By Mark England

Ronnie Urbanczyk of SpringBranch shot a mammoth elk with abow near Alpine in October — apotential world-class trophy toppingan estimated 454 Boone and Crockettpoints — but don’t look for it in therecord books.

The Boone and Crockett Club does-

n’t record elk taken from Texas, giventheir status as a non-game animal andlack of a hunting season.

But even without the official recog-nition, the animal was impressiveenough to spur Internet chat andguarantee the elk received celebritystatus via photos e-mailed nation-wide.

Urbanczyk was at the sprawling CFRanch, which covers more than 150

square miles of terrain ranging fromrolling grassland to rocky hillsides, tohunt antelope when he saw someimpressive elk. The ranch advertisesits elk hunts starting at $7,000.

“These guys at the ranch had a tonof good-looking elk,” said Urbanczyk,who owns Urban Concrete in SanAntonio. “We worked out a deal. Twodays later, I caught one going to a

www.lonestaroutdoornews.com

Texas’ Premier Outdoor NewspaperJanuary 27, 2006 �Volume 2, Issue 11�QUEST FOR QUAIL

See Page 12

DEPARTMENTSAcross the Nation Page 5

Migratory Bird Report Page 7Product Picks Page 13

Heroes Page 14

Crossword Puzzle Page 15

Wild in the Kitchen Page 15

Weather Page 15

Game Warden Blotter Page 16

Outdoor Datebook Page 17

Fishing Report Page 18

INSIDE

FISHING

Low water levels and warmertemperatures have ledbaitfish inland to Texas rivers asthey search for comfortableconditions. That’s great newsfor anglers, since redfish arefollowing the bait.

See Page 8

Two major BassFanchampionships in 2006 willbenefit the Children’s MedicalCenter of Dallas, theorganization has announced.BassFan said the events willcontinue the long charitabletradition associatedwith bass fishing.

See Page 8

HUNTINGDespite the drought conditionsprevalent in Texas,entries in this year’s big buckcontests are keepingpace with the entries fromprevious years — with asmany as eight scoring morethan 200 Boone and Crockettpoints.

See Page 6

NATIONALThe closing of a U.S. RepeatingArms Company plant inNew Haven, Conn., this springmeans 186 people willlose their jobs and a famousWinchester deer-huntingrifle will be discontinued.

See Page 4

CONSERVATIONA grant from the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service willhelp restore the wetlands atGalveston’s North DeerIsland, the largest rookery inthe Galveston Bay system.Aiding in the project will be acoalition ofconservation organizations.

See Page 5

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDPLANO, TX

PERMIT 210

By Diana Kunde

Largemouth bass fishing isn’t theonly hot topic at Falcon InternationalReservoir these days.

Mention the lack of white bass — asituation that has drawn the attentionof officials and made anglers madenough to draw their weapons on net-

ters — and you’ll get an earful.“I fish the lake pretty much every

weekend,” says Kike Ramerez ofZapata. “They’re (white bass) not backat all.”

TPW doesn’t stock lakes with whitebass, which have historically been pro-lific in Texas — and helped makeFalcon famous years ago. In a recent

See FALCON, Page 11

See ELK, Page 11

Netters, drought hauntFalcon’s white bass fame

Youth-onlyhunts gainpopularity

By Mark England

he youth-only hunting weekend Jan. 21-22gave Kevin Curtis and his stepson, TylerDeater, 13, what Curtis called a “high-fiveexperience.”

Tyler shot his first deer, a doe, on an Encinalranch.

“It was a ‘yes’ moment,” Curtis said. “It was likescoring a touchdown because it dropped rightthere.”

The football analogies come easily to Curtis, whocoaches freshman football at Schertz-Clemens HighSchool outside San Antonio. Finding time to gohunting with Tyler, though, is another matter.Come fall, football is a 7-day-a-week business.

That’s where the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s youth-only deer-hunting weekends — they’re held on oneweekend in October and January — came to Curtis’rescue.

“It was something I came across on the Internet,”Curtis said. “He’s been trying for a deer the last threeyears. I was desperately trying to help him out.”

Robert Macdonald, TPW’s regulations coordina-tor, said the idea of such weekends is to provide a“special time just for kids.” There are also youth-onlyweekends for hunting turkeys, squirrels and water-fowl. At such times, in most Texas counties, the onlypeople who can legally hunt are those who are 16 oryounger.

“It’s a chance to focus on the kids, instead ofeverything that goes on in the general season,”Macdonald said. “It’s also an acknowledgement ofwhere our future hunters will come from.”

Jerry Warden calls such weekends, “true familytime.”

“It’s just them: the family and nature,” saidWarden, executive director of the Texas Youth

T

YOUNG HUNTERS: Youth-only weekends in the outdoors, which surfaced almost 10 years ago, are oftena weekend for first kills. See YOUTH, Page 10

NEAR ALPINE: RonnieUrbanczyk with his elkestimated at 454 B&C(green score).

World-class elk in Texas?Trophy bull takedown sparks classification debate on state’s elk population

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Page 4 � January 27, 2006

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In 2006 and beyond, BASS plansto grow Federation Nation member-ship at the state, national and inter-national levels by improving com-munication and member service,offering more funding for conserva-tion and more support for youthand education. BASS said the goal isto create a more rewarding experi-ence for Federation Nation mem-bers.

In this year alone, BASS will offerFederation Nation members bene-fits and exposure valued at nearly $4million, including television andmagazine exposure, conservationand youth programs and BASSInsider, a special membership levelnot offered before.

In 2007, new BASS Club competi-tions will be held betweenFederation Nation six-angler BASSClub teams in each state. Duringthe season, each state will send sixBASS Club teams to one of 10regional championships in thenation.

The top six teams at each of theregional championships will moveon to the new BASS FederationNation BASS Club World

Championship. The winning teamreceives a fully rigged Triton boatwith Mercury Outboard for eachmember, for a value of $250,000.

While the current BASS Federationtournament structure will remainintact this year, BASS will enhancethe trail in 2007 by allowing all stateand international Federations toqualify their champion for the BASSfederation championship and willpay the travel expenses for each con-tender and his spouse.

In addition to receiving highlycoveted berths in the CITGOBassmaster Classic, the six federationchampionship winners will also beawarded paid entry fees into theirchoice of either the CITGOBassmaster Northern or SouthernTour.

BASS will realign the divisionaltournaments into 10 regions, allow-ing every Federation Nation clubthe opportunity to compete at anew level of competition thatrewards club performance. Underthis format, 200 percent moreanglers from each state will com-pete, and they will do so in smallerfields, making higher-level competi-

tion more affordable than everbefore.

“The Federation Nation will sharea common bond, a common goal, afraternal feel and a vested interest ingrowing the sport,” said Don Rucks,BASS vice president and generalmanager.

Examples of what the FederationNation also will have:

•A Conservation CollegeScholarship Program, awarding$17,000 in scholarships annually

•A minimum of $50,000 nation-ally to state chapters for conserva-tion efforts annually

•A Walt Disney World celebra-tion for the two Junior BASSmasterworld champions

Ehanced member service willinclude:

•Travel assistance for FederationNation state champions andspouses to the BASSFederationNation Championship

•Travel assistance for JuniorWorld Championship contenders,equaling more than $100,000commitment to Federation Nationfamilies.— A BASS report

BASS revamps Federation Nation This year, the Wild Turkey

Bourbon/National Wild TurkeyFederation Grand National CallingContest will be held at the GaylordOpryland Resort and ConventionCenter in Nashville, Tenn.

The competition will be part ofthe NWTF's 30th annualConvention and Sport Show, Feb.23-26. Past winners have appearedon "The Tonight Show with JayLeno," "Late Night with DavidLetterman" and "Live with Regisand Kelly."

Contestants are asked to performa plethora of calls — such as a hen's"yelp", or the "cut of an excitedhen" — during the competition,but have no idea which soundsthey'll be asked to mimic until theyare on stage and in front of thejudges. Judges are selected by theNWTF and are experts on wildturkeys and turkey calling.Contestants receive scores basedon the accuracy of their calls.

All Senior Division contestantsare over age 21, and have won firstplace in an NWTF-sanctionedopen, state or world division call-ing contest during the previousyear. The top five finalists from last

year's Wild Turkey Bourbon/NWTFGrand National CallingChampionships are also eligible forthe competition. The SeniorDivision preliminaries are slated tobegin at 9 a.m. Feb. 24.

New this year is the SeniorDivision Friction Competition.Competitors in this division willuse friction-only calls to mimic thesounds of a hen turkey. The compe-tition is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.Feb. 23.

There will also be a Wild TurkeyBourbon/NWTF Grand NationalGobbling Championship at 1 p.m.Feb. 25 where the contestants willbe judged on their ability to imitatethe gobble of a wild turkey. The OwlHooting Championship will followthe gobbling championship ascompetitors perform their bestimpressions of a barred owl. Owlcalls are often used to locate wildturkey toms.

The Wild Turkey Bourbon/NWTFGrand National Team Challenge isscheduled for 11 a.m. Feb. 26. TheRare Breed Champion of Championscompetition directly follows. —A National Wild TurkeyFederation report

GIVE A YELPTurkey callers set to sound off,

gobble up national honorsat Nashville competion

ANSWERING THE CALL: Contestants do not know the turkey call they will beasked to mimic until they go before the judges.

U.S. Winchester maker closesU.S. Repeating Arms Company

announced it will cease operationsMarch 31, ending a 140-year tradi-tion of manufacturing firearms inNew Haven, Conn.

Winchester’s brief release charac-terized the closure as a “businessdecision” made after exhausting “allavailable options.” The decisionputs 186 manufacturing employeesout of work, and at this time bringsto an end the Model 70 and 94 riflesand Model 1300 shotgun.

Winchester Firearms will contin-ue to offer the Select line of over andunder shotguns, the Super X3autoloading shotgun, their newSuper X autoloading rifle andLimited Edition rifles. Further, thecompany stated it had plans tointroduce “new models” in thefuture, with no changes in customerservice.

Winchester’s Scott Grange toldThe Outdoor Wire the decision“makes us ill that people lives andjobs are impacted.” But, he contin-ued, 10 years of “trying to use alloptions to make the facility prof-itable” led the company’s board todecide to simply cease operations atthe New Haven facility.

“We’ve done all we can to make itwork,” Grange said. “It was a purelyfinancial decision. The board in

Belgium (Herstal, purchasers of USRAC in 1987) just decided we could-n’t go down that path any longer.”

Continuing to try and turn thefacility around, Grange said,“would have led to greater financialheartbreak down the road.”

While Winchester will continueto offer their firearms manufac-tured in Europe and Japan, thecompany says there are no plans tomove manufacturing of the 94, 70or 1300 anywhere else.

Discontinued in 1963 and re-introduced in 1964, the Model 94,modeled after the Model 1894, iswidely regarded as the rifle thatsymbolized the classic Americanfirearms of the Old West. It stillremains as one of the most famousdeer-hunting rifles in American his-tory.

The Model 1300 pump shotgunwas first introduced in 1978 and hasgone through a variety of offerings.

The future of the U.S. RepeatingArms facility in New Haven isunclear. Built in 1994, it is widelyregarded as being among the mostmodern firearms manufacturingfacilities in the world.

Union officials have called onNew Haven officials to “do some-thing” to prevent the closure, butthere appears little, if anything, the

city could do to force Herstal to con-tinue operations of an unsuccessfulfacility.

The International Association ofMachinists is almost a year into athree-year contract in which theyagreed to several concessions inorder to keep the company in NewHaven. Workers said that after gen-erations of families had worked atthe facility, its shuttering “didn’tseem right.” A group of communityactivists and union members havealready formed the Citizens Ad HocCommittee, pushing the city to uselegal options such as an injunctionto postpone the closing, based onthe fact the company will fail to liveup to employment-level agree-ments tied to abatements grantedto the company over the past tenyears.

New Haven Mayor JohnDeStefano Jr. characterized thedecision as “personal,” telling theNew Haven Register the “gun thatwon the West is about to be made inthe East (Asia).”

Both Connecticut and NewHaven have been subsidizingUSRAC’s operations over the past 10years. New Haven has subsidized$1.3 million in property taxes. — An Outdoor Wire report by JimShepherd, www.theoutdoorwire.com.

End of era for Model 70 and 94 rifles

January 27, 2006 � Page 5

CONSERVATION

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicehas awarded a federal grant to TexasParks and Wildlife to fund morethan half of a $1.2 million project torestore wetlands on North DeerIsland, the largest bird rookeryisland in the Galveston Bay system.

The Texas grant was part of morethan $15 million in grants to 12states to help acquire, restore andprotect coastal wetlands for long-term conservation benefits towildlife and habitat under theNational Coastal WetlandsConservation Grant Program.

North Deer Island in WestGalveston Bay is used each year byup to 30,000 breeding pairs of 19species of coastal-dependent birds,including more than 1,000 nesting

pairs of federally listed brown peli-can.

The North Deer Island projectwill protect and restore over 135acres of fish and wildlife habitats. InPhase II to be funded by the federalgrant, Texas Parks and Wildlife andproject partners, will protect 82acres of island habitat from erosionand restore eight acres of estuarinemarsh.

The total cost of the project is$1.24 million, with $653,300 ofthat paid by the federal grant. Thepartners share of the project will be$587,000. Project partners includethe Galveston Bay Estuary Program,Gulf of Mexico Program, USFWSCoastal Program, Texas Genco’sEcoCenter, Shell Marine Habitat

Program and Houston Audubon.National Coastal WetlandsConservation grants are awarded tostates through a competitiveprocess. The program is fundedunder provisions of the 1990Coastal Wetlands Planning,Protection and Restoration Act,with money generated from excisetaxes on fishing equipment, andmotorboat and small engine fuels.

“These are win-win projects,”said Dale Hall, U.S. Fish andWildlife Service director. “I’m veryexcited when we’re able to leveragethe taxpayer dollar with our part-ners and get a lot more value for themoney.”

— A Texas Parks and Wildlife report

ACROSS THE NATIONFlorida

College football player bags state’s 10th highestscoring buck

Cody Thomas of Savannah, Ga.,had no idea he would be harvestingFlorida’s 10th-highest-scoring deerwhen he accepted an offer to go hunt-ing with his girlfriend’s brother, butthat is exactly what happened.

Thomas took the trophy buck Nov.20 on private land in Leon County atthe beginning of the general gun sea-son. He then anxiously awaited theofficial score of the buck’s antlers tocome back from the Florida Fish andWildlife Conservation Commission tolearn how his deer would stack upagainst the biggest deer ever taken inthe state as listed in the Florida BuckRegistry. The registry, established in1982, provides an opportunity forhunters to register antler scores andother information about white-taileddeer taken in Florida.

IdahoWolves put a dent in elk herd

The Idaho Fish and GameCommission, in a unanimous vote Jan.13, approved a department proposal toremove up to 75 percent of the wolvesin a portion of the Clearwater Regionto help stabilize the elk population.

Elk numbers in the Lolo elk manage-ment zone have been declining and arebelow management goals. Idaho Fishand Game biologists maintain that asignificant part of the cause is wolf pre-dation.

Fish and Game biologists want to

ask federal officials for permission toreduce wolf numbers in the Lolo zone,where they say wolves are having anunacceptable effect on cow elk sur-vival.

Fish and Game biologists want toreduce the number of wolves in theLolo elk zone by 75 percent. Thatmeans up to 43 wolves would beremoved, using the current mid-pointwolf population estimate of 58. Thereare between 47 and 69 wolves in thatarea.

Biologists then want to maintain thewolf population at 15-23 wolves for fiveyears. During that time, they will mon-itor elk and wolf populations. After fiveyears, the results of wolf removal on elkpopulation trend would be assessed.

MinnesotaGot ice? Then get the download

For all the Apple iPods, Dell DJs,Creative Zens and dozen or so otherbrands of portable audio players thatwere given as gifts this holiday season,the Minnesota Department of NaturalResources has just released a “podcast”called “Ice Fishing Tips.”

“A podcast is similar to a radio showonly instead of tuning it in on the radio,you download it from the DNR Web siteto your computer and then transfer it toa player. That way you can listen to it onthe go,” said Tim Smalley, DNR informa-tion officer and safety specialist. “Theyare called podcasts because of the popu-larity of Apple’s Ipod, but they can beplayed on anything that will play anMP3 audio file.”

“Ice Fishing Tips” features a 30-minute interview with Terry Tuma,

Minnesota-based outdoor writer, fish-ing guru and angling instructor. This isbelieved to be the first-ever podcast onthe topic.

OklahomaGuaranteed winning saugeye waitingfor anglers at Lake Thunderbird

One of the hardest parts about catch-ing a state-record fish is knowing whereto go fishing. That piece of the puzzlejust got a whole lot easier — at leastwhen it comes to big saugeye.

Wildlife department fisheries biolo-gists recently released two saugeye,weighing in at more than 10 poundseach, into Lake Thunderbird nearNorman. The two big fish were collectedand released during a research projectexamining the feeding habits of saug-eye, bass and crappie. The current staterecord saugeye, a 9-pound, 14-ouncefish, was caught from Lake Thunderbirdin 1992.

According to a state biologist, thesaugeye stocking program at LakeThunderbird has been very successful.

“We first stocked saugeye in LakeThunderbird in 1985 for two reasons:first, to provide an additional fishingopportunity and second, to help controlthe over-populated crappie,” JeffBoxrucker said.

Saugeye are a hybrid fish produced atthe department’s Byron Fish Hatcheryin northcentral Oklahoma. Hatcherybiologists collect native sauger from theArkansas River in northeast Oklahomaand walleye from Canton Lake innorthwest Oklahoma and then crossthe two species to produce saugeye.

Grant targets Galveston Baysystem’s North Deer Island

Page 6 � January 27, 2006

HUNTING

By Mary Helen Aguirre

helah Zmigrosky, CEO ofFrisco-based Foxy HuntressLLC, wants female huntersto feel they’re dressed to kill

in more ways than one.At a launch party in Dallas Jan.

13, the designer debuted her FoxyHuntress line, a collection of styl-ish hunting attire designed to fitthe natural curves and body typesof all women.

“Women hunters want to becomfortable while they hunt.They want clothes that fit theirfemale form, clothes that don’t sagor interfere with shooting theirweapons,” said Zmigrosky, whosaid there are more than 6 millionwomen in the U.S. involved inshooting and outdoor sports.

What Zmigrosky wanted wasgreat-looking clothing that can gofrom the field to the huntinglodge. But she emphasized thatshe hasn’t sacrificed function forstyle.

Her version of the ubiquitousoversized orange hunting vest, forexample, is a bright orange quiltedvest lined with an exotic animalprint that subtly skims the curvesof a woman’s body.

Some of Zmigrosky’s pieces fea-ture an exclusive signature camou-flage pattern she designed espe-cially for her new line. “I justwanted something a little morefeminine,” she said.

Among her favorite items:•An upland bird-hunting

ensemble made from soft-brushedcotton that features a sage andbrown vest ($98) and matchingpants ($95) paired with a camou-flage shirt ($100).

•A sand-colored quilted jacketwith a leopard-print lining andbrown leather trim ($195) pairedwith classic riding pants ($105).

Monica Keasler, store managerof the Dallas Orvis, was at Friday’slaunch party.

“I liked it a lot,” she said of theFoxy Huntress line. “I recently

took a trip to Africa and I wish I’dhad some of those pieces.”

Keasler, who had the chance totry on some of the attire, alsoappreciated the fit and comfort ofthe clothing.

It was the scarcity of well-fittinghunting gear that inspiredZmigrosky to start designing.

The novice hunter said thatwhen she planned her first Africansafari a couple of years ago, shewent on the hunt for suitable

attire. But the clothing she foundtargeted toward women were cutdown from men’s sizes and didn’ttake into account a woman’scurves. What she did find, she hadto get tailored to better fit her.

Zmigrosky has a medical back-ground and had never designed aclothing line before FoxyHuntress. She just went with herinstincts and what she liked. Sheaimed for great-looking and hard-working pieces that functioned

well and provided great comfort.Zmigrosky said she’d love to

bring back the good old dayswhen people didn’t wear jeans tohunt.

But you don’t have to hunt to bea Foxy Huntress, said Zmigrosky.She said her line targets womenwho appreciate the look and atti-tude of the collection.

For the future, she’s working onadding accessories, such as jewel-ry, belts and leather goods. She’s

also working with her fabric man-ufacturer to design an even moredurable 100-percent cotton cam-ouflage fabric.

To view her collection, visitwww.foxyhuntress.com.Mary Helen Aguirre is a nativeTexan with almost 15 years ofexperience editing and writing fornewspapers, including the AtlantaJournal-Constitution. She is afree-lancer in New Mexico.

Clothes make the HuntressDesigner debuts attire targeting the outdoors woman

OPENING IN FASHION: A runway model shows off some of the fashions for the new line of women’s hunting apparel by Foxy Huntress at the Crescent Court Hotel in Dallas.Photo by David J. Sams.

S

Hanging withthe big bucks

By Wes Smalling

With drought conditions afflict-ing much of the Texas BrushCountry, you might assume thatthe entries in this year’s big buckcontests are a bit on the puny side.Think again.

As entry deadlines draw near,most of the contests are on pace tofinish with as many entries as inprevious years and with just asmany 200-plus Boone andCrocket-point bucks.

“We’ve got seven or eight deerover 200 total (B&C points),” saidStephen Mabery, owner of LosCazadores Hunting Headquarters

and Deer Contest in Pearsall. “It issurprising for the type of droughtwe’ve had. We’ve had ranchesdown there in the south thathaven’t had any rain since April —not a drop. I can’t describe it.We’ve sure had a bunch (of bigdeer). I thought we’d have noth-ing but it’s been surprisinglygood.”

Los Cazadores’ current leader inthe low-fence category is LarryWilkey of Baytown, whose unusu-ally racked whitetail would be theoverall leader in any contest in thestate so far. Wilkey’s triple-beambuck, which he shot on a riflehunt on a ranch in Zavala County,scored 238 B&C points.

The deer was an estimated 8 1/2years old. Though small-bodied atabout 130 pounds field-dressed, itsrack has an astounding 28 antlerpoints.

“We joked around and said itlooks like he had a bad hair day. Hehad points every place,” Wilkeysaid.

Wilkey had watched the deerthrough a spotting scope on afoggy morning a few days earlierbut, because of its smallish body,

had passed on it thinking it mightbe too young. He shot a video of itinstead. After watching the video,he decided it was definitely anolder buck.

“I didn’t see him for two or threedays, but the next foggy day hereappeared in that same area andthat’s when I shot him.” Wilkeysaid.

“I knew it was an unusual deerbut I didn’t have any idea it wouldscore like that.”

The second-highest scoring low-fence buck and the fourth highestscore overall of any deer contestsin the state — was taken by MartyGriffith at the Macho Creek Lodgeon the Peeler Ranch south of SanAntonio in October. Griffith’s bigbuck scored 222 7/8 B&C points. Itfield-dressed at about 160 poundsand has 17 antler points.

Griffith had seen the same buckthe season before and had passed

You’ve got to beat 200 B&C points to stay in this hunt

Larry Wilkey’s triple-beam buck, whichhe shot on a rifle hunt on a ranch inZavala County, scored 238 B&C points.

Marty Griffith on the Peeler Ranchsouth of San Antonio. Griffith’s bigbuck scored 222 7/8 B&C points.

Jack Brittingham of Athens killed his229 2/8 B&C-point deer on the BriarLakes Ranch in Anderson County.

See BIG BUCKS, Page 10

By Bob Hood

Chad Miller knows what it islike to miss a turkey, but he alsosays he knows how to remedy thechances of it happening again.

Miller, who has hunted on thesame Comanche County ranchfor the past eight years, says henever will forget pulling the trig-ger on a big gobbler that was only15 yards away five years ago onlyto see the big bird jump sidewaysand then turn and run away.

“I thought he was more like 20or 25 yards away, and I guess mypattern was so tight that I justshot over him,” Miller said.

Now on most mornings whenMiller goes turkey hunting, heuses a decoy. He finds a placewhere he is going to sit and thensteps off 20 yards and places hisdecoy at that distance. Next, hefinds two sticks and places them10 yards behind the decoy, one tothe right and the other to theleft. He also places another stickor rock 20 yards behind him.

“That way I am coveredwhether the turkey comes instraight ahead or to the left orright or behind me Miller said. Itgive me a 20- to 30-yard zone andI’ll know if he is inside eitheryardage or further away.”

Of all the reasons for missedshots, the hunter’s failure tojudge the distance to the targetlikely is the most common,according to Bob Keck of theNational Wild Turkey Federation.Hunters should practice judging

distance just as they would pat-terning their shotgun prior to theseason.

Although some hunters, suchas those who hunt extensivelywith archery equipment, areskilled at determining distances,the methods used by Miller andothers could help less skilledhunters judge distances moreaccurately.

Range finders are handy andvery accurate for determining dis-tances but should be practiced

with at home or in the fieldbefore the opening of the season,not the first time out when hunt-ing, for example.

Trees, rocks, stumps and fenceposts can be checked with therange finder for their distances,but you should make severalpractice sessions so you are com-fortable looking through therange finder under various lightconditions.

If you want to have fun whileimproving your range skills, ask a

hunting partner to join you.Two hunting partners can have

fun and sharpen their skills byusing a turkey decoy to estimatedistance. One hunter can sit onthe ground while the otherhunter places the decoy at anunknown distance and then thetwo can take turns estimating therange before actually stepping itoff.

Placing the decoy behindbrush, up or down a slight grade,in deep shadows and bright sun-

light will help improve range esti-mation dramatically.

Regardless how you go about it,judging distances will helpensure a clean kill. Just rememberas Miller does, when you are inthe woods a few yards can make abig difference.Bob Hood is an outdoor writer forthe Fort Worth Star Telegram and afrequent contributor to Lone StarOutdoor News. Information fromthe National Wild TurkeyFederation contributed to this report.

January 27, 2006 � Page 7

Migratory BirdHunting Report

HIGH PLAINS MALLARD MANAGEMENT UNIT / PANHANDLE: The region stillneeds rain. Most geese are roosting on Lake Etter near Dumas. Decoying actionslowed this week; however, those willing to stay late in the field did scratch outlimits of dark geese and a few light geese. Duck hunting for mallards continuedsteady for those able to access wet playas. Duck hunting has been better inHaskell County. Duck season ends at sunset Jan.29. Goose season continuesthrough Feb.7. The Light Goose Conservation Order season begins Feb.8. With lotsof juvenile snows on the ground, the season should be prosperous. Prospects aregood.

NORTH ZONE WATERFOWL: Sunday, Jan.29 draws to a close what many are con-sidering the driest waterfowl season in years for North Texas. Sloughs and timberponds have been dry throughout the season and most waterfowlers have had toresort to hunting big water on lakes and reservoirs. The region did receive rain overthe weekend which will provide some water for established ponds for the last weekof the season. Leveed ponds near Interstate 10 received rain over the weekend tohelp sustain hunting for another week. Those ponds might prove prosperous whenthe Light Goose Conservation Order begins Jan.30. Prospects are fair.

SOUTH ZONE WATERFOWL: A bit of a surprise to many duck hunters this weekwas the influx of blue-winged teal that moved across the coastal prairie andcoastal marsh. The bonus is most of the drakes are in their cobalt-headed springplumage, perfect for a mount. Waterfowlers have expressed delight in the latercloser of the season. Normally, the second weekend of January is the traditionalclosure of duck season. Mallards continue to be the highlight of duck hunts on theprairie. Another shot of rain this week helped ponds sustain water for the lastweek of duck season, which ends at sunset Jan.29. Pintails are very good inRockport and Port O’Connor. Some canvasbacks have been showing in the fresh-water marsh near Copano Bay. Bluebills and gadwalls have been showing onTrinity Bay straps. Green-winged teal are good in the Anahuac and High Islandmarsh. Snow geese continue to feed on green forbs in fallow fields or winter wheatfields. The Canada geese that were on the prairie in early January have relocated.The Light Goose Conservaton Order begins Jan.30. With many juveniles in thelight goose flock, prospects are good for the liberal season.

Open seasonDUCKHigh Plains Mallard Management Unit: Oct.28- Jan. 29North and South Zones: Dec. 10- Jan. 29Pintail and Canvasback (All Zones)Dec. 22- Jan. 29GOOSEWest Zone: Light and Dark Geese, Nov. 5-Feb. 7Light geese conservation order, Feb. 8-March 26.East Zone: Light Geese, Nov. 5- Jan. 29Canada Goose Nov. 5- Jan. 29Light geese conservation order, Jan. 30-March 6.SANDHILL CRANEZone A: Nov. 5- Feb. 5

Zone B: Nov .26-Feb. 5Zone C: Dec. 24- Jan. 29QUAILStatewide: Oct. 29- Feb. 26 WHITE-TAILED DEERSouth Texas: Late antlerless and spiked Jan.16- 29Edwards Plateau: Late antlerless and spikedJan. 16- 29RIO GRANDE TURKEYWillacy, Brooks, Kenedy & Kleberg counties:Nov. 5- Feb. 26PHEASANTChambers, Jefferson and Liberty counties:Oct. 29- Feb. 26 JAVELINAOct. 1- Feb. 26

Judging distance key to hunting success this spring

A VIEW TO A KILL: Hunters should practice judging distance just as they would patterning their shotgun prior to the season.

Targeting turkey

Page 8 � January 27, 2006

FISHING

By Todd Nafe

It’s hard to understand a lot of people whenthey talk about carp fishing because theirtongues are planted so deeply in their cheeksthat their speech is almost unintelligible.

But there’s a growing movement that hailsthe hearty carp as a tournament-worthy fish,and that movement is making its way to Texasthis spring.

The American Carp Society and the CarpAnglers Group are hosting the Texas CarpChallenge in Austin March 26-31. This first-time event will offer a chance for a $250,000cash prize should the Texas state record for carpbe broken during the tournament. The tourna-ment will be held on Town Lake, which yieldedthe current state record carp at 41.5 pounds,according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

That kind of money is no joke. There’s alsothe “Big Four” bonus cash prize of $25,000 thatcould be awarded to the contestant who bringsin the four largest fish with a total weigh greaterthan 130 pounds combined during the event.

The Austin Team Championship, which willbe held the week before the Texas CarpChallenge, will offer anglers a chance to get thecompetitive juices flowing as well as to gainfamiliarity with the carp bite on Town Lake.The tournaments are likely to attract nationaland international competitors.

According to Carp Anglers Group memberMark Villanova, Town Lake is the Mecca of carpfishing.

“It’s one of the only lakes in the UnitedStates to consistently produce 40-pound fish,”he said.

Among the goals of the Carp Anglers Groupis promoting acceptance of the carp as an excit-ing and challenging sportfish. In Europe and

other parts of the world, carp are valued fortheir strength and treated as sportfish.Villanova sees signs that Americans are gainingan appreciation for the fish, too. “Carp fishingin the U.S. is exploding,” he said. “I compare itto the first bass anglers to compete in tourna-ments. They had no idea what they were start-ing, but we have a better idea from watchingbass fishing mature into a competitive sport.”

Carp fishing sponsorships are emerging andeven carp fishing video games are beginning toshow up on the market. But most carp anglers,Villanova says, aren’t in it for the money.Rather, do what they do for the thrill of catch-ing these powerful fish.

While there are some commercial carp baitson the market, the majority of carp fishermenprefer their own dough bait recipes. MarkTerry, who co-captained the championshipteam in last summer’s Lake Waco Carp

Tournament, said his bait consisted of Big Redsoda, bran flakes, dissolved range cubes and anextra twist of vanilla.

The Texas Carp Challenge entry fee is $250per angler until Feb. 28. After that, it’s $275 andthe deadline to enter is March 20.

Entry fee for the Austin TeamChampionship is $120 per two-person team,and the registration deadline is March 15. Thetournament is limited to bank fishing only.Entrants will receive commemorative pins andBank Buddy rod holders in addition to thechance at pocketing the top prize money.

For rules and more information on the tour-naments, visit www.americancarpsociety. comor www.carpanglersgroup.com.

Todd Nafe is the outdoor writer for the WacoTribune-Herald and can be reached at www.centex-outdoors.com.

Money from BassFan’s 2006 Top Gun Championshipand 2006 Skeeter BassFan Army Weekend WarriorChampionship will benefit Children’s Medical Center ofDallas, BassFan announced this month.

BassFan added that the fundraiser will be the largestcharity event in championship bass fishing history.

Launched last year, Top Gun features the top-rankedprofessional bass fishermen in the world, and WeekendWarrior features the top-performing weekend bass fish-ermen from North America’s best regional trails. Bothchampionships join the Stampede Season lineup ofcharitable events, which includes: the InterstateBatteries Texas Stampede rodeo and concert weekend;Texas State Championship Bar-B-Que Cook-off andTexas Music Festival; La Riata Gala and Texas Hold ’EmPoker Tournament; Children’s Medical CenterChristmas Stampede; and the Pace Picante Cattle Drive.

“BassFan feels strongly about continuing the charita-ble tradition that has long been an integral part of bassfishing,” said Scot Laney, BassFan’s chief operating offi-cer. “Bass anglers and tournament organizations at alllevels are supporting good causes throughout the U.S.,Canada and Europe, and we certainly want to do ourpart.

“Partnering with Texas Stampede to produce an annu-al event to benefit Children’s Medical Center is a perfectfit because Texas Stampede has a long history of doinggood work in support of children in north Texas.”

Joel T. Williams III, president of Texas Stampede, said,“We’re excited about this partnership. We wanted to adda bass fishing tournament component to StampedeSeason and are thrilled that it ended up being not one,but two of the major championships in the sport.

“BassFan shares our mission to raise substantial fundsannually for Children’s Medical Center, and is commit-ted to building a signature event in North Texas.”

In order to be a part of the fall Stampede Season, theSkeeter Weekend Warrior Championship will take placeSept. 15-18, followed by the Top Gun ChampionshipSept. 19-23. BassFan has not yet released lake locationsfor the 2006 tournaments.

Texas Stampede is a nonprofit organization that seeksto raise substantial funds for Children’s Medical Center,one of the top 25 pediatric hospitals in the nation as rec-ognized by U.S.News & World Report, by organizing andconducting a variety of unique family events that arepart of Stampede Season each fall in Dallas. Since itsinception in 2001, the organization has contributedmore than $2.5 million for pediatric programs associat-ed with Children’s Medical Center. For more informa-tion on Texas Stampede, visit www.texasstampede.org.

BassFan, the leading global bass fishing news source, isa media company that owns several bass fishing mediaproperties (BassFan.com, BassFanArmy.com, BassFanRadio, BassFan MAG magazine, BassFan TV), a member-ship program (the Skeeter BassFan Army) and two events(the Top Gun Championship and the Skeeter BassFanArmy Weekend Warrior Championship).

— A BassFan report, wwwbassfan.com

By Scott Sommerlatte

ith several weeks of winter stillahead, Texas coastal anglersshould look no further than

the rivers of the upper Texas coast forsome hot trout and redfish action.

Since Thanksgiving, anglers have beenreporting tremendous catches of bothtrout and redfish from the Brazos, SanBernard and Colorado rivers. And, whilemany anglers enjoy consistent successfishing the rivers from year to year, thisyear has proven to be better than most.

“Despite it not getting that cold thiswinter, fishing in the river has beenextremely good,” said Capt. BillPustejovsky of fishing in the ColoradoRiver. “The low tides and drought condi-tions have made conditions right and thetrout and reds are thick.”

The low tides are actually low-water lev-els created by the consistent westerlydirection of the winds this winter. Theselow-water levels have caused a lot of fishto leave the bays in favor of the deeperwaters of the rivers. Once in the rivers,the fish start following the bait as itmigrates up river in search of fresh water.However, because of the drought thatTexas is experiencing right now, the bait-fish are having to travel great distances upriver to find comfortable conditions,which is drawing the trout and reds as faras 15 and 20 miles inland.

The key to locating the fish, whichmove around daily, is to locate the bait.Baitfish may be found on the shallowedges of the warming riverbank over oys-ter or gravel one day, and the next, theymight be around structures such as barna-cle- and oyster-covered docks or bridgepilings. Another possibility is that theycould be balled on the surface in the mid-dle of the river with fish underneath. Onthe warmer days, it is also possible to occa-sionally locate birds working over fish.The fish and birds are feeding on whiteshrimp that have come up out of the mud

to enjoy the warming conditions. Once the bait is located, anglers should

use a trolling motor to cover the area withplastic bait-tails rigged on 1/4 oz. jigheads, deep-water plugs such as theMirro-lure 52MR series, or crank baits.The lures should be worked thoroughly

throughout the water column at differentspeeds and depths to find what works andestablish a pattern. Once a pattern isdetected and established, move from dif-ferent groups of bait, apply the same tech-niques and experience a great catch foryourself.

Redfish action hot alongthe upper Texas rivers

Top bass anglers

hook up for charity

VICTORY: Brent Chapman celebrates win at the TopGun tournament. Photo by BassFan.

UP THE RIVER: Anglers are reporting tremendous catches of redfish and trout from the Brazos,San Bernard and Colorado rivers.

Carp groups bringing Challenge to Texas

CARP CATCH: Sean Manning and Wayne Boon show two carp they caught on Town Lake inAustin. They are directors of the American Carp Society. Photo by Sean Manning.

W

January 27, 2006 � Page 9

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For Information Contact The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce1-800-889-8149 — www.drchamber.com

Individuals or organizationsthat have made a lasting contribu-tion to freshwater fishing in Texasmay be nominated through Feb.25 for induction into the TexasFreshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

Nominees may be anglers, fish-eries professionals or organiza-tions. The nominee must be aTexan or Texas organization.Individuals may be either living ordeceased. One nominee will bechosen by an independent selec-tion committee and formallyinducted during the annual Hallof Fame banquet May 27 at theTexas Freshwater Fisheries Centerin Athens.

Prior inductees include FloydMabry, Jackie Hewlett, R.D. Hull,Bob Kemp, Nick Crème, CharlieInman, Sugar Ferris, LeonardRanne, Earl Golding, KathyMagers, the Sabine RiverAuthority, Skeeter Boats, Michael(“Shorty”) Powers and Ray Murski.

Nomination forms and instruc-tions are available on Texas Parksand Wildlife’s Web site ath t t p : / / w w w . t p w d . s t a t e .tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/visit/virtualtour/halloffame/nomi-nate.phtml or by calling (903)670-2228.— A Texas Parks and Wildlife report

Offshore – 8 to 12 hours for up to 6 people.Prices start at $900.00

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All-inclusive trips available; please call for detailsOther packages available:

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For more information, please contact Bucky and Leesa Bonner atP.O. Box 460 Port Aransas, TX 78373

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Nominations sought for

Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame

Flat Out event offers tips to coastal anglers

Texas Parks and Wildlife willoffer a daylong event for CoastalBend anglers eager to sharpentheir fishing skills.

The third annual Flat OutFishing event kicks off 8 a.m. Jan.28 at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The event will beheld at the university’s Science andTechnology Building in room 104.

The event includes seminars andpresentations from noted guidesand experts and covers everythingfrom the life histories of popularsport fish to fishing the flats andlanding trophy trout.

“Flat Out Fishing offers anyonefrom beginning to experiencedfishermen a variety of opportuni-ties to increase their knowledge ofthe sport,” said TPW CoastalFisheries Outreach Specialist ArtMorris. Morris added that theevent benefits the Texas Parks andWildlife Foundation’s abandonedcrab trap removal program fund.That program has removed morethan 18,000 abandoned crabtraps from coastal waters since

2002.Flat Out Fishing begins with a

boating safety presentation andcontinues through 5 p.m. withthe conclusion of “Lefty Ray”Chapa’s photography seminar.Participants will be eligible fordoor prizes and “goody bags.”

The cost is $20 per person or$30 per couple, payable by cash,check or money order at the door.Registration fees are tax-deductible. Children under 17may attend free.

Seating is limited to the first 100participants. To register, contactArt Morris at (361) 825-3356 or bye-mail at art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.us.

Anheuser-Busch, Coastal Con-servation Association Texas, theCorpus Christi Convention &Visitors Bureau, Daiichi, SaltwaterConservation Association Texasand the Coastal Bend Bays andEstuaries Program sponsor flatOut Fishing.

— A Texas Parks and Wildlife report

Redfish Cup top pro staff awardgoes to Texas Tackle Factory teamsThe votes are in and the Redfish Nation has spo-

ken: The Texas Tackle Factory staff has won the2005 Cuppy Award for Pro Staff of the Year.

The staff comprises three teams: Charlie Bartonfrom Port Lavaca, Texas, and Jack Barton fromLaguna Vista, Texas; Sam Arcure Jr. from Ft. Myers,Fla., and Keith Rainwater from Victoria, Texas;and Brandon Jenewein and Mike Condit from BayCity, Texas.

“Winning a Cuppy is huge. This really gives ussome credibility and provides us with somemomentum going into 2006,” exclaims KeithRainwater, president and owner of the TexasTackle Factory. “To be nominated was an honor,and to win the Cuppy is very humbling and feelsgreat.”

The Texas Tackle Factory pro staff was new tothe Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup in 2006 and onlythree of the staff’s anglers had competed in previ-ous Cup tournaments.

This year’s Redfish Cup’s first two stops will bein Florida at Clearwater, April 6-8 and PuntaGorda, May 11-13. Then the Cup tackles the LoneStar State with events in Kemah, June 8-10 andPort Aransas, Aug. 17-19. The wrap-up will be heldin Cajun Country in New Orleans, Aug. 31-Sept. 1.— A Redfish Nation report

CUPPY WINNERS: The staff of Texas Tackle Factory, whichconsists of three teams made of six anglers, were named top prosof the year by Redfish Nation. Photo by David J. Sams.

Hunting Program, a joint venture ofTPW and the Texas WildlifeAssociation. “The bonding peopletalk about really does take place inthe woods.” Youth-only huntinghad its critics, however, when it start-ed in Texas almost 10 years ago.Macdonald said most criticism relat-ed to the early season hunt.

“Some people complained that itwould stir up deer prior to thebeginning of the open season,” hesaid. “Others said that daddy wouldget a jump on everyone. Take juniorout and daddy shoots the big buck. Idon‘t think that’s turned out to be abig problem.”

The program’s most recent week-end also produced a few new critics.

Diane Ganter of Garland, likeTyler, hoped to shoot her first deer.She had gone to two previousyouth-only weekends. On the firstone, she shot a hog. The secondtime, Diane had the misfortune togo hunting when temperatures werein the 80s.

“We didn’t see anything,” said herfather, Paul. “It was too bad, but itwasn’t anybody’s fault. This wasgoing to be her last shot.”

When they arrived at the StormRanch in the Hill Country, after a 5-hour drive, the Ganters were toldthat Diane could not hunt white-tails. She’s 17. The Ganters didn’trealize the age limit, and huntorganizers failed to note Diane’sage, despite her previous involve-

ment in youth-only hunts. A 17-year-old boy also was not allowed tohunt deer.

“The communication was terri-ble,” Diane said. “I know they havevolunteers, but if they don’t getthings straight, they screw up notonly the kid’s weekend, but, also,their parents’.”

Still, she recalls her first twoyouth-only hunting weekendsfondly.

“It was great even when I didn’t

shoot anything,” Diane said. “Inthe city, it’s hard to get out.Whether you’re hog hunting ordeer hunting, watching wildlife isfun — but it’s a little more excitingto shoot.”

The experience of Curtis andTyler was more what organizersenvisioned when they createdyouth-only hunting weekends. ToCurtis, such a program is invalu-able. Tyler has Asperger’sSyndrome, a milder form of Autism.

“Part of the weekend was to helpsocialize him, let him be aroundother kids,” Curtis said. “See howthey act, how they interact. It was agreat time, a wonderful experiencefor him.”

Here’s how Tyler puts it.“I like it when people my age are

out there,” he said. “It’s more fun.After the hunt, you get to tell yourstories, what you experienced, whatyou saw and all that.”

He’s already looking forward tohis next youth-only hunt, Tylersaid.

“I want to get like an 8- to 10-point buck,” he said. “Because thatway I can mount it on the wall, likemy dad’s deer. I want one on thewall, too.”

Mark England is associate editor ofLone Star Outdoor News.

Page 10 � January 27, 2006

Continued from Page 1

Youth

on it, estimating it to be about 170B&C points at the time.

“Then we found its sheds in thespring and it turned out to be 190(B&C) points,” Griffith said from hishome in Houston. “I probablywould’ve shot him last year. You usu-ally don’t let a 190 get away. Heended up a 223. That’s about a 16-percent increase in a year. That’spretty good.”

Griffith shot the buck from a treestand as it came in to a feeder.

Griffith’s low-fence buck is cur-rently the overall leader in the ExoticWildlife Association Big BuckContest and in the state-run Texas

Big Game Awards.The second- and third-highest

scoring bucks overall are the two cur-rent high-fence leaders in the LosCazadores Deer Contest. JackBrittingham of Athens killed his 2292/8 B&C-point deer on the BriarLakes Ranch in Anderson County.Just behind Brittingham is MarkGray of Houston, whose deer scored227 5/8 B&C points. Gray bagged hisbig buck on the Bear Branch Ranchin Callahan County.

Another high-fence leader in sev-eral contests is Bill Glendening ofHorseshoe Bay.

Among the different scorers of thefour contests Glendening’s deer isentered in, his big buck talliedbetween 214 4/8 and 217 4/8 B&Cpoints. Glendening shot the 20-point buck on the Shiner Ranch inFrio County. He currently leadsLaredo’s Cola Blanca Big BuckContest, the Los Cuernos de Tejas BigGame Contest in Carrizo Springs,Dilley’s El Monstruo del Monte BigBuck Contest and the Texas GulfCoast Deer Contest.

Final results for most of this year’sbig buck contests will be released bythe end of January. The Texas BigGame Awards has an entry deadlineof March 15.

Wes Smalling is the former outdoorseditor for the Santa Fe New Mexicanand has more than a decade ofexperience as a writer and reporter.

Continued from Page 6

Big bucks

‘You usually don’t leta 190 get away. He

ended up a 223. That’sabout a 16-percentincrease in a year.’

— MARTY GRIFFITH

‘I want to get like an 8- to 10-point

buck. Because thatway I can mount it on

the wall, like mydad’s deer.’ — TYLER DEATER

YOUTHFUL WEEKEND: Youth-only deer-hunting weekends are held on one weekend inOctober and January.

January 27, 2006 � Page 11

water trough on top of the mountain. He was26 yards away. I shot him with a bow. I had tochase him and shoot him three more times.He was a big animal. When we got throughquartering him and backpacked him out, itwas about one in the morning. It was a chal-lenge. He was a tremendous bull.”

The decision by Boone and Crockett offi-cials surprised him, Urbanczyk said.

“I kinda thought theywould accept it,” he said.“They should. We have abunch of free-ranging elkin Texas. We just don’thave a season on them.”

A Boone and Crockettrecords official saidallowing the recording ofelk from Texas isn’t inkeeping with the organi-zation’s philosophy. Headded that an elk borninside a high-fence areaand released would notqualify for a Boone andCrockett record anyway,according to the official.

The largest typical elkrecorded by the organiza-tion was taken in 1968 inArizona’s White Moun-tains at a score of 442 5/8 points.

Boone and Crockett’s rejection of whatwould have been the biggest elk on recorddisturbs some Texans.

“What hurts is that so many are behind ahigh fence in Texas,” said Walt Isenhour, theTexas state chairman for the RockyMountain Elk Foundation. “Boone andCrockett must think that they’re all behind ahigh fence.”

Isenhour, on a hunting trip of his own,actually ran into Urbanczyk while he washauling the giant elk home.

“I’ve been around the elk foundation thelast 16 years,” Isenhour said. “I go to Missoula(Mont.) quite often. I don‘t know of a typicalRocky Mountain elk that outscores it. Theseelk aren’t hunted with intensity they are in

the mountain states. Not many know thesefree-ranging elk even exist in Texas.”

But the hunt exposed an uncertainty relat-ed to the evolving management of game.How do you classify an animal born behind ahigh fence and then released onto a range?

David King, who publishes HuntingIllustrated and tracks trophy animals, said hehad doubts the giant elk was a true free-rangeelk because of its size.

“You just don’t see many free-ranging elkof that stature,” King said.

King said he talked to guide ChrisChopelas, who led Urbanczyk’s hunt.

Chopelas told him that ahole was found in theelk’s ear where a tagwould go. He also said CFRanch had released someranch bulls some sevenyears before, King said.

Chopelas did notreturn phone calls seek-ing comment by dead-line.

Classifying such a kill isdifficult, King said.Groups such as Booneand Crockett only recordtrophy animals theydeem shot under fair-chase conditions.

“It’s a unique situation:releasing a high-fencebull on a free range and

seven years later it’s shot,” King said. “Whatdo you do?”

For his part, King questions recording suchkills.

“What it comes down to is it’s not even ageneration removed from the farm,” Kingsaid.

Urbanczyk, though, sees the kill as legiti-mate.

“A lot of people are raising whitetails andturning them loose, introducing new genet-ics into the species,” he said. “It’s hard for meto see that it’s OK on one side and not OK onthe other side. The introduction of newgenetics is everywhere. I don’t think that’s agood argument.”

Mark England is associate editor of Lone StarOutdoor News.

effort, TPW recruited local fishermen to catchwhites in Choke Canyon and use those breed-ers to restock Falcon.

That effort hasn’t yet had a visible impact onthe white bass population — and some peopleblame illegal netting.

What anglers and Texas wildlife officialsagree on is that the combination of a decade-long drought and gill netting decimated thepopulation of white bass that were once aprime attraction for winter residents — or“snowbirds” — who benefited the lakeshoreeconomy.

What they don’t always agree on is what todo about the problem, which is intensified bythe fact that jurisdiction of the 83,654-acre lakeis shared between Texas and Mexico.

The last time white bass showed up on TexasPark and Wildlife surveys of the lake was in1995, also the first drought year, said RandyMyers, fisheries biologist with TPW in SanAntonio. The drought ended about late 2003.

Local lore says that gill-netters made bighauls when the lake levels first went down,Myers said. Whites, or sandies, are particularlyvulnerable to nets because they travel inschools, unlike the predatory largemouth bass.

Illegal netting remains a problem. “Youactually can run into them (nets) in your boat.They get tangled up in your lower unit,”Ramerez said.

He added that there’s money to be madethrough illegal netting because the fish can besold at markets.

Texas game wardens put several commercialfishermen from Mexico in jail, seized a coupleof boats and “between 15,000 and 20,000 feetof net” in the month that started in mid-December, said Wayne Schwartz, a game war-den stationed in Stark County.

Zapata County — which had lost its three-warden allocation due to attrition and injury— will get two new wardens this month,Schwartz said. A third, recovering from a gun-shot wound, will return by April, he said.

Schwartz said he’s concerned about reportsthat anglers have drawn weapons on suspectedillegal netters. “Leave law enforcement to thelaw enforcement agencies,” he said. “I realize

how people get emotional about fishing, but Idon’t see dying over it.”

On the supply side, Myers plans a creel sur-vey on Falcon, starting Jan. 28-29, interviewingreturning anglers about their catch. “We’ll besitting at one of two boat ramps (the state parkand Zapata County ramps) 20 times, for sixhours each.” He plans a March net survey forwhite bass and crappie as well.

From that data, he will develop a manage-ment plan for the Falcon fishery and present itto the TPW Commission. “At that time, we canrecommend stocking, harvest regulationchanges, whatever is in our power to recom-mend through this office,” he said.

In the meantime, local residents like ZapataChamber of Commerce Executive DirectorPeggy Umphres-Moffett aren’t standing still.

“Our goal is to revive the lake back to whereit’s always been,” she said. “White bass was oneof the best things about Falcon. We’re workingwith our state rep and TPW to start somerestocking efforts.”

“White bass can recover very quickly whenconditions are right,” said Phil Durocher,inland fisheries division director for TPW.“And the conditions right now should be pret-ty favorable.”

Umphres-Moffett wants more. “We’d like topropose that we have a farm here for whitebass,” she said. “What better solution?”

Her Falcon Lake Development Committee isalso contacting federal officials, including U.S.Rep Henry Cuellar, in an effort to help restorethe lake. “We’re working with our legislatorsand our friends across the border so that we canget something moving,” she said.

Within the last month, she started talkswith the mayor of Guerrero, Mexico. ”They’reexcited to work with us, and I really think we’llmake great strides,” she said.

Robert Amaya, fishing guide and owner ofRobert’s Fish & Tackle in Zapata, said the fish-ing is great for largemouth. With time andsome stocking, the whites could follow, hesaid.

“I’m beginning to see some seagulls actinglike white bass have been here, but I haven’theard any reports,” he said. “I think they’llcome back — but it’ll take three or four years.”

Diana Kunde is a free-lancer based inArlington, dikunde@sbcglobal. net.

Continued from Page 1

FalconContinued from Page 1

Elk

‘We have a bunchof free-ranging elk in Texas. We just don’t have

a season on them.’

— RONNIE URBANCZYK

Page 12 � January 27, 2006

QUESTFOR

QUAIL

Story and photography by David J. Sams

asing along the rolling hills of Fisher County,atop a Tennessee walking horse while hunt-ing bobwhite quail is well, let’s just say,“Doing it in style!”

Taz, Pro, Banjo and Joker carry their riders over theprickly pear, briars and red sandy soil, following theEnglish setters: Patch and Dakota. The dogs zigzagout front, sniffing for their prey. The horses lumberon as the dogs run and run, then Patch slams on thebrakes and turns his head upwind — looking directlyinto a clump of buffalo grass.

Two hunters dismount and move quickly to thepoint. The others hold their horses’ reins.

“No way,” says one of the hunters. “That is way toosmall (a clump of grass) to hold anything.”

The shooters approach and a bird busts out. Twoshots are fired. The shooter misses both.

“I cannot believe there was a bird in there,” theshooter says. But Patch could! That is why hestopped.

“No kidding. Look there,” another hunter says.About 70 yards upwind, the rest of the covey busts.They land in a big prickly pear patch, and the dogs

are hot on their trail. The hunters remount, andeveryone runs their horses the quarter-mile or so upthe hill.

“This time we got ’em,” one shouts.As the lathered-up horses guard one side, the dogs

keep hard on point. The hunters are ready and thebirds just can’t take it any longer. They start flushingin three’s and four’s. Shotguns blast: bam, bam.

“Reload, reload!” Bam, bam.Birds hit the ground, dogs shake, the horses paw

and the hunters smile.The horses carry the men to many more flushes.

The dogs keep on hunting and finding coveys. Theshooting is great. As the day wears on, the leather ofthe saddles squeaks to a rhythm and sweat soaksthrough your pants. Finally, it’s time for a break. Thedogs need a rest, too, and find a comfortable place atthe feet of their owners.

E

LUMINESCENT TRAIL:BlueStar, a blood-revealing reagent,

allows huntersto trackwounded gamein the dark. Mix

the BlueStar tabletswith water, thenspray on the groundand bushes wherethe game was lastspotted. Any tracesof blood will turn afluorescent blue indarkness, even after

it has rained. Monaco-based Roc Imports describes its productas safe for hunters and the environment. The BlueStar HuntingKit costs $20, plus shipping. It comes with four tablets and asprayer bottle that holds about 8 ounces. To purchase, call(877) 948-7827; for more information, visit www.roc-import.com/home.php.

GET THE DOUBT OUT: The PotableAqua Traveller WaterPurification System combinesthe company’s popular tabletswith a filter for addedprotection against waterborne

cysts and bacteria.Each Traveller kitincludes a one-liter water bottle

and a 50-count container ofPotable Aqua purificationtablets and a filter, whichcan be used for as manyas 350 times. Thecompany says its productnot only kills potentiallyharmful cysts andbacteria, but alsoeliminates unpleasanttaste, color and odorfrom water. It costsabout $40. For moreinformation, visitwww.potableaqua.com

or call (800) 558-6614.

PRESIDENTIAL APPEAL: The Henry Repeating Arms Company is releasing a deluxe limited edition ofthe Golden Boy rifle. It is modeled after one in the Smithsonian, which was presented to President

Lincoln. The company’s award-winning Golden Boy rifle features period-style engraving, American walnutgunstock and an octagon barrel. An oval shape on both sides of the receiver has been left blank to allow for

personal inscription. It sells for about $1,200. It is available in calibers: .22LR, .22 Magnum, .17HMR. Fordealers or to request a free catalog, visit www. henry-guns.com or call (718) 499-5600.

January 27, 2006 � Page 13

PRODUCT PICKS

BRAWNY BROADHEAD: Forbowhunters who prefer a heavierbroadhead, Muzzy has designed thePhantom SS. The new broadhead featuresa stainless steel ferrule. It weighs 200grains without the bleeder blade and 220grains with it. The company says thePhantom SS works well on large,dangerous game, such as the African capebuffalo, but it works even better on white-tailed deer. It costsabout $26. To order, visit www.muzzy.com or call (866) 387-9307.

FLIP OUT: Plano Tackle Systems FlipSider linefeatures the durability of a box coupled with

the convenience of a bag. The moldedsection of the system houses 14

FlipSider compartments with depthsranging from 2.5 inches to 4inches to hold a variety of lures.

The hybrid box/bag has alarge center compartmentcontaining three Pro-Latchutility boxes and three

roomy exterior pockets. Theburnt orange and gray

FlipSider measures 20.5inches by 13.5 inchesby 10.25 inches. Itcosts about $75. For

retailers, visit www.planomolding.com or call (800) 226-9868.

KILLING ZONE: Hips Targets’ freestanding Hips Vitals target features a prime-zoneoutline approximately the same shape, size and position of a deer’ s vital organs.

This is for serious bowhunterswho want to fine-tune theiraccuracy for clean kills. TheHips Vitals target can be shotwith field points, fixed or

expandablebroadheads. Thecompany says this

target will stop arrows travelingin excess of 300 fps. Theversatile target can be shotfrom all six sides and measures18 by 13 by 13 inches. It costsabout $53. To purchase, visit

www.hipstargets.com. For moreinformation, call (800) 979-0915.

FROM FIELD TO FEAST: WildHarvest’s new “Wild Game FieldCare and Cooking” DVD includes225 minutes of recipes, cookingdemonstrations and informationcompiled from three of itsvideos: “BIG GAME ButcheringField to Table,” “VENISONCooking Healthy & Tasty” and“VENISON Aging, Smoking &Sausage Making.” The indexed

DVD features step-by-step instruction by MilosCihelka, a certifiedmaster chef and

sportsman. It costs about $20,plus shipping, and can beordered from www.wildharvestvideos.com or bycalling (800) 819-3799.

CHEW ON IT: Gum-O-Flage is a chewing gum designed to eliminate bad breath, reduce bodyodors and mask breath. According to Hunting Science, up to 80 percent of human odorsescape the body from the chin up. This gum is formulated with such ingredients as anti-microbials, pine oil and chlorophyll. Available in original pine or alfalfa-honey flavors, it costsabout $5 for a pack containing 12 pieces of gum. For retailers or to order, visitwww.huntingscience. com or call (715) 627-7117.

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: The GMC Sierra Hybrid, which delivers theperformance and capability expected of a full-size pickup, offers a little bit more. It promises up to 10percent improvement in fuel economy. The battery is connected to a motor generator that provides auto stopand start. It also powers four electrical outlets in the back seat and cargo area. So in addition to the towingcapability, copious cargo space and other qualities outdoorsmen have come to appreciate in their Sierras, nowthey can also use them to plug in their coffee makers before heading out to the field. The Sierra Hybridranges from about $27,000 to $33,000 depending on options. The 4WD models gets 17 miles per gallon inthe city, 19 on the highway. For specifications, visit www.gm.com.

Page 14 � January 27, 2006

HEROES

MADE IN TEXAS

Share an adventureWant to share your great hunting or fishing adventure

with the Lone Star Outdoor News family? E-mail your photo, phone and caption information to

editor@lonestaroutdoornews. com, or mail to: Heroes,Lone Star Outdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South,Dallas, TX, 75243.

Lucas Shelley Talash, 9, of Balch Springs shows the 10-pointdeer he took down at Cherokee. He was hunting with his uncle,Frankie Russell.

Kimberly Hall of Wills Point shows a deer she took down atFort McKavett.

Scott Watson, holds a 18-pound flathead catfish and Mike Stefanekholds a 27-pounder they caught while fishing for white bass onRichland Chambers.

Brownsville resident E.T. Hockaday shows a snook he caught atBoca Chica Beach east of Brownsville.

Jay Vaughn, 8, shows his first deer harvested in December duringa spike/doe hunt at the James River Ranch near Harper. Jay washunting with a 7.08 rifle he borrowed from his godfather.The next morning he shot the turkey, below, from 100 yards withthe same rifle.

By Mary Helen Aguirre

Matthew Futture of Liberty Hill is a lifelong bowhunter whoseprey of choice is the wild turkey.

He describes himself as just a transplantfrom Vermont who said, “I don’t like the waywe’re killing birds,” and set out to change it.

His quest to achieve a more humane kill andcomplete pass-through inspired him to designthe Gobbler Guillotine. Futture describes therazor-sharp, four-bladed, 4-inch by 4-inchbroadhead as the fastest-killing broadhead inthe world. The bowhunter aims the GobblerGuillotine at the bird’s neck or head and if itmakes contact, usually completely and quickly

severs its head.Futture unveiled the broadhead in January of 2003 at the Archery Trade Show in Indiana.“We had a huge resistance because it was so wild looking,” said Futture, owner of

Arrowdynamic Solutions, a family business based in Liberty Hill.But people in the field tried it and generated a positive buzz through word of mouth.Cory Skalak of Becker, Minn., tried the Gobbler Guillotine in the Spring of 2004. “I was

kind of skeptical about it. I wasn’t sure it was going to fly.”But Skalak said the first time he shot the broadhead, it delivered a flawless performance.“I was actually impressed with it. I’ve had great success with it,” he said, adding that he’s

found it to be accurate up to 25 yards. “You either miss the turkey or you kill it instantly,”Skalak said.

Now, entering its fourth year, Matthew and Cindy Futture’shome-based business is steadily growing, and the GobblerGuillotine is sold in stores across the United States and in Mexico,Canada, Sweden, New Zealand and Africa.

In addition to the Gobbler Guillotine, which is also available in asmaller 2-inch by 2-inch width, the company sells quivers and car-bon arrows that are longer and designed to provide more resistancein the back.

Last year, he started selling the Atom, which is designed for useon game such as deer, hogs and antelope.

Some items, like the arrows, are made completely in-house, butthe broadheads’ machine components are farmed out, then quali-ty-checked, assembled and shipped out from Liberty Hill.

Futture said he is a self-taught engineer, and it took him about adecade to design the Gobbler Guillotine.

“It took me seven years just to figure out the aerodynamic issue,”said Futture. The tricky flight issues were resolved by covering the blades with an aerodynam-ic sheath that provides stability. Upon impact, the blade slices through the plastic sheath.

Futture is happy to tout the benefits of his Gobbler Guillotine. He said it increases the kill-zone target area and provides a greater margin of error in shot placement. It decreases track-ing time and bird loss.

“Our recovery distance is measured in inches, “ he said.It virtually eliminates shaft loss and saves meat because hunters aim for the neck and head,

he said. But, what Futture seems to be most proud of is that he’s engineered a product thatgives archers the means to kill an animal fast.

“I’m in it to promote the sport of archery and to promote an ethical sport,” he says.For more information, visit www.arrow-dynamic-solutions.com.

Decade of work puts Gobbler Guillotine in flight

GOBBLERGUILLOTINE

Matthew Futture

Bethany Berg, 13, of Dallas took this 170-class buck in Bosque County.

Kike Ramerez caught this 8-pound largemouthbass at Falcon Lake near Ramireno on NewYear's Day. He used a watermelon red lizardwhile fishing from the bank.

January 27, 2006 � Page 15

WEATHER

TEXAS WORD TREASURES

TEXAS TIDBITS

Game bird appetizer Looking for a good appetizer to kick

off your next wild-game feed? This onetakes a little time to prepare, but it’sworth the effort.

Start by cutting the breast meat fromone pheasant or ruffed grouse or twopartridges into bite-sized chunks. Placethe meat in a large Ziploc bag alongwith a marinade consisting of the fol-lowing:• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier • 2 tablesoons Chambord • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 teaspoons coriander seeds

It isn’t necessary to buy two expen-sive bottles of liqueur in order to makethis recipe. The Grand Marnier andChambord can be purchased in minia-ture bottles.

Marinate the meat for at least a cou-ple hours (or overnight) in the refrigera-tor. To start the preparation, combine ina hot stainless steel or cast-iron skillet:• 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 shallot, finely chopped • game bird

When the bird is almost cooked,deglaze the pan by pouring in the left-over marinade and stirring with a wood-en spoon to incorporate the caramelizedbits. Next, add to the skillet:• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons of carrot, finely diced • 2 tablespoons of celery, finely diced

Cook for about a minute, then add:• 3/4 cup of heavy cream

Allow the cream to reduce over medi-

um heat until it gives off big bubbles,then season with:• Salt and fresh-ground pepper • 1 teaspoon coriander

Place the contents in a food processorand pulse for just a second. You don’twant to turn the mixture into mush,just to chop the ingredients slightly.

Spoon the mixture into a baked puffpastry, top with a bit of grated Parmesancheese and place on a Teflon cookiesheet.

Next, prepare the butter sauce.Combine in a stainless steel saucepanover medium heat:• 1 shallot, finely chopped • 1/2 cup white table wine • a few drops of fresh lemon juice • 1 tablespoon of honey

When the wine has reduced to just atablespoon or so, pour in half a cup ofheavy cream. Allow the cream to reduceby half, then turn off the heat and quick-ly whisk in:• 2 sticks of cold unsalted butter, a cou-ple pats at a time

When the butter is emulsified, add:• 2 tablespoons of Chambord • salt and pepper to taste

Strain the sauce to remove the shal-lots and store in a warm place.

Pop the puff pastries into a 400-degree oven until the Parmesan melts,place one pastry on each plate and driz-zle a little of the sauce over the top andaround the edges. Garnish withchopped parsley and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Delta Waterfowl. Formore recipes visit www.deltawaterfowl.org.

Across 1. These tasty bivalves must

be 3-inches long to harvest

6. Purple paint on fence posts means ____ (two words)

7. Type of catfish (synonym - politician)

10. Nickname for different types of sunfish

11. Odorless, colorless, dead ly gas

14. Fishing knot16. In dry years, farmers burn

off needles and feed these to cattle

17. Name of the new channellinking Corpus Christi Bay to Gulf

18. Hunting for this bird is best in Panhandle

Down2. TPW is considering elimi

nating the red drum _____.

3. Pistol with the largest number of moving parts

4. Ground-dwelling rodent that lives in large colonies (pl.)

5. River which cuts across Panhandle

7. Snakes do this in the win-ter time

8. This animal's ability to

steal food from ice chests stored in camp is legendary

9. Seed pods produced by conifer trees

12. Flying insect with a terrible bite

13. Extended period without rain

15. Austin is in this county

1 2 3

4 5

6

7

8 9

10

11 12

13 14

15

16

17

18

Copyright 2004 Texas Word Treasures, Greg Berlocher. All Rights Reserved.

SUN AND MOON

TIDES

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2006

High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low

SOLUNAR TABLE Major/Minor periods:

Houston Dallas San Antonio Amarillo

Sunrise/set

NewJan 29

FirstFeb 5

LastFeb 21

FullFeb 12

Sabine Pass1/25 2:23 p.m. 5:38 a.m. —- —-1/26 3:05 p.m. 6:29 a.m. —- —-1/27 3:46 p.m. 7:21 a.m. 10:06 p.m. 7:55 p.m.1/28 4:22 p.m. 8:14 a.m. 11:38 p.m. 8:10 p.m.1/29 4:51 p.m. 9:05 a.m. —- 8:53 p.m.1/30 12:58 a.m. 9:56 a.m. 5:16 p.m. 9:50 p.m.1/31 2:20 a.m. 10:46 a.m. 5:36 p.m. 10:56 p.m.2/1 3:51 a.m. 11:35 a.m. 5:54 p.m. —-2/2 5:35 a.m. 12:06 a.m. 6:09 p.m. 12:28 p.m.2/3 7:34 a.m. 1:16 a.m. 6:21 p.m. 1:29 p.m.2/4 9:47 a.m. 2:24 a.m. 6:21 p.m. 3:25 p.m.2/5 11:58 a.m. 3:29 a.m. —- —-2/6 1:22 p.m. 4:30 a.m. —- —-2/7 2:20 p.m. 5:30 a.m. —- —-2/8 3:09 p.m. 6:25 a.m. —- —-2/9 3:52 p.m. 7:16 a.m. —- —-2/10 4:23 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 11:08 p.m. 9:14 p.m.2/11 4:36 p.m. 8:38 a.m. —- 8:37 p.m.2/12 12:06 a.m. 9:10 a.m. 4:39 p.m. 8:50 p.m.2/13 1:00 a.m. 9:38 a.m. 4:45 p.m. 9:30 p.m.2/14 1:54 a.m. 10:04 a.m. 4:54 p.m. 10:16 p.m.Port Bolivar1/25 4:38 p.m. 6:25 a.m. —- —-1/26 5:20 p.m. 7:16 a.m. —- —-1/27 6:01 p.m. 8:08 a.m. —- 8:42 p.m.1/28 12:21 a.m. 9:01 a.m. 6:37 p.m. 8:57 p.m.1/29 1:53 a.m. 9:52 a.m. 7:06 p.m. 9:40 p.m.1/30 3:13 a.m. 10:43 a.m. 7:31 p.m. 10:37 p.m.1/31 4:35 a.m. 11:33 a.m. 7:51 p.m. 11:43 p.m.2/1 6:06 a.m. 12:22 p.m. 8:09 p.m. —-2/2 7:50 a.m. 12:53 a.m. 8:24 p.m. 1:15 p.m.2/3 9:49 a.m. 2:03 a.m. 8:36 p.m. 2:16 p.m.2/4 12:02 p.m. 3:11 a.m. 8:36 p.m. 4:12 p.m.2/5 2:13 p.m. 4:16 a.m. —- —-2/6 3:37 p.m. 5:17 a.m. —- —-2/7 4:35 p.m. 6:17 a.m. —- —-2/8 5:24 p.m. 7:12 a.m. —- —-2/9 6:07 p.m. 8:03 a.m. —- —-2/10 6:38 p.m. 8:47 a.m. —- 10:01 p.m.2/11 1:23 a.m. 9:25 a.m. 6:51 p.m. 9:24 p.m.2/12 2:21 a.m. 9:57 a.m. 6:54 p.m. 9:37 p.m.2/13 3:15 a.m. 10:25 a.m. 7:00 p.m. 10:17 p.m.2/14 4:09 a.m. 10:51 a.m. 7:09 p.m. 11:03 p.m.San Luis Pass1/25 3:32 p.m. 6:07 a.m. —- —-1/26 4:14 p.m. 6:58 a.m. —- —-1/27 4:55 p.m. 7:50 a.m. 11:15 p.m. 8:24 p.m.1/28 5:31 p.m. 8:43 a.m. —- 8:39 p.m.1/29 12:47 a.m. 9:34 a.m. 6:00 p.m. 9:22 p.m.1/30 2:07 a.m. 10:25 a.m. 6:25 p.m. 10:19 p.m.1/31 3:29 a.m. 11:15 a.m. 6:45 p.m. 11:25 p.m.2/1 5:00 a.m. 12:04 p.m. 7:03 p.m. —-2/2 6:44 a.m. 12:35 a.m. 7:18 p.m. 12:57 p.m.2/3 8:43 a.m. 1:45 a.m. 7:30 p.m. 1:58 p.m.2/4 10:56 a.m. 2:53 a.m. 7:30 p.m. 3:54 p.m.2/5 1:07 p.m. 3:58 a.m. —- —-2/6 2:31 p.m. 4:59 a.m. —- —-2/7 3:29 p.m. 5:59 a.m. —- —-2/8 4:18 p.m. 6:54 a.m. —- —-2/9 5:01 p.m. 7:45 a.m. —- —-2/10 5:32 p.m. 8:29 a.m. —- 9:43 p.m.2/11 12:17 a.m. 9:07 a.m. 5:45 p.m. 9:06 p.m.2/12 1:15 a.m. 9:39 a.m. 5:48 p.m. 9:19 p.m.2/13 2:09 a.m. 10:07 a.m. 5:54 p.m. 9:59 p.m.2/14 3:03 a.m. 10:33 a.m. 6:03 p.m. 10:45 p.m.

Freeport1/25 2:24 p.m. 5:08 a.m. —- —-1/26 3:06 p.m. 5:59 a.m. —- —-1/27 3:47 p.m. 6:51 a.m. 10:07 p.m. 7:25 p.m.1/28 4:23 p.m. 7:44 a.m. 11:39 p.m. 7:40 p.m.1/29 4:52 p.m. 8:35 a.m. —- 8:23 p.m.1/30 12:59 a.m. 9:26 a.m. 5:17 p.m. 9:20 p.m.1/31 2:21 a.m. 10:16 a.m. 5:37 p.m. 10:26 p.m.2/1 3:52 a.m. 11:05 a.m. 5:55 p.m. 11:36 p.m.2/2 5:36 a.m. 11:58 a.m. 6:10 p.m. —-2/3 7:35 a.m. 12:46 a.m. 6:22 p.m. 12:59 p.m.2/4 9:48 a.m. 1:54 a.m. 6:22 p.m. 2:55 p.m.2/5 11:59 a.m. 2:59 a.m. —- —-2/6 1:23 p.m. 4:00 a.m. —- —-2/7 2:21 p.m. 5:00 a.m. —- —-2/8 3:10 p.m. 5:55 a.m. —- —-2/9 3:53 p.m. 6:46 a.m. —- —-2/10 4:24 p.m. 7:30 a.m. 11:09 p.m. 8:44 p.m.2/11 4:37 p.m. 8:08 a.m. —- 8:07 p.m.2/12 12:07 a.m. 8:40 a.m. 4:40 p.m. 8:20 p.m.2/13 1:01 a.m. 9:08 a.m. 4:46 p.m. 9:00 p.m.2/14 1:55 a.m. 9:34 a.m. 4:55 p.m. 9:46 p.m.Pass Cavallo1/25 3:41 p.m. 4:56 a.m. —- —-1/26 4:23 p.m. 5:47 a.m. —- —-1/27 5:04 p.m. 6:39 a.m. 11:24 p.m. 7:13 p.m.1/28 5:40 p.m. 7:32 a.m. —- 7:28 p.m.1/29 12:56 a.m. 8:23 a.m. 6:09 p.m. 8:11 p.m.1/30 2:16 a.m. 9:14 a.m. 6:34 p.m. 9:08 p.m.1/31 3:38 a.m. 10:04 a.m. 6:54 p.m. 10:14 p.m.2/1 5:09 a.m. 10:53 a.m. 7:12 p.m. 11:24 p.m.2/2 6:53 a.m. 11:46 a.m. 7:27 p.m. —-2/3 8:52 a.m. 12:34 a.m. 7:39 p.m. 12:47 p.m.2/4 11:05 a.m. 1:42 a.m. 7:39 p.m. 2:43 p.m.2/5 1:16 p.m. 2:47 a.m. —- —-2/6 2:40 p.m. 3:48 a.m. —- —-2/7 3:38 p.m. 4:48 a.m. —- —-2/8 4:27 p.m. 5:43 a.m. —- —-2/9 5:10 p.m. 6:34 a.m. —- —-2/10 5:41 p.m. 7:18 a.m. —- 8:32 p.m.2/11 12:26 a.m. 7:56 a.m. 5:54 p.m. 7:55 p.m.2/12 1:24 a.m. 8:28 a.m. 5:57 p.m. 8:08 p.m.2/13 2:18 a.m. 8:56 a.m. 6:03 p.m. 8:48 p.m.2/14 3:12 a.m. 9:22 a.m. 6:12 p.m. 9:34 p.m.Port O’Connor1/25 8:26 p.m. 8:17 a.m. —- —-1/26 9:24 p.m. 9:17 a.m. —- —-1/27 10:29 p.m. 10:13 a.m. —- —-1/28 11:44 p.m. 11:06 a.m. —- —-1/29 —- 11:55 a.m. —- —-1/30 1:13 a.m. 12:39 p.m. —- —-1/31 3:00 a.m. 1:17 p.m. —- —-2/1 4:59 a.m. 1:47 p.m. 9:18 p.m. —-2/2 7:11 a.m. 1:25 a.m. 8:09 p.m. 2:01 p.m.2/3 10:20 a.m. 2:57 a.m. 7:31 p.m. 1:15 p.m.2/4 7:13 p.m. 4:12 a.m. —- —-2/5 7:16 p.m. 5:23 a.m. —- —-2/6 7:34 p.m. 6:34 a.m. —- —-2/7 8:03 p.m. 7:45 a.m. —- —-2/8 8:40 p.m. 8:54 a.m. —- —-2/9 9:22 p.m. 9:56 a.m. —- —-2/10 10:09 p.m. 10:51 a.m. —- —-2/11 11:04 p.m. 11:39 a.m. —- —-2/12 —- 12:20 p.m. —- —-2/13 12:30 a.m. 12:56 p.m. —- —-2/14 3:05 a.m. 1:28 p.m. —- —-

Corpus Christi1/25 2:32 p.m. 4:46 a.m. —- —-1/26 3:14 p.m. 5:37 a.m. —- —-1/27 3:55 p.m. 6:29 a.m. 10:15 p.m. 7:03 p.m.1/28 4:31 p.m. 7:22 a.m. 11:47 p.m. 7:18 p.m.1/29 5:00 p.m. 8:13 a.m. —- 8:01 p.m.1/30 1:07 a.m. 9:04 a.m. 5:25 p.m. 8:58 p.m.1/31 2:29 a.m. 9:54 a.m. 5:45 p.m. 10:04 p.m.2/1 4:00 a.m. 10:43 a.m. 6:03 p.m. 11:14 p.m.2/2 5:44 a.m. 11:36 a.m. 6:18 p.m. —-2/3 7:43 a.m. 12:24 a.m. 6:30 p.m. 12:37 p.m.2/4 9:56 a.m. 1:53 a.m. 6:09 p.m. 2:33 p.m.2/5 12:07 p.m. 2:37 a.m. —- —-2/6 1:31 p.m. 3:38 a.m. —- —-2/7 2:29 p.m. 4:38 a.m. —- —-2/8 3:18 p.m. 5:33 a.m. —- —-2/9 4:01 p.m. 6:24 a.m. —- —-2/10 4:32 p.m. 7:08 a.m. 11:17 p.m. 8:22 p.m.2/11 4:45 p.m. 7:46 a.m. —- 7:45 p.m.2/12 12:15 a.m. 8:18 a.m. 4:48 p.m. 7:58 p.m.2/13 1:09 a.m. 8:46 a.m. 4:33 p.m. 8:38 p.m.2/14 2:03 a.m. 9:12 a.m. 5:03 p.m. 9:24 p.m.South Padre Island1/25 3:17 p.m. 4:43 a.m. —- —-1/26 4:06 p.m. 5:39 a.m. —- —-1/27 4:54 p.m. 6:35 a.m. —- —-1/28 5:36 p.m. 7:30 a.m. —- —-1/29 6:06 p.m. 8:23 a.m. —- —-1/30 6:18 p.m. 9:15 a.m. —- 10:43 p.m.1/31 1:01 a.m. 10:05 a.m. 6:16 p.m. 10:57 p.m.2/1 3:11 a.m. 10:55 a.m. 6:04 p.m. 11:36 p.m.2/2 5:16 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 5:46 p.m. —-2/3 7:36 a.m. 12:24 a.m. 5:19 p.m. 12:40 p.m.2/4 10:25 a.m. 1:18 a.m. 4:17 p.m. 2:05 p.m.2/5 1:02 p.m. 2:16 a.m. —- —-2/6 2:15 p.m. 3:17 a.m. —- —-2/7 3:08 p.m. 4:21 a.m. —- —-2/8 3:57 p.m. 5:24 a.m. —- —-2/9 4:40 p.m. 6:22 a.m. —- —-2/10 5:18 p.m. 7:15 a.m. —- —-2/11 5:44 p.m. 8:00 a.m. —- —-2/12 5:57 p.m. 8:39 a.m. —- —-2/13 5:56 p.m. 9:12 a.m. —- 10:02 p.m.2/14 1:07 a.m. 9:42 a.m. 5:44 p.m. 10:15 p.m.Port Isabel1/25 3:31 p.m. 5:17 a.m. —- —-1/26 4:13 p.m. 6:08 a.m. —- —-1/27 4:54 p.m. 7:00 a.m. 11:14 p.m. 7:34 p.m.1/28 5:30 p.m. 7:53 a.m. —- 7:49 p.m.1/29 12:46 a.m. 8:44 a.m. 5:59 p.m. 8:32 p.m.1/30 2:06 a.m. 9:35 a.m. 6:24 p.m. 9:29 p.m.1/31 3:28 a.m. 10:25 a.m. 6:44 p.m. 10:35 p.m.2/1 4:59 a.m. 11:14 a.m. 7:02 p.m. 11:45 p.m.2/2 6:43 a.m. 12:07 p.m. 7:17 p.m. —-2/3 8:42 a.m. 12:55 a.m. 7:29 p.m. 1:08 p.m.2/4 10:55 a.m. 2:03 a.m. 7:29 p.m. 3:04 p.m.2/5 1:06 p.m. 3:08 a.m. —- —-2/6 2:30 p.m. 4:09 a.m. —- —-2/7 3:28 p.m. 5:09 a.m. —- —-2/8 4:17 p.m. 6:04 a.m. —- —-2/9 5:00 p.m. 6:55 a.m. —- —-2/10 5:31 p.m. 7:39 a.m. —- 8:53 p.m.2/11 12:16 a.m. 8:17 a.m. 5:44 p.m. 8:16 p.m.2/12 1:14 a.m. 8:49 a.m. 5:47 p.m. 8:29 p.m.2/13 2:08 a.m. 9:17 a.m. 5:53 p.m. 9:09 p.m.2/14 3:02 a.m. 9:43 a.m. 6:02 p.m. 9:55 p.m.

1/25 7:15a/5:52p 7:28a/5:54p 7:27a/6:06p 7:51a/6:08p1/26 7:15a/5:53p 7:27a/5:55p 7:27a/6:07p 7:50a/6:09p1/27 7:14a/5:54p 7:26a/5:56p 7:26a/6:07p 7:50a/6:10p1/28 7:14a/5:55p 7:26a/5:57p 7:26a/6:08p 7:49a/6:11p1/29 7:13a/5:56p 7:25a/5:58p 7:25a/6:09p 7:48a/6:12p1/30 7:13a/5:57p 7:25a/5:58p 7:25a/6:10p 7:48a/6:13p1/31 7:12a/5:58p 7:24a/5:59p 7:24a/6:11p 7:47a/6:14p2/1 7:12a/5:59p 7:23a/6:00p 7:24a/6:12p 7:46a/6:15p2/2 7:11a/5:59p 7:23a/6:01p 7:23a/6:13p 7:46a/6:16p2/3 7:11a/6:00p 7:22a/6:02p 7:22a/6:13p 7:45a/6:17p2/4 7:10a/6:01p 7:21a/6:03p 7:22a/6:14p 7:44a/6:18p2/5 7:09a/6:02p 7:21a/6:04p 7:21a/6:15p 7:43a/6:19p2/6 7:09a/6:03p 7:20a/6:05p 7:20a/6:16p 7:42a/6:20p2/7 7:08a/6:04p 7:19a/6:06p 7:20a/6:17p 7:41a/6:21p2/8 7:07a/6:04p 7:18a/6:07p 7:19a/6:17p 7:40a/6:22p2/9 7:06a/6:05p 7:17a/6:08p 7:18a/6:18p 7:39a/6:23p2/10 7:06a/6:06p 7:16a/6:09p 7:18a/6:19p 7:38a/6:24p2/11 7:05a/6:07p 7:16a/6:10p 7:17a/6:20p 7:38a/6:25p2/12 7:04a/6:08p 7:15a/6:11p 7:16a/6:21p 7:37a/6:26p2/13 7:03a/6:08p 7:14a/6:11p 7:15a/6:21p 7:35a/6:27p2/14 7:02a/6:09p 7:13a/6:12p 7:14a/6:22p 7:34a/6:28p

1/25 3:33a/1:41p 3:49a/1:39p 3:45a/1:55p 4:16a/1:51p1/26 4:40a/2:39p 4:57a/2:36p 4:52a/2:54p 5:25a/2:48p1/27 5:45a/3:47p 6:01a/3:44p 5:56a/4:01p 6:29a/3:56p1/28 6:43a/5:00p 6:59a/4:59p 6:55a/5:14p 7:25a/5:12p1/29 7:33a/6:15p 7:47a/6:16p 7:45a/6:29p 8:12a/6:31p1/30 8:16a/7:29p 8:28a/7:32p 8:28a/7:42p 8:51a/7:48p1/31 8:53a/8:39p 9:03a/8:44p 9:05a/8:52p 9:24a/9:02p2/1 9:27a/9:46p 9:34a/9:54p 9:39a/9:59p 9:54a/10:14p2/2 9:59a/10:52p 10:04a/11:01p 10:12a/11:05p 10:22a/11:23p2/3 10:31a/11:57p 10:34a/none 10:44a/none 10:51a/none2/4 11:04a/none 11:06a/12:08a 11:18a/12:09a 11:21a/12:31a2/5 11:42a/1:01a 11:42a/1:14a 11:55a/1:13a 11:55a/1:39a2/6 12:23p/2:05a 12:22p/2:20a 12:37p/2:17a 12:34p/2:46a2/7 1:10p/3:07a 1:08p/3:23a 1:24p/3:19a 1:19p/3:50a2/8 2:02p/4:05a 1:59p/4:22a 2:16p/4:17a 2:10p/4:50a2/9 2:58p/4:58a 2:56p/5:15a 3:12p/5:10a 3:07p/5:42a2/10 3:56p/5:45a 3:54p/6:00a 4:10p/5:56a 4:07p/6:27a2/11 4:54p/6:25a 4:54p/6:39a 5:08p/6:37a 5:07p/7:05a2/12 5:50p/7:00a 5:52p/7:12a 6:04p/7:12a 6:07p/7:37a2/13 10:31a/11:57p 10:34a/none 10:44a/none 10:51a/none2/14 7:39p/7:58a 7:44p/8:07a 7:52p/8:10a 8:02p/8:28a

1/25 7:23a/1:09a 4:52p/11:05p 7:29a/1:15a 4:58p/11:11p1/26 7:52p/1:38p 5:18a/11:31a 7:58p/1:44p 5:24a/11:37a1/27 8:17a/2:01a 5:44p/11:57p 8:23a/2:07a 5:50p/——1/28 8:48p/2:32p 6:08a/12:22p 8:54p/2:38p 6:14a/12:03a1/29 9:14a/2:58a 6:35p/—— 9:20a/3:04a 6:41p/12:28p1/30 9:46p/3:30p 6:58a/12:44a 9:52p/3:36p 7:04a/12:50a1/31 10:13a/3:57a 7:24p/1:11p 10:19a/4:03a 7:30p/1:17p2/1 10:45p/4:29p 7:46a/1:33a 10:51p/4:35p 7:52a/1:39a2/2 11:13a/4:58a 8:13p/1:59p 11:19a/5:04a 8:19p/2:05p2/3 11:43p/5:28p 8:34a/2:21a 11:49p/5:34p7:18 p.m./2:27a2/4 12:13p/5:58a 9:00p/2:47p 12:19p/6:04a 12:13p/2:53p2/5 ——/6:27p 9:20a/3:07a ——/6:33p ——/3:13a2/6 12:45a/6:58a 9:45p/3:33p 12:51a/7:04a 12:45a/3:39p2/7 1:11p/7:25p 10:05a/3:53a 1:17p/7:31p 1:11p/3:59a2/8 1:44a/7:56a 10:29p/4:17p 1:50a/8:02a 1:44a/4:23p2/9 2:09p/8:21p 10:49a/4:38a 2:15p/8:27p 2:09p/4:44a2/10 2:40a/8:52a 11:12p/5:01p 2:46a/8:58a 2:40a/5:07p2/11 3:04p/9:17p 11:33a/5:22a 3:10p/9:23p 3:04p/5:28a2/12 3:34a/9:47a ——/5:43p 3:40a/9:53a 3:34a/5:49p2/13 3:59p/10:11p 12:03a/6:06a 4:05p/10:17p 3:59p/6:12a2/14 4:27a/10:40a 12:16p/6:26p 4:33a/10:46a 4:27a/6:32p

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WILD IN THE KITCHEN

Page 16 � January 27, 2006

GAME WARDEN BLOTTERSTEALTHY HUNTER FAKED OUT BY DEER AND WARDENS•Edwards County Game WardenCody Hatfield, Real CountyWarden Shane Hohman, and ValVerde County Warden JasonHuebner set out a decoy deer in agood spot in Edwards County to seewhat they might attract. Shortlyafter midnight a vehicle stopped,and the driver got out and “put theDaniel Boone stalk on the decoy,”according to authorities. WardenHuebner teasingly wiggled the tailwith the remote control and sud-denly three shots rang out from a.357 Mag Colt Python. The decoywas hit three times but will live towork again. Charges filed. No resti-tution.

TRAPPED BY THEIR OWN TRAP•Midland County Warden TerryLloyd was contacted by MidlandSheriff’s Office Constable ChocHarris about a quail trap located ina dumpsite. Lloyd along withWayne Armstrong of HowardCounty went to the reported site.Two people were questioned andone admitted to trapping quail.Cases pending.

TACKLE BOX CONTAINS UNUSUAL EQUIPMENT•Tarrant County Game WardenMichael McCall, while checkingbank fishermen along the WestFork of the Trinity River,approached two young fishermenand found that neither had a fish-ing license. A closer inspection oftheir tackle box revealed a glasspipe with marijuana residue. Theofficer got permission to searchtheir vehicle, where he reportedthat more paraphernalia wasfound. Citations for no fishinglicenses and possession of drugparaphernalia were issued.

HUNTER DIDN’T GIVE A HOOT FOR THE LAW•Tarrant County Game WardenMichael McCall teamed up withWise County Game Warden ChrisDowdy to interview a Wise Countyresident about his role in an illegalhunting incident that occurred inTarrant County Dec. 23. During theinterview, officers said the personadmitted to hunting during closedseason, waste of game and killingprotected, non-game birds. Thewardens seized the head of a 10-point buck and the carcasses of abarred owl and a great-horned owl.The investigation continues andother charges are expected.

KNOW YOUR DUCKS•Dallas County Warden Gary Millerand Rockwall County WardenJenny Simpson responded to a tipregarding duck hunters using leadshot on a pond in South DallasCounty. The wardens parked at thegate to the property and walked thehalf mile back to the pond. Theysaw two men trying to pull decoysin from the frozen pond water. Thetwo men climbed into their truckand began to leave the field.Wardens Miller and Simpsonchecked the men’s hunting licensesand one duck they had in their pos-session. The men said that they had

a gadwall in the truck. WardenMiller explained that the duck wasa pintail hen. The men then statedthat they had four more ducks stuckon the pond. Miller found thatthere were three more pintails stillon the water. After fishing out theducks, citations were issued to eachman for taking a pintail in a closedseason, and civil restitution wasordered.

DEER CARCASS COMES BACK TO HAUNT BOYS•Henderson County Game WardenAudie Hamm investigated a callabout a deer carcass with the headcut off. Hamm located three youngsuspects. After questioning, thethree admitted to shooting anddumping the deer. After they shotit, they were scared that their par-ents would find out so they discard-ed the deer. Cases pending.

DEER CARCASS DUMPED IN SUBDIVISION•Polk County Game WardenSuzanne Baker received a call that adoe carcass had been dumped inthe middle of a subdivision. After alot of interviews, a 39-year-oldfemale resident of the neighbor-hood confessed but said a friendcleaned the deer for her. She wascited for possession of untagged

deer, and the friend was cited forillegal dumping.

JINGLE, JINGLE ALL THE WAY TO JAIL•Briscoe County Game WardenClint Hunt and his family were cel-ebrating Christmas Eve when theyhad three uninvited guests show upat their home — and no it wasn’tSanta and his elves. One personknocked on the door and Huntanswered. Hunt was in plain clothesand his patrol vehicle was in thegarage. The man at the doorrequested gas and money. Huntsmelled alcohol on the man’sbreath. Hunt told the man he’d beoutside in a minute with a can ofgas. Hunt put on a pistol and a gamewarden jacket and he and hisfather-in-law went outside. Onceoutside, a second and third man gotout of the vehicle. Hunt decided totell them he was a peace officer.Two of the men got back into thevehicle, and one started the engine.Hunt told them to turn the vehicleoff and get out. The men protested,telling Hunt that he couldn’t stopthem. The officer told them thatthey stopped in his yard and that noone was going anywhere. It wasobvious to Hunt that the three wereintoxicated. Hunt had his father-in-law retrieve his hand-held radio,

and he called for back-up. One ofthe men was on parole with a longcriminal record; the second alsohad a long criminal history; and thethird had no history. Once thetrooper arrived, the three werearrested for public intoxication.One suspect resisted arrest. Themen were charges with offensesranging from public intoxication totrespassing. Cases pending.

LITTLE OYSTERS MEAN LOTS OF TROUBLE•Aransas County Game WardenCharles Mayer arrived at a localdock to check on loads of oystersbeing brought in. Mayer found onepallet of sacked oysters tagged andready for market. Mayer saw thatthe oysters were very small. Thecaptain of the boat that unloadedthe oysters was nowhere to befound. Mayer contacted fellowWarden Jason Bussey for assistance.Mayer and Bussey counted the oys-ters and took good photographicevidence of the load and the cap-tain’s tags that were attached to thesacks. Just as the wardens were fin-ishing their count, the captainarrived and asked the wardens whyhis cargo needed to be looked at.Mayer obliged the captain with acitation for a 61-percent undersizeload and a trip back to the bay toreturn the entire load.

A LOONY EXPLANATION•San Patricio County GameWarden Sam Harris contacted agroup of duck hunters who were alittle nervous to show him whatthey had killed. Harris discovered aloon and two water turkeys in thegame bag. The hunters said theywere not sure what they had, butthey knew it was duck season andthese big black ducks flew by theirduck blind.

Falls County Warden Travis Allen learned that awarden’s job has some great rewards other than justcatching the bad guys and protecting the resourcesof Texas. On Dec. 22, he helped an 11-year-old boygo on a deer hunt that probably would have neverhappened under his current situation. The boy’smother had died of cancer, and his father andbrother had died in a car wreck. He was living withhis grandparents and the grandfather had agreed

that the young man could hunt with Allen. First,Allen took the boy to shoot a rifle so he would beready to hunt. Then he took him out that day on afriend’s lease, and although he did not get a deerthe boy enjoyed the outing. When Allen told BellCounty Warden Ronnie Langford about the boy’shunting trip, they made a plan for another hunt.Langford and Allen brought the boy to a lease inKilleen, and he shot his first deer, a 4-point buck.

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January 27 2006 � Page 17

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JAN. 26-29: San Antonio Boat Show atthe Alamo Dome. The event will offerSky Ranch Kids fishing adventure,Skeeter trailer, free seminars, bassaquarium and fishing demonstrations,150 exhibitors, and 14 local boatdealers. The weekend times are 10a.m.-9 p.m.

Jan. 27-29: The Dallas Safari Club’sannual convention at Dallas MarketHall. The Dallas Safari Club touts itsannual convention as the South’slargest international adventureexposition with more than 700exhibits from Alaska to Zimbabwe. Itincludes spectacular wildlifedisplays, celebrity guests, liveentertainment, banquets and liveand silent auctions featuring thefinest global adventures, art andequipment for the sportsman andsportswoman. The event will includeseminars by hunting greats such as“Mr. Whitetail” Larry Weishuhn andbig-game hunter Craig T.Boddington, who will speak onleopard hunting. Both men will givepresentations on Friday andSaturday during the convention. Theevent is open to the public andparking is free. Admission is $15per day, $25 for two days and $35for three days. Visitwww.biggame.org or call (972) 980-

9800 for more information.

Jan. 28: Texas State Turkey CallingContest, Bass Pro Shops, Katy. Thewinner qualifies for the GrandNationals in Nashville for 2007.Calling starts at 2 p.m. For moreinformation, e-mail Bob Linder atrlinderhaus@aol.com or call him at(713) 621-0505.

Jan. 28: Linden/Atlanta DU dinnerat the Atlanta Country Club. DUmembers are invited to enjoy theclosing weekend of duck season.Contact: John Kirkland; Brian Caveat (903) 756-3392, (903) 846-2115 or e-mail ythomas@ducks.org.

February: Texas Freshwater FisheriesCenter Trout Harvest in Athens.Every Tuesday through Sunday.Catch and keep trout from ourfishing pond. Equipment and baitprovided, no fishing license requiredand no size limit. Times are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m.Sunday; $5 fee for up to five fishper person. The regular entrancefees apply; call (903) 676-Bass.

Feb. 2: Chaparral WMA — 8thAnnual Prescribed Burning Seminar.Topics are geared toward privatelandowners and include rules forprescribed burning in Texas,planning a burn and conducting itsafely, the role of summer fire,prescribed burning associations inmanaging invasive woody plants andother topics. Weather permitting, aburn will be conducted and a tour ofprevious burns on the WMA andrange plant identification will begiven. Registration fee of $10includes lunch; pre-registrationrequired by Jan. 30. Call (830)676-3413 for more information.

Feb. 3: Rusk Co./Henderson DUdinner at the National Guard Armory.Contact: Ronald Ellis at phone

number (903) 657-5790 or e-mailhim at rinstine@pandai. com.

Feb. 3: Borger DU dinner at thecountry club. This event is one ofthe top dinners in the TexasPanhandle with lots of prizes andgames. It’s a possible sellout, sodon’t wait to get your tickets.Contact Heather Darbonne at (806)274-3228 or e-mailjwhite@ducks.org.

Feb. 4: East Texas Nation DUVolunteer Appreciation Day, NationalGuard Armory-Henderson, 600Sands Ave. at the Lake Forest Parkentrance. This event is to honor allEast Texas DU volunteers. Activitieswill include national raffle packageswith prizes such as a Yamaha 4-wheeler and a War-Eagle boat andtrailer. One of the packages fromNo. 1 to No. 87 will be given awayfor our location in Henderson. Youmust be present to win the nationalprize packages. Find moreinformation and register online atwww.ducks.org. Contact YazooThomas at (936) 368-7263 orythomas@ducks.org.

Feb. 4: South Texas National DUVolunteer Appreciation Day atCabela’s in Buda. Doors will open at12:30 p.m. in the upstairs WhitetailConference Room. There is no costto attend this event. Food andbeverages will be provided, courtesyof Cabela’s. Our activities willinclude national raffle packages.One of the packages from #11 to#87 will be given away for ourlocation at Cabela’s. You must bepresent to win the national prizepackages. Contact Todd Willinghamat (830) 624-7913 ortwillingham@ducks.org.

Feb. 4: North Texas NationalVolunteer Appreciation Day in

Grapevine at the Lancaster Theater,300 South Main St. Doors will openaround noon, with a live broadcastat 1 p.m. The event is free and foodand beverages will be provided.National prize packages will begiven away. Contact Jim Lillis formore information at (903) 891-9011 or jlillis@ducks.org.

Feb. 4: Texas Parks and Wildlife’sBasic Fishing Clinic in Beaumont.This clinic will give families achance to learn the basics offishing, including knot tying,casting, safety, regulations andmore. Held at Gander Mountain,5855 Eastex Freeway. Class sizelimited to 25; available to ages 10and above; parents must accompanychildren; times are from 1-4 p.m.;registration required; contact MaryDavis at (409) 866-0490.

Feb. 4: The Texas FreshwaterFisheries Center in Athens will hostanother in a series of fly-fishingclinics from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Theclass is open to adults 18 andolder. No fly-fishing experience isrequired. Equipment will beprovided, but students may bringtheir own. The $50 fee includesentrance to TFFC for the day of theclass, lunch and a season pass toTFFC so students can return formore fishing as often as they like.Reservations are required, and theclass is limited to 20. To registercall Barry St. Clair at (903) 670-2222.

Feb. 4: Basic Fishing InstructorCourse in Brownsville. This freeclass will provide participants withhands-on activities, instructionalmaterials and access to equipmentto teach youth and adults basicfishing skills. Held at the Universityof Texas at Brownsville. Wearcomfortable clothing and bring a

sack lunch and drink. Class size islimited; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; preregistra-tion required. Contact Dr. ReyRamirez at Reynaldo.Ramirez@utb.edu or (956) 882-8979.

Feb. 4: Coleto Creek Reservoir andPark angler education instructorcourse. Free workshop open to those17 or older interested in teachingthe basics of fishing. The programprovides the curriculum, equipment,materials and support to helpvolunteers introduce youth andfamilies to fishing. Time is 10 a.m.-3p.m.; preregistration required,contact Charles Schons at cfschons@awesomenet.net or (361) 575-8600.

Feb. 4: Mexica DU banquet. ContactIvan Jackson, Jr. at (254) 562-7117or e-mail him at westernauto@glade.net.

Feb. 4: Bastrop County DU dinner.Contact David Long at (512) 303-3376 or e-mail him at dlong@dwhomes.com.

Feb. 4-5: Chaparral WMA — Youth-Only Javelina Hunt. Youth must beaccompanied by adult, but onlyyouth may hunt; no fee is charged.Permits issued by drawing; standbyapplicants must be present by 10a.m. first day of hunt. Call (830)676-3413 for more information.

Feb. 5-8: Kickapoo Cavern SPsched-uled hunts, 10 p.m. Feb. 5 to2 p.m. Feb. 8; call (830) 563-2342.

Feb. 9: Jasper DU dinner at theJasper VFW. Auction to include guns,prints and decoys. Contact RyanPowell, Reagen Clotiaux at (936)671-0171or 409-384-7005.

Feb. 11: Jefferson DU dinner at theFFW Hall. Contact Richard Kale at(903) 938-8202 or e-mail him atgstone@marshallpd.com.

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FISHING TACKLE

RANCHESPROPERTIES

FISHING REPORTPage 18 � January 27, 2006

CENTRAL

BASTROP: Water stained. Black bass are fair onwhite spinnerbaits and shallow diving crankbaitsover grass. Crappie are fair on minnows and smallgreen tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair onpunchbait and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow.

BELTON: Water murky; 69 degrees; 3.01' low. Blackbass are fair on white/silver Rat-L-Traps and deepdiving crankbaits. Hybrid striper are slow. White bassare good on minnows and watermelon red striperjigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel andblue catfish are fair on stinkbait and chicken livers.Yellow catfish are slow.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.45'low. Black bass to 6 pounds are good on black/blueStrikeWorks jigs, white spinnerbaits, and plum appleZoom worms in the main lake, and 200 seriesAlabama Shad colored Persuader Stealth shadcrankbaits on main lake flats. Hybrid striper to 7pounds are excellent on 300 series Alabama shadcolored Persuader crankbaits under lights at dawn.White bass are fair on small tube jigs and Li'l Fishiesat night under lights. Crappie are fair on small tubejigs and minnows in 12 - 18 feet. Catfish are slow.

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 51 degrees; 7.50' low.Black bass are slow to fair on motor oil Devil'sTongues on drop shot rigs, watermelon/red Carolinarigged Snap Back creature baits, and JDC Craws onjigheads along ledges and secondary creek points in12 - 25 feet. Striped bass are good trollingwhite/chartreuse striper jigs, swimming Snap Backjerkbaits on RED Bait Jerker hooks, jigging silverPerk Minnows, and drifting live bait along the mainriver channel up the lake from The Willows. Whitebass are slow to fair on 2” Spoiler Shads, jigging1/8oz. Tiny Traps, and Perk Minnows on the outsideof main lake creek points in 20 - 30 feet. Crappieare slow to fair on minnows. Channel catfish areslow. Yellow and blue catfish are slow

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 52 degrees; 2.49' low.Black bass are fair on Texas rigged 6” green/pump-kin Scoundrel worms, pumpkin Snap Back lizards,and creature baits in submerged timber on mainlake points in 10 - 25 feet. Striped bass are fair on3” Spoiler Shads and vertically jigging Perk Minnowsfrom Comal Park down the lake. White bass are fairjigging Pirk Minnows, Tiny Traps, and Li'l Georges in20 - 30 foot channels. Smallmouth bass are good on3” smoke JDC Craws and brown hair jigs with porkstrip trailers over rock piles and along deep-waterledges. Crappie are fair but mostly small on minnowsat the fishing dock. Channel catfish are slow. Yellowand blue catfish are slow.

COLEMAN: Water clear; 49 degrees; 2.08' low.Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. Crappieare slow. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellowcatfish are slow.

COLORADO RIVER: (At Colorado Bend State Park)Water murky. Black bass are slow. Striped bass arefair on white/green spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps.White bass are good on silver and white striper jigs.Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse tubejigs. Catfish are slow.

DUNLAP/MCQUEENY: Water murky; 58 degrees.Black bass are good on crawdad colored StormWiggle Warts, Fred Arbogast Mud-Bugs, BlackOldham's Jigs with Reaction Innovations black mini-skirts, Texas rigged 7.5” Red Shad Berkley PowerWorms, and 3” Black Power Craws under docks nearthe channel in 10 - 15 feet. White bass are excel-lent on live minnows and 1/8oz. White Curb'sCrappie jigs at night under green lights in 8 - 20feet. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish arefair on cut shad, dead shad, and nightcrawlers inswift water upriver at the powerhouse, and in front ofthe Ski Lodge in 10 - 15 feet. Yellow catfish areslow.

FAYETTE: Water clear; 64 degrees. Black bass aregood on white and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits andwacky worms over grass in 3 - 8 feet. Channel andblue catfish are very good on stinkbait and peeledshrimp dipped in attractant on ridges over baitedholes in 12 - 16 feet.

GRANBURY: Water stained; 0.49' low. Black bassare fair on silver and white Rat-L-Traps and spinner-baits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair onminnows and silver striper jigs. Crappie are fair onminnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Catfish are goodon liver, frozen shrimp, and stinkbait.

GRANGER: Water murky; 52 degrees; 0.17' low.Black bass are slow. White bass are fair on whitetwister tail jigs up the river among shad. Crappie arefair on jigs in deep-water brush piles. Blue catfishare good on fresh shad in the Friendship Park area.Yellow catfish are slow.

LBJ: Water stained to clear; 52 degrees. Black bassare fair on Texas rigged watermelon/red Craw Tubes,black/blue _oz. Terminator Pro Series jigs with porktrailers, and 5” JDC Craws over brushpiles and lay-downs in 6 - 12 feet. Striped bass are fair early onSpoiler Shads and soft jerkbaits on RED Bait Jerkerhooks along channel turns and creek points. Whitebass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows underheated/enclosed boat docks. Channel catfish areslow. Yellow and blue catfish are slow.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water fairly clear; 4.07' low.Black bass are fair on yellow/white spinnerbaits andcrankbaits. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair onminnows. Channel and blue catfish are good onstinkbait and chicken livers. Yellow catfish are slow.

PROCTOR: Water stained; 46 degrees; 5.24' low.Black bass are fair on white/pink/salmon deep divingcrankbaits and jigs. Striped bass are good deep onwhite jigs with trailers. White bass are slow. Crappieare good on minnows and tube jigs. Channel andblue catfish are fair on stinkbait, nightcrawlers, andshad. Yellow catfish are slow.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 3.07' low. Black bassare slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass aregood on shad and silver Rat-L-Traps in 5 - 7 feet.Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are goodon stinkbait. Yellow catfish are slow.

STILLHOUSE: Water clear; 56 degrees; 0.86' low.Black bass are good on watermelon seed and pump-kinseed crankbaits. White bass are slow. Smallmouthbass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows at night.Channel and blue catfish are fair on hot dogs, shrimp,and minnows. Carp are good on corn. Yellow catfishare slow.

TRAVIS: Water clear; 57 degrees; 17.20' low. Blackbass to 3.5 pounds are good on green pumpkin tubesand chrome Radar 13 crankbaits in 12 - 30 feet.Striped bass are slow. White bass to 1 pound are fairon CC spoons and minnows in 22 - 35 feet. Crappie to12” are fair on minnows and roadrunner jigs in 14 -27 feet. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow cat-fish are slow.

WALTER E. LONG: Water clear; 60 degrees. Blackbass are good on Black Salty baitfish. Hybrid striperare slow. White bass are good on minnows and whitespinnerbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Channeland blue catfish are fair on nightcrawlers, shrimp, andpunchbait. Yellow catfish are slow.

WHITNEY: Water clear; 5.97' low. Black bass are slow.Striped bass are fair on pumpkinseed and watermelonseed striper jigs and live bait. White bass are fair onminnows and silver jigging spoons. Crappie are fair onminnows. Catfish are good on stinkbait, minnows, andnightcrawlers.

NORTHEAST

ATHENS: Water clear, 48-52 degrees; 2.77' low. Blackbass are fair on crankbaits and red Rat-L-Traps in 8-10feet. Bream are fair on live worms. Crappie are fair onminnows and jigs. Catfish are fair to good on preparedbaits.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 49-52 degrees; 6.04' low.Black bass are fair on watermelon/red Brush Hogsfished in 6-8 feet. White bass are fair on small jiggingspoons in the major creek channels. Crappie are goodon jigs and minnows fished around man-made brush-piles in 18 - 23 feet. Catfish are good on chicken liv-ers fished around cormorant roost.

CADDO: Water fairly clear; 52-58 degrees; 1.23 low.Black bass are fair to good on black/blue jigs andwhite spinnerbait fished around trees in 3-5 feet.Crappie are good on white/pink head 1/16 oz. jigsfished on the edges of the main channel. Catfish arefair on limb lines with cut bait.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 50-54 degrees; 4.75'low. White bass are good on jigging spoons. Hybridstriper are good on Sassy Shad under the birds. Catfishare good on cut bait and Danny King's Punch Bait.

COOPER: Water stained; 49-52 degrees; 12.02' low.Black bass are slow on jigging spoons and black/bluejigs. Crappie are slow on brush piles and standing tim-ber in 10-18 feet on minnows. White bass are slow.Catfish are fair to good along creek channels on pre-pared baits. Due to the low level of the lake, boatersare advised to use extreme caution.

FAIRFIELD: Water clear; 69-80 degrees. Black bassare good on white Senkos and Pop-R's fished abovethe grass on secondary points, later switching toCarolina-rigged junebug lizards fished off the edges ofthe grass in 5 - 9 feet. Hybrid striper are slow onwhite/chartreuse TailHummers and live shad on mainlake points. Redfish are slow on CP SpecialTailHummers and live shad in the inlet cove andaround the dam. Catfish are fair on prepared baits andlive shad on main lake flats.

FORK: Water clear; 48-50 degrees; 4.33' low. Blackbass are slow along the main lake grass lines on _ oz.crawdad or red with chartreuse belly Rat-L-Traps andfiretiger spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows in24-26 feet on deeper flats. Catfish are good on pre-pared baits and Black Salty baitfish in 26-30 feet.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 52-57 degrees; 6.98' low.Black bass are fair on shad pattern or chartreusecrankbaits, gold/orange jerkbaits, drop shot rigs andRayburn red lipless crankbaits. Spotted bass are fairon jerkbaits along the dam. Crappie are good on min-nows and jigs in deep water. White bass are good onyellow or white slabs and tail-kickers fished under thebirds and around the aerator. Catfish are fair on cutbait.

JOE POOL: Water stained; 50-54 degrees; 3.86' low.Black bass are fair on watermelon/red flake and juneb-ug Carolina-rigged worms. Crappie are fair on minnowsover brushpiles and around bridge pilings in 25 feet.White bass are fair on chrome or chartreuse slabs, jig-ging spoons and pearl TailHummers. Catfish are goodon cut shad drifted next to creek channels.

LAKE O' THE PINES: Water stained; 49-53 degrees;4.37' low. Black bass are fair on jigging spoons andRat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in20-25 feet (fishermen keep first 25 crappie, regardlessof size, December thru February). Yellow bass are goodon minnows and jigs in 35 feet. Blue catfish are fair ontrotlines with goldfish and shiners.

LAVON: Water stained; 49-55 degrees; 10.05' low.Black bass are slow to fair on Carolina rigged watermel-on candy Brush Hogs and brown/orange crankbaits.Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass arefair on Road Runners and slabs. Catfish are fair on cutbait.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 50-54 degrees; 7.58' low.Black bass are slow on suspending rogues, spinnerbaitsand soft plastics. Crappie are fair on brown/blue jigsand minnows. Catfish are good on liver and cut shad inthe creeks along bends and humps.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 57 degrees mid lake -80 degrees at the hot water discharge; 5.94' low. Blackbass are fair on chartreuse spinnerbaits and black neonworms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfishare fair on bloodbait.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 50-54 degrees; 0.46'low. Black bass are fair to good on Carolina and dropshot rigged sour grape or watermelon/chartreuse frenchfries in 16 - 22 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and

jigs. Catfish are fair to good on prepared baits andBlack Salty baitfish.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 49-54 degrees; 3.45' low.Black bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps and chartreuse spin-nerbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.Catfish are fair on prepared baits and cut shad. Whitebass are fair on slabs and Rat-L-Traps. Hybrid striperare fair on shad and Sassy Shad.

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 49-55 degrees;4.34' low. Black bass are fair on chrome Rat-L-Traps,spinnerbaits and Carolina-rigged black/blue worms.Crappie are slow to fair on minnows and jigs in themarinas and around bridge columns. White bass arefair on slabs and minnows. Hybrid striper are fair onslabs over humps. Catfish are fair on prepared baits.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 50-55 degrees; 3.68' low.Black bass are slow to fair on chrome or shad mediumdiving crankbaits, black/blue jigs and spinnerbaits.Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in and aroundthe marina in the empty boat slips. White bass aregood on jigging spoons in 30 - 35 feet on main lakeshelves close to deep water, near the points. Catfish areslow.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 49-54degrees; 5.33' low. Black bass are slow to fair oncrankbaits and jigs. White bass are fair to good onwhite or chartreuse slabs and TailHummers. Crappieare slow on minnows and jigs in 18-24 feet aroundbrush piles. Catfish are fair drift fishing shad in 12-20feet.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 50-54 degrees; 8.41' low.Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and min-nows around pylons. White bass are fair to good onwhite or chartreuse slabs fished close to bottom onhumps and ridges. Striped bass and hybrid striper arefair on 4” Sassy Shad and slabs. Catfish are good onshad and prepared baits.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 49-54 degrees; 2.76' low. Blackbass are fair on jigs and soft plastics fished aroundboat slips. Smallmouth bass are fair on crawfish pat-tern crankbaits and jigging spoons around vertical rockstructure. Crappie are fair on minnows around boat-houses. Striped bass are slow to fair on live shad, slabsand Sassy Shad. Blue catfish are fair on cut shad andprepared baits.

WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 49-52 degrees; 7' low.Black bass are fair. Crappie are good in the fishingbarge and marina boat slips on white head/chartreusebody/orange tail jigs and minnows. Catfish are slow.White bass are poor. Bream are good on worms. Thenew boat ramp is open, but with the low water levelboaters are advised to exercise caution.

SOUTH

AMISTAD: Water fairly clear; 56 degrees. Black bassare good on watermelon seed red heavy jigs on dropshot rigs. Striped bass are good on silver slabs and sil-ver/red striper jigs up the Rio Grande. White bass aregood on silver slabs and silver/white striper jigs up theRio Grande. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfishare slow. Yellow catfish are slow.

BRAUNIG: Water stained; 88 degrees. Black bass areslow. Striped bass are fair on chicken livers on the bot-tom, and down rigging spoons in 15 - 25 feet. Redfishare fair on perch and tilapia on the bottom, and downrigging spoons in 15 - 25 feet. Channel and blue cat-fish are good on liver, shrimp, and shad. Yellow catfishare slow.

CALAVERAS: Water stained; 86 degrees. Black bassare slow. Striped bass are fair on chicken livers and sil-ver spoons near the dam. Redfish are slow. Crappie areslow. Channel catfish are good on liver, shrimp, andnightcrawlers. Blue catfish are fair on liver and night-crawlers. Yellow catfish are slow.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 55 degrees; 3.16'low. Black bass to 9 pounds are good on white/yellowNichols spinnerbaits with matching blades, black/blueflake 10" YUM Rib Worms, and green pumpkin/purpleand watermelon blue fleck 7" YUM Zellamander lizardson Falcon weighted hooks in backs of coves, alongrocky ledges in the main lake, and upriver in 2 - 8 feet.White bass are good vertically jigging chartreuseBerkley Blade Dancers, Bomber slabs, and white jigstipped with live minnows at night around main lakepoints, at the mouth of the river, and around the Hwy.99 bridge in 5 - 10 feet. Crappie are fair on chartreuseCurb's crappie jigs tipped with live minnows overbrushpiles and standing timber in 6 - 15 feet. Channeland blue catfish to 6 pounds are fair on Lewis Kingpunchbait, large minnows, and Black Salty baitfish in10 - 20 feet. Yellow catfish to 20 pounds are fair ontrotlines and juglines baited with hybrid bluegills andBlack Salty baitfish.

COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 63 degrees (76 degreesat hot water discharge); 2.69' low. Black bass areexcellent on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plasticsin 8 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow.Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good ontrotlines baited with live perch in 12 feet. Yellow cat-fish are slow.

FALCON: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees. Black bassare good on watermelon red and red bug soft plasticworms, and chartreuse/white spinnerbaits. Striped bassare slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfishare excellent on cutbait, stinkbait, and frozen shrimp.Yellow catfish are slow. Mexican fishing licenses andboat permits are required to fish in Mexican waters.Everyone in the boat must have a Mexico FishingLicense whether fishing or not.

MEDINA: Water stained; 54 degrees; 10.86' low. Blackbass to 4 pounds are fair on drop shot rigged watermel-on red flake Zoom Super Fluke Jr's, magic craw redReaction Innovations Flirts, and crawfish jigs withmatching trailers along main lake points in 10 - 20feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are very goodvertically jigging chrome/blue Pirk minnows and liveminnows in backs of coves, and on chrome/blue shadraps and gay blades upriver. Crappie are good on liveminnows and white crappie jigs around brushpiles andstanding timber at night under lights in 10 - 25 feet.Channel and blue catfish to 6 pounds are fair on LewisKing punchbait, shrimp dipped in chicken blood, andBlack Salty baitfish. Yellow catfish to 20 pounds are

very good on juglines baited with perch and goldfish.

SOUTHEAST

CONROE: Water stained; 3.63' low. Black bass are fairon blue/white spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are fair on live bait. Crappie aregood on minnows and green tube jigs. Catfish are fairon stinkbait and shrimp.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water stained. Black bass are fairon watermelon seed soft plastic worms, lizards, andcrankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue/redtube jigs. Catfish are fair on shrimp, minnows, andstinkbait.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 56 degrees; 0.14'high. Black bass are fair on sour grape Trick wormseast of the marina in 5 - 10 feet. Crappie are fair onlive minnows near the spillway on the bottom in 28feet. Catfish are slow.

LIVINGSTON: Water murky; 53 degrees; 4.22' low.Black bass to 3.5 pounds are good on black/bluecrankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are slow.White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows.Channel and blue catfish are very good on cutbait andprepared baits. Yellow catfish are slow.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 64 degrees;4.70' low. Black bass are good on watermelon red andwatermelon seed spinnerbaits and soft plastic wormsover grass and brush. Crappie are fair on minnows andchartreuse tube jigs.

TOLEDO BEND: Water clear; 65 degrees; 8.82' low.Black bass are good on pumpkinseed Rat-L-Traps andcrankbaits, watermelon seed soft plastic lizards, andcrawfish colored crankbaits over grass and in creeks.Crappie are good on live minnows over brush and grassin 15 - 20 feet. Catfish are fair on stinkbait, shrimp,and chicken livers.

PANHANDLE

BAYLOR: Water lightly stained; 51 degrees. Black bassare slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 41 degrees; 21.35'low. Black bass are fair on jigs and Carolina-riggedwatermelon soft plastics along main lake points inafternoon. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Whitebass are good on live bait. Smallmouth bass are fair onlive bait. Walleye are fair on live bait and jerkbaits.Catfish are fair on chicken liver.

MACKENZIE: Water lightly stained; 40 degrees; 67'low. Black bass are fair on live bait. Crappie are fair onminnows and jigs. White bass and striped bass aregood on live bait. Smallmouth bass are fair. Walleye aregood on minnows and bottom bouncers. Catfish are fairon cut shad.

MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 43 degrees; 24.5'low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnowsand jigs. White bass are fair on live bait near rockypoints. Smallmouth bass are fair on jerkbaits and livebait. Walleye are fair on bottom bouncers and live bait.Channel catfish are fair.

PALO DURO: Water lightly stained; 39 degrees; 42.75'low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs andminnows. Smallmouth bass are fair. Walleye are slowfair on minnows. Catfish are fair on prepared baits.

WEST

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 44 degrees. Blackbass are fair on black/chartreuse jigs fished tight tocover. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.

ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 51 degrees; 1.9'low. Black bass are slow on spinnerbaits in back ofcoves and creeks. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigsnear derricks about 17' and at Henrietta Bridge, DeerCreek and State Park. White bass are fair on shad-imi-tation baits east of State Park and at mouth of SailboatCove. Blue catfish are good on cut shad, prepared baitsand juglines on upper end of lake near cormorant roostsites.

COLORADO CITY: Water clear; 58 degrees. Black bassare slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Whitebass are fair. Redfish are slow. Catfish are fair.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 56 degrees; 4.55'low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnowsand jigs. White bass are fair. Catfish are fair.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 54 degrees;9.5' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigsand minnows. White bass and hybrid striper are fair.Catfish are fair on live bait.

NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees. Blackbass are slow. Crappie are fair on live bait. Redfish arefair. White bass and striped bass are good on minnows.Catfish are fair on live bait and punch bait.

OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 52 degrees; 18.65'low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnowsand jigs. Catfish are fair on worms and chicken liver.No boat ramps open. 4x4 vehicles can unload on thedirt road near the dam.

OH. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 16.65'low. Black bass are fair on live bait. Crappie are fair onminnows and jigs. White bass are fair on live bait.Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait. Channel catfishare slow.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 53 degrees; 3.5' low.Black bass are fair in Rock Creek area. White bass aregood in Bluff Creek and Neely's Slough. Striped bassare fair near piers in Willow Beach area. Blue andchannel catfish are fair in the upper part of reservoir.Rainbow Trout are good below the dam near Highway16 Bridge with another release of 2,250 on January 6.

SPENCE: Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 45.55'low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow on minnowsand jigs. White bass are fair. Striped bass and hybrid

striper are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cutshad.

STAMFORD: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; Blackbass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.White and striped bass are fair. Catfish are fair onchicken liver.

SWEETWATER: Water lightly stained; 47 degrees;31.7' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on min-nows and jigs. White bass are fair. Catfish are fair.

WHITE RIVER: Water lightly stained; 46 degrees;22.65' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigsand minnows. Walleye are fair. Channel catfish are fairon live bait.

WICHITA: Water muddy; 51 degrees; .5' low. Crappieare slow. White bass and hybrid striped bass are fair onlarge minnows and white twister-tails along dam, nearspillway and trolling. Channel catfish are fair on baitshrimp, punch bait or trotlines.

COASTAL

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good while driftingscattered shell in the middle of the lake on glow SandEels, Bass Assassins and Trout Killers. Redfish aregood around the warm water discharge on shrimp andgold spoons.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good on the Reef onglow, plum, red shad and black Sand Eels, BassAssassins and Trout Killers. Trout, croakers, sand troutand black drum are fair to good at the causeway atnight on live shrimp and DOA Shrimp.

BOLIVAR: Trout, redfish and flounder are fair in themarsh cuts on mud minnows and shrimp. Redfish,black drum and whiting are fair in the surf on shrimpand cut mullet.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are fair to good drifting shell in 3-5feet of water on limetreuse, plum, bone and red shadTrout Killers, Red Killers, Bass Assassins and SandEels. Redfish, black drum, croaker and flounder are fairto good on shrimp in the cuts and at the Spillway.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on mid-bay reefs on live shrimp and under a popping cork andglow and plum Hogies, Red Killers, Bass Assassins andSand Eels. Whiting, redfish and black drum are goodalong the jetty on fresh dead shrimp.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on glow,pumpkinseed and red shad Bass Assassins, Sand Eelsand Trout Killers around Meacom's and Green's Cut.Trout are fair to good while wading mud bottoms onMirrOlures and Corkies.

TEXAS CITY: Whiting, sand trout, black drum andsheepshead are fair to good on fresh dead shrimp fromthe dike. Redfish and black drum are fair on crabs andmullet at the jetty.

FREEPORT: Redfish and black drum are fair to good atSan Luis Pass, the mouth of the New River, the Boilersand Christmas Bay on finger mullet and shrimp.Whiting are good in the surf on shrimp.

EAST MATAGORDA: Trout are fair to good over shelland along the mud shorelines on Corkies and fire tiger,red shad and glow Bass Assassins, Red Killers, SandEels and Trout Killers. Redfish and black drum are fairto good on the reefs on live shrimp under a poppingcork.

MATAGORDA: Trout are fair to good while drifting deepshell on fire tiger, pumpkinseed and red shad SandEels, Red Killers and Bass Assassins. Redfish are fairto good in the Diversion Channel on shrimp and mullet.Trout are fair to good at night in the Colorado River ontandem- rigged DOA Shrimp and glow beetles.

PORT O'CONNOR: Trout are fair to good on the shellreefs in San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bay onglow/chartreuse and plum Trout Killers, Red Killers,Bass Assassins and Sand Eels. Whiting, redfish, blackdrum and sheepshead are fair to good on shrimp at thejetty.

ROCKPORT: Trout and redfish are fair to good on lime-treuse and bone Trout Killers, Bass Assassins, NortonSand Eels and shrimp around Traylor Island and MudIsland. Redfish are fair to good on the Estes Flats onshrimp and She Dogs.

PORT ARANSAS: Sheepshead and trout are good offthe jetty on live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfishand whiting are fair to good in the surf on peeledshrimp.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good while driftingscattered shell in Nueces Bay on glow, plum, black andred shad Trout Killers, Bass Assassins and Sand Eels.Redfish and black drum are fair on crabs and mullet inthe holes.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout and redfish are fair to good whiledrifting the grass beds adjacent to the Intracoastal onglow, plum and red shad Trout Killers, Bass Assassinsand Sand Eels. Trout are fair to good at Yarborough andRocky Slough on Corkies, MirrOlures and glow softplastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout and redfish are fair to goodwhile drifting grass beds on bone or glow Red Killers,Bass Assassins and Sand Eels. Trout are fair to good atnight in the Land Cut on DOA Shrimp and glow BassAssassins.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfish are fair to good on goldspoons over grass beds adjacent to the Intracoastal.Trout are fair on the ledges of the Intracoastal on liveshrimp and DOA Shrimp.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good atUnnecessary Island on plum and glow Red Killers andBass Assassins. Redfish, black drum and sheepsheadare fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and mullet.

ORLANDO, FL— A small compa-ny in Connecticut has developed anew lure that mimics the motion ofa real fish so realistically eight pro-fessionals couldn’t tell the differ-ence between it and a live shad

when it “swam”toward them onretrieval. The designeliminates wobbling,angled swimming andother unnaturalmotions that problemother hard bait lures. Itswims upright andappears to propel

itself with its tail.Curiously, the company may

have designed it too well.Tournament fishermen who haveused it said it’s possible officialswill not allow it in contests wherelive bait is prohibited. They claimit swims more realistically thananything they have ever seen. Ifso, that would hurt the company’spromotional efforts. Winningtournaments is an important partof marketing a new lure.

Fish would probably prefer tosee it restricted. I watched eightveteran fishermen test the new lure(called The KickTail®) on a lakeoutside Orlando FL for about fourhours. Four used the KickTail andfour used a combination of their

favorite luresand shiners(live bait). The

four using the KickTail caught 41fish versus 14 for the other four. Inone boat the KickTail won 19 to 4.The KickTail also caught biggerfish, which suggests it triggerslarger, less aggressive fish tostrike. You can see why the com-pany needs to get it into tourna-ments. An almost 3 to 1 advantagecan mean thousands of dollars to afisherman, and hundreds of thou-sands in sales to the company.

The KickTail’s magic comesfrom a patented technology thatbreaks the tail into five segments.As water rushes by on retrieval, alittle-known principle called aero-nautical flutter causes the tail to wagleft and right, as if the lure were pro-pelling itself with its tail. Unlikeother hard baits, the head remainsstationary—only the tail wags. A

companyspokesmantold methis.

“ F i s hattack livethings, andthey deter-mine ifsomethingis alive bywatchingits move-m e n t s .M a r i n ebiologistswill tell

you that the more a lure swims likea real fish, the more fish it willcatch. Well, the only live thing theKickTail doesn’t do is breathe. It’sbetter than live bait! It lasts longerand it never hangs half-dead from

a hook. It’s alwaysswimming wild andfree. Fish can’t standit. We’ve seen fishthat have just eaten gofor the KickTail. It’slike having anotherpotato chip.

Increasescatch

almost 3 to 1.“To make the

KickTail even morelifelike, we gave it anatural shad color andshaped it like the mostprevalent bait fish of all,the threadfin. Gamefish gobble up morethreadfin shad than anyother baitfish.

“We knew theKickTail would out-fish other lures. Ithad to. Other lureswobble their headsand swim on anangle. But 41 fish to 14? That’shuge! I tell you, in ten secondsanyone who has fished a day inhis life knows this little swim-mer’s a home run. Fishermenreserved thousands of KickTailsbefore we produced it! Here, reelit in and watch it swim towardyou. Can you tell the differencebetween it and a live fish? (I saidno.) Neither can the fish.

“The flutter technology alsoallows the KickTail to swim at thewater’s surface. Other top waterlures must be worked to have anylive action, or have a bill thatmakes them dive on retrieval. Ourdiver version is the only deep

crank bait that let’s you do trickslike ‘walk the dog.’ Twitch it atdeep levels and it gives an irre-sistible, lifelike action. Otherlures ‘dig.’ And there’s no needfor rattles. The five tail segmentsclick together as you pull itthrough the water, calling fishfrom a distance.”

Whether you fish for fun orprofit, if you want a near 3 to 1advantage, I would order nowbefore the KickTail becomesknown. The company even guar-antees a refund, if you don’t catchmore fish and return the lureswithin 30 days. The lures come insets of two, a floater and a diver.You can choose natural shad

or chocolate shad (great for over-cast days). One set costs $19.90;both cost $39.80. There is also aSuper-10-Pack of five floatersand five divers that includes thesecolors and three others for only$79.95. You save $19.55! S/h isonly $6.00 no matter how manyyou order.

To order call 1-800-873-4415or click www.ngcsports.comanytime or day or send a check orM.O. (or cc number and exp.date) to NGC Sports (Dept. KX-92), 60 Church Street, Yalesville,CT 06492. CT add sales tax. TheKickTail is four inches long andworks in salt and fresh water.

SPORTS TECH NEWS — 2006

by Charlie Allen

Out-fishes other bait 19 to4 in one contest.

Uses aerospace technologyto mimic a real fish.

Inventor ScottWilson lands a 10-pounder.

KX-1 © NGC Worldwide, Inc. 2006 Dept. KX-92

New lure swims like a real fish--nearly triples catch inFlorida contest.

New lure’s catch rate may be too high for sometournaments.

Swims withits tail.

CALL FOR A DEALER NEAR YOU — 817-723-1463

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