July 09, 2010 - Lone Star Outdoor News

Beneficial ’cane?

Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

July 9, 2010

Volume 6, Issue 22

Damage from Alex was minimal in Texas, and it could be good for game. Page 4

South of the border can be a booming place to fish offshore

Inside

❘❚ HUNTING

Dove, hunters are OK A recent disease outbreak is minor, and hunters are happy with the season and limits.

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Making it their own A wildlife association formed in South Texas is growing like a turkey poult.

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❘❚ FISHING

Big crevalle jack Have lure, will catch is the theme for the bite on jackfish this year.

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CALIENTE: Mexican waters can be a good place for Texas anglers to fish. Fishing there, however, means meeting the country’s regulations and dealing with its security situation, and sometimes complying with additional U.S. regulations. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

When in Mexico ...

Comfortable catch A million things can kill a bass in a livewell. A few tips can keep them swimming.

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By Thomas Phillips and Mary Helen Aguirre LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

When anglers lose sight of land on an offshore fishing trip, the view becomes the same for 360 degrees. Some deep-sea anglers will head south of the border for a change in scenery.

Michael Walker, captain of the Dock Holiday, a 42foot Bertram based in South Padre Island, has been investigating recently what it takes to take customers into Mexican waters, and the fishing is worth it.

“It’s really good in some spots,” Walker said.

“They have really good rock structure, wrecks and

stuff, that we’d love to fish.”

One spot, Sponge Rock, rises 90 feet off the ocean floor, and it’s about 35 miles southeast of South Padre Island, Walker said. It holds wahoo, tuna and amberjack, and sailfish are common — he once saw 60 — on the surface.

“It was absolutely nuts,” Walker said.

In addition to subsurface structure, Mexican shrimp boats also attract hordes of fish. Fishing shrimp boats is common for Texas anglers, but in Mexico, it’s a different game.

Shrimp boats anywhere will attract fish, often tuna. When shrimpers throw their bycatch over-

Circle gets a gold star Long popular for big game fish, circle hooks also go small LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

See SMALL CIRCLE HOOKS, Page 26

■ Offshore fishing: Anglers are catching snapper, amberjack and more in the hot summer season. Page 8

board, the swarming game fish below enjoy the feast.

“The thing about that is Texas shrimp boats are throwing their bycatch over the side. Mexican boats keep all their bycatch on board,” Walker said.

When that happens, the gamefish stay hungry See MEXICO, Page 20

Anyone may participate in simple survey of bobwhite bird calls

Quail counters hit low number, too

By Craig Nyhus

Bluegill and crappie anglers relish the fun of the 100-fish day. But many struggle with the disappointment of catching a small fish — too small to keep — that “swallowed” the hook. Seeing the hook deep in the gut or gills of the fish, if they try to get it out, there’s a good chance the damage will kill the fish.

Many simply cut the line just above the hook. The fish has a much better chance of survival, but it still doesn’t feel

INSIDE

By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

PERFECT POINT: Small circle hooks are handy for panfish. Lazer Sharp makes them in sizes 10, 12 and 14. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Numbers were low in the first go-round of Operation Pulse, a new bobwhite quail count to be held each spring. Numbers of human participants, that is.

Organizers had hoped to have 20 to 30 ranches participating in the survey of spring call counts, said Dave Barre, See QUAIL, Page 22

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HUNTING

Chicks, yearlings set to benefit from Alex Hurricane dumps inches of rain; wind less than expected FOR LONE STAR OUTDOORS NEWS

Hardie, a hunter and angler from San Benito, who received about 6 inches of rainfall on his ranch near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

If the chicks hatched this spring survived the deluge, they could benefit from the storm.

So much excess water can increase insect numbers. Chicks eat insects first, before they start eating grains.

Rather than causing widespread devastation, Hurricane Alex left a mostly positive mark on fish and wildlife in deep South Texas when it passed through July 1.

Outer bands from the storm, which made landfall in Mexico about 100 miles south of Brownsville, brought close to 7 inches of additional precipitation to the region. Rainfall totals for the year for Brownsville stood at 17.3 inches July 1, compared to the average of 10.84 inches.

After Alex, McAllen’s precipitation total stood at 21.61 inches, more than double the average of 9.86 inches.

“It’s definitively an above-normal year,” said Greg Flatt, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “This should benefit wildlife in South Texas unless there is something that doesn’t like rainfall.”

Wildlife had an abundant amount of food even before Alex, the first hurricane of the 2010 season, brought more water to South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Area ranchers said that rainfall is always good for wildlife such as white-tailed deer and bobwhite quail.

Quail could be negatively or positively impacted by Alex’s timing.

“If the young chicks have feathers and are able to fly, they will be OK,” said Doug

‘Looks real good’ Sam Patten, a biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife in Cameron County, said all of the recent rain should be good for quail and deer.

“Even if the storm destroyed some of the nests or killed the chicks, they (quail) will relay eggs,” he said. “Some chicks are born up to the month of August.”

He said doe deer should have their fawns by now in South Texas.

“I believe it’s going to be a great year for fawn survival,” he said. “I also expect to see quite a few twin yearlings.”

Patten said there is plenty of food, plenty of water and plenty of cover for all kind of wildlife this year.

“It looks real good out there,” he said. “It takes more nutrients for does to produce more milk, which is what the yearlings need at first.”

Hardie, who hunts quail near Fullerton and El Sauz in Willacy County, said he scouted both places recently and saw good crops of quail.

Hunting season will be good for quail and deer, Hardie predicts.

“It’s going to be good also for ducks because there are water spots everywhere now.”

Frank Yturria, a rancher and businessman

By Antonio Vindell

STORM DIET: Doe and yearling white-tailed deer in South Texas will reap a windfall of increased nutrients in the natural forage they eat this summer and fall. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

from Brownsville, said his ranch in Willacy County received about 8 inches during the storm.

Yturria was elated.

“This is wonderful,” he said. “We are going to have a lot of new grass, and that is good for deer, quail, nilgai, turkeys and hogs.”

As far as fishing is concerned, few boats were out over the weekend after the storm because of rough waters. Some fishing guides and area anglers said fishing was on the fair side.

Gilbert Vela, a veteran fishing guide from

Port Isabel, said the storm is going to be beneficial for fish and anglers alike.

“The main thing is that this storm is going to result in better fishing,” he said. “It has put a lot of fresh water into the Laguna Madre.

That will make the bay richer in food and nutrients, which is good for the food chain.”

If Alex’s impact proves positive, it will be the icing on an already good fishing season, anglers said.

“Fishing has been really good before Alex See HURRICANE, Page 7

Group making tracks in South Texas

Las Huellas is relocating turkeys, helping ranchers, teaching children

By Melissa Zamora

FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS What began as civic duty among a group of six Rio Grande Valley comrades quickly evolved into an organization of more than 400 South Texas wildlife advocates.

Las Huellas of South Texas was formed in 2005 by Valley residents Edward Marshall, Emmett Wells, Robert Cackley, Sam Manatt, Brad Wolfe and Edward Mathers to serve as an advocate for the benefit of South Texas wildlife and for the rights of South Texas wildlife managers, landowners and sportsmen in educational and wildlife habitatrelated arenas.

“Las Huellas” is Spanish for “The Tracks” — in this case, wildlife tracks, Cackley said.

“Our symbol is the wild turkey track,” he said. “The point of our track is that we are leaving our mark — our legacy — for future generations to enjoy.”

Las Huellas founders worked diligently for years to raise funds to support the National Wild Turkey Federation.

“Although we support all efforts to enhance wildlife, we chose to form a local organization where our efforts and benefit remain in South Texas,” Cackley said. “We are currently concentrating on the wildlife habitat needs and our commitment to Cameron County; however, we are Las Huellas of South Texas, and we plan to accommodate the needs of South Texas with our ideas and resources.”

Las Huellas continues to relocate turkeys to Cameron County. Since

MAKING TRACKS: Members of Las Huellas released turkeys on property in South Texas earlier this year. In addition to conservation, the association introduces children to the outdoors.

Photos by Las Huellas.

2009, the organization has released 85. In late June, it was reported that turkey poults were spotted at a South Texas ranch where turkeys were released.

“It’s a great feeling to see that our hard work is paying off,” he said.

Las Huellas is also dedicated to educating all persons, especially South Texas youth, about the conservation, management and enhancement of wildlife and responsible sportsmanship.

Las Huellas, in partnership with the city of Brownsville and with the support of many local sponsors, will hold a Kidfish event July 24 at a Brownsville resaca stocked

with more than 1,000 catfish. The first 200 registrants will receive rodand-reel combos, and all children ages 6 to 16 will have an opportunity to learn more about fishing.

“We want to introduce the outdoor recreational experience to children in our community,” said David Mendez, a Las Huellas member and event organizer. “We’re giving away free rod-and-reel combos because we want children to continue to enjoy the outdoors with their families.”

Other projects the association is exploring are shooting and hunter education camps and workshops for youth.

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

DOVE DISEASE: Dove can transfer a potentially deadly single-celled parasite by oral contact, which often occurs when mothers feed their chicks. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Recent dove die-offs no reason to panic Parasite hurts ability to eat, sometimes kills thousands

By Mark England LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

A recent outbreak of avian trichomoniasis among dove is an annual event and poses no threat to the public, said Corey Mason, the dove program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Mason called the outbreak, which has led to reports of dead doves in South Texas and the Panhandle, “minor.”

“You see it annually, maybe five or 10 birds die off in a location,” Mason said. “It’s not unique to Texas or even the South. You see it all

over. It’s not something we anticipate being a problem.”

While avian trichomoniasis, caused by a naturally occurring single-cell parasite, can be fatal, outbreaks have never proved devastating, said a Texas A&M University veterinary professor.

“I suspect it’s one of those things that’s evolved to a situation where those birds that are really susceptible die off and are not in the breeding group anymore, and those with a good immunity survive and persist,” said Dr. Tom Craig, a professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. “It may help prevent overpopulation.”

One of the largest reported fatal outbreaks among doves occurred in the South from 19491951 when tens of thousands of birds died See DOVE, Page 6

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Survey: Texas hunters like winter split, 15-bird bag A recent opinion survey conducted by the state indicates Texas dove hunters are content with the current seasons and bag limits, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

The department sought feedback from hunters on season structures and bag limits in an August 2009 mail survey sent to 7,500 recipients. The return rate was 23.8 percent, with 1,650 surveys returned.

TPW specifically wanted to gauge opinions on late season hunting in the North Zone, late season interest in the South Zone and the 15-bird daily bag limit for the Central and South Zones.

North Zone hunters preferred a split season,

Dove

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from the parasite. As many as 100,000 mourning doves died in Alabama alone during this period. The deaths spurred modern research into avian trichomoniasis.

Although the population of doves — particularly mourning doves — is trending slightly downward, TPW said avian trichomoniasis is not a significant factor in that trend.

“We have a breeding population of 20 million mourning doves,” Mason said. “Only a very small number die from this.”

Craig said avian trichomoniasis among doves is generally confined to the young.

That’s because adult birds feed milk produced in their crop to their young. The resulting infection in the offspring can be mild or rapidly lead to death.

“If the infection is really hot, they never get out of the nest,” Craig said. “If their immune system is able to click on fast enough, they’re able to compensate and become chronic carriers of the infection. It becomes a standoff between the host and the parasite.”

The infection can be passed along to adult birds at feeding and watering stations.

“If the birds there are well-fed or there aren’t any adverse weather conditions, they’re able to tolerate a lot higher level of parasites than those birds that are right on the edge,” Craig said.

TPW put out a press release on the avian trichomoniasis outbreak, but Mason said it was only meant to be informational — not to sound an alarm.

“We don’t want to blow anything out of pro-

which includes late season hunting, by 56.7 percent, with a shorter late segment being most preferred. South Zone hunters also prefer to open as early as possible and hunt as late in the season as allowed by federal law over having a consistent closing date.

Texas boasts 350,000 dove hunters and the survey showed 44.5 percent hunt in the Central Zone. Before the 2009-10 season, hunters in the Central Zone preferred a longer season and smaller bag limit. However, with both 70 days and a 15-bird limit now available, Central Texas dove hunters are content.

— Texas Parks and Wildlife report

portion,” Mason said. “But we occasionally get calls from people who find dead birds at feeders and wonder what’s going on, and we’re trying to address their questions.”

Avian trichomoniasis is easy to recognize, even if you’re not a biologist, Mason said.

“There’s swelling around the face, and what looks like cottage cheese by the mouth,” he said. “Birds appear sickly, lifeless. They don’t have a lot of energy.”

The parasite can also lead to mouth lesions that limit a bird’s ability to feed, which can cause it to lose weight and ultimately die.

Although avian trichomoniasis poses no risk to hunters and other members of the public, TPW’s release urged people to take precautions when handling sick or dead birds.

“That’s just their way of saying there might be something else — avian trichomoniasis and something else — involved,” Craig said.

“You don’t know.”

Drugs are available to treat the parasite among captive populations of birds, but nothing for those in the wild. Outbreaks typically resolve themselves, Mason said. However, steps can be taken to limit an outbreak once detected.

TPW recommends removing dead birds and cleaning a feeder or artificial water source frequently with a 10 percent solution of household bleach in water. If an outbreak is detected in an area, replenish feeders and artificial water sources with fresh feed and water daily.

If that’s inconvenient, Mason recommends removing feeders and artificial water sources altogether.

“Just eliminate the transmission at the source,” he said.

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STORM DAMAGE: A private dock and pier at Port Isabel were destroyed by wind and waves associated with Hurricane Alex, but reports of other damage were minimal. Photo by Antonio Vindell, for LSON.

Hurricane

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headed this way,” said Stephen Murphy, with Murphy’s Charter Services on South Padre Island. “I believe the storm is going to make fishing even better.”

The Murphys went out Saturday, Sunday and Monday on deep-sea fishing trips and said fishing wasn’t very good because of strong currents, but hope things will get better within a week.

He said that offshore fishing could get a lot better.

“We fish on top of rock bottoms,” he said.

“A storm makes the fish swing from rocks to rocks, but they don’t go away.”

Vela, who was born and reared in Port Isabel, has been through several storms and hurricanes, he said.

“I went fishing a few days after Dolly hit us directly two years ago,” he said. “Fishing was a little too hard because the fish went into areas they weren’t before.”

Hurricane Alex is different, he said.

“It gave us a little scare,” he said, “as it went

farther south.”

The hurricane landed in La Carbonera, a fishing community east of San Fernando, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, leaving South Texas exposed to the storm’s powerful eyewall.

The Valley fared well though. Other than knocking down a few trees and fireworks stands, Alex caused little damage.

A private fishing pier and marina at a new condominium complex in Port Isabel took a beating from the wind and waves. The docks were destroyed, leaving wood scattered all around it.

By the time the storm reached Falcon Lake, it was almost tapped out on rainfall. The popular bass lake received almost 3 inches of water.

Mario Gomez, acting assistant director for the International Boundary and Water Commission, said the water level at the dam is at a little more than 70 percent of its full capacity of 301 feet.

“I heard fishing is real good right now,” he said after the storm hit. “That is what fishermen are saying.”

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FISHING

Make it to the weigh-in Livewell can be a cool place on a hot summer day

By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

STILL ALIVE: Once fish make it to the boat, following a few tips can help keep them swimming. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Imagine being trapped in the trunk of a car on a stifling summer day.

The temperature is more than 120 degrees, and you begin to feel dizzy as sweat oozes from your pores.

Now imagine yourself on the bow of a bass boat nonchalantly tossing a spinnerbait toward some underwater cover. A cool breeze is blowing through your hair and the sun’s heat is warming your relaxed body.

Which position would you rather be in?

While you’re enjoying a cushioned seat and a beautiful summer day, the fish you so willingly plunged into your livewell is slowly and painfully struggling to find oxygen in the coffin-like darkness.

Avoiding fish mortality in warm weather conditions is something professional anglers battle on a weekly basis during summertime tournaments.

FLW angler Sean Hoernke of The Woodlands has fished for years in these high-temperature conditions and understands the pressures on the fish.

“It’s tough this time of year on those fish,” Hoernke said. “If people don’t pay attention to their livewells all day, it (fish mortality) can happen.”

Several factors come into play from the time a fish is caught to the

time it is weighed in at the end of the day.

From the initial handling and weighing of the fish until it is placed in a weigh-in bag, a few tips can help keep the fish alive.

Too hot to handle Water temperature and oxygen level in an angler’s livewell are the most crucial factors in ensuring the fish remain alive and healthy.

FLW tournament angler Clark Wendlandt of Leander said that filling your livewell early in the day and running its pump is a crucial key to keeping the water cool.

“Once you fill them up, you have to run them on recirculate,” Wendlandt said “You don’t want that hot water coming in, you want See LIVEWELL, Page 11

Mixed bag of fish for offshore anglers Snapper, grouper, amberjack and a whole lot more down deep off Texas coast

By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The waters off the Texas coast have provided anglers excellent fishing opportunities this summer.

Many anglers have reported high catches of red snapper, dorado, grouper and amberjack.

The red snapper fishing has seen high numbers of fish caught weighing more than 20 pounds.

John Shin of The Colony fished 80 miles offshore in late June. He and several anglers boated snapper weighing 20 ■ The Gulf pounds, including one shrimp season that weighed 25 pounds. begins again “The snapper are getJuly 15. ting bigger, and there are a lot more of them. To the point where it is getting difficult to run away from them,” Shin said. “You could be targeting grouper, for instance, and you might catch one grouper to every two or three snapper.”

Fishing out of Freeport, the group had success targeting grouper and amberjacks.

Although the water reached depths of 400 feet, a majority of their fishing occurred in the 150- to 200-foot range.

The key, Shin said, to finding pockets of amberjacks and grouper is to locate and track the schools as long as possible.

“Its all about how you find them and how you target them,” Shin said.

SHRIMP

HOLD ON: Tom Hedrick of Tallahassee, Fla., fights his first yellowfin tuna. The fish weighed an estimated 70 pounds. Anglers are fighting a wide variety of species offshore, including red snapper, amberjack, wahoo and tuna. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Shin and his fishing partners rely solely on a vertical jigging technique and do not fish with live baits.

“This whole going out there not making

any bait and using 100 percent artificial is the new era,” Shin said. “I am confident that you can outfish the bait fisherman and not get your hands dirty.”

However, guide Marc Wilkerson has found success while using live bait in 100 feet or less See OFFSHORE, Page 12

Big jacks not being picky Live bait, spoons — and innovation — working equally well for crevalle jack Crevalle jack fishing has returned to the Texas coast with a vengeance this summer.

Fishing from Sabine Lake down to Surfside Beach has seen many anglers catching jacks in excess of 30 pounds.

The jack fishing has seen the greatest catch numbers along structures and reefs.

But fishing the mouths of bayous has anglers hooking jacks off grass points.

Guide Thomas Barlow noted catching large numbers of jacks weighing 15 to 35 pounds around the Galveston Bay area.

The focus of many of his recent trips has been searching for large schools of jack and

tossing several variations on bait.

“We have found them in 15 to 20 feet,” Barlow said, “with the schools right along the boundary line at the rip between ingoing and outgoing tides.”

Most of the successful fishing, Barlow said, has been in the lower Galveston Bay area. He has caught jacks by throwing 3/4ounce silver and gold spoons, in 15 to 20 feet of water.

But Barlow has also caught jacks using live bait, working topwater rigs and artifiSee JACKS, Page 12

TIE ONE ON: Anglers are reporting catches of crevalle jack on a variety of lures.

Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

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CAPTURED: This photo of Bob Samford and his daughter, Shelby, with her friends Ashley Stowkoski and Elizabeth Connor and guide Mike Lowe is to become part of a painting by Sam Caldwell, who took the photograph.

Father-daughter trip a memorable experience Operation Game Thief auction buy includes art inspired by outing

By Melissa Zamora

FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Waking up three 19-year-old college students just before dawn is no small feat and generally results in upside-down smiles, pillow-styled hair and belly scratching.

Shelby Samford, Ashley Stowkoski and Elizabeth Connor, best friends since sixth grade, take summer vacations together with Samford’s father, Bob, as chaperone. They found themselves in Port Mansfield this year,

wade fishing for the first time.

“The first day of the trip, the girls didn’t want to get up and were dragging most of the morning,” Bob said. “They soon caught a 27 1/2 inch redfish, and they were suddenly wide awake with all the excitement.”

Bob Samford, an Operation Game Thief board member, purchased the trip as part of an auction package at the OGT annual banquet this spring. The package included a twoday guided fishing trip with Captains Lynn Waddell and Mike Lowe; a Sam Caldwell original giclée created from a photo the renowned artist took on the trip; and a custom-made OGT “Limited Edition” rod from Woodee Rods.

“I bought this for a generational moment,” See FATHER-DAUGHTER, Page 22

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TEXAS FISHING REPORT Sponsored by

HOT BITES LARGEMOUTH BASS

ATHENS: Good on soft plastic frogs and buzzbaits early, later switching to Texas rigs and Rat-L-Traps.

BELTON: Good on spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps around structure.

CEDAR CREEK: Good on buzzbaits, jigs and Texas rigs.

GRANGER: Good on Carolina-rigged soft plastic worms.

JOE POOL: Good on topwaters early, later switching to Texas rigs and crankbaits.

LAVON: Good on crankbaits, Senkos and Texas rigs.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

ARROWHEAD: White bass are excellent on jigs and small crankbaits off windswept points and along the dam on jigs and small crankbaits with some surface action.

LEWISVILLE: White bass are good on Rooster Tails.

MEREDITH: White bass are good on live bait and shad-colored crankbaits.

COOPER: Hybrid striper are good on Sassy Shad and live shad.

CATFISH

BUCHANAN: Yellow and blue catfish are very good on juglines and Trotlines baited with goldfish and perch upriver above the falls.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Channel and blue catfish are very good on trotlines baited with stinkbait and cut shad in 25 feet.

SAM RAYBURN: Very good on trotlines baited with live bait and cut bait.

CATFISH: Channel catfish are good on live and cut bait.

RAY ROBERTS: Good on prepared baits in 6-8 feet over baited holes.

TEXOMA: Good on cut and live shad.

TOLEDO BEND: Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait and stinkbait in 30 feet.

CRAPPIE WEATHERFORD: Good on minnows and jigs.

WHITE RIVER: Good on jigs and minnows.

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 82 degrees; .01’ low. Black bass are good on live bait, shad-colored spinnerbaits or crankbaits and watermelon or blackblue soft plastics or jigs suspended in brush and timber. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live bait.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 82 degrees; 2.59’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters, crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair. White bass are fair. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on cheesebait, shrimp, chicken livers and nightcrawlers over baited holes. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines and droplines.

ARROWHEAD: Water turbid; 80 degrees; 1.14’ low. Black bass are slow on crankbaits or chatterbaits in shallows off rocky areas. Crappie are fair. Blue catfish are good on rod and reel using cheese bait or shad.

ATHENS: Water fairly clear, 85-90 degrees; 0.21’ high. Crappie are fair.

Catfish are good on nightcrawlers.

BASTROP: Water clear. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on frozen shrimp, minnows and stinkbait.

good on topwaters early, later switching to Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and chrome Rat-L-Traps.

5 pounds are good on deep running crankbaits and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits. Crappie are slow. Drum are fair on nightcrawlers. Channel and blue catfish are fair on cut bait and punchbait. Yellow catfish are good on juglines baited with perch.

degrees; 0.30’ high. Black bass to 10 pounds are good on Rat-L-Traps and watermelon seed soft plastic worms and white spinnerbaits near the dam and off rocky points in 8-16 feet. Crappie are fair. Bream are good on live worms off piers and over grass beds.

COLEMAN: Water fairly clear; 81 degrees; 8.14’ low. Black bass are fair on watermelon red and watermelon green spinnerbaits and soft plastics.

Hybrid striper are fair. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles in 20-30 feet.

Channel catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 81 degrees; 7.53’ low. Black bass are good on black/blue jigs, watermelon candy soft plastics and live bait worked along grass lines and suspended along timber.

Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

White bass are good on live bait and small shad-colored crankbaits. Catfish are good on live bait.

CONROE: Water fairly clear; 0.47’ low.

Black bass are good on Carolina-rigged soft plastics, crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

Striped bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on stinkbait, chicken livers and nightcrawlers.

HOT SPOT

BELTON: Water clear; 82 degrees; 2.35’ low. Hybrid striper are fair. White bass are fair on minnows and white riversides under lights at night. Crappie are fair.

Channel catfish are good on trotlines baited with shrimp and stinkbait. Blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 83 degrees; 6.08’ low. Black bass to 4 pounds are excellent on perch-colored crankbaits and redbug and watermelon GrandeBass Finesse worms. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are excellent on Li’l Fishies over brush piles. Channel catfish are good over baited holes. Yellow catfish are excellent on trotlines baited with perch in 3-10 feet.

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 83 degrees; 9.17’ low. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged grape worms, flukes and watermelon topwaters along stumps on sloping island points and secondary points of pockets in 5-15 feet at daylight.

Striped bass are fair. White bass are slow.

Crappie are good on minnows and crappie jigs over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on live bait and dip bait.

CALAVERAS: Water clear; 81 degrees.

Black bass are slow. Striped bass are fair.

Redfish are excellent down-rigging silver and gold spoons and live bait along the crappie wall and the dam in 10-20 feet, on live perch and tilapia. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are excellent on liver, cheesebait and shad. Blue catfish are excellent on liver and cut bait.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 79 degrees; 0.66’ high. Black bass are fair. Striped bass are slow drifting live bait and trolling crankbaits. White bass are slow.

Smallmouth bass are good on root beer grubs and craws. Crappie are fair.

Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are very good on juglines and trotlines upriver.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 86-89 degrees; 0.01’ high. White bass are good. Hybrid striper are good on swim baits. Crappie are fair. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

CHOKE CANYON: Water fairly clear; 82 degrees; 3.51’ low. Black bass to

Caddo

Water murky; 87-91 degrees; 0.74’ high.

Black bass are good on Scum Frogs, Senkos and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows and jigs.

White bass are good on Little Georges.

Catfish are fair.

BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 86-91 degrees; 0.45’ low. Black bass are fair on Yellow Magics and Stanley Ribbits early, later switching to jigs, Carolina rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles and around bridge columns. White bass are fair.

Catfish are good on prepared bait.

BRAUNIG: Water clear; 81 degrees. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms in reeds and near the jetty and dam. Striped bass are fair. Redfish are excellent on perch, tilapia shad and silver spoons and down-rigging near the jetty and dam. Channel and blue catfish are very good on liver, shrimp, cut bait and cheesebait near the dam and the hot water discharge.

JOE POOL: Water off-color; 86-90 degrees; 0.54’ low. Crappie are fair.

White bass are good on Rooster Tails.

Catfish are fair to good on prepared bait and cut shad.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water murky; 86 degrees; 3.54’ high. Black bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows at Crappie Point and near the dam. Channel catfish are good on minnows and stinkbait. Blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with perch and goldfish.

O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 81 degrees; 22.66’ low. Black bass are good on green pumpkin or red shad soft plastics, baby bass crankbaits, white spinnerbaits and live bait worked along grass lines and timber. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on live bait and chrome crankbaits.

Smallmouth bass are good on shadcolored soft plastic jerkbaits.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 81 degrees; 1.00’ low. Black bass are good on Senkos, shad-colored buzzbaits and spinnerbaits in mid-lake pockets.

Crappie are fair. White bass are good on live bait, silver/black back crankbaits and jigging spoon. Stripers are good on shadcolored crankbaits. Catfish are good on shad and worms.

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 86-91 degrees; 1.7’ low. Black bass are fair to good on medium running pearl crankbaits, white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, Carolina rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around the bridges and in the marinas. White bass are excellent on topwaters, small swimbaits and spoons.

Hybrid striper are fair to good on Sassy Shad. Catfish are fair.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 85-88 degrees; 0.68’ low. Black bass are good at night on Texas-rigged 10” blue fleck worms. Crappie are excellent on minnows over brush piles. White bass are excellent on clear Tiny Torpedoes.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 82 degrees; 2.52’ low. Black bass are fair on minnows and watermelon soft plastic worms. White bass are fair on minnows.

Crappie are good on minnows and blue/black tube jigs over brush piles in 20-30 feet. Bream are fair.

COOPER: Water off-color; 87-90 degrees; 1.41’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters early, later switching to Texas rigs and Senkos. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows over brush piles. White bass are good. Catfish are fair.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 86-91 degrees; 1.53’ high. Black bass are fair on frogs early, later switching to Texas rigs and 5” weightless watermelon seed Yum Dingers. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair.

FALCON: Water fairly clear; 86 degrees.

Black bass are good on deep running crankbaits and large worms. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are good on jigs.

Channel and blue catfish are excellent on cut bait and frozen shrimp.

LAVON: Water stained; 86-90 degrees; 1.56’ low. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles and around bridge columns. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared bait.

FAYETTE: Water clear; 84 degrees. Black bass are fair on watermelon red and watermelon gold Carolina-rigged soft plastics in 12-18 feet off points and on topwaters and buzzbaits early and late.

Channel and blue catfish are fair.

FORK: Water fairly clear; 86-90 degrees; 0.2’ low. Black bass are fair on soft plastic frogs early, later switching to jigs, RatL-Traps, Senkos and Texas and Carolina rigs. Night fishing for black bass good on black spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged 10” black/blue worms. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair.

GRANBURY: Water clear; 0.30’ low. Black bass are fair on Carolina-rigged soft plastic worms and lizards and on crankbaits.

Striped bass are fair on minnows. White bass are fair. Crappie are fair. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers.

GRANGER: Water clear; 83 degrees; 2.16’ low. White bass are fair. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs in 5-12 feet. Blue catfish are good on shad and prepared bait in shallow water. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 85-91 degrees; 0.45’ low. Black bass are fair on medium running shad pattern crankbaits, Texas rigs and wacky rigs.

Crappie are fair. White bass are good on Rooster Tails, topwaters and Little Georges. Catfish are good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 90

LBJ: Water stained; 82 degrees; 0.40’ low. Black bass are fair on black/blue 1/4 oz. Erratic jigs, topwaters and weightless watermelon red Whacky Sticks along seawalls and docks in 4-10 feet at daylight. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair. Channel catfish are fair. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 87-91 degrees; 0.99’ low. Black bass are fair on white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigs and jigs.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around the bridges. Hybrid striper are fair. Catfish are good on prepared bait and cut shad.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 83 degrees; 0.19’ high. Black bass are good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on shad.

MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 79’ low. Black bass are good on live bait, topwaters, shad-colored crankbaits and black/chartreuse jigs or Texas-rigged soft plastics along grass lines and rocky points. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Smallmouth bass are good on live bait and chrome jerkbaits along rocky points. Walleye are good on live bait and bottom bouncers.

Channel catfish are good on live bait.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 85-96 degrees; 0.39’ high. Black bass are

TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 86-91 degrees; 0.59’ low. Black bass are good on buzzbaits and Zell Pops early, later switching to Carolina-rigged creature baits, white spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and weightless Yum Dingers. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Little Georges and minnows.

Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair.

Catfish are fair.

TEXOMA: Water off-color; 85-90 degrees; 0.77’ low. Black bass are fair to good on topwaters early, later switching to jigs, drop-shot rigs, spinnerbaits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles and around bridge columns. Striped bass are good on live shad and topwaters.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 83 degrees; 3.27’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are fair. White bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs over baited holes in 15-20 feet.

Bream are good on crickets.

TRAVIS: Water fairly clear; 82 degrees; 6.50’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon worms and bone topwaters in 5-20 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on fresh cut bait and nightcrawlers in 25-35 feet.

WEATHERFORD: Water lightly stained; 86-91 degrees; 0.74’ low. Black bass are fair to good on buzzbaits early, later switching to Texas rigs and spinnerbaits.

Catfish are fair. White bass are good.

WHITE RIVER: Water stained; 80 degrees; 24.38’ low. Black bass are good on live bait, watermelon pepper soft plastics and green pumpkin/chartreuse jigs. Walleye are fair on live bait and white/blue back jerkbaits. Channel catfish are good on cut and live bait.

WHITNEY: Water fairly clear; 4.45’ low.

Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair. Crappie are fair.

SALTWATER SCENE NORTH SABINE: Trout are good in the river on live shad. Trout are fair to good under birds and shad on soft plastics. Redfish are good under shad on topwaters.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and topwaters. Trout are good while drifting scattered shell on plastics.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Trout are good at Rollover Pass in the afternoon on the outgoing tide.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Trout, redfish and flounder are good at the spillway on live bait.

Redfish have been schooling on the surface around midday.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and plum plastics. Trout are good on the south shoreline.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Trout are fair to good on the shorelines on croakers and topwaters.

TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good on the reefs and in the channel on live shrimp and croakers.

Redfish and sand trout are fair to good in Moses Lake on shrimp.

FREEPORT: Trout are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp, MirrOlures and soft plastics. Trout, redfish, sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Trout are good early in the morning at the jetties on live shrimp.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good for drifters on live shrimp over mid-bay reefs.

Redfish are good in the middle of the bay on live shrimp near slicks. Trout are good on topwaters while wading reefs.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters. Redfish are good on topwaters and live shrimp in Oyster Lake. Trout are fair to good at the Cedars on soft plastics.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on topwaters and live bait over sand, grass and shell in San Antonio Bay. Recent storms brought in an abundance of water affecting sight-fishing.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good in the guts and channels on free-lined shrimp.

Trout are fair over grass while drifting with live shrimp. Redfish are fair to good in the back reaches of the marsh with high tides.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Redfish are fair on the East Flats on topwaters and Gulp!. Offshore is good for red snapper, kingfish and ling.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on Gulp! and live shrimp.

Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp.

Trout are fair near Shamrock Cove.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on topwaters around rocks and grass near the Badlands.

Trout are fair at night in the Land Cut on live shrimp. Trout are fair to good while drifting grass around spoil islands on soft plastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters on the edge of the channel and around sand and grass.

Redfish are fair to good while drifting pot holes. Offshore is good for red snapper, kingfish and ling.

SOUTH PADRE: Tarpon are showing at the pass. Trout are good on shrimp and DOA Shrimp while drifting the grass beds.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the flats on live shrimp.

LSONews.com

Livewell

Continued from Page 8

that water to stay cool all day long.”

Wendlandt also uses bags of ice to keep the water about 65 degrees. Generally he keeps five or six bags of ice in an extra storage compartment on his boat. He adds half-bags of ice into his livewell every hour or so, depending on how high the water temperature is.

Mixed blessing But, by the addition of ice, chemicals such as chlorine can enter into the water system, which can be equally as dangerous as not cooling the water. That is why the use of chemicals to improve oxygen levels and eliminate harmful toxins is fairly common among most professional anglers. Rejuvenade allows for the replenishment of resources and counteracts any chemicals that may have come from the ice. A capful of the powder can revitalize a 20gallon livewell for several hours.

Well-oxygenated water has 8 to 12 parts per million of oxygen. When a livewell’s oxygen level dips below 6.5 ppm, a bass will begin to suffocate. Lower levels can cause what Bill Taylor, the director of tournament operations for FLW outdoors, calls delayed mortality.

“Anglers need to be aware that in hot weather conditions the fish are more susceptible to a delayed mortality,” Taylor said. “If you don’t have proper care from the first catch it can be serious towards the end of the day.”

The more fish that are in a contained system, the higher the demand will be for oxygen. This is especially taxing on an oxygen supply when many fish weighing several pounds each are present.

Other technology that anglers use in their boats is the use of onboard aerators and oxygenators. These filter water, working more oxygen into a livewell system, giving the fish a more realistic lake environment. The drawback to this technology is that it is not standard on many fishing boats and cost an angler upwards of $100.

Taylor does agree that although the initial cost may be more to equip a boat with advanced water systems, it can mean placing higher in tournaments.

“It (aeration systems) should impact their purchase decision,” Taylor said. “If I was going to be a tournament angler I wouldn’t want to lose money or weight due to expired fish.”

Part of the role that Taylor plays in oversee-

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Living longer ■ Avoid deep-hooking bass while fishing; focus on clean removal of hook from the fish.

■ Avoid touching or slamming bass onto the hot carpet deck of the boat; this will remove their slimecoat.

■ Measure or weigh the bass as quickly as possible and place it into the livewell immediately. Do not keep fish from water for extended periods of time.

■ If photographing fish, hold at lip while supporting the body of the fish. Holding only the lip can break the jaw, which will lead to feeding issues later.

■ Fill livewells early in the day during cooler temperatures. Do this in areas of lake the where the oxygen level in water is high.

■ Use bags of ice to keep livewell water cool throughout the day. Add slowly over time so as not to shock the fish with cold water.

■ Run aerators and recirculate water constantly throughout day. Avoid leaving on timed aeration.

■ Flush water from livewells every few hours, and replace with clean water from main parts of the lake. Flushing removes waste or chemical accumulation that may harm fish.

■ Chemicals can help revitalize fish and eliminate the adverse effects of ice-borne chemicals.

■ At weigh-in, quickly transfer fish from livewell to holding area, minding the time that the fish are out of the water.

ing FLW tournaments is in the regulations that tournament directors have for fish care.

He works with many tournament directors to ensure anglers have the proper knowledge and skills to keep the caught fish alive.

Taylor said that most tournaments have geographical restrictions on them to reduce the stressful factors that warm-weather areas present during tournament dates. The cut-off for most tournaments south of the Ohio River, he said, is generally by July 1.

He said that tournament directors focus heavily on providing resources for the anglers.

At a recent tournament at Lake Guntersville in Alabama, they provided anglers with a bottle of Rejuvenade and bags of ice at the boat ramp.

“They are all about trying to keep the resource alive and not hurt the fish,” Wendlandt said.

July 9, 2010

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July 9, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LSONews.com

Jacks

Continued from Page 8

cial baits.

Near Bolivar and the Galveston ship channel, guide Sean Stowell landed jacks upwards of 35 pounds.

Although not landing high quantities of jacks, he feels that as the wind begins to cooperate, the fishing will pick up.

“The wind has picked up the last couple of weeks,” Stowell said. “(Now) it has died down, so I intend to see a lot of wade fisherman catching jacks off the beach front.”

Stowell has caught jacks on live baits such as shrimp and croakers while fishing for other species.

He has landed fish during the morning hours in depths of 6 to 8 feet and in the afternoon at about 10 feet.

One reason he has not targeted jacks at this point is because he has seen them attacking bait that is frequented by sharks.

“I have been seeing huge schools of them beating on the shad,” Stowell said.

“We haven’t fished them too much because you get in the middle with the sharks and lose too much tackle.”

One last cast Terry Goode of Houston hooked a jack while fishing in Bastrop Bayou, northeast of Freeport.

Using a modified fly rod altered with a spinning reel, Goode had spent most of the morning fishing for gafftopsail catfish while using dead shrimp.

Before heading in for the day, Goode made a final cast with one of the shrimp, letting it sink to the bottom. Upon his retrieve, something hit Goode’s line hard.

“It shot to the left, and I worked him back,” Goode said. “It then shot to the right, and this fish started making big circles.”

When Goode finally landed the fish, he noticed it did not have the familiar markings of the gafftop he expected it to be.

“I had thought it might be a big gafftop, but after working him more and getting him closer to the bank, I could not tell what it was,” Goode said, “until I saw that mouth and head.”

Goode’s jack measured more than 40 inches and weighed more than 22 pounds.

— Nicholas Conklin

Offshore

Continued from Page 8

of water.

Using live piggy perch and sardines, Wilkerson has been able to land several snapper in the 8- to 20pound range.

“The red snapper bite has been good at about 100 feet, while the amberjack have been coming out at about 200 foot of water,” Wilkerson said.

Mark Kyer of Flower Mound uses both live and artificial baits while fishing close to 50 miles offshore out of Freeport.

The target of his June trip was snapper at 180 to 200 feet deep.

Using 5-ounce bucktail jigs tipped with sardines, Kyer caught snapper weighing 18 to 31 pounds.

After heading to deeper water in search of kingfish and amberjack, Kyer focused on two different techniques to catch these deeper fish.

“We headed to a rig and did a combination of jigging and putting down some live bait,” Kyer said.

The amberjack the group caught were landed in depths of about 300 feet. Again, Kyer turned to jigs tipped with sardines, which outproduced live hardtail baitfish.

“Jacks were biting pretty good,” Kyer said. “But we missed the opportunities on the live bait, and everything we picked up was on jigs.”

Kings and dorado In the upper portion of the water column, angler Ken Stuteville of Meeker, Okla., found success fishing for king mackerel and dorado.

Fishing about nine miles offshore out of Freeport, Stuteville caught several kings while fishing with ribbon baitfish near the surface.

“Most of them are right on top when we drift,” Stuteville said.

“We get in different columns in the water, and we catch some with weight on that will run 30 feet down.”

Stuteville found success on his most recent trip in late June by fishing near weeds close to 12 miles offshore.

Fishing with hard baits and squid, he has been able to catch chicken dorado in large numbers that average up to 24 inches in length.

“The further out the better,” Stuteville said. “As long as you keep one dolphin in the water the school will stay with the boat, and you can catch as many as you want.”

Weather at the end of June and early July was a minor issue for many anglers on the coast.

Hurricane Alex caused area fishing guides to cancel a few days of trips, as high winds and rain forced many anglers to stay on land.

“We’re getting the outer-band effects of the hurricane,” Wilkerson said. “But it’s looking good for the coming weeks and should be back to normal.”

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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Time

Height

Date Time Height Jul 9 4:40 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 10 5:16 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 11 5:50 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 12 6:22 a.m. 1.6 H Jul 13 6:51 a.m. 1.5 H Jul 14 7:17 a.m. 1.5 H Jul 15 7:40 a.m. 1.4 H Jul 16 12:26 a.m. 0.2 L Jul 17 1:19 a.m. 0.5 L Jul 18 2:33 a.m. 0.7 L Jul 19 1:31 a.m. 1.4 H Jul 20 2:57 a.m. 1.6 H Jul 21 3:52 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 22 4:36 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 23 5:14 a.m. 1.7 H

Time 7:39 p.m.

8:40 a.m.

8:55 a.m.

9:35 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:35 a.m.

12:46 p.m.

8:01 a.m.

8:20 a.m.

8:36 a.m.

5:28 a.m.

5:54 p.m.

6:44 p.m.

7:29 p.m.

8:11 p.m.

Height -0.5 L 1.0 L 1.0 L 0.9 L 0.8 L 0.7 L 0.5 L 1.4 H 1.3 H 1.4 H 0.8 L -0.4 L -0.4 L -0.4 L -0.4 L

Time

Height

Time

Height

10:53 a.m.

12:23 p.m.

1:41 p.m.

3:03 p.m.

4:36 p.m.

6:26 p.m.

2:14 p.m.

3:21 p.m.

4:22 p.m.

8:12 a.m.

1.7 H 1.7 H 1.7 H 1.6 H 1.4 H 1.2 H 0.3 L 0.0 L -0.2 L 1.5 H

8:43 p.m.

9:31 p.m.

10:19 p.m.

11:06 p.m.

11:54 p.m.

-0.6 L -0.6 L -0.5 L -0.4 L -0.1 L

8:31 p.m. 1.2 H 10:46 p.m. 1.4 H 5:19 p.m. -0.4 L

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Date Time Height Jul 9 5:11 a.m. 1.5 H Jul 10 5:53 a.m. 1.6 H Jul 11 6:32 a.m. 1.6 H Jul 12 7:03 a.m. 1.6 H Jul 13 7:23 a.m. 1.4 H Jul 14 7:31 a.m. 1.3 H Jul 15 7:30 a.m. 1.1 H Jul 16 12:38 a.m. 0.1 L Jul 17 1:26 a.m. 0.5 L Jul 18 2:17 a.m. 0.8 L Jul 19 2:22 a.m. 1.1 H Jul 20 3:32 a.m. 1.3 H Jul 21 4:20 a.m. 1.4 H Jul 22 5:03 a.m. 1.5 H Jul 23 5:44 a.m. 1.5 H

Time 7:47 p.m.

8:36 p.m.

9:25 p.m.

10:14 p.m.

11:03 p.m.

12:37 p.m.

1:08 p.m.

7:23 a.m.

7:10 a.m.

6:46 a.m.

4:23 a.m.

5:37 p.m.

6:34 p.m.

7:28 p.m.

8:18 p.m.

Height -1.0 L -1.1 L -1.0 L -0.9 L -0.6 L 0.9 L 0.6 L 1.0 H 0.9 H 1.0 H 1.0 L -0.8 L -0.8 L -0.8 L -0.7 L

4:14 p.m. 0.07 L 6:04 p.m. -0.01 L

7:26 p.m. 0.07 H

Time

Height

Time

Height

11:24 a.m.

12:54 p.m.

2:12 p.m.

3:34 p.m.

5:07 p.m.

6:57 p.m.

1:56 p.m.

3:03 p.m.

4:04 p.m.

8:43 a.m.

1.6 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.5 H 1.3 H 1.1 H 0.2 L 0.0 L -0.2 L 1.4 H

8:25 p.m.

9:13 p.m.

10:01 p.m.

10:48 p.m.

11:36 p.m.

-0.5 L -0.5 L -0.5 L -0.3 L -0.1 L

9:02 p.m. 1.1 H 11:17 p.m. 1.3 H 5:01 p.m. -0.3 L

Time

Height

3:41 p.m.

5:51 p.m.

1:53 p.m.

2:44 p.m.

3:40 p.m.

5:14 a.m.

1.0 H 0.9 H 0.2 L -0.1 L -0.4 L 1.1 H

Time

Height

11:51 p.m. -0.3 L 8:13 p.m. 0.8 H 11:07 p.m. 0.9 H 4:38 p.m. -0.6 L

Name____________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________ City/State/Zip_____________________________________ E-mail____________________________________________ Phone_____________________________________________ ❑ Master Card ❑ VISA ❑ American Express ❑ Discover

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Solution on Page 25

P.M. Minor 3:58 4:55 5:53 6:53 7:52 8:51 9:49 10:45 11:39 12:06 12:57 1:46 2:35 3:22 4:10 4:56 5:42 ----7:12 7:57

Major 10:13 11:10 12:08 12:38 1:38 2:38 3:36 4:32 5:27 6:19 7:10 8:00 8:48 9:36 10:23 11:09 11:54 6:27 1:01 1:47

SUN Rises Sets 06:27 08:24 06:27 08:24 06:28 08:23 06:28 08:23 06:29 08:23 06:29 08:23 06:30 08:22 06:30 08:22 06:31 08:22 06:31 08:21 06:32 08:21 06:33 08:20 06:33 08:20 06:34 08:19 06:34 08:19 06:35 08:18 06:35 08:18 12:16 06:36 06:37 08:17 06:37 08:16

MOON Rises Sets 4:02a 6:39p 5:04a 7:37p 6:11a 8:29p 7:22a 9:16p 8:33a 9:57p 9:41a 10:35p 10:48a 11:10p 11:53a 11:46p 12:58p NoMoon 2:02p 12:22a 3:05p 1:02a 4:07p 1:45a 5:05p 2:32a 5:58p 3:23a 6:47p 4:17a 7:30p 5:13a 8:08p 6:10a 08:17 8:42p 9:13p 8:01a 9:42p 8:54a

2010 Jul 09 Fri > 10 Sat > 11 Sun N 12 Mon > 13 Tue > 14 Wed > 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun Q 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri 24 Sat > 25 Sun > 26 Mon 27 Tue > 28 Wed >

A.M. Minor Major 3:34 9:49 4:29 10:45 5:28 11:43 6:29 12:14 7:30 1:16 8:30 2:17 9:29 3:16 10:25 4:13 11:20 5:07 ----- 5:59 12:36 6:49 1:25 7:38 2:13 8:27 3:01 9:15 3:49 10:02 4:37 10:49 5:24 11:36 F 6:10 6:56 12:46 7:42 1:32

P.M. Minor Major 4:04 10:19 5:00 11:16 5:59 12:14 6:58 12:43 7:58 1:44 8:57 2:44 9:54 3:42 10:50 4:38 11:45 5:32 12:12 6:25 1:02 7:16 1:52 8:05 2:40 8:54 3:28 9:41 4:15 10:28 5:02 11:14 5:47 11:59 ----- 6:33 7:18 1:07 8:02 1:52

SUN Rises Sets 06:25 08:37 06:26 08:36 06:26 08:36 06:27 08:36 06:27 08:36 06:28 08:35 06:28 08:35 06:29 08:34 06:29 08:34 06:30 08:34 06:31 08:33 06:31 08:33 06:32 08:32 06:33 08:32 06:33 08:31 06:34 08:30 06:35 08:30 12:22 06:35 06:36 08:28 06:37 08:28

MOON Rises Sets 3:59a 6:54p 5:01a 7:51p 6:09a 8:42p 7:21a 9:26p 8:34a 10:06p 9:45a 10:42p 10:53a 11:15p 12:00p 11:49p 1:07p NoMoon 2:13p 12:24a 3:18p 1:01a 4:21p 1:43a 5:19p 2:29a 6:13p 3:20a 7:00p 4:15a 7:43p 5:11a 8:19p 6:09a 08:29 8:52p 9:21p 8:03a 9:49p 8:58a

P.M. Minor Major 4:11 10:26 5:07 11:23 6:06 12:21 7:05 12:50 8:05 1:51 9:04 2:51 10:01 3:49 10:57 4:45 11:52 5:39 12:19 6:32 1:09 7:23 1:59 8:12 2:47 9:01 3:35 9:48 4:22 10:35 5:09 11:21 5:54 ----12:06 6:40 7:25 1:14 8:09 1:59

SUN Rises Sets 06:40 08:36 06:41 08:35 06:41 08:35 06:41 08:35 06:42 08:35 06:42 08:34 06:43 08:34 06:44 08:34 06:44 08:33 06:45 08:33 06:45 08:33 06:46 08:32 06:46 08:32 06:47 08:31 06:47 08:31 06:48 08:30 06:48 08:30 12:29 06:49 06:50 08:29 06:50 08:28

MOON Rises 4:16a 5:18a 6:25a 7:36a 8:46a 9:55a 11:01a 12:06p 1:10p 2:14p 3:18p 4:19p 5:17p 6:10p 6:59p 7:42p 8:20p 08:29 9:25p 9:54p

P.M. Minor 4:24 5:21 6:19 7:19 8:18 9:17 10:15 11:11 ----12:32 1:23 2:12 3:01 3:48 4:35 5:22 6:08 12:20 7:38 8:23

SUN Rises 06:40 06:40 06:41 06:41 06:42 06:43 06:43 06:44 06:44 06:45 06:46 06:46 06:47 06:48 06:49 06:49 06:50 12:42 06:51 06:52

MOON Rises Sets 4:14a 7:22p 5:16a 8:18p 6:25a 9:08p 7:38a 9:51p 8:52a 10:29p 10:04a 11:03p 11:14a 11:36p 12:23p NoMoon 1:31p 12:08a 2:39p 12:41a 3:45p 1:18a 4:48p 1:58a 5:47p 2:44a 6:41p 3:35a 7:28p 4:29a 8:09p 5:27a 8:45p 6:25a 08:54 9:16p 9:44p 8:21a 10:10p 9:17a

San Antonio 2010 A.M. Jul Minor Major 09 Fri > 3:41 9:56 10 Sat > 4:36 10:52 11 Sun N 5:35 11:50 12 Mon > 6:36 12:21 13 Tue > 7:37 1:23 14 Wed > 8:37 2:24 15 Thu 9:36 3:23 16 Fri 10:32 4:20 17 Sat 11:27 5:14 18 Sun Q ----- 6:06 19 Mon 12:43 6:56 20 Tue 1:32 7:45 21 Wed 2:20 8:34 22 Thu 3:08 9:22 23 Fri 3:56 10:09 24 Sat > 4:44 10:56 25 Sun > 5:31 11:43 26 Mon F 6:17 27 Tue > 7:03 12:53 28 Wed > 7:49 1:39

Sets 6:52p 7:49p 8:41p 9:28p 10:09p 10:47p 11:23p NoMoon NoMoon 12:36a 1:15a 1:58a 2:46a 3:37a 4:31a 5:27a 6:24a 8:54p 8:14a 9:07a

2010 A.M. Jul Minor 09 Fri > 3:54 10 Sat > 4:50 11 Sun N 5:49 12 Mon > 6:49 13 Tue > 7:50 14 Wed > 8:51 15 Thu 9:49 16 Fri 10:46 17 Sat 11:40 18 Sun Q 12:08 19 Mon 12:56 20 Tue 1:45 21 Wed 2:34 22 Thu 3:22 23 Fri 4:10 24 Sat > 4:57 25 Sun > 5:44 26 Mon F 27 Tue > 7:17 28 Wed > 8:02

Major 10:09 11:05 ----12:34 1:36 2:38 3:37 4:33 5:27 6:19 7:10 7:59 8:47 9:35 10:23 11:10 11:56 6:31 1:06 1:52

Major 10:39 11:36 12:34 1:04 2:04 3:04 4:02 4:58 5:53 6:45 7:36 8:26 9:14 10:02 10:48 11:34 ----6:53 1:27 2:12

Sets 09:03 09:02 09:02 09:02 09:01 09:01 09:01 09:00 09:00 08:59 08:59 08:58 08:58 08:57 08:56 08:56 08:55 06:51 08:54 08:53

FOR THE TABLE Quail with Plum Sauce

ACROSS 1. Deer hunters spring preparation 6. A __________bass 8. Do this to hunting routes 9. A small game, ________ hare 10. Name for the rarest of trout 11. Term for a man-made deer trial 13. Color hunter wears for safety 15. A large bass species 17. The tusker 18. Hunter’s name for a small game 19. Moving a lure to attract fish 21. The large bear 23. These should be in icefishing kits 26. Used to fry fish over open fire 27. A very good walleye bait 28. A predator 30. A catfish, _________ cat 31. A grouping of fish in one spot 32. A female dall DOWN 1. Type of habitat deer will hide in 2. The Great ________ 3. Type of simple tent 4. Ruffed or sage 5. A food source of the trout 6. Another name for the dogfish 7. Trapped for the fur 12. A source of deer food 14. Of the trout family 16. The expert fisherman 17. Breed of gundog good for pheasant hunt 18. Member of the weasel family 20. An icefishing catch 22. Crappie spawn in __________ water 24. Term for a type angler casting method

A.M. Minor Major 3:28 9:43 4:24 10:39 5:23 11:38 6:23 12:09 7:24 1:11 8:25 2:12 9:24 3:11 10:20 4:07 11:14 5:02 ----- 5:53 12:31 6:44 1:19 7:33 2:08 8:21 2:56 9:09 3:44 9:57 4:31 10:44 5:18 11:30 F 6:05 6:51 12:40 7:36 1:26

Amarillo

Mail to Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, Texas 75243. For fastest service, call (214) 361-2276 or visit LSONews.com.

OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen

2010 Jul 09 Fri > 10 Sat > 11 Sun N 12 Mon > 13 Tue > 14 Wed > 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun Q 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri 24 Sat > 25 Sun > 26 Mon 27 Tue > 28 Wed >

Dallas

South Padre Island

Freeport Harbor Date Time Height Jul 9 4:09 a.m. 1.8 H Jul 10 4:45 a.m. 1.8 H Jul 11 5:19 a.m. 1.8 H Jul 12 5:51 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 13 6:20 a.m. 1.6 H Jul 14 6:46 a.m. 1.6 H Jul 15 7:09 a.m. 1.5 H Jul 16 12:44 a.m. 0.3 L Jul 17 1:37 a.m. 0.5 L Jul 18 2:51 a.m. 0.8 L Jul 19 1:00 a.m. 1.5 H Jul 20 2:26 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 21 3:21 a.m. 1.8 H Jul 22 4:05 a.m. 1.8 H Jul 23 4:43 a.m. 1.8 H

Time 10:40 a.m.

11:39 a.m.

12:11 a.m.

12:56 a.m.

1:38 a.m.

2:16 a.m.

2:46 a.m.

3:03 a.m.

2:38 a.m.

09:02 a.m.

09:01 a.m.

09:16 a.m.

09:41 a.m.

10:13 a.m.

10:50 a.m.

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier

San Luis Pass Date Time Height Jul 9 5:17 a.m. 1.3 H Jul 10 5:53 a.m. 1.3 H Jul 11 6:27 a.m. 1.3 H Jul 12 6:59 a.m. 1.2 H Jul 13 7:28 a.m. 1.1 H Jul 14 12:05 a.m. -0.3 L Jul 15 12:53 a.m. -0.1 L Jul 16 1:43 a.m. 0.3 L Jul 17 2:36 a.m. 0.5 L Jul 18 3:50 a.m. 0.8 L Jul 19 2:08 a.m. 1.0 H Jul 20 3:34 a.m. 1.2 H Jul 21 4:29 a.m. 1.3 H Jul 22 5:13 a.m. 1.3 H Jul 23 5:51 a.m. 1.3 H

August 3

Rockport

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty Date Time Height Jul 9 4:47 a.m. 2.1 H Jul 10 5:23 a.m. 2.1 H Jul 11 5:57 a.m. 2.1 H Jul 12 6:29 a.m. 2.0 H Jul 13 6:58 a.m. 1.9 H Jul 14 7:24 a.m. 1.9 H Jul 15 7:47 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 16 12:47 a.m. 0.4 L Jul 17 1:40 a.m. 0.9 L Jul 18 2:54 a.m. 1.3 L Jul 19 1:38 a.m. 1.7 H Jul 20 3:04 a.m. 2.0 H Jul 21 3:59 a.m. 2.1 H Jul 22 4:43 a.m. 2.1 H Jul 23 5:21 a.m. 2.1 H

Last

Port O’Connor

Sabine Pass, jetty Date Time Height Jul 9 4:00 a.m. 2.7 H Jul 10 4:36 a.m. 2.7 H Jul 11 5:10 a.m. 2.7 H Jul 12 5:42 a.m. 2.5 H Jul 13 6:11 a.m. 2.3 H Jul 14 6:37 a.m. 2.3 H Jul 15 7:00 a.m. 2.1 H Jul 16 12:21 a.m. 0.5 L Jul 17 1:14 a.m. 1.1 L Jul 18 2:28 a.m. 1.6 L Jul 19 12:51 a.m. 2.1 H Jul 20 2:17 a.m. 2.5 H Jul 21 3:12 a.m. 2.7 H Jul 22 3:56 a.m. 2.7 H Jul 23 4:34 a.m. 2.7 H

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. F=Full Moon, N=New Moon, Q=Quarter > = Peak Activity. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Full

July 26

First

Texas Coast Tides

Page 13

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases

Sun | Moon | Tides

July 9, 2010

6 quail 1 cup plum jelly 2 tablespoons catsup 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 4 tablespoons soy sauce Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

While the oven is heating, make

plum sauce by thoroughly mixing all condiments and spices. Place quail in a glass baking dish and roast, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Brush with plum sauce, and roast 10 minutes more. Serve with the remaining plum sauce, heated and presented in a gravy boat.

— Calif. Dept. of Fish and Game

Grilled Tuna Steaks 4 tuna steaks, 4 ounces each 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Chopped parsley for garnish Lemon wedges, optional Place tuna in a shallow dish in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, mustard and oil until combined. Pour

marinade over tuna and gently turn steaks until well-coated on each side. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Prepare grill. Remove tuna and reserve marinade for basting. Grill tuna for about 10-15 minutes, turning once and basting often with reserved marinade. Serve tuna steaks with lemon wedges and garnished with chopped parsley.

— King County, Washington, Public Health

Have a flavorful wild game recipe?

25. A deer lure, ______ rag 28. To throw out the bait

29. A rugged outing, ________ fishing

Send it to For the Table at editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Page 14

July 9, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LSONews.com

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER CASH-LADEN CARS NEED BRIDGES TO CROSS RIVERS Game Wardens Bubba Shelton, Colt Gaulden, Ben Baker, Will Hellums and Capt. David Murray helped dive teams from the Department of Public Safety recover $1,198,000 from a vehicle submerged in the Rio Grande River. The vehicle was originally pulled over by a police officer but fled the scene and was able to elude capture by driving through a riverside park and into the river. The driver fled to Mexico.

The Mexican military was called in and apprehended two men who were trying to swim to the car to recover the cash. The wardens launched two boats and provided cover for the dive team while they worked to attach tow cables to the vehicle. Once on land, two black duffel bags were found containing the nearly $1.2 million in $20s, $50s and $100s.

RULES APPLY TO GUIDES, TOO Grayson County Game Warden Dale Moses cited a striper guide for an insufficient number of life jackets while patrolling Lake Texoma. He also cited another guide for not having safety equipment.

‘BARRACUDA’ WAS AN INVASIVE SPECIES Kerr County Game Warden Mark Chapa investigated a report of a Kerrville pet store selling a wolf tetra (potentially harmful exotic fish). The pet store had it advertised as a vampire barracuda. After several visits to the store and several hours of research and contacting the originating company that sold the fish out of Florida, it was determined the fish indeed was a prohibited fish in Texas.

The originating supplier out of Florida was made aware of the updated species list and was very cooperative in trying to prevent future incidences.

The fish was removed from the store

Not on this warden’s home turf Kaufman County Game Warden Eric Minter was patrolling Lake Ray Hubbard when he received a call from the sheriff’s office about a vehicle pursuit. The pursuit ended with the suspect crashing, bailing out of the vehicle and running into the woods near Minter’s home. and a warning citation was issued.

SHOULD HAVE PRACTICED WHAT HE PREACHED While patrolling Lake Sam Rayburn, Jasper County Game Warden Morgan Inman saw a large boat leave an island and headed for the boat ramp. The first thing noticed upon approaching the boat were the big bold letters down each side of the boat reading “No Illegal Drugs and No Alcohol.” After a water safety check, Inman learned that the driver was transporting the wife of a person arrested for boating while intoxicated to the boat ramp. Sobriety tests were conducted, and the driver was transported to Jasper County Jail for boating while intoxicated. He refused to give a breath sample and admitted that he had a previous BWI arrest in 2004.

BLACK, BROWN, WHITE BEAR: DOESN’T MATTER; IT’S DANGEROUS Kerr County Game Warden Mark Chapa and Kendall County Game Warden Mark Nobles investigated several complaints of an individual possessing a bear in Kerr County.

Reports varied as to what species the bear was: a black bear, brown bear, grizzly bear and a white bear. Upon contacting the local exotic dealer, the wardens learned the individual had all of the paperwork documenting the animal, and he showed the wardens information about his attempt to have his property designated as

Minter was tied up in an assignment on the lake, so he notified his family to turn on the exterior lights and lock all doors. When Minter arrived home later, he helped a Van Zandt County constable check his and a neighbor’s properties, but the subject was not located.

The next day, Minter left his home and was flagged down less than a mile away by a person coming out of the woods. The person told Minter, “I need a ride!” The person was identified, placed in handcuffs and provided with a ride — to jail.

a sanctuary to possess the bear and additional animals that were already on his property. No animals were found that were regulated by state law, so the wardens left, providing information about state laws and possession of restricted animals. Shortly after, the wardens received information that the person was contacted

by Kerr County ordinance officers and received several citations about possession of harmful or dangerous animals in violation of a county ordinance.

Park at Lake Georgetown when the father became upset. He put his son in their small sedan and allegedly drove it down the boat ramp into the lake. Upon arrival, a rescue crew had removed the vehicle from the lake with the father still inside.

The child could not be located.

Williamson County Game Wardens Turk Jones and Joel Campos and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ranger launched a game warden boat equipped with side-scan sonar. The wardens quickly located the child, and the Williamson County dive team recovered the young victim.

Although the child had been underwater for more than an hour and a half, resuscitation was attempted but failed. An investigation was under way after the incident to determine why the man drove into the lake.

GATOR’S 15 MINUTES OF FAME ENDS IN WILMER Wilmer police recently called Dallas County Game Warden David Bosecker about an alligator in a pond in the city limits. Numerous people had visited the pond to see the alligator, which had little to no fear of onlookers and would come within five feet of people on the bank. Numerous news agencies had also arrived at the pond and were broadcasting pictures and video of the alligator in addition to giving the address of the pond. A person was called to trap and remove the alligator. The alligator was trapped within about two hours, and the alligator was relocated to a licensed alligator farm in Van Zandt County.

FATHER ALLEGEDLY DRIVES SON INTO LAKE, CAUSING DEATH A man and his 5-year-old son were camping at Cedar Breaks

WORRIED MOTHER CALLS FOR HELP WHEN TEENS ARE OVERDUE A call came in about 3 a.m. to Young County Game Warden Brent Isom about two missing teenagers.

The teens bought a tractor tire tube the previous day and attempted to float the Brazos River near the Young-Throckmorton county line.

The area is sparsely populated and rugged. The teens did not realize that the distance would take longer than anticipated. Their worried mother had waited for them at the bridge for an 8 p.m. pick-up. By 3 a.m., she became concerned and

requested assistance. Isom assisted the Young County Sheriff’s Office in the search. The teens were located by sound after Isom used a PA system. After another hour of escorting the two barefoot and shirtless teens through the brush, they were driven back to an anxious mom, who was still waiting at the bridge.

ONE GATOR GOES FREE; TWO MORE ARE KILLED Cameron County Game Wardens James Dunks, Libby Balusek and Dan Waddell arrested three men after a short surveillance for poaching alligators at night from a powerboat in public waters. Two of the men’s pickups were impounded, and the boat, motor, trailer, two compound bows, two dead alligators and a .22- caliber rifle were seized for evidence. A third alligator was alive and in the vessel when the men were arrested. It escaped overboard.

NOT SNEAKY ENOUGH TO STEAL CRAPPIE While patrolling Sam Rayburn Lake, Jasper County Game Warden Justin Eddins checked a pontoon boat that had nine undersized crappie. The short crappie were tied to the bow of the boat in a holding basket separate from the other legal fish. The crappie were released after pictures were taken for evidence.

Cases pending.

SECOND OPINION COMES FROM GAME WARDEN The family of a child who had been bitten by a snake called Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash. The family was concerned that the hospital had given him the wrong anti-venom because the snake had a green tip to his tail. Ash confirmed the snake was a juvenile copperhead and that the correct anti-venom was given. The medication worked, and the child is fine.

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

July 9, 2010

Page 15

Page 16

July 9, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LSONews.com

PRODUCTS

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(713) 724-4010 www.buggs-fishing-lures.com

RUSSELURE Made from high-strength aluminum with solid brass and stainless steel hardware, this lure from the Russelure Co. moves with a wobble swimming action that attracts fish of all sizes. The lure, with its oversized Mustad hooks, is available in 11 anodized color finishes and eight sizes. The Stream Lures (1, 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 inches long) are ideal for white bass, crappie, striped bass and lake trout. The Lake River Lures (2, 2 1/2 and 3 inches long) are designed for largemouth bass and trout, and the Big Game Lures (5 and 6 1/2 inches long) are just the right size for kingfish, wahoo and dorado. The lures range in price from $4.50 for the smaller lures to $12 for the largest.

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>>

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AXIOM CROSSBOW Excalibur describes its newest crossbow as capable of producing arrow speeds in excess of 300 feet per second with amazing accuracy. The Axiom, designed to take down North America’s largest game, has a 175-pound draw weight and a 14 1/2- inch power stroke. Weighing in at 6 pounds, the crossbow is light enough to carry on an all-day hunt. Sold as a kit, the Axiom includes a multiplex crossbow scope with mounting hardware, a four-arrow quiver and four Firebolt arrows with field points.

It has a suggested price of $645.

(800) 463-1817 www.excaliburcrossbow.com

VENTED LEG PANTS SHE Outdoor Apparel’s Adventure Collection includes eight fun-yet-functional pieces for the outdoorswoman. Included in the Spring 2010 collection are these versatile pants, which offer a comfortable contoured waist that rides just below the navel. The pants also feature zippered vents and double-stacked pockets on the thighs. With a 40 UPF rating, these are the pants to reach for this summer. Available in sand or stone, they cost $55.

(281) 448-4860 www.shesafari.com CONCEALOR BOONIE HAT

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Altus Brands is helping hunters fight back against disease-carrying — and annoying — insects. Its Concealor is offered in a variety of hats and caps. Each hat contains a lightweight, see-through mesh fabric that can be pulled out from a zippered compartment to cover the head, face and neck to protect against biting bugs. The Boonie Hat sells for about $20.

(800) 891-3660 www.bughat.com

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Page 17

July 9, 2010

HEROES

Mathew Zuniga, 15, of Rio Hondo recently shot his first deer, a five-point buck, during a hunt near Johnson City. He used a .30-06 to harvest the deer.

SUZANNE HUTCHISON of Dallas caught this black drum in Corpus Christi Bay near Port Aransas.

DAVE TERRE caught this 7-pound smallmouth bass on Lake Erie out of Buffalo, N.Y., on a tube. Terre is the management and research chief of the Inland Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife.

MAXWELL MORELLI, 6, of Grapevine shot his first buck in Sterling County.

Share an adventure

TyLynne Britz shot this deer in Comal County with a .308.

CRIS LAYTON caught this 4-foot shark while fishing at the Black Gold rig on the Fish & Fun II out of Corpus Christi.

KENNEDY SEILER of Denton is pictured with her first bass, which was caught in a farm pond. Her grandfather, Mark Seiler, helped her hold it for the camera.

Congratulations, Enrique! You can claim your Nikon 10x42 Trailblazer ATB binoculars at the Nikon Sport Optics dealer nearest you: Freer Deer Camp

203 South Norton Ave. Freer, Texas 78357

while hunting nch near Freer ointer shot on ra th one shot.

-p wi 12 er is th de d e te th es , and he took 43 9, of Freer harv .2 , a do g na in do us al s M Enrique do. Enrique wa Javier Maldona with his father,

Want to share hunting and fishing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? Send them to us with contact and caption information. editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South, Dallas, TX, 75243

Page 18

July 9, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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DATEBOOK Through Sept. 6

Coastal Conservation Association State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo Fishing tournament www.startournament.org

Ducks Unlimited Waterfowl Weekend Sam Houston Race Park, Houston www.waterfowlweekend.com

July 24

Texas Trophy Hunters Association Hunters Extravaganza Alamodome, San Antonio (877) 261-2541

Cinnamon Creek Ranch 2010 Bowhunters Classic shoot Roanoke (817) 439-8998 tracy@cinnamoncreekranch.com

July 11

July 28-August 1

July 9-11

Houston Safari Club Evening at the Zoo and Jaguar Feeding Houston Zoo (713) 623-8844 info@houstonsafariclub.org

July 15

Dallas Safari Club Monthly meeting Double Tree Campbell Center, Dallas (972) 980-9800

July 16-17

Texas Bighorn Society Roundup Renaissance Hotel, Dallas (806) 762-0555 www.texasbighornsociety.org

July 20-21

Cabela’s Fort Worth Free skin cancer screenings from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.

(817) 337-2400, ext. 8066

July 22

Dallas Safari Club Fort Worth Regional Meeting Home of Dave Fulson (972) 980-9800

July 23-24

Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament (956) 944-2354 www.portmansfieldchamber.org

July 23-25

Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo McAllen Convention Center, McAllen (956) 664-2884 txhuntasso@aol.com

Texas International Fishing Tournament South Padre Island Convention Center (956) 943-8438 www.tift.org

July 30-31

Deer Breeders Co-op Convention and deer auction La Torretta Del Lago, Conroe (866) 972-5001 www.deerbreedersco-op.com

July 31-August 1

Gulf Coast Waterfowl Festival Pasadena Convention Center (713) 429-1950 www.gulfcoastwaterfowlfestival.com

August 4-8

Texas Legends Billfish Tournament Boats may leave from any Texas port www.txlegends.com

August 5

Dallas Safari Club Introduction to muzzleloading DSC Pavilion (972) 980-9800 www.biggame.org

August 6-8

Texas Trophy Hunters Association Hunters Extravaganza Reliant Center, Houston (877) 261-2541

August 13-15

Texas Hunting & Outdoor Classic Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio (210) 226-1177 www.huntersclassic.com

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Outdoor News in Brief Rancho Caracol nixes whitewing hunts for 2010

fish-care practices designed to conserve the resource and improve fishing.”

— Texas Parks and Wildlife report

One of the best-known hunting lodges in northern Mexico is canceling its 2010 whitewinged dove season, according to an e-mail from the lodge.

Rancho Caracol will not host hunts during the season because of the ongoing threat of violence spilling over from the region’s drug war.

“This was not an easy decision for me, (as I know how many of you are looking forward to joining us this year), but I have to ask myself if I would feel 100% comfortable bringing my own family there,” wrote the lodge’s Dean Putegnat in an e-mail. “And at this particular time, that answer would be no.”

The decision came after Putegnat met with Mexican officials in Tamaulipas state and with his staff at the ranch.

The ranch, located about 150 miles south of Harlingen, still plans on putting hunters in the field for the 2010-11 seasons for mourning dove and quail. But those hunts might also be canceled if hunters’ safety is uncertain, Putegnat said.

— Staff report

DU to receive $2.5 million for Texas, La. habitat

Pro Jones to meet Texas biologists, anglers Texas freshwater biologists will meet with anglers interested in learning more about fisheries management in Texas on Aug. 7-8 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

The meeting will include an angler-biologist fishing tournament on Lake Athens that will feature demonstrations of fish-friendly tournament weigh-in procedures and fish care.

Pro angler Alton Jones of Waco will address the group at the Saturday evening dinner.

“Fisheries biologists and anglers share many common interests and concerns,” said meeting organizer Craig Bonds, Texas Parks and Wildife’s Inland Fisheries regional director for East Texas.

“We all want to make fishing the best it can be in Texas, and anglers have played and will continue to play a significant role in improving fish habitat in Texas reservoirs, reporting and removing invasive species and implementing best

Ducks Unlimited will receive a $2.5 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to provide additional habitat for waterfowl and other birds that will migrate to the Gulf Coast later this year.

The money will be used to flood about 20,000 acres of alternative habitats in the critical rice region of coastal Louisiana and Texas. The areas to be flooded will provide crucial migration and wintering habitat within the Gulf Coast region.

— Ducks Unlimited report

Dallas Safari Club helping Olympic hopefuls The Dallas Safari Club recently agreed to help sponsor the junior U.S. team on its trip to the World Shooting Championships in Germany later this summer.

“The grant from DSC is unique because it’s specifically for our junior team and specifically for this one major competition,” said Buddy DuVall, executive director of the USA Shooting Team Foundation. “We’re enormously grateful for this support, and we’ll show it by competing with Dallas Safari Club logos on our shirts and caps — which will be another first for us.”

The new sponsorship — which is the junior team’s first ever — is one element of a growing partnership between the two organizations, said DSC Executive Director Ben Carter.

“We’re honored to help these rising stars make their mark for our country,” Carter said.

“But we’re also pleased to be increasingly involved with a sport and athletic organization that reflect so well on the hunting and conservation community. Most of these athletes come from a hunting background — they are tremendous international ambassadors for hunters, conservationists and an outdoor way of life that is underappreciated by too many people, both at home and abroad.”

— Dallas Safari Club report

July 9, 2010

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Mexico

Continued from Page 1

and are more inclined to take a lure or bait.

The fishing can be good, but fishing Mexican waters requires adherence to different regulations and an added measure of security to take advantage of the fishery, sources said. The hoops to jump through, however, need not be discouraging.

“It’s pretty easy,” said Justin Drummond, who captains the 60-foot Pipe Dream out of Port Mansfield.

When he goes south, Drummond will buy Mexican fishing licenses for everyone on the boat. Anyone fishing within 200 miles of Mexico’s coastline is required to have a fishing license, said Tony Estrada, assistant at CONAPESCA’s San Diego office. CONAPESCA (the national commission of aquaculture and fishing) is the Mexican federal agency that oversees fishing.

The San Diego office was established to offer American recreational anglers the option of purchasing their fishing licenses before arriving in Mexico. The California office, which is the only CONAPESCA office in the United States, processes requests for licenses from throughout the U.S. “It’s an easier process than to go through Mexico, where it is more time-consuming,” Estrada said.

Anglers can visit www.conapescasan diego.com for a license request form and fee information. They also can link to a sportfishing regulation page, which lists rules regarding fishing in Mexican waters. The Web site is written in English.

The license request form indicates licenses may be purchased for one day, one week, one month and one year, with the cost ranging from $12.40 for one day to $48.20 for one year.

American anglers must also consider U.S. rules. The federal Lacey Act requires anglers who bring fish into the U.S. or across state lines to abide by the local regulations of the water where they were fishing.

For instance, if someone exceeds the limit of a species of fish in Mexico and brings the fish into U.S. waters, the person would be breaking U.S. law, even if the person is under the limit according to U.S. regulations. Or if a person fishes in Mexico without a Mexican fishing license and then brings the catch into U.S. waters, the person would be breaking U.S. law.

Essentially, if a person breaks a fishing law in

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Mexico and brings the catch back to the U.S., the person would be in violation of the Lacey Act. “If we enter U.S. federal waters, we have to abide by those rules and Mexican rules,” Walker said. “Me, I’m going to go by the stricter rules, just to be sure.”

Legal requirements are one thing anglers face.

Another is illegal activities on Mexican waters.

The border region has been plagued of late with violence, and corruption is an old story in Mexico.

Sgt. James Dunks, a Texas game warden, said Texas anglers used to frequently fish Mexican waters. Trips have dropped off because of security concerns, he said.

“I think it’s because they’re worried about losing their boat, all the border violence and stuff,” said Dunks, who captains a 65-foot patrol boat.

Few, if any, commercial outfits take trips down there, Walker said.

“No one else is really doing it,” he said, adding, “It’s a shame nobody gets to fish down there anymore.”

Walker used to fish in Mexican waters, as did Osprey Fishing Trips, which is also based out of South Padre Island. For Osprey, the complications from operating for-hire sportfishing boats down south outweighed the return, said Phil Calo, one of the partners in the company.

“The return wasn’t worth the effort,” Calo said.

Even anglers who abide by Mexican rules might think twice about whether to trust law enforcement officers, Walker said.

“You kind of worry about the Mexican gunboat,” he said.

If one approached, its captain sometimes carelessly or intentionally bumped into the American boat, Walker said. Once on board, the officers would often find some reason to cite the anglers, whether the anglers were breaking the law or not.

And when they did, justice was handled on the spot — often in the form of cash bribes.

“There was always, like, a little mordita to be paid on top of little scratches on your boat,” Walker said.

Dunks said anglers should be careful when they cross the border.

“If you’re going to go down there, you better have somebody with some knowledge go with you,” he said.

Drummond offered advice, too.

“Don’t stop for nobody,” he said. “Just keep going until you get to your marina.”

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Father-daughter Continued from Page 9

Bob said. “I will have Sam’s art to pass on to the kids, grandchildren, etc.”

Bob Samford is director of governmental affairs with Austin-based Temple-Inland; Shelby Samford attends Texas Tech University; Ashley Stowkoski attends Oklahoma State University; and Elizabeth Connor attends Louisiana State University. Father-daughter fishing trips are commonplace for Bob and Shelby. With Father’s Day weekend around the corner, both found this to be a most memorable trip.

“You don’t see dads bringing their kids on fishing trips anymore,” Lowe said.

Fishing and more The guests received top-notch hospitality from everyone involved. Caldwell, a 2004 Texas Parks and Wildlife Artist of the Year, went the extra mile and cooked up his famous Lazy Boy Biscuits for breakfast.

“And breakfast sure was good,” Waddell added. “But did he have to use every dish in the kitchen?”

As Waddell poked fun at Caldwell and shared his mouth-watering fish batter recipes that included jalapeño potato chips or fried French onions, the rest of the group lounged around a patio table chatting about fishing experiences, local politics and the latest controversial Willie Nelson tune.

“Enjoying the South Texas breeze has been phenomenal,” Samford said while leaning back in chair. “This is what it’s all about.”

The young ladies didn’t seem to mind jumping into some murky waters, and they quickly learned the art of the “shuffle-shuffle” to avoid contact with stingrays. Their use of artificial lures proved successful with some good-sized trout and redfish hitting the ice chest for the evening’s lip-smacking dinner.

Still, there were the usual false-alarm catches that come with every fishing trip.

“Every time we caught grass, we thought it was a fish,” Connor said, noting that every line tug was an adrenaline rush. “I’d even be happy catching a jellyfish.”

“Hey,” Shelby added, “we got memories.”

Quail

Continued from Page 1

a research assistant at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in San Angelo, who headed up the operation. Instead, counts were only conducted on seven different properties.

“It was actually a little disappointing,” Barre said.

He attributes the low participation to not publicizing Operation Pulse sufficiently before it was scheduled to begin in May. “It could have been a lot better, but since this was our first go at, it we’re hoping for improvement,” Barre said.

Participants were asked to conduct call counts on their property during the last half of May. To do that, a person stops every mile on a road or trail and counts how many times a male bobwhite call is heard for five minutes. After that, the person moves on another mile and listens again for five minutes until at least six stops are made.

Using private property was not a requirement. A person could conduct the survey by driving down a public road as well.

Participants were asked to conduct the survey at least once beginning in mid-May. “Ultimately, it’d be great to get that done three, four, maybe five times, but once is enough,” Barre said. “You can get good averages that way.”

Count and call it in The data that counters turned in were compiled by researchers, who can get a feel for how well populations are doing by comparing the counts from one year to the next.

“It really does give you a good indication on mating pairs,” Barre said.

“We use it as one way of determining population.”

The counts have been conducted at one of the properties, the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch near Roby, before this year. Researchers there — the ranch is under the authority of Texas A&M University personnel — had a previous average to compare 2010 numbers to. The average number of calls per stop was down slightly this year, Barre said.

“By this time in 2009, we had an average of 5.9 roosters calling per stop, and this year our average is 5.4 roosters per stop,” Barre said.

At RPQRR, counts were conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays, depending on weather.

The average for the other ranches involved in Operation Pulse gave slightly lower numbers on average: 4.7 roosters per stop. The range of values at other ranches was from 3.4 to 6.2.

“This fairly large difference gives us more reason to need more ranchers to come on board with Operation Pulse,” Barre said. “That way we can start to assess what factors result in the number of quail present.”

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July 9, 2010

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McAllen show keeps growing The Texas Hunters Association will present the 20th annual Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo in McAllen on July 2325.

The three-day event will take place in the new McAllen Civic Center.

The annual expo will showcase a variety of hunting, fishing and specialty exhibits for an array of interests. Adult tickets are $9, senior citizens are $8, while children 12 and under are free. Passes are valid all three days of the show, and it runs from 5-9 p.m. Friday, 10-7 p.m.

Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

South Texas’ premier sportsman’s show will feature more than 250 vendors from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Africa.

Manufacturers and dealers will be on hand showcasing the latest in hunting blinds, feeders, boats, fishing rods and reels, hunting vehicles, camouflage and other affordable outdoors equipment.

There will also be a variety of children activities available to keep the whole family entertained.

The crowds at past events have seen steady increases in attendance, and Christopher Curl of the THA expects the 2010 edition to be the same.

“We have had solid crowds over the past 19 years, and the show’s attendance continues to grow each year,” Curl said.

Exhibiting at the show will be statewide fishing companies such as Castaway Rods, Laguna Graphite Rods, Johnny’s True Value, Sportsman’s Edge Fish Prints, Robert’s Fish N Tackle, Hydro-Glow Fishing Lights, Fish N Hunt Products, Foreverlast Products, Shallow Sports Boats, Dargel Boats, Livingston Lures, Big Nasty Bait Co., Grind Terminal Tackle, Lure Safety Wrap and Waterloo Rods.

Hunting-related companies include Yamaha, Kawasaki, Game Guard Camouflage, Atascosa Deer Blinds, Chas-

The Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo will have something for everyone in McAllen later this month.

Mac Feeders, Mossy Oak Camo, Burnham Bros. Game Calls, All Season Feeders, Southern Deer Stands and Sniper Hunting Buggies.

The following ranches will be on hand as well: La Coma Ranch, El Canelo Ranch, Wilson Whitetail Ranch, Los Encinos Ranch, Hearts Bluff Ranch and Santa Margarita Ranch, to name a few.

Wildlife artist Don Breeden will sign autographs and display his works, all on sale.

The goal of the expo is to ensure that the sport of hunting and fishing has a future in Texas for our children, grandchildren and their future generations to enjoy.

“Bring the whole family out,” Curl said.

“Do your shopping and buy your equipment before the season starts.”

Daily door prizes ranging from guided hunts to fishing trips, and even cash will be awarded throughout the expo. Beer, South Texas barbecue and wild game samples add another dimension to the show For more information, visit www.texas hunterassociation.com or call THA at (956) 664-2884.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chaffhaye: Costs less, tastes great — grows better deer Fermented feed is more cost-effective than feeding hay, Texas ranchers say

Finding and feeding quality forage on a consistent basis is a constant challenge for wildlife managers. Many deer ranchers struggle to find quality feed that can keep the digestive systems of their stock properly functioning and meet nutrition requirements at the lowest cost.

Chaffhaye answers all of those questions. The hay-based feed, sold in 50-pound bags, captures the key characteristics of fresh pasture while also offering a guaranteed level of nutrition. It is ideal for ensuring maximum health and well-being of deer, other game animals and choosey livestock such as horses.

Chaffhaye is made with alfalfa carefully selected and harvested at peak leafiness to maximize nutrients, palatability and digestibility.

Within hours of harvest, while still fresh, the hay is chopped, lightly misted with molasses and compressed into an air-tight bag.

Bagging initiates an all-natural fermentation that closely mimics an animal’s digestive process.

The fermentation relies on the active participation of yeast, beneficial enzymes and fiber-digesting bacteria to “pre-digest” the feed by stripping out the nutrition from the plant fiber and breaking down large blocks of nutrition into smaller, more readily digestible units. Chaffhaye Alfalfa is highly recommended by animal nutritionists and veterinarians as a superior source of the protein and minerals deer need to achieve their genetic potential.

By improving digestion and balancing the feed load across the entire digestive tract, the animal is able to absorb more energy, vitamins and minerals. The fermentation in Chaffhaye also increases the available proteins and other minerals.

Most animal feeds go through a drying process that removes most of the naturally occurring plant juices from the forage. This essentially drains life from the feed. Chaffhaye is processed to retain its natural plant juices, preserving the natural probiotics of the feed. By retaining plant juices, Chaffhaye becomes the closest product you can buy to fresh, natural pasture. That’s why it’s called “Premium Pasture-in-a-Bag”.

Deer love it. So do deer ranchers.

For outdoors TV host Keith Warren, feeding Chaffhaye is about economics and inches.

“It’s clean, there’s no waste, and the deer love it”, Warren said. “My deer are bigger this year than they’ve ever been”.

Before coming to this positive conclusion, Warren tested Chaffhaye at his Texas ranch. He put a bale of alfalfa and a bag of Chaffhaye next to each other for his deer to eat.

Next he set up a game camera to collect data.

Photos show far more deer eating Chaffhaye.

Better palatability means deer consume more.

This translates to more nutrition and a better performing animal.

“I let my deer to tell me what they like”, Warren said. “They like Chaffhaye better than alfalfa so that’s what they’re getting”.

The deer like it and they eat more of it. When given alfalfa, deer will pick off the leaves but mostly refuse the stems. With Chaffhaye, it’s all good. That means less food is wasted and feeding costs go down.

“I really felt like I was wasting too much of the baled alfalfa”, said Judy Logan, who operates Whitetail Deer of Central Texas near Gatesville.

Logan’s bottom line is in better shape, and so are her deer because of Chaffhaye, she said.

“As a Texas white-tailed deer breeder, I feel that by feeding Chaffhaye to our deer, I am providing the herd with a sound, balanced feed for the forage portion of their diet”, Logan said. I have found that the deer readily and eagerly eat all of the Chaffhaye product without any waste — thus, the “pasturein-a-bag” has proven to be both a beneficial and an economically sound portion of our herd’s daily diet”.

The product also has a long shelf-life, Logan said. Hay becomes moldy, but Chaffhaye stays fresh for months, if not years. Chaffhaye can also be stored outside which saves valuable barn space.

For deer breeder Pete Smith, the deciding factor is finances.

“The cost for the product is less when you take into consideration the loss with baled forages. And you have to do that”, said Smith, whose Diamond S Ranch is in Cranfills Gap near Hamilton. “I think it’s a tremendous value. I don’t think I would ever go back to baled alfalfa”.

Like Warren and Logan, Smith’s deer are looking better after eating Chaffhaye. Included in Smith’s herd is DSR Texas Star, a 2-year-old buck with hard antlers scoring 192.

“We’re growing bigger bucks at a younger age much faster than we’ve ever done”, Smith said.

Keith Warren, above, Judy Logan, bottom left, and Pete Smith, whose DSR Texas Star is pictured at bottom right, have had success with and high praise for Chaffhaye.

July 9, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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Outdoor News in Brief Strike King owner to receive top honor Park Cities Quail will bestow its highest award on Ray Murski, the owner of Strike King Lure Co. in 2011. Murski is a Texas Wildlife Association director and served on the board of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. He’s an avid supporter of quail conservation, Murski was a patron in the formative years of the Bobwhite Brigade youth camps.

PCQ is giving him its T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award.

“What I’m most proud of is that I’ve given an opportunity to more than 100,000 Texas youngsters to have their first outdoor experience, whether it was hunting, fishing, boating or camping,” Murski said.

— Park Cities Quail report

Waterfowl numbers stay high in U.S. A federal report issued July 2 says the mid-continent breeding duck population is nearly 41 million, which is similar to last year’s estimate and 21 percent above the long-term average.

Habitat conditions across the U.S. and Canadian prairies and parklands were generally good. Wetland conditions in boreal regions of Alaska and northern Canada were only fair at the time of the survey. Many regions received significant precipitation recently, which could boost breeding.

Numbers of mallards, gadwalls, green-winged teal, northern shovelers and redheads remained above average. Canvasback and American wigeon numbers were similar to last year’s, as were pintail and scaup numbers, although populations of these two species remain below average.

“I would expect to see a fall flight similar to last year’s,” said Dale Humburg, Ducks Unlimited’s chief biologist. “But everyone must keep in mind that weather and habitat strongly influence the timing and distribution of ducks in the fall flight, and these factors are very dynamic.”

— Ducks Unlimited report

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Brownsboro, Henderson Co 153 acres Athens area with 30 ac lake. All wooded with deer, ducks, timber. Call for pricing.

Troup, Cherokee Co

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144 acres of INCOME. Clay mine, gas well, woods, deer, ponds. $750,000

Troup, Cherokee Co

55 acres with 7 ac lake. Tyler area. Two houses, meadows, good soil for pine trees. $550,000 Bryan Pickens 214-552-4417 mobile pick@busbeeranches.com www.busbeeranches.com

Puzzle solution from Page 13

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July 9, 2010

Putting circles to the test Lone Star Outdoor News matched small circle hooks with small, medium and large bluegills in late June on a Central Texas pond.

Three fishermen used Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp circle hooks, sizes 10, 12 and 14 baited with pieces of nightcrawler or with Gulp! crickets a foot or so below a small slipshot.

Over a four-hour period in 90-plus-degree Texas heat, more than 60 bluegills were landed and released out of a hot hole in the 5-acre pond, giving the hooks and baits a fair test.

Hook location: Of all of the fish landed, only one fish had “swallowed” the hook and was hooked fairly deeply. The hook removed relatively easily with no harm to the fish. Every other fish was hooked in the mouth.

Hook removal: The small circle hooks were easy to remove, but bring a pair of foreceps or needle-nose pliers. The hooks have short shanks and are tough to handle with fingers.

The barbed hooks were easy to remove with pliers, or by hand after pinching the barb down.

Hook sets: As with large circle hooks, no swift jerk is required, and attempting to set the hook bass-fishing style won’t catch many fish.

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Fishing in about 6-8 feet of water, simply lifting the rod easily was most effective.

Hooking success: The group missed a few more fish than with traditional hooks, but the fish were so plentiful it didn’t really matter.

The bite was subtle on the test day, often only noticed by a slight twitch or tightening of the line while the bait was on the fall. The light bite may have been another factor in the number of missed fish.

Baits: The bluegill hit both baits consistently, but the Gulp! crickets won out on this day by a significant margin. The tiny legs on the plastic bugs may have attracted the fish, or a huge grasshopper crop in Central Texas may have played a role. The plastic crickets held up well, didn’t get dirt under the fingernails, and each bug was good for several bites and catches.

Overall: The tiny circle hooks were a big success. No fish were killed attempting to remove hooks. No cutting the line and leaving the hook in the released fish hoping it would make it. The hooks are a definite plus for fishing with live bait, still fishing while anchored or anywhere where fish populations are such that large numbers of fish are expected to be caught and released.

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CIRCLED: Circle hooks greatly reduce the numbers of fish that are deeply hooked.

But avoiding the temptation to strongly set the hook takes some practice. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Small circle hooks Continued from Page 1

right. Plus not everyone heads out to fish with an endless supply of hooks.

Enter the circle hook — of the tiny variety.

Commercial saltwater anglers have used the larger circle hooks for decades, and recreational anglers followed. The larger hooks have made their way into freshwater circles for catfish and some striped, hybrid or largemouth anglers.

When fishing with bait, all of the anglers find the numbers of fish hooked in the mouth versus deeply in the gut or gills is astonishing.

Not many panfish anglers use them, though, and many aren’t aware that tiny circle hooks, sizes 10, 12 and even 14, are available. But manufacturers do make them small — and they work.

Eagle Claw introduced its Lazer Sharp versions in small sizes a few years ago.

“We’re starting to see a little more demand,” said Matt Gray, product manager for Lazer Sharp, which sells the hooks through retailers and its factory store at (720) 941-8723. “They are great for kids and someone new to fishing, but some people are hesitant to give them a try.”

Jay Don Reeve of Gun Barrel City hasn’t tried the hooks on crappie — yet. Reeve, a tournament angler and officer in Crappie Anglers of Texas and owner of Finny Tribe Bait & Tackle store, said catfishermen swear by them.

“We get a lot of calls from the catfishing guys,” he said. “But for crappie the circle hooks will take some getting used to — we spend so much time training ourselves for that ‘thump.’”

Reeve sees the benefits, though, and plans to

give the hooks a try this winter.

“We do spider-rigging with several rods, all baited with minnows,” he said. “They should work well for that. When fishing straight down with multiple minnows, you better pay attention or they’ll swallow the hook.”

How do they work?

The principle is simple. After the hook has been swallowed the angler applies pressure to the line. The unique hook shape causes the hook to slide toward the point of resistance and embed itself in the jaw or in the corner of the fish’s mouth. The curved shape of the hook helps keep the hook from catching in the gut cavity or throat.

The only real technique is foreign to experienced anglers. Inexperienced anglers catch on quickly. Don’t set the hook. Just steadily and slowly reel in the slack in the line until the hook sets itself in the fish. In shallow water, raising the rod gently will bring the fish in.

Where to buy Small circle hooks haven’t caught on in popularity — yet — and they can be hard to find. Each of the big box retailers show that they carry small circle hooks on their Web sites, and they can be purchased online. But some anglers report trouble finding them in the stores.

“They are catching on slowly but surely,” Gray said. “I would check with the big box retailers or local tackle shops. If they don’t have them then ask and the store can request them. If that doesn’t work, fishermen can call the Eagle Claw Factory Store that can sell direct.”

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LONE STAR MARKET

July 9, 2010

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