December 13, 2024
Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
Volume 21, Issue 8
Two thirties back-to-back By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Mike Wallace caught and released a 30- and 30.25-inch speckled trout with his fly rod. Photos by Capt. Ben Paschal.
On a sunny day with light to moderate winds on the Lower Laguna Madre, flyangler Mike Wallace accomplished the rarest of feats. He caught and released a pair of 30-inch speckled trout. Wallace was fishing out of Port Mansfield with Capt. Ben Paschal. Paschal said
the day started out like just about any other trip he and Wallace had shared over the past decade of fishing together. He ran to an area he typically targets for redfish, and immediately started seeing good numbers of speckled trout. “We were poling in about a foot of water over a flat with grass beds and scattered sand pockets and potholes,” Pas-
chal said. “It was one of those days where the conditions were perfect for sight-casting with a fly rod. The water was clear, there were few clouds in the sky, visibility was excellent and the wind was manageable. I quickly noticed quite a few large trout up in the shallows, and knew right away our focus for the day was going to be on catching big trout.”
Wallace said he could tell by Paschal’s attitude and demeanor that the trip had the potential to be pretty special. “Paschal was spotting so many large trout from the poling platform that he told me not to even cast at any redfish in range,” Wallace said. “It’s not every day that you just pass up easy shots at redfish with a fly rod, so I knew he felt like the Please turn to page 9
Thanksgiving traditions By Meghan Olivia Jackson For Lone Star Outdoor News
Imagine being part of a family who embraces hunting traditions. It’s every hunter’s dream — especially on Thanksgiving Day. As a former member of the women’s golf team at the University of Texas at Austin, to white-tailed deer hunting in South Texas, spending time outdoors is Bentley Cotton’s passion. “I was born in Austin in 2001 and have lived here my whole life,” Cotton said. “Our first ranch was in Kingsland and then in 2006, my father, Jimbo Cotton, joined a ranch in Freer by the name of Rancho Venado Grande.” To know South Texas is to love it, and when you get a taste of the white-tailed deer hunting opportunities, you can’t help but make it a Thanksgiving tradition. Since 2017, Cotton said Thanksgiving weekend is reserved for chasing big bucks. “I am not sure who started it exactly, but
it was definitely a product of wanting to be at the ranch as many weekends as possible,” she said. “Last year, at the end of October, I started hunting a deer we had named Spider because of how his horns twisted like a web. The day after Thanksgiving, the chase came to an end.” As an avid bowhunter since 2014, Cotton said this hunt was extra special, not only because it was a unique deer and difficult chase, but because of who she spent it with. “Having my family and friends down there made this trip special because they got to see the deer and witness my raw excitement,” she said. For Andrea Hartley, she credits her friends for introducing her to the hunting lifestyle. “For the last several years, I’ve always made it a point to be outdoors for Thanksgiving,” Hartley said. “Whether it’s an early duck hunt or a 4-day trip to the deer lease, we have made it a tradition. This year, we attempted to fulfill one of my dream hunts looking for a turkey.
There’s nothing better than spending Thanksgiving Day in a deer blind, and getting picked up to head to camp for turkey dinner. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
First buck, from the ground By Nate Skinner
Finley Battistoni recently harvested her first deer, a 10-point buck, on her family’s ranch in Edwards County while hunting with her dad and younger brother. The 9-year-old was headed to the blind in the early afternoon with her dad and 3-year-old brother when they walked up on some does feeding along the edge of
some cedar trees in the field. The trio froze in their tracks to try to avoid spooking the does, hoping a buck might be following them. A few moments later, a buck came out of the cedars and the does ran off. Apparently exhausted from chasing the does, the buck laid down almost immediately at the edge of the cedar brush in some tall grass — about 70 yards away. “We got down low to the ground as soon
Finley Battistoni harvested her first buck on her family’s ranch in Edwards County while hunting on foot. Photos by Ryan Battistoni. Freshwater Fishing Report . . Page 10 Outdoor Blotter . . . . . . . . Page 12 Grip & Grin . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . . Page 16 Saltwater Fishing Report . . . Page 22 Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26
INSIDE
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Please turn to page 21
HUNTING
FISHING
Bighorns to Franklin SP (P. 4)
Giant school (P. 8)
Total of 77 animals moved.
Redfish everywhere for father, son.
Public land bucks (P. 5)
Aggressive bass (P. 8)
Father, sons take bucks at national forest.
Fish grouping up.