texas fish & game september 2015

Huntin

September 2015$3.95

Take aSwimbaitfor a Swim

Bow HuntingInvisible Bucks

Dead Trees,DeadDoves

GoingBlind: Tools & Skills for Hiding from Game

The Deal onEarlyTeal

Trout Vomit& MigrationSpeck Myth Busting

Small

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY www.FishGame.com

SmallTop 5 TexasLakes for

mouth

1509-Sep-CoverDIG.indd 1 9/2/15 3:13 PM

1509 Staffbox-Contents.indd 2 8/12/15 1:06 PM

www.FishGame.comPublished by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC.

TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent,family-owned outdoor publication in America.

Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVESPUBLISHER

CHESTER MOOREEDITOR IN CHIEF

C O N T R I B U T O R S

JOE DOGGETT SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DOUG PIKE SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR TED NUGENT EDITOR AT LARGE LOU MARULLO HUNTING EDITOR MATT WILLIAMS FRESHWATER EDITOR CALIXTO GONZALES SALTWATER EDITOR LENNY RUDOW BOATING EDITOR STEVE LAMASCUS FIREARMS EDITOR DUSTIN ELLERMANN SHOOTING EDITOR KENDAL HEMPHILL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR WILL LESCHPER CONSERVATION EDITOR REAVIS WORTHAM HUMOR EDITOR TOM BEHRENS CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GREG BERLOCHER CONTRIBUTING EDITOR PAUL BRADSHAW CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CAPT. MIKE HOLMES CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DUSTIN WARNCKE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR STAN SKINNER COPY EDITOR LISA MOORE CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR JOHN GISEL STRATEGIC ADVISOR

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVESVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

LARRY DALTON ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE: (281) 227-3001 FAX (281) 227-3002

EMAIL: [email protected]

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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or other-wise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibil-ity for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: [email protected] Email new orders to: [email protected] Email subscription questions to: [email protected].

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2016 EDITION

ComingSoon!

BIGGER.BETTER.

60 FRESH & SALTWATER LOCATIONSOVER 2500

GPS FISHINGSPOTSAVAILABLE IN OCTOBER

2 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E


SEPTEMBER 2015Volume 32 NO. 5

COVER STORY:Smallmouth Showdown

STORY:

20 Texas may not be known as a big smallmouth bass state, but these

five lakes are starting to gain reputations as smallie fisheries.

Story by Matt Williams

FEATURES


DEADWOOD DOVESExpressing this dove hunting strategy in mathematical terms, Dead Trees = Dead Birds. For dove, going out on a limb is literally a fatal mistake.

by Greg Berlocher

GO FOR A SWIMWhether in freshwater or saltwater, swimbaits are successful because they mimic natural baitfish.

by John N. Felsher

36

44

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

The Deal on Early TealThe Deal on Early TealSTORY:

48 Texans get an early crack at waterfowl with September bluewing migration.

Story by Chester Moore

Invisible BucksSTORY:

52 Bowhunting is tough when deer get spooked and crank up their

instincts for disappearing. Tough, but not impossible.

Story by Lou Marullo

SEPTEMBER 2015Volume 32 NO. 5

COVER STORY:Smallmouth Showdown

STORY:

20 Texas may not be Texas may not be known as a big known as a big smallmouth bass smallmouth bass state, but these state, but these

five lakes are starting to gain five lakes are starting to gain reputations as smallie fisheries.

Story by Matt Williams

FEATURES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Table ofContents

Table ofContents

Table of

COVER STORY:

TROUT VOMIT AND MIGRATION MYTHS This article examines speckled trout feeding behavior (from stomach con-tents) and lays to rest a few of the myths about this storied gamefish.

by Chester Moore

28

GOING BLINDSince the dawn of time, hunters have had to devise tools and skills for hiding from game animals. This has culmi-nated in a vast assortment of modern day options for every type of hunting.

by John N. Felsher

24

1509 Staffbox-Contents.indd 4 8/12/15 9:23 AM

Wild Ed

THE NEXT GENERATION OF HUNTERS AND anglers (also the next generation of parents, leaders, and voters) is growing up engulfed in a tornado of stimuli that prior generations could never have imagined. Mobile devices, seem-ingly grafted onto their hands, emit a constant stream of texts,

social media updates, games, videos, music andoccasionallyemails and phone calls. This new wave of jabber is combining with the still-potent established teenage temptations to form a super-powered force that pulls them away from more constructive pursuits, like hunting and shing.

Shining through this maelstrom is a traditional high school class that not only teaches the conservation, skills, values and heritage of outdoor sports, but is one of the most popular elective high school classes in Texas.

Wildlife, Fisheries, and Ecology Management is an Agriculture Department course that is taught in high schools across the state. It is prob-ably one of the most popular Ag classes ever offered, for 2 reasons. One, it covers subjects that a huge number of teenagers are passionately interested in shing and hunting. Two, it also includes the mandatory hunter safety course, which allows them to earn their state-required certi cation.

TEXAS FISH & GAME has been a part of this class since its beginning over 25 years agoback when teachers were struggling to nd materials with which to teach the course as they waited for textbooks to wind their way through the States sluggish approval process.

At this summers Ag Teacher and FFA conventions, we were able to meet with hundreds of teachers and students to renew their annual participation in this classroom subscription program. It was gratifying to hear how much of an impact TF&G issues are having on the classrooms and on these kids. Our monthly articles on wildlife behavior, habitat, and the techniques and tech-nology involved in outdoor recreation provide a useful supplemental tool in classas well as being a welcome break from the textbook grind.

We call this program WILDlife EDucation (WILD ED) and have structured it so that the material is available in both printed form and on our new digital platforms for all of the studentsat no cost to the schools.

In 2015-16, we will reach more than 30,000 high school students in more than 500 schools. It is a massive and costly effort. But worth it.

THERE ARE REASONS TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE NEXT sporting generation and the future of shing and hunting. The exponential growth of high school and college bass teams is one example. This high school wildlife class is another. Kids in this program are making a connec-tion to the outdoors, and many will carry it with them into their futures.

We are extremely proud to have been a part of this ground-breaking merger of academic and recreational interests from its beginning. Anyone who would like to join us in the effort is certainly welcome.

Email Roy and Ardia Neves at ContactUs@ shgame.com

by ROY and ARDIA NEVESTF&G Owners

InsideFISH & GAME

InsideInsideFISH & GAME

InsideFISH & GAME

anglers (also the next generation of parents, leaders, and voters) is growing up engulfed in a tornado of stimuli that prior generations could never have imagined. Mobile devices, seem-

ARDIA NEVES

FISH & GAMEFISH & GAME COLUMNS10 Editors Notes by Chester Moore TF&G Editor in Chief

14 Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

16 Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

18 Nugent in the Wild by Ted Nugent TF&G Editor At Large

19 Commentary by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Political Commentator

31 Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

35 Bare Bones Hunting by Lou Marullo TF&G Hunting Editor

47 Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

51 Open Season by Reavis Wortham TF&G Freshwater Editor

56 Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow TF&G Boating Editor

58 Practical Angler by Greg Berlocher TF&G Contributing Editor

60 Texas Guns by Steve LaMascus TF&G Firearms Editor

92 Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven The Texas Gourmet

Contents (continued)


www.FishGame.com

by Kendal Hemphill

by Calixto Gonzales

Bare Bones

Texas Freshwater

8 LETTERS12 TF&G REPORT32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN62 INDUSTRY INSIDER

64 FISH AND GAME GEAR

66 HOTSPOT FOCUS

74 TEXAS HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

DEPARTMENTS


8 LETTERS12 TF&G REPORT32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN62 INDUSTRY INSIDER

64 FISH AND GAME GEAR

66 HOTSPOT FOCUS

74 TEXAS HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

DEPARTMENTS


LETTERS to the EditorLETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS to the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editor

Myers BayouI AM WRITING TO YOU ABOUT THE beautiful cypress stump marshes off of Myers bayou. Workers have been building levees and tearing up a lot of marsh. I have been told the plan is to pump Neches river dredge into those very important marshes which will kill them.

We have very few marshes in this area and seems destroying it would be devastat-ing to fi shing in this area. Those marshes produce tons of bait each year.

I have been catching reds, fl ounder, bass and specks in this area for 30 years. Myers has been so muddy the last couple months that l would not run up it because I thought it would ruin my water pump. No joke. It is so disheartening. If there is anything you can do or fi nd out I would appreciate it. Seems like it would be illegal.

Melvin Head

Editor: At the time of this writing we were not able to get exact details on the situation. Enclosing some areas and pumping with silt is pretty common and often permitted.The idea on paper at least is to take the silt and fi ll in areas where coastal marsh has been degraded so new vegetation can grow, etc. This has been done twice in the Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area in Bridge City. As we fi nd out details of this situation we will let you know.

Blacktip SharksENJOYED YOUR FEATURE ON blacktips, as they were always one of my favorite sharks. We hooked a big one just past the surf line years ago that jumped spectacularly many times and then broke the leader at the boat just before I could gaff him.

On another tripa charter on my old 24-foot outboard boat that had chosen that particular day to blow its engine and leave us adriftmy customer hooked into what was likely a BIG tiger that locked the drag on his 80 Penn International and nearly yanked

him overboard before rolling in the leader and cutting the line.

Since we werent going anywhere until one of my buddies gave us a pull on his way in that afternoon, I brought out a rod of mine with an old 10/0 Penn Senator and baited the hooks with a whole bonito. The big bait hardly had time to sink behind the boat when something strong (but not as strong as the fi sh we had just lost) took it

After a very respectable battle during which time the fi sh never showed itself, I gaffed a big blacktip to help salvage the day. Back at Beach Bait & Tackle, he weighed 135 lbs. and the state record had just been raised toI think165 from the 136 pounds that had held that position for several years.

In deference to my blown engine, I was allowed to keep the meat most of it, anywayand it provided my small family with a lot of very good meals that summer. I spent the rest of the season co-captaining a 45 Hatteras on billfi sh and tuna trips, but that day of shark fi shing was the most excit-ing of the year.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Zebra ThanksTHANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUT-ting the picture of my family with the harvested zebra from South Africa that my daughter shot and the caption as well.

It meant a lot to my wife that you men-tioned that my daughter had shot the zebra with the gun that was handed down from my wifes dad. We lost him to cancer a couple years ago and just mentioning that fact, it meant a lot to her. Thanks again.

PS: I let my subscription slip this year with TF&G but will be renewing now.

Shawn Holden

Mysterious Sounds I WAS READING YOUR LATEST article in FISH & GAME magazine entitled

Womens Screams and Deep Growls. It took me back to a time when I was younger.

First off I have to mention that I dont have an audio fi le to send you, sorry about that, but I do have a sound you should defi -nitely look into. I was a teenager on a turkey hunting trip with my dad and brother in the town of Dilley, TX on the Antex Ranch.

The owner of the ranch is a commercial roofi ng contractor in Houston by the name of Mike Hudson and his company name is Antex Roofi ng. The sun had not yet come up as my brother, my dad and I were mak-ing our way through the woods towards the turkey roost.

We each had a shotgun in our hands which might as well have been a stick because when we all heard that strange sound echo through the woods my brother and I found ourselves tucked under our fathers arm pit like two chicks hiding from the rain under the mother hens wing.

I will go ahead and spoil the surprise and tell you the sound came from the famous snow monkeys of south Texas. My dad got a big chuckle out of the whole ordeal because he was well aware of the tiny little creature making the unexplainable sound unlike my brother and I which I am pretty sure were in need of a new pair of underwear after that morning in the woods. Although Mike is still in business, I dont know if he still owns that ranch or if the snow monkeys are still, but it is worth the time looking into it. I have his contact info if you would like it just give me a call.

Phillip Cooke

Editor: Thanks so much for sharing that story. I have heard of the snow monkeys of South Texas and once hunted with a man who had a similar encounter. Fun stuff.


Send Your Comments to:Texas Fish & Game1745 Greens RdHouston TX 77032

editor@ shgame.com

1509 Letters.indd 8 8/10/15 3:14 PM

1509 Letters.indd 9 8/10/15 3:14 PM

Animals I Will Not Hunt

THIS IS GOING TO BE A CON-troversial statement.

It shouldnt be but in todays climate over oversensitivity in the

hunting community, it will ruffl e some feath-ers.

There are animals I would never kill.There I said it. Let the PETA comparisons begin.I say that because I actually had someone

ask me if I was turning into a PETA-style animal activist because I have a wildlife TV program that is about observing and photo-graphing wildlife and not hunting.

I was shocked but I should not have been.There is a segment of our industry that

gets offended if we simply choose not to hunt certain animals or dare say that they dont understand how someone could shoot (fi ll in the blank.)

I would not have killed Cecil the lion (or any lion), a wolf, cougar, giraffe, leopard, elephant and a host of other animals. Those are animals I would rather observe, capture on video and photograph.

That is my choice. I have deep admira-tion for those particular creatures and would receive no joy from taking their lives.

Years ago I killed a bobcat to get it mounted and a rattlesnake to eat but I would never kill either of those two creatures again. Its not in me and the fact is I quite enjoy knowing both of those species are alive and roaming our wild lands.

I fully support legal science-based hunt-ing and as long as the hunting of whatever species does not create a decline and the funds benefi t conservation of habit, scientifi c study, etc. I am good with it.

It is just that I will never participate in many hunts.

I hunt deer, hogs, ducks, and geese and if I could fi nd a good place to hunt quail you would fi nd me there. There are few things fi ner than grilled quail in my humble opinion.

It is the stuff I eat and that we use to supplement our familys diet of domestically raised and killed beef, pork and poultry that leads me into the fi eld.

I write this column because I wonder what happened in our hunting culture that we will throw our own under the bus because of opinions. And for some reason it always seems to center on the elite end of the hunt-ing industry.

Lets face it. If you can fork up $50,000 to shoot a lion, youre in the elite range of the hunting community. There were people all over social media after the Cecil story break slamming others because they said things like, I dont think the dentist should be arrested, but I couldnt shoot a lion.

What has gotten us to this point?And why is it that the industry will circle

the wagons if its some safari hunting issue but ignore things that happen to waterfowl-ers and deer hunters every year on public land?

People get locked out, restricted and over regulated on public hunting lands through-out America, but as I have said before the leaders of the industry are often much more interested in having a show and tell of their Big Five hunt photos than they are see-ing what the average hunter faces.

Public land?Why worry when you can spend most of

your life savings on a lion or an elephant in a foreign land?

I salute all of the wealthy, infl uential hunters who do stand for all of us, but wish the others would get out of the way.

The other issue has more to do with the soul.

There is a young generation reared on shoot-to-kill video games including some hunting ones along with other electronic

devices and these kids have a super short attention span. For many of the ones I have spoken with, it is all about the kill.

And I mean the kill only.The day we as a hunting people lose the

reverence of nature and actually caring about the game we pursue, we lose it all.

Thats when the kid who inherits the fam-ily ranch sells it off to an industrial farmer or developer for a quick buck because he can go kill something anywhere. To hell with the familys years of land and wildlife conserva-tion efforts. If its all about the kill, thats easy to get.

Its when a newly elected young politican sells out a giant chunk of wildlife habitat and historical hunting land because they cant relate to the land and the people who use it.

There are other peoples ducks to go shoot at those big lodges in Canada, right?

At some point, there will not be. Unless we invest time into young outdoors lovers lives, the spiritual connection to the land we hunt and the game we pursue will be severed for this generation and those to comeper-haps irreparably.

Ive admired wolves my entire life and would fi ght to keep their habitat in the Great North intact, so I know their kind has a future.

I wonder how young hunters have that kind of respect for a species versus those who simply want to kill stuff for the sake of killing it without really knowing why.

Hunting that keeps conservation as a focus is an honorable pursuit. Its one I have engaged in my entire life. It is the basis of all hunting regulations in the United States and certainly the great state of Texas.

Heres to keeping the honor of our quarry in the pursuit and recognizing that some hunters still go by the I wont kill it unless Im going to eat it standard.

Now excuse me while I throw some back-strap in the frying pan.

Email Chester Moore atCMoore@ shgame.com

by CHESTER MOORE :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

EDITORS Notes


EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS EDITORS

1509 EdNotes.indd 10 8/10/15 4:20 PM

1509 EdNotes.indd 11 8/12/15 9:31 AM

TPWD Examines Chronic Wasting DiseaseTHE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE Department (TPWD) Commission today heard testimony from staff and invited guests on a variety of issues relating to Chronic Wasting Disease during a spe-cial meeting at Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters.

Presenters provided background, infor-mation, concerns and options to the com-mission in response to the recent discovery of CWD in a two-year-old white-tailed deer in a Medina County deer breeding facility.

Included in the testimony were possible measures to further minimize the risk of CWD spreading into Texas

free-ranging white-tailed deer herd, and to protect the captive deer breeding industry.

Following the presentations, TPW Commission Chairman Dan A. Hughes Jr., offered the following statement:

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for being with us here today and for your interest in this important issue. Audio from todays meeting will be avail-able online over the next couple of days. I have also asked staff to make the pow-erpoints presented today available on the TPWD website for everyone who was not in the room today to review.

It is important for all of us to remember that Chronic Wasting Disease does not pick sides. It doesnt make alliances. It affects all of us in this room. We (staff, commission, hunters, breeders, etc.) are all connected to this. I believe that we owe it

to the people of Texas and the more than 4 million free-ranging and captive deer, to do everything we can to contain this threat and ensure it doesnt spread. It is important that we hear and consider all perspectives.

I want to thank TPWD staff and the Texas Animal Health Commission for the countless hours and tireless efforts spent to assemble, review and consider an over-whelming amount of information as they work to make the best recommendations for moving forward.

We want to get business back to nor-mal as soon as possible, as well. But, it is important that we do so in a manner that smart and safe for everyone involved. Texas is going to be the gold standard for how to appropriately respond to Chronic Wasting Disease. We want to use every opportunity to learn from this event as we proceed.

In moving forward, it is crucial that we not lose sight of the three primary goals of any response:BIG BAGS CATCHES

possible measures to further minimize the risk of CWD spreading into Texas

connected to this. I believe that we owe it

BIG BAGS CATCHES goals of any response:BIG BAGS CATCHES

WATERBUCK

South Africa

PERMIT

Florida

Greg Wilson of Houston shot this waterbuck while hunting in South Africa at Limcroma Safaris. Hunting plains animals is one of Gregs passions. He also successfully hunted a hartebeest, wildebeest, a 53-inch kudo, an impala and a warthog on this trip.

Ashley Nelson with her rst Permit, completing a Florida grand slam (Tarpon, Bone sh, Permit) in Islamorada Florida. With cap-tain Mark Krowka.


The TF G ReportTF GTF GTF GTF GTF G

free-ranging white-tailed deer herd, and to

TF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF G Report Report Report Report ReportTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF G

Visit FishGame.com to upload your Big Bags & Catches Photos and Vote for our next Winners

BIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHES

1509 Texas Report.indd 12 8/12/15 9:37 AM

Minimize CWD risks to the wild and captive white-tailed deer, mule deer, and other susceptible species in Texas.

Establish and maintain support for prudent CWD management with hunters, landowners, and other stakeholders.

Minimize direct and indirect impacts of CWD to hunting, hunting related econo-mies, and conservation in Texas.

No decision will be perfect. Each possible decision involves some level of risk, and based on the information heard today, I would like to encourage staff to:

Support the CWD Working Groups recommendation to initially test those ani-mals deemed highest-risk at the index facil-ity as expeditiously as possible.

Assess the risk on all other breeder facilities and place a premium on allow-ing TAHC Certifi ed Herds and wholly-disconnected facilities to resume movement of deer soon.

Rains boost Freshwater Fish StockingWIDESPREAD RAINS IN MAY AND June did more than end the drought and raise lakes to levels not seen in years. Many lakes that had been scheduled for stocking contingent on signifi cant spring rains were able to be stocked to take advantage of improved habitat.

Fortunately, the Texas Parks & Wild-life Department (TPWD) freshwater fi sh hatcheries had a better-than-expected production year for such popular species as Florida largemouth bass, blue catfi sh, striped bass and palmetto bass (hybrid

striped bass), making more fi sh available.TPWD has fi ve inland fi sh hatcheries.

One is currently closed because of water supply problems caused by drought. In 2015 TPWD hatcheries produced and stocked almost 500,000 channel catfi sh fi ngerlings; 800,000 blue catfi sh fi nger-lings; 4.8 million striped bass and hybrid striped bass fi ngerlings and 4.7 million

fry; 157,000 Guadalupe bass fi ngerlings; 55,000 smallmouth bass fi ngerlings; 129,000 bluegill fi ngerlings and 7.5 million largemouth bass fi ngerlings.

The good news doesnt stop there. Spring rains brought many reservoirs to lev-els not seen in several years, so the hatchery fi sh were stocked into great habitat. When reservoir levels go down for several years, vegetation grows up in the dry lake bottom.

When levels rise, the fl ooded vegetation gives little fi sh a place to hide from preda-tors and, as it decays, releases nutrients into the water that jumpstart the food chain.

Water level rises came to many lakes in time for spawns from resident fi sh to enjoy good habitat conditions, adding to the bounty. Those water level rises benefi t all species of fi sh, which means that fi shing

should see signifi cant improvement in the next several years, and predator species like bass, striped bass and hybrid striped bass will have plenty to eat and grow quickly.

Information on where and how many fi sh were stocked can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/fi shboat/fi sh/management/stock-ing/.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | 13

WHITETAIL

LaPryor

Ten-year-old Baker Wardell took his rst whitetail deer last season, and what a deer it was a ten point, 190-pound, 5 1/2-year-old buck, taken at 102 yards with one shot to the neck from a Bushmaster .223 suppressed ri e with a 4x AGOG scope. It was on a low fenced ranch near LaPryor.

TPWD sheries technicians Steven Hise (L) and Wes Dutter prepare striped bass ngerlings for stocking into Possum Kingdom Reservoir. Possum Kingdom received 267,748 striped bass ngerlings and 213,209 Florida largemouth bass nger-lings in 2015.

1509 Texas Report.indd 13 8/12/15 9:39 AM

Holding on to Great Memories

EVERY VETERAN ANGLER and hunter possesses accessories with sentimental signifi cance far exceeding monetary value. I sup-

pose thats because we carry these things out there and, over the years, they become part of our outdoor memories.

For example, a good friend was crushed when he lost an old pocket knife. The ancient Case stag-handled folder was given to him by his father when he was a boy. I never saw him use the trim little blade for anything much more signifi cant than slicing limes for Cuba Libres in camp, but he rarely was without it.

The pocket knife was worth no more than a few dollars but, to my friend, it was a precious item.

On the subject of Case (and they obvi-ously make fi ne cutlery), one of my prized accessories is a pair of Case Sportsmans Shears. The model number is 47-8, although no such thing is available now.

The heavy eight-inch shears are stainless steel, made for the real world, with one blade ser-rated for no-nonsense cutting of game-bird wings and legs and necks. Best of all, the two blades twist apart on a bolt at the base for easy washing and cleaning.

If memory serves, they retailed around $18 or $20 during the mid-1970s, a bit pricey for a simple game-cleaning tool. But they looked and felt like the real deal.

The stiff, fi tted leather sheath is heav-ily stitched with small rivets added at fi ve stress points, a quality piece of work and not

some corporate afterthought. The sheath is mashed and bent, stained with sweat and dirt and blood and looks like something exhumed from the Alamo, but it remains as sound as the shears.

I never recall wearing the sheath and shears on my hip. I usually stash them in the game pouch of my King Ranch-style belt bag.

I am amazed that this casual indifference hasnt lost the shears in the fi eld. The hefty weight must help keep them anchored in the bottom of the pouch. All I know is that

for 40 years, whenever I reach back there through a fl uff-mound of doves or quail, they are there.

A pair of old Leupold Wind River binoculars is another fi ne example. The reasonably priced Wind River series was introduced during the early 1990s and, shortly after they hit the retail shelves, fac-tory representative Rick Stovall loaned me a demo pair of 8X32s.

The magnifi cation and light-gathering

capability were a bit weak for serious dawn/dusk stand hunting, but for all-around, kick-around use, the small glasses were surpris-ingly good, with crisp focus and easy to adjust. Naturally (being a seasoned outdoor writer), I sort of forgot to return them.

At home, my Beach Tahoe is acces-sorized with the Wind Rivers. The salty Beach Tahoe is one of the old two-door Sport models equipped with four-wheel drive. The vehicle is basically held together with aftermarket Yakima roof racks and a dozen or so obnoxious surfi ng decals.

The neck strap of the battered binoculars is looped over the fl oor shift lever, ready for a quick grab to scan the open horizon or inspect wildlife or check tide line potential.

For example, I recently used them to peg several subtle fl urries of small fi nger mullet milling in the green surf beyond the second bar. I parked the Tahoe on the sand, and Doug Pike and I waded into some nice speckled trout. We couldnt see the abundance of baitfi sh without the glasses.

Abroad, the Wind Rivers have evolved as part of my basic travel gear. Ive left them on docks

and bars and boats across Mexico, Central America and South America but, despite this cavalier attitude, we always seem to reunite.

The fact that no crusty fi sherman or neer-do-well surfer has snatched them sug-gests that, well, they look pretty rough.

Near and far, the old binoculars have served me well. Certainly, better optics are available but the Wind Rivers have elevated into the realm of prized possessions.

An old Russell fi llet knife is another example. It was given to me in the mid-1970s by David Wharton, a top-tier Lake Rayburn guide who operated out of Jackson

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

DOGGETT at Large


For example, I recently used them to peg several subtle fl urries of small fi nger mullet milling in the green surf beyond the second bar. I parked the Tahoe on the sand, and Doug Pike and I waded into some nice speckled trout. We couldnt see the abundance of baitfi sh without the glasses.

Abroad, the Wind Rivers have evolved as part of my basic travel gear. Ive left them on docks

and bars and boats across Mexico, Central America and South America but, despite this cavalier attitude, we always seem to reunite.

The fact that no crusty fi sherman or neer-do-well surfer has snatched them sug-gests that, well, they look pretty rough.

for 40 years, whenever I reach back there through a fl uff-mound of doves or quail, they are there.

never saw him use the trim little blade for anything much more signifi cant than slicing limes for Cuba Libres in camp, but he rarely

The pocket knife was worth no more than a few dollars but, to my friend, it was

On the subject of Case (and they obvi-ously make fi ne cutlery), one of my prized accessories is a pair of Case Sportsmans Shears. The model number is 47-8, although no such thing is

are stainless steel, made for the real world, with one blade ser-rated for no-nonsense cutting of game-bird wings and legs and necks. Best of all, the two blades twist apart on a bolt at the base

weak for serious dawn/dusk stand hunting, but for all-around, kick-around use, the small glasses were surpris-ingly good, with crisp focus and easy to adjust. Naturally (being a seasoned

Contributing Editor

The pocket knife

was worth no more than a few dollars but, to my friend, it was a precious

item.

1509 Doggett.indd 14 8/10/15 2:30 PM

Hill Marina near Broaddus. In those days during the peak of the East Texas bass craze, Rayburn was in its prime.

The daily largemouth bass limit was 10 and everybody kept legal

fi sh. Part of a guides job description was to dump the 48-quart Igloo onto the cleaning table and fi llet the days catch.

I suppose that, like the early Bob Dylan, Wharton eventually went electric. But, back then, Wharton scorned the auto-mated cleaning knives and swore by the long, thin 2333-9 Russell (this was before the company became Dexter-Russell).

The gift knife was nothing special, just a cleaning tool of kitchen-grade materials. But it looks excellent, lean and mean, and has a great blade with just the right fl ex. The 9 1/2-inch length and the narrow taper fl ow through keeper-sized bass, specks, and panfi sh such as crappie and white bass.

Its over-matched on bigger redfi sh with coarse scales and heavy rib bones, but it can shuck a skinned trout slab with ease and elegance. Theres satisfaction in doing it strictly by hand, with no whirring gadgetry involved. Weve got enough plug-in non-sense already.

I cannot calculate how many fi sh I have fi lleted with that pitted, tarnished blade. Also important, the steel is fairly soft, quick to take a silver-gleaming edge with just a few swipes.

Several months ago, I tried to cut my left middle fi nger off with the Russell (as accounted in a recent column), but that moronic move in no way detracts from my loyalty to the knife.

These are few of my special items. None would bring much on eBay,but all helped defi ne my outdoor experience. No doubt, if youve spent much time on the water and in the fi eld, you know what Im talking about.

Email Joe Doggett atContactUs@ shgame.com

Hill Marina near Broaddus. In those days

The daily largemouth bass limit was 10 and everybody kept legal

fi sh. Part of a guides job description was to dump the 48-quart Igloo onto the cleaning table and fi llet the days catch.

Dylan, Wharton eventually went electric. But, back then, Wharton scorned the auto-

1509 Doggett.indd 15 8/10/15 2:30 PM

DadI

NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD the weight and responsibility that word carried until I became one, which hap-pened much later in life for me than for

mostbut was worth the wait. Now, I cant imagine a world without my

son.To brag a little, hes almost eight, bright,

athletic, confi dent and kind-hearted. He loves golf and baseball, and he likes fi shing and hunting. Thats enough to ask of a youngster whose feet grow faster than dandelions and who hasnt tried anything outdoors that he

didnt want to do again. Ive taught him a little about surfi ng and

shooting so far, too, and will continue those lessons as time allows. If he listens to me, hell grow up to care deeply about animals, but not so much that they become more important than people.

As is the case with most dads, my time isnt all my own. Theres my wife, who deserves more of my attention than she gets and whose own time is dominated by car-ing for our son. Also, theres my work, and friends, and a host of other obligations the same as anyone else these days.

My son, in the end, gets every extra minute I have to give. Cleaning the garage can wait. Weeding the garden can wait. I want him to learn as much as I can pass to his young brain

before, in six or seven years, he suddenly feels smarter than me.

I havent experienced having a teenager in the house yet but have heard the stories. A tiny piece of me hopes mine will be the only teenager who never rebels and always turns to me before trying something ridiculous. The rest of me knows better.

What I wont do for my son, at any age, is enable him to leapfrog his way past important, necessary steps in the maturation process, in his transition from boyhood to manhood as a person and especially as an outdoorsman. We crawl before we walk, and we walk before we run. Literally and metaphorically.

Too often, children are spoon-fed outdoor experiences that most adults never get, and I worry that going from BB gun to Boone

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

PIKE on the Edge

1509 Pike.indd 16 8/10/15 2:53 PM

& Crockett buck has more downside than upside. Once youve stood on the top of the mountain, any other vantage seems lame.

If Id taken a wide, heavy 10-point buck as a young boy, it would have been diffi cult to get excited over shooting a doe or spike through my teenage years and nearly impos-sible to wake up for a rabbit hunt.

But as soon as some kids are old enough to steady a rifl e for that 100-yard shot to the feeder, theyre ushered into the best stand on the ranch and allowed to drop the biggest set of antlers a parents check will buy.

If outdoor plans for my son unfold as theyre mapped in my mind, every experience will be a little better than the previous oneand will leave room for improvement and anticipation. When he asks, Whats next? I want to have a good answer.

For any number of reasons and excuses, some parents use big-time outdoor trips once a year or so to make up for missed soccer games or baseball games, or maybe working late on the night of their childs performance in a school play.

It doesnt work that way. No matter where

you go or what you do or how good it turns out, he or she also will remember the times you couldnt make it. Ive had a couple of those already, because of my work schedule, and it hurts.

Fortunately, my son understands that I do radio shows on weekend mornings, when so many kids activities are scheduled. He even comes to the station on occasion, and thats a treat for us both. But I know he wishes I were

therenot half as much as I wish the same.Since I came to the parenting game late,

I wont get as much time to share what needs sharing and teach what needs teaching. Recognition of that has created in me a sense of urgency.

I want to be there. Not to catch him before every fall, that would keep him from learning some critical lessons on his own.

Hell stumble. I know it. I did, too. We all did, despite our parents best efforts to steer us straight.

Instead, my simple wish is to be nearby when he does scrape a knee or does some-thing foolish or makes the mistakes so many of us made in youth, available always to listen or to help as he asks.

Catching a giant fi sh or shooting a trophy buck wont make him or me better. Itll just leave us with one less goal, among so many, that we can reach together in the outdoors. And Im not ready just yet to use them all up.

Email Doug Pike atContactUs@ shgame.com

Cleaning the

garage can wait. Weeding the

garden can wait.

1509 Pike.indd 17 8/10/15 2:53 PM

CWD Is a Scam Hurting the Tradition of Hunting

THE GOOD LORD KNOWS how I really hate to write these types of articles, but in this real world of political we the people

duties to fi ght the bad and ugly, I must.I wont bore you with the gory details of

how chronic wasting disease was fi rst discov-ered/created by Colorado bureaucrats back in 1967, or the technical scientifi c terminology gobblygook, but a cursory review of the docu-mented facts surrounding this controversial condition found in deer should raise the hackles of all honest conservationists and deer lovers nationwide.

CWD has never negatively impacted any deerherd or deerhunting anywhere, whereas just a few short years ago, much to the anger of Wisconsin deerhunting families, the Wisconsin DNR, in their bizarre unsupport-able kneejerk over-reaction, slaughtered a few hundred thousand deer in that historically traditional deerhunting state. CWD didnt hurt the Wisconsin deerherd, the DNR did!!

And now, continuing the same insane mistake, the Michigan DNR is doing the same horrible thing after fi nding a single doe that tested positive. Since destroying another couple thousand deer in my beloved deer-hunting birthstate, no more cases of CWD have been found as of this writing.

And now Texas! I thought Texans knew better.

Dear God in heaven! What is going on here? CWD didnt kill thousands of deer. The government agency sworn to protect and manage this precious resource and paid by hunters killed thousands of deer.

I dare anyone to attempt to explain this in honest, logical, scientifi cally supportable terms. Aint gonna happen. Cant be done.

CWD was fi rst identifi ed/created in a Colorado testing facility operated by the

states professional biologists. CWD did NOT come from deer farms or hunting ranches. It was fi rst discovered in wild mule deer intentionally exposed to domestic sheep, known to carry the scrapies prion, the sheep variation of CWD.

When a deer at an Iowa deer farm was found to be positive for CWD, the Iowa DNR came in a killed every deer on the fam-ily property, destroying their livelihood with no believable explanation or compensation whatsoever.

Achtung baby!Compare this action to the game depart-

ment of South Dakota when the highest incidence of CWD was found in their Wind River park elk herd. When this infected/exposed elk herd outgrew the carrying capac-ity of that high fence state preserve, South Dakota simply lowered the fence to allow the exposed elk to escape into the Custer National Park, mingling with the wild deer and elk.

Iowa violently over-reacted with ZERO science or evidence to support their actions, destroying the private property of a family, while the state of SD admitted that the CWD exposed elk posed no risk to wild herds of deer and elk.

Hey bureaucrats, which is it? A danger-ous wildlife threat or no threat at all? Good grief.

CWD doesnt pose a threat to deer. EHD, blue tongue, rabies, brucellosis, anthrax and other real diseases and bureau-crats have indeed hurt wildlife and deer. Why the hysteria over a non-threatening disease/condition?

I love deer. My life has forever been dedi-cated to optimize the health and bio-diversity of deer and wildlife. My lifetime earnings have been dedicated and invested to perfect-ing wildlife habitat for game and nongame species because I am a reasoning preda-tor and gung-ho, caring renewable resource steward.

Like millions and millions of American deerhunting families and real wildlife lovers, deer and all wildlife bring us prime quality of life, sustenance and spiritual fortifi cation.

Since CWD has never hurt wildlife in the big picture, but government bureaucrats have, I would highly recommend caring people do everything in our power to protect wildlife from real, tangible threats.

I implore my fellow deer loving BloodBrothers to watch this entire CWD documentary by Keith Warren. Then dare bureaucrats to attempt to deny it.

https://youtu.be/1_ltc3dNsPkCWD is a scam and for the life of me can-

not fi gure out why it is being jammed down our throats. Stand up and fi ght for what you believe in my friends. It really is us against them. Do it for our beloved deer and lifestyle.

Email Ted Nugent atTNugent@ shgame.com

by TED NUGENT :: TF&G Editor-at-Large


NUGENT in the WildNUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT

Shemane Nugent,Queen of the Forest.

CWD didnt kill

thousands of deer. The government

agency killedthousands of deer

1509 Nugent.indd 18 8/10/15 2:52 PM

More Gaskey, Less Crime

ON MARCH 13, 1964, 28-year-old Catherine Genovese was raped and stabbed to death on a sidewalk in Queens, New

York. The assailant was frightened away twice by voices and the glow of lights from windows, caused by people moving their curtains, during the half-hour event.

The ensuing police investigation turned up thirty-eight people who witnessed the murder. No one intervened. No one called the police until after Catherine was dead.

George Forgeng, a city councilman in Hatboro, Pennsylvania was driving by the local TD bank on July 8, 2015, when he saw a man leave the bank with a bag, and witnessed a dye pack explode in the bag. George followed the man on foot, repeatedly shouting at bystanders to call 911. When the suspect, who had just robbed the bank, turned and advanced toward George, the councilman shot him in the arm with his legally concealed fi rearm.

When my best friend was in high school he tried to stop another young man from attacking a girl and was stabbed in the arm for his efforts.

Many more incidents like these could be listed, but the point is that there are those who are compelled to intervene when others are attacked, and those who would rather pretend not to notice. What causes some people to get involved and others to turn a blind eye has been the subject of numerous studies by psychiatrists and psychologists.

Fear is one factor that keeps people from helping out their fellow man in times of dan-ger, but there is more to it than that. Fear is

both an instinctive and a learned response to danger. Although some learn to fear more than others, the more accurate description might be self-preservation. No one wants to become an additional victim.

This is probably a natural reaction, but compassion and a sense of moral obligation often cause people to step into dangerous situations to come to the aid of total strang-ers. So why do some have more compassion or morals than others?

Upbringing, including the environment a person is reared in, has a major infl uence on their actions during times of stress. When we are constantly exposed to injustice, to the strong ruling the weak, we can become innured to the inevitable, and see no gain in getting involved, regardless of whether we are afraid for ourselves.

Psychiatrists have determined that the bystander effect can keep people from helping others. The more witnesses to a crime, the more responsibility is diffused, because everyone thinks someone else will do something.

This was probably why no one called the police while Catherine Genovese was being murdered. But there are always those who dont conform to the rules, such as George Forgeng.

Witnesses were abundant, and George was not even sure that the perpetrator was armed. So this meant he wasnt sure oth-ers were in danger, yet he still pursued the bank robber. When the criminal threatened him, George responded appropriately to the threat.

This brings us to another factor that keeps some from inserting themselves into situations that dont necessarily involve themthe threat of litigation. At this writ-ing there was not yet a determination from the local district attorneys offi ce as to whether George Forgeng would be charged with anything as a result of the shooting.

We read of these incidents from a safe distance. Often we make determinations as to right and wrong, and decide what those

involved should have done. Its easy to play armchair quarterback, and were often incensed that no one would step in to help a young woman being attacked on a sidewalk. But America is the most litigious society in history, and a good deed seldom goes unpunished.

Better safe than sorry is the typical mantra, especially when good samaritans like George are castigated by the press, and forced to defend their actions after the fact, to people who werent there and have never been in such a situation. The fact is that, in todays accusation-rich climate, every bullet has a lawyer attached to it. Our natural benevolence toward others has, in many cases, been legislated out of us.

Thankfully, this unfortunate trend seems to be changing somewhat, especially in cer-tain states, Texas included. Heroes who risk their own safety to help others should, and often are, appreciated instead of incarcer-ated.

Daniel Gaskey is a case in point. A Mansfi eld, Texas fi refi ghter, Daniel recently took out a knife-wielding convenience store robber with his bare hands. Now Daniel is, appropriately, being hailed as a hero.

No one, certainly, would have thought less of Daniel had he stood back and allowed the crime to play out. No amount of money, after all, is worth a life. But like George Forgeng, Daniel stepped in, seem-ingly without a thought, and put the criminal on the ground, taking his knife away and holding him there until police arrived. He did the right thing, because it was the right thingaltruism at its fi nest.

If we had more Gaskeys, we would soon have far fewer criminals.

Email Kendal Hemphill atContactUs@ shgame.com

by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor


TF&G COMMENTARY

1509 Commentary.indd 19 8/10/15 2:28 PM

20 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: FLW OUTDOORS

RANKING THE TOPTEXAS LAKES FOR

SMALLMOUTH BASS

story by MATT WILLIAMS

Fea 5 Smallmouth Showdown.indd 20 8/10/15 1:31 PM

WHEN BASS ANGLERS DREAM BRONZE FISH, its only natural for their minds to wander northward to famed hotspots such as lakes Erie, St. Clair, Champlain, Sturgeon Bay and the St. Lawrence River, or to storied Dixie waters like Pick-wick, Dale Hollow or Kentucky Lake.

On a good day it is not uncommon to catch 100 or more fish on these fabled smallmouth waters, and a few of the tail-walking, flip-turning brutes are almost certain to scare the hell out of seven pounds.

It would be a far reach to say there is a lake or river in Texas that can hang with any of the aforementioned smallmouth factories when it comes to kicking out bronze-back bullies. But there are a handful of places around the state where anglers can find decent numbers of the hard-hitting sport fish and have a fair shot at hook-ing up with an outsize smallie upwards of five pounds.

Brian Van Zee knows a thing or two about Texas smallmouths. Van Zee is Region 1 Inland Fisheries Director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He lives in Waco, which is located in close proximity to some the states premier smallmouth lakes.



I recently caught up with Van Zee and asked him to name what he believes to be the top smallmouth waters the state and to rank those fi sheries in numeric order. Heres what he had to say:

1Lake BeltonSize: 12,385 Acres

Location: Lies on the Leon River in Bell and Coryell counties

Lake Record: 6.47 pounds, 22.5 inch-es, Feb. 1999

Description: The lake boasts classic smallmouth habitat with steep banks, plenty of deep water and plenty of long, rocky points.

Van Zee is certain he will catch some fl ack from some of his colleagues in North Texas when they learn he named Belton over Texoma as Texass top pond for smal-lies, but in his opinion it is just that good.

Some folks probably arent going to agree, but in my opinion Belton has to be No. 1, he said. Thats based on our survey data and angler input. Guys catch a lot of quality smallmouths at Belton. Most tournaments over there are won with a mix of largemouths and smallmouths. Often times the biggest fi sh in the bag will be a smallmouth.

The 6.43 pound lake record smal-lie caught by Ron Gardner has stood since Feb. 1999, but Van Zee says he has a good hunch bigger ones have been caught and released without being reported.

Elite Series pro Keith Combs of Huntington of agreed. Combs, 39, grew up in Belton and fi shed the lake just about every weekend for about 20 years. He claims he boated four over six pounds there during the 1990s and early 2000s and feels certain there are bigger ones out there.

Belton is a great smallmouth lake and its just going to keep getting better, he said. It wouldnt surprise me if somebody catches a new state record there. Its got a ton of bait fi sh, plus it has a lot of new growth cover that was fl ooded this year after several years of low water.

Combs says smallies can be caught using a variety of lures such as shallow diving crankbaits, jerk baits and jigs. He pointed out that the bigger fi sh are usually caught in fall and winter on shallow clay points using Wiggle Warts and Strike King 3XD cranks, then switching to jerk baits on gravel points in spring.

Since 1978, Belton has been stocked with more than 1.6 million smallmouths raised in TPWD hatcheries.

2Lake Texoma Size: 74,686 acres

Location: Lies on the Red River and Washita River along the Texas/Oklahoma border

Lake Record: 7.06 pounds, 22.75 inches, Jan. 2006

Description: Texoma is large in size and heavy on structure with gobs of sub-merged rock, boulders, and rock bluffs that lure smallmouths like a magnet.

Van Zee ranks Texoma high on his hit list of Texas smallmouth lakes for obvious reasons.

Its a big lake with lots of deep water, steep banks and plenty of rocky habitat, Van Zee said. Its another lake where tour-

nament anglers often weigh in mixed limits of largemouths and smallmouths, often times with some heavy smallmouths in the bag.

Although largemouths can be caught all over the lake, the best smallmouth fi shing usually takes place around the steep bluffs in the vicinity of Eisenhower State Park, the Denison dam and up the Washita River to an area known as Willow Springs.

Basically, the whole lower third of the lake is good, says Longview bass pro Jim Tutt. It has a lot of what I call small-mouth-looking waterbig boulders, rocky points and gravel bottoms. Its a great lake for smallies. If I lived closer, I would fi gure out how to target them exclusively.

Tutt has landed multiple smallmouths weighing upwards of four pounds on Texoma. In 2013 he brought in a six-pounder during an FLW Rayovac event held there. He says they can be caught on assorted baits ranging from Carolina rig

22 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: CANSTOCK

Smallmouth are primarily found in northernor northern Dixiewaters, but a growing number of Texas water bodies are developing as prime smallie sheries.


creatures to grubs, topwaters, spinnerbaits, shaky heads and Alabama rigs.

With smallmouths its not so much about the bait as it is the location, Tutt said. They arent everywhere. If youre not fi shing where they live you arent going to catch them.

TPWD stocked about one million small-mouths in Texoma from 1981 to 83. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation also has stocked some fi sh, but todays population is pretty much self-sustaining.

3Devils RiverLocation: Above Lake AmistadLake Record: No rod and reel record

recorded with TPWD. The Catch and Release record caught in March 2011 was 21 1/2 inches.

Description: The Devils is a spring-fed river with exceptionally clear water sur-rounded by rugged wilderness that ranks among the most scenic in the Southwest. The river is a favorite among experienced kayakers with its slow moving pools and intermittent rapids that range from Class I to III, depending on water levels. It is home to the largest continuously fl owing waterfall in TexasDolan Falls.

Van Zee ranked the Devils high on his hit list not just because of the outstanding fi shing, but because of the incredible aes-thetics.

Floating the Devils River is truly a unique experience, Van Zee said. Access can be diffi cult, and it is very remote with a beautiful setting where you see very few other people. The remoteness certainly adds to the quality of the experience.

Gerald Bailey has been guiding on the river for 23 years and says the smallies you catch there are somewhat different from those caught in a reservoir environment. They are bad asses, Bailey said. The constantly fi ght the current, so they are extremely strong.

Bailey said anglers land good numbers of fi sh in the three pound range, but larger fi sh upwards of 6 1/2 pounds have been caught.

Access is limited on the Devils, and it is best use a reputable outfi tter when making a multi-day fl oat through the forbidding country. Just so you know, this isnt a trip for casual paddlers, weak minds or anyone with an inferior craft. To learn more about the area, planning a trip and to fi nd a list of outfi tters, check out tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/devils-river/river-trips.

1st Runner UpLake GrapevineSize: 6,684 acres

Location: Built on Denton Creek in Tarrant and Denton counties.

Lake Record: 4.75 pounds, 21 inches, May 2006

Decription: Van Zee described Vine as an up-and-coming smallmouth fi shery that has been heavily stocked with more than 700,000 fi ngerings, the majority since 2008.

2nd Runner Up Stillhouse HollowSize: 6,429 acres

Location: Five miles west of Belton off US 190

Lake Record: 6.75 pounds, Jan. 1993Description: Another up-and-comer,

Stillhouse boasts classic smallmouth habitat with its steep banks and rocky shorelines. The lake has received regular stockings total-ing nearly 1.3 million fi ngerlings since 1974. Its more recent stocking came in 2011.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | 23PHOTO:TPWD

Guadalupes: Small Size, Big Action THE GUADALUPE BASS MAY NOT win many popularity contests with hard-core fi shing crowds. But for a fun-loving angler who likes the idea of getting bites multiple times while drifting or wading a slow-moving stream in a scenic Texas Hill Country setting, there may not be a better species than Micropterus treculi.

Recognized as the state fi sh of Texas, the Guadalupe rarely grows larger than two pounds. But dont be fooled by their size. What the colorful bantamweights lack in size they make up for with their cranky disposition and hard-hitting style. They are a blast to catch on light tackle and fl y fi shing

gear. Dr. Bryan Townsend of Austin can vouch for that.

In February 2014, Townsend caught a new state record Lupe weighing 3.71 pounds. He caught the bass while fl y fi shing along a popular stretch of

the Colorado River between Austin and Bastrop. TPWD fi sheries biologist Marcos De Jesus said the 25-mile stretch of water gives up good numbers of qual-ity Guadalupe and largemouth bass each year, and that 50-100 fi sh days are not

uncommon. Good fi shing also

can be found along stretches of Llano, Pedernales, Nueces and Blanco rivers. To learn more about access points for pad-dling, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fi shboat/boat/paddlingtrails/.

Matt WilliamsNamed for the scenic Hill Country river, Guadalupe bass are also found in the

Llano, Blanco, Pedernales and Colorado Rivers.

Fea 5 Smallmouth Showdown.indd 23 8/12/15 9:55 AM

SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME, Man has known he couldnt run down animals of the forests or plains, so he devised ways to bring them closer by

hiding in whatever cover he could fi nd.Even today, no blind often makes the best blind

if hunters can fi nd adequate natural cover such as trees, rocks, log piles or high reeds already in a good place.

Unfortunately, sportsmen typically cant fi nd good cover in the best places, so they need to either build or bring in something where they can hide.

24 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO:

Tools & Skills for Hiding from Game

Fea 6-Hunting Blinds-JF.indd 24 8/10/15 1:35 PM

Waterfowl hunters often build elevated platforms over the water and surround them with various nat-ural or artifi cial materials, such as specially woven grass mats. Or they may dig holes for pre-formed fi berglass liners with comfortable benches to use as blinds.

On lakes, some waterfowlers build blockhouses complete with a place to hide a boat and a shoot-ing deck where hunters can stand. Some blinds can accommodate a dozen or more shooters and offer kitchens, even bathrooms or lounges where sports-men can take a break out of the elements.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | 25PHOTO:

Animals | story by John N. Felsher


Many waterfowlers hunt from small boats. They attach specially designed wrap-around blinds made of woven grass to make their boats look like reedy islands. Some blinds come equipped with fl aps that com-pletely hide the hunters inside. When birds approach, lower the fl aps and begin shoot-ing. With a boat blind, hunters can scout for ducks and set up within minutes or move quickly to new spots.

Deer hunters generally prefer to stay in their favorite areas since whitetails may live their entire lives on a few acres in their home range. Therefore, many deer hunters build permanent shooting houses on the ground, on stilts or in trees. These generally consist of a room that can hold a chair, a roof to keep the elements out and shooting windows.

Sportsmen can make excellent inexpen-sive deer blinds from old wooden pallets like the kind used by lumberyards and warehouses to move materials around with forklifts. Nail a few of these together to make a shooting house. Add some camoufl aged netting or other materials to fi ll in the gaps and it makes a great blind for little cost.

Unfortunately, game doesnt always come where people put permanent blinds, even homebody deer. Whether hunting ducks, deer, predators, turkeys or something else, the best hunters scout their spots and look for alternate places to go. For deer hunters, that usually means carrying a climbing tree stand and erecting it in a different place each time, often a necessity on public land.

Where they cant fi nd adequate trees, many deer hunters erect tripod blinds and

sit on top of them. The elevated height allows hunter to see animals better while remaining above where deer normally look. Some tripods employ swivel seats on the top so hunters can look in all directions. Some include shooting houses or more elaborate hides on top.

Hunters can relocate tripods, but not as easily as other types of portable blinds. Generally, after erecting a tripod in a good area, a hunter uses it several times, but may move to another location as the season pro-gresses. In some western states, particularly in the plains and scrub country of western or southern Texas, sportsmen put tripods on special hunting trucks. When they want to hunt an area, they simply drive the truck to it, park, climb into the tripod and start hunting.

26 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTOS: JOHN N. FELSHER

Karen Lutto and Steve Jones of Back-country Hunts Guide Service use a camou aged net to stalk a pronghorn antelope near El Paso.

Joella Bates, a world champion archer prepares to take a shot at a deer while hunting from a tradi-tional tree stand.

Hunters can set up a tripod in areas with few large trees and move them easily to keep up with game.

Mike Giles waits for more ducks to come into range while hunting ooded timber by sim-ply hiding behind trees.


When hunting from a tree or any elevated position, always use a safety harness, prefer-ably one with a vest included. Moving the wrong way for just one second could kill or seriously injure a person. Many deer hunters wear safety lines or harnesses when sitting in tree stands, but not while climbing into or out of them. Whenever possible, use a safety line anytime the feet leave the ground.

When fi ghting a fast-moving battle, sol-diers often need to move quickly, but must conceal equipment from the enemy. For decades, soldiers erected camoufl aged net-ting to hide their artillery pieces and other important equipment. When they moved to another location, they rolled up the nets until they stopped and then stretched the nets over their equipment again. Sportsmen can buy the same type of netting in vari-ous camoufl age patterns to make excellent permanent or mobile blind material. With netting, hunters can look out of the blind to spot game, but the netting still breaks up a persons outline.

To make a portable blind, nail woven mats or netting to wooden stakes and carry the entire rig to the desired location. Plunge the stakes into mud and begin hunting in minutes. Such a portable concept allows sportsmen to easily move with the birds or animals. When they fi nish the hunt or wish to relocate, sportsmen simply pull up stakes and leave, perhaps to re-erect the blind in another spot to take advantage of bird or animal movements or shifting winds.

Some companies make mirrored panels that hunters can place around themselves or mirrored shields that sportsmen can hold in front of them like Roman legionnaires advancing toward the barbarians. The mir-

rors refl ect any natural cover at that spot, so sportsmen can use these devices anywhere. Big game, turkey and predator hunters could use such blinds very effectively in fi elds and forests. Waterfowl hunters could use them in marshes or pond shorelines.

Prefabricated pop-up blinds resemble miniature tents. Light and easy to transport, these blinds work exceptionally well for turkey hunting, but sportsmen can also use them to target big game, predators, possibly waterfowl. Sportsmen can easily erect them in minutes and may even hunt several places in one day. Pop-up blinds come in several camoufl age patterns for varied habitat. Some may even look like stumps, rocks, logs, cane thickets or other natural objects.

Besides portability, fabric pop-up blinds give sportsmen many other advantages. They conceal a persons movement, mini-mize sound and somewhat hide scent. They can also protect someone from the ele-ments. In addition, pop-up blinds often come equipped with easy-to-open screened windows that can protect the people inside from insects.

For concealment in very specifi c places, some companies make blinds that even more closely replicate natural cover. For instance, some blinds look like tree stumps, an excel-lent choice for waterfowlers hunting along beaches or shorelines dotted by intermit-tent timber. Other blinds resemble large rocks, great for hunting on stony beaches or prairies. Often used by goose hunters, blinds that look like haystacks work well in agricultural fi elds. Geese easily see them, but would expect to see large rolls of hay sitting in cut fi elds. As birds approach, sportsmen open the top and begin shooting.

Speaking of hunting in dry fi elds, reclin-ing layout blinds look like camoufl aged sleeping bags, Goose hunters frequently use them in stubble fi elds to lay in the decoy spread. Almost like a low beach chair in a bag, an angled backrest helps sportsmen recline in comfort while look skyward.

Another unusual layout blind concept for waterfowl actually looks like a giant goose. Hunters lift a lid and conceal themselves inside the huge decoy, looking out of slits in the back of the bird while reclining on a backrest. When birds come within range, hunters pop their tops and fi re at geese very surprised to see humans with guns erupting from their larger cousins butts.

For big game hunting on the Great Plains, many sportsmen deploy the ultimate portable blind. Pronghorn antelope possess some of the sharpest eyes in the animal world and the fastest feet in North America. They know that with a one-step head start, they can outrun any four-legged animal on the prairie. Therefore, they fear nothing, except a human silhouette. To conceal their silhouettes, prong-horn hunters hold camoufl aged cloth in front of themselves as they slowly walk across the prairies. Looking out from slits in the cloth, sportsmen advance a few feet and then pause until getting within range. Antelope see the moving objects, but dont worry about them since they dont look like humans.

Various blind options work for different situations, but one factor remains constant. For any blinds to work, they must mimic the surroundings. Pick the right camoufl age pattern to blend in with whatever natural materials animals expect to see in that area.


Shaine Nixon of World Slam Out- tters prepares a portable pop-up blind for hunting the mesquite country near Throckmorton.

Jen Carroll from Celina, Texas, watches for birds while hunt-ing ducks and geese from a pit blind in a rice eld.


28 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

Fea 4 -Trout Basics-CM .indd 28 8/10/15 1:29 PM

THE REGIONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN OF

the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC)

sheds light on an often-misunderstood part of speckled trout

behavior: feeding. It shows that one researcher examined

stomach volumes and concluded that spotted seatrout fed

more heavily in early to mid morning.

According to GSMFC: He also noted that while feeding

spotted seatrout appeared to regurgitate portions of food, which

floated to the surface and created an oil slick. This phenom-

enon would explain why fishermen often look for slicks when

attempting to locate feeding and schooling spotted

seatrout.

GSMFC also noted that

another researcher, observed that record shrimp

harvests were occurring during their food habits study; however,

spotted seatrout were not utilizing them to any great extent.

Although shrimp, were present, Miles (1951) found that mul-

let were the preferred food for spotted seatrout.

Much of the research out there sheds light on why anglers

catch relatively few huge speckled trout. A big part of it is rar-

ity, but otherwise, anglers by and large are not fishing in the

right spots or using the right bait.



According to Sea Grant Louisianas Jerald Host: Aside from the fact that there are many more small trout than large ones, large speckled trout are very specialized creatures. Large trout are not as widely dis-tributed as small trout. The largest trout are taken in the spring, next largest in winter, then fall and summer, out in the Gulf.

Large but lesser sized trout are taken near beaches, lesser still in lakes and bays, and the smallest usually in the marsh. Anglers prefer to fi sh for specks in summer and the second preference is fall. Fishing is most intense in sheltered inside waters. More big trout are caught in spring because they move into shallow beach and bay habitats at that time for their fi rst spawn of the season. The rest of the summer and early fall, the larger trout tend to stay in cooler Gulf waters and only periodically enter beach and bay habitats for subsequent spawns.

Many of the large fi sh winter offshore, with a few wintering in the interior marshes, where they are very sluggish. Large trout also have very different food habits than school trout. Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As trout become larger, their diet shifts toward fi sh, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and

Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullet; a large trout will fi nd the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout. The key to catching large trout is to fi sh where they are and use big baits.

Migration is perhaps the most mysterious and often debated aspect of speckled trout. Some anglers believe that during winter, all of the trout leave the bays and go into the Gulf. Others say they con-gregate in the mouths of rivers.

DISPELLING MYTHSMyth No. 1: Trout are highly migratory.

According to TPWD, speckled trout spend most of

their lives within fi ve miles of where they were born. Nearly 90 percent of all fi sh recovered in a tagging program came from the same bay in which they were tagged. While many trout move into deeper water during cold weather, there is no scientifi c evidence of a winter migration to the Gulf. Research shows that some fi sh may move to the Gulf to escape blowing northers, but this is temporary and the fi sh return once weather abates.

A study by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) report shows that one researcher tagged more than 2600 trout and received 50 returns. Of these, 20 came from the release point. Similar fi ndings were reported by researcher Rogillio with 98 percent of the returns coming within 1.5 kilometers of the release point, while another noted that two spotted seatrout tagged in Calcasieu Lake were recaptured over 160 kilometers away east in Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana.

The report details that in Texas, of 20,912 tagged trout released in Texas marine waters, 1367 were recaptured. About 84 percent were caught in the same bay where released; eight percent were caught in another bay; and fi ve were recap-

tured in the Gulf. Of 588 spotted seatrout tagged in the Gulf surf, 14 were recaptured, 12 in the Gulf and two in Texas bays. The greatest distance traveled by any Texas spot-ted seatrout released in the Gulf was 106 kilometers, and in the bay it was 219.

This lack of major migration has created genetic isolation in some trout populations, which is why Texas Parks & Wildlife Department offi cials will stock trout fi nger-lings only in waters from which their parents were caught.

Myth No. 2: Trout never eat crabs.

A study conducted in Louisiana ana-lyzed the stomach contents of 368 speckled trout caught in marshes. A total of 52 were empty. Baitfi shes were present in 74.4-per-cent of stomachs, and crustaceans (crabs and shrimp) in 25.3-percent. In this same period, forage base samples showed crusta-ceans had become more prevalent.

Myth No. 3: Specks are related to rainbow trout.

Speckled trout are in the same family as croaker. You may have heard trout make a croaking noisenow you know why. It is a genetic thing. They are in no way kin to the freshwater rainbow trout.

Myth No. 4: Trout spawn in brackish water.

Speckled trout spawn mostly in the early evening in parts of the bay with the highest salinity. Contrary to popular belief, they usually do not move into streams or river mouths to spawn. Developing eggs are at the mercy of tidal and wind-driven currents, but develop rapidly. The larval trout hatches about 12 to 20 hours after spawning and can swim on their own another day or two later.

Myth No. 5: Male trout outlive females.

Female trout outlive males. Males may live six years, whereas females can live up to 10 years. By age two or three, both males and females have are about a foot in length, and natural mortality during these prime year is about 50 percent.

30 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

Speckled trout are believed to spend their lives within ve miles of where they were born.



The Tip of Your Nose

THE BRILLIANT JURIST AND Supreme Court Justice Oli-ver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once described the limits of individual

rights by saying The right to swing my fi st ends where the other mans nose begins.

Holmes was referring to the idea that a persons rights should not impose upon the individual rights and integrity of another person who is lawfully going about his or her business. The power of the idea comes in its open-endedness. Ikes right to throw a punch ends where Mikes nose begins, but conversely, Ol Mikes rights end at the tip of Ikes schnoz, too.

The logic is that everybody is entitled to the sanctity of their individual freedoms, but they cant impose them on their fellow citizens. You would think that is an ideal that everyone, whether conservative or liberal can get behind.

Ironicallyor perhaps to Holmes delight, since he was a huge cynicthis quote has been used by activists spanning the political spectrum to fi ght a plethora of causes, from prohibition to some of the current issues winding their way up and down the judicial and legislative ladder. The big question that is constantly being answered by the Supreme Court of the United States, for better or worse, is where do the rights of the commu-nity end and individual rights begin.

This was the grist for a discussion into the wee hours I once had with my older brother, a lawyer who loves the law with passion and an idealism that is completely unlike him. The concept struck me at the dock one morning.

I had been night fi shing with a friend and his 84 year old grandfather. We had a pretty decent night, including Mr. Roel (my friends grandfather) landing a 32-inch trout that he

hooked while the fi reworks from South Padre Island were popping overhead. We stood on the dock and snapped pictures of a happy old man with the biggest trout hed ever caught. Then, Mr. Roel put the fi shhis fi shon the cleaning table for the fi sh cleaner to fi llet.

A young man, easily a quarter of Mr. Roels age, walked up and began chastising his elder for killing such a fi sh and giving him the spiel about conserving the resource. I stepped in to prevent things from getting ugly, more because Mr. Roel was a former boxer who still could make weight, than what the younger man might do. I chided him for talking to an older man that way.

I have a right to tell him anything I want, he said. Im not breaking any laws.

Somewhere, Justice Holmes harrumphed.We anglers are blessed to have a broad

array of rights that anglers in even the most democratic European countries lack. We may complain about laws and regulations that seem to limit our fi shing pleasure, but we are nowhere near as over-regulated as the Germans, or Swedes, or even the British.

Good grief, Texas isnt even as overseen as say California or Florida. We have more rights and privileges than other states. At the same time, many of our hook and line brethren seem to forget that these rights dontand shouldntinfringe upon others lawful exercise of their rights.

Take our young friend, for example. He was right, he has the right to be unhappy if he sees another person retain a fi sh he person-ally thinks should have been released to fi ght another day. However, his right to express this displeasure infringes on Mr. Roels law-ful right to keep a legally caught fi sh. Not to mention how remarkably disrespectful it is to chastise an elder who did nothing wrong or illegal. The hubris of his I have a right statement was overshadowed only by its irony.

Heres another good one: I have a right to run my boat wherever Im allowed.

You cant argue with that. Unless an area is specifi cally posted against it, boat owners canand willrun their boat anywhere

they can without running aground. That is their right.

Just as much as a wade fi sherman has a right to fi sh in shallow water without the risk of a 22-foot fl ats boat running full blast between him and the shoreline. Its troubling that so many slob fi shermeneven after spotting wading anglers who cant move very quicklywont either slow down or give them a reasonably wide berth. The fact that nobody has been hurt or, worse yet, killed by some of these shore burners is a miracle.

A permutation of the aforementioned sce-nario is the angler who runs his boat on plane right in front of a group of drifting boats. Buzzing by these boats is too commonplace on Texas bays, especially on a summer Saturday. The responsible boat owner still tries to give as wide a berth as possible. The only difference is that while the latter is simply rude, the former scenario is dangerous.

Another sentiment often made quite stri-dently is, I have a right to fi sh where I want.

True, but so does the guy who got to the spot before you. I have seen fi st fi ghts on fi sh-ing piers when someone horned into a spot another angler had already claimed.

The common defense is, This is the spot I always fi sh. Its even worse when youre on the water, and a boat cuts you off and starts drifting the same spot you were on.

My personal favorite was a captain in Port Mansfi eld who dropped his waders directly in front of me in an area I was drifting. When I encountered the same captainwho had been trying to get me to mention him in the columnand asked about the stunt, he smiled and said, I didnt know it was you, meaning he wouldve done it to someone else.

There are a lot of noses out there on the water, ladies and gentlemen. Yours isnt the only one. If we all remember where ours end and others begin, life could be a bit easier for everyone.

At least I wont have to prevent Mr.Roel from getting arrested.

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

Texas SALTWATER

1509 Saltwater.indd 31 8/10/15 3:03 PM

Situational Awareness

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (SA) is necessary for almost any subject you can think of, from bass fi shing to military planning to self-

defense. Even in business, if you dont know what is going on around you, you will end up fl at busted.

When we discussed combat mindset, we mentioned SA in passing, but it is an inte-gral part of the white, yellow, orange, and red awareness progression.

For instance: You are walking down the street on your daily exercise route and see three guys standing around. They are not at a bus stop, they are not near any house, they

do not appear to be doing anything, at all. They are not talking to each other, but at least one keeps glancing at you, and two of them have their hands in their pants pockets.

If you have a brain in your head, this will immediately trigger your suspicions, and you will go from yellow to orange. This is when you immediately change your route and watch to see if these guys follow. This is situational awareness.

This is what the sheep of the world do not have. Most of them would blithely con-tinue on their route, secure in the knowledge that the police were out there protect-ing them from the world of evil. I wish it were so.

This same SA should kick in if you come home

late one night and notice that the light in the kitchen is on when you thought you had turned it off. Maybe you did forget to turn it off, but then, again, maybe someone is in the house.

You should not go rambling through the house until you have made certain you are alone. Leave your family in the car with the doors locked and your wife at the steering wheel with the engine running, until you have checked to see whether its all clear. If you go in and dont come back out in a reasonable amount of time, your wife should

Self Defense by STEVE LAMASCUSTactical :: Concealed Carry & DUSTIN ELLERMANN

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSEby &

Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of DEFENSEDEFENSEDEFENSEDEFENSEDEFENSE

H & Ks New VP9THE HECKLER AND KOCH VP9 premiered last summer with much fan-fare. For years H&K has been highly regarded as a manufacturer of qual-ity fi rearms, however their handguns havent quite kept up with the market fads.

Not to say the USP and P30/P45s werent excellent sidearms, but the majority of the defensive handgun mar-ket leans towards striker fi red pistols that have consistent trigger pulls from the fi rst to last round fi red. Unless you carry a hammer-equipped pistol cocked and locked the double action pull of a pistol requires extra training to shoot consistently.

H&K solves this with the VP9. Its sleeker than the USP and has the ergonomics of the P30. The price point is also a bit lower.

At a glance its easy for me to confuse the new VP9 with my favorite Walther PPQ, its almost like they are brothers more than cousins of German heritage. The VP9 trigger breaks right around fi ve pounds, and its pretty clean. It has about approximately 3/8 inch of takeup, 1/8 inch of travel to break, and then over inch reset with another 1/8 inch of takeup after the reset.

I believe the Walther has a cleaner and shorter reset, but the VP9 still has

a better out of the box trigger than any other mainstream polymer striker fi red pistol.

Ergonomics are some of the best Ive felt. I remember the fi rst time I picked up an H&K P30 because it felt as if I had molded the grips out of clay with my own hands.

texas fish & game september 2015

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