BY MARK ENGLAND

The Edwards Plateau for yearshas been the mother lode when itcomes to finding the Rio Grandewild turkey.

However, a study by Texas A&M

University — focusing on the pla-teau’s southern region — raisesthe possibility the bird’s popula-tion has declined. As much as athird of the state’s estimated600,000 Rio Grandes inhabit the

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PAIDPLANO, TX

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INDEXClassifieds Page 22

Crossword Page 20

Game Warden Blotter Page 10

Fishing Report Page 19

Heroes Page 23

Outdoor Datebook Page 16

Products Page 21

Weather Page 20

Wild in the Kitchen Page 20

INSIDE

www.lonestaroutdoornews.com

Texas’ Premier Outdoor NewspaperJune 27, 2008 �Volume 4, Issue 21�

FISHING

HUNTING

Texas DU chapters celebrated aNo. 1 ranking in revenuesraised, but recent governmentalpolicy decisions leave work tobe done.

Page 5

Jellyfish seem to be moreabundant this year, bringingthe sting to coastal anglers.

Page 9

CONSERVATION

Time Sensitive MaterialDeliver ASAP

The creation of the MansfieldMauler by Bob Fuston was anexercise in trial and error.

Page 9

New take on worms

Big bass fliesPage 8

See RIO GRANDES, Page 12

Hunting opportunities for thelesser prairie chicken are few.Only nine or 10 birds wereharvested in the Panhandlelast year with speciallandowner permits.

Page 6

NATIONAL

A wildfire at Pocosin LakesNational Wildlife Refuge inNorth Carolina has consumedmore than 41,000 acres and isexpected to smolder for months.

Page 24

Summertime catfish time

CATFISH HEATING UP: Live bluegill and shad are top catfish baits for many summer anglers, while otherschoose one of countless prepared or homemade baits. Photo by David J. Sams.

Bait choices change with the season

BY CRAIG NYHUS

Summer catfishing in Texas tops the list for manyanglers and families, and good numbers of eating-size fish are being landed all over the state.

The tactics and baits used to bring them to theboat, though, vary as much as lakes and fishermen.

Catfish baits range from commercial products tohomemade “secret” recipes. While anglers at lakesBelton and Stillhouse Hollow swear by hot dogs, gro-cery stores near other lakes run out of chicken livers

and hearts. Countless names of

stinkbaits, cheesebaits,punch baits and doughbaits line the shelves attackle stores and baitshops, and every anglerhas his or her favorite.Throw in soaps, night-crawlers, goldfish, andcrawfish and a fisher-man heading out withthe family could beoverwhelmed withchoices.

Other anglers stick with live bait year round, somecast-netting shad in the early morning, while otherscatch small bluegill from stock ponds or in traps.

But when catfish are active, it may be getting thebait in the water that is the key.

“Right now, if you find the fish, I think they’ll biteon just about anything you put down there,” guideClancy Terrill said.

Terrill, who guides at Lake Buchanan, prefers baitthat swims. “The smaller blues are real good rightnow on live shad,” he said. “They are gathering up indeep water from 45-53 feet.” Terrill usually catches

MARLIN FEVER: Matt Richter prepares to release a blue marlin caught by hisbrother, Bryan, using a ballyhoo pitch bait about 40-50 miles offshore from PortAransas. Photo by Bryan Richter.

Billfish, kingfish action heats up in blue waterSeas settle down, fish cooperate

BY CRAIG NYHUS

Offshore from Port Aransas,fishing took a turn for the betterthis month. Captains and recre-ational fishermen are bringing inexceptional catches, with the cov-eted billfish entering the mix.

Capt. Peter Young runs the 43-foot Cabo “Mo Azul,” taking up tosix customers on 12-hour trips off-shore. And for one group, Father’sDay was a day to remember. “We

were about 35 miles offshore atthe rocks,” he said. We caught ablue marlin, about 200 pounds.And we had 350 pounds of otherfish.”

The group brought in a 30-pound dolphin, kingfish andsnapper limits, and a few wahooand ling. “There are a lot of lingthis year,” Young said. “These werehanging out under the boat.”

Young was happy to see the

Study: Edwards plateau turkey population dropsGrowth squeezing out Rio Grandes

See CATFISH, Page 17

See OFFSHORE, Page 17

‘Right now, ifyou find the fish,I think they’ll bite

on just about anything you put

down there.’— CLANCY TERRILL

Skyrocketing corn and fuelprices are cutting trips to thehunting lease short, and feedstores are feeling the pinch.

Page 6

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BY CRAIG NYHUS

Hundreds of Ducks Unlimited volunteers, staff andmembers joined in Frisco June 20-22 for the DU StateConvention. The members were there to celebrate rais-ing nearly $4 million in the past year for wetland con-servation, achieving the No. 1 ranking in the nation ingrass-roots revenues raised and in total members.

On a national level, 1st Vice President John Pope saidthe Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign raised $1.2 bil-lion of its $1.7 billon target in two years.

“Our mission is wetlands sufficient to fill the skiestoday, tomorrow and forever,” Pope said. “But one pol-icy decision like the Farm Bill can take away more wet-lands than DU has protected over the years. And theClean Water Restoration Act, if not passed, could leavemillions of wetlands unconserved.”

Carter Smith, the executive director of Texas Parksand Wildlife, addressed the group. “Texas leads thenation in private habitat, and in habitat lost to develop-ment,” Smith said. “In the Panhandle, of 4 millionacres of CRP, more than 1 million are set to expire.”

And that could have a huge impact on waterfowl,lesser prairie chickens, quail and pheasants.

“In an arid state like Texas, water is our lifeblood,”Smith said. “We have to make sure we have water forour wildlife. Half of our largest springs no longer flow.Bay systems aren’t being recharged.

“There’s a lot to do. We need the science and data tomake the best decisions for waterfowl, wetlands andwildlife.”

After years of near-record duck numbers, things arechanging on the prairie. In the Prairie Pothole Region,the source of most ducks heading to Texas, the condi-tions are extremely dry, said Todd Merendino, DU’s

manager of conservation programs. Coupled with CRPissues, a host of problems exist, he said. Corn prices areup 54 percent, he said. “CRP pays $35 to $50 dollars peracre, but crop rentals are paying $75 to $100 per acre, atthe time 3/4 million acres are set to expire in 2007, and5 million acres by 2012.”

Merendino said the consequences could be huge. “Itcould mean up to 1.625 million ducks lost,” he said. Forexample, since 1997 DU has obtained conservationeasements of 725,000 acres in the region, while 710,000acres set to expire in the Dakotas alone.

Texas coastal marshes also concern biologists.Regional Biologist Greg Green said the marshes hold 14million ducks and 1.5 million geese. But infusions ofsalt water to the marshes, development, rising sea lev-els, and the cut-off of freshwater runoff threatens themarshes, Green said.

Convention speakers stressed that the work is notdone — and may never be.

Celebration and concernTexas DU chapters No. 1 in nation, vow to redouble efforts

NATION’S BEST: Texas DU chapters rank No. 1 in the nationin grassroots revenues raised and in total members. At theState Convention, Regional Vice President Bill Ansell,Director of Conservation Programs Scott Manley, DistrictChairman Oliver Aldrich and Senior Vice President SteveMarasovich celebrated the past year and discussed plans forthe future. Photo by John Ritchey.

Marsh Mania restores coastal wetlands in Galveston Bay

Galveston Bay Foundationmembers and volunteers joinedefforts to celebrate 10 years ofMarsh Mania this Spring. At thefirst of two 2008 Marsh Maniadays, 181 volunteers plantedmore than 112 18-gallon bucketsof smooth cordgrass at PierceMarsh, North Deer Island andClear Creek. A second gatheringwas held at Anahuac NationalWildlife Refuge, Armand BayouNature Center, Chocolate Bayand Texas City Prairie Preservewith more than 300 volunteers.

GBF’s Marsh Mania is a com-munity-based wetlands restora-

tion and education event of theGalveston Bay area. Its goal is toinvolve local citizens in hands-onwetlands restoration activitieswhile increasing their awarenessand appreciation of wetlandhabitats and functions.

In the nine years since it began,Marsh Mania has involved morethan 4,700 community volun-teers in the restoration of morethan 107 acres of wetlands at 41coastal sites around GalvestonBay.

— Galveston Bay Foundationreport.

Page 6 � June 27, 2008

HUNTING

Summer trips to leases cut short

BIG CASH FOR CORN: Some hunters are buying larger-capacity feeders to cut down the numberof summer trips to hunting leases. They’re reacting to surging fuel costs and saving money forthe upcoming hunting season. Photo by David J. Sams.

Feed, fuel costs have hunters staying home or carpooling

BY BILL MILLER

Carrie Smith doesn’t plan to hunt deer this fall,and she’s not happy about it.

Rising fuel costs, which appear to be boostingthe price per bag on deer corn, are hampering thesweet arrangement she had with her cousin, wholet her hunt on a Brown County lease as long asshe brought her own feed.

Smith said she’s not the only one strugglingand she should know; she sells deer corn at RussellFeed & Supply in Benbrook, just west of FortWorth.

“I ain’t even buying it,” she said.Spot checks across the state in late June showed

that the average 50-pound bag of corn cost about$8. A year earlier, it fetched around $5.25.

The price hikes are partially blamed on risingfuel costs which are making corn producers pay

more to operate farm equipment.Meanwhile, the average price for a gallon of gas

in Texas was $3.92 on June 23, according to theU.S. Department of Energy. That’s about $1 morethan what it cost a year ago.

Consequently, feed dealers across the state uni-formly report that out-of-town customers aremaking fewer trips to their leases to replenishtheir feeders. And that means fewer trips to thefeed store.

“Just from appearances it seems like they’re notcoming in as often as they did,” said RichardJohnson, owner of Johnson Feed Barn inColeman. “(And) now they’re coming in onevehicle to hold down the cost of getting to thelease.”

Similar changes were reported further west inthe Concho Valley by Kyle Winchester, ware-

Lesser prairie chickens still a game bird

Habitat restoration key to bird’s success, survival

BY CRAIG NYHUS

Most Texas hunters don’t know the less-er prairie chicken can still be hunted in thestate. “Last year, we issued 15 permits in thenortheast and southwestern Panhandle,”said Texas Parks and Wildlife WildlifeDiversity Specialist Heather Whitlaw. “Thebirds harvested totaled nine or 10.”

Whitlaw said the permits are issuedthrough a Managed Lands Program forlesser prairie chickens similar to the pro-grams for white-tailed deer. “We issue per-mits to the landowners that are improvingthe habitat and doing surveys of their birdsand sharing the information with us,” shesaid. Currently, there are about 40,000acres under the MLP.

One of the incentives to the landowneris the permit to hunt a bird given to thelandowner participating in habitat restora-tion. “They can use it or sell it,” Whitlawsaid.

The ground-nesting bird has struggledthroughout its range, primarily from theloss of native shortgrass prairie to agricul-ture.

“The numbers of lesser prairie chickens

are poor in Texas — and in the five-staterange for the bird,” Whitlaw said. Based ondensity estimates and information fromlandowners, there are about 6,000 birds inthe sand hills of the High Plains west ofLubbock and in the Rolling Plains region tothe northeast. The lesser prairie chickenhas been a candidate for listing as threat-ened or endangered under the EndangeredSpecies Act for 10 years and certain groupsare using the anniversary to push for thelisting, including Santa Fe-based Wild-Earth Guardians.

Whitlaw believes that is a horrible idea.“The Endangered Species Act is not theplace to help a species recover,” she said. “Itis the worst tool to help deal with concernslike habitat restoration or increasing thepopulation of a species.

“We’re working with the USFWS biolo-gists to keep the chicken from being listed.”

Whitlaw said that despite the low num-bers, their efforts have been a success, andshe hopes for the chance to continue withmore extensive habitat restoration. “Weare working with landowners, puttinghabitat on the ground. And we use thelandowner incentive programs and part-

ner with USFWS to restore lands to a nativerange,” she said.

Whitlaw is a believer in continuing toallow the very limited hunting of the bird

through the permit process. “The informa-tion provided by the landowners helps usto tell them (Department of the Interior)that the birds are OK.”

BIRD ON THE BRINK: Bringing back the lesser prairie chicken population in the Panhandle will rely onprivate landowner-incentive programs and habitat restoration efforts. As an incentive, landowners areissued a permit to harvest one bird in mid-October. Photo by Dick Davis.

See SPOT save a lifeSatellite messaging system tells loved ones you’re OK, officials you’re not

BY DOUG PIKE

Each of us who loves the out-doors has been having a blastsomewhere, glanced down at awatch during a breather and real-ized we were late. Maybe just a fewminutes, or maybe hours.

But late either way, which leftsomeone, somewhere, unnecessar-ily concerned for our safety.SPOT, a new satellite messagingsystem, solves that problemwhether you’re hunting in themost remote Texas area, hikingthrough an Alaskan national park,or paddling off the coast ofAustralia.

Once activated, SPOT acquirescoordinates from its GPS networkand sends the information to theGEOS International Emer-gency

Response Center — which alertsthe appropriate agencies world-wide.

The device, which fits in a palm,weighs only a few ounces but isbuilt to withstand the harshest ofenvironments. It even floats,which makes it as useful to pad-dlers and blue-water fishermen asto hunters.

What separates SPOT from PLBs(personal locator beacons) is price— SPOT is just $170 — and its abil-ity to send a quick “I’m OK” mes-sage to as many as 10 preset e-mailaddresses.

In addition to its On/Off switch,the unit has only three other but-tons. One launches that simplemessage to let folks know you arehaving a blast and haven’t brokenanything. Another lets those same

people know that you need helpbut are not in a life-threatening sit-uation.

The final button, the “911”mode, alerts trained personnelshould you find yourself in troubleand in need of immediate atten-tion. Not even operational a fullyear, SPOT already has helped savelives in two separate incidents inAlaska as well as when a sea kayak-er ran into trouble off theTasmanian coast.

Monitoring costs about $100 peryear; without it, the unit is a paper-weight. There’s an additionaltracking function, about $50 moreannually, that allows those e-mailrecipients to see exactly where inthe world you were and are.

Satellite coverage generally isexcellent in most places an out-

doors enthusiast might find him-self or herself. It misses the polesand much of India, which should-n’t be a deal breaker for most of us,but also fires blanks across theentirety of southern Africa.Otherwise, according to SPOT andGEOS, they have you pretty wellcovered.

On-line reviews of the unit singsits praises for ruggedness, long bat-tery life (with a pair of lithiumAAs) and the peace of mind it canprovide loved ones.

Reviewers were less impressed bythe sensitivity of SPOT’s GPSreceiver, which can falter exceptunder a perfectly clear sight-line tothe sky. Reception flagged to noth-ing or nearly so in urban areas andnearly as often went the same wayunder the canopy of a spring for-

est.Negatives acknowledged, SPOT

can be — and already has been — areal-time lifesaver. Personnel at themonitoring station are trained toreact instantly to emergencies andknow who to contact no matterwhere you are on the planet.

Additionally, since GEOSalready is in the business of safe-guarding executives and their fam-ilies around the world, the compa-ny has its own rescue and recoverypeople available around the clock.For $170 upfront, the monthlycost of a chicken salad and iced teaanywhere they’re served on awhite-linen tablecloth, SPOT pro-vides comfort and security for theperson sending those “OK” mes-sages and for those who receivethem.

See FUEL, Page 25

June 27, 2008 � Page 7

After years of planning and fundraising,the new Texas Game Warden TrainingCenter in Hamilton County is open forbusiness.

“Our entire academy has made the tran-sition,” said Major Randall Odom, Chief ofTraining for the Texas Game WardenAcademy. “We’re up and running inHamilton County.”

Texas game wardens no longer have theluxury of focusing solely on game and fishviolations. Now, wardens are flood rescuespecialists, boating safety officers, environ-mental crime investigators, educators andtrainers.

Since the 1970s, new cadets trained at anaging facility in Austin. But in early 2006,the Police Activities League donated morethan 200 acres of the ranch it owns inHamilton County as a potential futurehome of the Texas Game Warden TrainingCenter. Fundraising efforts then began toraise money for training facilities.

“The next scheduled class of cadetsbegins Nov. 1,” Odom said. “And we expectone of the biggest classes ever — about 55cadets.”

The facilities aren’t in place, but the staffwill make do with the existing barracks,meeting rooms and kitchen. “It will be pret-ty spartan facilities for the first class,” Odomsaid. “But it will be functional with theexisting buildings and the work we’ll dobefore November.”

The first class of cadets will travel to near-by Fort Hood and use its firing range, driv-ing course and pool for training exercises.“We’ll have to go off-campus in these areasuntil construction is complete,” Odom said.

Construction on the Administration andEducation buildings is set to begin inNovember, with the other facilities to fol-low. “We wanted to get the education areas

completed first,” Odom said.Projected construction costs rise each

month with current estimates at $19 mil-lion, and fundraising efforts continue.

“With the money raised and the moneyfrom the sale of the old Austin training facil-ity (about $3.8 million), we have raised$10.2 million,” Odom said.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundationhas led the charge. “We’re halfway wherewe need to be,” said TPW FoundationDirector Dick Davis. “We plan to launch apublic fundraising phase in the fall, and thecenter will be a major focus at the TPWFEXPO in October.”

As for now, the staff is preparing for thearrival of the new cadets. “We’re stillunpacking boxes,” Odom said.

— Staff reports.

Game Warden Training Center gets new home

Construction set for state-of-the-art facilities

CampusThe 200-acre campus will include a

new education building with library,computer lab, classrooms and 100-seatauditorium; an armory to securelystore firearms and house a Fire ArmsTraining Simulator; a gymnasium forfitness and defensive tactics training; awater rescue building with a 25-meterheated pool for aquatic survival andrescue training; an emergency vehicleoperations course; a firing range andcadet cabins for lodging during eachacademy.

To make a donation, call the TexasParks and Wildlife Foundation at (214)720-1478.

www.badboybuggies.com

Page 8 � June 27, 2008

FISHING

A different breedBass fly anglers shift to unconventional flies

UNDERWATER ILLUSION: Fly-fishermen are using flies designed to imitate conventional bass tackle like spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs and worms.Sean Polk of Orvis in Dallas displays the Gulley Worm that he fishes like a Carolina rig when going after big bass. Photo by David J. Sams.

BY DIANA KUNDE

It’s a fuzzy six inches long, made with purple andpink chenille, and bears more than a passing resem-blance to a plastic worm. And, yes, the GulleyWorm is a fly — currently featured as a “top fly” forbass on the Web site for fly-fishing retailer Orvis.

You learn from the spinning and casting rod com-petition, say Texas fly-fishers who target bass in thesummertime.

Sean Polk, fly-fishing manager for Orvis in Dallas,said he typically reads the conventional fishingchatter when scoping out a new lake for bass.

“I find out the colors, the type of lure that’s beenhaving success. If they’re hitting worms, I try theGulley. If they’re hitting crankbaits, I’ll tie Deceiversor Clausers in the same colors and sizes,” Polk said.

Jef Fair, fly-fishing manager for Orvis inArlington, carries the Gulley and another wormimitation, as well as Enrico Puglisi’s Peacock Pike fly,designed to imitate a Bass Assassin.

“I have customers who swear by them (GulleyWorms),” Fair said. “More of them are crossoverbass anglers new to fly fishing.” Customers whomay be more purist trout anglers “view it as kind ofa novelty item.”

In fact, bass fly-fishers are a different breed,experts say — more willing to try whatever works toattract the fish, rather than limiting themselves tofur and feathers.

Fair also carries a fly that’s tied to imitate a spin-ner bait, as well as spinner baits with hardware onthem.

“They tend to be heavy and hard to cast, but I’vehad great success with them,” Fair said about the

AFTERNOON DELIGHT: While most coastal anglers fish early and late in the day, others believe the middle ofthe day is the best, with reds moving onto the flats when boat traffic is low.

Redfish afternoonsLess boat traffic means feeding reds

BY DANNO WISE

Early to bed, early to rise — that seems tobe the motto of Texas coastal fishermen dur-ing the summer months. And though itseems the trout bite is an early morningaffair, anglers looking for reds may be able toget a little extra shuteye — even during thedog days of summer.

“If you’re looking for redfish, that 10 to 2time period is still the best,” said Port Isabelguide Capt. Eddie Curry. “You do have todeal with the heat, but the redfish will actu-ally be a more active later in the morning orearly in the afternoon — after all the charterboats have gone in. It can actually be some ofthe best sight casting of the year. We havelighter winds and we still have enough waterto get back into some of the better flats forholding redfish.”

Redfish become somewhat conditioned toavoiding the high traffic times — when boatsare routinely buzzing over the flats. However,once the boat traffic quiets down, Curry saidthe fish are quick to move up on the flats andstart feeding. Incidentally, this behavior isn’tlimited to reds on the Lower Coast.

“I’ll start out really early, looking fortrout,” said Aransas Pass guide Capt. MarvinEngle. “But I won’t start looking for reds untila little later in the day.

“Around midday, I’ll start hitting the flatsfor redfish. When I’m looking for redfish, I’llthrow pinperch or mullet and rig ’em thesame way I do croaker. You can catch redfishon croaker, but it seems like you catch a lotmore on pinperch and mullet. I’ll be fishingin 1- to 3-feet of water and concentrating onthe sandy pockets.”

Ten Steps to Simple Baitcaster Maintenance

DISASSEMBLY REQUIRED: Breaking down and cleaning a baitcasting reel is a must forsaltwater fishermen. The smallest particle of salt can corrode any reel. Photo byBrandon Shuler.

Corroded reel can mean fishing nightmareBY BRANDON SHULER

Have you ever pulled up to thefirst stop of the day on your long-awaited trip to the coast, heavedback and loaded the rod, only tohave the lure land ten feet in frontof you?

Then, to make matters worse,you feel like a local coffee baristagrinding fresh beans as you reel ina squeaking and coughing line.Most anglers have. Many do afresh water spray down on therods and reels as they clean theboat and remind themselves to doa ‘deep’ cleaning at home. Then,family and business calls quicklyforce reel maintenance out ofone’s mind.

Hank Kirkland of Shakes-

peare/Pflueger said, “We makereels to withstand the rigors of theharshest fresh and saltwater envi-ronments. We can stand by a fewdays of hardcore fishing, maybethree to five, before the reel reallyshould be broken down and givena few basic areas of TLC.”

Reel maintenance should be anintegral part of your fishing trip.“I fish from Matagorda to thelower Laguna Madre,” said Capt.Mitch Richmond. “I set aside anhour the night after a three-daytrip and break down every reeland re-oil and clean every nookand cranny. The tiniest piece ofsalt can completely corrode anyreel — even when they are adver-tised as non-corrosive.”

So for better reel maintenance,

follow these ten-simple steps to acleaner casting machine.

Step 1Completely disassemble reel

per manufacturer’s instructions.As you disassemble the reel, cleanany excess grease, mud, sand andgrime from the moving parts.When you remove the reel han-dle, pay special attention to grassor line that may have woundaround the reel handle spindle.

Step 2Place all parts in a bucket of

warm soapy water for at least anhour. Capt. Darrin Jones says, “Iam a Marine. I like order andassembly line maintenance. I geta separate bowl filled with soapywater for each part type and put

See REEL, Page 14

See FLIES, Page 14

See REDFISH, Page 16

June 27, 2008 � Page 9

HOT SPOT

Water murky; 83 degrees; 1.00' low. Black bass are good on spinnerbaits. Hybrid striper are good but small on whitegrubs under lights at night. White bass are very good on minnows under lights at night. Crappie are good on minnowsin 20-25 feet under lights at night. Channel and blue catfish are good on juglines baited with frozen shad in 30 feet.Randy Conover shows a smallmouth bass he caught at the lake. See full fishing report on Page 19.

Lake Belton

BY KYLE TOMEK

If spring’s unending winds weren’tenough of a pain for Texas anglers, an influxof jellyfish by the thousands continue tousher stings from the Galveston BayComplex to Rockport. Folks across thecoastal bend are discovering new forms ofsting protection as well as treatment for thespineless attackers.

According to Kenneth W. Kizer of theWilderness Medical Society,jellyfish populations aredramatically increasingaround the world — not juston the Texas Coast.

“Although the increasemay be part of a naturalcycle in some areas, theoverall upward trend farexceeds anything thatwould be naturally expect-ed,” he said.

Suspected causes rangefrom human disruption inecosystems, rising watertemperatures, and overfish-ing of competitor species.However, many on the coastplace blame the infiltrationon extremely high salinitylevels due to lack of rainfall.

A.F. “Tony” Amos, re-seatch fellow and director ofAnimal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at TheUniversity of Texas Marine Science Institute,isn’t so sure. “I cannot say why (or even if)there is an increase in jellyfish this year,” hesaid. “Sea Nettles are fresh-water tolerant andcan exist in water as low as 3 parts per thou-sand salinity.”

Nonetheless, anglers are feeling the stings.“I tell all of my clients to wear long pantswhen we plan to wade-fish,” said Capt.Hollis Forrester of Matagorda. “Somehowthe jellyfish still find their way in. That’swhy I keep meat tenderizer on my boat as aquick pain reliever.”

Some fishermen have yet to stow awaytheir breathable waders after winter. “I

would rather deal with the heat than getstung by all of the jellyfish,” PaytonPawlosky of Bay City said.

Long wading pants are remaining a staplein summer fishing, providing a first line ofdefense. Compression shorts like those byUnderArmour, worn beneath long wadingpants, can serve as additional protection.

Even driftfishermen are experiencingabundant jellyfish, albeit to a lesser extent.While fishing in Rockport, one angler was

shocked to witness his guide unintentionallygrab a jellyfish when reaching for a croakerin the bait well. When asked if it was stinginghim, the guide said, “a little,” saying the jel-lyfish likely got into the bait well when headded salt water.

Those seeking to relieve jellyfish stings areadvised to pour white vinegar on the affect-ed area and soak it if possible. If no vinegar isavailable, meat tenderizer applied to theskin can relieve the immediate symptoms.Soaking in salt water is fine, but don’t soakthe area with freshwater or apply ice or hotwater on the sting. Freshwater causes nema-tocysts (the stinging organs found in somejellyfish) to release their toxin.

BY BRANDON SHULER

Necessity is the mother of all invention.In the case of Captain Bob and theMarvelous Mansfield Mauler, the old adagecouldn’t be more true.

In 1983, the year of the great freeze,Captain Bob had a 92-year-old gentlemanfish with him two days a week from April toSeptember. As the gentleman got older, thewinds of South Texas made it more andmore challenging to work a soft plastic effec-tively. Captain Bob, a retired fireman from anuclear plant, put his ingenuity to work andcreated the mauler.

After a few false starts and a number ofoperational failures, Captain Bob createdthe mauler with a foot-long section of 30-pound mono and a sliding crappie cork.

“The first attempts with the mono werenot so effective,” Fuston said. “Castingcaused the contraption to twist and foul up.I had to go back to the drawing room.”

In those days, the Tacklebox in SanAntonio was an Angler’s Eden and an earlysponsor of Captain Bob. The longtimeowner and lifelong friend of Fuston’s, JimCooper, suggested using a stiffer wire to cre-ate the shaft of the Mauler.

“That was when I had the light bulbmoment.”

Fuston and Cooper utilized the wire andreplaced the crappie cork with a small diam-eter, 2- to 3-inch sliding orange cork. To

eliminate the twisting that was inherentwith the mono-shaft, Fuston haywiredswivels on each end of the 10-inch wire sec-tion and added two beads on each side ofthe cork to keep it from sliding over theswivel knots.

“The beads were the ticket,” Fuston said.“They added that extra tick that really gottrout looking up. The mono leader and crap-pie cork just did not have that pop. Theyneed that loud popping and clicking actionto get their eyes up and them out of thegrass.”

Now made and catching fish, the con-traption still needed a name. The freeze of1983 glazed the edges of many Texas bayswith ice. Large fish kills occurred up anddown the Texas coast.

The following season, catches were offand guides were struggling with the newinflux of commercial fishermen enteringthe charter business after the 1984 gill netbans on trout and redfish. But an eccentric,red bandana-wearing guide from PortMansfield was raising eyebrows with thefish he caught and the strange gadget he tiedto his clients’ rods.

Fuston said the success of the maulercame down to an early fishing trip with ajournalist from Houston, when KenGrissom, an outdoors writer, NFL-er GeraldWilson and his wife, Marty, charteredCaptain Bob for a weekend of fishing.

Jellyfish becoming a painInflux of stinging creatures has anglers on the lookout

TINGLING TENTACLES: Jellyfish, like this sea nettle, are bringing theirstings to coastal fishermen this summer, and most are wading withlong pants or waders and carrying sting remedies on their boats.

The MarvelousMansfield

MaulerPopular popping device had storied start

THE ORIGINAL: The Mansfield Mauler was invented by Captain Bob Fuston in 1983 and becamepopular on the Texas coast the next year. Since then, the popping device has spawned manyimitations. Photo by David J. Sams.

Bob Fuston

See MAULER, Page 25

Page 10 � June 27, 2008

WARDEN RECOVERS STOLEN BOAT, ARRESTS TWO

•Tarrant County Game WardenClint Borchardt recovered astolen Stratos bass boat andarrested the two occupants. Theboat’s operator was charged withpossession of methampheta-mines and unauthorized use of avehicle; the other occupant wasarrested for outstanding war-rants. Borchardt approached theboat after he saw the occupantstrying to flag down other boatersto help them due to mechanicalproblems. Cases pending.

WATER SAFETY INSPECTION REVEALS 135 EMPTY BEER CANS

•While on patrol on PossumKingdom Lake near Hell’s Gate,Hill County Game WardenDouglas Volcik, Young CountyGame Warden Brent Isom andIntern Jeremiah Jones performeda water safety inspection on aboat with numerous occupants.The operator of the vessel wasissued a citation for an insuffi-cient number of PFDs and awarning for an unserviceable fireextinguisher. Boat sobriety testswere administered to the opera-tor, followed by SFSTs at the PaloPinto County Sub-station, and abreath sample that measured.244 and .241 on the Intoxilyzer.The operator was booked into thePalo Pinto County Jail. The boatheld 135 empty beer cans andbottles, 59 full beer cans and bot-tles and an empty plastic bulkwine container. Cases pending.

ANGLERS CAUGHT WITH LARGE HOOP NET, UNDERSIZED CATFISH

•Newton County Game WardensLandon Spacek and Ellis Powellwere patrolling the Sabine Riverand caught four local residentswith a large hoop net and a cool-

er full of undersized yellow cat-fish. Citations issued.

TWO STOLEN ATVS RECOVERED•San Augustine County GameWardens Johnny Jones and KevinWilkinson recovered two ATVsstolen from Harris County. Thewardens had stopped the ATVson the county road near SamRayburn Lake for multiple viola-tions.

MAN PLAYS CAT AND MOUSE WITH WARDENS

•Zavala County Game WardenChris Stautzenberger approachedfour men after he saw the groupin a vehicle driving in the Nuecesriverbed. Stautzenberger arresteda 19-year-old male in the groupfor an outstanding felony burgla-ry warrant. The man escapedfrom custody and fled into thebrush along the river. A search ofthe area with assistance fromDistrict 2 game wardens, Sheriff’sdeputies, a local constable, U.S.Border Patrol and DPS aircraftwas discontinued after informa-tion was received from a crediblesource that the man was safelyback in town at a local residence.Later that evening, informationwas received that the man wasseen at a residence in La Pryor.County and game warden unitsresponded and searched two resi-dences but came away empty-

handed. The following day,authorities received a report theman was at another residence inLa Pryor. Stautzenberger, MikeMorse and Eugene Fernandezand county deputies arrested theman on the felony warrant.Charges of felony escape fromcustody were filed.

FEATHERS STICKING OUT FROM ICE CHEST TIP OFF WARDEN

•Gillespie County Game WardenScott Krueger stopped at theFredericksburg H-E-B to get sup-plies for the day. While walkingthrough the parking lot, henoticed on the back of a pickuptruck an ice chest with featherssticking out from under the lid.The feathers were attached to thewing of a red-shouldered hawk.The owner of the vehicle soonreturned and was cited for posses-sion of protected bird parts.

MAN CAUGHT WITH LIVE WILD TURKEY IN TRUNK

•Atascosa County Game WardenDerek Iden was patrollingCalaveras Lake when a fishermantold him a group of men drinkingbeer next to him by the bank hadwrestled with a big bird in thebrush and put it in their car. Idenlater approached 15 men. Themen began to disperse but theowners of the three vehiclesremained. Iden looked in the

backseat of one vehicle with hisflashlight and observed turkeyfeathers and saw more turkeyfeathers on the ground near thetrunk of the car. He asked theowner to open the trunk andfound a live Rio Grande turkeyhen tied up by its feet. The carowner was cited for possession ofa live game bird. The turkey wasuntied by Iden and quickly tookoff for the brush.

MEN DIDN’T HAVE CONSENT TO “BORROW” TRACTOR

•At approximately 10 p.m., VanZandt County Game WardenSteve Stapleton found two mendriving a tractor without anylights on a farm road. Whenstopped, the driver said, “I knowthis doesn’t look good.” Thefather and son both had criminalhistories for theft. The two saidthey had tried to help a buddywho was stuck in a ditch. Whenasked the name of their buddy,they were unable to recall hisname. Stapleton discovered thetractor had been hotwired. RainsCounty Game Warden RolandFuentes and Rains Countydeputies joined the investigation,which led them to a deer camp inRains County. Another man wasfound passed out in his truck,which was stuck in a floodedcreek. Contact with the owner ofthe property and tractor showed

none of the men had permissionto be on the ranch or consent to“borrow” the ranch tractor.Cases pending.

ANGLERS SAY UNDERSIZED FISH CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY

•Montgomery County GameWarden Alan Biggerstaff checkedtwo men at the FM 830 boat rampon Lake Conroe after an all-nightfishing trip. The two men had 40legal catfish, 12 legal white andhybrid bass, and 12 bream. Theyalso were in possession of 17undersized white bass andhybrids. Biggerstaff asked thefishermen with all the legal fishthey had why they kept theundersized ones. They said theythought the undersized fish wereyellow bass. Citations pending.

MAN WHO NEARLY DROWNS WINDS UP WITH CHARGES

•Freestone County Game WardenJohn Thorne and his brother,David, were patrolling on CedarCreek Lake when they observed aman on the bank waving his armsfrantically. He told the wardensthat his friend had drowned andwas out in the lake. Thorne spot-ted a man floating face down inthe water. Thorne jumped intothe water and rolled the manonto his back and began swim-ming towards the boat. Afterabout 10 seconds, the man beganto cough and started breathingon his own. After they loaded the300-plus pound man into theboat, they took him to shore andcalled for EMS. The subject wasthen transported by EMS toAthens. He was later transportedto the Henderson CountySheriff’s Office and charged withpublic intoxication.

•Bowie County Game WardenShawn Hervey stopped a vesselthat was towing a skier not wear-ing a PFD. Hervey noticed theoperator was intoxicated. Theoperator failed field sobriety tests.

While booking the man, Herveynoticed the man’s name did notmatch the tattoos on both hisarm and chest. The Sheriff’sOffice ran the man by the namegiven and found no record. They

then ran the name from the tat-too and got a return. The manhad eight prior arrests for DWI,other convictions from twostates, and a felony warrant out ofCass County for DWI.

TATTOOS TURN UP MAN’S REAL IDENTITY

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

June 27, 2008 � Page 11

Page 12 � June 27, 2008

Edwards Plateau. Bret Collier, an A&M research ecologist,

said the Rio Grandes’ population theremay have dropped as much as 50 percentsince the 1970s.

“The reason that’s important is that theEdwards Plateau is the historic strongholdfor Rio Grandes,” Collier said. “Most of thebirds that have been used to stock the restof the United States came from birds inEdwards.”

Not everyone agrees with the study’sconclusion.

A Texas Parks and Wildlife technicianworking in the research area — Kerr,Bandera and Real counties — expressed hisdoubts about a long-term decline.

“I see it more as the same old cycle: goodyears and bad years, depending on the rain-fall,” said Ray Aguirre.

What everyone agrees on, however, isthat Rio Grandes face more enemies todaythan 30 years ago — chiefly urbanization,leading to shrinking grasslands, and preda-tors whose numbers are growing.

“The Rio Grande turkey is gettingsqueezed out,” said Macy Ledbetter, a SanSaba wildlife biologist who has a consultingbusiness, Spring Creek Outdoors.

“Turkey hunting in the hot spots seems tobe holding its own,” he said. “The classic bigranch with a big river bottom. But in thoseareas with marginal turkey habitat, therecertainly has been a decrease in numbers.”

Like everywhere else, urbanization is frag-menting the Edwards Plateau.

To illustrate the change, Collier notes thatthe research area used to be “a couple ofhours outside San Antonio. Now it’s about45 minutes.”

“What it comes down to is that there’sbeen a reduction in the amount of landavailable for breeding,” he said.

Dividing a thousand-acre ranch into 20-acre ranchettes also has resulted in fieldsonce home to cattle or hay now lying fal-low, putting out the welcome mat forprickly pear and huisache, a subtropicalshrub that forces out the grasses that pro-vide food, in the way of insects, and cover

for turkeys.“The turkey’s escape mechanism is its

eyesight,” Ledbetter said. “It goes intofields to escape danger. It rarely goes intobrush. It knows there are things in therethat want to eat it. Turkeys like open savan-nahs.”

If that’s not bad enough news forturkeys, these are boom days for its preda-tors.

Ledbetter noted that counties in theEdwards Plateau once hired trappers toprotect the area’s sheep and goats. The col-lapse of that industry and the waning ofthe fur industry has swelled the ranks ofthe wild turkey’s predators.

“There’s never been a better time to be araccoon with all the deer feeders out there,”Ledbetter said. “And the area is covered upwith gray fox, too, as well as red fox. They’reboth formidable predators of turkeys.”

The A&M study, funded by the migratorybird and upland bird stamps, began in 2001and is concluding. Collier said the RioGrandes’ population appears to have stabi-lized in the mid-1990s. The study hopeslooking at the past will enable state officialsto make better administrative decisions inthe future.

One of the study’s suggestions will be tofoster the creation of co-operatives wherelandowners make decisions with an eyetoward wildlife, Collier said, adding it couldhelp sustain the turkey population evenwith land fragmentation.

“The idea is to get blocks of land back,”Collier said.

He doesn’t think landowners will prove ahard sale.

“What’s good for turkeys is also good forquail, other small birds and even endan-gered species like the Golden-cheekedWarbler,” Collier said. “Good habitat man-agement is good for everything.”

Ledbetter, however, wonders if theapproach may be bucking history.

“I don’t see urbanization turningaround,” he said. “There’s talk the popula-tion of Texas could double in the next 25years. That doesn’t bode well for turkeys. Atsome point, turkeys may only be found inthe hot spots. If so, their preservation willbe critical for the survival of the RioGrandes.”

Rio GrandesContinued from Page 1

June 27, 2008 � Page 13

Page 14 � June 27, 2008

each spring with every other spring and each coverwith each cover.” Capt. Ted Spring, however, says,“I throw ’em all in the same bucket and hope I don’thave any pieces left over when I finish my last reel.”

Step 3Remove all your parts and dry them carefully and

completely. Place them on a white towel or back-ground so you can easily see them.

Step 4Start with the reel casing and lube each moving

part with the manufacturer’s recommended lubri-cant. A number of reel makers forfeit your warrantyif you use a lubricant they don’t approve — buyerbeware. Hit the wind guide heavy with lube anddrop a number of drops into the exposed reel gear-ing that you should be able to see through theopening left by the barrel brake.

Dry all excess lube off the outer casing. Rods andreels can get slippery, and you may have a cast thattakes rod, reel and lure.

Step 5Replace the barrel brake and spring. The WD-40

No-Mess pen is great to lube and doctor the threadson the fitting and protects the brake adjustmentfrom stripping or freezing in the future.

Step 6Reassemble the reel handle. Lubricate all thread-

ed parts for protection. Add a small amount of therecommended grease between the drag knob andthe washers. Also, do not be afraid to douse the areain a deep lube bathe. This is the part of the reel thatwill receive the most abuse.

Step 7Take the line spindle and wipe thoroughly with

your already greasy rag. Add a few more drops oflubricant into the gear casing and insert the spin-dle.

Step 8Clean the reel casing cover and add a healthy

dose of lubricant to the spindle contact point andthe clasp that locks the cover to the casing. Don’tbe stingy. It’s frustrating when the cover freezes onthe reel and you cannot get to your prescribedmaintenance.

Step 9Wipe all exterior parts of you reel with a lubricat-

ed rag and then a dry clean rag. The reel shouldlook like new at this point. Store your reel in a dryarea without line.

Step 10The night before your trip, reline with your

favorite braid or mono and have fun. When you gethome, repeat steps 1 through 10.

spinner baits. “Pistol Pete is anexample.”

Fair said he likes to stroll the aislesof the local sporting goods stores,check out the newest conventionallures, then “go home to my desk, sitdown and try to replicate them outof fly-tying materials.”

“Most recently, I’ve been work-ing on a lot of worm flies. I’m alsotying bass jigs.”

Arlington angler Ron Knight isan expert on spinner baits for fly-fishing and has authored a book onthe subject (“Fly Rod SpinnerBaits,” Frank Amato Publications,2006).

Knight says that fly-fishers in theSouth were using spinner baits to

land bass in the 1920s. There werehuge advances in conventionalrods after World War II and bassfishing shifted away from the flyrod. Bass fishing legend TomNixon helped revive fly-fishing forbass with a book published in the’60s and reissued in the ’70s.

“He fished with jelly worms andanything,” Knight says. “He wasn’ta purist at all.”

Knight says he goes with surfaceflies, such as poppers, when thebass are hitting on top. But whenthey go deeper, he’ll go for his spin-ner baits. “It’ll catch them whensomething else won’t,” he said.

Plano fly-tier and designerRichard Komar always carries hisspecial worm fly in the arsenal offive bass flies that he always haswith him.

“It’s a pretty simple fly, veryeffective,” he said. Unlike theGulley Worm, Komar’s HardHackle Worm is made of feathers.He ties it five inches long, andsometimes longer, “purple, maybered — a worm brown would be mythird color.”

Polk said the fly-fisher has anadvantage as an imitator of con-ventional lures in heavy use. “Abass will only hit a certain lureonce. He’s seen the conventionallure; the fly is something new.”

ReelContinued from Page 8

FliesContinued from Page 8

KEEP IT UP: Regular lubrication of all of the reel parts with the recommended lubricantcan help avoid a ruined fishing trip. Photo by Brandon Shuler.

‘A bass will only hit a certain lure

once. He’s seenthe conventional

lure; the fly issomething new.’

— SEAN POLK

June 27, 2008 � Page 15

Fellow Aransas Pass guide Capt.Tom Hall also saves his spot tailefforts for the heat of the day.

“I’ll fish for trout at first light,”said Hall. “But, later in the day, I’llhead back in the flats for redfish.We’ll use both natural and artificialbaits for reds. I’ll use shad — bothlive and dead. If I have artificial lurefishermen, we’ll be using spoonsand Bass Assassins. That Texasroach-colored Bass Assassin has justbeen dynamite for our redfish.”

Besides the time period, theseguides also agree that lighter trafficand light winds can lead to excel-lent opportunities for those willingto deal with high heat.

“It always helps to let the sun geta little higher to help you see thefish better,” Curry said. “But,besides that, the fish are just a loteasier to catch in the afternoons.They seem a lot more comfortablethat time of the day.

“You do need to make sure youhave plenty of water and sunblock,because it is hot, especially on thosecalm afternoons. But, if you’re will-ing to take the heat, you can havesome of the best sight casting of theyear by fishing that 10 to 2 timeframe during the summermonths.”

Page 16 � June 27, 2008

OUTDOOR DATEBOOKJuly 3-6: The 73rd Annual Deep SeaRoundup will be held in Port Aransas.For information, visit paboatmen.org orcall the Chamber of Commerce at (800)45-COAST.

July 6: Bass ProShops in Pearlandwill host aFletching Workshopat 9 a.m., teachinghow to build yourown arrows. Call (713) 770-5100 forinformation.

July 8: The Dallas Safari Club DSC 100meeting will be held at Bass Pro Shopsin Garland. Contact Jaimey at (469)484-6777 for information.

July 8: The Fort Worth Chapter ofLegacy Outfitters monthly dinnermeeting will be held at LockheedMartin Recreation Association in FortWorth, featuring guest speaker 2008Bassmaster Classic Champion AltonJones. For information, call (817) 946-8543 or visit legacyoutfitters.org.

July 10: The Dallas Woods and WatersClub meeting will be held at the

Sheraton North Dallas Hotel, featuringPaul and Gay Martin speaking on turkeyhunting. Call (214) 570-8700 forinformation.

July 11-13: The TTHA Hunter’sExtravaganza will be held at theAlamodome in San Antonio. Call (800)800-3207 or visit ttha.com forinformation.

July 11-12: The Pond Boss AnnualPond Management Conference andExpo will be held at the ArlingtonConvention Center, featuring Ray Scottand Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service. For information,call (800) 687-6075 or visitpondboss.com.

July 12-13: Cabela’sin Fort Worth willhold a bowfishingbasics seminar atLone Star Lake infront of the store at noon. Call (817)337-2400 for information.

July 12: The Pineywoods Texas BigGame Awards banquet will be held atthe Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches. For

information, call (210) 826-2904 orvisit texasbiggameawards.com.

July 17: The DallasSafari Club monthlymeeting will be heldat Gleneagles CountryClub in Plano,featuring John LoMonaco on huntingin Pakistan. Call (972) 980-9800 or e-mail debi@biggame.org for information.

July 18-20: The 18th Annual TexasHunters & Sportsman’s Expo will beheld at the McAllen Convention Center.For information, call (956) 664-2884or visit texashunterassociation.com.

July 19: The Los Cazadores DeerContest Awards will be held at the LosCazadores Hunting Headquarters inPearsall. For information, call (830)334-5959 or visit loscazadores.com.

July 19: The South Plains RMEF BigGame banquet will be held in Lubbock.Call Ron at (806) 787-6225 forinformation and location.

July 24: The Tomball/Magnolia CCA

dinner will be held at the VFW Hall inTomball. Call (713) 626-4222 forinformation.

July 25-26: The 1st Annual DeerBreeders Co-op Auction/Expo will beheld at the Waco Convention Center.Contact Cory at (504) 952-8363 orvisit deerbreedersco-op.com forinformation.

July 25-27: The Laredo Hunting &Fishing Show will be held at the LaredoEntertainment Center. Call (956) 686-3718 or (800) 532-3976 or visit smc-events.com for information.

July 25: The Dallas Safari Club WinePairing dinner will be held at III Forks.Call (972) 980-9800 or e-maildebi@biggame.org for information.

July 26: The Deep East Texas NWTFdinner will be held at The Event Centerin Jasper. Contact Cindy at (409) 382-5752 or cmdans@yahoo.com forinformation.

Aug. 1-3: The TTHA Hunter’sExtravaganza will be held at the ReliantCenter in Houston. Call (800) 800-3207 or visit ttha.com for information.

Aug. 1: The BrazosBasin NWTF dinner willbe held at the WacoSkeet and Trap Club.Contact James at (254)399-7266 orjbrooks@cnbwaco.com for information.

Aug. 7: The San Gabriel CCA banquetwill be held at Dell Diamond in RoundRock. Call (713) 626-4222 forinformation.

Aug. 9: The North Texas RMEF BigGame Banquet will be held at theEmbassySuitesHotel atBass Pro inGrapevine. Call (972) 257-0001 or(972) 964-5292 for information.

Aug. 9: The Aransas Bay CCA banquetwill be held at Paws N’ Taws inRockport. Call (713) 626-4222 forinformation.

HAVE AN EVENT? E-mail it to

editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com

RedfishContinued from Page 8

Elizabeth “Liz” Havens, a high-school math teacher from Austinfishing in her first Women’sBassmaster Tour presented byAcademy Sports & Outdoors eventat Tennessee’s Old Hickory Lake,won the co-angler division with 21pounds, 4 ounces of fish to win aboat and motor rig valued at$25,000.

Dianna Clark, the 2006 ToyotaWomen’s Bassmaster Tour Angler ofthe Year, landed her third careervictory at the event.

The Bumpus Mills, Tenn., probrought in 36 pounds, 5 ounces,using a 1/2-ounce, camo-coloredskirted jig tipped with a green-pumpkin Flipper.

Angie Douthit of Clewiston, Fla.,finished second with a three-daytotal of 28 pounds, 8 ounces, andJuanita Robinson of Highlandsended in third place with 27pounds, 13 ounces.

Finishing fourth with 27 pounds,2 ounces was Tammy Richardson ofGlenwood, Ark., the only otherWBT pro with three career wins.Patti Campbell of Waxahachie wasfifth with 26 pounds, 5 ounces.

— BASS Communications report.

Texan Havens top co-angler in WBT event

June 27, 2008 � Page 17

winds settle down. “We had pretty crappyweather earlier,” he said. “But Sundayeverybody in the main areas caught fish,everything was right.”

“It was a killer day for us — the rocks arehot,” he said.

Flags were flying on “The Blues Bros.”when Bryan Richter was fishing about 40-50 miles out in 500 feet of water with hisfather, brother and a friend. “We caughttwo blues and a sailfish,” he said. “Theblues weighed about 125 and 300 pounds— we got them to the side of the boat andreleased them.”

The group also had a good dolphin andwahoo bite. “It was the first good day,” hesaid. “It finally calmed down.”

Richter said another boat nearbycaught a blue marlin and a sailfish, while

yet another landed a 78- and a 60-poundwahoo.

“And the summer’s just getting start-ed,” he said.

Capt. Tony Casias of Port Aransas fishedon the “Let it Ride” 52 miles offshore in450 feet of water. “We’re strictly recre-ational fishermen,” he said. “And it wasfabulous. We went 1 for 3 on blue marlin— Jennifer Squire, a first-time lady anglercaught the marlin.”

Casias’ group also caught a 79-poundwahoo and a 27-pound dorado. “Wecaught some smaller wahoo and dolphin,too,” he said. “But we were targeting bill-fish.”

Casias said while the rough weatherearlier this year kept them off of the water,the calmer seas and abundance of baitwas the key. “We saw a lot of skipjack andtuna,” he said. “We’re ready to go outagain; they are still biting from here up toeast of Galveston.”

shad for the trips, although he’ll occasionally use cutbait or live shrimp.

“When flathead fishing, I’ll use perch,” he said. “Wefloat it under a bobber close to the rocks or deep off thebottom for yellow cats or big blues.”

When summer starts, many cat chasers make theswitch to prepared baits. Brett Radabaugh guides at LakeConroe, and switches to Sure Shot stinkbait for thesmaller channel cats. On the same lake, guide DarrellTaylor sticks with his creation, Catfish Killer CheeseBait. “We’ve been fishing baited brush piles in 20-25 feetand it’s been good,” Radabaugh said. “The stinkbaitstays on the hook better. It’s nasty, though.”

Jason Barber of Kings Creek Adventures guides atCedar Creek and Richland Chambers reservoirs. “We’vebeen wearing out the blue cats on Cedar Creek,” he said.“Most of them are in the 1- to 5-pound range, but wepick up a 10-pound or bigger fish every now and then.”

Barber uses live, whole or cut shad, and small liveperch when the cast net brings them in. “The catfishhave been in 15- to 22-feet of water running with thewhite bass,” he said. “They are usually over humps andmain lake points. When fishing for whites and hybridsyou’ll pick some up with slabs, too.”

CatfishContinued from Page 1

OffshoreContinued from Page 1

Page 18 � June 27, 2008

June 27, 2008 � Page 19

COLEMAN: Black bass are very good onRat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits, and char-treuse soft plastics. CHOKE CANYON: Black bass are verygood on crankbaits and large soft plas-tic lizards and worms.LIVINGSTON: Black bass are good onsoft plastics and crankbaits.

BROWNWOOD: Hybrid striper are goodtrolling white/chartreuse striper jigs.White bass are very good on Li'l Fishiesand minnows off lighted docks at night. PROCTOR: White bass are excellent onminnows. RAY ROBERTS: White bass are excel-lent on Jigging Spoons in 18-36 feet.

BUCHANAN: Channel catfish are goodon live bait and dip bait. Yellow andblue catfish are very good on juglinesand trotlines baited with goldfish andperch.CALAVERAS: Channel catfish are excel-lent on liver, cheesebait, and shad.Blue catfish are excellent on liver andcut bait.CONROE: Catfish are good on stinkbait,liver, and bait shrimp.

BOB SANDLIN: Crappie are good onminnows and jigs over brush piles.CADDO: Crappie are good on jigs andminnows and jigs.RAY ROBERTS: Crappie are excellentaround isolated trees on jigs and min-nows.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Bream are goodon live worms off piers and near grassbeds. TOLEDO BEND: Bream are good onnightcrawlers and crickets in 2-8 feet.

CATFISH

HOT BITESALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 82 degrees; 2.17' low. Black bassare good on white buzzbaits or spinnerbaits, black/blue jigs and dark softplastics along timber lines. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.AMISTAD: Water clear; 86 degrees; 17.47' low. Black bass are good onchartreuse Senkos, topwaters, Flukes, and Carolina rigged 10" soft plasticworms in 16-28 feet. Catfish are good on cheesebait and punchbait in16-22 feet.ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 3.29' low. Black bassare good on swim-blade baits and spinnerbaits along rocky points and veg-etation. White bass are good shallow while chasing shad. Catfish are goodon juglines and drift fishing with shad or punch bait.ATHENS: Water stained, 80-86 degrees; 0.17' high. Black bass are goodon soft plastic frogs and buzzbaits early, later switching to Texas rigs andRat-L-Traps. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers.BASTROP: Water lightly stained. Channel and blue catfish are very goodon shrimp and stinkbait. BOB SANDLIN: Water off-color; 79-86 degrees; 0.28' high. Catfish aregood on prepared bait.BRAUNIG: Water stained; 80 degrees. Striped bass are good on liver andperch off points near the pier. Redfish are excellent on perch, shad, andsilver spoons. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on liver, shrimp, cutbait, and cheesebait near the dam.BRIDGEPORT: Water lightly stained; 79-85 degrees; 0.29' low. Black bassare good on topwaters early, later switching to chatterbaits and Texas rigs.White bass are good on Humdingers and topwaters.BROWNWOOD: Water lightly stained; 81 degrees; 2.88' low. Black bassare good on watermelon flukes, buzzbaits, and spinnerbaits off grass flats,and on redbug and watermelon red worms with chartreuse tails near therocks. BUCHANAN: Water clear; 80 degrees; 3.40' low. Black bass are good onwhite buzzbaits and jigs, watermelon topwaters, in creeks in 5-15 feet atfirst light. Crappie are good on minnows and crappie jigs over brush piles. CADDO: Water stained; 80-87 degrees; 0.72' high. Black bass are goodon frogs, Senkos andTexas rigs. White bassare good on LittleGeorges. CALAVERAS: Waterstained; 80 degrees.Redfish are excellentdown rigging silver andgold spoons in 10-20feet, on live perch andtilapia along the shore-line, and on live bait. CANYON LAKE: Waterclear; 79 degrees; 2.32'low. Smallmouth bassare good on root beergrubs and craws andwatermelon red tubes.Yellow and blue catfishare very good on jug-lines and trotlines upriv-er.CEDAR CREEK: Waterlightly stained; 79-86degrees; 0.26' low.Black bass are good onbuzzbaits, jigs andTexas rigs. White bassare good onHumdingers and topwa-ters. Hybrid striper aregood on swim baits. CHOKE CANYON: Waterlightly stained; 91degrees; 2.29' low.Channel and blue cat-fish are very good onstinkbait in 5-10 feet.COLEMAN: Water clear;79 degrees; 2.72' low.Crappie are good on minnows and Li'l Fishies at night. Channel and bluecatfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch and chicken livers. CONROE: Water clear; 0.37' low. Striped bass are good on silver/goldstriper jigs. COOPER: Water lightly stained; 79-85 degrees; 0.02' low. Black bass aregood on topwaters early, later switching to Texas rigs and Senkos. Crappieare good on jigs and minnows over brush piles. White bass are good onRooster Tails and Little Georges. Hybrid striper are good on Sassy Shadand live shad. FALCON: Water clear; 81 degrees. Black bass are good on Carolina riggedlarge soft plastic worms and crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish are goodon cut bait and stinkbait. FAYETTE: Water clear; 90 degrees. Channel and blue catfish are good onshrimp and cut shad in 8-12 feet.FORK: Water lightly stained; 80-86 degrees; 0.6' high. Black bass are fairto good soft plastic frogs, Rat-L-Traps, Senkos and Texas rigs. Crappie aregood on jigs and minnows around the bridges and over brush piles. GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Catfish are very good on stinkbait, cutbait, and frozen shrimp.GRANBURY: Water clear; 0.59' low. Black bass are good on watermelonred and watermelon gold Carolina rigged soft plastics, crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on minnows and green tube jigs. Catfish aregood on stinkbait, chicken livers, and frozen shrimp.GRANGER: Water murky; 81 degrees; 0.05' high. Black bass are good onjigs and soft plastic worms. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs in 6-15feet. Blue catfish are good on juglines baited with shad. GRAPEVINE: Water off-color; 81-86 degrees; 0.16' high. Black bass aregood on crankbaits, Texas rigs and wacky rigs. White bass are good onRooster Tails, topwaters and Humdingers. Catfish are good on cut bait andnightcrawlers.GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 26.44' low. Crappie are

good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on live baits, topwaterlures, and shad-colored crankbaits along riprap. Smallmouth bass are goodon live baits, white spinnerbaits or crankbaits along riprap. HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 87 degrees; 0.20' high. White bass aregood along the northeast shore. HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 78 degrees; 1.17' low. Crappieare good on jigs and minnows. White bass and hybrid striper are good onlive baits and baby bass crankbaits along humps and rocky points. JOE POOL: Water off-color; 79-86 degrees; 0.05' low. Black bass are goodon topwaters early, later switching to Texas rigs and crankbaits. White bassare good on Humdingers. LAKE O' THE PINES: Water stained; 79-86 degrees; 2.21' high. Crappieare good on minnows over brush piles. LAVON: Water stained; 79-86 degrees; 0.18' low. Black bass are good oncrankbaits, Senkos and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared bait.LBJ: Water stained; 81 degrees; 0.58' low. Crappie are fair on minnowsand white crappie jigs over brush piles in 12 feet. LEWISVILLE: Water off-color; 79-87 degrees; 0.05' high. White bass aregood on Humdingers and Rooster Tails. Catfish are good on prepared baitand cut shad.LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 85 degrees; 0.07' high. White bass aregood on spoons and slabs. Blue catfish are good on shad. MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 77.50' low. White bass aregood on live bait and shad-colored crankbaits. Channel catfish are good onlive baits. MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 81-89 degrees; 0.09' low. Black bassare good on topwaters early, later switching to Texas rigs, spinnerbaits andchrome Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on minnows. NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 78 degrees. White bass and stripedbass are good on shad-colored crankbaits and live baits. NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.01' low. Black bass aregood on soft plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows off piers in 12-

15 feet. Channel andblue catfish are good ondoughbait, shrimp, andshad. O.H. IVIE: Water lightlystained; 80 degrees;11.76' low. Crappie aregood on minnows andjigs. White bass aregood on live baits andcrankbaits. Smallmouthbass are good on livebaits and shad-coloredcrankbaits along points.Channel catfish aregood on live baits. PROCTOR: Waterstained; 81 degrees;1.23' low. Crappie aregood on minnows.Channel and blue cat-fish are good on trot-lines and juglines bait-ed with goldfish. RAY HUBBARD: Waterstained; 79-86 degrees;0.04' high. Crappie aregood on minnows andjigs around the bridgesand in the marinas.White bass are excellenton topwaters andHumdingers. RAY ROBERTS: Waterclear to lightly stained;78-85 degrees; 0.07'high. Black bass aregood on XCaliburJimmys early, laterswitching to Booyah

Boogie Baits and fork-tail Yum Dingers. RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water off-color; 79-86 degrees; 0.3' low. Blackbass are fair to good on Senkos, Texas rigs and jigs. White bass are goodon tail spinners and topwaters. SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 81 degrees; 1.60' low. Catfish aregood on trotlines baited with live bait, liver, and cut bait.SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 80 degrees; 0.43' low. Channel and blue cat-fish are excellent on nightcrawlers, minnows, and shad. STILLHOUSE: Water clear; 80 degrees; 0.11' low. Black bass are good onminnows, perch, and crawfish. Channel and blue catfish are good onchicken livers and shrimp. TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 79-86 degrees; 0.31' high. White bassare good on Humdingers and minnows. TEXOMA: Water off-color; 77-82 degrees; 0.79' low. Black bass are fair togood on Texas rigs, crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Striped bass are good ontopwaters, swim baits and live shad. TOLEDO BEND: Water clear; 81 degrees; 0.49' low. Black bass are goodbut small on redbug and watermelon red soft plastic worms and crankbaitsin the boating lanes. Crappie are good on minnows and blue/green tubejigs over baited holes in 20 feet. TRAVIS: Water clear; 82 degrees; 8.97' low. Black bass are good on bonetopwaters, red shad worms, and smoke grubs in 12-28 feet. Channel andblue catfish are good on nightcrawlers and fresh cut perch in 20-35 feet. WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 80-86 degrees; 0.65' low. Crappie aregood on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Humdingers and min-nows.WHITNEY: Water clear; 2.85' low. Catfish are good on frozen shrimp,stinkbait, and live bait.

CRAPPIE

WHITE/HYBRID/STRIPER

LARGEMOUTHBASS NORTH SABINE: Trout and redfish are

good under birds on live shad, TroutKillers, Bass Assassins and Sand Eels.SOUTH SABINE: Trout are good from theCauseway Pier at night on live shrimpand tandem-rigged plastics. Redfish aregood at thejetty and inthe middleof the lakeon liveshad and shrimp. Trout are good aroundthe rocks on topwaters.BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good onMirrOlures at the pass. Redfish are goodin the surf on cut-bait. Gafftop, sandtrout and flounder are good at the Passon live bait.TRINITY BAY: Waters are clearing in thebay. Trout are fair while drifting slicks onplastics. EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fairwhile drifting shell on plastics and liveshrimp. Trout are fair to good on croakersalong the Ship Channel.WEST GALVESTON BAY: Gafftop, sandtrout and whiting are good from thebeachfront piers on live bait. Redfish arefair to good on the shell on live shrimpunder a popping cork. TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good oncroaker on the Dollar Flats. Redfish aregood in Moses Lake on live shrimp. Troutare fair off the end of the dike on DOAShrimp.FREEPORT: Trout are fair at San LuisPass on shrimp. Trout and redfish arefair in Christmas Bay while drifting withlive shrimp. High tides have pushed fishinto the back lakes.EAST MATAGORDA: Trout are fair togood while drifting scattered shell withlive shrimp. Redfish are fair in LakeAustin on live shrimp.MATAGORDA: Trout are fair to good inthe surf on Bass Assassins. Redfish andblack drum are fair in Oyster Lake onlive shrimp under a popping cork.PORT O'CONNOR: Trout are fair whiledrifting the flats on live shrimp under apopping cork. Redfish and sharks aregood on live shrimp and mullet at thejetty and in the surf. ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good on theoutside of Traylor Island and on theEstes Flats on croaker and live shrimp.Trout are fair to good around Mud Islandand Super Flats on Super Spooks andShe Dogs.PORT ARANSAS: Sharks are goodaround the jetty and on the beachfronton finger mullet and shad. Redfish arefair to good around Pelican Island on liveshrimp.Offshore isgood for snap-per, ling,wahoo, kingfishand billfish.CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout and redfish arefair to good on live shrimp and croakeraround the reefs in Nueces Bay. Troutand redfish are good around the cause-way on live shrimp and pumpkinseedplastics.BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good oversand and grass on plastics and topwa-ters. Drop-offs around the spoil islandshave held trout on topwaters and softplastics. Trout are good at night in theLand Cut on DOA Shrimp and glow plas-tics.PORT MANSFIELD: Trout and redfish aregood while wading flats adjacent to EastCut on Super Spooks and Pop-Rs. Troutand redfish are good on topwaters whiledrifting the east shoreline.SOUTH PADRE: Trout and redfish arefair to good while drifting the flats andbars on limetreuse and plum plastics.Snook are fair to good on shrimp andDOA Shrimp in South Bay.PORT ISABEL: Trout are good whiledrifting sand and grass on soft plasticsunder rattling corks. Redfish on the flatsare good on small topwaters.

SALTWATERSCENE

FISHING REPORT

BREAM

See Hot Spot on Page 9.

Page 20 � June 27, 2008

2 servings Ingredients:

6 Large shrimp1/2 Red bell pepper1/2 Green bell pepper1/2 Yellow bell pepper2 Slices red onion1/4 Cup olive oil1/2 Lemon1/2 Cup chick peas10 Parsley leavesChili flakes

Instructions:

Cut the peppers in thin slices. Grillshrimp 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in astainless bowl with remaining

ingredients, season with salt. Servein a small round bowl, garnish withonion slice.

— Recipe from The Shrimp Council,eatshrimp.com

ACROSS

1. A shooting sport in a stream4. Another name for the large

mouth9. An excellent breed of birddog

10. A species of salmon11. Perch are classified as this12. A family of sunfish14. Woodies are apt to do this15. Deer will seek out this when

wounded17. An icefishing catch18. A bait used in fishtraps19. The handgun20. A type of sight23. A trait of many animals24. A buck’s markings on grass27. Important item in a hunting kit28. The slippery swimmer29. The hunter’s concealment wear31. Anything that will attract

wildlife32. A brand of ice shelter, Sno

____34. Usually a stream fisherman’s

gear35. Package that holds the

essentials36. A deer species37. Bird hunter is a ____ shooter38. Important to consider when

fishing43. Device on a reel to tire a fish45. Type of bobber46. A quick-to-erect type tent47. Trapper’s gear

DOWN

1. A cold weather tent2. This affects an arrow in flight3. A type of ice auger

5. A method of stream fishing6. The hunter’s quarry7. Small boat that can be

folded up8. Name for the Arizona whitetail

12. A game bird13. Icefishing gear16. Permits change to small

caliber ammo17. A Rocky Mountain game18. A top predator fish21. The loop in a bowstring22. Term for a type sight23. A marksman’s contest25. To analyze a game trail26. A fly-fisherman’s game fish

27. A most valuable fur bearer29. Term for shoulder hide on a

deer30. Venison32. The wingshooter’s helper33. Accurate marksmen pull this

slowly38. The claybird39. Feral hog meat40. The thrill of the _____41. A type fishing lure42. Loner turkeys are usually____44. Important to have in unfamiliar

areas

WILD IN THE KITCHENFor crossword puzzle solution, see Page 23

OUTDOOR PUZZLERGrilled Shrimp Salad

WEATHER

Venison with Green Peppercorns

Outdoor Puzzler, Wilbur "Wib" Lundeen

Ingredients:

4 Venison fillets (6 ounces each)1 Tablespoon green peppercorns3 Ounces bourbon whiskeySaltFreshly ground pepper1 Chopped shallot1/4 Cup red wine1/4 Cup heavy cream2 Tablespoons butter1 Tablespoon chopped freshchives, Thyme or parsley

Instructions:

Soak green peppercorns in bour-bon for 30 minutes or longer. Heat

butter in a sauté pan. Salt and pep-per the venison on both sides andsauté quickly, about 2 minutes perside (depending on thickness) formedium rare. Remove from panand keep warm. Add shallots topan juices and cook for 1 minute.Add green peppercorns and bour-bon and boil for 1 minute. Addwine and cook down to a fineglaze. Add heavy cream and con-tinue cooking until sauce coats theback of a spoon. Add herbs andany meat juices. Serve sauce overvenison.

— Recipe from Cabela’s staff

June 27, 2008 � Page 21

STORE WET WADERS: Cabela'sPocket Wader Bag by Fishpond —with separate compartments forwet and dry gear — is designedespecially for fly-fishermen. The tarpaulinbottom compartment hasmesh venting so that wetwaders and boots can dryproperly. A 24-inch by 27-inchpull-out changing mat attachesto the bottom compartment usingbuckles. Three zippered side pockets,a zippered top compartment and a 9-inch by12-inch hanging internal pocket maximize storage versatility. The 26.25-inchby 15.5-inch by 16-inch bag costs about $120. To order, visitwww.cabelas.com or call (800) 237-4444.

LONG-LASTING FLY BOX: The newBlue Ribbon Fly Box byFlambeau offers aremovable, swing-leafdesign that providesfour storage surfaces.The waterproof box ismade from impact-resistant plastic withrubber externalbumpers. But,what anglers willespeciallyappreciate are therows of verticallyslit foam that securelyholds flies between thefoam pads using frictionwithout allowing the hookto pierce the foam.Flambeau says its vertical friction foam (VFF) is durable and easier touse than any other fly foam on the market. The fly boxes are availablein various sizes, including the 8-inch by 4.5-inch by 1.6-inch model(shown), which sells for about $43. For retailers, visitwww.flambeauoutdoors.com or call (800) 457-5252.

PRODUCTSOUTDOORSMEN’S TENT: Big Agnes’s Big House 4 is a three-season base camp tentthat provides 65 square feetof space, with 68 inches ofheadroom. Pair it withthe vestibule for anadditional 52square feetfor more thanenough roomfor everyone’sfishing orhunting gear.The tent body isa lightweightpolyester meshwith polyester rip-stop. It features two doors,reflective guyline for nighttimevisibility, a poly-vinyl skylight and 12 mesh floor pockets. Also includes gear loftloops (the gear loft sold separately). The tent, which sleeps four, costs about $300;the vestibule about $100; gear loft about $20; footprint is $50. For retailers or toorder, visit www.bigagnes.com. For information, call (877) 554-8975.

FIT FOR FISHING: Teva’sKarnali Wraptor features“drain frame” technologythat allows water to drainthrough its compression-molded midsole, while its“fit” technology wraps thefoot for a stable, secure fit.Its Microban zinc-based anti-microbial protection fends offodors. Features include an easy-to-release buckle, integrated toeprotection, multiple drainageports on the topsole and outsole, and a non-marking “Spider Rubber” outer sole that performs well on wet or dry terrain.Available in three colors in sizes 7 to 14, the sandal costs $100 atwww.teva.com. For information, call (800) 367-8382.

LOAD. RELEASE. FIRE! TheVersaStand FireactionTarget System allowsnine moving targets tobe releasedand shot bysuccessfullyhitting therelease plate. TheRapid 22 model isdesigned for .22/.17rimfire calibers. It iseasy to assemble andeasy to use. The durablesystem features powder-coated or zinc-plated metalparts. It sells for about $445. Forretailers, call (877) 216-4362.

TWO-PIECE DESIGN: MTM Case-Gard’s new Shooting Range Box will storeand transport rifle cleaning kits. The toolbox top is divided intocompartments for organizing jags, brushes and solvents. The base ormaintenance center offers ample deep storage for supplies and ammo.The two adjustable gun forks — featuring soft, overmolded rubberpadding — offer easy positioning of a firearm with a firm, non-marringhold. The Shooting Range Box sells for about $50. For retailers, call(937) 890-7461.

AN EARTHY SCENT: Add another product tothe list of scent-masking soaps. DirtSoap made by Pure Pleasures, uses

chunks of soap melted withfragrances to make the hunter smelllike dirt and get clean at the sametime. Created by a North Dakota

kindergarten teacher who started makingher own soaps because her daughter

couldn’t use commercial soaps due toallergies, the dirt soap process was patented

3 years ago. The soap is available for $4.50per 2.5-ounce bar at (701) 698-2317 or

ppleasures.com.

IT FLOATS, IT SINKS SLOWLY, IT SINKS QUICKLY:The Bill Siemantel Signature BBZI Swimbait bySPRO is a realistic swimbait available infloating, slow-sinking and fast-fallmodels. According to SPRO, this baitdoes things that no other swimbaiton the market does, in terms ofaction, color and quality. The 8-inchbait is available in Silver Fish,Rainbow Trout and Flat Rainbow in eachcategory. It costs about $45. For retailers, call(770) 919-1722.

SHOOTER’S SHIELD: The evoSHIELDRecoil System, from All SportsArmour, is a custom-forming recoilprotection shirt that promises toreduce the felt recoil by 80percent while improving shootingaccuracy. Designed for wingshooters and waterfowlhunters — and targetor competitive shooters— the shirt utilizes aDispersion Technology thatdisperses the impact of therecoil and maximizes thesurface area protection. TheevoSHIELD pairs a moisture-wicking undershirt with an air-activated 1/4-inch shield thatconforms to the gun stock andshoulder to provide a custom —and comfortable — fit. Available forabout $80 at www.evoshield.com. Call(770) 725-2724 for more information.

Page 22 � June 27, 2008

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PERFECT SITE TO BUILDHOME AND BOATSTORAGE (4 lots)

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BARBEQUE RUBS & SEASONINGSTo order:

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Waterfront Lots Bay front& Bay viewPalacios, TX

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South TexasHunting Properties

Starr County1,250 Acres589 Acres116 Acres

El Sendero Properties956-605-6325

Place your classified advertising in the Lone StarOutdoor News and experience the results of a new look.The 2”x 2” classified will get the attention necessary to

say SOLD! $50 per month (two issues). Call (214) 361-2276 Ask for Mike Hughs or

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Help Wanted IFly the Angler's Edge is seeking motivated individuals to work in

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L&R Guide ServiceLake Falcon: Zapata, TX

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CCA State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo

(STAR)LEADERS AS OF: 6-23-08

The CCA STAR summer-longtournament is in full swing, withprizes and scholarships up forgrabs. Ten anglers have caughttagged redfish, but none has quali-fied for the truck-boat package.

STARKIDS DIVISION (AGES 6-10)

Flounder

John Riley III, 8, of Dickinson4 lbs. 0 ozs. Sheepshead

Callen Gawlik, 8, of San Antonio6 lbs. 5 ozs.

GafftopGrant Davis, 8, of Beaumont

6 lbs. 2 ozs.

STARTEENS TROUT & INSHORE DIVISIONS (AGES 11-17)

Middle Coast Speckled TroutWade Brown, 17, of Brazoria

6 lbs. 11 oz.

Lower Coast Speckled TroutDanielle Frerich, 16, of Bulverde

7 lbs. 5 oz. Sheepshead

Brett Green, 16, of Baytown 9 lbs. 5 ozs.

GafftopChip Linahan, 17, of San Antonio

5 lbs. 14 ozs.Flounder

Brandon Simons, 16, of Bay City4 lbs. 8 ozs.

STAR LEADERBOARD

Middle Coast Speckled Trout

Helen K. Mele of Spring8 lbs. 1 oz.

Lower Coast Speckled TroutKristopher Anderson of Port Mansfield

8 lbs. 10 ozs. Flounder

Ryan Presley of Sour Lake6 lbs. 14 ozs. Sheepshead

Carlos Garza of Deer Park9 lbs. 9 ozs.

KingfishHeather Dusek of Missouri City

50 lbs. 5 ozs.

DoradoRyan David Foster of Harlingen

65 lbs. 7 ozs. Ling

Rachel Adams of Pinehurst74 lbs. 2 ozs.

GafftopTina Guernsey of Beaumont

6 lbs. 14 ozs.

TEXAS FORD DEALERS REDFISH DIVISION

Truck/Boat Package

Ten tagged redfish have been caught,but none has qualified as a winner.

Baffin Bait Box

Cedar bait box

Keeps bait alive longer than plastic bait buckets.

Call 210-288-5840

GUAJILLO RANCH999+/- Acres Kinney County

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LAS MORAS REALTYBarbara (Bobbie) Voss

1-830-563-5504

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Double the Space ofGun Cabinet or Safe

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Patented

June 27, 2008 � Page 23

Offshore and Bay fishing30' Stamas21' Shallowsport

South TexasDeer and TurkeyHunting10,000 Acres

Duck, Goose andDove Hunting

40,000 Acres

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Fax: (281) 535-1935www.circleh.org

PheasantsQuailDeerExcellent

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BRADEN DORNBURG, 4, shows off his big bass caught on Canyon Lakewhile fishing with dad, BLAKE.

JOSEPH HABEN of Flower Mound with his first javelina taken inOzona.

JONATHAN CANTU of San Antonio caught this 21-pound red drumonboard the “Dolphin Express” out of Port Aransas.

STEPHEN STAINKAMP of Plano caught this 25-pound roosterfish in Costa Rica. KELLI GOSSETT of Bedford used a 12-gauge shotgun while deer hunting on the LBJGrasslands. This 3-point buck was her first deer ever.

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Page 24 � June 27, 2008

NATIONAL

The National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration pub-lished proposed rules to createnationwide, mandatory registra-tion of recreational anglers whofish in federally controlled marinewaters by 2009.

The rule would also require reg-istration by those who catchanadromous species anywhere,including striped bass, salmon andshad that spawn in rivers andstreams and spend their adult lives

in estuaries and the ocean.The proposed rule seeks to meet

the National Academy of ScienceNational Research Council recom-mendations to establish a nationaldatabase of saltwater anglers, andthe initiative of NOAA FisheriesService to improve the quality andaccuracy of data on marine recre-ational fishing and catches.

Anticipating this rule, TexasParks and Wildlife changed its reg-ulations, requiring that any angler

returning to Texas waters with fishcaught from outside state waterspossess a state saltwater fishinglicense, and the state will maintaina database of the licensed saltwateranglers. The state license require-ment likely will exempt Texasanglers from the federal registra-tion.

But states along the east coastfrom New Jersey to Maine havenever had state saltwater licenses,and anglers will be faced with their

first-ever fee to fish along the coastor offshore.

Under the new rules, fishermenwould be required to be registeredannually. NOAA will not charge aregistration fee in the first twoyears. Beginning in 2011, theannual fee will be an estimated $15to $25 per angler over the age of 16.

Anglers who fish only onlicensed party, charter, or guideboats would be exempt, as thesevessels are surveyed separately.

For the last 28 years, NOAAFisheries Service has conductedrecreational fishing surveysthrough random telephone inter-views with residents living incoastal counties.

The national saltwater registrywill enable surveyors to interviewonly those people who fish, andwill reach all anglers, not onlythose who live near the coast.

— Staff reports.

A wildfire resulting from a light-ning strike started on June 1 on pri-vate land in eastern NorthCarolina, several miles south ofPocosin Lakes National WildlifeRefuge. Two days later, the fire,named the Evans Road Fire, brokefrom containment and entered therefuge.

By June 6, the fire grew to 28,895acres. The fire was 70 percent con-tained on June 18 and had con-sumed 41,060 acres of the refuge.The Pocosin Lakes NationalWildlife Refuge is temporarilyclosed due to the fire.

Officials felt most wildlife sur-vived the blaze. “It would be unre-alistic not to say there will be someanimal mortality,” said WendyStanton, wildlife biologist for therefuge. “I think we can safely saythat most wildlife have been able

to escape the blaze.”Firefighters from the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, the State ofNorth Carolina and other localand county agencies fought thefire. Helicopters and airtankersaided in their fire suppressionefforts.

Crews used existing roads andimproving fuel breaks to containthe fire. Tractor plows built fire-lines where possible. There weremore than 500 people assigned tothe fire.

The Pocosin Lakes NationalWildlife Refuge is approximately93,000-acres and is home to theendangered red wolf, black bear,hundreds of species of migratorybirds and a variety of other nativewildlife.

— Staff reports.

NOAA proposes national saltwater angler registryTexas saltwater license may provide exemption from federal rule

Wildfire consumes acres of refuge41,000

BIG BLAZE: Fire retardant is dropped by air to help contain the Pocosin NWR fire. The fire has burned more than 41,000 acresand is expected to burn for months. Photo by N.C. Wildlife Commission.

house manager at the Double KCountry Store in San Angelo.

“And they’re buying bigger feed-ers so that it lasts longer,” he added.

Winchester said the typical 55-gallon feeder contains 350 poundsof corn.

“And now we’ve seen them buythe bigger feeder that holds 2,000pounds,” he said.

Winchester said dealers expect tosee even more hikes in corn prices,

and not just because of the risingfuel costs for corn producers. Hesaid flooding in the Midwesternstates will limit supplies and, con-sequently, boost costs.

“It’s fixing to skyrocket to $9 abag,” he said. “At that price theycan almost buy protein feed ascheap as they can buy corn.

“We’ve seen a little bit of thatalready — people mixing half andhalf, regular corn with protein.”

Russell Meyer, president ofHondo-based Mumme’s Inc., saidother reasons for high feed costsinclude worldwide cuts in cornproduction and the use of corn to

make ethanol.“What’s going to happen from

this point forward, we don’tknow,” he said. “Maybe guys willbe buying more corn when theycome — I just don’t know. But thecost of corn will be quite a bit high-er.”

But some of the dealer saidhunters who are committed tomanagement programs won’t giveup because of rising costs.

“If they’re in a program rightnow, with protein, it takes threeyears to see any results,”Winchester said. “They’re stillgoing to feed them.”

June 27, 2008 � Page 25

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FuelContinued from Page 6

Three North Carolina tournamentanglers were sent to the hospitalafter two fishing boats collided dur-ing a fishing tournament on HighRock Lake.

Two bass boats ran into each otherat 12:30 p.m. in the main channel ofthe lake, said Sgt. Anthony Sharumof the N.C. Wildlife ResourcesCommission.

Four fishermen participating inthe Wal-Mart Bass Fishing Leaguetournament were involved.

The accident happened with few

other boats around, Sharum said.Boat owner/operator David

Redman was injured and taken toRowan Regional with non-lifethreatening injuries. His passenger,Darrell McManus, was airlifted toCarolinas Medical Center inCharlotte with unknown injuries.

The other boat/owner, TonyStafford, was not injured. His passen-ger, Kenneth Hutchins, was trans-ported to a local hospital. Hutchinswas treated and released.

The boats were meeting in a head-

on situation at speeds higher than 50mph. Both operators reportedlymade a series of high-speed turnsattempting to avoid one anotherbefore the collision, Sharum said.

The accidents is under investiga-tion.

According to Sharum, speed andfailure to observe the “rules of theroad” were factors that caused theaccident. No charges have been filed.

— Shavonne Potts,salisburypost.com.

Boats collide in tournament

“Marty had never fished,” Fustonsaid. “I was under pressure to getGrissom a story and Marty a fish in aslow fishery left over from the freeze.But on her second or third cast,boom, she caught her first redfish.”

Grissom’s story launched theMansfield Mauler from crazy con-traption to coastwide fame. Grissomcoined it the Marvelous Mansfield

Mauler. “I really didn’t feel comfortable

with the ‘marvelous’ so I dropped itand named it the Original MansfieldMauler,” Fuston said.

The name stuck. Imitation, how-ever, is the highest form of flattery.Now every tackle company in Texasand many national tackle makersbuild some version of the OriginalMansfield Mauler.

Captain Bob retired from guidingin 2004. “My eyes were gettingwhere I couldn’t see the fish and

wading damn near became impossi-ble.” Fran, his wife, and he retired toGlen Rose and he still builds eachand every Original MansfieldMauler found in tackle shops. Hehas slowed down production some-what.

“The old fingers and eyes aren’twhat they used to be. I only makeabout a thousand a year now.”

So look for the bright, nuclear-yellow packing with a bearded cari-cature and Fuston’s signature beardand you have the “Real Deal.”

MaulerContinued from Page 9

Page 26 � June 27, 2008

June 27, 2008 � Page 27

Page 28 � June 27, 2008