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November 9, 2012
LoneOStar Outdoor News
LSONews.com
Winners announced for Big Time Texas Hunts The winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts seven hunt packages have been announced. Texas hunters applied for the chance to win one of the adventures. “When I received the letter I was excited but couldn’t remember which hunt I had put in for. I was hoping it was the Grand Slam,” said Victoria tobacco shop owner Roger Dean Theisen. “I’ve entered for a number of years — figured it was a good cause.” The Big Time Texas Hunts raffle offers hunting packages ranging from guided white-tailed deer hunting, bird and gator hunts to the Grand Slam which treats the lucky winner and a non-hunting guest to food, lodging, taxidermy and a personal guide for four separate hunts for desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn and desert mule deer. Theisen was the winner of this top package. This year, the Big Time Texas Hunts drawing received 64,340 entries ($9/entry online or $10/entry by mail, phone or at license retailers) and raised $612,161. All proceeds will benefit wildlife conservation, research and public hunting in Texas. The winners are: Texas Grand Slam Texas Whitetail Bonanza • Roger Dean Theisen, Yoakum • John M. Dagenhart, Blackwell • Garrie E. Struhall, Austin Texas Exotic Safari • Russell Neal Terral, Mertzon • Henry Frank Bell, Seguin • James Avery Low, Cherokee • Gaynard Ernest Wenglar, East Bernard • Kevin Lane Preston, Conroe • Craig A. Enright, Quinlan Texas Premium Buck • Patrick James Bailey, Corpus Christi • Melvin P. Solomon, Conroe • Robert M. Flatley, San Antonio Texas Waterfowl Adventure Texas Gator Hunt • Gary Wayne Lee, Conroe • Lee Andrew Friedman, Clayton, Calif. Texas Big Time Bird Hunt • Riley Bruce Marsh, Yoakum — TPWD
Fairfield Lake coming back After multiple fish kills crippled the Fairfield Lake fishery, most anglers turned their boats toward smoother waters, leaving the lake behind them. But although the fish populations still haven’t recovered, all hope for the lake isn’t lost, according to Fairfield Lake State Park Manager Mike Kleinert. “I actually went out with fishery biologist Rick Ott recently and we conducted an electroshock survey, and actually did turn up a 30-inch redfish,” Kleinert said. “So there’s still one in there for sure.” Kleinert said they also brought up some largemouth bass, though none were more than 18 inches, in addition to a single channel cat. Most of the bass were found near areas of hydrilla. “I asked Rick Ott if the survey went how he expected, and he said it was better than he expected,” Kleinert said. “The survey the time before this one hardly any fish were collected.” Most anglers frequenting the lake have been using a cast net for tilapia, but anglers earlier in
the year were having some luck on rod and reel for catfish. “The majority of anglers right now are throwing cast nets,” he said. “I do know that one night three guys had 65 channel cats they caught on rod and reel.” The reason Fairfield has experienced fish kills could be traced to the lack of any source of new water, according to Kleinert. “We’re praying for a hurricane to come and park on top of us and kind of flush this thing,” he said. “That’s the problem; it doesn’t have a steady stream flowing in or out like most of your freshwater lakes. We’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.” Kleinert said that Texas Parks and Wildlife are keeping the suspension on stocking the lake in place. “If you’re just wanting to wet a hook or line, yeah come fish,” he said. “But if you’re wanting to catch a good red, you might want to go to the coast. Tilapia and catfish, I would say, are the predominant target species.” — John Keith, LSON