march 8, 2013 - lone star outdoor news - fishing & hunting

LSONews.com LoneOStar Outdoor News March 8, 2013 P

RSR

T ST

DU

S P

OST

AG

EPA

IDP

LAN

O, T

XP

ERM

IT 2

10

Tim

e Se

nsiti

ve M

ater

ial •

Del

iver

ASA

P

March 8, 2013 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 9, Issue 14

Trophy rainbowsGuadalupe River trout zone

offering stellar fi shing. Page 8

Fishermen, TPW Commission enraged over snapper season change

By Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

Much like college football recruit-ing classes and their infl uence on the future of a program, spring tur-key hunting seasons are often pred-icated by what happened several years before.

Nesting seasons of the past three or four years will have a great impact on this year’s hunting. Due to horrible drought in 2011, almost no hens had poults during that nesting season. That will be felt this spring, with hunt-ers having almost no 2-year-old birds to hunt.

Some mature toms and lots of jakes

❘❚ LSONews.com

❘❚ CONTENTSClassifi eds . . . . . . . . . Page 23 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 21Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10For the Table. . . . . . . . Page 21Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . Page 24Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 26Outdoor Business . . . . . Page 24Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 25Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 16Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 21

Inside

White-winged dove hunting area may be expanded.

Page 4

Extended Zone❘❚ HUNTING

Bass spawn in different stages across state.

Page 8

Spawn report

Sutton County wins $20,000 Hog Out challenge.

Page 5

Getting the hogs out

Texas anglers struggle in Oklahoma.Page 9

Cold Classic

❘❚ FISHING

Spring turkey hunters will feel the effect of poor

2011 nesting season

Local angler catches Caddo Lake record crappieBy Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

Aaron Yohn had 30 min-utes to kill before sunset several weeks ago, so he decided to head out onto Caddo Lake from his home in Wascom to see if he

could catch a largemouth bass.

Well, he didn’t hook a largemouth, but he did manage to catch the new white crappie lake record for Caddo when he boated a 3.04-pound monster.

“I just went out and was actually bass fi shing,” he said. “I caught it fi shing with a bass jig — a black Santone jig — and I’ve never seen a crappie that

big. I knew if it wasn’t a lake record, it was going to be close.”

The 28-year-old angler said he has been fi shing his home lake since he was 16, and has an impressive col-lection of largemouths to his credit — two over 12 pounds and an 8-pounder already this year.

“I caught the lake record

RECORD BREAKER: Aaron Yohn holds the new Caddo Lake record white crappie. He caught the big slab while using a Santone jig fi sh-ing for bass. Photo by Aaron Yohn. See RECORD CRAPPIE, Page 18

By Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

On Feb. 8, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, through an emergency rule, paved the way for the red snapper sea-son in federal waters to be shortened to as lit-tle as 11 days beyond nine nautical miles off the Texas coast. As reported in the February 22 issue of Lone Star Outdoor News, the deci-

sion drew the ire of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

And now the recom-mendation of the coun-cil has drawn the ire of fi shermen throughout the state, along with bringing about an emer-gency meeting of the commission on Feb. 26.

“The motion of the council granted the authority to shorten the season for states inconsistent with fed-eral rules,” said Robin

Reichers, director of Coastal Fisheries for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “It could reduce the currently projected season from 27 to 11 days.”

The lack of a science-based reason for the rec-ommendation puzzled the offi cials and com-missioners.

“We aren’t fi shing at an overfi shing rate annually,” Reichers told the commission. “The rebuilding projection of

the red snapper stocks is on pace to be rebuilt by 2030.”

Reichers said the spawning fi sh in the western Gulf, including off the Texas coast, are more than double that of the eastern Gulf. The average landing size of a red snapper has increased from 11 to 23 inches.

“Over the last 30 years, the fi sh caught have more than doubled

See SPRING TURKEY, Page 14

YOUNG GUNS: Lots of jakes could make calling a mature tom tough this spring. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

See SNAPPER, Page 18 Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.

March 8, 2013 LoneOStar Outdoor News LSONews.com

LSONews.com LoneOStar Outdoor News March 8, 2013


HUNTING

By Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

Dove hunters from southeast of San Antonio to Corpus Christi are more than excited about a possi-ble expansion of the Special White-winged Dove Area that would allow weekend-only hunting earlier in September.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department gathered input on the possible changes at a public hearing in Corpus Christi on March 7 with another meeting to be held in San

Antonio March 12. The department will be scoping

the expansion of the Special White-winged Dove Area and the associ-ated reduction of mourning doves in the daily bag limit to two during this early 4-day season.

Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved an expansion of the current SWWDA boundary in South Texas. The boundary would be expanded east to Interstate Highway 37. This change would approximately

Possible expansion of Special White-winged Dove Area good news for South Texas hunters

See DOVES Page 6

CURRENT PROPOSED

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Many sunflower fields have been off-limits as they were not included in the Special White-winged Dove Area. They may be available to hunt this season if the zone is expanded. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Deer breeders facing potential new legislationBy Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

Several bills affecting Texas deer breeders filed in the Texas Legislature were discussed during a roundtable at the Texas Deer Association’s Spring Gala in Grapevine on March 2. Other bills may be filed prior to the March 8 deadline. The following is a brief description of the bills filed.

Due Process BillSB 820/HB 1614If a deer breeder’s permit is not renewed

by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the deer could potentially be destroyed.

The current appeal process is within TPWD.

The bill allows for a review by a judge in the county where the breeder resides, the county where the breeding facility is located or in Travis County.

Supporters cite the issue of the appeal

process being done by people within the same department that decided not to renew the permit.

The bill had near unanimous support in Texas Senate and House last session but did not make its way to a final vote.

Microchip BillHB 840/SB 989“The bill is designed to comply with the

CWD National Traceback program estab-lished by the USDA,” said Dick Cain, TDA board member.

The bill would require the use of two of the following four means of identification on a deer.• RFID tag (radio frequency identifica-tion)• Microchip• Tattoo• Metal tag

A reasonably visible ear tag will remain a requirement.

Multi-year BillHB 1615The bill would extend the renewal period

for deer breeders from annually to a 3- or 5-year period. Annual reports and pay-ment of annual fees would still be required.

Movement to AgHB 2092The bill would change the regulatory

agency for deer breeders from TPWD to the Texas Animal Health Commission.

Supporters cite the improved animal husbandry of the veterinarian-oriented Department of Agriculture versus rely-ing on Texas game wardens to inspect and enforce breeder facilities.

Other bills, including a possible bill seeking to revise the current “10-day rule” of release of deer prior to any hunting sea-son, may be filed by the March 8 deadline. Lone Star Outdoor News will keep read-ers advised on additional bills filed in its March 22 issue and at lsonews.com.Photo by LSON.



Sutton County was named the winner of the 2013 Texas Department of Agriculture Hog Out County Grant Challenge last week after 888 hunters took 435 hogs out of the county.

Sutton County will receive a

$20,000 grant for feral hog abate-ment for their efforts.

Fifteen counties participated in the program, and a total of 3,563 hunters killed 7,157 hogs during the period of Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2013.

Counties received five points for every 10 hogs taken, plus the num-ber of hunters participating in the

challenge.The program in Sutton County

was headed by Jimmy and Sharon Holman of the Sutton County Predator Management Program.

“I have to give my wife a lot of credit,” Jimmy Holman said. “She made sure we had booths out at the Hunters Extravaganza to educate all of them. We had a lot of peo-ple participating and we probably won more because of that than the number of hogs.”

Holman was correct. Clay County led all counties with 1,194 hogs taken by 49 hunters.

Holman said the hogs are a major problem for landowners in his county, and he thinks they contrib-ute to the spread of other predators, as well.

“They help the rest of the preda-tors out because as they become more prevalent, I’ve set out steel traps for coyotes and the pigs will just dig them up,” he said. “If I set up a snare, they run right through it.”

Sutton County Ag Extension Agent Pascual Hernandez said some of the money would go to educat-ing landowners about feral hog control.

“We have several educational programs planned throughout the year,” Hernandez said. “Feral hogs are such a growing problem in so many parts of Texas. With the drought, the farmers really have to take care of their sheep and goats, and pig control is a big part of that out here.”

Holman had a different idea for how the money will be used.

“We are going to use that money for flying to shoot more hogs,” he said.

The other top counties in this year’s program were Coryell, fol-lowed by Callahan and Goliad.

The second place county will receive $15,000, and the third place county receives $10,000.

For more information of the pro-gram, go to TexasAgriculture.gov, or call TDA at (512) 463-6908.

Receives $20,000 grant for feral hog

abatement

Sutton County wins Hog Out Challenge

HERE, PIGGY PIGGY: Hunters in Sutton County killed 435 hogs and won this year’s top prize of $20,000 in grants for feral hog abatement. Photo by LSON.

Former warden sentenced

On Nov. 13, 2011, Daniel Diaz, while on duty as a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden, initiated a traffic stop on a Liberty County resident who Diaz claimed was exceeding the speed limit.

Because of prior incidents involving Diaz and the victim, the victim, while being pulled over, notified 911 of the vehicle stop and requested the presence of additional officers. Officers from Liberty PD responded to find that the victim had been ordered out of the vehicle and handcuffed by Diaz without a just legal reason for detention. The resident was released at the scene. An investi-gation conducted by the Internal Affairs Division of TPWD resulted in the case being brought to the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office.

Diaz was subsequently indicted for the misdemeanor offense of offi-cial oppression. A jury was selected on Feb. 25, and beginning the next day, the jury heard evidence over two days and returned a unanimous verdict of guilty to the charge of misdemeanor official oppression.

An additional day of evidence during the punishment phase of the trial included family and friends speaking on behalf of Diaz, as well as evidence presented by the State that Diaz was the subject of numer-ous complaints throughout his 27-year career as a game warden.

The jury, after deliberation, returned the unanimous decision to sentence Diaz with the maximum punishment for the charge — 1 year incarceration in the county jail and a $4,000 fine.

— Logan Pickett, Liberty County Vindicator


double the size of the SWWDA.Wes Bevly from Corpus Christi books both day and season leases in

the area, and is all for the change.“All of the areas we hunt would be in the whitewing zone,” he

said. “Before the season has started, the birds have been unbelievable down here.”

In the past, when the South Zone season arrived, the whitewing hunting has been spotty.

“Everyone has started hunting to the north way before us,” Bevly said. “Then when our season starts, everything here has dried up. As soon as the first shots are fired at the beginning of our season, the birds seem to move out.”

Shaun Oldenburger, TPWD Dove Program leader, said increased opportunity should result from the possible change.

“This regulation change would allow more hunter opportunity on an expanding and increasing population of white-winged doves in South Texas,” he said.

Daniel Hernandez of Double H Outfitters in San Antonio agreed.“We’re really excited about it,” he said. “It’s going to open up a

bunch of our country.”Not all of the fields Hernandez hunts will benefit, though. “Some of our fields hold mostly mourning dove,” he said. “But two

or three of our fields will be really good. At two fields near Lytle, in other years we have just sat and watched the whitewings go by. And around Dilley, Pearsall and Divine, it will open up a bunch of good hunting country.”

Hernandez hopes soil condi-tions improve soon to ensure a good season.

We’re planting sunflowers now; we just need some rain,” he said.

The number of mourning doves allowed in the SWWDA would change from previous years, though.

The USFWS expressed concern about potential increased harvest of mourning dove in the SWWDA as a result of the proposed expan-sion. If Texas accepts the expan-sion, the USFWS is mandating a two-bird daily bag limit reduction for mourning dove during the early season in the SWWDA.

Currently, the daily bag limit during the early season is 15 doves with no more than four mourn-ing doves and two white-tipped doves. The regulation change would modify the daily bag limit

to 15 doves with no more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves.

Bevly believes the unpressured birds in better conditions will mean better early-season hunting.

“It would be great. And a little rain would be good, too.”The comment period has just begun, but all comments have been

positive so far, Oldenburger said. “Everyone we have heard from is positive,” he said. “The only

negative comments have been from people outside of the proposed area that want it to be larger. We have to go with what U.S. Fish and Wildlife approves, though.”

If the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approves the pro-posal, the changes would be in place for the September opener, Oldenburger said.

“If they approve it, we’re thumbs-up for this season.”

Daniel Hernandez, (210) 669-6135ccdovehunts.com (361) 510-5164hhoutfitters.com (210) 535-2739

Public input on the dove zone scoping items may be submitted at tpwd.state.tx.us, by email to [email protected] or in writing to Shaun Oldenburger, PO Box 788, San Marcos, TX 78667.

DovesContinued From Page 4

Spiked fences tough on deer

The Flower Mound Animal Control was called to a private residence recently to help a buck that had impaled himself on a wrought-iron fence.

“This was actually one of two calls we received that day for a deer stuck in a fence,” said Kacie Kinney of the FMAC. “The other buck had run between two posts and we were able to free him, but this buck had impaled himself on the spike. Unfortunately, we had to euthanize the deer.”

Kinney said she is not a fan of fences with sharp spikes on the top.

“The HOA can fix these fences by removing the pointy tips, but they don’t,” she said. “It is sad to see a buck that is still alive stuck like this.”

— Staff report

Photo by LSON.


No water for farmers this yearFarmers, waterfowl and waterfowl hunters are in for a tough year throughout parts of the

lower Colorado River basin.As Lone Star Outdoor News reported last issue, most farmers in the lower Colorado River

basin will go without irrigation water from the Highland Lakes for the second year in a row. This historic cutoff of Highland Lakes water became official on March 1, when the com-

bined storage of lakes Travis and Buchanan was less than 850,000 acre-feet. That is the trigger point in an emergency drought relief order requested by LCRA and approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Feb. 13. Combined storage at 11:59 p.m. was 822,782 acre-feet, or 40.9 percent full.

“This drought has been tremendously difficult for the entire region, and we know that going without water for the second year in a row will be painful for the farmers and the economies they help support in Matagorda, Wharton and Colorado counties,” LCRA General Manager Becky Motal said.

LCRA’s municipal and industrial customers contract for water that is guaranteed through conditions equal to that of the worst drought on record. Agricultural customers, mostly down-stream rice farmers, pay a lower rate for water that can be cut back or cut off during a severe drought.

With the emergency relief, farmers in the Gulf Coast and Lakeside irrigation divisions will not receive any water from the Highland Lakes this year. Farmers in the Garwood Irrigation Division are entitled to about 20,000 acre-feet of Highland Lakes water this year based on the purchase agreement of the Garwood water right.

Ducks Unlimited officials expressed their disappointment with the decision.“We understand that the Lower Colorado River Authority must take a conservative approach

when dealing with limited and unpredictable water resources, said Dr. Todd Merendino, Ducks Unlimited manager of conservation programs. However, withholding water from rice growers for a second straight year represents another setback for wintering waterfowl and an insur-mountable economic challenge for local economies dependent on agriculture and waterfowl hunting.”

The cutoff comes as the basin is caught in the grip of one of the worst droughts in history. The water flowing into the Highland Lakes, called inflows, was the lowest on record in 2011 at roughly 10 percent of the historical average. In 2012, inflows were roughly 32 percent of the historical average.

Last year was the first time LCRA cut off Highland Lakes water to farmers. This year marks the second time.

— Staff report

Eyeworms still a problemResearchers are still focusing on eyeworms as a potential answer for the decline of quail in

Texas.A total of 647 bobwhites and 214 scaled quail were sampled from a total of 25 counties

in West Texas and 10 Wildlife Management Areas in western Oklahoma during the 2012 sea-son. Principal investigators for the 10 ongoing studies are due to convene later this month in Sweetwater to present their latest findings. Eyeworms continue to be a “suspect of interest.”

One of this year’s bobwhites harbored 62 eyeworms — a new record for bobwhites, eclipsing the 2011 record of 47.

— RPQRR


FISHING

Different stages


From shallow to deep, large-mouth bass are spawning in some Texas lakes, while holding in a prespawn pattern in others.

Down south, the bass are in full-spawn mode, with anglers catching big fish on beds.

According to James Bendele at Falcon Lake Tackle, the shallow-water bite is on.

“Shallow is the word of the day, and I mean shallow,” he said in his fishing report at tackleandrods.com. “Get in there amongst them and pitch your bait in between the bark and the sap. And don't be too eager to pull it out too quick — fish slow. Lots of these fish are light biting.”

He recommended throwing spinner baits.

“Throwing a spinner bait in the same areas is probably the second most popular ride at the park,” he said. “Clank it off any standing timber and basket- shaped bushes you can find up there in the shallows. Spinners in chartreuse and white are the most popular, but we have sold every color we own to some folks that swore by it.

“Small soft plastics like the Baby Brush Hog, Super Fluke or Senkos are catching fish.”

As you head north, the bite backs out of the shallows and into a traditional prespawn pattern.

On Sam Rayburn Reservoir,

SHALLOW OR DEEP? Depending on water temperatures on the lake you fish, the bass could be in a spawn or prespawn pattern. Photo by LSON.

Hill Country ’bows are rising


San Antonio angler Alex Ramirez has spent the past few weekends chasing big trout in the Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam.

And he, like a lot of anglers, is having success.

“It’s pretty simple,” he said. “A green wooly booger with flash is catching a lot of trout. Also, a brown prince nymph is killing them.”

Ramirez has been fishing the put and take areas of the Guadalupe River as well as the “trophy zone,” where only one trout more than 18 inches per person may be kept.

“The trophy zone has been tougher on the fly,” he said. “I was (fishing) behind a guide last week and it was tough for them as well. I switched to a 3-inch Powerbait trout worm wacky-rigged with a 1/8-ounce pinch weight and worked it back toward me. The trout destroyed it.”

All trout caught on any scented baits must be released in this stretch of river.

Ramirez said he lost two trout on the strike because they hit it so hard it broke his 4-pound test line.

“I don’t think the trout have seen it as much as some of the flies,” he said.

Ramirez said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks trout in the tailrace, and most of those fish are in the 8-12 inch range. The trophy zone extends from Whitewater Sports at the Highway 306 bridge to the second bridge crossing of River Road.

Branch Spring angler Eddie Gonzales said this season has been the best the river has fished in the past 15 years.

“I’ve caught 26 trout between 2 and 6 pounds this year,” Gonzales said. “It has been spectacular. They trophy zone has been great and in the other areas you can have 50 or 60 fish days.”

Gonzales said water clarity has been cut to about 18 inches because of an algae bloom on Canyon Lake, but that hasn’t affected the bite.

“I’ve made a lot of trips to the lower part of the zone near Camp Huaco Springs and you can catch a lot of fish there,” he said. “I’ve been using the Powerbait trout worms as

well and I jig it along the bottom with a couple of split shots. Fish it just like a bass worm.”

See SPAWN, Page 19

Trout, weather not on same page

By Jacob LongoriaLone Star outdoor newS

The weather affects the way anglers get ready for trout fishing.

And for anglers along the upper coast, weather changes have caused headaches.

“Get in there before the fronts get there,” said Galveston Capt. Bryan Brawner.

Due to the recent cold fronts

that have gone through his area, Brawner keeps a close eye on when the water temperature changes so he can track the trout moving slowly from the marsh drains to the bay. Brawner has caught his trout in the drains with a Shiney Hiney. Brawner says when the water is in the mid-50s , the trout bite slows. It takes a temperature change to the low 60s to get the trout moving.

Bait shops in the Galveston area

are out of live shrimp but they rec-ommend if anglers with some use them in the cuts and channels near the state park on the bay side. Galveston Bait and Tackle said their customers who find live shrimp are heading to 8 Mile Road and fishing the West Bay for trout.

Capt. Leaf Potter hasn’t been out to Galveston Bay since late February due to the bad weather. Potter waits until the afternoon when the water heats up to head out on the water

“I found out the slightest change in the water in the middle of the day has made a big difference in my fishing,” he said.

Potter used that small change in temperature to catch his trout in 3 to 5 feet of clear water in the after-noon with scented plastics. The weather hasn’t cooperated since.

The weather in the Matagorda area has not been the friend of

many local anglers. Capt. Charlie Paradoski is looking forward to the southeast winds kicking up.

“I am waiting for the patterns to change from a winter to a spring pattern,” he said.

When the weather is in his favor, he finds plastics under corks work best for the trout in his area.

With winds of 15 mph out of the north on East Bay, Capt. Mark Talasek has caught many redfish, but hasn’t had too much luck with catching any trout.

“I am confident that when the wind dies down, I will be able use my clear Texas Roach pattern to catch trout in the East Bay,” said Talasek.

South Padre Capt. Craig Woolly has been having luck in his spots. He is finding speckled trout where the water drops to about 18 inches. Woolly has been keeping his custom-ers busy limiting out as early as 9 a.m.

“Most days for my customers,

there is a lot of limit-sized trout as well as undersized throwback trout,” said Woolly.

Woolly is finding trout that range from 17 to 24 inches. Woolly catches his trout on a 5-inch Kelly Wigglers with a 1/16-ounce jighead.

“As long as the wind is blowing,” said Capt. Gencho Buitueira Jr., “the trout are biting in the Laguna Madre. If they wind blows at a good 15 mph out of north or south, the fish bite.”

Buitueira uses live shrimp on popping and corks in 2 to 3 feet of clear water.

“Be prepared for the month of March to be windy, but the trout will be out there waiting.”

Capt. Bryan Brawner, (409) 256-1265Capt. Leaf Potter, (832) 428-3340Capt. Charlie Paradoski, (713) 725-2401Capt. Craig Woolly, (956) 984-9730Capt. Gencho Buitueira, (956) 345-8299Capt. Mark Talasek, (979) 479-1397

TROPHY ZONE: Eddie Gonzales holds a limit of nice rainbow trout on the Guadalupe River Photo by Eddie Gonzales.

See HILL COUNTRY, Page 17

TOUGH: The trout bite has been decent on days that anglers can get out. Photo by Capt. Jesse Arsola.

Largemouth spawn varies across the state

Fronts, water temps hurting anglers


Texas anglers struggle at ClassicBy Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

Five Texans traveled north of the Red River to Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Oklahoma, hoping to bring home bass fishing’s biggest prize.

By the time it was over, only one of the five — Todd Faircloth — had snuck into the top ten.

Cliff Pace, of Petal, Miss., won the tournament with 54.12 pounds.

Brutal weather that saw a snowstorm and temperatures plunging into single digits made the fishing tough for many.

According to his website, toddfair-cloth.com, the angler from Jasper hurt his hand in an accident one day before the Classic when he badly cut two fin-

gers while throwing a boat seat into the back of his truck.

He said water temperatures that changed at the beginning of the tour-nament threw him off.

“I fished my water backwards from the way I should’ve fished it,” he said. “I noticed in some of my areas the water temperatures had dropped dra-matically and in some other areas it didn’t drop so much.”

He spent most of the week slowly working a 1/4-ounce Strike King Bitsy Bug jig near channel swim banks. However, the fish that had been hold-ing in 12 feet of water had backed off to deeper water.

See CLASSIC, Page 18COMING CLOSE: Todd Faircloth holds a nice bass he caught on day 2 of the Bassmaster Classic, finishing ninth. Photo by Gary Tramontina, B.A.S.S.

Operation Shark Fin snags nets, “launchas” from poachers

It was a bad week for poachers from south of the border.

Operation Shark Fin, a four-day, around-the-clock Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement effort along the lower coast aimed at disrupting trans-national criminal organizations engaged in illegal com-mercial fishing and other activities in the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande, and Lake Falcon resulted in the sei-zure of 17,500 feet of long lines, two vessels and 15 citations or arrests.

Wardens seized two “launchas” from Mexico (one on the Gulf of Mexico and one on Lake Falcon) and the U.S. Coast Guard seized a third vessel on the Gulf. In addition, wardens seized 17,500 feet of long lines in the Gulf, 6,300 feet of gill nets in the Rio Grande and Lake Falcon and 19 abandoned crab traps in the lower Rio Grande.

“In many cases,” Special Operations Chief Grahame Jones said, “Mexican waters have been overfished. Because of that, we are now seeing an increasing number of vessels from Mexico illegally fishing in Texas or federal waters.”

— TPWD

Drought affecting white bass run

Fishing the beginning of the annual white bass run upstream from reservoirs into rivers is a spring right of passage for many Texans.

The 25-fish per day limit on white bass makes them an important food item for many anglers, but there’s an economic impact on the community as well.

Drought conditions threaten the Texas white bass fishery in a number of ways. If a reservoir drops so low that connection to the river is lost, the fish won’t be able to swim upstream where they are more vulnerable to angling. Water access for both boaters and bank anglers may be reduced or lost. More importantly, the fish may not be able to spawn, reducing the numbers of fish available. If drought conditions continue for years, the white bass fish-ery may decline to the point anglers lose interest. This can result in a sig-nificant loss to local economies.

“Many Texas reservoirs, including several in Central Texas, currently provide excellent white bass runs,” said Dave Terre, chief of manage-ment and research for TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division. “Changing cli-mate and increased water demands increase the chance that we will lose the connection between rivers and reservoirs necessary to sustain white bass populations unless we take this important fishery into account when making decisions about water man-agement and reservoir operations.”

— TPWD


ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 42–51 degrees; 10.26’ low. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on spinner baits, jigs and drop-shot rigs. Crappie are fair to good on live minnows.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 60–64 degrees; 50.82’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, jerkbaits, soft plastics and jigs. White bass are good on slabs, small crankbaits and minnows.

ARROWHEAD: Water off-color; 41–49 degrees; 12.07’ low. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on spinner baits and Texas rigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs.

ATHENS: Water clear, 51–55 degrees; 2.61’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and bladed jigs. Catfi sh are good on cut shad.

BASTROP: Water clear; 60–64 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastics, crankbaits and spinner baits. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on liver, shrimp, and minnows.

BELTON: Water clear; 58–62 degrees; 6.97’ low. Largemouth bass are good on perch-colored lipless crankbaits and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers and stinkbait.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 51–56 degrees; 4.80’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on bladed jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are good on jigs. White bass are good on slabs.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms in the reeds and near the dam. Striped bass are good on liver and shad near the pier. Channel catfi sh are excellent on shrimp, nightcrawlers and cut bait near the dam. Blue catfi sh are good on cut bait in 15–20 feet.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 15.03’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on crankbaits around main lake points. Drop shots with Xcite Baby Ubershads are good around docks on the main lake. Crappie are good on minnows.

BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 56–60 degrees; 10.64’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on craw jigs, water-melon spinner baits, craw-colored crankbaits, and chrome/blue lipless crankbaits along the shorelines. Hybrid striper are fair on char-treuse striper jigs. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies, Lipless crankbaits and shad crankbaits.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 58–62 degrees; 28.12’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin craws, jerkbaits and char-treuse soft plastics in 12–20 feet.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on dark soft plastic worms, spinner baits and crankbaits in reed beds. Striped bass are good on chartreuse spoons and jigs near the crappie wall. Channel and blue catfi sh are very good on liver, shrimp and bloodbait near the railroad trestle.

CANYON LAKE: Water lightly stained; 59–63 degrees; 9.01’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon hair jigs, drop-shot worms, and jerkbaits along break lines and ledges. Striped bass are fair vertically jigging Pirk Minnows and Spoiler Shads.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 50–55 degrees; 3.03’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on white spinner baits around docks. Hybrid striper are good on live shad. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 62–66 degrees; 17.72’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits and heavy jigs in grass. White bass are good on minnows and spoons. Crappie are good on min-nows. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on stinkbait and live perch.

COLEMAN: Water lightly stained; 58–62 degrees; 13.75’ low. Largemouth bass are good on char-treuse lipless crankbaits, spinner baits and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel catfi sh are good on liver, shrimp and cut bait.

COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 2.64’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics in 3–12 feet. Channel and blue catfi sh are

good on trotlines baited with liver and shrimp.

CONROE: Water clear; 56–60 de-grees; 2.80’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastics and spinner baits. Catfi sh are good on stinkbait, cut bait and frozen shrimp.

COOPER: Water clear; 51–56 de-grees; 7.20’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows. Hybrid striper are good on live shad.

FALCON: Water stained; 63–67 degrees; 28.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, crankbaits and spinner baits. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on frozen shrimp, stinkbait, and cut bait.

FAYETTE: Water stained. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon red and redbug Carolina-rigged soft plastics, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits off deep points.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 42–51 degrees; 11.16’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chatterbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs. Cat-fi sh are fair to good on cut bait.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. Crap-pie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on shrimp, cut bait and nightcrawlers.

GRANBURY: Water stained; 56–60 degrees; 5.44’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse soft plastics and lipless crankbaits over grass.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 5.91’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shallow crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfi sh are fair on cut shad.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 56–60 degrees; 0.11’ high. Largemouth bass to 5 pounds are good on lipless crankbaits and red Senkos in 6–10 feet. Crappie are good on minnows near the dam in 25 feet.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water off-

color; 43–52 degrees; 20.1’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on medium-running shad-pattern crankbaits, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair to good on min-nows and jigs.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 51–55 degrees; 1.93’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on Texas-rigged soft plastics in 5–10 feet of water. Green pumpkin has been best.

LAKE O' THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 52–57 degrees; 3.21’ low. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits around shallow cover. Crappie are good on min-nows. Catfi sh are good on trotlines.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 51–56 degrees; 8.69’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on black/blue jigs around shallow cover. Some fi sh are being caught on bladed jigs. White bass are good on slabs.

LBJ: Water clear; 60–64 degrees; 0.42’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue jigs and water-melon tubes. White bass are good on silver Pirk Minnows and Spoiler Shads near the power plant. Chan-nel catfi sh are fair on minnows and nightcrawlers.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 5.48’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads in the marinas. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Catfi sh are fair on prepared bait and cut shad.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 58–62 degrees; 0.11’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin crankbaits, spinner baits and lip-less crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfi sh are good on shad and stinkbait.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 64–82 degrees; 1.72’ low. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits and bladed jigs around shallow cover — deep-water bite has been good on Carolina-rigged lizards. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 52–57 degrees; 0.59’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics in green pumpkin around stumps.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 56–60 degrees; 0.21’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon crankbaits and spinner baits. Channel and blue catfi sh are fair on chicken livers and stinkbait.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 43–52 degrees; 34.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads, jigs, lipless crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on min-nows and jigs.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 42–51 degrees; 17.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are good on jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Catfi sh are good on chartreuse nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 50–55 degrees; 0.48’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue jigs and shaky heads around docks — small-er baits working best. Spinner baits around shallow cover are effective as well. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 44–52 degrees; 9.81’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on medi-um-running crankbaits, drop-shot rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs.

PROCTOR: Water lightly stained; 55–59 degrees; 5.30’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastics and spinner baits. White bass are fair on small spinner baits. Channel and blue catfi sh are fair on live shad and stinkbait.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 3.98’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits. Carolina rigs are working along deeper points near channels. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 51–55 degrees; 4.49’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on shaky heads around docks. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 57–61 degrees; 1.81’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina-rigged green pumpkin soft plastics, crankbaits and lipless

crankbaits. White bass are good on minnows and watermelon spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Bream are good on worms. Catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers, liver, and cut bait.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 58–62 degrees; 1.68’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon spin-ner baits and soft plastics. White bass are fair on pet spoons. Crap-pie are good on minnows and on white tube jigs.

STILLHOUSE: Water lightly stained; 57–61 degrees; 6.30’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on wa-termelon soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 51–55 degrees; 4.63’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on bladed jigs around docks — midday bite has been best. Striped bass and hybrid striper are good on slabs.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 49–54 de-grees; 5.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on suspending jerkbaits along main lake points — good numbers of fi sh reported on lipless crankbaits as well. Striped bass are good on slabs.

TOLEDO BEND: Water lightly stained; 56–60 degrees; 2.64’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. Crap-pie are good on minnows.

WEATHERFORD: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 7.61’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads around docks. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 55–59 degrees; 8.51’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Striped bass are fair on live bait and white striper jigs.

— TPWD

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTReady to spawn

LAKE RAY HUBBARD — During the next few weeks, anglers at Lake Ray Hubbard will try to fi nd sand bass and hybrids in the deeper water before they get to the shallows to spawn, even though the hybrids only go through the motions.

“They are biting strong,” said guide Paul Rogers. Rogers targets the hybrids and sand bass on the south side of the lake using slabs

in 36 to 40 feet of lightly stained water. The water temperature has been around 52 degrees. Rogers has fi shed the deeper waters knowing that in a few weeks the hybrids and sand bass will move to the creeks to spawn. Rogers says he casts straight down in the deeper water, but when the fi sh go to the creeks, he has to cast carefully to work a lure, while not to getting caught on debris.

“We are prepared to slay them in the creeks,” he said.To contact guide Paul Rogers, call (214) 668-8467.

Prespawn patternsLAKE TRAVIS — Allen Christenson is following the pre-spawn phase of the largemouth and Guadalupe bass in Lake Travis. Christenson said the bass are currently looking for food before their spawn. He has caught a combination of 30 to 40 large-

mouth and Guadalupe bass on some days. “They will spawn from the fi rst full moon of March to the April full moon,” Christenson said.Christenson is fi nding the bellies of Lake Travis bass full of crawfi sh and sunfi sh. On windy

days Christenson landed bass with a small perch-colored crankbait on the north side of the lake in clear creeks and coves at depths of 5 to 10 feet. But he believes slowly twitching a 4-inch plastic worm or swimming a grub with a 1/8-ounce jighead works in all weather conditions.

“The 4- to 5-pound bass are found no deeper than 5 feet of water,” he said.To contact guide Allen Christenson, call (512) 261-3644.

Heading up the riverCADDO LAKE — The white bass run is on in the main river channel off of Caddo Lake.

The LSON team headed to Uncertain in Harrison County this past week and caught chunky female white bass in the deeper holes and river channels in front of Johnson’s

Ranch Marina.The big white bass hit a 3-inch curly-tailed pumpkinseed jig and a white

and chartreuse roadrunner jig.The best bite was near the bottom.

For largemouth bass, the water temperature needs to rise a bit, but some anglers were fi nding success throwing crankbaits and twitchbaits.

— Jacob Longoria

spawn phase of the largemouth and Guadalupe bass in Lake Travis. anglers were fi nding success thr

chunky female white bass in the deeper holes and river channels in front of Johnson’s Ranch Marina.

chunky female white bass in the deeper holes and river channels in front of Johnson’s Ranch Marina.

Prespawn patternsLAKE TRALAKE TRA

SEE MOREn Saltwater fi shing reports: Page 16


South Padre anglers battling wind, finding fishBy Jacob LongoriaLone Star outdoor newS

Capt. Mike Knox searched the bays of South Padre Island looking for potholes where he believed he would find redfish and trout.

In the potholes located in 3 feet of water or less, he found slot redfish and a 30-inch trout “just getting some sun.” Knox used scented plas-tics while fishing the flats.

“The days have been sunny but also very windy, which causes unfriendly dark water colors,” Knox said.

Capt. Eddie Curry had to deal with inconsistent winds and low tides when he went out the past several weeks.

“I could see them, I just couldn’t

get to them,” Curry said.Curry used his trolling motor

to maneuver the edges near the 1-foot shallow waters off the ship channel, where the tide is nor-mally higher. When he situated himself in the correct position, he caught 20-plus trout, but none of them were of legal size.

While Curry had to deal with the frustrations of winds and tides, a group of friends fished the South Padre Island jetties and managed to catch their limit of sheepshead on live and dead shrimp.

“If I would have known, I would have joined them,” Curry said.

Curry has seen a shortage of redfish, but he has seen black drum move into his fishing areas

recently. Curry said this is the sec-ond season in a row conditions have been tough in the late winter.

With the accumulation of bad days, Curry has seen pockets of good fishing in the past few week around the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. During his last trip to the refuge, he caught five reds and five trout — one trout measured 29 inches.

Near the causeway of South Padre Island, Capt. Ronny Marett has found trout behind the con-dos on the bay side. Marett used a gray soft plastic with a chartreuse tail and live shrimp or scented plastics under a popping cork in water about 3 feet deep.

Marett said the redfish have

been “very spotty” around his area and said the majority have been caught in South Bay and South Cullen Bay. Marett has also found success in the South Padre jet-ties catching sheepshead on live shrimp.

When Capt. Andy Davila set out one recent morning, he noticed a lot of schooling redfish in 2 feet of water. But the reds weren’t bit-ing, even with bait put in front of them. By noon, Davila and his crew came back to shore and called it a day. At 1 p.m., a guide friend of Davila called and said he had caught 11 redfish in the exact spot Davila had left them earlier in the day. Davila believes the redfish fed during the full moon

the night before and weren’t bit-ing because of it.

But by 1 p.m. the next day, he believes they were ready to feed again. He said fish midday during a full moon to take advantage of the bite.

In late February, Davila didn’t have a problem catching speckled trout. He caught them in 2 feet of stained water with Kelly Wigglers. Davila says the bite continued all day because the wind stayed slow and constant.

“Too much wind stains the water and makes my customers think they are on a roller coaster,” he said.

Capt. Mike Knox, (956) 243-0039Capt. Eddie Curry, (956) 433-1179Capt. Ronny Marett, (956) 346-2736Capt. Andy Davila, (956) 372-3338

Stricter of the two


Commercial anglers and char-ter boat captains who fish federal waters sure have a lot of regulations to remember these days.

A recent decision by the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council rejected an amendment that would give Texas anglers holding federal fishing permits more flexibility when fishing state waters, which run nine miles out from the coastline.

Currently, if charter captains hold both licenses, they have to adhere to the stricter of the two — almost always federal — when fish-ing state waters.

“It didn’t pass,” said Robin Reichers, Coastal Fisheries Division director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “No matter where you are fishing with a federal permit, you have to abide by the stricter regulation. If you have a federal permit for a species and it is closed (in federal waters), you can’t fish inside state waters for that species.

“If you don’t hold a federal per-mit, you can go about your busi-ness.”

Reichers said Texas and Louisiana tried to pass the motion for greater flexibility, but along with giving the regional administrator author-ity to shorten red snapper season in federal waters off of Texas, the motion failed.

“It was a double whammy,” Reichers said.

Reichers said it creates a situa-tion that gives charter captains fishing only in state waters a com-petitive advantage over those that hold both licenses.

“It is a question of equity,” he said. “You could have a guide fish-ing right next to another guide with different bag limits.”

Reichers said it could be advan-tageous to not have a federal per-mit in a lot of situations, especially if the majority of a guide’s business is done inside state waters.

Captains with federal permits

have stricter guidelines in state waters

See STRICTER, Page 19


MAN WHO SHOT TWO DEER FROM ROAD CLAIMED SHOOTING AT PIGSShelby County Game Warden Nathan

Skeen received a call regarding two white-tailed deer that had been shot in a pasture on private property. He met with the landowner and found a doe and button buck lying approximately 20 yards apart. The landowner stated he had heard four shots. When he looked out a window, a pickup was using headlights to shine the field. Once the pickup noticed the landowner out on his porch, he sped off. GPS readings of where the deer lay were taken and four spent shell casings were found in the road where the landowner had seen the pickup. Skeen interviewed a suspect who was in the area at that time. The subject confessed to shooting at six wild pigs crossing the road. He did claim the spent shells found were in fact his. The rifle the subject used was then placed in evidence. Two weeks later, Skeen and Capt. Tom Jenkins interviewed the sus-pect one more time, and he confessed to shooting two deer in the pasture. The suspect was booked into the Shelby County Sheriff's Office on two counts of hunting deer from a public road. Charges and civil restitution are pending.

CONVICTED FELON KEEPS ON KILLING DEER

Ellis County Game Warden Jeff Powell and Navarro County Game Warden Jimmy Woolley executed a search warrant on the residence of a suspect arrested by Powell in November for killing a 188 B&C buck without a license, waste of game and felon in possession of firearm. The wardens seized a 20-point, 175+ B&C white-tailed deer that was killed illegally in Shelby County. Powell also seized a 51-point, 300+ B&C white-tailed deer earlier in December that was killed in Ohio by this same suspect. Powell is working with a wildlife investigator who is pursuing felony charges in Ohio. The

killing of a fourth white-tailed deer in Indiana is also being investigated for a license violation.

WHITE BASS WOESHouston County Game Warden

Eddie Lehr caught four subjects on the Trinity River with 47 white bass over the limit. Lehr observed the sub-jects drop off a load of fish and go back down river in their boat to catch more. Cases pending.

POACHERS CAUGHT WASHING DEER BLOOD OUT OF TRUCK BED

Cherokee County Game Warden Brian Bearden received a call about someone shooting a deer off of the road and attempting to load it in a white truck. The three subjects fled the area when confronted by the caller. Bearden recovered the deer and, with the help of an accurate license plate number, was able to locate the truck later that afternoon. As the warden drove up to the res-idence of one of the subjects, he witnessed all three of them in the front yard washing blood out of the truck. All three subjects admitted to shooting the deer from the road with a .22 magnum rifle with the aid of a spotlight. Cases pending.

A STRANGE PLACE TO HIDE DEER SKULLS

When attempting to serve a warrant for criminal trespass and driving with a suspended license, Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash found a camper trailer the subject had hidden on a remote piece of land and three deer skulls in the bar-beque pit. That night, Ash apprehended the subject, who admitted to killing the deer without a hunting license.

SHOOTING DUCKS PAST SUNSET RUNS AFOWL OF WARDENS

Smith County Game Warden Chris Swift and Wood County Game Warden Derek Spitzer caught three separate groups of hunters roosting ducks. In addition to shooting 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, the subjects also had vio-lations consisting of over the limit of wood ducks, possession of lead shot, unplugged shotguns, no hunter edu-cation, improperly tagged deer and harvest log violations. Cases pending.

WHITE BASS RUN MUST BE ONLeon County Game Wardens Oscar

Henson and Randy Harper and Houston County Game Warden Eddie Lehr patrolled the Trinity River and noticed two groups of fishermen who were mak-ing multiple trips to their car with fish.

After watching the men for a few hours, the wardens decided to make con-tact with the two groups. After a quick search of the two cars, it was discov-ered that one group of three was 148 white bass over their allowed limit and the other group of two was 31 over their allowed limit. It was also discovered that some of the men were using game fish for bait. Cases pending.

NOT ENOUGH LUCK WITH ROD AND REEL, MAN MOVES TO CAST NETHouston County Game Warden

Eddie Lehr caught a subject on the Trinity River using a cast net to catch white bass. Lehr observed the sub-ject for approximately an hour. The subject would net for a while, throw-ing back the undersized fish, but keeping the ones that were of legal length. He would then pick up his rod and fish for a short time before using the net again. Case pending.

VISIT WITH FISHERMEN LEADS TO NABBING ILLEGAL HUNTERS

Near a bridge at the White Oak Creek Wildlife Management Area, Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash checked a group of fishermen and informed them that the WMA was closed for special draw hunts, but

they could stay because they were fishing from the bridge. Approximately 30 minutes later, the fishermen con-tacted Ash and told him that two ATVs, four hunters and numerous dogs crossed the bridge into the WMA. Ash caught four hunters with one large female hog. Citations were issued for hunting hogs illegally with dogs during WMA area closure, illegal operation of ATVs on WMA, no annual public hunting permit, no hunter orange and no safety equipment on the ATVs. Cases pending.

HABITUAL DRINK THIEF PICKED WRONG TIME TO ENTER RESTAURANT

Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash stopped at a fast-food restaurant and witnessed a man enter the store carrying a cup. The man walked to the soft drink machine and helped himself to a drink. A young employee immediately started telling the man he wasn’t allowed in the store, so the man quickly left without paying. The employee stated the man was crimi-nally trespassing. Ash asked if they would like him to stop the man, and the clerk said yes. Ash walked out of the store, identified himself to the man and requested that he return to the store to pay for his drink. Instead, the man fled on foot. Ash arrested the man a short time later for evading arrest, criminal trespass and theft. The man had previously been charged with criminal trespass from the same store.

TRUNKFUL OF SANDIESHouston County Game Warden

Eddie Lehr and Leon County Game Wardens Oscar Henson and Randy Harper caught five subjects with 179 white bass over their limit. The war-dens observed the subjects for around four hours at the lock and dam on the Trinity River, catching fish and taking them to their vehicles. The subjects would then come back to catch more. Cases and civil restitution pending.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

Leon County Game Warden Oscar Henson and Houston County Game Warden Eddie Lehr were patrol-ling the Trinity River when Lehr got a call from the sheriff’s office about a wanted man who had felony war-rants for arson. It was believed that the man might be fishing at the Trinity River. After getting a description of the suspect’s truck, the two wardens located it at a boat ramp off of Highway 7 with an empty boat trailer. After a short wait, a small boat with a man matching the description of the subject came up the river to the boat ramp. The two wardens made contact with the man in the parking lot, and he was identified as the subject in

question. He was arrested and turned over to the sher-iff’s office. When the wardens got ready to leave the boat ramp, they saw a man across the river from them load-ing fish into the back of a van. They went over and made contact with the man who had 70 white bass in an ice chest in the back of the van. The man said he had two more people with him and wanted to go get them, but did not want the wardens to walk with him. After locat-ing the other two people, the wardens discovered they had 28 more fish by the river that they had not carried up to the van, which put them 23 over their allowed limit. Cases pending.

WANTED MAN COULDN’T RESIST THE WHITE BASS RUN


For hunters in the north-ern Rolling Plains region, two poor nesting years in a row could result in very tough hunting this season.

However, a banner nest-ing year in 2010, followed by a very good nesting sea-son last spring, will pay div-idends for most of the state this season, according to Jason Hardin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Upland Game Bird Program leader.

“Essentially, there was zero hatch in 2011,” Hardin said. “Rio hunters will miss an entire age class. But 2010 was awesome, so there will be a bunch of 3-year-old gobblers. There will be lots of jakes, which could be frustrating for hunters try-

ing to call in a mature bird. They might be a little bit reluctant to call as much.

“I expect a good year in the Cross Timbers, South Texas and the Hill Country.”

Hardin said many of the hens did not even attempt to nest in 2011, meaning pre-dation was lower than normal — most hens lose their lives while on the nest. A good car-ryover of hens means lots of poults in the future.

Hardin said the super stocking program for easterns has had success, and good num-bers of birds are being reported in pockets of East Texas.

Mario Quesada, president of the Alamo Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation in San Antonio, said members are seeing lots of toms and are excited about the upcoming season.

“We are actually expecting a pretty good season,” he said. “Reports from a lot of peo-ple are that they are seeing a lot of turkeys and more toms than hens. That indicates a healthy turkey population.

“Right now, the outlook for the season is good.”

Robbi Vincent, who oversees North Texas, West Texas and the Panhandle chapters of NWTF, said his chapters are all very positive about the upcoming season.

“We are expecting it to be great,” he said. “A lot of jakes took hold and it looks like everything will be all right (population-wise). We are working with TPWD by put-ting tracking devices on some birds in North Texas and will be looking forward to those results, but I can tell you there are some huge birds in North Texas.

“In the Panhandle around Wheeler and Shamrock, there are as many birds as they’ve ever had up there.”

Turkey Season Dates

n Rio Grande turkey: North ZoneMar. 30-May 12North Zone Special Youth Season(in all counties that have an open season for those species)Mar. 23-24 and May 18-19South ZoneMar. 16-Apr. 28South Zone Special Youth Season(in all counties that have an open season for those species)Mar. 9-10 and May 4-51 -Turkey Bag Limit ( 8 counties)April 1-30

n Eastern turkey: Spring Season Only (Rio Grande and East-ern turkey may be hunted in these counties)East TexasApr. 15-May 14Mandatory Check Stations

See TPWD Outdoor Annual for more information.

Photo by LSON.

Spring turkeyContinued From Page 1


NORTH SABINE: Trout and redfi sh are fair while drifting mud and shell. Waders have taken better trout on the Louisiana shoreline on slow–sinking plugs.SOUTH SABINE: Redfi sh are fair on the edge of the channel on mullet. Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp.BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on slow–sinking plugs. Black drum and redfi sh are good at Rollover Pass.TRINITY BAY: Trout are fair to good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on the east shoreline. Redfi sh are good at the spillway on crabs and mullet. Trout are fair in the marsh on plastics and live shrimp.EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on the north shoreline on Corkies and pink MirrO-lures. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp.WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair for waders on mud and shell on twitchbaits and Corkies

in the afternoon. Trout, sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs.TEXAS CITY: Redfi sh are fair in Moses Lake on shrimp and crabs. Pier anglers have taken sand trout and mangrove snapper on fresh shrimp. Black drum are beginning to show in the channel.FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs. Redfi sh are fair to good at San Luis pass on cracked blue crabs. Redfi sh are fair to good at the mouths of drains on scented plastics and shrimp.EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drift-ers on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Trout are fair to good on soft plastics and scented plastics while drifting shell. Redfi sh are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal and at the mouths of drains on scented plastics and jigs tipped with shrimp.WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfi sh are fair to good on the south shoreline in the guts and bayous.

Trout are fair in the guts on the incoming tide. Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp.PORT O'CONNOR: Trout are fair over reefs in San Antonio Bay on shrimp. Redfi sh are good at the mouths of drains in streaky water. Black drum and redfi sh are good at the jetty on cracked blue crabs.ROCKPORT: Trout are fair on the edge of the ICW on glow DOA Shrimp. Redfi sh are fair to good in California Hole on mullet and shrimp. Black drum are fair in the channel on crabs and mullet.PORT ARANSAS: Redfi sh are fair to good on the ledges of the channel on mullet. Sand trout are good on shrimp in the channel. Sheepshead are good at the jetty.CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the fl ats on live shrimp, scented plas-tics and plastic shrimp. Redfi sh are fair in the guts running parallel to the shorelines. Trout are fair on top-waters in Oso Bay.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good in mud and grass on Corkies and Catch 2000s. Trout are fair to good in the guts along the King Ranch shoreline on Corkies. Redfi sh are fair around spoils on live bait.PORT MANSFIELD: Redfi sh are fair to good on DOA Shrimp and scented plastics under a popping cork around grass holes. Trout are fair to good on mud along the edge of the ICW on Corkies and top-waters.SOUTH PADRE: Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on DOA Shrimp and scented plastics. Redfi sh, black drum and mangrove snapper are fair to good in the channel on shrimp.PORT ISABEL: Redfi sh are fair to good on the edge of the fl ats on soft plastics under pop-ping corks and scented plastics. Trout are fair in the guts on shrimp and scented baits.

— TPWD

Sponsored by

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORTQuality over quantity

LAND CUT — “We are catching quality but no quantity,” said Capt. Ruben Cisneros. “It is hit or miss

everyday.”Cisneros has caught eight to 10 trout every time he goes out, but they don’t have big fi llets.

Cisneros caught his trout on plum-colored soft plastics in 10 inches to 3 feet of stained water between 60 and 63 degrees.

Cisneros says that the size of an average drum is down but acceptable drum can be found in the Land Cut and 9 Mile Hole.

To contact Capt. Ruben Cisneros, call (210) 849-5676.

Inconsistent in POCPORT O’CONNOR — Low tides equal tough fi shing,

according to Capt. Lynn Smith.Smith has seen the low tides bring the water down 2

feet lower than usual in Port O’Connor. He said the strong northern winds have pushed the fi sh into the creeks.

“One day the north winds pushes the fi sh to the creeks, the next day we get a wind from the

south,” Smith said. “It’s not very consistent.”Smith is using soft plastics or live shrimp in the bay to catch 16- to

20-inch trout and 20- to 28-inch redfi sh. The water in his area was clear and in the 60s.

“We are lucky to be around a lot of grass that helps hold the water color,” he added.

To contact guide Lynn Smith, call (361) 935-6833.

Fronts setting things backFREEPORT — Capt. Kevin Martin looks for baitfi sh and then

chums to attract red drum. Martin has been catching big redfi sh in 30 to 40 feet of water on sardines.

Martin said the water temperature has gone down 5 degrees, which affects how the fi sh are moving. He catches more fi sh when the water is in the 60s. Currently, water tem-peratures have been fl uctuating between 58 and 62 degrees. Martin is fi nding 30-inch black drum near the ship channel and close to the jetties.

“The fronts have set things back,” he said. Martin uses sardines to catch his most of fi sh but insists that if crab is available, it is a bet-

ter choice. He has been in search of mackerel and sharks but says it is too early for either.To contact guide Kevin Martin, call (979) 239- 4266.

— Jacob Longoria

Quality over quantityquality but no quantity,” said Capt. Ruben Cisneros. “It is hit or miss

Cisneros has caught eight to 10 trout every time he goes out, but they don’t have big fi llets. color,” he added.

To contact guide Lynn Smith, call (361) 935-6833.

Fronts setting things backchums to attract red drum.

Martin has been catching big redfi sh in 30 to 40 feet of water on sardines.

color,” he added.Cisneros has caught eight to 10 trout every time he goes out, but they don’t have big fi llets.

color,” he added.To contact guide Lynn Smith, call (361) 935-6833.


Gonzales said the trophy area has lots of “fat, healthy fish.”

“If you can find a place with one fish, there are usually a bunch in the same spot,” he said. “You’d be amazed when you find a little area about 3 feet by 10 feet and you can catch 25 or 30 trout out of it.”

Mark Dillow, president of Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited, said the season is winding down, but good fish can still be caught in the deeper portions of the river where there is current.

“Right now we are past the peak of the winter fish-ing season,” Dillow said. “When the water tempera-tures get above 70 degrees, we start discouraging our members to fish for trout. Many of the fish can’t recover when caught in water that hot.”

Dillow said the river was currently running at about 66 cfs, so anglers have to

work to find current that holds fish.

“Use streamers,” he said. “We have caught some really nice fish this year in the 25-inch range,

but they are really spread out right now. If you find moving water, anglers are picking up fish under double nymph rigs.

“It has been good.”

Hill CountryContinued From Page 8

KEEPER SIZED: Big trout like this one can be caught in the Guadalupe River below the Canyon Dam tailrace. Photo by Alex Ramirez. Map by TPWD.

TOURNAMENT BRIEFS

Sooners take Bass Champs on ForkBass Champs might be a Texas tournament series, but anglers from all over are being drawn to the series. Randy Hurt and Jeff Culbreath from Oklahoma championed the field on March 2 at Lake

Fork to win more than $15,000.Lake Fork is a slot lake, where only bass under 16 inches or over 24 inches are legal. All bass

between those measurements cannot be kept. There were no ‘overs’ caught in this tournament, so the weights were stacked tight. There was less than two pounds separating 1st and 31st place.

Every micro-ounce counts in a tournament like this, and Hurt and Culbreath caught just the right three to take the win.

This duo has been fishing Bass Champs tournaments for about eight years, and have been in the top five before, but this was their first 1st-place finish. And it was tight. They stayed ahead of the 2nd place team by 0.04 pounds with a 6.32-pound, three fish total to win.

Burleson, Texas anglers Bark Biondi Sr and Billy Biondi nearly took the win with their 6.28 pound limit, but still had a nice payday with their 2nd place finish for $5,000

— Bass Champs

Nearly 30 pounds wins Sam RayburnGrover Mansfield, of Devers, and Brandon Flowers, of Mont Belvieu, brought 29.99 pounds

of largemouth bass to the scales to win the first event of the 2013 season of the Texas Team Trail presented by Cabela’s on March 2.

Even though the anglers were surprised by the high winds, it didn’t affect their day of tournament fishing. Fishing around the Deer Stand Cove area, the team threw jigs in the first grass line against

the bank in 3-4 feet of water to catch their limit. The anglers used their experience gained from fishing the TXTT last year to get their first TXTT tournament win.

— TXTT


Record crappieContinued From Page 1

SnapperContinued From Page 1

in size,” he said. “That’s an indication of a stock becoming healthy.”

Officials believe the decision of the council was punitive in nature, based on a perceived inequity since Texas does not match the federal seasons for

red snapper in its state waters.Fishermen agree. And unlike other

times when public comment has been sought, they have made their voices heard.

“We received 1881 public com-

ments,” Reichers said. “Ninety-seven percent disagree with the recom-mended rule. We also received 24 emails and two letters from saltwater organizations. All disagreed.”

The economic impact of a short-ened season is significant, said TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith.

“We estimate that a 27-day season would generate at least $28 million from recreational fishermen, while an 11-day season would cut that figure by at least $17 million in lost retail sales,” he said.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission is determining whether additional action can be taken or rec-ommended once legal opinions are obtained.

“The commission takes this action very seriously,” said Vice Chairman Ralph Duggins. “Particularly concern-ing that there appears to be no science to justify emergency action.”

“The commission discussed the issue in executive session, and we want Texans interested in this issue to know that we are considering all options to try to address the council’s action,” Commission Chairman T. Dan Friedkin said. “This issue is simply too important to our coastal anglers, com-munities and economy.”

Reichers agreed.“We are adding pounds on the rec-

reational side each year,” he said. “We aren’t overfishing, so there is no need for an emergency rule.”

And in waters off of Texas, the red snapper harvest is a fraction of that of Florida and Alabama.

“In the last five years, the Texas har-vest has been about 12 percent,” he said.

yellow bass also, but that record didn’t last long,” he said. “I’m not a crappie angler, but this cool weather has slowed the bass fishing down.”

Yohn put the big crappie in the livewell over-night before taking it into Marshall to a certified scale the next day.

“It stayed alive in the livewell,” he said. “I am a big fan of catch and release, but I did keep this one to mount.”

Yohn bested the previous record caught on March 5, 2012 by Todd Clifton. Clifton also caught his 2.88-pound white crappie on a jig.

Yohn said the lake is fishing tough right now because of the cooler water temperatures and lots of salvinia floating on the lake.

“The salvinia is getting bad,” he said. “The water is a little muddy and the fishing is tough. I really wasn’t expecting to catch anything since I went out right after a cold front. But you can’t catch any-thing sitting at the house.”

Yohn said the white bass fishing has been a bright spot, though.

“They are stacking up really good in the channels,” he said.

“I needed to figure out how to catch a big-ger fish,” he said. “I was catching a lot of quality fish, but I didn’t catch any 5-pound fish, and that is what this lake is known for. You need to have a few of those to win this deal. I just never got on a pattern. I knew they were catching bigger fish on a stickbait.

“I never could get a rhythm with it.”Still, Faircloth managed to haul in 41.5 pounds to

record his fourth straight top-10 finish at the Classic.The other Texas anglers all finished outside the

top 30.Lorena angler Alton Jones finished 31st with a

total of 23.2 pounds, followed by Yusuke Miyazki of Forney in 40th with 18.14 pounds, Takahiro Omori of Emory in 47th with 11.2 pounds and Nacogdoches angler Albert Collins in 48th with 10 pounds.

ClassicContinued From Page 9

FISH GROWING, SEASON SHRINKING: Red snapper have doubled in size off of Texas waters over the past 30 years. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.


“I have seen guides who run one boat with a federal permit, but another boat with just state permits,” he said.

Dr. Ed Zielenski is just such a captain.

Zielenski runs two boats — one with a federal permit

and one with a state permit. He said it makes no sense.

“It sure isn’t a good idea when you have to start paying gas bills, permit costs and mainte-nance,” he said. “I think the fed-eral government has been vin-dictive against Texas because of the state/federal thing (allowing state anglers to catch red snap-per in state waters outside of federal seasons).”

Zielenski said he can’t look a client in the eye and tell them what it will cost anymore to run into the Gulf for a day of fishing to cover his costs.

“I will be down $1,000 in gas and we will be running for 6 of the 8 hours,” he said. “But all of the good fish are in federal waters. Most people don’t want to catch mackerel.

“Everything I own is for sale.”

StricterContinued From Page 11

guide Dewey Day said the majority of the bass are in a holding pattern.

“The majority of the bass are in the prespawn stage,” Day said. “A few are moving shallow depending on the weather. Three or four days will move them up. With this full moon, I expect them to get there soon.”

Day said he has been catching a lot

of fish on outside breaklines between 12 and 18 feet on Texas-rigged worms, wacky-rigged worms and jigs.

“We are also hit-ting scattered grass and picking up a few big females,” he said. “Then after lunch, we are moving up into the shallows to catch some buck bass. Visibility isn’t great because we’ve gotten a lot of rain — I’d say 2 feet.”

Day said he caught an 8-pounder this week — a big female that had moved into the shallows and

was full of eggs.It is a similar pat-

tern on Lake Fork, where colder water has bass holding with little actual spawning going on.

“Well, they are certainly in a pre-spawn pattern,” said guide Brooks Rogers. “The water tem-peratures are in the upper 40s to low 50s pretty much lake-wide. There are some fish up shallow and they’d like to spawn, but the water tem-perature just isn’t there yet.”

Rogers said the north end of the lake

gets warmer dur-ing the day, but also cools down faster at night.

“We just need warmer weather,” he said. “Spinner baits, jerkbaits, jigs and liz-ards are all working right now. Jerkbaits are good on the lower end of the lake. The water is more stained up north.”

Rogers said the fishing has been fair, with quality fish being caught, but not a lot of them.

“We have really good quality, just not a lot of num-bers,” he added.

Texan named to RMEF board

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation wel-comed Michael Steuert of Roanoke and Gardiner, Mont., to its board of directors.

“Mike has a highly successful business back-ground and a keen financial intellect. He really knows how to get things done,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “He also per-sonally applied RMEF’s mission to his own life with more than a decade of service to the foun-dation and by looking out for the elk and the

elk habitat on his Montana ranch.”Steuert and his wife, Debbie, developed

a more intense interest for conservation and wildlife when they purchased a ranch north of Yellowstone Park. That passion developed into opportunities to participate in RMEF events as both buyers and donors. Mike also served on the RMEF finance and development committees.

“I have been a life member and supporter of RMEF for some time and am honored to join the board,” said Steuert. “I am committed to making a contribution to the foundation and its mission.”

— RMEF

SpawnContinued From Page 8


NewMar. 10

Solunar | Sun times | Moon timesMoon Phases

FOR THE TABLEOUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 26

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 min-ute per 12 miles west of a location.

Sun Moon Tides| |

10 quail, split 1 1/2 cups long grain rice (uncooked) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 can cream of mushroom soup 4 cups water1 pkg. dried onion soup mix

Place rice in bottom of a greased

baking pan and place quail on top. Mix the garlic, soup and water together. Pour over the quail. Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the top of the soup. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake 2 hours at 350 degrees. Uncover last 10 min-utes to brown.

— Backwoodsbound.com

4-8 oz. trout fi llets1 1/4 cups milk, divided1/2 cup fl our1 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. black pepper1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper1/4 cup olive oil1 stick butter1/2 cup sliced almondsFresh chopped green onion1 lemon, thinly sliced

Soak the fi llets in 1 cup of milk for 30 minutes. Mix the fl our, salt, pepper and cayenne together. Heat the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove fi llets from milk. Save the milk.

Dredge the fi llets in the fl our mix-ture, then the milk and then in the fl our again. Add to the hot oil and brown evenly on both sides — about 10 minutes total cooking time. Remove the fi llets to a serving plat-ter and place in a warm oven, 200 degrees, while you make the sauce. To the skillet, add the almonds and, if needed, 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir and cook until golden brown. Pour in 1/4 cup of milk, heat and stir until slightly thick. Remove from heat and let set a couple of minutes. Pour the sauce over the fi llets and garnish with the green onion and lemon wedges.

— easyfi shrecipes.com

Fried trout with almond sauce

LastApr. 3

FullMar. 26First

Mar 18

Texas Coast TidesSabine Pass, northDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightMar 08 6:38 AM -0.3L 2:08 PM 1.4H 7:17 PM 0.8LMar 09 12:51 AM 1.4H 7:32 AM -0.2L 2:39 PM 1.4H 7:59 PM 0.7LMar 10 1:53 AM 1.5H 9:22 AM -0.1L 4:08 PM 1.4H 9:39 PM 0.5LMar 11 3:51 AM 1.5H 10:08 AM 0.1L 4:35 PM 1.4H 10:19 PM 0.3LMar 12 4:45 AM 1.5H 10:50 AM 0.3L 5:01 PM 1.3H 10:58 PM 0.2LMar 13 5:38 AM 1.5H 11:31 AM 0.5L 5:26 PM 1.3H 11:39 PM 0.1LMar 14 6:32 AM 1.5H 12:11 PM 0.7L 5:48 PM 1.3HMar 15 12:21 AM 0.1L 7:29 AM 1.4H 12:49 PM 0.9L 6:04 PM 1.2HMar 16 1:06 AM 0.1L 8:35 AM 1.3H 1:28 PM 1.0L 6:08 PM 1.2HMar 17 1:56 AM 0.1L 10:00 AM 1.3H 2:11 PM 1.2L 5:43 PM 1.2HMar 18 2:52 AM 0.2L 11:50 AM 1.3HMar 19 3:54 AM 0.2L 1:19 PM 1.3HMar 20 4:59 AM 0.2L 2:01 PM 1.4HMar 21 6:01 AM 0.2L 2:25 PM 1.4H 8:03 PM 1.1LMar 22 12:11 AM 1.2H 6:55 AM 0.2L 2:43 PM 1.4H 7:56 PM 1.0L

Galveston Bay entrance, south jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightMar 08 6:28 AM -0.4L 2:24 PM 1.6H 7:05 PM 1.1LMar 09 12:28 AM 1.6H 7:23 AM -0.3L 2:50 PM 1.6H 7:42 PM 0.9 LMar 10 1:39 AM 1.7H 9:13 AM -0.1L 4:14 PM 1.5H 9:21 PM 0.7LMar 11 3:45 AM 1.7H 9:59 AM 0.2L 4:37 PM 1.5H 9:59 PM 0.5LMar 12 4:47 AM 1.7H 10:42 AM 0.5L 4:58 PM 1.5H 10:37 PM 0.3LMar 13 5:48 AM 1.7H 11:22 AM 0.7L 5:18 PM 1.5H 11:16 PM 0.1LMar 14 6:50 AM 1.7H 12:00 PM 1.0L 5:36 PM 1.5H 11:56 PM 0.1LMar 15 7:54 AM 1.7H 12:38 PM 1.2L 5:50 PM 1.5HMar 16 12:38 AM 0.0L 9:03 AM 1.6H 1:14 PM 1.4L 5:54 PM 1.5 HMar 17 1:26 AM 0.0L 10:21 AM 1.6H 1:51 PM 1.5L 4:56 PM 1.5 HMar 18 2:21 AM 0.1L 11:51 AM 1.6HMar 19 3:25 AM 0.1L 1:18 PM 1.6HMar 20 4:34 AM 0.2L 2:03 PM 1.7HMar 21 5:40 AM 0.2L 2:27 PM 1.7H 8:06 PM 1.5L 11:03 PM 1.5HMar 22 6:35 AM 0.2L 2:45 PM 1.6H 7:48 PM 1.4L

San Luis PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Mar 08 7:24 AM -0.2L 2:54 PM 1.0H 8:01 PM 0.7LMar 09 12:58 AM 1.0H 8:19 AM -0.2L 3:20 PM 0.9H 8:38 PM 0.6LMar 10 3:09 AM 1.0H 10:09 AM 0.0L 4:44 PM 0.9H 10:17 PM 0.4LMar 11 4:15 AM 1.0H 10:55 AM 0.1L 5:07 PM 0.9H 10:55 PM 0.3LMar 12 5:17 AM 1.0H 11:38 AM 0.3L 5:28 PM 0.9H 11:33 PM 0.2LMar 13 6:18 AM 1.0H 12:18 PM 0.4L 5:48 PM 0.9HMar 14 12:12 AM 0.1L 7:20 AM 1.0H 12:56 PM 0.6L 6:06 PM 0.9HMar 15 12:52 AM 0.0L 8:24 AM 1.0H 1:34 PM 0.7L 6:20 PM 0.9HMar 16 1:34 AM 0.0L 9:33 AM 1.0H 2:10 PM 0.8L 6:24 PM 0.9HMar 17 2:22 AM 0.0L 10:51 AM 1.0H 2:47 PM 0.9L 5:26 PM 0.9 HMar 18 3:17 AM 0.1L 12:21 PM 1.0HMar 19 4:21 AM 0.1L 1:48 PM 1.0HMar 20 5:30 AM 0.1L 2:33 PM 1.0HMar 21 6:36 AM 0.1L 2:57 PM 1.0H 9:02 PM 0.9L 11:33 PM 0.9HMar 22 7:31 AM 0.1L 3:15 PM 1.0H 8:44 PM 0.8L

Freeport HarborDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightMar 08 6:36 AM -0.3L 2:21 PM 1.5H 8:16 PM 0.9LMar 09 12:09 AM 1.2H 7:37 AM -0.2L 2:48 PM 1.4H 8:36 PM 0.8LMar 10 1:24 AM 1.3H 9:32 AM 0.0L 4:10 PM 1.2H 9:59 PM 0.6LMar 11 3:31 AM 1.3H 10:24 AM 0.2L 4:29 PM 1.2H 10:25 PM 0.4LMar 12 4:33 AM 1.4H 11:14 AM 0.4L 4:45 PM 1.1H 10:53 PM 0.3LMar 13 5:33 AM 1.4H 12:04 PM 0.6L 5:00 PM 1.0H 11:23 PM 0.2LMar 14 6:32 AM 1.4H 12:58 PM 0.8L 5:13 PM 1.0H 11:56 PM 0.1LMar 15 7:33 AM 1.4H 2:07 PM 0.9L 5:20 PM 1.0HMar 16 12:32 AM 0.1L 8:40 AM 1.4HMar 17 1:16 AM 0.1L 9:57 AM 1.4HMar 18 2:08 AM 0.1L 11:25 AM 1.4HMar 19 3:14 AM 0.1L 12:41 PM 1.4HMar 20 4:28 AM 0.2L 1:30 PM 1.4HMar 21 5:40 AM 0.2L 2:03 PM 1.4HMar 22 6:41 AM 0.2L 2:28 PM 1.4H 9:03 PM 0.9L

South Padre IslandDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightMar 08 6:00 AM -0.3L 2:31 PM 1.3H 7:13 PM 1.0L 10:50 PM 1.2 HMar 09 7:00 AM -0.2L 2:44 PM 1.2H 7:32 PM 0.9LMar 10 12:30 AM 1.2H 8:55 AM 0.0L 3:53 PM 1.1H 9:02 PM 0.6LMar 11 2:53 AM 1.2H 9:47 AM 0.2L 3:59 PM 1.0H 9:37 PM 0.4 LMar 12 4:07 AM 1.2H 10:37 AM 0.4L 4:03 PM 0.9H 10:15 PM 0.2LMar 13 5:19 AM 1.2H 11:26 AM 0.6L 4:04 PM 0.9H 10:54 PM 0.1LMar 14 6:31 AM 1.2H 12:16 PM 0.8L 4:00 PM 0.9H 11:35 PM 0.0LMar 15 7:48 AM 1.2H 1:13 PM 0.9L 3:46 PM 1.0HMar 16 12:20 AM -0.1L 9:19 AM 1.2HMar 17 1:08 AM 0.0L 11:10 AM 1.2HMar 18 2:03 AM 0.0L 12:54 PM 1.3HMar 19 3:04 AM 0.1L 1:51 PM 1.3HMar 20 4:09 AM 0.2L 2:21 PM 1.4HMar 21 5:11 AM 0.2L 2:38 PM 1.4HMar 22 6:07 AM 0.3L 2:47 PM 1.3H 8:20 PM 1.1L 10:27 PM 1.2H

Port O’ConnorDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightMar 08 9:16 AM -0.3L 11:19 PM 0.4HMar 09 10:15 AM -0.2LMar 10 3:27 AM 0.3H 12:06 PM -0.1L 8:10 PM 0.2H 11:14 PM 0.2LMar 11 5:18 AM 0.3H 12:49 PM 0.0L 7:34 PM 0.2HMar 12 12:06 AM 0.1L 7:04 AM 0.3H 1:24 PM 0.1L 6:08 PM 0.2HMar 13 12:52 AM 0.0L 9:17 AM 0.3H 1:49 PM 0.2L 5:08 PM 0.3 HMar 14 1:34 AM 0.0L 11:01 AM 0.4H 1:55 PM 0.3L 4:55 PM 0.4HMar 15 2:13 AM -0.1L 5:11 PM 0.4HMar 16 2:53 AM -0.1L 5:30 PM 0.5HMar 17 3:38 AM -0.1L 5:46 PM 0.5HMar 18 4:32 AM 0.0L 6:04 PM 0.5HMar 19 5:39 AM 0.0L 6:31 PM 0.5HMar 20 6:56 AM 0.0L 7:02 PM 0.6HMar 21 8:11 AM 0.0L 7:31 PM 0.5HMar 22 9:17 AM 0.0L 7:35 PM 0.5H

RockportDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightMar 08 12:01 AM 0.1H 9:58 AM -0.2LMar 09 1:11 AM 0.1H 10:45 AM -0.2LMar 10 3:28 AM 0.1H 12:22 PM -0.1LMar 11 4:56 AM 0.1H 12:47 PM -0.1L 6:16 PM 0.0H 11:10 PM 0.0LMar 12 6:44 AM 0.0H 12:57 PM 0.0L 5:51 PM 0.0HMar 13 12:54 AM -0.1L 8:59 AM 0.0H 12:42 PM 0.0L 5:53 PM 0.1HMar 14 2:10 AM -0.1L 6:14 PM 0.1HMar 15 3:14 AM -0.1L 6:51 PM 0.1HMar 16 4:13 AM -0.1L 7:40 PM 0.1HMar 17 5:13 AM -0.1L 8:39 PM 0.2HMar 18 6:13 AM -0.1L 9:43 PM 0.2HMar 19 7:15 AM -0.1L 10:46 PM 0.2HMar 20 8:14 AM 0.0L 11:46 PM 0.2HMar 21 9:09 AM 0.0LMar 22 12:44 AM 0.2H 9:57 AM 0.0L

Houston2013 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONMar Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri 2:07 8:20 2:34 8:47 06:38 06:24 4:13a 3:33p 09 Sat 2:54 9:07 3:20 9:33 06:37 06:25 4:56a 4:36p 10 Sun > 4:41 10:53 5:06 11:18 07:36 07:26 6:35a 6:37p 11 Mon > 5:28 11:40 5:52 12:04 07:35 07:26 7:12a 7:37p 12 Tue N 6:16 12:04 6:39 12:28 07:34 07:27 7:49a 8:35p 13 Wed > 7:06 12:54 7:29 1:18 07:33 07:28 8:25a 9:32p 14 Thu > 7:58 1:46 8:21 2:09 07:32 07:28 9:03a 10:29p 15 Fri 8:51 2:39 9:14 3:02 07:30 07:29 9:42a 11:24p 16 Sat 9:44 3:32 10:08 3:56 07:29 07:29 10:23a NoMoon 17 Sun 10:36 4:24 11:01 4:49 07:28 07:30 11:07a 12:18a 18 Mon 11:28 5:16 11:52 5:40 07:27 07:31 11:54a 1:09a 19 Tue Q ----- 6:05 12:17 6:29 07:26 07:31 12:42p 1:58a 20 Wed 12:41 6:52 1:04 7:16 07:24 07:32 1:33p 2:43a 21 Thu 1:26 7:37 1:49 8:01 07:23 07:32 2:26p 3:26a 22 Fri 2:09 8:20 2:32 8:44 07:22 07:33 3:21p 4:06a 23 Sat 2:50 9:02 3:13 9:25 07:21 07:33 4:17p 4:44a 24 Sun 3:31 9:43 3:54 10:06 07:20 07:34 5:14p 5:21a 25 Mon > 4:13 10:25 4:37 10:48 07:18 07:35 6:12p 5:57a 26 Tue > 4:57 11:09 5:21 11:33 07:17 07:35 7:13p 6:33a 27 Wed F 5:45 11:57 6:10 ----- 07:16 07:36 8:15p 7:11a

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell PierDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightMar 08 6:03 AM -0.6L 2:23 PM 1.3H 7:43 PM 0.9L 11:01 PM 1.0 HMar 09 7:00 AM -0.5L 2:42 PM 1.1H 7:54 PM 0.7LMar 10 12:37 AM 1.0H 8:53 AM -0.3L 3:57 PM 1.0H 9:18 PM 0.4LMar 11 2:56 AM 1.1H 9:44 AM 0.0L 4:08 PM 0.9H 9:48 PM 0.3LMar 12 4:08 AM 1.1H 10:33 AM 0.2L 4:16 PM 0.9H 10:21 PM 0.1LMar 13 5:16 AM 1.2H 11:22 AM 0.5L 4:20 PM 0.9H 10:57 PM 0.0LMar 14 6:25 AM 1.2H 12:14 PM 0.8L 4:18 PM 0.9H 11:36 PM -0.1LMar 15 7:40 AM 1.3H 1:16 PM 1.0L 4:03 PM 1.0HMar 16 12:19 AM -0.1L 9:05 AM 1.3HMar 17 1:08 AM -0.1L 10:48 AM 1.3HMar 18 2:05 AM -0.1L 12:27 PM 1.3HMar 19 3:09 AM -0.1L 1:30 PM 1.3HMar 20 4:17 AM -0.1L 2:07 PM 1.2HMar 21 5:20 AM -0.1L 2:29 PM 1.2HMar 22 6:16 AM -0.1L 2:43 PM 1.1H 8:14 PM 0.9L 11:03 PM 0.9H

San Antonio2013 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONMar Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri 2:19 8:33 2:46 9:00 06:51 06:37 4:26a 3:47p 09 Sat 3:07 9:20 3:33 9:45 06:50 06:38 5:08a 4:49p 10 Sun > 4:53 11:06 5:18 11:30 07:49 07:38 6:48a 6:50p 11 Mon > 5:40 11:52 6:04 12:16 07:47 07:39 7:25a 7:50p 12 Tue N 6:28 12:17 6:52 12:40 07:46 07:40 8:01a 8:48p 13 Wed > 7:18 1:07 7:42 1:30 07:45 07:40 8:38a 9:45p 14 Thu > 8:10 1:58 8:34 2:22 07:44 07:41 9:16a 10:41p 15 Fri 9:03 2:51 9:27 3:15 07:43 07:41 9:55a 11:37p 16 Sat 9:56 3:44 10:20 4:08 07:42 07:42 10:37a NoMoon 17 Sun 10:49 4:37 11:13 5:01 07:40 07:43 11:21a 12:30a 18 Mon 11:40 5:28 ----- 5:52 07:39 07:43 12:07p 1:21a 19 Tue Q 12:06 6:18 12:30 6:42 07:38 07:44 12:56p 2:10a 20 Wed 12:53 7:05 1:17 7:29 07:37 07:44 1:47p 2:56a 21 Thu 1:38 7:50 2:02 8:13 07:36 07:45 2:40p 3:38a 22 Fri 2:21 8:33 2:45 8:56 07:34 07:45 3:34p 4:19a 23 Sat 3:03 9:14 3:26 9:38 07:33 07:46 4:30p 4:57a 24 Sun 3:44 9:55 4:07 10:19 07:32 07:47 5:27p 5:33a 25 Mon > 4:25 10:37 4:49 11:01 07:31 07:47 6:26p 6:09a 26 Tue > 5:09 11:22 5:34 11:46 07:30 07:48 7:25p 6:46a 27 Wed F 5:57 ----- 6:23 12:10 07:29 07:48 8:27p 7:24a

Amarillo2013 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONMar Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri 2:33 8:46 3:00 9:13 07:07 06:48 4:48a 3:53p 09 Sat 3:20 9:33 3:46 9:59 07:06 06:49 5:28a 4:58p 10 Sun > 5:07 11:19 5:31 11:44 08:04 07:49 7:05a 7:02p 11 Mon > 5:54 ----- 6:18 12:30 08:03 07:50 7:39a 8:04p 12 Tue N 6:42 12:30 7:05 12:54 08:01 07:51 8:13a 9:05p 13 Wed > 7:32 1:20 7:55 1:44 08:00 07:52 8:47a 10:05p 14 Thu > 8:23 2:12 8:47 2:35 07:59 07:53 9:22a 11:04p 15 Fri 9:16 3:04 9:40 3:28 07:57 07:53 10:00a NoMoon 16 Sat 10:10 3:58 10:34 4:22 07:56 07:54 10:40a 12:01a 17 Sun 11:02 4:50 11:27 5:14 07:55 07:55 11:23a 12:56a 18 Mon 11:54 5:42 ----- 6:06 07:53 07:56 12:08p 1:48a 19 Tue Q 12:19 6:31 12:43 6:55 07:52 07:57 12:57p 2:36a 20 Wed 1:06 7:18 1:30 7:42 07:50 07:58 1:49p 3:21a 21 Thu 1:52 8:03 2:15 8:27 07:49 07:58 2:44p 4:03a 22 Fri 2:35 8:46 2:58 9:10 07:47 07:59 3:40p 4:41a 23 Sat 3:16 9:28 3:39 9:51 07:46 08:00 4:38p 5:17a 24 Sun 3:57 10:09 4:20 10:32 07:45 08:01 5:38p 5:51a 25 Mon > 4:39 10:51 5:02 11:14 07:43 08:01 6:39p 6:25a 26 Tue > 5:23 11:35 5:47 11:59 07:42 08:02 7:42p 6:59a 27 Wed F 6:11 ----- 6:36 12:23 07:40 08:03 8:47p 7:34a

Dallas2013 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONMar Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri 2:12 8:26 2:39 8:53 06:45 06:28 4:24a 3:35p 09 Sat 3:00 9:13 3:26 9:38 06:44 06:29 5:05a 4:39p 10 Sun > 4:46 10:59 5:11 11:23 07:43 07:30 6:42a 6:42p 11 Mon > 5:33 11:45 5:57 12:09 07:42 07:31 7:18a 7:43p 12 Tue N 6:21 12:10 6:45 12:33 07:40 07:31 7:53a 8:43p 13 Wed > 7:11 1:00 7:35 1:23 07:39 07:32 8:28a 9:41p 14 Thu > 8:03 1:51 8:27 2:15 07:38 07:33 9:04a 10:39p 15 Fri 8:56 2:44 9:20 3:08 07:36 07:34 9:43a 11:35p 16 Sat 9:49 3:37 10:13 4:01 07:35 07:34 10:23a NoMoon 17 Sun 10:42 4:30 11:06 4:54 07:34 07:35 11:07a 12:30a 18 Mon 11:33 5:21 11:57 5:45 07:33 07:36 11:53a 1:21a 19 Tue Q ----- 6:11 12:23 6:35 07:31 07:36 12:41p 2:10a 20 Wed 12:46 6:58 1:10 7:22 07:30 07:37 1:33p 2:55a 21 Thu 1:31 7:43 1:55 8:06 07:29 07:38 2:27p 3:37a 22 Fri 2:14 8:26 2:38 8:49 07:27 07:39 3:22p 4:17a 23 Sat 2:56 9:07 3:19 9:31 07:26 07:39 4:20p 4:53a24 Sun 3:37 9:48 4:00 10:12 07:25 07:40 5:18p 5:29a 25 Mon > 4:18 10:30 4:42 10:54 07:23 07:41 6:18p 6:03a 26 Tue > 5:02 11:15 5:27 11:39 07:22 07:41 7:20p 6:38a 27 Wed F 5:50 ----- 6:16 12:03 07:21 07:42 8:23p 7:15a

Baked quail with rice

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

ACROSS1. A grouping of fi sh in

one spot 4. Area some anglers fi sh in 6. Contains the shot 9. Owl young10. A grouse11. Large game of the

plains

12. Feature of the wild boar15. It is said fi sh can do

this17. A bass19. Describes some bullets21. Add to lake water for

drinking23. Shot group in shoot

meet

25. A species of geese27. Location of still

hunter’s platform28. The _____ Walton

League29. The largest bass30. The ring ____

pheasant31. A duck34. Trapper’s quarry36. Part of fi shing

gear38. The hunting area39. Wildfowl having

young41. A line grommet on

a fi shrod42. A game bird43. Trapper’s gear

DOWN1. To scan area for game

2. Underground tunnels

3. A good bear trap bait

4. Motion of an arrow in fl ight

5. A missed shot 6. Pheasant food

holder

7. A freshwater food fi sh

8. Bear young13. The pellet charge14. A grouse16. Rare species of

any game17. Angler’s name for

a large crappie18. Area to fi nd some

trout20. To search for food22. A long-legged lake

bird24. Act of fi sh hitting

a bait26. Name for the

whitetail of the North

29. To dress a game32. Procedure to move

game to hunters33. Hunting and

fi shing ethics35. Indian name for

deer37. A part of an antler38. Read to tell this of

game track39. A gun organization40. Hunters give this

TLC


NATIONALRuger reports record earnings

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announced that for 2012 the Company reported net sales of $491.8 million and fully diluted earnings of $3.60 per share, compared with net sales of $328.8 million and fully diluted earnings of $2.09 per share in 2011.

For the fourth quarter of 2012, net sales were $141.8 mil-lion and fully diluted earnings were $1.00 per share. For the corresponding period in 2011, net sales were $93.2 million and fully diluted earnings were 54 cents per share.

The company also announced today that its board of direc-tors declared a dividend of 40.4 cents per share for the fourth quarter, for shareholders of record as of March 8, 2013, pay-able on March 22, 2013. This dividend varies every quarter because the company pays a percent of earnings rather than a fi xed amount per share. This dividend is approximately 40 percent of net income.

In 2012, capital expenditures totaled $27.3 million, much of it related to new products and the expansion of production capacity.

— Ruger

“Spook” Spann pleads guiltyTV hunting show host William “Spook” Spann of Dickson,

Tenn., was formally sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City Feb. 28 for a Kansas deer he shot illegally in 2007. His sentence includes a total of $20,000 in fi nes and restitution, forfeiture of the antlers in question and any mold or antler reproduction, and suspension of hunting privileges in the U.S. for six months.

Under the plea agreement initially levied against Spann in November 2012, according to provided court records, Spann's sentence broke down as follows:

- $10,000 in fi nes for the crime.- $10,000 in restitution for the value of the buck to be paid

to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.- Three years federal probation.- Ordered to “forfeit to the United States the antlers in ques-

tion, the mold of the antlers and any exact reproduction of said antlers.”

- Revocation of hunting privileges for six months within the United States.

- Revocation of Kansas hunting privileges for an additional six months.

Spann, host of the “Spook Nation” TV show on the Pursuit cable channel, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to a misdemeanor charge on Nov. 27 of transporting across state lines wildlife that was taken unlawfully in Kansas in 2007.

Spann admitted killing the whitetail buck with archery equip-ment on land located in Stafford County and owned by another person. According to court records, he leased hunting rights from the landowner, though his permit required he only hunt on prop-

erty he owned or leased and actively farmed for profi t, according to investigators with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

— Staff report

Arkansas has stable bear, alligator populations

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard reports at its monthly meeting that the 2012 bear and alligator hunting seasons went smoothly and populations are stable.

Myron Means, AGFC bear program coordinator, said the statewide population of about 4,000 black bears is stable. During the 2012 bear hunting season, 264 males and 167 females were harvested. Archery hunters harvested 359 of that total, and 297 bears were taken on private land. Madison, Franklin, Polk and Scott counties continued to lead the state in number of bears harvested.

Mark Barbee, an AGFC biologist, said 30 alligators were harvested and 47 tags were issued. The largest alligator in six years was taken by Mike Cottingham during the 2012 season. It stretched 13 feet, 3 inches. Barbee said about 3,000 people applied for hunting tags.

— AGFC

Iowa electric fi sh barrier up The electric fi sh barrier that will keep Asian carp from enter-

ing the Iowa Great Lakes through the Lower Gar Lake outlet is in place and operational. All that remains to be completed for the nearly $1 million project is fi nal site restoration.

Mike Hawkins, fi sheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said if a high water threat arose, they could activate the barrier to prevent invasive fi sh from entering the Iowa Great Lakes from downstream.

“The electric fi sh barrier is currently the only effective tool to prevent upstream migration in this case,” Hawkins said.

Electric barriers are superior to physical barriers because they do not obstruct water fl ow or collect debris. The system creates an electrical fi eld in the water that prevents fi sh from moving past it. Most fi sh will avoid the electric fi eld, but if a fi sh tries to swim past it, the electric fi eld immobilizes the fi sh and the fl owing water pushes it back downstream unharmed.

The electric fi sh barrier project became a priority after big head carp and silver carp were found in the lakes while sam-pling fi sh populations on three separate occasions.

Two bighead carp were collected during a routine population survey in August 2011. In March 2012, 88 big head and 55 sil-ver carp were collected at the East Okoboji Lake narrows. During the same time, two silver carp were collected in Big Spirit Lake.

The fi sh likely entered the chain of natural lakes during the

fl ood of 2011 that allowed them to pass over two dams in the Little Sioux River and over the outlet dam on Lower Gar Lake at the bottom of the Iowa Great Lakes.

— IDNR

CITES conference to shape international conservation

Safari Club International and Safari Club International Foundation will represent hunter-conservationists during the 16th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The 16th CoP takes place in Bangkok, Thailand March 3-14, and may be the most infl uential event shaping international wildlife conserva-tion objectives for the next three years.

CITES is a treaty among 177 countries that ensures cross-border trade in animals and plants does not harm individual species. SCI Foundation and SCI attend as international non-governmental organizations, and work with delegates from various countries to ensure that major trade decisions are based on sound science rather than politics and emotion.

— SCI

Louisiana captain bustedA Denham Springs man, who owns Deep South Charters out

of Venice, was sentenced on Feb. 27 in Plaquemines Parish for tuna fi shing violations and resisting an offi cer.

Josh S. Howard, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting an offi cer, one count of intentional littering and one count of violating recreational take of tuna regulations.

Judge M. Clement of the 25th Judicial District of Plaquemines Parish sentenced Howard to forfeit his 2013 char-ter boat guide licenses and forbid him from acting as a charter captain for 2013. Howard was also sentenced to a total of $850 in fi nes plus court costs, 32 hours of community service and two years of probation with the addition that no wildlife and fi shery offenses can be committed during the time of probation.

LDWF agents were tipped off by confi dential informants that Howard participated in the catching and retaining of a large bluefi n tuna in April of 2012 after the season had closed.

After a lengthy investigation, agents secured a subpoena for the cell phone owned by Howard where photos of the fi sh were believed to be stored. When agents approached Howard with the subpoena and asked for his phone on May 18, 2012, Howard threw the phone overboard into the water thereby destroying any suspected evidence. Agents were able to secure a search warrant for his home in Denham Springs and seize his computer. Howard then provided agents with photos and videos of the illegally harvested tuna.

— LDWF

You can claim your Nikon 10x42 PROSTAFF 7

binoculars at the Nikon Sport Opticsdealer nearest you:

See a full selection of Nikon products at:

Wheeler's Feed & Outfi tters32450 IH 10 West

Boerne, Texas 78006www.WheelersFeed.com

(888) 249-2656

Boerne hunter Jessica Wheeler was hunting with her dad for her fi rst deer on

the afternoon of Jan. 5 when this fi ne 8-point buck stepped out. She made

a great shot with her Model 700 Remington .243. The 13-year-old hunter’s

uncle, Morris Rice, said the hunt “sure made a lot of memories.”


CLASSIFIEDSREAL CO. HUNTING

59+ acres. Electric, water, owner terms #24, $208,745. 48 ac. Ready to go hunt-ing, pond, 2 cabins (#1) $439,000. 503 acres. Exotics and native, stock tank, 2 mobiles (#75) $1,082,396. 200 acres +/-. Creek, home, barn (#61) $1,650,000. Pioneer Real Estate, Shirley Shandley, Broker. www.hillcountryrealestate.net.

(830) 232-6422

BIG CUTTING BOARDS24"x48" Cutting Boards for hunters and fi sher-men. Made in the U.S.A.BigCuttingBoards.com

BUSINESS OWNER CREDIT CARD PROCESSING

1.69%. Free Machines.www.Payment4Texas.com

UTAH, NEVADA HUNTING

Deer, Elk, Sheep, Mountain Lion, Antelope, Moose, Mountain Goat. Bow, Rifl e, Muzzloader.

(435) 623-2744

BOW HUNTING ONLYWhitetails, Hogs, and Predators.

(713) 823-7139

TURKEY HUNTINGGreat South Texas tur-key hunting in Carrizo Springs, TX. Meals and lodging included. Deer-down.com. Call Mark.

(210) 422-3210

SOUTH PADRE FISHING

Reds, Trout, Flounder, Snook. Everything sup-plied but food and licenses. Multiple trip discounts. Call Capt. Thomas for details or [email protected]

(956) 551-1965

LOOKING FOR DEER?Great Deal Native Whitetail Trophy and Management Hunts near Brady. Meals and lodging at Highpoint Ranch and exotics hunts are also still available. Brand new lodge and some of the best home cooking you will ever have. I’ll send you some game cam photos of our bucks. Like us on Facebook. Call Sawyer Wright.

(254) 485-7069

NEW MEXICO PRIVATE RANCH

Mule deer and Elk. Hunting lions year round, bear starting in August. w w w. e l k o u t f i t t e r. c o m

(505) 321-8202

DEER HUNTINGLEASE AVAILABLE

6,500 acres located 25 miles on FM 1472, Old Mines Road, NW Laredo, TX, Webb County. $11.00 per acre. 15 guns. Low Fences. Water & electric-ity available. High fence around camp site. May be divided into 2 pastures. 2,350 acres & 4,150 acres. Contact Leroy Krueger.

(830) 570-0660

STATE WATERFOWLSTAMP/PRINT COLLECTION

FOR SALE 32 total signed and num-bered state prints and stamps from around the country12 state fi rst; Louisiana, Vermont, Arizona,Kansas, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Connecticut, Idaho, Virginia, Nebraska, Canada, Australia. 10 from South Carolina. All unframed.Great art work for any water fowlers offi ce wall or hunting camp. Call and ask for David.

(214) 361-2276

DECOYS WANTEDWOODEN

Duck and Goose. Top prices paid. Ask for David.

(214) 361-2276

SUPER DEER - DOVE HUNTING RANCH

154 high-fenced acres, Medina County, 20 miles west of San Antonio. Fishing tank, 2 water wells, public water, improved whitetail, axis, fallow deer, 6 whitetail breeder pens, Alsatian rock cabin, mixture of fi elds and brush, one-quarter miner-als, $4950 acre. Owner-Broker.

(830) 796-0520

AVON INDEPENDENT SALES REP IN DFW-JACQUELINEwww.youravon.com/jacquelinek

FULL TEXAS STATE DUCK STAMP COLLECTION

Signed and Numbered.(817) 832-8078

FOR SALE 1992 Ranger Comanche with 150 Yamaha ProV, Motor Guide Humminbird, Ranger trailer. Good condition. Pictures avail-able. $8995. In Wyoming.

(307) 683-2354

DISCOVER ARCHERYTEXASARCHERY.INFO

BUSINESS OWNER LOW COST POWER RATES

www.EasyPowerTexas.com

PROPERTIES FOR SALE493.79 +/- acres of rec-reational/hunting land in Terrell County, Texas, featur-ing a modern cottage, deer feeders, stands and more! Price Reduced on 926.47 +/- acres of great hunting property located in Terrell County, Texas. Features small cabin, maintained roads, quail, dove and deer and great views. Visit our website at www.SandersonTXRealEstate.com.

(432) 940-9425

QUAIL GUN20-gauge, 26” BBL, English stock, side by side. Smith & Wesson Elite Gold In box, never fi red. $1850 (214) 361-2276 x 201

PER WORD$12 issues minimum C

LA

SS

IFIE

DO

RD

ER

FO

RM

New lake record on Palestine

Another Texas lake has joined the ranks of being able to brag about a huge bass.

Lake Palestine produced its fi rst giant bass on March 2, becoming the sixty-fourth public reservoir in Texas to allow an angler to land a 13-pound or larger largemouth bass.

Lindell Booth, Jr. of Chandler was fi shing Kickapoo Creek on the upper end of the East Texas reservoir when the 13.14-pound bass took his green pumpkin Brush Hog in 8 feet

of water. The fi sh was 26.25 inches long and 21.25 inches in girth.

— TPWD

Small knives to be allowed on airplanes

Traveling hunters and fi shermen who have forfeited their small knives attached to their keychains at airports over the past decade have a reason to cheer. At an aviation confer-ence in New York, TSA administrator John Pistole said the TSA was lifting its ban on small knives in aircraft cabins.

Pistole said that the allowable knives will be limited to “retractable blades shorter than 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) and narrower than 1/2 inch at the widest point.”

Still prohibited would be “knives with locking blades or molded handles,” Pistole said. Razor blades and box cutters would still be banned.

What will be allowed is still unclear but it is expected that small hunting knives will also be prohibited, likely including knives with serrated blades.

Presumably, keychain-sized knives like the small Swiss Army knives will now be permitted.

— Knife Rights

Photo by Juan Martinez, TPWD.


HEROES

SHARE AN ADVENTUREn Want to share hunting and fi shing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? Email them with contact and caption information to [email protected]. High-resolution original jpegs only.

Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

OUTDOOR BUSINESS

Thirteen-year-old MORGAN POTTS took her fi rst buck this past season in Archer County.

JOSE SOLIS harvested this big nilgai while hunting near Raymondville with a .30-06.

ROBERT SOLIS took this buck while shooting a .243 on a ranch near Raymondville.

JORDAN HINES, 17, and Boone shows off the nice buck he took at 3:30 p.m. with a .30-30 caliber at 30 yards.

Husband and wife BRANDON AND CAROL GORDON of Allen took their fi rst bucks within 24 hours of each other on Nov. 23 and 24 at the Too Many Rocks Ranch in Boerne.

Dallas angler JODIE THOMPSON III and friend JASON STALLINGS caught these two Port Sulpher, La., redfi sh on Jan. 26.

HUNTER STUNZ, 6, caught his fi rst redfi sh at Port Aransas while wade-fi shing with his dad. The red weighed 5 pounds, was caught on a soft plastic and released to fi ght again.

SETH WINKELMANN, of Dallas, recently caught this redfi sh in Port Aransas.


PRODUCTS>>

T9.9 PORTABLE OUTBOARD: Yamaha Marine Group has

redesigned its high-thrust T9.9 portable outboards to enhance convenience and control. The more modern-looking outboard

now has resting pads for improved stor-age stability, along with a longer handle.

As before, the fuel-effi cient outboards’ four-stroke, 212cc two-cylinder, single over-

head camshaft provides smooth, reliable power and torque for maximum power in minimum space. Operators can easily raise the engine during low-speed operation in shallow water or fully tilt the engine up during non-operational periods, protect-

ing the propeller and lower unit and helping maximize maneuverability. Also, thanks to the T9.9’s single-latch sealed cowling, labyrinth exhaust and a water-sealed exhaust tube, the engine operates quietly. The T9.9, depending on model, ranges from $3,870 to $4,090.

(866) 894-1626 www.yamahaoutboards.com

Operators can easily raise the engine during low-

head camshaft provides smooth, reliable power and


head camshaft provides smooth, reliable power and


T9.9 PORTABLE OUTBOARD: Yamaha Marine Group has

redesigned its high-thrust T9.9 portable outboards to enhance convenience and control. The more modern-looking outboard

now has resting pads for improved stor-age stability, along with a longer handle.

As before, the fuel-effi cient outboards’ four-stroke, 212cc two-cylinder, single over-

head camshaft provides smooth, reliable power and torque for maximum power in minimum space. Operators can easily raise the engine during low-speed operation in shallow water or fully tilt the engine up during non-operational periods, protect-

ing the propeller and lower unit and helping maximize maneuverability. Also, thanks to the T9.9’s single-latch sealed cowling, labyrinth exhaust and a water-sealed exhaust tube, the engine operates quietly. The T9.9, depending on model, ranges from $3,870 to $4,090.

(866) 894-1626 www.yamahaoutboards.com

ACULON A211 BINOCULAR: Nikon’s newest line, which

offers seven fi xed power and two zoom models, uses aspherical eyepiece lenses (except in zoom models) to minimize aberration and deliver rich, natural colors. Utilizing the optics company’s multilayer-coated lenses and premium prisms, these economical binoculars offer bright and clear

images. Ergonomically designed, the binoculars have such features as a smooth central focus knob for easy focusing plus turn-and-slide rubber eyecups, except for the zoom models, that will provide hunters with comfortable viewing during extended periods of time. The MSRP ranges from $79.95 (for its 7x35 model) to $179.95 (for its 10-22x50 model, which includes a tri-pod adaptor).

((800) 645-6687www.nikonsportoptics.com

SHAKE-N-JAKE: MOJO Outdoors has teamed up with turkey hunter and champion tur-key caller Preston Pittman to develop its fi rst full-body, full-motion turkey decoy. Confi gured in the jake style, the tail is both down and collapsed when in the

“off” position. When in the “on” position (via remote control from

up to 150 feet), the decoy raises its tail and fans it while simultaneously turning its body mim-icking the movement of live gobblers. It is this realistic motion that will attract game while divert-

ing attention from the hunter. The decoy operates on four AA batteries (not included), mounts on a 2-foot stake, and comes with a blaze orange car-rying bag. It sells for about $150.

(866) 216-6656www.mojooutdoors.com

MATRIX 380 XTRA: The engineers at Excalibur used state-of-the-art structural software to duplicate real life loads and con-straints when designing the Matrix 380. The result? A compact recurve crossbow that promises speeds of 380 feet per second while requiring 5 percent less effort to cock than previous models. (This crossbow also is 6 inches narrower and 4 inches shorter than its predecessor). It has a lightweight stock with a pistol grip for easy shooting and a riser design that

contains each of its strong “PowerLoad” limbs on four sides for increased consistency and accuracy. And its integrated string suppressors

reduce vibration, noise and shock. Other features include cross-bow string made from a material that reduces creep while

increasing speed and a mechanism in the scope mount that catches the string to prevent the cross-

bow from fi ring if triggered without an arrow in place. This model comes in Realtree Xtra camo. Outfi tted with a Tact-Zone (with 30mm rings), a cheek piece, a four-arrow quiver (with bracket), four Diablo arrows, four 150 grain fi eld points, and

a rope cocking aid, it sells for about $1,250.

(800) 463-1817www.excaliburcrossbow.com

RC STICK JERKBAIT: Luck E Strike Lure’s 4 1/2-inch jerkbait offers a rolling weight transfer system that allows for extremely long casts, a suspending buoyancy that allows the lure to rest like a natural baitfi sh, plus erratic movement that is sure to close the deal. Designed with the input of master angler Rick Clunn, the RC Stick Jerkbait features etched scales and gill patterns and is fi nished in a variety of brilliant hues for different fi shing situ-ations. The suspending jerkbait, which is perfect for prespawn season, sells for about $8.

(417) 847-3158www.luck-e-strike.us

>>

>>

>>>>

LONE STAR MARKET

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

>>

for the zoom models, that will provide hunters with comfortable viewing during extended periods of time. The MSRP ranges from $79.95 (for its 7x35 model) to $179.95 (for its 10-22x50 model, which includes a tri-pod adaptor).

((800) 645-6687www.nikonsportoptics.com

MATRIX 380 XTRA: straints when designing the Matrix 380. The result? A compact recurve crossbow that promises speeds of 380 feet per second while requiring 5 percent less effort to cock than previous models. (This crossbow also is 6 inches narrower and second while requiring 5 percent less effort to cock than previous models. (This crossbow also is 6 inches narrower and 4 inches shorter than its predecessor). It has a lightweight stock with a pistol grip for easy shooting and a riser design that

1/2-inch jerkbait offers

RC STICK JERKBAIT: Luck E Strike Lure’s 4


March 8Texas Trophy Hunters AssociationTTHA’s Bucks and BBQ Cook-offNational Shooting ComplexSan Antonio(800) 800-3207ttha.com

March 9Crappie Anglers of TexasLake Fork TournamentLocation TBA(903) 887-0334crappieanglersoftexas.com

Bass ChampsSouth Division #2Falcon International Reservoir(817) 439-3274basschamps.com

Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationGreater Texas Hill Country Big Game BanquetFredericksburg(830) 864-5400rmef.org

March 14Dallas Woods and Waters ClubMonthly Meeting and DinnerSheraton Dallas North(214) 570-8700dwwcc.org

March 15Ducks UnlimitedSan Augustine DinnerSan Augustine County Show Barn(936) 275-7581ducks.org/texas

March 16Bass ChampsEast Division #3Sam Rayburn Reservoir(817) 439-3274basschamps.com

March 16-17Texas Gun and Knife ShowAmarillo Civic Center(830) 285-0575texasgunandknifeshows.com

March 21Dallas Safari ClubAnnual General MeetingOmni Hotel, Dallas Park West(972) 980-9800biggame.org

Coastal Conservation AssociationBrazoria Chapter Annual BanquetLake Jackson Civic [email protected]

Coastal Conservation AssociationColorado Valley Chapter Annual BanquetKC Hall, La [email protected]

March 22Ducks UnlimitedPearland/Friendswood Annual DinnerPearland Community Center(832) 389-7438ducks.org/texas

Ducks UnlimitedHunt County DinnerNational Guard Armory, Greenville(214) 476-8662ducks.org/texas

March 23Kayak Angler Tournament SeriesLake Fayette(512) 203-9849fi shkats.com

Dallas Safari ClubYPG Hosted Fly Fishing TripGruene(972) 980-9800biggame.org

Bass ChampsCentral Division #2Lake LBJ(817) 439-3274basschamps.com

Safari Club InternationalNorth Texas Chapter2013 Outdoor ExpoEmbassy Suites Outdoor World, Grapevine(940) 612-1928scinorthtexas.com

March 28Whitetails UnlimitedNorth Texas Deer CampMyers Show Barn, McKinney(972) 345-8265whitetailsunlimited.com

National Wild Turkey FederationEast Texas DinnerArabella Manor, East Mountain(903) 736-3683nwtf.org/texas

National Wild Turkey FederationPalo Pinto County DinnerPalo Pinto County Sheriff’s Posse Building(940) 325-5142nwtf.org/texas

DATEBOOK

LONE STAR MARKET

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

Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 2162-8300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are $2, in certain mar-kets copies are free, one per person. Copy-right 2013 with all rights reserved. Repro-duction and/or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or email them to [email protected].

Advertising Call (214) 361-2276 or email mhughs@lone staroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.

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

Executive Editor

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Graphics Editor

Business/Products Editor

Intern

Operations Manager

Accounting

Website

Automotive Advertising

Founder & CEO

Craig Nyhus

Conor Harrison

Mark England

Amy Moore

Mary Helen Aguirre

Jacob Longoria

Mike Hughs

Ginger Hoolan

Bruce Soileau

Mike Nelson

Dave Irvine

David J. Sams

National Advertising Accounts Manager

ContributorsWilbur LundeenErich SchlegelDavid Sikes

Scott SommerlatteChuck UzzleRalph Winingham

Puzzle solution from Page 21

march 8, 2013 - lone star outdoor news - fishing & hunting

Documents

lake record record breaker

bass fi shing

outdoor datebook

outdoor business

home lake

new white crappie lake

game warden blotter

loneostar outdoor news