Offshore’s Best · When Ed Parten fishes Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Toledo Bend Reservoir for largemouth bass, he practices catch-and-release. Parten, like many anglers, is a con-servationist

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PAIDPLANO, TX

PERMIT 210

DEPARTMENTSBoat Buyer’s Guide Page 18

Game Warden Blotter Page 10

Made In Texas Page 15

Hunting Season Dates Page 16

Fishing Report Page 19

Product Picks Page 22

Heroes Page 17

Weather Page 20

Wild in the Kitchen Page 20

Outdoor Datebook Page 23

INSIDE

After back-to-back seasons ofexceptional blue quail hunting,this season has been lean due tolast year’s drought. The lack ofrain resulted in a poor hatch.

See Page 6

Sheepshead are overlooked mostof the year. Come winter,though, they provide anglersalong the coast fun fishing andgood eating.

See Page 8

A sharp-eyed conservationofficer was suspicious when hesaw two men posing for aphotograph with a large Barbarysheep. He later charged the menwith poaching.

See Page 4

Proposed legislation in Congressby Sen. Norm Coleman ofMinnesota would double theamount of money availablethrough the Duck Stamp Fundto purchase wetlands.

See Page 5

www. lonestaroutdoornews.com

Texas’ Premier Outdoor NewspaperJanuary 26, 2007 �Volume 3, Issue 11�

OOffffsshhoorree’’ssBBeesstt

HUNTING

FISHING

Boat Buyer’sGuide

Page 18

NATIONAL

CONSERVATION

Game breeding States can be tougher than feds, court rules

DUCK HAVEN: Scott Isbell hides in a cypress tree at Mallard Magic in Augusta, Ark. Photo by David J. Sams.

By John N. Felsher

Arkansas duck breeders are claim-ing a recent ruling has penned uptheir careers.

The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court ofAppeals ruled that the Migratory BirdTreaty Act does not prohibit statesfrom making tougher laws regardingwaterfowl, specifically captive mal-lards.

The ruling came about becausewildlife agents cited three Arkansas

men for violations involving captivemallards. In November 2004, the

agents cited W.H. “Dutch” Noe,owner of Ducks & Ducks, Inc. of LakeCity, Ark., Tommy Taggart, operatorof Mallard Magic in Augusta, Ark.,and Brian Herndon of Big CreekHunting Preserve in Lee County,Ark., for failure to keep captive ducksin enclosed areas as required byArkansas law.

Noe said he raises and sells mal-lards to hunting clubs — some in

“In 2004, the AGFC wrote a regulation thatforbids what I do. They destroyed my business

and nearly put me into bankruptcy.”— W.H. “Dutch” Noe, Lake City, Ark.

Future coal plants on lakes stir concernBy Mark England

When Ed Parten fishes SamRayburn Reservoir and Toledo BendReservoir for largemouth bass, hepractices catch-and-release.

Parten, like many anglers, is a con-servationist.

However, Parten releases the large-mouths he catches at two of Texas’crown jewel lakes because he doesn’tbelieve they’re safe to eat.

Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend areboth under advisories warning thepublic that largemouth bass therecontain unsafe amounts of methyl-

Cool catch

By Danno Wise

The Gulf beachfront is a winter wonderland formany anglers.

Despite being in the throes of winter, anglers indeep South Texas can still be found casting up anddown the beach.

In fact, unless a hard front is barreling down thecoast, there will be surf fishing along the beachesof South Padre Island every day throughoutJanuary and February.

The reason for their dedication is simple, theSURF’S UP: While casting the Padre Island surf, Ben Hubbard hopes for some rod-bending action.

Winter anglers dot tideline for ‘off-season’ action

See BREEDING, Page 16

See SURF, Page 14

See PLANTS, Page 16

Page 2 � January 26, 2007

January 26, 2007 � Page 3


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CONTRIBUTORS

MARY HELEN AGUIRRE

ALAN CLEMONS

JOHN FELSHER

BINK GRIMES

BRIAN HOLDEN

BOB HOOD

DIANA KUNDE

WILBUR LUNDEEN

PETER MATHIESEN

BILL MILLER

TODD NAFE

DAVID SIKES

WES SMALLING

SCOTT SOMMERLATTE

CHUCK UZZLE

RALPH WININGHAM

DANNO WISE

PETER YOUNG

NATIONALSmith & Wesson unveils two new shotgun linesSmith & Wesson has entered the

market for shotguns in 2007 andunveiled two new lines of shotgunsat the Shooting, Hunting andOutdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, Jan.11-14, in Orlando, Fla.

The Elite Series will initially con-sist of the Elite Gold(TM) side-by-side 20-gauge shotguns, and theElite Silver(TM) over-and-under 12-gauge shotguns. The Smith &Wesson Elite Series is designed toprovide consumers with high-endshotguns in a value-added price

range.The 1000 Series of semi-auto-

matic shotguns has been designedwith features that place the 1000Series among the lightest weightand most reliable self-loading shot-guns on the market.

At the core of the new 1000Series is a gas cylinder mechanismthat has been uniquely engineeredto deliver top performance, regard-less of even the harshest condi-tions. A Smith & Wesson report.

Game officer focuses in on two men posing for picture

Charges filed for

illegal possession

of Barbary sheepA carcass tag that didn’t match

the time of the license sale led tocharges of hunting without alicense and illegal possession of aBarbary sheep in an alleged poach-ing incident near Logan, N.M.

The two men were posing forphotographs with the trophyBarbary sheep in Logan whenDepartment of Game and FishConservation Officer Josh Waldripspotted them as he was drivingthrough town.

Waldrip stopped to check thehunters’ licenses and after someinvestigation, determined one ofthe shooter’s license was pur-chased after the sheep was killed.

One man was charged withhunting without a license and ille-

gal possession of a Barbary sheep,while the other was charged withillegal possession of a Barbarysheep.

The men face maximum penal-ties of $100 for hunting without alicense, $1,000 for illegal posses-sion of a Barbary sheep and up tosix months in jail.

Depending on the outcome ofcourt proceedings, the departmentwill decide whether to pursue civilpenalties to recover the state’s lossof a trophy game animal.

Civil penalties for poaching atrophy Barbary sheep can be ashigh as $6,000, according to legis-lation passed in 2006 and subse-quent State Game Commissionaction.

The sheep seized by officerWaldrip had one horn that meas-ured more than 31 inches andanother just less than 34 inches. A New Mexico Game and Fish Report.

TARNISHED TROPHY: Department of Gameand Fish Conservation Officer JoshWaldrip shows the trophy Barbary sheepthat led to charges against two men.Photo by New Mexico Game and Fish.

BriefsRapala reels in lure company

Rapala VMC Group, headquar-tered in Minnetonka, Minn., hasannounced it will acquire Termina-tor Fishing Lures.

Rapala officials said they plan tocomplete the acquisition of theTulsa-based company by the firstquarter of 2007.

Founded in 1996, the privatelyheld Terminator company produceswhat veteran anglers say is one ofthe finest spinnerbaits. In recent

years, though, the company hasgreatly expanded its line, and nowproduces a variety of jigs and manyother different types of spinners.

Rapala was founded in 1936 byLauri Rapala, inventor of the Rapala,one of the world’s most popularcrankbait-type lures.

NRA awards $13M in ’06 grantsThe NRA Foundation, a charitable

organization in support of the shoot-ing sports, funded more than 1,800

grant requests in 2006, totaling morethan $13 million.

Organizations that received foun-dation grants represent a huge varietyof public interests. Grant recipientsincluded: schools; law enforcementagencies; shooting clubs; youthgroups like 4-H, Boy Scouts, FFA andothers; hunting and conservationgroups; disabled sportsmen; women’sgroups; ranges and other communityservice organizations.


In an effort to accelerate conserva-tion of vital wetland habitat acrossthe country, Sen. Norm Coleman ofMinnesota has introduced theWetlands Loan Act of 2007 (S. 272).

The bill, which has widespreadsupport from several conservationand sportsmen groups, is aimed atincreasing current availableresources to retain wetlands thathave come under increasing devel-opment pressure from competingland use interests.

The bill would double the amountof resources available through theDuck Stamp fund for wetlands con-servation over the next 10 years.

The Wetlands Loan Act will accel-erate the conservation of wetlands inthe near-term by borrowing $400million against future Duck Stamprevenues.

The additional revenues would beused primarily to purchase conserva-tion easements or acquire propertyfrom willing, private landowners for

the conservation and restoration ofwetlands and grasslands valuable tomigratory waterfowl as breedinggrounds.

The cost of the loan would be off-set by an incremental increase in theprice of the Federal Duck Stamp.

Coleman introduced theWetlands Loan Act late last week andit has been referred to theCommittee on Environment andPublic Works.From the office of Sen. Norm Coleman.

The Texas Council of QuailUnlimited (QU) provided a dona-tion of $10,000 for the NorthernBobwhite Conservation Initiative(NBCI).

The donation will be matched by

Texas Parks and Wildlife.In March of 2002 the Northern

Bobwhite Conservation Initiativewas born from efforts of theSoutheast Quail Study Group, ateam of the leading quail biologists

in the nation. Its purpose is to restore the bob-

white populations over its habitatrange coordinating efforts to bringlevels to a 1980 baseline. A Quail Unlimited report.

CONSERVATION

Legislation targets wetlandsAct would enable $400 million loan from Duck Stamp fund

CRAB TRAP CLEANUP

The 6th Texas Abandoned CrabTrap Removal Program will takeplace from February 16-25. Duringthe last five years, 19,930 aban-doned crab traps have beenremoved from Texas bays.

During the 10-day period, allTexas bays will be closed to crabbingwith crab traps and any traps left inthe bay will be presumed to be aban-doned and considered litter understate law, thus allowing volunteersto legally remove any crab traps theyfind.

Volunteers are needed to assist inthe coast-wide effort to remove thenumerous wire mesh cages used to

catch crabs that have been lost orabandoned since last year’s cleanup.

Texas Parks and Wildlife will hostvarious trap drop off sites at variouslocations along the coast on Feb. 17,weather permitting. At other sites,dumpsters will be placed to receivetraps throughout the entire closure,which will be marked with bannersand will sit at the drop-off sites forthe duration of the closure.

During past efforts, traps fromGalveston Bay and San Antonio Bayaccounted for more than 70 percentof the traps collected along thecoast.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Coastal Program, CoastalConservation Association Texas,Coastal Bend Bays and EstuariesProgram, and the Cecil M. HopperMuseum are providing significantsupport to the crab trap removalprogram.

Numerous organizations andcompanies like Saltwater AnglersLeague of Texas and other volun-teers also will provide support.

Volunteers can pick up free tarps,gloves, trap hooks and additionalinformation at each of the sites ortheir local TPW Coastal FisheriesField Stations.A TPW report.

BAY LITTER: Last year, volunteers with the aid of numerous sponsors removed about 2,000 abandoned crab traps. Photoby USFWS.

Volunteers sought for removal program

Texas steps in to aid Northern Bobwhite recovery

Brays Bayou project in national spotlightA created freshwater/tidal marsh

near Brays Bayou at Mason Park onHouston’s east side has claimed sev-eral regional environmental awardsand is also featured in BuildingBetter II, a Sierra Club report profil-ing 10 outstanding examples ofinnovative and environmentallysensitive ways to manage stormwa-ter.

The 3.5-acre Brays Bayou WetlandPartnership at Houston’s MasonPark recently received a GulfGuardian Award from the Gulf ofMexico Program, a non-regulatory,inclusive partnership formed by theEnvironmental Protection Agencyto provide a broad geographic focuson the major environmental issuesin the Gulf.

The project began in 2001 whenthe Harris County Flood Control

District was planning to widen BraysBayou at Mason Park and met withTexas Parks and WildlifeDepartment staff to discuss environ-mental impacts.

The flood control district wel-comed the TPW idea to create wet-lands in conjunction with the proj-ect.

The department then sought andreceived an EPA grant to develop thebiological design and collect andgrow marsh plants for the project.Department employees alsodesigned and placed educational sig-nage for park visitors viewing thestormwater treatment and wildlifehabitat marsh.

Employees worked with a varietyof partner groups to bring the multi-year project to fruition.

The Mason Park project features

both a stormwater treatment and atidal wetland. Stormwater runoff is amajor cause of water pollutionbecause it picks up toxic chemicalsfrom streets and other paved areasand carries them into waterways.

Also, sewer overflows associatedwith poor stormwater managementcan carry untreated sewage intostreams and bayous.

The tidal wetlands were designedto not only clean water flowing inBrays Bayou, but also provide habi-tat to herons, egrets, ospreys, andmany types of marine animals suchas white shrimp and blue crabs.

The wetland was officially dedi-cated at the end of 2006. It includesinterpretive signage to educate visi-tors about the project’s environmen-tal benefits.A TPW report.


HUNTING

By Bill Miller

Numerous big game animalshave fallen before the guns of Dr.Stanley McGowen — black bear,elk, pronghorn and even an exot-ic axis deer.

But one of his favorite trophiesis the Mason County whitetailspike he shot in 2000.

It was his first kill since beingblinded in an airplane crash adecade earlier.

“He was more or less a cull

buck,’’ said McGowen, an out-doors writer and historian, “buthe certainly was as much a trophyas any big 10-pointer.

“After not being able to hunt allthose years, it was like a first deerall over again.’’

McGowen, who lives nearWeatherford in rural ParkerCounty, wants more blind peopleto savor the sensations of hunt-ing, which, to the surprise ofmany, is allowed under Texas law.

To that end, he is pushing a billbefore the Texas Legislature that

would give blind hunters specialpermission to use laser sights ongame animals. Other statesincluding Michigan andMinnesota already do that.

The Texas measure was pre-filedin December by State Rep.Edmund Kuempel, R-Seguin.

“After doing some research onthe issue, I found 15 states thatallow laser sights for hunting,’’Kuempel said. “This opens up theexperience of hunting to addi-tional people, and I think that isgreat.”

Kuempel’s bill, and the notionof blind people hunting, quicklymade headlines, not just in Texas,but throughout the world.

Stories about it were soon car-

By Craig Nyhus

Out west, blue quail hunters havebeen singing the blues.

This season is striking a differentchord than the 2005- 2006 season,which was one of the best in recentmemory for most West Texashunters.

Hunters at the Black Gap WMAin Brewster County are having onlylimited success. “Hunters have

reported some success, especiallyhunters with dogs,” said ToddMontana, the biologist at BlackGap. “We have collected 170 wingsin comparison with 689 last year.”

Montana attributes the popula-tion drop — and resulting harvestnumbers — to a poor hatch, similarto that experienced by most of thestate’s bobwhite quail. “We didn’thave a spring hatch due to thedrought,” he said. “We did havesome late rains and a late hatch, but

it doesn’t appear that many of thechicks survived.”

Last year, the ratio of adult tojuvenile birds was one adult to twojuveniles, which is close to normal.“This year, it is one adult to .1 juve-niles,” he said.

Despite the poor hatch,Montana said there are still birds topursue. “I still see two or threesmaller coveys when I’m drivingaround,” he said.

Ramiro Ramos hunts near Fort

Stockton, where the family busi-ness sells the Terra Cat, an ATVdesigned to travel deep into remoteterritory. “We just don’t have thebirds this year,” he said. “Two yearsago was our best season ever, andlast year was great, but this year isreally tough.”

A bright spot on the blue quailhorizon has been near Midland,where timely rains resulted in a bet-ter hatch. “Our season has beenreally good,” said Roy Wilson of

Texas Best Outfitters. Wilson generally guides groups

of three to six hunters. “Many ofour groups are limiting out bynoon,” he said. Wilson knows he isfortunate to be able to pursue theblues. “I guess we were lucky thisyear,” he said.

Recent rains have raised the opti-mism of fans of the desert dwellingblues. “We received 1 3/4 inches inthe last two weeks,” Montana said.“That bodes well for next year.”

Blue quail action notin tune with the past Numbers down from previous seasons

SLOW SEASON: Hunters looking for blue quail this year are only finding a few coveys Long walks have resulted in some rises and some have resulted in tired feet and tired dogs.

‘Two years ago was our best season ever ... but this year is really tough’

“SPOTTER” TECHNIQUE: Dr. Stanley McGowen, right, who is blind, practices hisshooting technique with a “spotter,’’ Laurent Delagrange, owner and guide ofIndianhead Ranch near Del Rio. Photo submitted by Stanley McGowen.

Blind hunter beams in on ‘laser’ legislation

Parker County man says device would add precision to task

See BEAM, Page 21


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

East Texas 903.692.2725

West Texas 325.659.1555

www.badboybuggiesoftexas.comBrush Country

1.888.631.6789 DFW

817.528.8002Hill Country

830.214.0144Houston

281.392.4609Texoma

469.693.5412

By Craig Nyhus

unting, community service, athletics,National Honor Society membership, con-servation work, a congressional internship— Brady Phillips of Mexia has accomplished

mighty feats in these and many other categories. These achievements helped result in her selection for

the Dallas Safari Club’s Colin Caruthers Young HunterAward — the highest youth award given by the club.The award was established by Tommy and PatCaruthers in 1991, after their son, Colin, was killed inan automobile accident.

Available to students prior to their high school grad-uation or age 18, the scholarship award is based notonly on hunting accomplishments, but leadership andcivic points that emphasize conservation, academicand social achievements as well.

Phillip’s hunting accomplishments already exceedmost seasoned pursuers of big game. Hunting on thefamily ranch near Kerrville, she has taken whitetails,hogs and numerous exotics.

In South Africa in 2003, her trophies were a GreaterKudu, an Impala and a Springbok. In Canada in 2004and 2006, she downed a North American Elk, NorthAmerican Bison and a black bear.

Her favorite adventure? Probably Canada. “I’m a latesleeper, and the animals don’t start moving there untilafter 8 a.m., so I don’t have to get up so early,” she said.

In Africa, the Kudu was her best memory. “My dadwanted to get a Kudu, but he slept in one morning,” shesaid. “I went out and got one in one shot with my 300Weatherby.”

Phillips recalls going on hunts as early as age 3. “I wasthe ‘bird girl’ on dove hunts,” she said. Dove hunting isstill among her favorites. “It’s in the afternoon, andyou’re allowed to talk,” she said.

Phillips was the district 18-AAA singles tennis cham-pion at Mexia High School last spring, was on theschool newspaper staff, volunteered for the Fort ParkerHistorical Society, Ducks Unlimited, Habitat forHumanity, Helping Hands Ministry and Food forFamilies.

She interned for congressman Pete Sessions during

the summer of 2006, and will intern for the NationalRepublican Congressional Committee this summer.Her favorite? “Habitat for Humanity,” she said. “I real-ly enjoyed helping build a home for people in our hometown.”

Attending Sweetbriar College in Virginia on an aca-demic scholarship — she’s also on the tennis team —she hasn’t decided her major, but is leaning towardGerman and international business or marketing.

She loves school, but misses Texas. “The people hereare great — and they ask me what I shot every time Ireturn from home,” she said. “But they claim the foot-ball is great in the East. I tell them ‘please, I’m fromTexas.’”

Accomplishments aplentyDallas Safari Club honors Mexia teen with Young Hunter Award

DSC KUDOS: Brady Phillips poses with a Greater Kudu shebrought down in Africa. The teen recently received DallasSafari Club honors.

ANOTHER TROPHY: Brady Phillips downed this North American Elk and a bison ona hunting trip to Canada. Photos submitted by Brady Phillips.

H

By Danno Wise

For most of the year, the inshore saltwaterspecies sought along the Texas coast havespots: ‘spot tail’ reds and speckled trout.

However, during the winter, an often over-looked species ‘earns its stripes’ — and winterTexans lead the way in chasing the fish.

Sheepshead, named for to its lamb-likedentures, have long been known as an excel-lent food fish. But, they also are determinedfighters and plentiful in Texas bays duringwinter and spring.

Laguna Vista guide Capt. RolandoGonzalez likes to fish for sheepshead, but pur-

sues them in a more traditional manner.“I typically look for them around channel

edges and near pilings,” Gonzalez said. “Iespecially like fishing around pilings that arenear deep water. I use live shrimp and a tiny

split shot — just enough to get it down. “I also think it’s important to use a single

hook,” Gonzalez said. “Usually, when theytake, they grab the bait and move away.When they do, the single hook will turn and

hook them in the side of their mouth — awayfrom their teeth. They can actually crush asmall treble hook with those big teeth.”

“But, they’re a blast to catch,” Gonzalez


FISHING

Winter Texans get a line on sheepshead ‘They’re a blast

to catch’

GOOD HAUL: Jetty anglers bring in a string of sheepshead from the South Jetty at Port Aransas.

It’s tourney time

ALL ABOARD: Clark Wendlandt holds steady as a fish is netted by his co-angler. Wendlandt will be fishing Lake Travis in a February FLW tournament. Photo by FLW.

Pro anglers will soon be packinga change of baits for a trip to LakeTravis.

The Austin fishery is the stagefor Wal-Mart FLW tour’s first showof the season, Feb. 15-18, andthoughts on how to put together awinning cast vary like the weath-

er. “Lake Travis is a deep, rocky and

clear highland lake,” said TeamKellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt ofLeander, who has amassed morethan $1.2 million in career win-nings. “There’s lots of rock on theshoreline and very little wood

cover. Right now, visibility isaround four to five feet. I’ve seen ita lot clearer than it is right now.But it’s the lake’s level that is goingto determine how the tournamentplays out.

“We’re getting a little more rainnow, and the ground’s wet, and

there’s a chance that with theright amount of rain, it could fillup pretty quickly,” Wendlandtsaid. “If the water level reallychanges, it could add a whole newaspect to the tournament. If itcomes up just a foot or two, itwon’t make a difference.”

Recent rains haven’t changedthe picture much, as the lake isstill 35 feet low.

Wendlandt predicts theFebruary tournament will be aclassic prespawn pattern with themajority of bites coming on

Anglers share views on luring in Austin fishery’s finest

SPORTING ATTIRE: Mike Iaconelli selects lures during an appearanceat Dick’s Sporting Goods in Frisco. Photo by David J. Sams.

Sponsorships weigh in big on pro tourRule changes offer anglers chance to hook prosperity

By Mark England

Some look at Mike Iaconelli and hisboisterousness, penchant for dyeing hishair blond and acquiring tattoos andgrumble at the changes in theBassmaster Tour.

Jon Bondy, however, sees “a market-ing genius.”

“He totally stands out,” said Bondy, asecond-year pro angler from Windsor,Ontario. “They want personality on TV.If you don’t have it, you’re not gettingTV time. A lot of the old-timers don’t

like it, but he’s laughing all the way tothe bank.”

Bondy and Iaconelli are at oppositeends of their careers.

Bondy is seeking his first win, whileIaconelli, from Runnemede, N.J., haswon 5 times and is the 2006 BassmasterAngler of the Year.

Both, however, are gung-ho about theoverhauled Bassmaster Tour.

Iaconelli — as well as other charis-matic pros such as Kevin VanDam andJason Quinn — thrives on the ramped-up media coverage via ESPN (whichbought BASS, the tour’s producer), soar-

ing prize money ($250,000 for firstplace in the tour’s three majors), ashrinking field of contestants and arenewed emphasis on wrapping boats aswell as anglers with NASCAR-like prod-uct branding.

“What we’re all trying to do — tour-nament organizers as well as anglers —is think about, ‘How do we grow thesport?’” Iaconelli said. “You have to trynew things. I don’t think you couldhave left the sport where it was 10 yearsago and expect it to become a main-stream entity.”

See SHEEPSHEAD, Page 12

See TRAVIS, Page 12

See SP0NSORS, Page 9

Getting attention — whether it’sfrom fans or sponsors — is now thename of the game. And that’s finewith Bondy.

“The new rules allow us to brandourselves,” Bondy said. “We canget out there and create our ownidentity. I guess my brand is I’mCanadian. I’m the only one.”

Bondy said the smaller fieldshelp anglers make a name forthemselves. In the three majors,the top 50 anglers from the EliteSeries compete. And even in theElite Series, there’s only about 100anglers — half the number com-peting in an FLW tournament.

“It’s way easier to stand outamong 50 anglers than 200,”Bondy said. “The way I look at it, ifI can’t make it into a reduced field,I don’t deserve to be out here. Iknow some guys don’t want tohear that.”

Bondy said he’s aware somemay find his attitude surprising,given his lifetime earnings barelytop $100,000. To make it financial-

ly, he had to guide 70 fishing tripslast year.

“I’m taking the chance of mylifetime on this,” Bondy said. “I’mjust hoping something big comesalong, like a win or a big sponsor. If

I fail, I’ll have to start over again.”Iaconelli said the reduced fields

make the sport easier for fans andthe media to follow. More impor-

tantly, though, he believes itimproves the quality of the tour.

“I’m not taking anything awayfrom the guys who started thissport,” Iaconelli said. “They’re myheroes. But for us to be a true profes-sional sport, anglers have to earnthe right to be here.”

The payoff from the changes hasbenefited more than those at thetop of the food chain, Iaconelli said.

“Five years ago, to make$100,000 in winnings and spon-sorships was unheard of,” he said.“Today, a lot of guys out here aredoing that. The changes have pro-vided more chances for anglers toprosper financially.”

Sponsorships are key to an anglerstaying on the Bassmaster Tourfrom year to year, he said.

“My steady income is generatedthrough sponsorships,” Iaconellisaid. “If I win a tournament, it’salmost like a bonus.”

Iaconelli’s biggest non-fishingsponsor is Toyota. Bondy’s is DenaliFlavors, specifically, Moose Tracksice cream, “vanilla with dark fudgeand peanut butter cups. Excellent.Excellent.”

Bondy, unlike Iaconelli, is in the

beginning of his sponsorship drive— although he’s obviously got themakings of a good salesman.

On today’s tour, that matters.“To be out here, you have to be a

good mix of an amazing fisherman

and a great promoter,” Iaconellisaid.

BASS tries to help anglers meetsponsors. For example, it puts on

seminars demonstrating what cor-porations can learn from bass fish-ing, such as “Patience,Perseverance and Problem-Solving.” Such meetings allowanglers to widen their corporatecontacts.

Increased media coverage alsobenefits anglers in securing spon-sors, a BASS spokesman said.

"The multimedia exposure fromESPN and ESPN2 and non-propri-etary news media helps anglersbuild viable careers and enticesponsors,” said spokesman DougGrassian. “The Elite Series has pro-vided anglers with career-buildingopportunities."

Don’t think that means getting asponsor is easy, Bondy said.

Bondy approached 130 corpora-tions last year. Getting a bite can befrustrating, he said. Several times, ittook him months to cultivate acontact at a corporation, only tohave that person leave the firm.

“The sport is at a crossroads,”Bondy said. “We’re the guinea pigsfor anglers 10 years down the road.We’re the ones testing the water tosee if this wrap thing is going towork.”


Albert Hudson and BillKingsbery secured 1st place at thismonth’s BassChamps SouthTeams Event at Amistad Reservoirwith a 5-fish total of 35.56 pounds.

“We have a trailer there — it’slike our second home.” Hudsonsaid. The team switched to awatermelon red Tiki WaveBamboo stick with a 1/4 oz weightand put all 35 pounds in the boat

by 10 a.m.“It was great,” he said. “We

were culling five-pounders andhad the live wells on full blast.”The team also won Big Bass honorswith a 10.18-pound giant, winning$20,000 for 1st place and $1,000for Big Bass.

Richard Broxton and ScottGover captured second place witha five-fish total weight of 27.66

pound. Third place was caught by Keith

Phillips and David Truax with26.56 pound. Dustin Grace andBrian Branum finished fourthwith 22.74 pounds, and ChadGriffin and Hugo Velasco finishedfifth with 22.68 pounds.

A record field of 246 teams com-peted for more than $60,000 incash and prizes, with the teamsweighing in 619 fish and 95 limits.— A BassChamps report.

Hudson, Kingsbery hot at Amistad Reservoir

Team earns top tourney, Big Bass honors

VICTORY STAGE: Albert Hudson and Bill Kingsbery show fish they caught that led themto the championship of BassChamps South Teams Event. Photo by BassChamps.

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4-WHEELER DRIVERS CUT FENCE, ROLL INTO TROUBLE

•Wichita County Game WardenPat Canan responded to a call toLake Buffalo in Iowa Park regard-ing a fence that had been cut lead-ing into the lake. The two individ-uals who entered the lake on four-wheelers after cutting the fencewere located and charges werefiled for operating a four-wheeleron public property without hav-ing a safety course. The City ofIowa Park is filing felony chargeson the individuals for cutting thefence. Cases are pending.

INDIVIDUALS WITH SPOTLIGHT BAG BUNDLE OF CHARGES

•Tarrant County Game WardensClint Borchardt and John Padgett,while working in Parker County,observed a truck burning a spot-light. The two individuals in thetruck carrying a .270 rifle wereissued several citations. One of theindividuals had outstanding war-rants in Parker County. ParkerCounty Game Warden RandallHayes arrived to assist with takingthe subject to jail. Citations werealso issued for open containers ofalcohol, no hunter education,three untagged deer, failing toidentify, exceeding the bag limit ofbuck deer in a one-buck county,for drug paraphernalia and for nohunting licenses. Civil restitutionwas filed on an 8-point deer. Casesand restitution pending.

GUNSHOTS LEAD WARDEN, LANDOWNER TO POACHERS

•Anderson County Game WardenKaren Gray answered a call of alandowner who had spottedpoachers on his property. Thecomplainant said he heard gun-shots in the marsh on his land.Gray arrived at the scene with thelandowner and found three menduck hunting on the landowner’smarsh. The hunters had taken twoducks each. The landowner filedthe applicable hunt withoutlandowner consent affidavit.Three cases pending.

OPERATION GAME THIEFNABS DEER HUNTERS

•Harris County Game WardenDerek Spitzer received anOperation Game Thief call fromHouston Communications. Thecaller said he saw two four-wheel-ers pass behind his house along adrainage ditch with one having adeer strapped on the back rack.

The caller followed the subjectsback to their house and called inthe OGT. Spitzer arrived at the res-idence to find three subjects clean-ing a still steaming doe in thegarage. One of the subjects admit-ted to shooting the deer, butclaimed it came from ColoradoCounty. The subject said he wouldgive Spitzer the landowner’s infor-mation, but not to tell her he hadshot a deer because he only hadpermission to hog hunt. The sub-ject finally admitted to shootingthe doe behind his house near theHarris County flood control ditch.The deer was confiscated and casesare pending including restitution.

WARDEN BEAMS INON WRONGDOINGS

•Briscoe County Game WardenClint Hunt was returning homefrom Amarillo after having toreplace a tire on his patrol vehicle.While on his way home, henoticed a flash of a spotlight andtraveled towards it. He passed thevehicle and observed the vehiclemake a U-turn. Hunt continuedto travel away from the suspectvehicle until he was able to reachan area to black out his lights.Hunt then followed the suspectvehicle. The vehicle traveled intothe Palo Duro Canyon area ofArmstrong County. Once the sus-pect vehicle passed a house in thecanyons, the spotlight began towork again. Hunt stayed behindthe suspect vehicle for approxi-mately two miles and was 20yards behind the suspect vehiclewhen they shot a mule deer buck.The vehicle was occupied by fourmales. Donley County GameWarden Gary Hunt assisted withthe arrest and search for the deer.Cases, restitution and equipmentseizure pending.

WARDENS NET TWO FISHING ILLEGALLY

•Zapata County Game WardensJesse Garcia and FernandoCervantes and Starr County GameWarden John Palacios werepatrolling Falcon Lake about12:30 a.m. when they observed avessel enter Texas waters fromMexico. They watched as theoccupants of this vessel stretchedillegal gill net along the brush line.After observing the illegal activityfor about 30 minutes, contact wasmade with the vessel. Two menwere apprehended after a shortpursuit. Both were transported tothe Zapata County Regional Jail byZapata County Sheriff’s deputies.At the jail, one man was found tohave some marijuana in his pos-session (less than two ounces).Approximately 2,300 feet of gillnet as well as the boat and motorwere seized. In addition to the fish-ing violation charges, one manwas charged with possession ofmarijuana.

‘LOST’ HUNTERS FIND THEIR WAY TO TROUBLE

•Freestone County GameWardens John Thorne and GaryRobinson received a call reportinga vehicle parked on the side of acounty road with a gun barrel outthe window. Deputies and DPStroopers in the area located thevehicle and detained the threeoccupants. When Thorne arrivedhe located two freshly killed,untagged bucks in the trunk. Therifle the subjects used had beenreported stolen from Ellis County.Leon County Game WardenDanny Flores was called to assistThorne and Robinson with theinterrogation. The men said theyhad killed the deer at daylight onpublic land in Houston County,

had become lost on their way backhome to Ennis, and were just look-ing at some deer with the riflescope when the complainant sawthem. All three men were arrestedand fined a total of $3,300 plusrestitution for the two bucks.

WARDENS SHED LIGHT ON HUNTING IN THE DARK RULES

•San Jacinto County GameWarden Aryn Corley and PolkCounty Game Warden ChuckCotton filed numerous cases onthree men roosting ducks 45 min-utes after sunset. The subjectsclaimed they didn’t know it wasagainst the law to hunt ducks inthe dark. Charges included nohunting license, no duck stamp,possession of lead shot, un-plugged shotguns and huntingwaterfowl after hours. Five duckswere seized and restitution wasfiled. Cases pending.

FOG DOESN’T COVER VIOLATIONS•Jackson County Game WardenTommy Charbula and WhartonCounty Game Warden JustinHurst worked the south shorelineof San Antonio Bay in the fog andlight rain for waterfowl huntingviolations. One group of hunterswas cited for rallying ducks withan airboat after the subjects wereobserved “running ducks” for sev-eral hours. While on the bay, thewardens took advantage of the fogand worked oyster boats. Twoboats were cited for undersize oys-ters of 26 and 33 percent. Casespending.

RABBIT TRANSFORMS INTO A DEER OVERNIGHT

•Runnels County Warden LanePinckney received a call from ahunter who heard a vehicle short-ly after dark shoot off the road

into the pasture he was hunting.Upon arriving, the hunter toldPinckney the vehicle hadreturned to a nearby dairy. Thehunter described to the landown-er the unique sound the vehiclemade, and the landowner imme-diately knew what vehicle wasresponsible as it passed up anddown the road on a regular basis.Pinckney was able to locate thevehicle at a residence at the dairy,and a subject at the residence con-fessed to shooting a rabbit fromthe road, but was unable to find it.A deer was found by the hunterthe next morning. Class A misde-meanor charges are pending onthe shooter and the investigationcontinues into identifying hisaccomplice.

‘HAPPY MEAL NO. 1’NOT ON THE LEGAL MENU

•Major David Sinclair sent infor-mation to Region VII in referenceto an individual advertising deermeat for sale on the Internet. Theinformation was assigned toBurnet Game Warden Chris Davisto investigate. Davis made contactover the Internet, purchased theadvertised, “Happy Meal No. 1”from the individual, wrote thesearch warrant, and set up a meet-ing time to pick up the deer meat.Davis and another game wardenmet with the man at his home inWilliamson County. After hedelivered the meat to Davis, theman was advised of his wrongdo-ings. The man’s computer,firearm, and meat were seized anda verbal statement was recorded asto how many deer were killed andwhere they were killed. Davis con-tacted San Saba Game WardenChris Wilson who was able to findthe processor records and contactthe landowner where the deer hadbeen shot. The landowner was afamily member who had suppliedthe man with deer tags, alongwith his wife’s tags, and the sus-pect’s wife’s tags. The investiga-tion revealed that the suspect hadkilled at least eight bucks this sea-son, 24 deer over the last twoyears, and had sold numerousprocessed deer over the Internet.Davis and the Covert Unit aredetermining charges to file on thesuspect, and restitution is approx-imately $16,000.

•McMullen County Game Warden David Murrayassisted Deputy Game Warden J.D. Beeson on NewYear’s Day. While on his way home at 4:30 a.m.,Beeson observed a car sideways in the ditch. Uponmaking contact he discovered a deer had been put inthe trunk of the car, alive. The son-in-law and thefather-in-law admitted to tackling an 8-point buckthat was trapped between two high fences and put-ting it in the trunk of the car they were driving.When Beeson advised the two men they could beseriously injured by the buck deer, they said theyhad played football and could handle themselves.When Beeson asked them why they just did not

shoot the deer, they said they were out of ammosince had been spotlighting and had not seen anydeer so they stopped at the roadside park and shotall their .22 bullets at road signs and cans. The deerwas removed from the trunk of the car and searchedfor any bullet holes and none were found. The deerappeared to have been stuck in a fence as one of itshooves was injured. After receiving a receipt fromMurray for the confiscated .22 rifle, the father-in-law asked Beeson what he had won. Beesonexplained to him he did not get a raffle ticket, but agun receipt with his .22 cal. rifle information on it.Cases pending.

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crankbaits and jerkbaits. However,warmer weather could move thefish shallow. Wendlandt estimatesit will take a two-day catch of 22pounds in the Pro Division to makethe top-10 cut for the third day ofcompetition.

Jim Files, a local guide, doesn’tshare all of Wendlandt’s predictionson what will work. “I would stick tomain lake points, either dead-stick-ing soft plastic jerkbaits or throwingtubes on a jig head,” he said. “Ittends to be all soft plastics and jigsthat time of year — and with thejigs, hair jigs seem to work betterthan rubber skirts.”

Files agreed the recent rains willlikely change things, especially iftemperatures rise. “If the water getscloser to 60 degrees, the fish willwork from the points toward thebacks of the creeks, and thenmotion baits like crankbaits andeven spinnerbaits will work,” hesaid.

Kelly Mouldin guides at Travisand hopes to fish the event. He saidmany of the pros may be in for a sur-prise. “It’s an early pre-spawn pat-tern, but the bigger fish are likely tobe suspended over deep water –even as deep as 100 feet,” he said.“Most likely, it will be a strong jigbite, and if the water warms, jerk-baits and crankbaits may work.”

Mouldin should know, as heplaced second in a BassChampsevent on Travis last year. “Footballjigs seem to be working best rightnow; I expect that will be the bait ofchoice.”

Mouldin agreed 20 to 25 poundsin the first two days would make thecut. “A catch of 13- to 15-pounds perday is a lot for Travis,” he said. Evenwith the recent rain and sleet, thelake is still 35 feet low.

Files also thought the weightsmay be lower. “Travis can be atough lake, there are so many spot-ted and Guadalupe bass — and theyare all small — one- to two-pounds.You can catch five of them for everylargemouth,” he said.

Mouldin agreed. “The pros whofocus on the spotted bass will soonfind out they don’t get very bighere.”Compiled from staff reports.

said. “If you hook them in shallow water, they’ll takeoff straight — just like a redfish. If you hook them indeeper water, they’ll put their head down, go deepand fight from side-to-side. Either way, they’re greatfighters.”

However, despite their sporting qualities, Gonzalezadmits palatability is a great part of the sheepshead’sappeal.

“They’re tough to clean, but really good to eat,”Gonzalez said. “In fact, around here (Lower LagunaMadre), the old-time commercial fishermen referredto them as bay snapper. That’s because everybodythought they were just as good to eat as red snapper.”

Paul Morrison of Rushville, Ind., fishes forsheepshead three times per week on the Port Aransasjetties. “I like to fish, and they are extra good to eat,”he said. “There’s no secret to catching them, you fishon the bottom and ghost shrimp are the best bait.Ghost shrimp, live shrimp, or anemones, all three.”

Morrison scrapes the anemones off the rocks witha knife. “They’re hard to get and you usually skinyour fingers up pretty good,” he said. “Ghost shrimpare the easiest because you just walk down the beachwith a shrimp sucker and pull them out of the sand.”

George Fitzpatrick of Prudenville, Mich., likes thefight of the sheepshead. “It’s a real good fight. Yougotta watch them against the rocks because they’llwrap your line around it and cut it on the barnacles,”he said.

Ed Morton of Minnesota likens the sheepshead tothe smallmouth. “They have a light tick to them andthen they’ll start running off with it (the bait) andyou can tell you got something on,” he said. Mortonalso loses some against the rocks. “I think I busted myline twice today, already,” he said.

Not all sheepshead are found near the jetties andpilings.

“During the winter, we catch some really big oneson the flats,” said Port Isabel guide Capt. Eddie Curry.

“The water in the winter time is usually clear and,with those white and black stripes, sheepshead areeasy to see,” he said. “So, I like to sight-cast to themwhen I can. I use a small piece of shrimp, no weightand a really small hook. Usually, if you make a goodcast, they’ll grab it.”

Even fly-fishers are getting into the sheepshead act.Cruz Lamas also likes sight-casting to sheepshead.

But tempting sheepshead on the flats with a fly rodpresents quite a challenge.

“During the winter, when we get a lot ofsheepshead on the flats, I like to try to get them totake a fly,” he said. “But, man, they’re tough. You can

occasionally get one to take a small shrimp or crabpattern, but it’s not easy. Luckily, that time of year,there are a lot of them on the flats, so you get plentyof shots.”

Tom Reiss of Lee’s Summit, Mo., has counted him-self as a winter Texan for more than a decade.

“I like to eat them,” he said. “I usually just filletthem out and fry them. They’re really good fried. Infact, some of the others (winter Texans) claim they’rethe best eating fish in saltwater.”

The popularity of the fish seems to extend to every-one on the coast.

“Everyone has a good shot at sheepshead in thewinter,” Gonzales said.

TravisContinued from Page 8

HEAVY TASK: Clark Wendlandt at a FLWweigh-in. Photo by FLW.

SheepsheadContinued from Page 8

ON THE ROCKS: Jetty fishing for sheepshead is popular withWinter Texans.



32ND

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HOUSTON FISHING SHOWThe world

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noon to 9 p.m.Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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ExhibitsFishing: The latest in all types of fishing

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Vacation: National and regional resort

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coldest months of winter offerarguably the best surf fishing ofthe year, as hordes of pompano,whiting, jacks, reds, bluefish andother fish work the deep guts justoff of dry sand.

“The great thing about surf fish-ing this time of year is it’s prettysimple and just about everybodycan do it,” said Shane Wilson, aSouth Padre Island resident whosays good surf fishing can befound both within the SPI citylimits, as well as along Cameron

County beaches above and belowthe city. “There’s a lot of fish —like pompano, whiting, and sandtrout — that you can catch on baitsuch as shrimp and squid. Then,there’s fish like jacks and ladyfishthat you can catch on jigs.

“We still have a couple ofspecies of shark around as well,”Wilson said. “Beachfront sharksare probably the best shot a lot ofpeople have to catch a true ‘biggame’ fish. And, even thoughmost people think about sharkfishing during the summer, westill have some good shark fishingfor black tips and sandbar sharksduring the winter.”

Both species of drum — red andblack — are available in the wintersurf. However, anglers shouldknow that most of these fish willbe over the maximum slot limitfor both species.

“There are some monster redscaught out of the surf each win-ter,” said guide and Port Isabel res-ident Steve Ellis, who says he’sbeen making regular winter beachfishing “excursions” since mov-ing to the area in the late 1970s.“Most people think redfish areonly in the surf in the fall. But,even though there are more ofthem in the fall, the biggest onesstay all winter.”

It is this surprising variety thatkeeps most surf fishermenpatrolling the beach during whatmany people consider the “off-season.”

“I really like the variety of fishavailable in the surf during thewinter,” said Port Isabel residentDan Torres. “It’s a lot easier tocatch species like pompano andbluefish this time of year. It’s niceto be able to do something differ-ent than what we do all yearlong.”

One of winter fishing’s bless-ings, however, is often mistakenas a curse by inexperienced surffishermen.

“When we get those really lowwinter tides, a lot of people thinkit’s (fishing) no good,” saidLaguna Vista resident and avidwinter surf angler RolandoGonzalez. “Everybody thinks youneed a high tide to catch fish inthe surf. Actually, the opposite istrue. When the tide is really low,those fish stack up in the guts andthe fishing can be awesome.

“I really feel like this is impor-tant for pompano fishing,”Gonzalez said. “When there is ahigh tide, it can be tough to findpompano. Most of our best pom-pano fishing is during periods ofreally low tides.”

SurfContinued from Page 1

Individuals or organizations that have made a lastingcontribution to freshwater fishing in Texas may be nom-inated through Feb. 26 for induction into the TexasFreshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

Nominees may be anglers, fisheries professionals ororganizations.

The nominee must be a Texan or Texas organization.Individuals may be either living or deceased. One nom-inee will be chosen by an independent selection com-mittee and formally inducted during the annual Hall ofFame banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Centerin Athens.

Prior inductees include Floyd Mabry, Jackie Hewlett,R.D. Hull, Bob Kemp, Nick Crème, Charlie Inman, SugarFerris, Leonard Ranne, Earl Golding, Kathy Magers, theSabine River Authority, Skeeter Boats, Michael(“Shorty”) Powers, Ray Murski, Albert S. Bradley andRichard M. Hart.

Nomination forms and instructions are available onthe Texas Parks and Wildlife web site at:http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us or by calling (903) 670-2228.A TPW report.

Nominations sought for Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame

Hunter headshome

Hunter retrieves a Canadagoose from a playa lake nearRalls. His owner, Rudy Boydof Grapevine, shot a limit ofthree birds over decoys justafter noon.

Photo by DavidJ. Sams.

www.houstonfishingshow.com


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• BASS Club World Championship Regional Tournament – Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 2007

• Women’s Bassmaster Tour – Feb. 8 – 10, 2007• Team of Champions – Feb. 16-19, 2007

• ESPN “Battle on the Border” – March 8-11, 2007• Texas B.A.S.S. Federation – March 11-16, 2007

FLW Stren Series – March 21-24, 2007

Bowyer’s crafty curves hit the target

By Mary Helen Aguirre

Bill Forman and his crew is busilypreparing for the TraditionalBowhunters Expo in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The owner of Great Plains TraditionalBow Company will be taking 26 to 28of his handcrafted bows, including sev-eral of his new SR Swift Series TakeDown Recurves to the Jan. 26-28 show.

Forman said he enjoys meeting peo-ple, letting them try out his bows, andanswering questions about his craft.

“It’s been a blast,” he said about hisbusiness, which is almost two decadesold.

“We kicked off about ’89 in Pampa,”said Forman, whose wife of 36 years,Linda, recently joined the company.

Forman was a custom cabinet makerand a homebuilder for many years, butalso had been building bows as a hobby.

When he saw a resurgence in tradi-tional bow hunting, he made theswitch from hobbyist to full-timebowyer.

“Traditional archery has come backhuge,” said Forman, adding thatalthough compound bows still domi-nate the sport, there is a definite marketfor archers who opt for traditionalbows.

One of his first bows was a take-downrecurve bow. His product line has sinceexpanded to include several recurves,long bows and long curves.

“We build more types and styles oftraditional bows than any other compa-ny,” he said.

Forman said his company is the sec-ond largest custom bow company inthe United States. He employs five full-timers and estimates that this year, thecompany will produce about 730 bows.

“We know we’re going to be busy allyear,” he said.

Most of the woods he uses are exotics.He mixes such woods as bamboo,bird’s-eye maple and rosewood to createbows that are pleasing to the eye as wellas efficient in the field. His bows rangein price from the high $500s to about$800.

His customers vary from bow hunterswho are just starting out to experiencedarchers. His bows are also popular inEurope, where he has distributors inBelgium and Barcelona.

“A lot of our business goes to Europe.They really like American equipment,especially stuff made in Texas,” he said.

And although he has customersacross the United States, he does a lot ofbusiness in the Midwest (Indiana alonehas almost a quarter-million registeredbow hunters).

Todd Smith, the director of sales/mar-keting for 3Rivers Archery in Ashley,In., describes Forman as one of the pre-mier bowyers in the country.

Forman makes 3 Rivers’ Tomahawkline of bows. They’ve also carriedForman’s bows for close to 20 years.“We sell a lot of his bows,” Smith said.“He builds an excellent bow. His atten-tion to detail is impressive.”

Smith said Forman’s company is verypicky. “It’s very difficult to find a flaw(in his work).”

Forman’s bestseller this year?“The SR Swift Series is just exploding

on us,” he said. “It’s just the hottestbow in the country.”

He describes it as unique, beautifuland a very quick bow. And, he adds itwas recently used by a bow hunter totake down a buffalo in Nebraska: “Itshot clean through it,” he said.

To browse Forman’s line or to order ahandcrafted bow, visit www.great-plains.pampa.com; for more informa-tion, call (806) 665-5463.

‘Traditional archery has come back huge’

BILL FORMAN HOLDS THE SR SWIFT "BLACK HAWK."

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Shakespeare Fishing Tackle, aleading manufacturer of fishingrods, reels, fishing line and acces-sories, announced the acquisi-tion of Penn Fishing Tackle Mfg.Co. Founded in 1932, Penn is themarket leader in saltwater trolling

and spinning reels and saltwaterrods.

These products include thePenn International®, Senators®,GT, and GTO trolling reels, as wellas Slammer® and Spinfisher® SSMand SSG spinning reels.

Ellett Brothers continues support of Heritage FundEllett Brothers, a Chapin, S.C.

wholesale distributor of outdoorsporting goods products, has donat-ed an additional $30,000 in supportof the National Shooting SportsFoundation’s Hunting and Shoot-ing Sports Heritage Fund.

One of the Heritage Fund’s origi-nal distributor members, EllettBrothers also has raised $130,000 forthe Heritage Fund over the last four

years by hosting a special silent auc-tion during their annual buyersshow.

Contributions from HeritageFund members provide the huntingand shooting sports industry with apowerful voice in Washington,D.C., and the ability to build on theindustry’s long-standing commit-ment to firearm safety and responsi-bility.

Tackle firm announces acquisition


2006-07 TEXAS HUNTING SEASONSWHITE-TAILED DEER

Late Antlerless and Spike SOUTH TEXAS (30 counties) Jan. 22-Feb. 4

RIO GRANDE TURKEY Fall SeasonBrooks, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties Nov. 4-Feb. 25

QUAILStatewide Oct. 28-Feb. 25Bag limit: 15 birds per day, 45 in possession.

PHEASANTBag limit: 3 roosters per day, 6 in possession.Chambers, Jefferson, Liberty counties Nov. 4-Feb. 25

DUCKHigh Plains Mallard Management Unit

REGULAR Nov. 3-Jan. 28North Zone REGULAR Dec. 9-Jan. 28

South Zone REGULAR GUN Dec. 9-Jan. 28

Duck Bag Limit:The daily bag limit shall be 5 ducks with the followingspecies and sex restrictions — scaup, redhead and woodduck — 2 ducks; only 1 from the following aggregatebag: 1 hen mallard, or 1 pintail, or 1 canvasback, or 1"dusky duck" (includes mottled duck, Mexican-likeduck, black duck, and their hybrids); all other ducks not

listed — 5 ducks.

Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag limit.

GOOSE

West

LIGHT AND DARK GEESE Nov. 4-Feb. 6

Bag Limit:

Light Geese — 20 in the aggregate;

Dark Geese — 3 Canada and 1 white-fronted goose.

CONSERVATION ORDER Feb. 7-March 25

East

LIGHT GEESE Nov. 4-Jan. 28

CANADA GEESE Nov. 4-Jan. 28

Bag Limit:

Light Geese — 20 in the aggregate.

Dark Geese — 3 Canada and 2 white-fronted.

Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag limit for dark

geese, no possession limit for light geese.

CONSERVATION ORDER Jan. 29-March 25

(Seasons on other species may be found on

the TPW Web site — tpwd.state.tx.us/)

LONE�STAROUTDOOR NEWS�Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper�

Texas — and shooting preserves that releasethem prior to hunting them. He also sells birdsto dog trainers. He releases mallards into thewild so they can exercise their flight muscles,becoming “more wild” before people huntthem, he explained.

“I release birds on area waterways that I ownor lease,” Noe said. “When the birds mature, Itrap them again and haul them to my cus-tomers. People can raise quail and pheasants inpens and release them to fly short distances.Mallards need to exercise to fly long distances.If they grow up in a pen, they can’t fly long dis-tances. It damages their wings and they don’tbuild up their muscles.”

Arkansas law allows game breeders to releasecaptive birds into the wild only on the day ofthe hunt. Except for that day, game breedersmust keep birds in covered pens. Preserve own-ers can also release birds during daylight hoursfor flight training and exercise from July toSeptember, said Jim Goodhart, Arkansas Gameand Fish Commission general counsel.

Wildlife agents had already warned Noe inSeptember and October 2004 they believed hewas operating in violation of AGFC permitrequirements. After he refused to comply, theAGFC revoked his commercial breeding status,Goodhart said.

“Taggart also received notification from theAGFC that his operations were in violation ofregulations dealing with the release of captivemallards into the wild without commissionapproval,” Goodhart said. “He was also notifiedthat he was violating permit conditions thatrequire exterior boundaries of a game birdshooting resort to be clearly defined and postedwith proper signage and the requirement thatbirds are to be enclosed in buildings or coveredpens prior to the day of hunting.

Following a trial held in October 2005,Herndon was found guilty of illegally releasing2,000 captive mallards. However, Herndon’sconviction was overturned by Lee CountyCircuit Judge Harvey J. Yates, who ruled that theMBTA prohibited the AGFC from enforcingadditional state regulations of waterfowl.”

Texas does not impose the Arkansas-typerestrictions. “I don’t understand why they havethese restrictions,” said Doug Cannon ofGreystone Castle in Thurber. Greystone Castle

purchases its mallards from Ducks & Ducks.“Raising mallards has been going on for manyyears without any problems. We occasionallyhave a few wild birds come in to the roost, butthe wild and domestic birds don’t mix and min-gle – the wild birds do their own thing for a shortwhile and then leave.”

Noe, Taggart and Herndon sued the AGFC inDecember 2004. They argued the MBTA is theexclusive authority for waterfowl and statescould not legally impose any more restrictiverequirements on duck breeding or shooting.They further argued the AGFC tried to put themout of business, Noe said.

“We have been in business since 1984,” Noesaid. “In 2004, the AGFC wrote a regulation thatforbids what I do. They destroyed my businessand nearly put me into bankruptcy. The statesaid I could no longer release ducks into thewild. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act does notrequire me to adhere to the AGFC regulations sowe sued them.”

Two courts have disagreed so far. In June2005, Judge Leon Holmes of the U.S. DistrictCourt for the Eastern District of Arkansas inLittle Rock sided with the AGFC, prompting theappeal to the U.S. Eight Circuit Court of Appealsin St. Louis. The three appeals judges agreednothing in the MBTA prohibits states from fur-ther regulating migratory birds or by requiringpermits for possession, sale and release of pen-raised mallards.

“The AGFC was very pleased with the deci-sion from the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court ofAppeals confirming that AGFC regulations ofcaptive-reared mallards are valid and do notconflict with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act orfederal regulations,” Goodhart said. “The com-mission historically has had regulations and per-mit requirements affecting breeders of wildgame and commercial game bird shootingresorts.”

The court decisions reaffirmed that withintheir borders, states can make laws more restric-tive than those imposed by the federal govern-ment, but not less restrictive. For instance, theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows hunters inthe Mississippi Flyway to bag four mallards,including two hens, per day. The AGFC onlyallows sportsmen hunting in Arkansas to bagone hen mallard per day.

Noe vowed to continue fighting. He’s lobbiedstate and federal lawmakers, but faces an uphillbattle.

“It’s not an uphill battle, it’s a mountain,” headmitted. “What we do is legal, no question.”

FEEDING TIME: Hundreds of ducks follow a feeding truck at Mallard Magic. An Arkansas man is fightingfor the right to release his mallards for exercise before they are sold for hunting.

BreedingContinued from Page 1

mercury, a neurotoxin that can damage fetalbrain development. Coal plants are the primarysource of the mercury.

Parten, president of Texas Black BassUnlimited, fears the mercury problem in Texaslakes is only going to get worse after Gov. RickPerry ordered the state’s environmental com-mission to speed up the permitting process for atleast 17 proposed coal plants. Parten’s groupopposes the requests.

“I’m just a construction worker who fishes,”Parten said. “But I don’t like what I see. It scaresme.”

Twelve lakes in Texas, along with some areas inthe Gulf of Mexico, are designated by the TexasDepartment of State Health Services as beingcontaminated by mercury. The most recent advi-sory was issued in October 2006 for Canyon Lakenear New Braunfels. Elevated levels of mercurywere found in striped bass and longnose gar.

“If Rick Perry is going to allow power plants tobe grandfathered in without clean air and cleanwater concerns, we oppose that,” Parten said.“And all indications are, emphatically, that’swhat he’s working toward.”

Leading the way on the fast track is TXUEnergy, which wants to build 11 plants thatwould use pulverized coal from Wyoming. TXUhas made a public pledge to reduce emissionsfrom the proposed plants by 20 percent,although it’s not said how that would be done.

Perry issued a written statement declaringthat the state’s energy demand will grow 35 per-cent by 2025, so “Texas must begin buildingadditional energy generation now.”

A TXU official echoed that claim. “Unless theTexas energy industry acts now, our electricitysupply will fall below reliable levels in the next 24months,” said spokesman Tom Kleckner. “Andwe’ll face potential rolling blackouts, higherprices and job losses.”

A spokesman for the Lone Star Chapter of theSierra Club, however, disputes the energy short-age claim.

“There’s not a shortage,” said Neil Carman.“ERCOT, a private entity organized by utilitiesthat makes sure reliable energy is on the electricalgrid, wants a cushion in the generating system.They claim by 2010 the cushion will be less than13 percent.”

The Texas Wildlife Association hasn’t taken

an official position on building the additionalcoal plants, but it is questioning the rush to buildthem.

Executive Vice President Kirby Brown notesthat Texas is one of several states bidding for a fed-eral project called FutureGen, which proposes tobuild a coal plant that has almost no emissionsthanks to the use of modern technology.

“Why are they trying to rush in under the wire,when we can see zero emissions being the stan-dard not too far in the future?” Brown asked. “Thetechnology seems to be there. This would just addto emission problems we already have in our met-ropolitan areas, as well as for those people wholive in rural areas, not to mention our wildlife.”

TXU’s Kleckner, however, argues that any bene-fits from FutureGen are years away.

“FutureGen representatives recently told anational coal organization that the project wouldbegin seeing results in 2015,” he said.“Unfortunately, Texas can’t afford to wait.”

There are more than 1,000 coal plants in theUnited States. Texas has 20 of them, includingfive of the nation’s top 10 coal plants as far as totalmercury emissions, according to a study done bythe former enforcement chief of theEnvironmental Protection Agency. Ranked num-ber one is TXU’s Martin Lake plant nearLongview.

Texas is proceeding with the certificationprocess for the coal plants despite the fact thestate doesn’t know the extent of mercury contam-ination in its lakes and rivers.

There is no designated funding to routinely testTexas’ water bodies for contaminants, said ZackThomas, an environmental specialist for theTexas Department of State Health Services.Testing is done through grants, usually from theEPA. TDSHS couldn’t tell Lone Star Outdoor Newshow many Texas lakes and rivers have been testedfor mercury.

“Most of the areas we’ve tested have historical-ly had contaminant issues,” Thomas said.

Parten wants Texas’ lakes tested for mercurybefore considering requests to build more coalplants.

“I think it would be a giant step for the healthand welfare of Texans for us to know on a lake bylake basis just what we’re facing,” he said. “Ifwe’ve got a problem, let’s fix it. Sadly, I’ve neverheard one politician say he’d like to make it hap-pen.”

Next Issue: Who is lining up for and against theplants and the dispute over the plants’ effect if they'rebuilt.

PlantsContinued from Page 1

COAL CONCERNS: Stephen Fatherree, front of boat, and Tom Shirey fish Lake Monticello with coalpower plants in the background. Photo by David J. Sams.


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1982 JeepScrambler:5 speed, re-movablehard top,Rhino linerfloors andtruck bed, power steering and brakes, air-conditioning, AM/FM CD player, fog lights,PIAA lights, bed lights, front- or rear-mounted 5K# winch with quick connects.Don’t wait. Enjoy it this hunting season.117K miles. Priced at $14,500. CallAnthony at (214) 212-9292.

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BBIILLLL WWHHIITTFFIIEELLDD221100--449944--66442211

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THE SPECS: This 23-foot,2-inch long boat has a 1001/2-inch beam. It weighsabout 2,640 pounds, with a300 maximum horsepower. ANGLERS WILL LIKE: Atthe stern, an integratedengine setback works with aspecially engineered tunnelbetween the hull pad andoutboard for easieroperation in the shallows, Combined with a low profile design, the Carolina-style bow flare and extra widebeam delivers comfort, less wind resistance and an extremely dry ride. The large, unobstructed casting decksare ideal for flyfishing and the oversized gunnels deliver additional fishing space. It has two rod storage boxes;an oversized fish box; a cooler; a recirculating, aerated livewell; plus additional storage areas. It comes in avariety of colors. BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: Called the “Ultimate Bay Boat,” this model isknown for its detailed finish and overall versatility. MSRP: $45,920, with an F250 Yamaha outboard motor and trailer.For additional features and options or for dealers: www.rangerboats.com or (800) 373-2628 (BOAT).

2300 Bay Boatby Ranger

THE SPECS: This bay boat is22-feet, 10-inches long andhas a 96-inch beam. It has an18-gallon fuel tank and amaximum horsepower of 175. ANGLERS WILL LIKE: Thisbay boat features a fiberglassdeck track, console, frontdeck and short rear deck witha livewell. Color options areblack, navy, red, teal or yellow. Besides many standard features, Carolina Skiff also offers various upgradeoptions, including a leaning post, rod holders, tackle box, storage, cutting board, 32-gallon lighted livewell,walk-in console, swim platform and more. A bigger gas tank also is optional. BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: This fish-finding boat features a full cast of featuresand can be customized with various affordable upgrades.MSRP: $14,000 (for basic boat package, without engine or trailer).For additional features and options or for dealers: www.carolinaskiff.com or (800) 422-7282.

238 DLV byCarolina Skiff

THE SPECS: This boat is 21feet, 10 inches long, with an8-foot, 6-inch beam. Its dryweight (with a Yamaha F150outboard) is about 2,615pounds. Its fuel capacity is 60gallons, with a maximumhorsepower of 250. ANGLERS WILL LIKE:Designed with the new XL hull to optimize the performance of larger four-stroke outboards, this Pathfinderfeatures safe and comfortable open water performance, plus spacious self-bailing cockpits, rod racks and lockingrod storage, oversized consoles, big baitwells plus ample dry storage. BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: The 2200 combines fishing-smart features,comfort, safety, and versatility...giving anglers and their families the most value ever offered in a bay boat thissize.MSRP: $38,714, when equipped with a Yamaha F150 outboard motor. For additional features and options or for dealers: www.pathfinderboats.com or (888) 742-5569(SHALLOW).

2200 XL BayBoat by

Pathfinder Boats


THE SPECS: This 22-foot-long handlaid fiberglass boathas an 8-foot, 6-inch beam.Its dry weight (withoutengine) is about 1,940pounds. The boat can accom-modate seven people. Itsfuel capacity is 61 gallonswith a 250 HP maximum.ANGLERS WILL LIKE: All-new for 2007, the 221 Winyah Bay offers the same durability as the company’sother four bay boat models in a more tournament-style package. The low-profile design of the 221, combinedwith ample casting space, via a fore and aft raised casting deck, creates a versatile angling platform. The bowcontains a large storage area, complete with a generous anchor locker with overboard drain. And there isplenty of room for rods and reels with six lockable rod storage compartments located on each side of thedeck, three vertical rod racks on each side of the console, four stainless steel flush mount rod holders that linethe boat and two additional zero-degree stainless steel flush mount rod holders at the console.BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: With the ability to perform well in rough watersand a remarkable 10-inch draft allowing it to ghost over shallow waters, this center console providestremendous fishability.MSRP: $40,023, when equipped with a Yamaha F150TXR outboard motor. For additional features andoptions or for dealers: www.scoutboats.com or (843) 821-0068.

221 WinyahBay Boat byScout Boats

THE SPECS: This boat is 21feet, 4 inches long, with a102-inch beam. Its dryweight is about 1,700pounds with a 1,751-pound(8-person) weight capacity.Its fuel capacity is 60 gallons,with a maximum horsepowerof 225. ANGLERS WILL LIKE: This boat has a large front casting deck with lockable storage and a large back castingdeck. It features a leaning post with a 72-quart ice chest, an aerated livewell in the front console, rod storage,an insulated fish box, a Parks console with six flush-mounted rod holders plus more. Its windscreen, stainlesssteel grab rail and rear bench seat are removable. BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: An accumulation of two years of intense designand study has given Blue Wave the leading edge product in the liner V-Hull market. With the newest, state-of-the-art materials and manufacturing methods ... customers know they are getting the absolute best value fortheir money.MSRP: $43,096, when rigged with a Yamaha F150TXR motor ( includes the prop, battery and trailer)For additional features and options or for dealers: www.bluewaveboats.com or (800) 432-6768.

2200 Pure Bayby Blue Wave

BoatsTHE SPECS: This boat is 21-feet, 6-inches long, with a102-inch beam. It weighsabout 1,900 pounds, and canaccommodate five people(900 pounds). Its fuelcapacity is 54 gallons, with amaximum horsepower of 225horsepower.ANGLERS WILL LIKE: With a shallow-draft hull that delivers a drier, smoother ride, this boat boasts a fully-lined deck with skid-resistant surfaces plus spacious forward and aft casting platforms. Features include a 29-gallon lighted console-seat baitwell and a 25-gallon aft release well, eight console mounted rod holders and a55-gallon forward insulated fish box and two extra-large storage compartments. It has a removable windshieldwith a fold-down handrail and leaning post.BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: The new 220 Bay Champ offers best in classamenities and fishability demanded by experienced inshore fishermen.MSRP: $27,995. For additional features and options or for dealers: www.championboats.com or (615) 494-2090.

220 Bay Champby Champion

Boats

THE SPECS: This boat is18 feet, 4 inches long,with an 8-foot beam. Itweighs (without engine)about 2,000 pounds. Itsfuel capacity is 50 gallonswith a maximumhorsepower of 150. ANGLERS WILL LIKE:With the new 1902 Bay Boat anglers can experience the best of both flats and nearshore fishability.Features include a roomy casting platform, live baitwell, 45-gallon fish box, rod boxes, a 94-quart cooler,tacklebox, loads of storage, plus more.BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: The unmatched reliability of Yamaha outboardpower and the rugged V-Tech hull design get fishermen from bay to bay with ease. It’s new, but it’s aCentury through and through - built for the challenge of any fishing conditions. MSRP: $31,091, with Yamaha F150 outboard motor (does not include trailer).For additional features and options or for dealers: www.centuryboats.com or (850) 769-0311.

1902 Bay Boatby Century

Boats

THE SPECS: This 22-foot, 6-inch long boat has a 101-inchbeam. Its dry weight is 1,850pounds and can accommodate 8people and gear with a maximumweight capacity of 1,851 pounds.Its fuel capacity is 60 gallons witha maximum horsepower of 250. ANGLERS WILL LIKE: This boatcombines all of the attributesneeded to run fast, smooth and dry in rough waters when seeking gamefish outside of protected waters, including a 19-inch interior depth and a no splash-well design. Its 14- to 16-inch draft allows anglers to float shallow for inshoresportfish. There are two wide-open fishing platforms and ample space for gear storage. The bow and stern fishingplatforms feature three stainless steel seat bases for optional 13-inch fixed height fishing seat or bike seat with Power ProPole. A 32-gallon rear/center live/releasewell and oval-shaped console baitwell both feature fill and recirculationmodes with timer to keep bait refreshed. Gear and rods can be stored in the bow storage box, insulated 32-gallonstarboard/bow fishbox, four tubular horizontal rod storage holders and rear storage area.BOTTOM LINE, ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER: “The ZX22V Bay Boat is the ultimate saltwater coastalfishing machine in the 22-foot length category,” says Ben Jarrett, Skeeter’s National Sales Manager. According toJarrett, Skeeter receives product design requests from every segment of the U.S. coast. MSRP: $54,740, when equipped with a Yamaha F250 outboard motor. For additional features and options or fordealers: www.skeeterboats.com or (800) 753-3837.

ZX22V Bay Boatby Skeeter Boats

BAY’S BEST BOAT BUYER’S GUIDE

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair whilewading the spoil banks on Trout Killers,Sand Eels and Bass Assassins. Redfishare fair to good while drifting shrimpand mullet in the middle of the lake.SOUTH SABINE: Trout and redfish arefair to goodaround theCausewayBridge onshrimp andlimetreuse andglow soft plastics. Flounder are fair togood on mud minnows from the piers.Redfish and black drum are fair to goodat the jetty on crabs and mullet.BOLIVAR: Trout are fair in three to fivefeet of water over scattered shell.Redfish, black drum and whiting are fairto good in the surf on shrimp and mullet.TRINITY BAY: Trout are fair to goodwhile drifting shell on red/white and firetiger Trout Killers, Bass Assassins andSand Eels. Redfish are fair to good atthe Spillway on peeled shrimp.EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair onprotected reefs on free-lined shrimp andpumpkinseed and red shad BassAssassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers. WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fairon the shell near Confederate andCarancuhua Reefs. Redfish are scatteredin the holes and channels on shrimp andmullet.TEXAS CITY: Black drum, whiting, sandtrout and sheepshead are fair on freshdead shrimp from the dike. Redfish arefair to good in the holes at the entranceof Moses Lake on mullet and shrimp.FREEPORT: Gafftop, whiting,sheepshead, redfish and flounder are fairat the jetty on live shrimp and peeledshrimp. Trout are fair to good while wad-ing the shell and mud in Christmas Bay.EAST MATAGORDA: Trout are fair overshell and mud. Redfish are fair in theguts along the shorelines on goldspoons.MATAGORDA: Redfish are fair to good inthe channels and holes on shrimp andmullet. Blackdrum,sheepshead andredfish are fairto good at thejetty on live shrimp and finger mullet.ROCKPORT: Trout and redfish are fairon the deep reefs in Copano Bay andSan Antonio Bay. Redfish are fair togood at California Hole on mud min-nows, mullet and live shrimp.PORT ARANSAS: Black drum are fairfrom the piers on crabs and peeledshrimp. Redfish are fair at the end ofthe jetty on crabs, shrimp and mullet.CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair togood while wading and drifting scat-tered shell and mud in Nueces Bay onred shad and plum Bass Assassins,

TroutKillersand SandEels.Redfish

are fair on shrimp and mullet in thedeep channels and holes near PelicanIsland. BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair on theledges of the Intracoastal on plastics.Redfish and black drum are fair in theholes and guts of the Humble Channel.PORT MANSFIELD: Trout and redfishare fair to good over grass beds andsand holes on bone and fire tiger TroutKillers, Bass Assassins and Sand Eels.Best bite has been in the afternoon. SOUTH PADRE: Redfish are fair ongold spoons and red/white Red Killers,Bass Assassins and Trout Killers in theholes and deep guts. Trout, redfish andblack drum are fair to good on shrimpin the Ship Channel.PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish arefair at Airport Cove and Un-NecessaryIsland on black, plum and red shadplastics. Trout, black drum,sheepshead and redfish are fair onshrimp, squid and mullet at the jetty.


FISHING REPORTFISHING REPORT

AMISTAD: Black bass are very good onwatermelon red spinnerbaits,crankbaits, and soft plastics. CONROE: Black bass are good onwatermelon red and chartreuse spinner-baits, crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. POSSUM KINGDOM: Black bass aregood near boat docks and back of coveson soft plastics or shad and crawfishimitation crankbaits. TOLDEO BEND: Black bass are good onflukes and black/blue jigs up PatroonCreek.

ARROWHEAD: White bass are good onshad-imitation lures and white soft plas-tics off deeper points. BUCHANAN: Striped bass are good ver-tically jigging Pirk Minnows and 1⁄4oz.white Curb's striper jigs from Shaw toFlag Islands early, and drifting live baitand trolling Gizz 4" crankbaits on downriggers set at 28 feet. POSSUM KINGDOM: White bass aregood along channels vertical jiggingwith silver slabs north of Costello Islandwith some striped bass.

CALAVERAS: Channel catfish are excel-lent on liver, shrimp, and nightcrawlers.Blue catfish are good on liver and night-crawlers.CHOKE CANYON: Channel and bluecatfish are excellent on Lewis' Selectcatfish bait and cut shad in 6 - 20 feet.Yellow catfish are good on trotlines bait-ed with hybrid bluegills in 6 - 15 feet.MEDINA: Catfish are very good onLewis' Select catfish bait and wholeshad, and on juglines baited with perchin 10 - 25 feet.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Crappie are goodon minnows and jigs from Watts Islandto the dam along the old creek channelin 30 - 35 feet.LIVINGSTON: Crappie are good on min-nows.

TOLDEO BEND: Bream are good onworms.

CATFISH

HOT BITES SALTWATERSCENE

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 40 degrees. Crappie are fair on min-nows and jigs.AMISTAD: Water clear; 50-52 degrees. Striped bass are fair on jiggingspoons, slabs, and grubs. White bass are fair on jigging spoons, slabs, andgrubs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on chicken livers, cheesebait,shrimp, and nightcrawlers in 80 - 120 feet. ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 48 degrees; 6.5' low. Black bass to 10pounds are good near submerged timber or riprap areas with black/blue jigsand black/blue crawfish trailers. Catfish are fair on shad, punch bait and jug-lines.BASTROP: Water stained; 46-50 degrees. Black bass are fair on soft plasticworms and spinnerbaits. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait andshrimp. BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 46-51 degrees; 8.04' low. Black bass are fairon chrome jigging spoons and Texas-rigged motor oil worms. Crappie are fairon minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers. BRAUNIG: Water stained; 54-60 degrees. Black bass are good on spinner-baits, live minnows, and dark soft plastic worms in the reed beds and nearthe dam. Striped bass are good on liver and shad, and down rigging spoons.Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp, perch, and shad in 20 -30 feet.BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 47 degrees; 6.90' low. Black bass to 4pounds are good on 3/8oz. black/blue and Baby Turtle StrikeWorks jigs, andslow rolling heavy cover spinnerbaits between docks and over brushpiles.White bass are fair on minnows. BUCHANAN: Water clear; 47-50degrees; 22.72' low. Black bass arefair on brown 3/16oz. Curb's hairjigs, black/blue Terminator FootballHead jigs, and smoke/red tubes onjigheads in 10 - 15 feet. CALAVERAS: Water stained; 55-60degrees. Black bass are good oncrankbaits, live minnows, and darksoft plastic worms and live minnowsaround structure, near the dam, andover reed beds. Striped bass are fairdown rigging Rat-L-Traps near thedam in 15 - 20 feet and near thepower lines on the north side of thelake. CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 47-51degrees; 6.75' low. Black bass arefair on 3/16oz. jigs, purple wormson 'shaky' jigheads, and white sus-pending crankbaits along bluffledges inside of secondary points in12 - 16 feet. Striper surface activityis good on Gizz 4" crankbaits, PirkMinnows, Sassy Shads, and whitejigs. Smallmouth bass to 3.5pounds are good on smoke JDCgrubs, smoke/red 3in. tubes, andwhite crankbaits along points in 10 -18 feet. CEDAR CREEK: Water lightlystained; 46-50 degrees; 2.66' low.Black bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps, Carolina-rigs and white/chartreuse spin-nerbaits. White bass are fair on white Road Runners and slabs. Crappie arefair minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers.CHOKE CANYON: Water lightly stained; 48-51 degrees; 7.56' low. Blackbass are fair on crawfish deep running crankbaits, chartreuse/black shallowrunning crankbaits, and Carolina rigged watermelon seed 12" worms in backsof coves early. White bass are fair on pearl fat free shad and vertically jigginggay blades off main lake points in 10-20 feet. Crappie are fair.COLETO CREEK: Water lightly stained; 58-60 degrees (65 degrees at hotwater discharge); 3.13' low. Black bass to 8 pounds are fair on soft plasticsin 10 - 13 feet. CONROE: Water stained; 1.99' high. Striped bass are fair on live bait.Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on stinkbait, cutbait, and baitshrimp.DUNLAP/MCQUEENEY: Water stained; 47-50 degrees. Crappie are good onminnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Channel catfish are good on frozenshrimp, liver, nightcrawlers, and stinkbait. Blue catfish are good on liveperch. FALCON: Water stained; 50-54 degrees. Black bass are fair on watermelonred Sweet Beavers, jigs, and soft plastics. Channel and blue catfish are goodon cutbait and shrimp. FAYETTE: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees. Black bass are fair on watermel-on red and watermelon gold Finesse worms, Senkos, and Bass Assassins in 8- 10 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on juglines baited with shinersin 8 feet.FORK: Water clear; 47-51 degrees; 2.48' low. Black bass are fair onblack/blue jigs trimmed with No. 11 black pork trailers around wood in themouths of coves and 1⁄2oz. white/chartreuse spinnerbaits along main lakegrass lines. Crappie are fair on minnows and small jigs in 30-38 feet undermain lake bridges and around brush piles. Catfish are good on prepared baitsin 23-25 feet along creeks.GIBBONS CREEK: Water stained. Black bass are good on watermelon redcrankbaits, spinnerbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are fair on minnows andgreen tube jigs. Catfish are good on cutbait, stinkbait, and bait shrimp.GRANBURY: Water murky; 44-48 degrees; 0.95' low. Black bass are fair onCarolina rigged watermelon red and watermelon/green soft plastics,crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are fair on minnows. Crappie arefair on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Catfish are good on cutbait,stinkbait, and chicken livers.GRANGER: Water murky; 46-50 degrees; 5.42' high. White bass are fair onshad upriver. Blue catfish are fair on juglines baited with shad. HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 53 degrees; 1.60' high. Black bass to 3pounds are fair on cotton candy brush hogs in 14 feet. HUBBARD CREEK: Water lightly stained; 49 degrees; 12.48' low. Black bassare fair on shad-colored crankbaits along secondary points and channels.Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on cutbaits and preparedbaits.JOE POOL: Water fairly clear; 47-51 degrees; 1.91' high. Black bass are fair

on spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged 7" purple worms. Crappie are fair on minnowsand jigs. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and prepared baits.LAKE O' THE PINES: Water stained; 46-52 degrees; 0.98' low. Black bass arefair on Carolina-rigged watermelon seed french fries, medium diving crankbaitsand watermelon seed worms. (December 1st thru Feb. 28 anglers keep theirfirst 25 crappie regardless of size). LAVON: Water stained; 44-50 degrees; 10.43' low. Black bass are fair onwhite or white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, Bandit crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps in 1- 8 feet around stumps and riprap. Crappie are fair on live minnows and jigs.Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and Catfish Charlie.LBJ: Water clear; 45-48 degrees; 0.09' low. Black bass are fair to good onwatermelon/red Big Pig creature baits, watermelon/red Snap Back Tubes,Chatter Baits along boulders and rocky riprap in 5 - 12 feet on seawalls. Whitebass are fair trolling Shad Raps. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 45-51 degrees; 6.6' low. White bass are fair onslab spoons in 25-35 feet at the mouths of major creeks. Catfish are good oncut shad under trees where cormorants are roosting.LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 48-52 degrees; 1.54' high. Black bass aregood on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are excellent but small onRat-L-Traps and crankbaits. MACKENZIE: Water lightly stained; 40 degrees; 7' low. White bass and stripedbass are fair on slabs and live bait. Walleye are fair on slabs tipped with min-nows. MEDINA: Water stained; 59-52 degrees; 35.92' low. Black bass are fair onshallow running crankbaits and YUM Dingers on main lake points early, and

later on drop shots with green pump-kin Fork tails. White bass are goodon live minnows and vertically jiggingKT Lures off main lake points in 20 -30 feet. Crappie are fair.MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 40degrees; 32.5' low. Black bass areslow. Crappie are fair on jigs andminnows. White bass are fair on livebait. Walleye are fair on slabs tippedwith minnows. NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained;50 degrees. Crappie are fair on min-nows and jigs. White bass andstriped bass are fair. Catfish are fairon live baits.O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 50degrees; 21.78' low. Black bass arefair on live baits and crankbaits alongsecondary points and channels.Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.White bass are good on live baits andshad imitation baits. PALESTINE: Water fairly clear; 45-51 degrees; 1.35' high. Black bassare fair on crankbaits, spinnerbaitsand jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlineswith live perch. POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 49degrees; 2.4' low. Catfish are goodon set lines baited with shad in the

upper part of reservoir.PROCTOR: Water murky; 46-49 degrees; 8.54' low. Black bass are good onspinnerbaits and minnows. Striped bass are fair on minnows. White bass arefair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and tube jigs early. RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 43-50 degrees; 1.94' low. Crappie are fairon minnows and jigs at the fishing barges and around bridge columns. Whitebass are fair to good on white or chartreuse slabs and Humdingers. Hybridstriper are fair to good on slabs. Catfish are fair on chartreuse (use Worm-Glo)nightcrawlers.RAY ROBERTS: Water stained; 45-48 degrees; 7.48' low. White bass are goodon CC jigging spoons and chartreuse Bomber slabs in 25-35 feet (use shortinfrequent hops with your bait). Catfish are good on punch bait under roostingcormorants.SAM RAYBURN: Water murky; 46-50 degrees; 1.85' high. Black bass are fairon chartreuse/blue and chartreuse/white Carolina rigged soft plastics,crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse tubejigs.STAMFORD: Water lightly stained; 49 degrees; 3' low. Crappie are fair on jigsand minnows. White and striped bass are fair on live baits. STILLHOUSE: Water murky; 44-49 degrees; 2.69' low. Crappie are fair onminnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and stinkbait. TAWAKONI: Water stained; 44-51 degrees; 9.11' low. White bass are fair onslabs and live minnows. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair on slabs andlive shad. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers.TEXOMA: Water clear; 44-51 degrees; 2.16' low. Black bass are fair on Texasrigged 7" black/blue Power Worms, crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Striped bassare good on Sassy Shad and live shad.TOLEDO BEND: Water murky; 47-52 degrees; 1.74' low. White bass are goodon minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with heartsand cutbait. TRAVIS: Water stained; 46-50 degrees; 35.12' low. Black bass are fair onwatermelon soft plastic worms, and chartreuse crankbaits. Channel and bluecatfish are good on fresh cutbait and bait shrimp in 20 - 30 feet. WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained. Channel and blue catfish are good onstinkbait and shrimp. WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 40-43 degrees; 8.99' low. Black bass are fairon shad pattern finesse baits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits around the docks andon the rocky point. WHITE RIVER: Water lightly stained; 47 degrees; 27.4' low. Black bass arefair on live baits and dark jigs in buck brush. Crappie are fair on jigs and min-nows.WHITNEY: Water stained; 44-49 degrees; 8.27' low. Black bass are fair onwatermelon red and white Carolina rigged soft plastics. Crappie are fair onminnows. Catfish are good on stinkbait, cutbait, and shrimp.WICHITA: Water lightly stained; 47 degrees. White bass and hybrid stripedbass are good on minnows and white twister-tails along the dam, near oldpier poles, and by spillway using live shad and a bobber. Channel catfish aregood on trotlines baited with cut shad.

CRAPPIE

WHITEHYBRIDSTRIPER

BREAM

Trout and flounder are fair to good while wading mud and shell on boneand plum Bass Assassins, Trout Killers, Sand Eels and Corkies. Redfishare good in the guts and holes on soft plastics and gold spoons.

LARGEMOUTHBASS

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ACROSS1. Common name for the

bowfin6. Action of a dry fly on the

water8. A brand of camo9. A hunter’s big game

10. A wingshooter’s quarry11. Scent lure used by bear

hunters15. A freshwater fish16. A type of arrow18. Best lure color to attract

fish20. Electronic wear controls

gundogs21. A family of bottom fish24. Name for the trout after

hatching26. Shoulder hide on a deer27. A food source for bears28. 17 down seeks this29. All outdoorsmen should

carry one30. The varmint

DOWN1. A species of the bighorn2. Act of forcing wildfowl

to flight3. Trout will run smaller in

this4. Newborn elk5. A good trap bait6. To place feathers on an

arrow7. State boasts second most

elk

12. A perch13. Female deer14. A young turkey15. The turkey’s feet17. They seek otter, weasel,

coon type quarry19. The pheasant20. A game bird

22. A wounded game or fowl23. A Northern saltwater flat

fish25. State most populated by

elk

WILD IN THE KITCHEN

WEATHER

For crossword puzzle solution, see Page 23

OUTDOOR PUZZLER

4 servings12 quail, split in half along the breast-bone — back removedsalt and pepper3 cups buttermilk2 tablespoons Tabasco1/4 cup Dijon mustard2 cups flour

1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (or substitute any breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons salt2 tablespoons garlic powder1 tablespoon pepper

oil for fryingSeason split quail halves with salt

and pepper. In a large bowl, combinebuttermilk, Tabasco and mustard andblend until smooth. In another bowl,combine remaining ingredients exceptoil and stir. Place quail in buttermilkmixture, then flour mixture, then backto buttermilk, then into the flour mix-ture again. Heat oil to 360 – 370 degreesin a large, heavy pot. Using tongs, care-fully place (not splash!) quail halves, 2to 3 at a time, into the hot oil. Fry untilgolden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.Remove and drain on paper towels.Recipe courtesy of Scott Leysath.www.sportingchef.com.

24 servingsIngredients:6 eggs2 cups coconut milk4 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs3 cups flaked unsweetened

coconut2 tablespoon lime zest, minced 24

Red snapper filletsSalt, to tasteGround black pepper, to taste

2 1/2 cups mustard lime sauce

Mustard Lime Sauce 1 1/2 cups reduced calorie

mayonnaise1/4 cup dijon mustard3/4 cups lime juice

Whisk together ingredients until smooth.

Combine egg and milk in a shallowdish. Set aside.

Combine bread crumbs, coconutand lime in a separate shallow dish

and set aside.Lightly season fillets with salt and

pepper, dip into egg mixture, thendredge in coconut mixture.

Arrange fillets on a lightly greasedparchment-lined sheet pan.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutesuntil fish flakes easily.

Serve each fillet with approximate-ly 1 1/2 tablespoons of Mustard LimeSauce.Recipe courtesy of the National FisheriesInstitute, www.aboutseafood.com.

Coconut Lime Snapper Fillets

Extra-Crunchy Buttermilk Quail

Outdoor Puzzler, Wilbur "Wib" Lundeen


FREE MINNOWS

www.pondking.com 940-668-2573

* With Purchase of Fish Stocking Plan

Texas-Based — Delivery AvailableAlso See Our Docks & Boats

Online

re may give fish-rmen too big an

advantage. Wyoming banned

use of light;Canada may

follow.hree fishermen inshington State used aular lure baited withmp and caught noth-after fishing three

rs in cold weather.e of them tried the

w lure and 30 minutesr caught a thirty-nd steelhead.

Tournament fisher-n on a lake in Floridad everything in hiskle box and had no bites. He switched tonew lure, caught a bass on his first casthad his limit in 45 minutes.

efore writing this, I asked a veteranerman in my office for his opinion.nday morning he charged into myce, yelling “I caught six monster in an hour with this thing! WhereI get some?”

inally, I phoned an ichthyologist (fishert) to find out what’s behind all this.edators – lions, sharks,” he said, “will

always go for the most vulnerable prey.Fish are predators, so if a fish sees asmaller fish bleeding, it knows it’s weak-ened and will strike. There’s a survivalprogram built into predators that says‘Grab a meal when you can. You may notfind one tomorrow.’

“If the lure you’re talking about can sim-ulate a live, bleeding fish, a few fishermencould probably empty a lake with it.”

I told him three almost did.

Different presentations

The lure’s construction makes eachretrieval slightly different, so if a predatorholds back on the first cast, it sees anentirely new presentation on the second.There are even small, steel balls inside thelure to attract fish with sound.

Because the tiny chip (you can see itinside the lure) cools between each blink,the lure lasts over 1,000 hours in the water.No battery replacement is required. Thereare four designs and the colors are virtual

works of art. The construction is toughenough to take the fiercest hits.

A set of the four is available directfrom the U. S. distributor: one for topwater, one for middle, one for deep, andone that dives to the depth you want andstays there during retrieval. The lureswork in salt or fresh water.

See for yourself. Cast one near somestructure. If there’s a largemouth dozingnearby, based on what I’ve seen and heard,it’s yours.

To order, go to www.ngcsports.com orcall 1-800-873-4415 anytime or day andask for Bite Light™ (Item # kbl). Or sendyour name, address and a check or M.O.(or cc and exp. date) to NGC Sports(Dept. BL-95), 60 Church Street,Yalesville, CT 06492. One set of four BiteLights™ costs $39.95. Each additional setcosts only $34.50. S/h is only $7.00 nomatter how many sets you order. There’sa money-back guarantee, if you returnthem within 30-days.

Internat ional F ishing News

re from Asia sets record in Mexico, beatsto 1.

Patented lure from Asia uses a high-tech chip to create the appearance of live, bleedingprey. It caught more fish than live bait in one contest.

BL-9A © NGC Worldwide, Inc. 2007 Dept. BL-95

Blinks blood red

de lure blinks blood red to sim-prey.

ried by National Public Radio,ABC News and even the BBC inEngland.

But to fully gauge whatMcGowen calls “the furor,’’ sim-ply “Google’’ the words“Kuempel,’’ “blind,’’ and“Republican.’’

Countless missives from theblogosphere will spring forth,declaring the proposal is idioticand Kuempel must be a fool or abubba.

Others used the news toremind their readers about VicePresident Dick Cheney’s acci-dental shooting last year whilequail hunting in South Texas.

A common line in blog entriesseems to be “Only in Texas ….’’

“I’m losing my patience withsighted people who have novision,’’ McGowen said. “We’vealready been hunting for years.There are ways to do this.’’

Weapons have been a lifelongpassion for McGowen.

The Baird native grew uphunting and fishing. He alsoserved with the 101st AirborneDivision in Vietnam. Later heentered flight school andbecame an attack helicopterpilot.

McGowen logged 21 years inthe Army, but he was forced toretire as a captain in 1990 afterhis personal airplane crashedduring a stop in Utah.

He went through rehabilita-tion to learn how to functionwithout eyesight and thenearned advanced degrees in his-tory to become a lecturer and

author. McGowen also returned to the

outdoors and relearned how tofish, golf and even ski.

Hunting, however, seemed outof the question until one day in1999 when McGowen andfriends were discussing gunsights.

Soon they devised a techniquein which a “spotter’’ standsbehind McGowen and peers intohis rifle scope to make sure he ison target. The spotter tellsMcGowen when it’s safe toshoot.

The preferred optic is a pistolscope with extra-long eye reliefbecause the sight is further fromthe spotter’s face than it wouldbe if he was the shooter. Also, thesight is raised higher on the riflewith an extended scope mount.

McGowen has since harvested

about a dozen deer and numer-ous other species.

But the technique isn’t per-fect.

“It takes extra time and coordi-nation to get that field of view,’’McGowen said. “We’ve had topass up a lot of shots.’’

A laser device will add moreprecision to the task, McGowensaid, because the beam throws ared dot on the target. A spotterwill be mandatory under thelaw.

“This will allow us to makequicker, more accurate shots,’’he said. “It will make us moreethical hunters.’’

McGowen approached theTexas State Rifle Association in2005 to help build support in theLegislature for a “laser’’ bill.

Alice Tripp, the group’s lobby-ist in Austin, subsequently asked

Kuempel, himself a hunter, tosponsor the bill. But first she hadto do some research.

“I pretty much had to get mymind around the concept of ablind person hunting,’’ she said,“but now I’ve had a year’s headstart on the rest of Texas.’’

The bill’s bad publicity couldrile anti-hunting activists, Trippsaid, but she’s more concerned itwill be overshadowed by otherlegislative issues.

Tripp urged organizations likethe Texas Trophy HuntersAssociation and the safari clubsin Dallas and Houston to getbehind the bill.

“The biggest thing this billneeds is broad support fromhunting groups,’’ she said. “If it’sconsidered to be somethingridiculous, who would want totouch it?’’

BeamContinued from Page 6

Gander Mountain Companyand Tracker Marine Group haveannounced that this spring,Tracker Marine Group boatbrands will be sold at all GanderMountain stores. GanderMountain will offer Tracker andFisher fishing and pontoon boats,and Tracker boat brands includingNitro, ProCraft, Tahoe, Mako, and

Kenner. Brand offerings will betailored to each location.

With 105 stores in 22 states,Gander Mountain will be thelargest national network of outletsfor Tracker Marine Group boats.That network will continue toexpand with the planned open-ing of at least 12 new GanderMountain stores in 2007.

“Bass Tracker and other topbrands from Tracker MarineGroup will put Gander Mountainin great position to take advan-tage of the large potential in theboat market,” said GanderMountain president and CEOMark Baker.

A Gander Mountain release.

Gander Mountain to sell Tracker boats

The Aransas National WildlifeRefuge announced the highest num-bers of endangered whooping cranesare wintering in Texas in approxi-mately the last 100 years.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceWhooping Crane Coordinator TomStehn completed a census flight onDec. 13 and accounted for 237 whoop-ing cranes. The current populationexceeds by 17 the previous high of 220whoopers present in the fall of 2005.

The increase in numbers is due toextremely good nest production lastsummer.

The population in Texas reached alow of only 15 birds in 1941, beforeefforts were taken to protect thespecies and its habitat. The popula-tion has been growing at four percentannually and reached 100 birds in1987 and 200 birds in 2004.

The only natural wild population ofwhooping cranes nest in the

Northwest Territories of Canada insummer and migrate 2,400 miles towinter at the Aransas and MatagordaIsland National Wildlife Refuges andsurrounding areas.

Their winter range stretches outover 35 miles of the Texas coast about45 miles north of Corpus Christi.

The current total North Americanpopulation of wild and captivewhooping cranes is 518. A USFWS report.

Whooping crane population continues to soar

Advertisement


HEAVYWEIGHTS: Bullet Weights hasintroduced a new line of tungstenweights. Because the tungsten ismore dense than lead, a tungstenweight is 50 percent smaller thanits lead counterpart. Thecompany offers its original BulletWeights (about $4.50 per pack)and the Screw-In Weights (about$5.40 per pack; shown) in thetungsten. They are available inWatermelon Pepper, TransparentRed, Transparent Purple, Blackand natural colors. For retailers,visit www.bulletweights.com or call(308) 382-7436.

HOT PANTS: WranglerRugged Wear’scotton denim jeansjust got warmerand softer. Thedurable denimouter shell is linedwith pine-greenfleece to makebeing outdoorsthis winter morebearable. The

deep, frontpockets alsoare fleece-lined plusthe legs arecut wideenough toease over

those huntingboots. The fleecejeans, whichcome in men’sand women’s sizes,cost about $55.For retailers, visitwww.wrangler.comor call (888) 784-

8571.

FOR SHORTER BOWS: The 1110 Compact Bow Case byPlano Molding Company is designed to accommodatethe shorter bows popular with some archers. Thecase, featuring thick wall construction, highdensity foam and a molded-in handle, hasenough storage for up to six additionalcarbon or aluminum arrows in theelastomeric holders under the lid. Four toughlatches keep the case secure and the twopadlock tabs make it lockable and airline-approved. Available in black or PlanoCamo, the cases measure 43.25 inches by19 inches by 6.75 inches. They cost about$30. For more information, visitwww.planomolding.com or call (630) 552-3111.

PRODUCTS

SLEEK BLADE:Queen CutleryNumber 96, knownas the Doctor's Knifefor its spatula-likesecond blade, wasoriginally designed for doctorsand pharmacists to use to dividepills and powders.Hunters or targetshooters canmake useof thatspatulablade forlooseninga stuckcase. The knifefeatures 420 HC stainless steel blades.When closed, it measures 3 5/8inches. It is available in Bird’s-eyeMaple (about $93) and Aged HoneyAmber Stag Bone (about $95). Forretailers, call (800) 222-5233 orvisit www.queencutlery.com.

TOOLS FOR THE GUNSMITH: Thisgunsmithing set by B-Square offers26 hardened steel bits, three longbits for recoil pad and see-through

installation plus ascrewdriver and a 1/4-inch socket drive adapterin a study molded case

with individualcompartments. Take italong to the field forquick repairs or use it

at home on rifles,pistols, scopes and more.

It costs $28.50. Forretailers or to order, call (800)

433-2909 or visit www.b-square.com.

WRITE ON: Outdoorsmen willappreciate the Inka Pen.Made from carbon fiber and304 stainless steel, it islightweight, watertight andengineered to withstand harshconditions. Inka Corporationcredits the pressurized inkcartridge for ensuring the penwill write wet or dry, at anyangle, in temperatures ranging from-30 degrees to 300 degrees F, and atany altitude. The .60-ounce pen isslightly over three inches when closed butexpands to a full-size pen. A handy bonus? ItsPDA stylus tip. The pen costs $25; refills with stylus tips cost$4. The company also makes a special edition of the pen with a titaniumbarrel (about $90). To order, visit www.inkacorp.com call (303) 443-5121.

ICAST WINNER:Humminbird’s new797c2 SI ComboFishing Systemcombines two ofthe company’smost innovativetechnologies —side imagingand ahemisphericalviewing screen— into acompactprofessional-grade fishingsystem. The797c2 SIgarneredBest ofShowhonors inthe Elec-tronicsCategory atthe 2006 ICASTShow. The side imaging sonar provides detailed, picture-like imagesover a wide 160 degrees of coverage to reveal structure, fish andtopography of up to 480 feet of the bottom at once. The five-inch colorscreen on the 797c2 SI Combo features “hemispherical viewing” forunrestricted readability from any angle. The 797c2 SI Combo alsoincludes DualBeam PLUS sonar, precision 16-channel GPS WAASreceiver, built-in UniMap and compatibility with optional Navionicselectronic charts. It costs about $1,000. For dealers or for moreinformation on its many features, visit www.humminbird.com or call(800) 633-1468. Photo by the American Sportfishing Association.

BEST NEW FRESHWATER ROD: The Puls - R, by AIRRUS, is the high performance composite rod named best in itscategory at the 2006 ICAST Show. This series of rods is made from such state-of-the-art materials asCarbonfiber Nanotube epoxy, advanced multi-fiber filament winding and S2 glass fibers. The manufacturer saysthis results in a lightweight, strong and sensitive rod. The Puls - R also features a split-reel seat, locking wrapson all single foot guides, and double-swagged guides. The rods are available in five casting and three spinningmodels. They cost from about $200 to $210. To order the rods, which should be available in February, call(702) 395-2173 or visit www.rodsbyairrus.com.


Jan 27-28: Cabela’sFort Worth store willhold presentations onTasting Cabela’sPremium GourmetSeasonings at 11 a.m.,an Aquarium FeedingShow at 1 p.m., Choosing the RightTrolling Motor at 1:30 p.m., Fly-fishingknots and How to Tie Them at 2 p.m.,Take the Kids Fishing at 2:30 p.m., andCabela’s Dry Plus Products from 11 a.m.to 2 p.m.

Feb. 2-11: The 52nd annual Dallas BoatShow will be held at Market Hall. Visitwww.dallasboatshow.net for information.

Feb. 2: Borger DU dinner will be held atthe Country Club. For information, contactHeather Darbonne at (806) 274-3228 or

email [email protected].

Feb. 2: Rusk County DU dinner at theTexas National Guard Armory on TX-64West. For information, call DarrellAlexander at (903) 898-2328 or [email protected].

Feb. 3: Dripping Springs National WildTurkey Federation dinner at StoneMountain. For more information, contactHeather Ruiz at (512) 787-5129 or [email protected].

Feb. 3: BassChamps Central Teamstournament at Belton Lake. Visitwww.basschamps.com or call (817) 439-3274 for information.

Feb. 7-10: FLW Stren Series tournamentpresented by Evinrude at Sam RayburnReservoir. Take-offs at Umphrey FamilyPavilion. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held atthe Wal-Mart store located at 800 WestGibson St. in Jasper beginning at 4 p.m.Take-offs and weigh-ins are free and opento the public. For more information, visitwww.flwoutdoors.com.

Feb. 8: Corpus Christi NWTF dinner will beheld at the Ortiz Center. Call Brian Prestonat (361) 758-7878 for more information.

Feb. 8: Brazos Valley DU banquet at theBrazos Center in Bryan. Call MichelleJones at (979) 255-8507 for information.

Feb. 9: Upshur County DU dinner at theUpshur County Civic Center. For moreinformation, call Steven Hagler at (903)790-2960 or email [email protected].

Feb. 10: Mexia DUdinner will be held atthe Cowboy Club, southof Mexia on TX 14.Contact Ivan Jackson,Jr. at (254) 562-7117or email [email protected] forinformation.

Feb. 10: Coastal Bend NWTF Chapterdinner will be held at the VictoriaCommunity Center Annex. Forinformation, contact Phylis Canion at(361) 564-8963 or [email protected].

Feb. 10: Full Fans on the Brazos NWTFdinner will be held at Canyon West GolfResort. Contact Dottie Worthington at(817) 594-0291 or email Worthington-realestate.com for more information.

Feb. 10: HoustonChapter NWTF dinnerat the HoustonWestchase Hilton. Forinformation, contactLouie Weiss at (713)947-0793 or email [email protected].

Feb. 10: BassChamps North Teamstournament at Cedar Creek Lake. Visitwww.basschamps.com or call (817) 439-3274 for information.

Feb. 15-18: The FLW Tour tournament atLake Travis will launch from JonesBrothers Park on Thursday and Friday, andTravis County Mansfield Dam Park onSaturday and Sunday. Days 3 and 4weigh-ins will be held at the AustinConvention Center. Visitwww.flwoutdoors.com for information.

OUTFITTERS

Offshore and Bay fishing30' Stamas21' Shallowsport

South TexasDeer and TurkeyHunting10,000 Acres

Duck, Goose andDove Hunting

40,000 Acres

Capt. Scott Hickman3218 Coral Ridge Ct.

League City, TX 77573(281) 535-1930

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

It’s easy to advertise on this page — just send usyour business card, and let us know how many weeksyou want your ad to run. Purchase 12 issues ofadvertising and your business will be profiled with aphoto in this section. Outfitter Listings: $40 eachissue. Please include either a check or credit cardbilling information with your order. Mail to: Lone StarOutdoor News, 9304 Forest Lane, Suite 114 South,Dallas, TX 75243 or call (214) 361-2276.

PheasantQuailDeer

CROSSWORDPUZZLE

SOLUTIONFROM

PAGE 20

HAVE AN EVENT?E-mail it to

[email protected]

OUTDOOR DATEBOOK

WANT TO PROFILE YOUR BUSINESS?

Stocking Location City DatesBlanco State Park #4 Blanco Feb.8.Bob Sandlin State Park Mt. Pleasant Jan. 28.Canyon Southeast Park Lake Canyon Feb. 1. Canyon Tailrace New Braunfels Feb. 2. Mar. 1.Fort Richardson State Park Jacksboro Feb. 21. Lake Corpus Christi Mathis Feb. 11. Landmark Inn State Park Castroville Feb. 4. Lewisville TailraceElm Fork Trinity River Lewisville Mar. 1 Nolan Creek Belton Feb. 23. Possum Kingdom Tailrace Graford Feb. 9. Mar. 9 Clear Fork Trinity River Fort Worth Feb. 6 South Llano River State Park Junction Jan. 31 Tyler State Park Tyler Dec. 28

TROUT STOCKING SCHEDULE

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THE OFFICIAL

TRUCK OF THE

Like plenty of bird action? Well, join the clubThunderbird Hunting Club is located 80

miles southwest of Houston as the water-fowl fly.

And plenty of them do at the privatehunting property near the coastal town ofPalacios on Matagorda Bay.

The club is the “doorway to the out-doors” for dyed-in-the-wool waterfowlers.

Club owners Todd Steele and PaulMcDonald put a hunter’s success at the topof their list of goals in making the businesssuccessful — and it’s working.

“We want to provide a good outdoorexperience,” Steele said.

And one of the major reasons Steele andMcDonald have made the venture fly isthey know how to handle the pressure.

“When the hunting pressure goes up, thehunting quality goes down,” Steele said.

The club is unlike an uncontrolled,unmanaged private lease “where there maybe a fabulous couple of weeks, but after thatit drops off,” McDonald said.

Thunderbird operates under a unique for-mula that spreads the hunting pressurearound to where there always will be someponds with plenty of bird action.

“We make adjustments on how to huntthe property,” McDonald said. “We mayhunt ponds 1, 2 and 3 today and 4, 5 and 6tomorrow.”

This formula makes sure there is “quality,consistent hunting” at all times.

And don’t worry about hauling alongdecoys. All of the club’s blinds have decoys.

And no matter how long one may havebeen a member, “we show zero partiality”

to where the hunters are heading out thatday to bag some waterfowl.

Club member draw cards to determinewhat area they hunt that outing. “Like lastweek we had a party of 11 and the one whodrew the ace of spades got first choice,”Steele said.

“The formula for our success is: providegood habitat, limit the number of mem-bers, work hard and rest the waterfowl,” he

said.Waterfowl hunting is the “bread and but-

ter” of the business, but the club has addedamenities to a membership.

A day’s outing can consist of some water-fowl hunting in the morning and fishing inthe afternoon. Those hunters who quicklyreach their bird limit before lunchtimehave the opportunity to head to MatagordaBay with guide Ray Sexton and do some

wade-fishing. “He’s probably one of thebest teachers I have seen,” McDonald saidof Sexton.

The club offer members a weekly huntingreport of “what was done on the property,”the week before, McDonald said.

Outdoor adventures at Thunderbird areyear-round.

Membership also includes housing at thelodge, which has 24 bunks, satellite TV, fullcooking facilities, barbecue grills, bird-cleaning facilities and high tower skeetshooting.

Having their own day jobs, the ownersdo not depend on the the club for theirlivelihood, but operate the club for thepleasure of enjoying the outdoors.

Thunderbird was founded in 1986 and“we’ve got people who have hunted with usever since,” McDonald said, pointing outcamaraderie plays a big role in the club’ssuccess.

If one decides to become a member —one has to be ready to handle the success ofThunderbird’s great outdoors adventure.

Other activities include; Dove Hunting Guided Quail Hunting Freshwater Fishing Guided Saltwater Fishing Guided Hog Hunting Deer & Hog Hunting on Leases Guided Alligator Hunts Guided Off-Season Photography Skeet Shooting Off-Season Dog Training Grounds

BIRDFEST: Thunderbird Hunting Club co-owner Paul McDonald, second from the right, makes sure clubmembers get what they came for — “a good outdoor experience.”


Documents

Offshore’s Best · When Ed Parten fishes Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Toledo Bend Reservoir for largemouth bass, he practices catch-and-release. Parten, like many anglers, is a con-servationist