite has been affecting charter services and bait shops.

Page 8

A bit on the slow side

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July 11, 2014 Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas Volume 10, Issue 22

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HECK OF A START: Ella Hawk stands next to the big Corsican ram she took earlier this year. Photo by Tony Hawk.

By Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

Sometimes, a young hunter takes to the fi eld like a duck takes to water.

That is certainly the case with Ella Hawk, a rising fourth-grader at Copeland Elementary School in Huffman.

Hawk, who has accompanied her dad, Tony, and mom, Cindy, in the deer blind since she was 3 years old, harvested her fi rst deer last season. But she had bigger plans for the off-season — beginning with a trip to Longhorn River Ranch in Dripping Springs in March during her spring break.

“She started shooting a gun last year,” Tony Hawk said. “She shoots a .243 Youth Remington and she only weighs about 50 pounds. We had to have the stock cut down and the trigger pull lightened, but she shoots it great.”

Full curl9-year-old

takes four exotic Texas rams

this year

See ELLA, Page 20


If 19-year-old Cleburne hunter Kendall Jones was looking to gain publicity for her goal of becoming a hunting TV personality, she did one heck of a job.

Jones, who has been hunting in Zimbabwe, posted online pictures of herself with recently harvested tro-phies of Africa’s big fi ve, including a lion, leopard, ele-phant and white rhino.

All of the animals were legally taken, but the outrage came quickly from antihunters who visciously attacked her online. Along with her personal Facebook page, other pages sprang up in support and against the young

hunter.A “Kendall Jones Hate Page” appeared along with

“Support Kendall” pages. Jones’ Facebook page jumped to more than 260,000 likes in four days. As of press time, that number had grown to 468,000.

“Love being an admin to slate something as vile as this disgusting creature called Kendall Jones,” wrote the administrator of the Kendall Jones Hate Page.

Most of the comments against Jones were too inap-propriate to print in LSON.

Jones, a Texas Tech cheerleader, seemed to be taking the criticism in stride. She recently signed a television

Young Texas hunter creates stir with pictures

See HUNTER, Page 6

Hittin’ it hard

CHOMPIN’ AT THE BIT: Guides from Caddo Lake, Lake Alan Henry and Lake Ray Roberts have been seeing good num-bers of largemouth bass and even some larger fi sh — if they can fi nd them. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

By Steve SchwartzLone Star outdoor newS

A sampling of lakes across Texas has shown there are fi sh to be found, and the time is ripe to bring in that large bass that’s been evading anglers since the spring.

“Usually, we are catching about 15 on a trip any given day,” said guide Tommy Hagler, at O.H. Ivie Reservoir. “We had some rain that helped us out at least on the water level.”

He said he is looking for trees in deep water, dragging long soft plastic worms over the top of

See BITE, Page 11

Lakes across state report bass activity

DON’T HAVE TO GO FAR: Offshore anglers are fi nding plenty of action within 35 miles of the midcoast this month as tournament season ramps up. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.


The offshore fi shing along the midcoast is picking up as the winds fi nally begin to subside, just in time for the main Texas offshore tourna-ment season.

According to Freda Greene, fi rst mate at Bill Busters Sportfi shing in Port Aransas, the wind died last week for the fi rst time all season and anglers were rewarded with several good days.

“We are catching lots of kingfi sh, blacktip sharks and dorado,” she said. “We also caught a 74-pound ling.”

Greene said the boat has only had to run up to 35 miles to fi nd fi sh, a report echoed by other charter boats in the area.

“It’s starting to go really good,” said Terry Montado at Capt. Kelly’s Deep Sea Headquarters in Port Aransas. “We are catching big num-bers of kingfi sh and ling on almost every trip. The average distance we are catching them is about 35 miles out.

Tournamenttime along midcoast

See OFFSHORE, Page 31

July 11, 2014 LoneOStar Outdoor News LSONews.com


HUNTING

TPWD seeks public commentBy Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has proposed season dates for the take of migratory game birds for the 2014-15 hunting sea-sons.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues annual frameworks for the hunting of migratory game birds. Regulations adopted by individual states may be more restrictive than the federal frameworks, but may not be less restrictive. Responsibility for establishing seasons, bag lim-its, means, methods, and devices for harvesting migratory game birds within Service frameworks is dele-gated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

Comments on the provisions affecting late-season species of migra-tory game birds will be accepted until 5 p.m. on August 20.

Proposed Dove Seasons

The department proposes to adjust the opening day in all three dove zones, including the Special White-Winged Dove Area regular season, to preserve the season structure from last year; however, in the North and Central zones, the season would close three days earlier in the fi rst segment (compared to last year) and those days would be added to the end of the second segment.

In the South Zone and SWWDA, the fi rst segment would be shortened by fi ve days compared to last year, and those days would be added to the end of the second segment. The new season structure is intended to pro-

A FEW CHANGES: TPWD wants hunter comments on proposed season dates for doves and waterfowl. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

New dove, waterfowl

dates proposed

See PROPOSALS, Page 7

FILL THEM UP: White-tailed deer fawns begin drinking water within six weeks of being born, giving ranch managers a reason to make ground-level drinking troughs available to them. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Frisco man pleads guilty to smuggling rhino horns

A resident of Frisco, and an appraiser of Asian art, pleaded guilty last month in federal court to participating in an ille-gal wildlife smuggling conspiracy in which rhinoceros horns and objects made from rhino horn and elephant ivory worth nearly $1 million were smuggled from the United States to China.

Ning Qiu, 43, pleaded guilty to one count charging him with con-spiracy to smuggle and violate the Lacey Act.

Qiu was identifi ed as part of “Operation Crash” — a nation-wide effort led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute those involved in the black market trade of rhinoc-eros horns and other protected species.

According to documents fi led in federal court, Qiu admitted to acting as one of the three antique dealers in the United States paid by Zhifei Li, the admitted “boss” of the conspiracy, to help obtain wildlife items and smug-gle them to Li via Hong Kong. Li was sentenced on May 27 in federal district court in Newark, New Jersey, to serve 70 months in prison for his leadership role in the smuggling conspiracy. Li arranged fi nancing, negotiated the price and paid for rhino horns and elephant ivory. He also gave instructions on how to smuggle the items out of the United States and obtained the assistance of additional collaborators in Hong Kong to receive the smuggled goods and then smuggle them to him in mainland China.

As part of his plea, Li admit-ted that he sold raw rhinoceros horns worth approximately $3 million — approximately $17,500 per pound — to factories in China where the horns are carved into fake antiques.

Between 2009 and 2013, Qiu purchased and smuggled to Hong Kong at least fi ve raw rhinoc-eros horns weighing at least 20 pounds.

— Staff report


Listening to conversations in the back of a ranch vehicle driving around doing summer chores like fi lling feeders and checking tank levels can yield lots of questions to ponder.

“Why are you turning off the water to the tanks?” asked one hunter.

“Because it just rained and we don’t need to keep them run-ning,” said the other.

“Well, the water level is still several inches from the top,” came the retort. “What if a fawn needs to drink and can’t reach the water? Then what?”

“When do fawns start drinking water?”“Good question.”LSON posed the question to biologists, and the answer is

within the fi rst six weeks, and maybe within three weeks of birth.

“I haven’t heard of any specifi c research studies that deal

Drinking habit

Fawns need available water at a young age

See FAWNS, Page 6


EASIER BUT STILL PROTECTED: The most popular new feeders feature the ability to fill them while on your feet, and they still keep the cows and feral hogs at bay. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

By Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

It may be the aging hunting popula-tion, or hunters simply wanting an easier option, but a trend in Texas deer feeder sales has emerged — the stand and fill feeder.

All Seasons Feeders in San Antonio offered its Stand & Fill broadcast and pro-tein feeders last year and sales took off.

“We finished the design at the end of 2012 and launched it in January of ’13,” said owner Zach Gates. “It was a home run and all of our dealers are getting requests for them.”

Why the change?“A majority of the baby boomers are get-

ting to the age they don’t want to balance on a tailgate or the side rails of a truck,” Gates said. “And honestly, it’s pretty sim-ple — they are easy to fill, they come on skids so they are easy to move and they are easy to load in the back of a pickup. Cows don’t mess with it and pigs can’t get to it.”

All Seasons makes a 600- and 1,000-pound broadcast feeder, and the 600-pound versions costs $599.

“They are affordable,” Gates said. “We’ve done our best to keep the price down and the quality is still there.”

Other manufacturers are offering stand and fills this season, offering more choices and different features, and most say they can’t build them fast enough.

Texas Hunter Products, also in San Antonio, introduced their Stand and Fill Directional Wildlife Feeders this year, the company’s 60th year in business.

See FEEDERS, Page 24

Stand and fill feeder

frenzyTrend keeping

hunters off ladders, truck beds


directly with that, but fawns begin to wean from their mothers at three weeks of age,” said South Texas biologist Daniel Kunz. “At 6 weeks of age, they should defi nitely be drinking water. At 10 to 12 weeks, the fawns are completely weaned.”

Other ranch managers on several com-mercial whitetail hunting ranches said those dates were correct.

Kunz said fawns born in more arid regions need more water from direct sources, as opposed to getting moisture from plants they are feeding on (called pre-

form water).Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist Kyle

Melton, who works the Robinson area, said it is good practice to place available water at ground level so fawns can have easy access.

“A regular water trough that is 2 feet high limits what can drink there,” Melton said. “With that said, we advise people to put some concrete troughs at ground level or bury one of the aluminum ones — that keeps the water at ground level.”

Melton said to fi ll tanks to the brim where the slightest breeze can splash water over the side.

“The ground will get saturated and will begin to pool water,” he said. “That is a good thing. Wildlife will utilize that water that has sloshed over.”

FawnsContinued from page 4

HunterContinued from page 1

deal with Brian “Pigman” Quaca, and has been fi lming her African hunts for upcom-ing shows.

LSON attempted to contact Jones, and posted several mes-sages on her page.

“I just want to thank all of my supporters for their continued encouragement and backing,” she wrote. “I will continue to hunt and spread the knowl-edge of hunting and wildlife conservation. What a great experi-ence. Not only am I hunting to conserve these animals and stop the harm they go through from the locals that poach them for no reason,

but giving back into this community is such an eye-opener. Most people say, ‘Hunting is fi ne for food.’ Well, here are all the people that benefi t from this animal. These people only get meat when an animal is shot, they aren’t privileged enough to go to the local grocery store and pay $20 for some steaks.”

At one point last week, Jones was on the front page of Fox News, CNN and the Huffi ngton Post.

Facebook removed several of the images after criticism from antihunting groups.

“We remove reported content that promotes poaching of endan-gered species, the sale of animals for organized fi ght or content that includes extreme acts of animal abuse,” the

company said. It did not provide

specifi c information about the photos removed.

POST THIS: Cleburne hunter Kendall Jones shows the white rhino she darted as part of a recent green hunt. Photo by Facebook.


vide additional hunting opportu-nity around the Christmas holi-day.

North Zone: September 1 — Oct. 20, 2014 and Dec. 19, 2014 — Jan. 7, 2015.Central Zone: September 1 — Oct. 20, 2014 and Dec. 19, 2014 — Jan. 7, 2015.South Zone: September 19 — Oct. 20, 2014 and Dec. 19, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.Special White-Winged Dove Area: Sept. 6, 7, 13, and 14, 2014 and Sept. 19 — Oct. 20, 2014 and Dec. 19, 2014 — Jan. 21, 2015.

Proposed September Teal Season

The department proposes a 16-day statewide teal season to run from September 13-28, 2014, which must be approved by the

Service before it can be imple-mented. If the Service does not approve a 16-day season, the department would instead adopt a nine-day season to run from September 20-28, 2014. The department cautions that the fed-eral frameworks could alter the total number of days for teal hunt-ing if population data warrant. By federal rule, the number of days in the September teal season count against the 107 days of total hunt-ing opportunity allowed for ducks, coots and mergansers.

Proposed Duck, Coot, and Merganser Seasons

(A) High Plains Mallard Management Unit:(i) all species other than “dusky ducks”: Oct. 25 — 26, 2014 and Oct. 31, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.(ii) “dusky ducks”: Nov. 3, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.(B) North Zone:(i) all species other than “dusky ducks”: Nov. 1 — Dec. 7, 2014

and Dec. 20, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.(ii) “dusky ducks”: Nov. 6 — Dec. 7, 2014 and Dec. 20, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.(C) South Zone:(i) all species other than “dusky ducks”: Nov. 1 — 30, 2014 and Dec. 13, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.(ii) “dusky ducks”: Nov. 6 — Nov. 30, 2014 and Dec. 13, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.

Proposed Early Canada Goose Season

The department proposes a 16-day early Canada goose sea-son in the Eastern Goose Zone to run from September 13-28, 2014 (with the proviso that if a nine-day teal season is selected, the early Canada goose season would run concurrently).

Proposed Goose Seasons

(A) Western Zone.(i) Light geese: Nov. 1, 2014 —

Feb. 1, 2015.(ii) Dark geese: Nov. 1, 2014 — Feb. 1, 2015.(B) Eastern Zone.(i) Light geese: Nov. 1, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.(ii) Dark geese:(I) White-fronted geese: Nov. 1, 2014 — Jan. 11, 2015.(II) Canada geese: Nov. 1, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.

Proposed Gallinule and Moorhen Seasons

September 13-28, 2014 and Nov. 1 — Dec. 24, 2014.

Proposed Woodcock Season

Dec. 18, 2014 — Jan. 31, 2015.

Proposed Sandhill Crane Seasons

(A) Zone A: Nov. 1, 2014 — Feb. 1, 2015.(B) Zone B: Nov. 21, 2014 —

Feb. 1, 2015.(C) Zone C: Dec. 20, 2014 — Jan. 25, 2015.

Proposed Wilson’s snipe (Common snipe) Season

Nov. 1, 2014 — Feb. 15, 2015.

Proposed Special Youth-Only Waterfowl Season

(A) High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Oct. 18-19, 2014.(B) North Zone: Oct. 25 — 26, 2014.(C) South Zone: Oct. 25 — 26, 2014.

Proposed Special Light Goose Conservation Period

(A) Eastern Zone: Jan. 26 — March 22, 2015.(B) Western Zone: Feb. 2 —

March 22, 2015.

ProposalsContinued from page 4

Tough shooting for PSCA

Professional sporting clay shoot-ers from around the country gathered at Caney Creek Lodge near Teague for the third of the 2014 Professional Sporting Clays Tour, and it proved to be a very close and competitive event.

Locals from Teague saw license plates from as far away as Florida and Utah, as participants converged on their tiny town to test their skills against the best sporting clay shoot-ers in the country.

The shooters were up against a challenging course setup, combined with a 20-plus mph wind that made hitting targets extremely diffi cult.

All of the shooters met the chal-lenge head on and shot some impressive rounds on the course.

The scores were extremely close in the Men’s Professional Division.

Gebben Miles walked away with another win on the PSCA Tour. His score of 271 was enough to lead the Men’s Professional Division. Desirae Edmunds dominated the Women’s Professional Division with a score of 232.

The winners in each category were as follows:

Men’s Professional Division1. Gebben Miles: 2712. Wendell Cherry: 268 3. Doug Vine: 262Women’s Professional Division1. Desirae Edmunds: 2322. Ashleigh Hafl ey: 2133. Jenni Clark: 209Men’s Amateur Division4. Mark Hodgson: 995. Eric Blankenship: 836. Heyward Cunningham: 75Women’s Amateur Division4. Tara Creighton: 705. Tristen Owens: 696. Deborah Davis: 67

— Staff report


FISHING

Slow bite affecting anglers,

businesses on coast

Redfi sh playing hide and seek


The redfish season has been slow for many charter services up and down the Gulf Coast, affecting the industry, and opinions differ as to the reason why.

“There are no redfish from the mid-coast down,” Capt. Tom Horbey, out of Port O’Connor, said. “The fish have been so far and few between that we don’t even know where they are.”

That has been the trend for the season, Horbey said. On charters he hasn’t seen skip-jack or birds working the baitfish, making it increasingly difficult to locate any schools of redfish.

Ben Nguyen, with Ben’s Bait Shop, said the slow season has had a negative effect on his sales.

“The redfish have been slow, and the sales have been down a little bit,” he said. “If it’s slow, not as many people go out. Right now my retail (sales) is at about 70 croaker; it used SPOTTY AT BEST: The redfi sh season on the Gulf Coast has been slower than normal, and bites have been tougher since late spring. TPWD is saying the num-

bers are there, the fi sh are just more fi nicky. Photo by Steve Schwartz, Lone Star Outdoor News. See REDFISH, Page 19

LIKE TAKING CANDY FROM A BABY: The white bass are schooling in Texas lakes, and guides are cleaning up as of late. Lake Whitney, Lake Ray Hubbard and Lake Livingston are all showing that now is the time to hunt for sandies. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Cedar Bayou on schedule

Work continues on the project to open Cedar Bayou along the midcoast.

According to Coastal Conservation Association, as of June 29, the progress in both Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough continues with a total volume removed to date of approximately 205,000 cubic yards of material, including the spoil pile excavation.

Dredging has continued in Cedar Bayou with approximately 2,400 feet of total advance since the start of the project.

The contractor continues to main-tain the silt curtains around the active dredging area to protect nearby aquatic resources as the dredge advances.

“They’re coming along pretty good,” said John Blaha of CCA Texas. “The dredge was down for about a week recently because they had to rebuild a motor, but it won’t affect the overall proj-ect. They’ve been working in some pretty tough conditions.”

Along with the Cedar Bayou dredge, the Vinson Slough portion has had 3,100 feet of total advance in the past few weeks.

“It is still looking like they will be fi n-ished moving dirt during the last week of September,” Blaha said.

— Staff report


From what guides are saying of sand bass in Texas lakes, they’re practically doing the work for them.

“We caught 68 white bass between the three people on my boat,” said guide Johnny Procell, at Lake Ray Hubbard. “They’re really big sand bass too; you don’t have to measure any of these fish.”

His situation doesn’t seem to be unique. Simon Cosper at Lake Livingston and Randy Routh at Lake Whitney are echoing simi-lar reports.

“We’ve been smashing them pretty darn good around here,” Cosper said. “It’s been a really good early bite.”

All three guides said the fish have been schooling early in the morning — and they aren’t just the smaller sand bass. Routh said he is bringing his binoculars along in his boat and spotting the herons circling and diving above the schools. From there, it’s easy going.

“You can see the herons,” Routh said. “I’ve been using the binoculars a lot — they’re all over the lake if you pay close

Sandieson thesurface

White bass school activity

peaking in Texas

See WHITE BASS, Page 28

Gulf shrimp season opens July 15

The Gulf of Mexico commercial shrimp season for both state and federal waters will open 30 minutes after sun-set July 15. The opening date is based on an evaluation of the biological, social and economic information to maximize the benefi ts to the industry and the pub-lic.

The purpose of the closed Gulf season is to protect brown shrimp during their major period of emigration from the bays to the Gulf of Mexico until they reach a larger, more valuable size before harvest and to prevent waste caused by the dis-carding of smaller individuals.

Federal waters (from 9 to 200 nauti-cal miles offshore) will open at the same time that state waters will open.

— TPWD


ANYTHING FOR A BITE: A ramp owner at Lake Fork reported noodlers chiseled out a space for catfish in his boat ramp. Photo by Tim Sharp.

Questionable methods

Ramp owners report suspicious noodler

activity on Lake ForkBy Steve SchwartzLone Star outdoor newS

Levi Powell didn’t suspect much when he saw a group of people convening around his boat ramp on Lake Fork’s Mustang Cove — he didn’t see the hammer and chisel either.

Powell is the owner of Shorty’s Resort at Lake Fork, and spent June 21 filling a gaping hole in his boat ramp, about 3 feet deep. Noodlers had chiseled out the newly extended ramp to make a hole for large catfish.

“I was on my mower, spraying for weeds and I saw three guys in an extended cab pickup,” Powell said. “They were kind of bobbing up and down by the ramp; I just though they were fishing.”

When he checked his ramp, however, he could see a large hole. When he inspected it further, he saw large chunks of concrete sit-ting on the lake bottom near the bottom of the ramp.

“They broke the concrete and took the rebar out,” he said. “I’ve never heard of people destroying property to noodle.”

Neither had Wood County Game Warden Derek Spitzer, until just recently.

“These guys are getting seri-ous if they are starting to tear up ramps,” Spitzer said. He received calls recently from Shorty’s and Lake Fork Marina.

“We’ve seen them with an army shovel, where they’ll dig beneath a boat ramp,” he said, “but this is new to me.”

Dana Donahue, co-owner of Lake Fork Marina, said one of her employees saw a group of people who were acting “suspiciously,” but were stopped before any potential damage could be done. Their description did not match those at Powell’s business.

“There were some people down at the ramp who looked suspi-cious,” Donahue said. “In light of what happened down the road (at Shorty’s), he told them they’d bet-ter move along.”

As far as the reason why some hand fishermen are resorting to these methods, the best Spitzer can do is speculate.

“Obviously, noodling has become extremely popular over the past year,” he said. “It’s get-ting crowded, and they are find-ing new spots to go.”

He said with recent rains, many of the older boat ramps that were out of the water are recently sub-

merged, leaving new territory for large catfish to nest. More and more anglers are noodling these spots.

Powell said he is going to take extra steps to make sure he isn’t doing more unneeded repairs on his ramp, including a “no noo-dling” policy on his private ramp.

“I put five sacks of concrete in the hole,” Powell said. “I’m still probably about five or six bags short.”

The repair costs were not his only concern, but also liability for a hole that could easily damage a trailer or boat.

“It was a big worry. It’s really just destruction of property, and it’s pretty mischievous,” Powell said. “It could have cost someone

thousands in trailer repair.”Spitzer said hand fishing

around boat ramps is a lawful act, until people start altering the environment. He’ll occasion-ally get calls about people using poles, branches or even hooks to coax the catfish out of their holes — which is illegal. He suggested keeping a close eye on ramps if there is a concern.

The charge for destruction of a ramp — private or public — is criminal mischief, Spitzer said. If the damages exceed $1,500, the charge then becomes a felony.

“The way concrete is now-a-days, that won’t take much,” Spitzer said.

As for digging holes in general, he said there is nothing written

into the law that outlaws shovels, but noodlers need to be careful where they dig.

“There’s nowhere written that they can’t dig a hole,” he said, “but it could eventually cause damage to a ramp (if they dig underneath). We don’t like to see that, and don’t encourage it.”

When the hammer and chisel comes out, Spitzer said to pick up the phone.

“They need to contact their local game warden if they see something like this,” he said.

Powell said he is taking an active role in preventing the next inci-dent.

“I’m going to keep a closer eye on it,” he said. “Especially people swimming around the ramp.”


n Saltwater reports: SEE MOREPage 16

Up and downLAKE FORK — According to guide Andrew Grills, the famed lake has been up and down

recently.“While we have been catching some giants, the problem has been getting on consistent num-

bers of fi sh day in and day out,” he said. “I rely on the deeper bite, and try to stick with it because I really believe that is where you have the best chance for a giant bass. I’m having to graph a lot of spots with my HDS units on most days. Some days when you do eventually fi nd fi sh set up right on offshore structure, they still may be so scattered out that it can be tough to trigger them to bite.

Ideally you’ll fi nd them on or near the bottom in tight groups. This is when they are competitive with each other and more likely to hit a lure.”

Crankbaits and heavy Texas-rigged soft plastics are working in the 85-degree water.

To contact guide Andrew Grills, call (903) 638-1170.

Minnows workingLAKE HOLBROOK — The lake in Wood County has been producing some nice crappie as of

late.According to anglers on the Texas Fishing Forum, minnows have been the ticket to putting

some big slabs in the boat. The minnow bite has been much better than the small jig bite.

Along with some big crappie over 17 inches, good numbers are being caught. Anglers should focus on the standing timber at the upper end of the lake.

The largemouth bass bite has been slow due to high water temperatures. Some schooling action for white bass has been reported.

Family fun GIBBONS CREEK — Guide Weldon Kirk reports a good catfi sh bite on Gibbons Creek, his go-to

lake when the crowds get too much on Somerville. Kirk recently returned from a family fi shing trip on Gibbons and said the catfi sh bite was good in

4- to 6-feet of water under corks using CJ’s crawdad punchbait.“Winds were light out of the east when we got there, then changed to south as the morning went

on,” he said. “First spot, no fi sh— only stayed fi ve minutes. It just did not feel like the right con-ditions for that place. Next spot, Grace got a fi sh fi rst cast. She proceeded to catch 10 of the fi rst 12.”

Along with catfi sh, largemouth bass are good on chartreuse soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on live minnows. The water temperature is about 80 degrees.

To contact guide Weldon Kirk, call (979) 229-3103.— Conor Harrison

ALAN HENRY: Water stained; 75–83 degrees; 16.33’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters, shallow-running crankbaits and Texas rigs.

AMISTAD: Water stained; 81–85 degrees; 41.46’ low. Largemouth bass are very good on watermelon top-waters, swimbaits, Senkos, frogs and soft plastics.

ATHENS: Water clear; 83–86 degrees; 0.10’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon crea-ture baits in 2–6” of water. Crap-pie are good on jigs and minnows.

BASTROP: Water stained; 82–86 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles.

BELTON: Water murky; 77–81 de-grees; 8.18’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits and dark soft plastic worms in coves.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 82–86 degrees; 0.93’ low. Largemouth bass are good on poppers and shallow crankbaits in shad pat-terns near cover.

BONHAM: Water clear, 82–86 de-grees; 2.47’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swimjigs, soft plastics and crankbaits on boat docks, ridges, creek channels and rocky points up to 15’ deep. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows around the bridge.

BRAUNIG: Water stained. Large-mouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are slow.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear, 81–84 degrees; 22.32’ low. Largemouth bass are good on white medium crankbaits near riprap and green pumpkin shaky head worms on deeper docks. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

BROWNWOOD: Water clear upper end, stained lower end; 81–85 degrees; 11.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on craw- and shad-colored crankbaits around docks in 3–10 feet, and on green pump-kin and redbug soft plastic worms in 8–15 feet. White bass are good

on small spinner baits, crankbaits, and tube jigs off lighted docks at night in 8–15 feet.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 78–82 degrees; 27.58’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse top-waters, Texas-rigged pumpkinseed worms and watermelon fl ukes along secondary points in 10–18 feet.

CADDO: Water stained; 81–85 degrees; 0.40’ high. Largemouth bass are good on bladed jigs and hollow-body frogs near stumps. White and yellow bass are good on top-waters and slabs.

CALAVERAS: Water stained. Large-mouth bass are slow. Striped bass are good on spoons and striper jigs near the dam and the crappie wall. Redfi sh are good on live perch, tilapia, and crawfi sh.

CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 79–83 degrees; 8.36’ low. Large-mouth bass are fair on watermelon spinner baits, soft plastic worms and crankbaits in 6–14 feet early.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 82–85 degrees; 3.06’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged craws and medium crankbaits near docks. White bass are good on slabs and top-waters.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 79–83 degrees; 24.98’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue crankbaits, spinner baits and top-waters. White bass are fair on pet spoons.

COLEMAN: Water clear; 77–81 degrees; 17.57’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon lip-less crankbaits and spinner baits.

COLETO CREEK: Water stained; 84 degrees in main lake, 96 degrees at hot water discharge; 1.07’ low. Largemouth bass to 5 pounds are good on soft plastics and spinner baits in 6–8 feet. White bass are slow.

CONROE: Water stained; 79–83 degrees; 0.15’ high. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, crankbaits and spin-ner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs over brush piles. Catfi sh are good on

stinkbait and prepared bait.

COOPER: Water clear; 81–85 de-grees; 7.85’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on shallow crankbaits and small soft plastic swimbaits on jigheads. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

FALCON: Water murky; 81–85 degrees; 28.34’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, jigs on ledges and drop offs and crankbaits in 6–15 feet.

FAYETTE: Water stained. Large-mouth bass are good on shad-col-ored spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits in 10–20 feet.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 74–82 degrees; 14.51’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, lipless crankbaits and Texas rigs.

GRANBURY: Water murky; 79–83 degrees; 4.26’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on pumpkinseed soft plastics, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on chartreuse striper jigs.

GRANGER: Water stained; 78–82 degrees; 0.38’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and spinner baits. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on marabou jigs tipped with power baits in 6–12 feet.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 81–84 degrees; 10.38’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky head worms and top-waters near main lake points. Crappie are good on tube jigs and minnows.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 84–88 degrees; 0.40’ high. Largemouth bass to 4 pounds are fair on top-waters. White bass are slow. Crappie are excellent on live minnows. Bream are very good on live worms.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water off-color; 75–84 degrees; 26.68’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads, jigs, Texas rigs and spinner baits.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 81–85 degrees; 0.32’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin weightless worms. Crappie are fair

on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 82–85; degrees; 2.21’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits and fl ipping jigs in black and blue.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 81–85 degrees; 11.65’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on deep-diving crankbaits and foot-ball jigs on brush piles.

LBJ: Water stained; 79–83 degrees; 0.33’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse jigs, pumpkinseed top-waters and green pumpkin Whacky Sticks in 6–18 feet early.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 81–84 degrees; 7.97’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads and medium-diving crankbaits near submerged rock. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs and top-waters.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 79–83 degrees; 0.64’ high. Large-mouth bass are good on char-treuse spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are good on Zara spooks.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 81–84 degrees; 0.04’ low. Large-mouth bass are fair on bladed jigs and hollow-body frogs near shallow cover. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 82–86 degrees; 0.28’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged creature baits and hollow-body frogs.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 78–82 degrees; 0.33’ high. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and red/black soft plastic worms. White bass are good on silver dollars and slabs.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 76–84 degrees; 37.96’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Yellow Mag-ics, Texas rigs, jigs and medium swimbaits.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 75–83 degrees; 22.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on Carolina

rigs, Texas rigs, jigs and chat-terbaits.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 80–85 degrees; 0.07’ high. Largemouth bass are slow on green pump-kin shaky heads and weightless Senkos near docks at mouths of creeks.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 74–81 degrees; 15.15’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on drop-shot rigs, Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

PROCTOR: Water murky; 80–84 degrees; 10.08’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits and crankbaits off points early and late. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs.

RAY HUBBARD: Water clear; 81–84 degrees; 7.87’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on medium- and deep-diving crankbaits. Crappie are good on white jigs. White bass are good on slabs.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 82–85 degrees; 9.01’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on football jigs in 10–15’ targeting rock piles along drop-offs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 81–85 degrees; 6.65’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on football jigs and Carolina-rigged worms. White bass are fair on minnows.

SAM RAYBURN: Water murky; 78–82 degrees; 0.01’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse lipless crankbaits and watermelon soft plastic worms and lizards. White bass are fair on Li’l Fishies.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 78–82 degrees; 0.21’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and crankbaits. Hybrid striper are fair on shad. White bass are good on shad and Li’l Fishies.

STILLHOUSE: Water murky; 79–83 degrees; 8.84’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse and green pumpkin soft plastics and crankbaits.

SWEETWATER: Water murky; 75–82 degrees; 25.69’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on fl ukes and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 82–86 degrees; 8.97’ low. Largemouth bass are good on hollow-body frogs and shallow crankbaits in shad patterns. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 81–85 degrees; 6.51’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and Texas-rigged plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and white jigs.

TOLEDO BEND: Water murky; 79–83 degrees; 0.73’ low. Large-mouth bass are fair on watermelon red soft plastic worms in 10–20 feet.

TRAVIS: Water murky; 80–84 degrees; 51.14’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastic worms, white grubs and shad-colored top-waters in 8–18 feet.

WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse spinner baits, crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits. Hybrid striper are fair on shad and silver striper jigs.

WHITNEY: Water murky; 78–82 de-grees; 6.91’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon spinner baits and lipless crankbaits.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 82–85 degrees; 7.09’ high. Largemouth bass are good on bladed jigs and swim jigs. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfi sh are good on cut shad and pre-pared bait.

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

Minnows working




Turns out, there are some big red snapper within the state water barrier.

Victoria angler Joey Beaver was fi shing about fi ve miles off of Port O’Connor on June 1 when he hooked the new state record red snapper — a 40-pound, 38.75-inch behemoth.

That bested the previous state record snapper, 38.13 pounds,

held since 1998 by Jack Brumby.Beaver was fi shing with squid

dropped down on a Penn reel.“I thought it was a shark or

something the way it was pull-ing,” said Beaver, 28, to the Houston Chronicle. “When I got it on the boat after about 20 min-utes, it was crazy, everybody on the boat was going nuts.”

The catch was taken to the

Fishing Center, which has offi cial state scales.

“A big group of people came around the boat and were taking pictures,” he said.

The world record red snap-per was caught in 1996 off of Louisiana by Capt. Doc Kennedy in 1996. That fi sh weighed 50.4 pounds.

— Staff report

State-record red snapper caught

40-pounder landed off Port O’Connor

BIGGEST ONE WE’VE SEEN: Joey Beaver caught this 40-pound red snapper within state waters last month. Photo by Facebook.

cover and dropping them down. He is also running Little Georges through grass off deep points.

They’re not all deep, however, as Hagler pointed out a common theme across the state — things are running about a month late and he’s seen some recently spawning females in his boat.

“I’ve caught some with bloody tails,” he said. “That shows there was still some spawning going on in June, and I’m not too sure why.”

Across the state at Caddo Lake, guide Paul Keith reported similar fi ndings on his recent charters.

“This past month has been one of the best Junes I’ve ever seen here at Caddo,” Keith said. “I haven’t seen the lake this good in 10 or 12 years. People are com-ing from across the state because they’re hearing about the bite.”

His tactics are specifi c for Caddo’s unique shallow waters.

“The big bite is still good on the main part of the lake, so as long as the quality bite contin-ues, we are going to pitch shal-low,” he said. “We had spawns all the way up until June, which was kind of weird.”

Keith is sticking with longer soft plastics, like 10- or 12-inch worms on Texas rigs — the color of the lure hasn’t mattered as of late. He said some bigger bass are still holding up in creeks, and they are drawing them out with smaller crankbaits.

Splitting the difference between Caddo and O.H. Ivie, Ray Roberts’ Greg Reedy said the fi sh have been tougher to fi nd and a bit more fi nicky — but

they are there.“It’s more numbers than any-

thing,” Reedy said. “I’m com-ing up with some 5- to 7-pound-ers, but you have to be patient. These are all Florida-strain bass, so they can be stubborn.”

He kept his tactics a little closer to the vest, but did mention that the fi sh he’s been catching have all been deep — near grass beds.

“I’ve been dropping Carolina rigs and fi shing deeper; some underwater structures,” Reedy said.

He did caution anglers. Ray Roberts is still 9-feet low, and many of the 53 brush piles are less than a foot under water. He urged anyone looking to head out on a busy weekend to take caution and keep speeds low.

Hagler said water levels are better in the western part of the state, and anglers can fi nd some bass in shallow areas year-round. More rain wouldn’t hurt, though.

“You’ll always fi nd some fi sh in the shallow water,” he said. “If we could get another good rain down here, that would really help move them shallow.”

Keith said Caddo’s recent sal-vinia issues have been nonexis-tent after the harsh winter, leav-ing conditions clear for some good fi shing. As temperatures continue to rise, he said he will start using more creature baits — like lizards and top-water frogs — and pitch them into the weed beds.

But, he said for now he’ll stick with what’s been working, as long as the big bite holds up.

Tommy Hagler, (325) 529-4720Paul Keith, (318) 455-3437Greg Reedy, (940) 367-3262

BiteContinued from page 1


KAYAKERS STRUGGLE, RECOVERED ON DEVILS RIVER

Val Verde County Game Wardens Dustin Barrett and Roger Nicholas, along with two park peace officers, responded to a call of overdue kayakers on the Devils River. A group of four kayakers had put in at Baker’s Crossing on the Devils River and had planned a three-day trip to complete 40 miles to Big Satan Canyon on Lake Amistad. Due to bad weather, poor planning and inexperience, the group found themselves out of food and water at the 15-mile marker after four days. All paddlers were recovered safely.

WARDEN HELPS ROUND UP SURRENDERING ILLEGAL

IMMIGRANTSWhile investigating a report of

night hunting, Starr County Game Warden Jack Pearl made contact with a Border Patrol agent along the Rio Grande who was able to give him more information on the hunt-ing case. While they were talking, the Border Patrol agent received a call that a near-by sensor had been tripped. Eight unidentified immi-grants were waiting to get picked up; while processing those eight, two more immigrants crossed the river right to Pearl and the BP agent and surrendered. The Border Patrol helicopter then called on the radio saying there was another raft a few hundred yards upriver. Pearl left two agents with the initial 10, and had 11 more unidentified immigrants surrender to him.

MAN WITHOUT LICENSE OR ID RUNS FROM WARDEN

Anderson County Game Warden Rob Sadowski checked a bank fish-erman on the lower end of Lake

Palestine. During the check, it was determined that the fisherman did not possess a fishing license or ID. The man said that his ID might be in his car. As Sadowski accompanied the man to his vehi-cle, he observed marijuana in the vehicle and informed the violator that he was under arrest. However, when Sadowski attempted to handcuff the violator, the man ran into the woods. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office was noti-fied and Sadowski grabbed some items from his truck and entered the woods. A trooper and his ser-geant were nearby and positioned themselves in the direction the violator was heading. As Sadowski flushed the violator from a hiding spot, the violator would not obey direct commands and began to run

again. At this point, the Highway Patrol sergeant stepped in front of the violator, who stopped running and obeyed the commands given. The violator was booked into the Anderson County Jail.

FUNDRAISING SKEET SHOOT HELD FOR INJURED OFFICERS

San Augustine County Game Wardens Jeff Cox, Lee Hall, and Michael Ferguson along with San Augustine Police Officer Shannon Brazeal and Center Police Officer John Welch put on a fundrais-ing skeet shoot in San Augustine County. Proceeds from the event went to State Trooper Zach Mills and Game Warden Henry Alvarado, who were both recently severely injured in the line of duty. More than 80 shooters competed for tro-

phies and prizes and more than $15,000 was raised to benefit the two officers.

CONVICTED FELON LEADS WARDEN ON HIGH-SPEED CHASE

While patrolling a dead-end road that ends at the Brazos River, Brazos County Game Warden Dave Lewis noticed a car headed to the end of the road past any access to houses or properties. Knowing the area is often used for shoot-ing and other unlawful activities, Lewis decided to wait and observe the vehicle. While he was stopped at an intersection nearby, the vehicle returned up the road and approached the warden’s vehicle from behind. When the driver saw the truck, he sped off, running through a stop sign. Lewis made a

U-turn and attempted to stop the vehicle, which continued acceler-ating. The suspect vehicle reached speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour on the gravel road attempt-ing to elude the warden. Lewis was able to gain on the vehicle after reaching a paved surface road, and the driver slowed and then stopped. The driver was identified as a convicted felon driving with an invalid driver’s license. In the vehi-cle was a new pistol with almost 500 rounds of ammunition and four magazines. The subject was arrested and numerous charges are pending.

MULE DEER RETURNED TO WILD AFTER BEING HIT BY CAR

Dr. Ken Waldrup, state veterinar-ian with the Texas Department of State Health Services, requested the assistance of El Paso County Game Warden Roel Cantu Jr. and Hudspeth County Game Warden Turi Salinas in releasing a mule deer buck back into its natural habitat. The mule deer had pre-viously been struck by a vehicle and was treated. The wardens and Waldrup transported and success-fully released the mule deer at the Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park.

PLANE CRASHES INTO LAKE PALESTINE

Boaters came to the rescue of two men aboard a plane that went down in Lake Palestine. Boaters saw the plane go down and were able to get the two occupants and get them to shore. Capt. Quint Balkam reported that sidescan sonar is being used to find the sub-merged plane. The two occupants were taken to an area hospital and treated.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTERTHREE DEAD, SEVERAL INJURED IN LAKE CONROE

BOATING ACCIDENTTwo women and a child died after a boating acci-

dent on Lake Conroe June 26.Texas country music singer Josh Ward also was

injured in the crash.According to the Montgomery County Constable’s

Office, a bass boat collided with a recreational boat at approximately 9 p.m.

The bass boat was returning from a fishing tour-nament at the lake’s East Beach area when it collided with the recreational boat with eight peo-ple aboard, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter website. The bass boat apparently went over the recreational boat, seriously damaging both vessels.

At the point of impact, a 30-year-old woman died at the scene. A 9-year-old boy was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston by helicopter where he died Wednesday morning. A 29-year-old woman

was found June 27 by an EMS dive team around 1:20 p.m. in 30 feet of water. A 10-year-old female was treated and released and a 3-year-old female was in stable condition as of June 27 afternoon.

A 17-year-old male and a 13-year-old male on the recreational boat were uninjured, according to the Constable’s office.

Both adults on the bass boat immediately swam to assist the families. The 43-year-old driver of the bass boat, and the passenger, Josh Ward, a country singer/songwriter from Montgomery, were treated and released. According to the Montgomery County Police Reporter, Ward suffered a fractured elbow.

Both boats were removed from the water and were examined by investigators to attempt to determine the speed the boats were traveling. Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the accident.


SHARE AN ADVENTUREn Want to share hunting and fish-

ing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? Email them with contact and caption

information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.

com. High-resolution original jpegs only. Mail

prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News,

P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

HEROES

Pharr angler VERO FLORES caught this 30 1/2-inch trout in Port Mansfield.

DR. ROY WASHBURN caught this big trout in the Upper Laguna Madre, much to the delight of his daughter, JANIE BRUUN, and granddaughter, LOVELYN.

MIKE STRIPE of Fort Worth took this nice red stag in May with JASON KIDD of NZ Outfitters.

ZACH LONG, 14, of Cedar Park, with 33-inch redfish caught in Rockport on June 8.

Los Fresnos hunter MATTHEW SENTENO shot his first deer last December in South Texas using his Rem-ington .22-250.



Growing up around Beeville in South Texas, current Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman Dan Allen Hughes Jr., got to experience the wonders of Texas wildlife from the start.

“I had a father that took me hunting at a very early age,” Hughes said. “I started dove hunting at age 6 or 7, and because we were in Beeville, I got to do a lot of coastal fishing.”

Hughes said he developed a passion for the outdoors and always admired the work Texas Parks and Wildlife Department accomplished.

“I had commission members that were good friends,” he said. “I thought it would be a fun, challenging job. When the gover-nor asked me to be on the commission about five years ago, I agreed. I think I bring knowl-edge to the table that not everyone has with my experience along the coast and with deer management. We have a ranch in West Texas, so I understand the ecosystems out there in regards to mule deer and quail.

“I think I brought a unique vision to the commission.”

Hughes said the biggest issue he sees cur-rently facing TPWD doesn’t involve wildlife or fisheries, rather the budget situation in managing state parks.

“The state parks and state park fundrais-ing is a major issue,” he said. “Funds have to be appropriated by the Legislature on a

biennial basis. You never know what you are getting. We have great staff and employees at our parks and we need a more consistent funding mechanism. It is hard to run a busi-ness when you can’t plan more than two years down the road.”

As for wildlife specifically, Hughes said Texas wildlife is doing fine, for the most part.

“Texas is in good shape. We have liberal hunting programs like the managed lands program that allow people to hunt for a long time,” he said. “We don’t have many criti-cal wildlife issues — maybe the pronghorn in West Texas, but I think a lot of that is drought related. From a fishing standpoint, we have the red snapper issue. We have lim-ited control but we are fighting hard. We think red snapper are underharvested, and we are trying hard to get that resolved for Texas anglers.

“The red snapper stocks have been rebuilt in the western Gulf of Mexico.”

Hughes said a commission meeting later this month will be directed at addressing the biggest issues facing TPWD, and state park funding will be at the top of the list.

His favorite animal to hunt in Texas is mule deer in West Texas.

“I love to hunt,” he said. “It could be quail or mule deer, but I really like mule deer hunt-ing. I love being in the outdoors. I haven’t had too many bad days while holding a rifle in the outdoors.

“If it weren’t for hunting, the wildlife wouldn’t exist.”

TPW Commission Chairman Hughes working on goals

Leading the charge

LEADING THE CHARGE: Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Dan Allen Hughes Jr. has several items on his agenda to help streamline issues facing TPWD. Photo by Dan Allen Hughes Jr.


NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Red-fi sh are good in the cuts and drains leading to the marsh on shrimp and scented plastics.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good while drifting the reefs on live shrimp and top-waters. Drifters have been working slicks and pods of shad. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and top-waters.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on soft plastics. Black drum, sand trout and redfi sh are good at Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters work-ing wells and shell pads on shrimp, croakers and soft plastics. Waders have taken better trout on the shell along the east shoreline. Redfi sh are good on live bait around the reefs and at the spillway.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and plum plastics. Whiting and sand trout are

good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Trout are good on the Ship Channel on croakers and plastics.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Offshore is good for tarpon, kingfi sh, red snapper and ling.

TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good on the reefs on live shrimp and croakers. Trout are fair along the edge of the Ship Channel on croak-ers and shrimp.

FREEPORT: Trout are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp and MirrOlures. Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Trout, Spanish mack-erel and sand trout are good at the jetties on soft plastics and shrimp fi shed on the bottom.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drift-ers on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfi sh are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and top-waters. Redfi sh are fair on top-waters and live shrimp in Oyster Lake and Crab Lake.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfi sh are fair on top-waters and live bait over sand, grass and shell in San Antonio Bay. Trout are fair to good in the surf and at the jetty on croakers and top-waters.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair in the guts and chan-nels on free–lined shrimp. Trout are fair over grass while drifting with live shrimp. Redfi sh are good on mullet on the Estes Flats and around Mud Island.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfi sh and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Trout are fair to good in the surf on top-waters, piggies and croakers.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on scented plastics and live shrimp. Redfi sh are good in the potholes on

shrimp. Trout are fair to good in the deeper holes on croakers and piggy perch.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on top-waters and Gamblers around rocks and grass at Rocky Slough. Trout are fair to good on the King Ranch shoreline on croakers, top-waters and plum plastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on top-waters around sand and grass. Redfi sh are fair to good while drifting potholes on live bait and scented plastics. Offshore is good for red snapper and kingfi sh. Tarpon have been show-ing on the beachfront.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfi sh and trout are good in the shallows of South Bay and Mexiquita Flats on shrimp and plastics under rattling corks. Tarpon are showing at the pass.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the fl ats on live shrimp. Redfi sh are good for sight–casters in knee–deep water on fl ies and small Super Spooks and top-waters.

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORTCroaker fun

MARKER 37 — The marker in the Upper Laguna Madre is a good place to launch and head south for solid wade fi shing for trout this month.

According to anglers on 2coolfi shing.com, lighter winds from the southeast and fairly clear water have helped the fi shing. Lots of undersized trout are being caught, with keepers mixed in. One angler reported his party going through 20 dozen croakers in one day battling trout.

Along with croakers, scented plastics are catching fi sh, although the average size goes up while numbers caught goes down. Trout in the 27-inch range are being caught on artifi cials.

Kingfi sh actionSURFSIDE JETTIES — The Surfside jetties have been producing good catches of kingfi sh

this month, according to multiple anglers.The popular Brazoria County fi shing area is also producing some small sharks, sand trout

and redfi sh when the tide is moving.Kingfi sh were being caught on artifi cials and live bait.

Lots of sargassumPADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE — Anglers hoping to escape the crowds and the sargas-

sum in Port Aransas during the July 4th holiday weekend headed to PINS for better fi shing.LSON was along PINS during the weekend, and spoke to multiple anglers fi shing from the surf.

The main catches for the weekend were blacktip sharks, hardhead catfi sh and some decent-sized trout in the surf.

Sargassum was an issue in places, but anglers had plenty of room to look for spots along the beach that were clear.

Cut bait was most popular, although some anglers were using dead shrimp. Most of the action was happening beyond the second gut, as crowds in the fi rst two guts made fi shing tougher.

Large schools of mullet could be seen cruising along the sand bars.— Conor Harrison

Large schools of mullet could be seen cruising along the sand bars.Large schools of mullet could be seen cruising along the sand bars.— Conor Harrison


to be about 120.”Farther south, Capt. Raymond

Appel said he has been seeing the same thing in Aransas Bay. The fish are there, but they are tough to find and they aren’t the larger sizes anglers were seeing last year.

“We are finding some fish, but there aren’t any numbers to them,” Appel said. “It’s not like it was last year; it’s a lot different.”

Water temperatures are hot, in the high 80s, and he said the fish they have been catching have come on live perch and shrimp.

Galveston’s problems are similar in the West Bay, but for different reasons.

“Most people have been fishing in the West Bay and they’ve had some fish but not a whole lot,” said Jerry Smith with West Bay Bait and Tackle.

He said the winds have been

howling, stirring up the water and also bringing algae to the shal-lower waters. The fish are there — they’re just difficult to catch.

Mark Fisher, the Coastal Fisheries director with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said the redfish numbers are hold-ing steady — if not increasing — meaning the poor fishing condi-tions aren’t for lack of numbers.

“It’s kind of an average year, really,” he said. “We’ve just had so many good years. We’ll set gill nets randomly in different loca-tions, and there will be at least one fish in 90 percent of our nets.”

He attributes the lack of bite to weather conditions, which has been a common theme through-out the first half of 2014.

“We had spring winds until just a couple days ago,” Fisher said. “We just got out of spring a couple weeks ago. There’s nothing alarm-ing, everything is just a little bit off.”

Appel said he is doing his best to adapt to the changing conditions.

“In this whole bay everything has changed since last year,” he said. “Business is excellent, we just need to catch more fish.”

As a bait shop owner, Nguyen said conditions like these do affect business, but it’s something he’s had to adapt to over the years. Just as things slow down in a hurry, they can pick up nearly as fast.

Horbey is not as optimistic, based on what he’s seeing off of Port O’Connor.

“I’ve spoken to bait shops and they sell an average of 1,200 croaker a week in an average year — this year they are selling about 200 croaker in a week,” Horbey said. “I’ve been guiding here for 13 years and I am having to pull out all of the stops to get a few quality fish each day.”

— Capt. Raymond Appel, (361) 386-0569— Capt. Tom Horbey, (361) 983-2263

RedfishContinued from page 8


Most bass anglers know about the great largemouth bass fishing on Mexican lakes such as El Salto.

The well-known destination in the Mexican state of Sinaloa near the town of Mazatlan has produced world-class fishing for decades. But it might have compe-tition for Sinaloa’s title of best bass lake.

Lake Picachos, a 5-year-old, 14,000-acre lake just outside of Mazatlan has recently opened to American anglers, and Anglers Inn International owner Billy Chapman Jr. said the lake is on par with the best lakes in Mexico.

“This is a new chapter in bass fishing in Mexico,” Chapman said. “The lake was stocked five years ago with Florida-strain large-mouth bass and it is very similar to El Salto.”

According to Chapman, this is different because local villages — seven in all — were flooded to make the lake. But, instead of accepting a government payout, the locals demanded to keep con-trol over the lake so they could benefit from the American anglers coming down to fish.

“They got two years to pack up and move out,” Chapman said. “Almost 500 people were dis-placed. The villagers protested in Mazatlan and they never sold the lake to the government. The lake only has one access, which is gated and locked. Not one fish is allowed to leave the lake without the approval of the villagers.”

Texas outfitter Ron Speed Jr. of Ron Speed Jr’s Adventures also has a lodge on the lake, and said the fishing is as good as advertised.

“We’ve been operational since January,” Speed said. “This is the brushiest lake I’ve ever seen. Like most new lakes, we’ve got a lot of 2- to 4-pounders. It wasn’t until the first week of April that we saw

we had a lot more 7- to 9-pounders than we thought. We had a big giz-zard shad spawn and the big fish were so thick — we had one angler catch 35 bass over 7 pounds in 2 1/2 hours.”

Speed said during the spring spinner bait bite, if one angler hooked up with a bass over 5 pounds, the other angler in the boat would throw his spinner bait right behind the hooked bass because another six or seven bass would be right behind it.

“Since January, we’ve caught a dozen bass over 10 pounds,” he said. “With the number of bass in the 7-pound range, that tells me those fish were born in the lake. We have a lot of tilapia and tons of shad, so these bass have plenty of high-quality forage.”

The lake record stands at 12.4 pounds, and anglers who recently returned from the lake and gave it their approval.

“Yes, Angler’s Inn is opening a lodge in mid-July,” said James Hall, editor of BASS Magazine, who fished Picachos in June. “We only got to fish it a couple of hours and caught fish up to 3 pounds. But, several fish over 10 have been caught there and bunches in the 5- to 7-pound range. The place is sick.”

Safety has not been a concern in the area, according to Chapman.

“It is very quiet,” he said. “There are still a few shootings related to the drug trade, but nothing worse than Chicago or Phoenix. We had 38 anglers at El Salto last week — it is very safe.”

BETTER THAN EL SALTO? Angler James Hall holds an impressive bass from Mexico’s new bass lake, Picachos. Photo by Angler’s Inn International.

South of the border

New lake in Mexico attracting

anglers


While at the ranch, Ella managed to harvest her first three exotic rams — a Texas dall, black Hawaiian and Corsican — on spot-and-stalk hunts shooting off of sticks without the aid of a blind.

“The white one was the best,” Ella said. “He was the big one. The Corsican hunt was a lot of walking and it took two shots.”

However, Ella’s best trophy, according to her, was a mouflon ram taken on a June hunt at the Circle NA Ranch near Comfort.

“The mouflon is my favorite,” she said. “He’s so pretty and he’s big. We set up in a blind way up in the rocks and he came out downhill from us in a herd of other rams. I was

very excited.”Tony said Ella had to show a lot of patience

on the last hunt for the mouflon.“We hunted three days for that one ram,”

he said. “We actually had to make a second trip to the ranch to hunt him again.”

After the mouflon hunt, Tony said the fam-ily shared a special moment together in the field.

“Just seeing the excitement on her face — Ella gets pretty emotional,” he said. “When she shot the mouflon, all three of us started to cry — we were so excited.”

Even with the great season Ella has had, she says one more goal remains this year — tak-ing the big four of Texas exotics — axis, black-buck, fallow and sika.

“We are doing some more hunts,” she said. “I am ready.”

EllaContinued from page 1

COMPLETING THE SLAM: Ella Hawk was proud to take the remaining three rams (clockwise from right) including a black Hawaiian, Texas dall and mouflon. Photos by Tony Hawk.


Moon Phases

FOR THE TABLEOUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 33

Sun Moon Tides| |

1 1/2 pounds catfi sh fi llets, cut in strips2 tsps. Cajun-style blackened seasoning4 tbsps. mayonnaise1/2 cup butter1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley1 cup sliced green onions1 pound small, peeled shrimp2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of shrimp soup

Sprinkle catfi sh strips with blackened fi sh seasoning. Spread catfi sh with mayonnaise. Place in a shallow dish,

cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons but-ter until it begins to sizzle. Sear the fi sh strips until golden, turning once. Transfer to a baking dish. In the same skillet, heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook and stir mushrooms in butter until golden. Stir in parsley, green onions, and shrimp. Reduce heat to low, and cook until shrimp are pink and tender. Stir in cream of shrimp soup. Ladle soup mix-ture over fi sh in baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

— allrecipes.com

3 lbs. venison cut into 1-inch cubes4 tbsps. fl our1 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. celery salt1/2 tsp. ginger1/2 tsp. garlic salt1/4 tsp. pepper2 tbsps. oil1, 16-oz. can diced tomatoes3 medium onions, diced3 large potatoes, cubed6–8 carrots, peeled and diced1/3 cup molasses1/2 cup water

1/3 cup wine vinegar1/2 cup raisins

Mix the fl our, salt, celery salt, ginger, garlic salt and pepper together in a large freezer bag. Heat the oil in a skil-let. Add the meat in batches and shake to coat. Add to the hot oil. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove and place in a crock pot. Add the remaining ingre-dients to the crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve as is or over cooked egg noodles.

— backwoodsbound.com

Blackbeard stew

Texas Coast TidesSabine Pass, northDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 4:26 AM 1.8H 9:23 AM 1.2L 1:46 PM 1.5H 9:29 PM -0.7LJuly 12 5:06 AM 1.8H 10:08 AM 1.2L 2:45 PM 1.6H 10:17 PM -0.6LJuly 13 5:45 AM 1.7H 10:57 AM 1.0L 3:48 PM 1.5H 11:06 PM -0.5LJuly 14 6:25 AM 1.7H 11:50 AM 0.9L 4:57 PM 1.5H 11:56 PM -0.2LJuly 15 7:05 AM 1.6H 12:49 PM 0.7L 6:16 PM 1.4HJuly 16 12:48 AM 0.1L 7:45 AM 1.6H 1:52 PM 0.5L 7:49 PM 1.3 HJuly 17 1:43 AM 0.4L 8:25 AM 1.5H 2:57 PM 0.3L 9:36 PM 1.2 HJuly 18 2:45 AM 0.7L 9:07 AM 1.5H 4:01 PM 0.1L 11:25 PM 1.3 HJuly 19 4:01 AM 1.0L 9:51 AM 1.4H 5:02 PM 0.0LJuly 20 1:00 AM 1.4H 5:41 AM 1.1L 10:38 AM 1.4H 5:57 PM -0.2LJuly 21 2:15 AM 1.5H 7:30 AM 1.2L 11:26 AM 1.4H 6:47 PM -0.2LJuly 22 3:11 AM 1.6H 8:49 AM 1.2L 12:13 PM 1.3H 7:32 PM -0.3LJuly 23 3:56 AM 1.6H 9:38 AM 1.2L 12:56 PM 1.3H 8:13 PM -0.3LJuly 24 4:31 AM 1.6H 10:06 AM 1.2L 1:36 PM 1.3H 8:51 PM -0.3LJuly 25 4:59 AM 1.6H 10:19 AM 1.2L 2:12 PM 1.3H 9:28 PM -0.2L

Port O’ConnorDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 11:05 AM 0.6H 11:42 PM -0.4LJuly 12 11:53 AM 0.6HJuly 13 12:31 AM -0.4L 12:31 PM 0.5HJuly 14 1:18 AM -0.4L 11:53 AM 0.4HJuly 15 2:04 AM -0.3L 11:36 AM 0.4HJuly 16 2:45 AM -0.1L 10:48 AM 0.3H 4:16 PM 0.2L 8:26 PM 0.2 HJuly 17 3:17 AM 0.0L 9:59 AM 0.3H 5:11 PM 0.0LJuly 18 9:38 AM 0.3H 6:09 PM -0.1LJuly 19 9:08 AM 0.4H 7:07 PM -0.2LJuly 20 9:08 AM 0.5H 8:05 PM -0.3LJuly 21 9:22 AM 0.5H 9:02 PM -0.3LJuly 22 9:41 AM 0.6H 9:54 PM -0.3LJuly 23 10:02 AM 0.6H 10:40 PM -0.3LJuly 24 10:25 AM 0.6H 11:19 PM -0.3LJuly 25 10:45 AM 0.5H 11:52 PM -0.3L

Cajun catfi sh supreme

*email LSON your favorite recipe to [email protected].

Rollover PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 12:48 AM -0.2L 9:54 AM 1.4HJuly 12 1:36 AM -0.2L 10:27 AM 1.3HJuly 13 2:24 AM -0.1L 10:49 AM 1.3H 4:21 PM 1.0L 6:53 PM 1.1 HJuly 14 3:11 AM 0.0L 11:00 AM 1.2H 4:54 PM 0.9L 8:10 PM 1.1 HJuly 15 3:59 AM 0.1L 11:07 AM 1.1H 5:31 PM 0.8L 9:36 PM 1.0 HJuly 16 4:51 AM 0.3L 11:18 AM 1.0H 6:12 PM 0.6L 11:12 PM 1.0 HJuly 17 5:55 AM 0.6L 11:30 AM 1.0H 6:58 PM 0.4LJuly 18 1:09 AM 1.0H 7:25 AM 0.8L 11:40 AM 1.0H 7:49 PM 0.2LJuly 19 4:09 AM 1.0H 9:02 AM 0.9L 11:47 AM 1.0H 8:43 PM 0.1LJuly 20 6:11 AM 1.2H 9:38 PM 0.0LJuly 21 7:21 AM 1.3H 10:34 PM -0.1LJuly 22 8:13 AM 1.4H 11:27 PM -0.1LJuly 23 8:59 AM 1.4HJuly 24 12:17 AM -0.1L 9:38 AM 1.3HJuly 25 1:01 AM -0.1L 10:07 AM 1.3H

East MatagordaDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 8:45 AM 0.5H 10:49 AM 0.4L 1:48 PM 0.5H 11:02 PM -0.1LJuly 12 2:19 PM 0.5H 11:31 PM 0.0LJuly 13 4:02 PM 0.5HJuly 1412:05 AM 0.0L 5:01 PM 0.4HJuly 15 1:14 AM 0.1L 12:11 PM 0.4H 3:30 PM 0.3L 5:43 PM 0.4 HJuly 16 2:51 AM 0.1L 9:13 AM 0.4H 3:45 PM 0.3L 6:46 PM 0.3 HJuly 17 3:14 AM 0.2L 9:33 AM 0.4H 4:03 PM 0.2LJuly 18 1:33 AM 0.3H 3:41 AM 0.3L 8:49 AM 0.4H 6:19 PM 0.1LJuly 19 9:05 AM 0.4H 6:59 PM 0.1LJuly 20 3:44 AM 0.4H 7:03 AM 0.4L 9:35 AM 0.4H 7:32 PM 0.0LJuly 21 4:46 AM 0.4H 7:03 AM 0.4L 12:51 PM 0.4H 8:07 PM 0.0LJuly 22 12:40 PM 0.4H 9:31 PM 0.0LJuly 23 12:45 PM 0.5H 10:23 PM 0.0LJuly 24 6:55 AM 0.4H 10:51 AM 0.4L 1:12 PM 0.5H 10:54 PM 0.0LJuly 25 8:07 AM 0.4H 11:05 AM 0.4L 1:42 PM 0.5H 11:12 PM 0.0L

Freeport HarborDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 4:51 AM 1.9H 9:07 PM -0.7LJuly 12 5:32 AM 1.9H 9:57 PM -0.6LJuly 13 6:11 AM 1.8H 12:48 PM 1.2L 2:55 PM 1.2H 10:49 PM -0.5LJuly 14 6:48 AM 1.7H 1:08 PM 1.0L 4:22 PM 1.2H 11:41 PM -0.3LJuly 15 7:20 AM 1.6H 1:39 PM 0.9L 5:51 PM 1.1HJuly 16 12:37 AM 0.0L 7:49 AM 1.4H 2:19 PM 0.6L 7:27 PM 1.1 HJuly 17 1:38 AM 0.4L 8:16 AM 1.3H 3:06 PM 0.4L 9:13 PM 1.1 HJuly 18 2:54 AM 0.7L 8:39 AM 1.2H 3:58 PM 0.2L 11:12 PM 1.2 HJuly 19 4:46 AM 1.0L 8:59 AM 1.2H 4:52 PM 0.0LJuly 20 1:10 AM 1.4H 6:58 AM 1.1L 9:15 AM 1.2H 5:46 PM -0.2LJuly 21 2:32 AM 1.5H 6:37 PM -0.3LJuly 22 3:28 AM 1.6H 7:26 PM -0.3LJuly 23 4:11 AM 1.7H 8:10 PM -0.3LJuly 24 4:45 AM 1.7H 8:50 PM -0.3LJuly 25 5:12 AM 1.6H 9:25 PM -0.2L

South Padre IslandDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 6:23 AM 1.2H 9:15 PM -0.7LJuly 12 6:53 AM 1.2H 10:05 PM -0.7LJuly 13 7:15 AM 1.1H 10:56 PM -0.6LJuly 14 7:31 AM 1.0H 12:33 PM 0.8L 3:10 PM 0.9H 11:47 PM -0.4LJuly 15 7:45 AM 0.9H 1:16 PM 0.6L 4:57 PM 0.8HJuly 16 12:39 AM -0.1L 7:57 AM 0.8H 2:06 PM 0.4L 6:58 PM 0.7 HJuly 17 1:34 AM 0.1L 8:08 AM 0.8H 2:59 PM 0.2L 9:10 PM 0.6 HJuly 18 2:36 AM 0.4L 8:16 AM 0.8H 3:54 PM 0.0LJuly 19 12:05 AM 0.7H 3:56 AM 0.7L 8:11 AM 0.8H 4:49 PM -0.2LJuly 20 2:46 AM 0.9H 5:42 PM -0.3LJuly 21 4:00 AM 1.0H 6:33 PM -0.4LJuly 22 4:56 AM 1.1H 7:22 PM -0.5LJuly 23 5:45 AM 1.2H 8:07 PM -0.5LJuly 24 6:30 AM 1.1H 8:48 PM -0.4LJuly 25 7:06 AM 1.1H 9:24 PM -0.4L

San Luis PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height July 11 5:31 AM 1.2H 9:53 AM 1.0L 1:36 PM 1.1H 9:57 PM -0.6LJuly 12 6:09 AM 1.2H 10:35 AM 1.0L 2:41 PM 1.1H 10:45 PM -0.5LJuly 13 6:46 AM 1.2H 11:25 AM 0.9L 3:50 PM 1.1H 11:34 PM -0.4LJuly 14 7:22 AM 1.2H 12:22 PM 0.8L 5:06 PM 1.0HJuly 15 12:24 AM -0.2L 7:57 AM 1.1H 1:28 PM 0.6L 6:33 PM 0.9 HJuly 16 1:14 AM 0.0L 8:30 AM 1.1H 2:41 PM 0.5L 8:14 PM 0.8 HJuly 17 2:08 AM 0.3L 9:03 AM 1.0H 3:53 PM 0.3L 10:09 PM 0.8 HJuly 18 3:09 AM 0.5L 9:35 AM 1.0H 5:01 PM 0.1LJuly 19 12:12 AM 0.9H 4:37 AM 0.7L 10:06 AM 1.0H 6:01 PM -0.1LJuly 20 2:06 AM 1.0H 6:48 AM 0.9L 10:38 AM 1.0H 6:54 PM -0.2LJuly 21 3:26 AM 1.1H 8:33 AM 1.0L 11:10 AM 1.0H 7:42 PM -0.3LJuly 22 4:20 AM 1.2H 9:44 AM 1.0L 11:46 AM 1.0H 8:25 PM -0.3LJuly 23 5:00 AM 1.2H 9:03 PM -0.3LJuly 24 5:30 AM 1.2H 10:54 AM 1.0L 1:10 PM 1.0H 9:37 PM -0.3LJuly 25 5:53 AM 1.1H 11:03 AM 1.0L 1:55 PM 1.0H 10:07 PM -0.2L

Port AransasDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 12:27 PM 0.9H 9:11 PM -0.5LJuly 12 6:09 AM 0.8H 8:44 AM 0.8L 1:35 PM 0.9H 9:57 PM -0.5LJuly 13 6:28 AM 0.8H 9:43 AM 0.7L 2:42 PM 0.9H 10:45 PM -0.4LJuly 14 6:42 AM 0.8H 10:52 AM 0.6L 3:52 PM 0.8H 11:32 PM -0.3LJuly 15 6:55 AM 0.7H 12:13 PM 0.5L 5:07 PM 0.7HJuly 16 12:20 AM -0.1L 7:14 AM 0.7H 1:36 PM 0.4L 6:31 PM 0.6 HJuly 17 1:07 AM 0.1L 7:36 AM 0.7H 2:52 PM 0.2L 8:13 PM 0.5 HJuly 18 1:50 AM 0.3L 7:59 AM 0.7H 4:00 PM 0.0LJuly 19 8:21 AM 0.7H 5:03 PM -0.1LJuly 20 3:39 AM 0.7H 5:49 AM 0.7L 8:42 AM 0.7H 6:00 PM -0.2LJuly 21 4:25 AM 0.8H 6:52 PM -0.3LJuly 22 5:13 AM 0.9H 7:40 PM -0.3LJuly 23 6:01 AM 0.8H 8:22 PM -0.3LJuly 24 6:49 AM 0.8H 9:27 AM 0.8L 11:42 AM 0.8H 8:59 PM -0.3LJuly 25 7:37 AM 0.8H 9:44 AM 0.7L 12:42 PM 0.8H 9:31 PM -0.2L

Galveston Bay entrance, north jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 4:59 AM 1.8H 9:59 AM 1.3L 1:34 PM 1.5H 9:46 PM -0.6LJuly 12 5:35 AM 1.8H 10:53 AM 1.2L 2:47 PM 1.4H 10:39 PM -0.6LJuly 13 6:12 AM 1.8H 11:37 AM 1.0L 4:05 PM 1.4H 11:27 PM -0.5LJuly 14 6:54 AM 1.7H 12:25 PM 0.9L 5:06 PM 1.4HJuly 15 12:14 AM -0.2L 7:39 AM 1.6H 1:22 PM 0.6L 6:15 PM 1.2 HJuly 16 1:06 AM 0.0L 8:19 AM 1.6H 2:16 PM 0.4L 8:31 PM 1.2 HJuly 17 2:00 AM 0.3L 8:53 AM 1.5H 3:05 PM 0.2L 9:48 PM 1.2 HJuly 18 2:49 AM 0.6L 9:20 AM 1.5H 3:58 PM 0.1L 11:09 PM 1.2 HJuly 19 3:38 AM 0.9L 9:40 AM 1.4H 5:11 PM 0.0LJuly 20 12:38 AM 1.3H 5:08 AM 1.1L 9:55 AM 1.4H 6:20 PM -0.2LJuly 21 1:56 AM 1.4H 7:06 AM 1.2L 10:18 AM 1.4H 7:05 PM -0.2LJuly 22 3:59 AM 1.5H 7:53 AM 1.2L 10:58 AM 1.3H 7:43 PM -0.3LJuly 23 4:30 AM 1.6H 9:30 AM 1.3L 12:03 PM 1.3H 8:23 PM -0.3LJuly 24 4:47 AM 1.6H 10:40 AM 1.2L 12:53 PM 1.3H 9:09 PM -0.2LJuly 25 5:05 AM 1.6H 11:10 AM 1.2L 1:38 PM 1.3H 9:55 PM -0.2L

RockportDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 11 12:06 AM -0.2L 2:04 PM 0.2HJuly 12 12:56 AM -0.2L 2:58 PM 0.2HJuly 13 1:45 AM -0.1L 3:56 PM 0.2HJuly 14 2:27 AM -0.1L 4:59 PM 0.2HJuly 15 3:01 AM -0.1L 6:19 PM 0.1HJuly 16 3:20 AM 0.0L 11:10 AM 0.1H 4:36 PM 0.1L 8:31 PM 0.1HJuly 17 3:13 AM 0.0L 10:25 AM 0.1H 6:08 PM 0.0LJuly 18 10:14 AM 0.1H 7:09 PM -0.1LJuly 19 10:25 AM 0.2H 8:01 PM -0.1LJuly 20 10:51 AM 0.2H 8:50 PM -0.1LJuly 21 11:27 AM 0.2H 9:38 PM -0.1LJuly 22 12:09 PM 0.2H 10:25 PM -0.1LJuly 23 12:57 PM 0.2H 11:12 PM -0.1LJuly 24 1:47 PM 0.2H 11:58 PM -0.1LJuly 25 2:37 PM 0.2H

Moon PhasesLast

July 19FullJuly 12

NewJuly 26

FirstAugust 4

Houston2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

San Antonio2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

Amarillo2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

Dallas2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

ACROSS 1. A young game 4. A buck’s mating ritual 6. The Irish ______ 9. The mole is classed as this10. To point at a target11. Game pathways12. Dug up by rut rituals14. Alligator or longnose15. A catfish bait17. The sand is a species of this18. A gauge used by anglers22. Removes gamey taste from meat23. The female elk24. Wildfowl having young25. A small game predator28. A name for strays31. Domain markings by bucks32. A choke adjustment34. Shotgun model, over and _____35. Locale of the largest bass36. Found in the boathouse37. Valued part of many animals

40. To pull back a bowstring45. Game tracks46. A deer in Mexico47. A heavily populated elk state DOWN 1. Act of game seeking food 2. A stream fisherman 3. Groups of decoys 4. Many deer deaths are ____ kill 5. The male turkey 6. Part of a fishline 7. Anything a gun is aimed at 8. Oxidation on gun parts13. Fish eggs15. Used for bait at times16. A shotgun model17. The arrow container19. Need to tune on a fishing reel20. Trigger that requires light pull21. A fish lure24. The beginner at hunting26. A deer food

27. Bowman’s ammo29. The ____ fish30. Feature of some lures33. Bushytail’s food source37. A sound made by wild turkeys38. To prepare a gun for firing

39. A flatfish for eating

40. The clay pigeon

41. Term for an imaginary

line through the bore

42. Trapper’s interest

43. A lion’s foot

44. The wily one

Solunar | Sun times | Moon timesLegend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a loca-tion, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

11Fri 5:42 11:57 6:12 ----- 7:28 9:23 8:40p 6:38a12Sat 6:41 12:32 7:11 12:56 7:28 9:23 9:34p 7:44a13Sun 7:42 1:27 8:12 1:57 7:29 9:23 10:24p 8:51a14Mon 8:45 2:31 9:13 2:59 7:29 9:23 11:10p 9:59a15Tue 9:47 3:33 10:14 4:01 7:30 9:22 11:53p 11:06a16Wed 10:48 4:34 11:14 5:01 7:30 9:22 NoMoon 12:11p17Thu 11:45 5:32 ----- 5:58 7:31 9:22 12:35a 1:14p18Fri1 2:16 6:27 12:40 6:52 7:31 9:21 1:15a 2:15p19Sat 1:07 7:18 1:31 7:43 7:32 9:21 1:56a 3:15p20Sun 1:54 8:06 2:19 8:31 7:33 9:20 2:38a 4:12p21Mon 2:40 8:52 3:05 9:17 7:33 9:20 3:22a 5:08p22Tue 3:24 9:37 3:49 10:01 7:34 9:19 4:07a 6:01p23Wed 4:08 10:21 4:33 10:45 7:34 9:19 4:55a 6:50p24Thu 4:52 11:04 5:16 11:28 7:35 9:18 5:44a 7:36p25Fri 5:37 11:48 6:00 12:12 7:35 9:18 6:34a 8:19p26Sat 6:22 ----- 6:44 12:56 7:36 9:17 7:26a 8:59p27Sun 7:07 12:56 7:29 1:18 7:37 9:17 8:18a 9:36p28Mon 7:54 1:43 8:15 2:04 7:37 9:16 9:10a 10:11p29Tue 8:40 2:30 9:02 2:51 7:38 9:16 10:02a 10:45p30Wed 9:28 3:17 9:49 3:38 7:38 9:15 10:53a 11:18p

11Fri 5:47 ----- 6:18 12:03 7:27 9:36 8:52p 6:39a12Sat 6:46 12:38 7:17 1:02 7:27 9:36 9:45p 7:44a13Sun 7:48 1:33 8:17 2:03 7:28 9:35 10:34p 8:53a14Mon 8:51 2:36 9:19 3:05 7:28 9:35 11:18p 10:02a15Tue 9:53 3:39 10:20 4:07 7:29 9:35 NoMoon 11:11a16Wed 10:53 4:40 11:20 5:07 7:30 9:34 NoMoon 12:17p17Thu 11:51 5:38 ----- 6:04 7:30 9:34 12:40a 1:21p18Fri 12:21 6:33 12:45 6:58 7:31 9:34 1:20a 2:24p19Sat 1:12 7:24 1:36 7:49 7:31 9:33 1:59a 3:24p20Sun 1:59 8:12 2:25 8:37 7:32 9:33 2:40a 4:23p21Mon 2:45 8:58 3:10 9:23 7:33 9:32 3:23a 5:19p22Tue 3:30 9:42 3:55 10:07 7:33 9:32 4:08a 6:12p23Wed 4:14 10:26 4:39 10:51 7:34 9:31 4:55a 7:02p24Thu 4:58 11:10 5:22 11:34 7:34 9:30 5:44a 7:48p25Fri 5:42 11:54 6:06 12:18 7:35 9:30 6:35a 8:30p26Sat 6:27 ----- 6:50 13:02 7:36 9:29 7:27a 9:09p27Sun 7:13 1:02 7:35 1:24 7:36 9:28 8:20a 9:45p28Mon 7:59 1:48 8:21 2:10 7:37 9:28 9:13a 10:19p29Tue 8:46 2:36 9:08 2:57 7:38 9:27 10:06a 10:52p30Wed 9:34 3:23 9:55 3:44 7:39 9:26 10:58a 11:24p

11Fri 5:54 ----- 6:25 12:09 7:41 9:35 8:53p 6:52a12Sat 6:53 12:44 7:23 1:08 7:42 9:35 9:47p 7:57a13Sun 7:55 1:40 8:24 2:09 7:42 9:35 10:37p 9:05a14Mon 8:57 2:43 9:26 3:11 7:43 9:34 11:23p 10:13a15Tue 10:00 3:46 10:27 4:13 7:43 9:34 NoMoon 11:19a16Wed 11:00 4:47 11:27 5:13 7:44 9:34 12:06a 12:24p17Thu 11:58 5:45 ----- 6:11 7:44 9:33 12:48a 1:27p18Fri 12:28 6:39 12:52 7:05 7:45 9:33 1:28a 2:28p19Sat 1:19 7:31 1:43 7:56 7:45 9:33 2:10a 3:27p20Sun 2:06 8:19 2:31 8:44 7:46 9:32 2:52a 4:25p21Mon 2:52 9:05 3:17 9:30 7:46 9:32 3:35a 5:20p22Tue 3:37 9:49 4:02 10:14 7:47 9:31 4:21a 6:13p23Wed 4:21 10:33 4:45 10:57 7:47 9:31 5:08a 7:02p24Thu 5:05 11:17 5:29 11:41 7:48 9:30 5:57a 7:49p25Fri 5:49 ----- 6:13 12:24 7:49 9:30 6:48a 8:32p26Sat 6:34 ----- 6:57 13:08 7:49 9:29 7:39a 9:11p27Sun 7:20 1:09 7:42 1:31 7:50 9:29 8:31a 9:49p28Mon 8:06 1:55 8:28 2:17 7:50 9:28 9:23a 10:24p29Tue 8:53 2:42 9:14 3:04 7:51 9:27 10:15a 10:58p30Wed 9:40 3:30 10:01 3:51 7:51 9:27 11:06a 11:31p

11Fri 6:08 ----- 6:38 12:23 7:41 10:02 9:18p 6:54a12Sat 7:06 12:58 7:37 1:22 7:41 10:02 10:10p 8:01a13Sun 8:08 1:53 8:37 2:23 7:42 10:01 10:57p 9:10a14Mon 9:11 2:56 9:39 3:25 7:42 10:01 11:41p 10:21a15Tue 10:13 3:59 10:40 4:27 7:43 10:01 NoMoon 11:30a16Wed 11:14 5:00 11:40 5:27 7:44 10:00 12:21a 12:38p17Thu ----- 5:58 12:11 6:24 7:44 10:00 1:00a 1:43p18Fri 12:41 6:53 1:05 7:18 7:45 9:59 1:38a 2:47p19Sat 1:32 7:44 1:56 8:09 7:46 9:59 2:17a 3:49p20Sun 2:19 8:32 2:45 8:57 7:46 9:58 2:57a 4:48p21Mon 3:06 9:18 3:30 9:43 7:47 9:58 3:39a 5:45p22Tue 3:50 10:03 4:15 10:27 7:48 9:57 4:23a 6:38p23Wed 4:34 10:46 4:59 11:11 7:48 9:56 5:10a 7:28p24Thu 5:18 11:30 5:42 11:54 7:49 9:56 5:59a 8:14p25Fri 6:02 ----- 6:26 12:38 7:50 9:55 6:51a 8:55p26Sat 6:47 ----- 7:10 13:22 7:51 9:54 7:44a 9:34p27Sun 7:33 1:22 7:55 1:44 7:51 9:54 8:37a 10:09p28Mon 8:19 2:09 8:41 2:30 7:52 9:53 9:31a 10:42p29Tue 9:06 2:56 9:28 3:17 7:53 9:52 10:25a 11:14p30Wed 9:54 3:43 10:15 4:04 7:54 9:51 11:19a 11:45p


Nikon will send your 10x42 ProStaff 7

binoculars. You can check out

the entire line at the nearest dealer:

See a full selection of Nikon products at:

Spectre Firearms10801 Spring Cypress Rd.

Houston, TX 77070(281) 257-2245

spectrefi rearms.com

Houston hunter

Baker Wardell,

9, was hunting

with his dad near

La Pryor on the

opening morning

of youth season

on March 8 when

this big gobbler

came to the call

and presented

himself at 15 yards. Baker made a one-shot

kill with his dad’s 12-gauage

Remington 1100

Magnum.

“People moved from feeders with ladders to winch-up feeders because they didn’t want to be on ladders or climbing on the rail of their truck,” said owner Bob Brock. “The stand and fi ll gets the feeder to where a winch-up feeder would be after you lower it.”

Brock said their design stemmed from input from bowhunters and rifl e hunters who don’t want to see the feeder.

“Our stand and fi ll is directional,” he said. “We call it a new direction in feeding. It sends the feed in one direction out about 50 feet in a fan-shaped pattern. You can back the feeder into the brush and there won’t be any feed within fi ve feet of the feeder.”

Cattle and varmints were also considered in the design.

“Our blower unit (it is patented) cleans itself out,” Brock said. “There’s no feed in the blower assembly after it goes off. It’s like setting an empty bucket in a fi eld — varmints might look once but there isn’t anything there.”

Bowhunters are all about distance, Brock said.

“If deer are on the other side of the feeder, it can block your shot,” he said. “And people that take fi lm and photos often prefer the feeder not be in the shot.”

Texas Hunter Product’s feeders come in 300-, 400- and 500-pound sizes. The 400-pound feeder is $849.

HB Hunting Products in Argyle introduced its HB EZ Reach, a low profi le broadcast feeder in 400-, 650- and 1,000-pound sizes at heights of 4, 5 and 6 feet, respectively. The 400-pound feeder retails for $595.

“They are so much easier,” said owner Harry Blake. “And they work as good or better than

one that’s on 6- or 8-foot legs. It’s the ideal feeder for a bowhunter.”

HB’s feeders all have the spinner plate at the same height, and include a spreader plate to keep corn from accumulating under the feeder.

“We’ve tested them on ranches for two years,” Blake said. “Hogs and big exotics don’t do anything to it.”

Outback Feeders in Gilmer is known for its heavy-duty products, and the company has introduced its Low Profi le Corn Feeder with Pistolero Directional Spinner in 600- and 1,000-pound versions.

Owner Rick Merritt said the company’s feed-ers are truly low profi le.

“Our 600-pound capacity is only 39 inches tall, so you don’t have to lift the bag of corn over your head, and the 1,000-pound is 54 inches high,” he said.

Merritt said the feeders feature directional blowers built at the company’s shop in Gilmer that throw corn up to 50 feet, and the feeders work for corn, protein or fi sh food. And, being heavy duty, they don’t have to be staked down. The one-piece feeders come with skids, mak-ing them easy to move.

Many of the requests for the feeders have come from bowhunters.

“They like to be able to set it in the brush and not scatter feed all the way around,” Merritt said.

The retail price for Outback’s 600-pound capacity feeder is $1,525 and $1,575 for the 1000-pound version.

Louie Garcia of Kingwood bought four of the All Seasons feeders last year and shared his praise for the stand and fi ll feeder on Texas Bowhunter.com

“They not only are solid, but very safe to fi ll and move around,” he wrote. “No need to climb ladders, and they easily lie down into a bed of a truck — slide it out and stand it up.”

FeedersContinued from page 5

Game warden assaulted on border

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offi -cials said a game warden was recently assaulted by a human smuggler on the Rio Grande near Anzalduas Dam.

Authorities arrested Ramon Lopez, 31, on multiple charges, including assault of a public

servant.Game wardens say this is the fi rst time they

have fi led state charges on a suspected human smuggler.

Offi cials say Lopez was trying to cross more than 10 people in a rubber raft. The game war-den placed him on the state’s boat and tried to handcuff him, but Lopez fought back and tried to get back on his raft.

— Staff report


Lesser prairie-chicken numbers up 20 percent

The third annual lesser prairie-chicken aerial sur-vey shows a nearly 20 percent increase in the bird’s range-wide population, up from an estimated 18,747 birds in 2013 to 22,415 this year, according to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Wildlife biologists are encouraged by the increase, but note that prairie-chicken numbers can fluctuate up and down from year to year, mainly due to grass-land habitat conditions influenced by rainfall.

The range-wide increase was not evenly spread across the bird’s four habitat regions distrib-uted among five states: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The mixed grass prai-rie region showed the biggest gain, a region that includes the northeastern Texas Panhandle, north-western Oklahoma and south central Kansas, an area where more rain produced better prairie habi-tat. In the sand sagebrush region in southwestern Kansas, southeastern Colorado and the northwestern Oklahoma Panhandle, where persistent drought con-tinues to take a toll, the survey showed a significant population decline.

— WAFWA

Maverick Arms expanding in Eagle Pass

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has announced a Texas Enterprise Fund investment of $300,000 for Maverick Arms, Inc., a fi rearms company specializing in shot-guns. The company has announced plans to expand its Eagle Pass manufacturing facility, creating 50 new jobs and $3.4 million in capital investment.

“Last month’s outstanding jobs gains are further proof that Texas continues to be a national leader in job creation for employers of all sizes and across all indus-tries,” Perry said. “This TEF investment in Maverick Arms will help create jobs and opportunity in Eagle Pass, while reaffi rming Texas’ longstanding support of the Second Amendment.”

Maverick Arms is a subsidiary of Mossberg Corp., the largest pump-action shotgun producer in the world, as well as the oldest family owned fi rearm maker in America. The Eagle Pass facility currently assembles and distributes fi rearms for the Mossberg, Maverick and Mossberg International brands. This expansion will con-solidate barrel production to the Eagle Pass facility.

— Offi ce of Gov.


NATIONALN.C. record broken twice in one week

Nantahala Lake, a 1,065-acre reservoir in Clay and Macon coun-ties, spawned two state records for kokanee salmon in less than a week.

On June 6, Fred Mix, of Rainbow Springs, broke the existing record of 3 pounds, 9 ounces, held since 2009 by Ashley Swann, of Swannanoa, after reeling in a 3-pound, 15-ounce fish, using a homemade spinner.

Five days later, on June 11, Jeffery Todd Smith broke Mix’s record, catching a kokanee salmon that weighed 4 pounds, 1 ounce. He used flashers and dodgers as lures.

He said he has been trolling the lake for the last two years, hoping to catch a record-breaking salmon. On June 11, which happened to be his day off as well as his birth-day, Smith finally achieved his goal, reeling in the state record fish after trolling for nearly nine hours.

— NCWRC

Duck numbers up in U.S., Canada

Duck populations have increased in overall abundance over last year, and their habitat conditions have improved, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Trends in Duck Breeding Populations 2014 report.

These conclusions are based on the 2014 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey con-ducted by the USFWS and Canadian Wildlife Service.

The preliminary estimate for the total duck population is 49.2 mil-lion birds, an 8 percent increase over last year’s estimate of 45.6 million birds, and 43 percent above the long-term average.

The report also provides abun-dance estimates for individual duck species, including mallard, blue-winged teal, northern pintail, American wigeon, lesser and greater scaup and canvasback, all of which are similar to or slightly above last year’s totals.

Habitat conditions assessed dur-ing the survey were mostly improved or similar to last year as a result of average to above-average annual precipitation. The total pond esti-mate (prairie Canada and U.S. combined) was 7.2 million ponds, 40 percent above the long-term average.

—USFWS

University of North Alabama wins School of the Year Title

The University of North Alabama capitalized on their season by tak-ing home the Cabela’s School of the Year title. After winning the title last year, the University of Louisiana-Monroe came in second place this season, followed by the recent B.A.S.S. Wild Card victor, Bethel University.

The Cabela’s School of the Year program offers college anglers the chance to compete at the highest level in more than 30 collegiate fishing events each year. The Association of Collegiate Anglers created this program to both rank

and reward collegiate fishing teams based on their performance in the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, Carhartt College B.A.S.S., FLW, and select school-hosted events.

Rounding out the Top Ten teams in the Cabela’s School of the Year title are as follows:

1. University of North Alabama — 2,289 points2. University of Louisiana Monroe — 2,156 points3. Bethel University — 2,103 points4. Murray State University — 1,860 points5. University of Alabama — 1,832 points6. University of Tennessee — 1,711 points7. Mississippi State University — 1,671 points8. Georgetown College — 1,514 points9. Clemson University — 1,482 points10. Kansas State University — 1,467 points

— Collegiate Bass Championship

Legislation signed to combat harmful algal blooms

Legislation has been signed to com-bat the serious problem of toxic algal blooms affecting our oceans, beaches, rivers and lakes. The only stand-alone ocean conservation legislations passed by the current Congress and signed by the president, the bill provides a boost to the battle against harmful algae blooms on U.S. oceans, lakes and streams.

It has been estimated that harm-ful alga blooms are costing the U.S. nearly $100 million a year.

The bipartisan bill will improve the ability to predict and respond to harm-ful algal blooms and help scientists and others find ways to reduce the duration and intensity of the out-breaks.

Blooms can come from algae that range from microscopic single-celled organisms to macroscopic seaweed, and cause harm through the produc-tion of toxins or by accumulation of the plants. These outbreaks are com-monly called “red” or “brown” tides (because the water turns reddish or brown). Some harmful algal blooms produce toxins that can kill fish, shell-fish, birds, and marine mammals. Even when a toxin is not produced, harmful algal blooms can be deadly when overgrowth alters marine habi-tats by blocking light, clogging fish gills or smothering corals or other life.

— Ocean Champions

Minn. ruffed grouse numbers up

Minnesota’s ruffed grouse spring drumming counts were significantly higher than last year across most of the bird’s range, according to a sur-vey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“Ruffed grouse drums increased 34 percent from the previous year, with the increase happening in the north-ern part of the state,” said Charlotte Roy, DNR grouse project leader. “This may signal the start of an upswing in the grouse cycle that since 2009 has been in the declining phase.”

Ruffed grouse populations, which tend to rise and fall on a 10-year cycle, are surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse heard drumming on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions.

Minnesota frequently is the nation’s

top ruffed grouse producer. On aver-age, 115,000 hunters harvest 545,000 ruffed grouse in Minnesota each year, making it the state’s most popular game bird.

— Minnesota DNR

Prairie Pothole wetland acres down

Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region declined by an estimated 74,340 acres between 1997 and 2009 — an average annual net loss of 6,200 acres, according to the report “Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region,” produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture.

“Extreme weather patterns, rising agricultural commodity prices and oil and gas development are threat-ening millions of acres of prairie wetlands, putting further pressure on the most valuable breeding area for ducks in the Americas,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “This report highlights the need for continued vigilance in monitoring and protecting the Prairie Pothole Region to ensure it remains healthy for waterfowl for generations to come.”

The U.S. portion of the Prairie Pothole Region includes parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. Approximately 118 million acres of land, 21 million acres of grass cover and 2.63 million wetland basins support more than 300 species of migrating and resident birds.

Challenges to the region include an increase in conversion of wetland to deepwater habitat (from flooding) and upland land uses such as agriculture and development.

— USFWS


Anglers survive on tough Belton

Bass Champs Central Region held their fourth event of the sea-son June 28 on Lake Belton, and it was tough.

Hot summertime conditions did not help increase the bite fac-tor, but Georgetown angler Dean Alexander and Leander angler Eric Crumley took the win with 9.47 pounds.

“We figured it would be tough on Belton, based on the time of year,” Crumley said. “We didn’t have any practice, just showed up to fish the tournament. We fished main lake stuff with top-water baits in areas where we could sit the boat in about 20 feet of water and throw to the bank. We had a limit of smallmouths by 10 a.m.”

After that bite quit, they headed up river and tied on a big soft plastic.

“We made one cull with a 4-pound largemouth bass, and that gave us our 9 pounds,” Crumley said. “We caught a few more after that, but none of any consequence. On our way back in, we checked the time and had seven minutes left —we could have shut (the motor) down and fished a brush pile. We were thinking we could at least be in the top ten at that point, and any-thing could go wrong if we shut down. Maybe the boat wouldn’t start, or something. We decided to go ahead and weigh in what we had.”

The weight held and the pair won the event, even though their big bass of 3.66 pounds was beaten out for big bass of the tournament — 4.41 pounds.

Charles Whited, San Marcos, and Bill Polkinghorn, Canyon Lake, came in second place with an 8.25-pound total, anchored by their 4.2-pound kicker. They were awarded a check for $4,000.

Gatesville High school angler Zane Washburn and his partner Ryan Phillips secured a third- place finish with 7.57 pounds.

“We headed to a rocky flat, about 5 feet deep, to start our day with Yellow Magics,” he said. “The morning bite was pretty good, and we had a limit in the boat by 9 a.m.”

Having secured an initial limit with top-water baits, they decided to stick with that pattern for most of the rest of the day.

“The bite got really slow,” he said. “We used crankbaits for a little while, and were able to cull one time. We only caught one fish between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.”

For more information, go to basschamps.com.

— Bass Champs

It’s obvious that Shaun Morey invested himself in his recent collection, Incredible (And True) Fishing Stories.

At first glance, this little reader, at 211 pages, comes across as nothing more than something to pass the time. It does that very well, but make no mistake, this little book packs a lot of content.

Inside, the reader will find 76 stories ranging from brief to a bit more in-depth. Morey’s range of investigation is incredi-ble — the cover claims that all of the sto-ries are true, which makes the read even more fantastic. He has spoken with doz-ens of anglers and officials to bring depth to some of the more fantastic, and ridicu-lous, tales in the fishing world.

Sections are divided into “Epic Battles and Obsessions,” “Shocking Acts of Fish Aggression,” “The Outrageous, the Curious, and the Merely Odd” and “Awesome Victories, Record-Setting Catches.”

There is a little bit of everything for the casual fisherman here, with equal parts saltwater, freshwater and everything in-between.

Instead of running through all of the stories (there are too many surprises to give away), Lone Star Outdoor News selected a few favorites to give an inside glimpse into this funny, astonishing and some-times-eerie collection of short stories.

— One of the opening stories centers around Texas’ own Billy Sandifer, and his record-setting tiger shark fishing on South Padre Island. The account details his tac-tics, complete with bait weighing up to 60 pounds on 16/0 hooks. The story centers around two particular catches in the same area, where Sandifer brings in some sharks that will change his life forever.

— One of the more light-hearted (and terrifying, for those with a snake phobia) stories tells about Kevin Jones and Paul Shepherd battling a rattlesnake dur-

ing a bass tournament on Castaic Lake in Southern California. Let’s just say that the snake is a bit tenacious, and the fishermen are not — Jones carries a stick with him on his boat to this day.

— What’s a fisherman’s dream and worst nightmare? How about fighting a salmon for 37 hours on a rod and reel. Morey recounts Bob Ploeger’s Alaskan adventure against a huge salmon, and the bizarre scene that begins to unfold as cam-era crews and media outlets venture to the river to broadcast his Guinness World Record-setting fight.

— Not all of the stories have a humorous element, however. Any angler would get chills reading a story about Hal Janssen hooking into a corpse while fly-fishing the San Lorenzo River in California. It turns out to be his most memorable catch, and a mystery that may still have questions that need answering.

Those four stories are just a brief glimpse into the amount of work Morey has done to get this collection together.

The stories aren’t all life-changing — some are only a few paragraphs — but the author has included numerous fish facts along with the stories that help to bring

depth to areas that need more content.All in all, Incredible (And True) Fishing

Stories is definitely worth an angler’s time. It’s a helpful reminder that anything is possible in the great outdoors, for better or worse.

— Staff report

Book offers some of the most unique stories fi shing has to offer


PRODUCTSHELL’S BELLES ULTRA-LITE JACKET:

Browning’s newest line of hunt-ing wear for women will keep

them warm, dry and con-cealed on upcoming fall

hunting trips. The cloth-ing is designed to fi t a

woman’s shape while re-maining highly function-

al in the fi eld. Includ-ed in the hunting line is the Ultra-Lite Jack-et (shown) and pants, which feature a light-

weight shell fabric that is water- and wind-re-sistant while still be-

ing highly breathable. The duo also offers

scent control to mask human odor. The jacket has a full-length front zip-per and hand-warmer pockets with zipper closures while the pants feature hip pockets, one rear zip-pered pocket and zip-to-knee openings. Available in sizes small to 2XL, the jacket and pants retail

for about $175 each.

(800) 322-4626WWW.BROWNING.COM >>

Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 2162-8300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, pub-lishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are $2, in cer-tain markets copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2014 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/or use of any photographic or written material without writ-ten permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or email them to [email protected].

Advertising: Call (214) 361-2276 or email [email protected] to request a media kit.

For home delivery subscriptions www.LSONews.com • (214) 361-2276

Craig Nyhus

Conor Harrison

Mark England

Steven Schwartz

Mary Helen Aguirre

Mike Hughs

Ginger Hoolan

Mike Nelson

Dave Irvine

Bruce Soileau

David J. Sams

Executive EditorManaging EditorAssociate EditorGraphics EditorBusiness/Products EditorOperations ManagerAccountingNational AdvertisingAutomotive AdvertisingWebsiteFounder & CEO

ContributorsWilbur LundeenErich SchlegelDavid Sikes

Scott SommerlatteChuck UzzleRalph Winingham

HELL’S BELLES ULTRA-LITE JACKET: newest line of hunt-

ing wear for women will keep them warm, dry and con-cealed on upcoming fall

hunting trips. The cloth-ing is designed to fi t a

woman’s shape while re-

human odor. The jacket has a full-length front zip-

ODYSSEY 34M AND 31M BATTERIES: EnerSys has added marine batteries to its ODYSSEY Performance Series battery line. The batteries, includ-

ing the Group 34M and Group 31M models, are suitable for various rec-reational vehicles and boats. Engineered with “Thin Plate Pure Lead”

technology, the powerful and long-lived batteries’ features include 792 cold cranking amps for the 34M-790 battery and 800 cold crank-

ing amps for the 31M-800 model. Both feature deep cycle capability up to 400 cycles at 80 percent depth of discharge. They are vibration-resistant

and classifi ed as “non-spillable” by the U.S. De-partment of Transportation. The 34M batteries sell

for $369.29, and the 31M for $491.25.

(800) 538-3627WWW.ODYSSEYBATTERY.COM

WWW.ENERSYS.COM >>

BAYOU SUNGLASSES: Fisherman Eyewear has designed these sun-

glasses for turkey hunters, although there’s no reason why anglers can’t wear them, too.

These polarized sunglasses have that little touch of camo in the frames that will help hunters conceal themselves from the sharp-sighted birds this upcoming turkey season. The lightweight sunglasses, which will protect eyes from the sun’s harsh UV rays,

cost about $25.

(866) 842-3474 WWW.FISHERMANEYEWEAR.COM

>>

BREAKDOWN CROSSBOW CASE: This welded aluminum case by Americase is for today’s crossbows, which are largely breakdown models. Functional, but not cumbersome, the case is less than 62 linear inches, meaning it can be checked on fl ights without incur-

ring a fee for oversized baggage. This case, from the EC Series line, measures 36 inches by 13 1/2 inches by 7 5/8 inches. The interior has a lift-out panel that will ac-

commodate virtually any breakdown crossbow. The lower compartment holds the crossbow stock, quiver with bolts, and storage while the top holds the bow and foot stirrup. The case has a spring-loaded handle, two heavy-duty key locking fl ip latches, and two eyelets

that can be padlocked. It sells for about $250.

(800) 972-2737WWW.AMERICASE.COM

>>

DOUBLE-BARREL ARROW LOADER: This arrow loader by DJJD En-terprises helps archers minimize the time and effort required to take that second shot. With the loader, hunters can easily drop

a second arrow into the nock, eliminating the time — and noise and movement — that it normally takes to grab another arrow. This bow accessory attaches easily and quickly to the bow and

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attention.”Jigging is the name of the game, regard-

less of the color. Despite the schooling action, Procell said most of his numbers have come from some deeper areas, right around the 18-foot mark.

Routh said it doesn’t seem to matter what he throws at them — they’ll hit it.

“You could throw a Coke cap with a hook on it and they’d take it,” he said, chuckling.

Procell agreed.“I have eight rods rigged up with eight

different rigs,” he said. Cosper attributed the schooling fish to

a thermocline that is developing at Lake Livingston and keeping the baitfish close to the surface.

“It’s (the thermocline) not super strong, but it’s starting to settle in,” Cosper said. “It makes things a little bit simpler. You might as well not fish below 20 feet, because those bait fish have to come up.”

Recent rains have clouded the water at Livingston (water temperature is in the mid-80s), leaving the better fishing on the south end of the lake, past the Highway 190 bridge. His key lure has been a 4-inch sassy shad, as well as a 1/4-

oz. jig on a white grub.Whitney’s water is a bit clearer, with

temperatures are hovering around the 83-degree mark. Ray Hubbard is a bit warmer; 86-degrees with cloudy and clear waters in spots.

Sand bass at Hubbard are grouping up beneath catfish, which are feeding on the baitfish, according to Procell.

All three guides mentioned the striped bass have been hitting, as well, and are mixed along with their bags of sandies. Cosper cautioned that anglers need to be aware of which species they’re catching.

“People need to pay attention, and make sure they aren’t keeping undersized stripers along with their white bass,” he said.

Bag limits for white bass are 25 fish with a 10-inch minimum. Hybrid and striper bag limits are five, with an 18-inch minimum.

But, if recent white bass sizes are of any indication, it shouldn’t matter in either case.

“The bigger fish are schooling, which is a lot different than last year,” Cosper said. “It’s some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. I mean acres of fish — it’s a lot of fun.”

Johnny Procell, (972) 814-8942Randy Routh, (817) 822-5539Simon Cosper, (936) 355-2889

White bassContinued from page 8


WHERE DID THEY GO? Anglers on Lake Texoma don’t think zebra mussels are helping the fi shing, and they haven’t seen any mussels lately. Photo by TPWD.

“The fi sh are all over the rocks.”Montado said along with the

kingfi sh and ling, big vermilion snapper are being caught using squid.

“The best baits for the kingfi sh and the sharks has been sardines,” he said. “Once you start catching those, the ling are curious and they show up. Then we like to have a live bait ready to pitch to them.”

Greene said their most successful baits have been ribbonfi sh, sardines and other live bait.

Far offshore, captains are playing things closer to the vest in regards to billfi sh — and with good rea-son. Tournament season begins this week with the John Uhr “Bastante” Memorial Offshore Tournament July 9-12.

Captains would not divulge the hot spots for billfi sh or the best baits this month, all citing “tournament time.” However, billfi sh have begun to show up.

Bill Busters Sportfi shing, (361) 749-5223Capt. Kelly’s Deep Sea Headquarters, (361) 749-5597

OffshoreContinued from page 1

Upcoming tournaments:

John Uhr “Bastante” Memorial Offshore Tournament,

Port Aransas, July 9-12johnnybastante.com

79th Deep Sea Roundup, Port Aran-sas, July 10-13

deepsearoundup.com

Poco Bueno, Port O’Connor, July 16-19

poco-bueno.com

Lone Star Shootout, Port O’Connor, July 22-27hbgfc.com

Port Mansfi eld Fishing TournamentJuly 24-27

portmansfi eldchamber.org

Texas International Fishing Tournament, Port Isabel,

July 30-Aug. 3tift.org

Matagorda “Big 5” Offshore Tourna-ment, Matagorda Harbor, Aug. 1-3

matagordabluewater.com


Fishing has been good this sea-son on Lake Texoma.

But don’t attribute that to zebra mussels, despite what some anglers may think.

“The good fi shing is because of the low water levels,” said Bruce Hysmith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries biologist for Lake Texoma. “It is always going to be better when the water goes down and that is what happened on Texoma.

“Zebra mussels are a nonissue.”Hysmith said two years ago,

someone could walk the shore-line and see lots of zebra mussels, but that isn’t the case today.

“Since the beginning of the drought, the zebra mussels went deep and never came back up,”

he said. “I haven’t seen them in a while. There seems to be just a fraction of the mussels we saw several years ago. There has to be some factor limiting them.”

Hysmith said something that has struck him is the lack of mus-sels in Lake Lavon, even though there is a direct conduit between the two lakes.

“Lavon has a muddy bottom,” he said, “and my feeling is when the larva hit the mud, they suffo-cate and can’t cling to anything. Bridgeport is another one. We know they are there, but nobody has ever laid eyes on an attached zebra mussel. I don’t know what we can do — we can’t put our heads in the sand and ignore it, but I haven’t seen evidence they are impacting anything up here.”

Longtime guide Larry Sparks of Sparky’s Guide Service said he

hasn’t seen any zebra mussels, either.

“A couple of years ago, we’d snag a log or a can on the bottom and it would come up covered in zebra mussels,” he said. “I’ve never really studied them, but I think we lost a lot of them dur-ing the low water. I’m not sure we have them at all.”

Sparks said the fi shing has improved this year on Texoma, but he doesn’t attribute that to the mussels. In fact, he thinks they can hurt the fi shing.

“They help clear up the lake,” he said. “I don’t see where that helps the fi shing. Clearer water is tougher to fi sh.”

Zebra mussels declining on Texoma


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JULY 10-1379th Deep Sea RoundupPort Aransasdeepsearoundup.com

JULY 11Dallas Safari ClubWine Pairing DinnerChamberlain’s, Dallas(972) 980-9800biggame.org

JULY 12Bass ChampsNorth Series, Lake Fork(817) 439-3274basschamps.com

JULY 16-19Poco BuenoPort O’Connorpoco-bueno.com

JULY 17Dallas Safari ClubMonthly MeetingThe Westin Stonebriar, Frisco(972) 980-9800biggame.org

JULY 18-20Texas Hunter AssociationTexas Hunter’s and Sportsman’s ExpoMcAllen Convention Center(956) 664-2884texashuntersassociation.com

JULY 19-20Texas Gun & Knife ShowAmarillo Civic Center(830) 285-0575texasgunandknifeshows.com

JULY 22-27Lone Star ShootoutPort O’Connorhbgfc.com

JULY 24Dallas Safari ClubNew Member Lobster BoilPlace TBD(972) 980-9800biggame.org

JULY 24-27Port Mansfi eld Fishing TournamentChamber of Commerce Pavilion(956) 944-2354portmansfi eldchamber.org

JULY 25-269TH Annual Ladies Fishing TournamentAransas Pass Civic Centercbga.org

JULY 26Galveston Bay FoundationLadies Casting for Conservation Fishing TournamentStingaree Restaurant and Marina, Crystal Beach(713) 598-8338galvbay.org

JULY 26-27Lake Fork OpenOak Ridge Marina(903) 878-2529lakeforkopen.org

Cabela’s Archery ClassicAll Cabela’s storescabelas.com

JULY 30 - AUG. 3Texas International Fishing TournamentPort Isabel(956) 943-8438tift.org

JULY 31Ducks UnlimitedNorth Houston DinnerShirley Acres(281) 541-9263ducks.org/Texas

AUGUST 1National Wild Turkey FederationNorth Texas Chapter The Courses at Watters Creek, Plano(432) 352-3257nwtf.org/Texas

AUGUST 1-3Texas Trophy Hunters AssociationHunters ExtravaganzaReliant Center, Houstonttha.com

AUGUST 2Mule Deer FoundationBrown County Chapter Banquet(817) 565-7121muledeer.org/events

Coastal Conservation AssociationGalveston Chapter BanquetGalveston Island Convention Center(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

AUGUST 6Delta WaterfowlNorth Houston BanquetHouston Distribution Company(281) 914-8954deltawaterfowl.org

AUGUST 7Ducks Unlimited Allen DinnerCross Creek Ranch, Parker(214) 455-3082ducks.org/Texas

Delta WaterfowlLamar County banquetLove Civic Center, Paris(903) 517-5889deltawaterfowl.org

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AUGUST 7-9Texas Deer AssociationAnnual Convention and FundraiserJW Marriott Hill County, San Antonio(210) 767-8300texasdeerassociation.com

AUGUST 8National Wild Turkey FederationHarris County Wildlife Group BanquetWhitney Oaks Hall(832) 292-1811nwtf.org

AUGUST 9Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationNorth Texas BanquetEmbassy Suites, Grapevine(972) 740-7744rmef.org/Texas

National Wild Turkey FederationCross Timbers BanquetDecatur Civic Center(940) 393-8908nwtf.org

National Wild Turkey FederationDeep East Texas BanquetThe Event Center, Jasper(409) 382-5752nwtf.org

CoastalConservation AssociationAransas Bay Chapter BanquetPaws N’ Taws(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

AUGUST 9-10Texas Gun & Knife ShowAbilene Civic Center(830) 285-0575texasgunandknifeshows.com

AUGUST 14Coastal Conservation AssociationLower Laguna Madre Chapter BanquetPort Isabel Event and Cultural Center(713) 626-4222

AUGUST 9-10


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PURSUIT CHANNELF&Ts Freedom OutdoorsAvian XCanadian WhitetailsReal Shot OutdoorsJust HuntThe American WaySpook NationLove of the HuntCabela’s Deer Gear TV

Flyway HighwaysTNT Outdoor ExplosionWinchester & Drurys Natural Born

PURSUIT CHANNEL Double Lung TVHartcraft Hunting AdventuresThe Bear WhispererBucket ListHank Parker 3DWildlife Pursuit TVBowhunting Addiction TVShoot StraightBob Redfern Outdoor Magazine

BloodlineSpook NationBucket List

PURSUIT CHANNEL DU TVButtermilk TVSpiritual Outdoor AdventuresHoney Brake ExperienceGamekeepers of Mossy OakSave the Habitat, Save the HuntKT DiariesHunt Wicked CloseOpen SeasonSportingdog AdventuresThe High Road w/Keith WarrenThe Bear WhispererNWTF 365

PURSUIT CHANNEL Natural BornAWA Whitetail PresentsStruttinbucksWallhanger TVBackland OutdoorsWhitetail DiariesBig Boys AdventureWhere in the World is Colorado BuckUltimate OutdoorsTNT Outdoor ExplosionHartcraft HuntingCarnivoreAmericana Outdoors

PURSUIT CHANNEL The RushRadical HunterTrigger TimeAmerican AirgunnerAmerican Trigger SportsGun Talk TVChampionship SeasonGuns and Gear TV3 Gun Nation

Backland OutdoorsCarnivoreAmericana Outdoors

PURSUIT CHANNEL Honey Brake ExperienceFlyway HighwayThe GrindDU TVAvian XSportingdog AdventureHunting with HECSCampfi re StoriesShow of Support

Where in the World is Colorado BuckJust HuntGun Talk TV

PURSUIT CHANNELCarnivoreInto the WildHeadhunter ChroniclesThe High Road w/Keith WarrenDeer ThugsWinchester & Drury’s Natural BornNWTF 365BloodlineBrush Country MonstersSave the Habitat, Save the HuntJust HuntHunting with HECSDU TV

SPORTSMAN CHANNELThe Legacy

Guns & AmmoDavidson’s Gallery of GunsHandguns and Defensive WeaponsRuger Inside and OutBeyond the Battlefi eldWinchester ArcheryGuns & AmmoDavidson’s Gallery of GunsHandguns and Defensive WeaponsRuger Inside and OutBeyond the Battlefi eld SPORTSMAN CHANNEL The Trembling Giant

Realtree’s Monster BucksMajor League BowhunterRival WildWhitetail Properties Dreams to RealitySavage OutdoorsBrad Farris’ Game PlanRealtree’s Monster BucksMajor League BowhunterRival WildWhitetail PropertiesSavage Outdoors

SPORTSMAN CHANNEL Major League Bowhunter

North American WhitetailSkull Bound TVMathews Dominant BucksOutfi ttersrating TVWhitetail SLAMDreamPoint’s Extend Your Range TVNorth American WhitetailSkull Bound TVMathews Dominant BucksOutfi ttersrating TVWhitetail SLAM

SPORTSMAN CHANNEL The Trembling Giant

North American WhitetailDestination WhitetailMatthew’s Dominant BucksBuckventuresBig Deer TVAdrenaline JunkiesBig Deer TVNorth American WhitetailDestination WhitetailMatthew’s Dominant BucksBuckventures

SPORTSMAN CHANNEL Big Deer TV

Bowhunter TVRelentless PursuitName the GameMidwest WhitetailEaston BowhuntingAmerican RebelBowhunter TVRelentless PursuitName the GameMidwest WhitetailEaston Bowhunting

SPORTSMAN CHANNEL Full Draw AdventureWhitetail FixHardcore PursuitWorld of Sports Afi eldWorld of BerettaThe WildlifersBlue Collar AdventuresOn The RoadHardcore PursuitWorld of Sports Afi eldWorld of BerettaThe WildlifersBlue Collar Adventures

SPORTSMAN CHANNELBohning’s Whitetail JourneyWhitetail SlamPigman: The SeriesGun It with Benny SpiesPetersen’s HuntingOff-Grid HunterPure HuntingTravelin’ HunterPigman: The SeriesGun It with Benny SpiesPetersen’s HuntingOff-Grid HunterPure Hunting

OUTDOOR CHANNELWestern ExtremeWhitetail FreaksMichael Waddell’s Bone CollectorGregg Ritz’s Hunt MastersHeartland BowhunterTerritories WildAdventure BowhunterRam Outdoorsman The Best of the WestWardens presented by StreamlightPro Hunt JournalRMEF Team ElkRam Outdoorsman

OUTDOOR CHANNELInside Outdoors TVFlesh and BloodThe Hit ListTed Nugent Spirit of the WildMossy Oak’s Hunting the CountryDriven with Pat and NicoleDrury’s THIRTEENDream SeasonEastman’s Hunting TVShawn Michael’s MRAPrimos Truth About HuntingDrury’s THIRTEENPSE’s Wild Outdoors

OUTDOOR CHANNELJim Shockey’s Uncharted

Midway USA’s Gun Stories

Shooting USA

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Midway USA’s Gun Stories

OUTDOOR CHANNELThe Fowl LifeHigh PlacesBeyond the HuntThe Hunt with Greg and JakeRealtree RoadtripsRealtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Bow MadnessJim Shockey’s UnchartedPSE’s Wild OutdoorsJim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures The Jackie Bushman ShowThe Crush with Lee and TiffanyUltimate Hunting

OUTDOOR CHANNELJim Shockey’s Uncharted

Solo HunterWinchester LegendsFear No EvilPrimal InstinctRazor Dobbs AliveWinchester Rack MastersDriven with Pat and NicoleRam OutdoorsmanMossy Oak’s Hunting the CountryMichael Waddell’s Bone CollectorJim Shockey’s Uncharted

OUTDOOR CHANNEL Under Wild SkiesShawn Michael’s MRABest of the WestSteve’s Outdoor AdventuresRoger Raglin OutdoorsUltimate HuntingTrophy QuestChoose Your WeaponHeartland BowhunterBuck Commander Ted Nugent Spirit of the WildCraig Morgan’s All Access OutdoorsLive 2 Hunt

OUTDOOR CHANNELMathews TV with Dave WatsonCrush with Lee and TiffanyJim Shockey’s Hunting AdventuresWildgame NationRealtree OutdoorsPrimos Truth About HuntingNRA All AccessMichael Waddell’s Bone CollectorBottom FeedersJim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures Jim Shockey’s Hunting AdventuresRealtree OutdoorsWildgame Nation

WORLD FISHING NETWORKAngler West TVThe Scott Martin ChallengeBreaking BoundarioesBass 2 Billfi shSkeeter’s Bass ChampsTimmy Horton OutdoorsKayak Bassin’ TVBigg Bass BattleSouth Bend’s LunkervilleCanadian Sportfi shingBreaking Boundaries Bass 2 Billfi sh

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Fin N SkinsThe New Fly FisherGuided with Mark MelnykThe SessionKings of the RiverDestination Spain The Next Bite TVUltimate Fishing ExperienceThe Legacy ExperienceFlorida Adventure QuestGuided with Mark MelnykThe Session

WORLD FISHING NETWORKReel AnimalsLindner’s Ultimate AnglerBill Boyce’s BajaGeorge Poveromo’s Saltwater FishingFlats ClassThe Hook and the CookCanadian Sportfi shingJarrett Edward’s OutdoorsFishing 411Extreme Angler TVBill Boyce’s BajaGeorge Poveromo’s Saltwater Fishing

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Musky Hunter The Fishi’n’ Crazee ShowGuided with Mark MelnykMusky HunterFishing 411Game Fisher’s DiaryFishing with Bill MillerBig Coast Sportfi shingFish TVHookin’ Up with Nick and MarikoSilent InvadersThe Kayak Fishing Show

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Outdoor PassionJimmy Houston OutdoorsInside Sportfi shingCarolina’s Perfect CastJohn Gillespie’s Water & WoodsChilly on CarpFishing the FlatsThe Bass DoctorFLW TourHookin’ Up with Nick and MarikoInside Sportfi shingCarolina’s Perfect Cast

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Inside Sportfi shingThe New Fly FisherFlats ClassSkeeter Bass ChampsGuided with Mark MelnykSilent InvadersKrappie KingsThe Hook and the CookJarrett Edward’s OutdoorsThe Fish FindersFlats ClassSkeeter Bass Champs

WORLD FISHING NETWORK King of the RiverThe Scott Martin ChallengeLindner’s Ultimate AnglerWorld Fishing JournalBreaking BoundariesBill Boyce’s BajaGeorge Poveromo’s Saltwater FishingBass 2 Billfi shLunkerville ClassicsCanadian Sportfi shingLindner’s Ultimate AnglerWorld Fishing Journal

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Prime Time | July

The “Wild” Life with Mike and Heather

Hailing from the small Northeast Texas town of Blossom, Mike and Heather Ray are the hosts of the new hunting show The “Wild” Life with Mike and Heather.

The duo can be found chasing exotics, whitetails and waterfowl throughout the state on Dish channel 266 — Hunt Channel TV — and SuddenLink channel 99.

Mike and Heather continue to bring hunting and fi shing with friends and family (and a few celebrity friends they meet along the way) to their viewers and fans. The “Wild” Life has been, and always will be, a show that inspires every hunter and out-doorsman to get out and do. The “Wild” Life will always stand for sharing the everyday hunt-ing experience and showing a glimpse of what many may con-sider a dream hunt.

The “Wild” Life will always invite you along to experience the new, the different, and the attain-able for the average outdoors person.

DU TV coming to Pursuit Channel

The 2014 edition of the long-running Ducks Unlimited Television (DUTV) series, exclu-sively on the Pursuit Channel beginning June 30, will feature hunts from every major fl yway in North America. To include in-show vignettes, DUTV 2014 will feature fi lm from California, Utah, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama, North Dakota, Maryland and Saskatchewan, Canada.

DUTV’s primary airing is Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m., a centerpiece of Pursuit Channel’s Whistling Wings waterfowl block. From June 30 through December 2014 (Q3-4), DUTV will air four times weekly, including encores Mondays at 1:00 a.m., Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. EST.

The series is hosted by Ainsley Beeman, Wade Bourne, Field Hudnall and Zack Pederson with additional expert contributions from Phil Bourjaily (Duck Gun), Mike Stewart (Duck Dog), Scott Leysath (Sporting Chef) and Dale Hall (DU Insights).

— Staff report

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Puzzle solution from Page 22


LONE STAR MARKET

To advertise in this section, call Mike Hughs at (214) 361-2276 or email him at [email protected].

It is that time of year again when hunters and outdoorsmen from across Texas head south the McAllen Convention Center between July 18-20 to experience one of the best outdoor shows in the country — the Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo.

“We have had solid crowds over the past 23 years and the show’s attendance continues to grow each year,” said show Co-director Chris Curl. “This three-day weekend event is expected to draw several thousand hunting and fishing enthu-siasts and visitors from both sides of the border.”

Exhibits for everyone, including women and children, and all types of retailers representing all price levels will be on hand for attendees to check out.

Another 60 booths have been added this year, making this one of the largest and best-attended shows in Texas.

“Another thing we want to focus on this year

is the fact that we are going to have items for everyone, as usual, and a variety of exhibits to enjoy,” Curls said. “We will have smaller exhibits with more affordable items for everyone, as well.”

Want to go on a great hunt? The Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo is recognized as the high-est-quality hunting and fishing show in South Texas, with outfitters from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Africa booking hunts for white-tailed deer, big game, exotics, bear, moose, elk, mule deer, turkey, quail, dove and waterfowl.

Is fishing more your thing? Come and speak with trophy guides for bass and saltwater game fish. Also, a huge display of boats, motors, rods, reels, fishing lights, tackle and more are waiting for you this year.

“This is a show the entire family can enjoy,” Curl said. “There is something here for every-one. Wildlife art, hand-crafted rustic furniture,

Bar-B-Q pits, smoked meats, gourmet foods and exotic and silver jewelry, are just a few of the exhibits and attractions. Other feature attractions for the July show, include the following:

• Wildlife artist Don Breeden will be on hand • La Coma Ranch Inc. Trophy Exotic Exhibit • Trophy Whitetail Displays for the first time in the Valley • Hourly giveaways (fishing & hunting trips, gear and more) compliments of The Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo • CCA boat raffle — tickets will be on sale at the show for a chance to win this boat at the CCA banquet • Atascosa Wildlife Supply DEER BLINDS • Texas Hunter Products, Lehman H Feeders, and much more • Joe Martin’s Live Rattlesnake Pit —compliments of Bert Ogden

• Operation Game Thief Wildlife Trailer For more information, call (956) 664-2884, or go to www.texashunterassociation.com.

Photo by Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo.

Show season starts with Texas Hunter and Sportsman’s ExpoAdvertisement

July 11, 2014 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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