Texas Fish & Game February 2016

February 2016$3.95

Hogging the Camera:Photos of Trophy Ferals

AlligatorGar:A Bad Rap?

Salt Sonar Electronics inthe Brine

Bullet BasicsHandloading101

Bass RushCatching Bassin a Current

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY

www.FishGame.com

EarlyEarlySpawnEarlyEarlyEarly

FISHINGTHEEarlyTHEEarly

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

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

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

ROY NEVESPUBLISHER

CHESTER MOOREEDITOR IN CHIEF

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

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

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVESVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

DIRECT PHONE: (281) 869-5549EMAIL: [email protected]

DUSTIN WARNCKE ADVERTISING SALESDIRECT PHONE: (512) 497-7674

EMAIL: [email protected] LARRY DALTON ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE: (281) 227-3001 FAX (281) 784-2962

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PHONE (800) 725-1134TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or other-wise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibil-ity for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: [email protected] Email new orders to: [email protected] Email subscription questions to: [email protected].

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Paid Distribution of over 90,000Verified by Independent Audit

2 | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E


FEATURES

BASS RUSHMany bass anglers avoid fishing in a current, but flowing water can be a big help in finding fish, especially the most aggressive ones.

by John N. Felsher

SONAR IN THE BRINEImaging sonar systems may have first been introduced as a way to catch bass, but theyve been proven worthy in saltwater, too.

by Lenny Rudow

36

44

Table ofContents

Table ofContents

Table ofFEBRUARY 2016Volume 32 NO. 10

COVER STORY:Dawn of the Spawn

20u March is prime time for the Texas bass spawn, but the first

two months of the year are when a magical window opens for the first wave of big females that begin to nudge their way into the shallows. Widely known as the pre-spawn, this slice of time has produced big numbers of heavyweight bass over the years.

Story and cover photo by

Matt Williams

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Hogging the Camera

48u Last month we ran photos of monster hogs captured on game

cameras by TF&G readers.This month were featuring trophy shots of huge hogs killed by readers.

Submitted by TF&G Readers

COVER STORY:


HANDLOADING 101The two best reasons for handloading, or reloading, are 1) to save money, and 2) to make better ammo than you can buy.

by Steve LaMascus

28

GAR GET A BAD RAPAge-old tales of attacks by alligator gar on humans, and more current stories of gar as ruthless gamefish destroyers are unfounded and unfortunate.

by Chester Moore

24


Copycat Scammers

LIKE COCKROACHES, THIEVING S.O.B.S WHO attempt to defraud subscribers to magazines like TEXAS FISH & GAME are almost impossible to completely irradicate.

You may remember that last year we alerted you to a group of con artists who were operating a subscription scam from a base in Oregon. Thanks to a coordinated effort by attorneys general in a

number of states, including Texas, that group was shut down.But now there appears to be a new gang of copycats trying to get into the

action.Bogus renewal notices have been mailed to a number of our subscribers

from a company identifying itself as Secured Publisher Mail Center, or SPMC. Inside a blaring red envelope is a form that looks like this:

If you have received a notice like this, DO NOT send these clowns any money. They will just keep it and not forward your order to us. If you have already responded to this fraudulent renewal notice, call us at (800) 725-1134 and we will honor your subscription.

A simple Google Earth search of the return address on the form revealed that this company is actually located in a UPS Store in a strip center in Sandy, Utah.

There are legitimate agencies out there selling subscriptions, but they operate on pre-arranged terms with publishers and we know every agency that represents TEXAS FISH & GAME. So, if you have any doubts about a solicitatiion for subscriptions, call the 800 number listed above.

We have shared all of this information with the Texas Attorney Generals Of ce, along with the managers name and contact information at the Sandy, Utah UPS Store. Hopefully they will be able to squash these vermin before any more FISH & GAME readers are bothered.

After re-reading our rst paragraph, we may have been a bit harsh in com-paring these scammers to cockroaches. Our apologies to cockroaches.

Email Roy and Ardia Neves at ContactUs@ shgame.com

by ROY and ARDIA NEVESTF&G Owners

InsideFISH & GAME

InsideInsideFISH & GAME

InsideFISH & GAME

IKE COCKROACHES, THIEVING S.O.B.S WHO TEXAS FISH &

You may remember that last year we alerted you to a group of

ARDIA NEVES

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

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

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

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

19 Commentary by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Political Commentator

27 Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

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

52 Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

53 Open Season by Reavis Wortham TF&G Freshwater Editor

54 Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow TF&G Boating Editor

58 Practical Angler by Paul Bradshaw TF&G Contributing Editor

60 Texas Guns by Steve LaMascus TF&G Firearms Editor

92 Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven The Texas Gourmet

Contents (continued)


www.FishGame.com

by Kendal Hemphill

by Calixto Gonzales

Bare Bones

Texas Freshwater

8 LETTERS12 TF&G REPORT12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN64 INDUSTRY INSIDER

66 FISH AND GAME GEAR

68 HOTSPOT FOCUS

76 TEXAS HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

DEPARTMENTS

SPMC world headquarters


8 LETTERS12 TF&G REPORT12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN64 INDUSTRY INSIDER

66 FISH AND GAME GEAR

68 HOTSPOT FOCUS

76 TEXAS HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

DEPARTMENTS


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

Skyrocketing East Texas Lease FeesI AM 56 YEARS OF AGE. LIVE IN Jefferson County. Hunt in Tyler County. About 80 miles to drive.

Been doing so on my own for 43 years, chasing squirrels at fi rst. During deer season I sometimes sat on a high line right-of-way with a 12 gauge waiting for the dogs to run a deer by. I mostly failed at deer hunting til I took up a bow about the age of 25.

My family and friends have been hunting the same land for 50-plus years. Way back then, I learned it as the Dam-B hunting club. My fi rst paying year (1976) as a mem-ber was to Tyler Wildlife Management. The cost, $25, got me in the gate for the 4th of July week for scouting purposes. Then gates stayed open from Labor Day weekend and closed February 1st.

Hunting the same property all this time I have taken many deer with my bow. Includ-ing one that made the Port Arthur News as the Phantom Buck. Not quite sure about the year (1985-88 maybe).

As the years went by lease cost rose. In 2004 the timber company stopped collecting monies from individuals. With positive and encouraging words of the current range mas-ter I was asked to manage 4000 plus acres. The cost, $500 per gun.

Our hunter percentage for deer harvest was at 50 to 65 percent at 42 members. One of our key rules was only one antlerless deer taken during the general gun season. And eventually we got on the LAMPS program. The basis for one antlerless, was for every doe harvested we lost 3 deer. The doe herself and the 2 offspring for next year. Tyler County is a 2 antlerless deer county, until the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Unless LAMPS of MLD permits are issued.

In 2009 Texas Parks and Wildlife brought in the Antler Restriction rule.

Our fi rst year was two 13 inch antlered, 15 spikes and a few does. In the following years our hunter percentage for deer harvest dropped to less than 25 percent at 42 members

Last year we went to $1,000 per gun, with 33 Members. We harvested 5 does, 2 spikes, and one 13 inch Shooter.

So far this year we have harvested 5 antlerless (1 doe and 5 button bucks) and one13-inch shooter. The does age, approxi-mately 2 years. And I have seen some impressive pictures of antlered deer taken by game cameras at night. What is not being caught on camera is older full grown does.

My belief is that with the 13 inch rule a lot of hunters went to harvesting antler-less deer. Freezers starting getting empty. Remember the thought for every doe har-vested we lost 3 deer. And that back pocket sensation of the rising cost of private deer leases did not help any either.

With the new rule came mistakes of deer with less than 13 inches. And made some hunters poachers, for not turning themselves in. Scared, embarrassed, fear of lost lease membership, a lot of deer may have fallen without being recorded.

The last 4 to 5 years I have seen leases double in cost of membership. I have seen lease memberships drop, and truly harder to fi ll leases. I have seen the deer popula-tion drop. I have seen one man go before a Judge to explain himself for taking a 12 inch spread buck. All the while, when look-ing at the ears in alert position the antlers where beyond the horns. I have spent way too much time sitting in a blind waiting for a deer to be seen. Just a few years ago I would sit and watch the does being chased by young bucks.

I wish the State of Texas, when imple-menting the 13 inch rule, also made those counties a one antlerless harvest. I still believe today that Tyler County should be a one antlerless harvest. Along with other area counties until the hunter harvest percentage is proven to be 50 percent plus of antlered deer harvest.

Jody Hoyt

Editor: Very interesting observations Jody. The rule seems to have had lots of

different kinds of impact all across the spec-trum. Thanks for your feedback.

CM

Question for DustinDUSTIN,

Can you shoot your LaRue 762 sup-pressed without ears?

Heath (no last name given)

Yes, my OBR (16-inch) with Gemtech Sandstorm suppressor is plenty quiet with-out ears. I have had others mention how quiet it is as well, and this might be due to the cool OBR gas cut off switch for sup-pressors as well as my handloads. I had a buddy of mine run the QuickLoad reloading program on his computer and we found that IMR 3031 powder burns 100 percent in a 16-inch barrel. This might cut down noise and suppressor burn. I dont have scientifi c proof of that but it sounds like a good theory to me. Thanks for reading TFG!

Dustin Ellermann

Wild Kingdom LOVED THE FEATURE ON JIM Fowler. Didnt know he was still around. Glad to hear it. I too was a big fan of Wild Kingdom. So much better than most of the garbage on TV today. In my younger years, I wanted to be just like Fowler, jumping out of boats to wrestle anacondas and such.

John N. Felsher

WHAT A COOL STORY ON JIM Fowler! Thanks for recognizing we hunters and fi shers love wildlife and putting some of these kinds of stories in the magazine.

Gene Thompson

Send your comments to:Texas Fish & Game

1745 Greens RdHouston TX 77032

editor@ shgame.com


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Discovering Wildlife

WHAT IS OUT THERE?

That is the question that has led me to spend vast amounts of time in the woods

and on the water since childhood.What is out there?I have yet to pass a woodlot, marsh or

meadow without pondering whether there is a giant buck hidden beyond the shadows, or if there might be a wily coyote peering through the grass.

And just as intriguing are the anomalies and misunderstood behaviors and habits of wildlife.

From the mystery of thousands of black panther sightings in Texas to the rarity of melanistic (black) deer, there are many unique facets to the animal kingdom that need discovering.

That is why beginning February 1 at fi sh-game.com we begin broadcasting a new video series, Kingdom Zoo: Discovering Wildlife.

Each week on Monday we will release a three to fi ve minute video that examines the mysterious, misunderstood and majestic side of nature. It has been a passion of mine for years and now we have a video format that allows us to tell a story, keep things exciting in a short format and also have the contacts to traverse wild grounds not only statewide, but worldwide.

If you are signed up for our Texas Fish & Game e-newsletter you will get a link to the video sent to your inbox with the newsletter every Monday. If you would like to get that newsletter, e-mail cmoore@fi shgame.com and I will sign you up.

A link will also be posted to our Facebook page and that is how you can help us out. The fi rst four videos are on the subject of Monster Hogs so everyone who shares our video will be put in a weekly drawing.

The winner will get a super cool wild boar necklace and pendant.

Kingdom Zoo: Discovering Wildlife

Get ready for in your face wildlife action, obscure facts and maybe even a few mysteries solved along the way.

Check it out at fi shgame.com.Speaking of unusual wildlife.In 2014 I wrote about my father and uncle

seeing fully developed whitetail bucks that were about 1/3 the size of the average Texas Hill Country buck, putting the animals at about 30 pounds.

Here are a few we have received from around the country.

FROM JOSH IN ALABAMAJust wanted to let you know I believe we

have miniature deer in our area of north Alabama. Ive only seen them twice in my life. The fi rst time was while hunting on Redstone Arsenal with my father 33 years ago. It was a fully formed doe (in November) that was the same size as our miniature poodle (about 16 inches to the top of the shoulders).

The second time was yesterday. I saw a very small, fully formed doe, about the same size and coloration of the one I had seen 33 years ago. Our regular whitetails in this area are pretty big, and I see them crossing our property all the time.

The doe I saw yesterday was no more than 18 inches (estimate) and less than half the size I would expect this years fawns to be by now. I cant fi nd any info on the internet about miniature deer in our area.

FROM RON IN MICHIGANI saw a post of yours online asking for pho-

tos of dwarfi sm in whitetail deer. I took a pic of a deer I believe is a dwarf at our local buck pole on Nov. 15 2014. It was half the size of other bucks in his age class, with a small body, short legs, but a normal size head and neck. I believe he is 3 or 4 years old.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A BAD RUN-in with feral dogs?

I have had two in my life, one in Newton County and the other in Jasper County and both were quite intense.

One involved a pack of random medium to large dogs and the other was a lone pit bull. While conducting research on the issue of feral dogs, I uncovered some interesting and unsettling facts from around the country.

We will be increasing our dialogue with you, the TFG community to help us with our stories and we need your help with this feral dog issue.

If you have had a run-in or experience with feral dogs killing your livestock or maybe you have seen them killing wild game, e-mail cmoore@fi shgame.com.

The impact of feral dogs in some areas is tremendous, and we will be investigating this for a future article. Again, we will be doing much more outreach to all of you to help us put together the most in-depth, Texas-centric, unique articles to be found anywhere in out-door media.

Email Chester Moore atcmoore@ shgame.com

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

EDITORS Notes


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

A possible micro deer from Michigan. Its hard to tell in this position but the head and antlers seem large in pro-portion to the body. The reports from other areas includ-ing my familys from Texas were more evenly formed deer, just super small.

1602 EdNotes.indd 10 1/11/16 12:48 PM

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Game Wardens Encounter Wild SituationsTHE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE COM-piled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement fi eld investiga-tions.

Into the NightAs two Val Verde County game war-

dens conducted their nightly patrol, they came upon a vehicle that

failed to stay in its lane. While the game wardens tried to read the vehicles

license plate, the vehicle quickly acceler-ated and almost lost control of the car on a curve. The wardens activated their emer-gency lights to stop the vehicle, but it only went faster. After following the vehicle for a short time, the wardens saw the vehicle stop and the driver disappear into the dark-ness. The wardens pulled up beside the vehicle and secured the scene. However, when back up arrived, they were unable to fi nd the driver. The wardens impounded the vehicle and the case is pending further investigation.

Running Toward the Law

After patrolling opening day of mule deer season for

several hours, a Dawson County game warden was heading home through Lub-bock County when he saw a vehicle driv-ing in the wrong traffi c lane. The vehicle was traveling head on in the direction of the warden, who swerved to avoid a head on collision with the vehicle. The warden stopped the vehicle and conducted fi eld sobriety tests, which the driver failed. The warden learned the driver had 31 previous arrests and arrested him for driving while intoxicated.

Thats a Lot of Illegally Taken

DeerWhen two Matago-

rda County game wardens entered a deer hunting

camp to check for deer hunting compliance, BIG BAGS CATCHES

Running Toward the Law


came upon a vehicle that failed to stay in its lane. While the game wardens tried to read the vehicles

BIG BAGS CATCHES

Running Toward the


Thats a Lot of Illegally Taken

DeerWhen two Matago-

rda County game wardens entered a deer hunting

camp to check for deer hunting compliance, BIG BAGS CATCHES

BLACK DRUM

Galveston

GRAND SLAM

Port OConnor

Nine-year-old Clayton Dennison caught two reds, two trout and a ounder while shing with his mom and dad in Port OConnor, for a grand slam.

Twelve-year-old Aidan Cardona caught and released this 40-inch, 55-pound black drum while shing with his dad, Eric, at the Galveston Jetties. Aidan caught the big drum on a crab. In all, they caught 12 drum between 30 and 55 pounds.

The TF G ReportTF GTF GTF GTF GTF G

license plate, the vehicle quickly acceler-

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

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

BIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHES


1602 texas report.indd 12 1/11/16 12:33 PM

they noticed a deer hanging from the bucket of a tractor. The three individuals in the camp, all from out of state, admit-ted to taking several deer, even though none of them had hunting licenses. Further inspection of the camp revealed eight more quartered whitetail deer in three coolers and six buck heads that all measured less than the required 13-inch minimum inside spread. The hunters said they had already thrown three doe heads in the nearby woods, though the wardens only recovered one. The wardens charged the hunters with hunting without a valid non-resident hunt-ing license, taking illegal whitetail buck (six counts) and possession of whitetail deer with proof of sex removed (two counts). The wardens transported all three hunt-ers to meet with the local Justice of the Peace, who received a guilty plea from each hunter. The hunters were fi ned about $6,000 and owe an additional $8,000 in civil restitution. The wardens donated the seized deer to local charities.

Crossbow HuntersA Fort Bend County game warden

was patrolling a neighborhood still under development when he saw two trucks using their headlights to spotlight deer

off the road. The warden let the trucks get close to his location, where a few deer were feeding next to him, and saw one occupant shoot at a deer with a crossbow. The warden then pulled both vehicles over and found two occupants in one truck, both with crossbows, and one occupant in the other truck, with his own crossbow. During the wardens investigation, he found the suspects had tree stands and deer feeders in place along the road, all without the landowners consent. The warden fi led six charged on the three suspects. No deer were harmed.

Its Your Own FaultAs a Hudspeth County game warden

patrolled an area of the Rio Grande River, he encountered some waterfowl hunters. After talking with the hunters for a few minutes, the warden discovered that one of the individuals did not have a valid hunt-ing license. The hunter admitted to taking several birds. When the warden asked him why he didnt have a license, the hunter tried to blame an El Paso sporting goods store for not issuing him a proper license. When the warden questioned the other hunters, he found they all had the correct licenses, state stamps and federal duck

stamps, all of which were issued by the same El Paso sporting goods store. The warden found an illegally taken coot and three cormorants in the unlicensed hunters possession. The warden issued citations for the violations and civil restitution is pend-ing.

A Little Too LateA Henderson County game warden

received a call from a pump technician who was checking well sites about a man drag-ging a deer off private property to a nearby wooded area. When the hunter noticed the pump technician, he ran to a nearby house and jumped into a truck and sped off. The warden arrived at the house and talked to a woman who lived there. She said her hus-band just left for town to buy tractor parts. When the man returned to his house a few minutes later, he denied hunting or being on the private property. However, he then said he shot a buck on his property, but the buck jumped the fence to the private prop-erty, so he simply went to retrieve it. After the warden questioned him some more, the man confessed to shooting the deer on the private property. He said he got scared when he saw the pump technician, so he left the scene quickly to buy a hunting license in case a game warden showed up. Cases and civil restitution are pending.

Follow the VulturesWhen two Willacy County game war-

dens spotted several turkey vultures in a ranch off a county road, they went to the

scene and found a dump site

of freshly

killed feral hogs and javelinas. The wardens followed the tracks to a hunters campsite and found a list of hunters who had hunted that morning. The warden contacted the lease master and found the individual responsible for the dump site. The warden fi led waste of game charges against the hunter and civil restitution is pending.

TPWD

was patrolling a neighborhood still under development when he saw two trucks using their headlights to spotlight deer

When the warden questioned the other hunters, he found they all had the correct licenses, state stamps and federal duck

private property. He said he got scared when he saw the pump technician, so he left the scene quickly to buy a hunting license in case a game warden showed up. Cases and civil restitution are pending.

Follow the VulturesWhen two Willacy County game war-

dens spotted several turkey vultures in a ranch off a county road, they went to the

scene and found a dump site

of freshly

killed feral hogs and javelinas. The wardens followed the tracks to a hunters campsite and found a list of hunters who had hunted

HAWAIIAN SHEEP

Uvalde

Six-year-old Boek Duffy brought down this black Hawaiian sheep with his dads .270 short mag while on a hunt out of Uvalde.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 13

1602 texas report.indd 13 1/11/16 12:33 PM


Whats In a Name?T

HE NAME GAME CAN BE confusing in fi shing. You need to cast no farther than in the direction of the nearest speckled trout to

realize this.Our most popular inshore saltwater fi sh

is not a trout. It is a weakfi sh, although nobody this side of an ichthyology class says,

Wow, I just caught a spotted weakfi sh!

Without getting into sci-entifi c jargon, trout are fresh-water fi sh. The primary species of true trout are rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and brown trout. The fi rst two are native to the Rocky Mountains and the Northwest. The brown trout is a transplant from Europe. Regardless of origin, trout are covered with black spots and they spawn during the spring.

Well, thats not quite true.Just to keep things confusing, some brown

trout boast red spots to complement the black dots, and all brown trout spawn in the fall. In doing so, they keep company with

members of the char family. These looka-like trout include brook trout, lake trout and Dolly Varden trout. And, as you might expect, Arctic char. All sport light spots and white slashes on the pectoral fi ns.

But, back to our speckled trout. The weakfi sh is native to the Gulf of

Mexico and the lower Atlantic Coast. In Florida, it often is called a sea trout. Its hard to get away from the trout thing because the typical two or three pounder resembles a true member of the tribe. The gleaming profi le and bold peppering suggest a real trout.

As far as that goes, the whole sea trout issue gets complicated. True sea trout are anadromous. They are born in freshwater, but migrate to the ocean and return several years later to spawn in their natal streams. This genetic salmon-like quirk is shared

by various native trout species, and all are referred to as sea trout.

Well, almost all.The sea trout label does not apply to the

rainbow trout. A wild rainbow in the Pacifi c Northwest that abandons its stream and goes to sea is known as a steelhead. This is because a rainbow fresh from the ocean is silver and gun-metal gray, with virtually no red coloration on the sides or gill plates.

Of course, most other sea-run trout and salmon species share this monochromatic trait in the salt. They are referred to as bright fi sh or chromers as they enter the

rivers. Superior fi ghting qualities notwith-standing, I have no idea why the steelhead gets special billing.

But again Im getting sidetracked. The name game tends to lead you into tangled backwaters. Lets return to Texas.

Our top freshwater sport fi sh is the large-mouth bass; and as you might suspect by now, it is not a bass. The true bass family in North America includes striped bass, white bass and the diminutive yellow bassand of course, the white/striper hybrids.

All black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, Guadalupe, etc.) are members of the sunfi sh family. This is a bit of a letdown since other common members of the sunfi sh family are panfi sh such as bluegills, green sunfi sh and crappie.

Incidentally, perch is incorrect when referring to any of the smaller members of the sunfi sh tribe. Examples of true perch are walleyes, saugers and yellow perch. But

lets not follow that thread as we rig

for perch jerking on the nearest East Texas reservoir.

Returning to the coast, the common term redfi sh is reasonably accurate. Technically, the redfi sh is a red drum; however on the mid-Atlantic coast, the same fi sh is known as a channel bass. Totally wrongand now were back to that bass thing again.

So, any time you hear somebody on Galveston Bay or Matagorda Bay refer to a gleaming, coppery beauty as a channel bass, you may correctly conclude you are dealing with a transplant, and I dont mean the fi sh.

The snook is another example of a fi sh

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

DOGGETT at Large

Not a trout.

Incidentally, perch is incorrect when referring to any of the smaller members of the sunfi sh tribe. Examples of true perch are walleyes, saugers and yellow perch. But

lets not follow that thread as we rig

for perch jerking on the

years later to spawn in their natal streams. This genetic salmon-like quirk is shared

is not a trout. It is a weakfi sh, although nobody this side of an ichthyology class says,

Wow, I just caught a spotted weakfi sh!

Without getting into sci-

Not a trout.

PHOTO: JOE RICHARD

1602 Doggett.indd 14 1/11/16 12:47 PM

with many regional names. Snook origi-nated in South Florida and is regarded as the proper name in North America. Other tags include linesider and soap fi sh. The former is obvious with one look at the snooks dramatic black lateral line. The latterI have no idea.

Decades ago, old salts along the Texas coast often called snook pike, presumably because the slim body and sloping head sug-gest the profi le of the freshwater pike native to our midwestern and northern states.

Incidentally, just plain pike is the correct name for that speciesnot northern pike and certainly not great northern pike. Great Northern is the name of a railroad, not a fi sh.

Put another way, theres no such thing as a southern pike.

Because snook in Texas are found pri-marily along the lower coast, the Spanish infl uence spills over with robalo. This is perfectly acceptable since snook are most common in tropical regions of Mexico and Central America.

The Spanish infl uence also carries with

dorado for dolphin. For years, every offshore fi sherman who knew a feather jig from a cigar minnow was perfectly happy with dolphin when identifying the hard-fi ghting, excellent-eating fi sh. Note I say fi sh not mammal. The dorado is in no way remotely related to Flipper.

But many non-anglers were horrifi ed at the label of dolphin fi llets in markets and on menus, so the politically correct media launched a campaign to avoid confusion. Now its dolphin fi sh or maybe dolphin-fi sh or, better yet, dolphinfi sh. I refuse to use any of them.

Some people prefer the Hawaiian term mahi-mahi when playing the name game with dolphin. Or, if you want extra style points, simply mahi. Bringing the Polynesian language into it is legitimate, but probably has more traction if you are an island-born, tough-guy kanaka rather than an inland tourist with a brand new Tommy Bahama shirt.

I wouldnt overdo the Hawaiian thing in Texas. For example, dont drop a triggerfi sh on a crusty dock in Seadrift and call it a

humuhumunukunuku-apuaa.Finally, on the PC subject, the term

fi sher seems to be gradually replacing fi sherman in print. Actually, the shift is logical, following the long-time lead of hunter, surfer, even golfer. I mean, nobody says golferperson.

But Im not buying it.I grew up with fi sherman. I am com-

fortable with fi sherman, and I go on the theory that since most anglers are male, the majority in a democracy should win. If somebody should point and say, Look at the three fi shers on the other bank, I expect to see three fur-bearing mammals of the mar-ten familynot a trio of bearded guys with receding hairlines and cans of Bud Light.

The name game has many curious twists in fi shing. Worth noting: Over time and tide the wrong word sometimes becomes the right word.

Email Joe Doggett atContactUs@ shgame.com

1602 Doggett.indd 15 1/11/16 12:47 PM

Nature Calls

IT ISNT EASY WORKING IN AN offi ce of people who, with a handful of exceptions, are unfamiliar with hunting, fi shing, or anything else related even

marginally to the outdoors.Theyre bright and successful people, well-

meaning and even open-minded; but they just dont understand nature because they are so totally, almost permanently, disconnected from it.

Out of respect for the worlds natural

resources, I dont ignore opportunitiesand even create them when necessaryto edu-cate. And, in reciprocity, I listen closely to their thoughts on the management and future of those resources.

I actually once overheard a woman talking excitedly to a co-worker about an upcoming hike with her family, Theyd be on their feet for hours, she explained, Shed packed snacks and water for all, made sure each had comfortable shoes, and planned to slather everyone in sunscreen.

Turns out, theyd also be meeting another family to put in some outdoor milesat the zoo.

Teachable moment:Heres an idea, I offered, Why dont

you guys ditch the zoo and go to Brazos Bend

State Park?And do what? she asked, genuinely not

having a clue.Walk around and look at animals in their

natural habitat, I proposed.But what if we dont see any? she

wondered.Then maybe you should pull your head

out of (I didnt really say that, but I thought it a little.)

In an audible voice, I explained that the park has manicured and boldly marked trails, miles and miles of them, She and her family could walk quietly, and early or late in the day, probably see at least half a dozen spe-cies of mammals from raccoons to opossums to white-tailed deer and wild hogsmore if their eyes were tuned to see rodents darting

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

PIKE on the Edge

1602 Pike.indd 16 1/11/16 12:53 PM

quickly across those trails. There would be dozens of birds and a few different turtlesand the place is loaded with alligators.

Nope, They were going to the zoo, to teach the kids about nature. Aaaagh!

And more often than this audience might imagine, I get approached by adults who never have caught a fi sh, but think its high time they did.

Can you recommend a good guide to help me get started in fi shing? the conversa-tion often starts.

I tell them, No. I could hand off two dozen phone numbers and email addresses, actually, but I will not recommend a profes-sional guide to get a grown man or woman started in fi shing, Thats as much for my guide friends as for the newcomers, too.

Instead, I encourage anyone who was smart enough to earn a drivers license to teach themselves the fundamentals of fi shing. Ill teach them an improved clinch knot, and the rest they can learn either on their own or maybe with a friend who fi shes a little.

Even if theyre too uppity to start with a cane pole (which I highly recommend for its

centuries-long combination of simplicity and effi ciency), any grownup can fi gure out how to cast a push-button rig,

Put down your ego, and pick up a Zebco 202 outfi t, Small cork, small hook, and a small bait cast anywhere near submerged structure, Add those things up, and it almost always equals a small fi sh,

A fi rst fi sh, Catch that one on your own, I tell them, and youll feel rightfully proud of yourself, Now go fi sh with a guide, and skip a bunch of steps toward getting better faster.

Another class of questions I get often has to do with the things that bite, sting or other-wise might ruin a day outside.

My quick counter is that there are fi re ant mounds all over Texas, and stepping in one can really make you hurt, but I dont know anyone whos so scared of fi re ants that they wont leave the house.

Instead, you just do what you do and watch out for ant moundssame with snakes and spiders and sharks and scorpions. You enjoy the outdoors, all the while keeping a respectful eye out for things that might get you, but not letting them get to you.

We have talks about carrying capacity, about overfi shing, about conservation, about the roles of hunters and fi shermen in safe-guarding the nations resources. We talk about stewardship, and about how they also have tremendous stakes in whats to come.

Not everyone in the offi ce is ready to ditch his shiny shoes or her heels for snake boots, or to swap their suits for camo jackets, but they do listen. Then they talk, and I listen,

Its not my opinion or theirs, ultimately, that will make a hill-of-beans difference mov-ing forward. What matters is our exchange of ideas, our better understanding of each others outlooks.

I still prefer a walk through the woods to a day at the zoo, but in the end, theyre both outdoor activities (except for the snake house, which is really cool). I wont get to see a giraffe, but neither will I step on some kids dropped cotton candy.

Email Doug Pike at

ContactUs@ shgame.com

1602 Pike.indd 17 1/11/16 12:53 PM

In the Wind, Dad is Still Alive

I CELEBRATE EVERYDAY IM alive in America as a magnifi cent gift from God, especially during the dynamo that is my sacred hunting season. But

every year on Thursday, December 17, some-thing very special consumes me, as it is my dads birthday. Every year no matter what, I climb a Texas tree stand, like I do everyday throughout the fall and winter hunt season, but on my dads birthday, this magical hunt-ing day is very, very special.

Warren Henry Nugent was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 17, 1920. Those were wild, wild times in America, and especially in Detroit. America and the world was rejoicing and celebrating the victory of American good over Japanese and Nazi evil, and the industrial revolution was in full swing. America was showing the world what freedom, independence and rugged individualism could do for the ultimate quality of life.

We call it The American Dream.Michigan was an incredible hunting para-

dise back in those days, and dad, like pretty much every American during those formative years, enjoyed his hunting.

Pheasant was king and there were no deer in the southern part of the state. Michigan deer hunting in those days was strictly an Up North proposition, and dad looked forward to each November for the ritual camp life in the big timber North Country.

When dad went off to war in the 1940s, bow hunting was a rarity. With center-fi re rifl e ballistic development, it seemed weird to abandon the extended long-range possibilities to go backward to the incredible challenge and diffi culties of bows and arrows.

But when he returned home to Detroit

from WWII in 1945, this Michiganiac Fred Bear dude was gaining a lot of attention with his trusty yew wood long-bow and Port Orford cedar arrows all fl etched up handsome like with those killer, cool high profi le natural turkey feathers. And of course there was that uncanny knack of heart slam-ming, believable mystical fl ight of the arrow promotion that old Fred had mastered.

It was powerfully contagious.Returning GIs were des-

perate for some soul cleansing escape from the horrors of that bloody, nasty war, and without hesitation, dad got himself a beautiful laminated wood/glass longbow and a back-quiver of good looking arrows down at Millers Feed Store on Grand River Avenue, and the Spirit fi re was lit!

By the time I came a rompin and a stompin and a rockin and a rollin into the world in 1948, the bow hunting bug was all ablaze in pockets across America. With Fred in Michigan, Roy Case in Wisconsin, Howard Hill out in California and Ben Pearson down in Arkansas, the bow hunting bug had us surrounded, and those of us inclined to get down and dirty, up close and personal with the beasts, we simply couldnt help ourselves.

The mystical fl ight of the arrow called our name, and it called it hauntingly.

After a few years of whackin and stackin stuffed critters in the living-room wilderness with my suction-cup arrows from my little glass kids bow, I graduated around my 4th year on earth to my very own Osage orange longbow ad real arrows, and as they say, the rest is history!

Squirrels, coons, possums, skunks, river rats, chipmunks, sparrows, doves, pigeons, blue jays and blackbirds were in big trouble! Young Ted sneaked and stalked and hunted hard every waking day!

Lord have mercy!Dad taught me the aim small miss small

stealth discipline of bow hunting and per-

formed his parenting duties hardcore. I thank him every day for it.

Dad passed away in 1993, and my memory bank bursts with phenomenal memories and visions of our annual jaunts into the deer woods of Michigan and beyond.

Nobody gets out alive, and with my craving obsession for hunting, I make it a point to take the best damn care of myself possible. I wish dad would have taken better care of himself so that we could have made more wonderful hunting memories together.

Alas, he chose his path and I chose mine. Now I get to hunt with my sons as often as possible, and I must admit I get a little pushy prodding them to make time for more.

The lyrics to my Fred Bear song include the stanza; The spirit of the woods is like an old good friend. Makes me feel warm and good inside. I know his name and its good to see him again, because in the wind, hes still alive!

In the wind, hes still alive. I love you dad. Thank you.

See you on the big hunt before too long.

Email Ted Nugent atTNugent@ shgame.com

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

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


Time with our fathers in the great outdoors is sacred and Ted cher-ished the years he had with his.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TED NUGENT

1602 Nugent.indd 18 1/11/16 12:53 PM

Vote Wisely

FOR SOME REASON, AMERI-cans seem to have a knack for elect-ing brainless goober heads to Con-gress and the Senate. One of the

most popular examples of this phenomenon is the video, which can be found on You-Tube, of Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) ask-ing a military interviewee about a build-up of U.S. Marines on the island of Guam.

Rep. Johnsons concern, as he clearly stated in the interview, was that the island would become overpopulated, and would then capsize. He emphasized his concern by making an inverting motion with his hands.

This penchant of offi cials being clueless of how the world works is most evident in the area of gun control. Many representatives just cant seem to grasp the reality of what guns do, how they operate, and what they are capable of.

A case in point is the January 2014 press conference in which California State Senator Kevin de Leon (D-LA) held up an AR-type rifl e and proclaimed that, This right here has the ability with a .30-caliber clip to disperse 30 bullets within half a second. Thirty maga-zine clip in half a second.

De Leons ludicrous claims were met with derision and howls of laughter by those who have even the most basic knowledge of fi rearms, but such misunderstandings arise not only from a mere lack of knowledge, they are begun, supported, and perpetuated by mainstream news media experts who are just as clueless.

Fox News host Greg Jarrett, in an inter-view shortly after the San Bernadino terror-ist attacks of December 2, 2015, tried to describe what a bullet button does, with disastrous results.

A bullet button is nothing more than

a device added to certain guns sold in California in order to comply with state laws which ban easily removable magazines. Instead of a normal mag release button, the bullet button must be depressed using either the tip of a bullet or a similar tool. The laws make no difference to crime stats, but they make some liberals feel as if theyve promoted safety.

Jarrett claimed, in the interview, that depressing the bullet button changes a semi-automatic rifl e into a fully automatic rifl e. He said that the bullet buttons on the San Bernadino terrorists rifl es failed when they

tried to use them. He also said that manufac-turers are allowed to build and sell rifl es with such devices attached.

The truth is that any rifl e equipped with a selector switch enabling a rifl e to be fi red fully automatic has been a highly regulated item in the U.S. since the implementation of the National Firearms Act of 1934. Citizens are allowed to buy such rifl es, provided they pay a $200 tax and apply through the BATFE for a permit, and provided they pass an extensive background check.

News media and federal representatives alike seem to have bought into the claim that there is a gun show loophole. Many seem to think that fi rearms dealers are not required

to call the NICS background check system when they sell guns at gun shows or online. This is certainly not the case. Any sale at a gun show, or online, is subject to the same laws as are sales made in any gun store. There is no loophole.

Even gun sales between individuals that are performed online must be conducted through FFL dealers, unless the individu-als meet face to face, which occurs rarely. Liberals just cant seem to understand that loopholes dont exist.

Which brings up FBI Director James Comey, Jr.

In a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing held December 9, 2015, Comey was asked how online gun sales are conducted. He didnt know. Asked if a gun bought online was mailed to the buyer, he said, I assume its shipped to you, but I dont know for sure, actually.

Its diffi cult to believe that a man whose job is to enforce the law, a man who is in charge of the largest law enforcement orga-nization in the country, could be so obtuse.

Then, to ice the cake, Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ), reintroduced a bill in congress that would provide $360 million for a federal gun buy-back program. The proposal is to offer 25 percent above market price for fi re-arms, to get them off the streets.

Any gun buy-back program is an exercise in futility. Its like removing a bucketful of water from the Pacifi c Ocean once a year, in an effort to prevent drownings. But this proposal is beyond insane, for many reasons. Rep. Payne seems to be unaware that citizens could sell a gun, replace it, and pocket the 25 percent difference. The bill will never pass, but its proposal is proof that our elected offi -cials are completely disconnected from reality.

America doesnt have a gun problem. America has an ignorance problem, and it seems to be concentrated in the mainstream news media, Congress, and the Senate.

Hopefully the continent will capsize soon.

by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor

TF&G COMMENTARY


Any sale at a gun show, or online, is

subject to the same laws as are sales made in any gun

store.

1602 Commentary.indd 19 1/11/16 12:47 PM

LIKE MOST BASS FISHING JUNKIES, I ENJOY

chasing Americas fish during all seasons of the year. But if I had to choose

a time period when my radar really lights up, it would have be late winter

through early spring.

In eastern Texas, where I am from, January through February is

the magical window when the first wave of big females begin nudging

towards the shallows, where they will eventually pair with a male suitor

and spawn yet another generation of bass for us to catch.

Widely known as the pre-spawn phase, the slice of time leading

up to the meat of the spawn has produced big numbers of heavy-

weight bass over the years. Not quite as many as March, when

armies of fish crowd the shallows, but more than enough to earn it

top billing among many anglers as one of the premier times of the

year to connect with a whopper.


Fea 1-Spawning Bass.indd 20 1/11/16 12:00 PM

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 21PHOTO:

Strategiesfor Early

SpawningBass

story and photos byMatt Williams


A quick glance at Toyota ShareLunker records adds some solid evidence to that claim. ShareLunker is a spawning research/public relations program run by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department since November 1986. The program solicits anglers who catch bass weighing 13 pounds or more to loan the fi sh to the state for spawning and genetics research.

To date, 564 fi sh have been entered. March has produced more ShareLunkers (239) than any other month. February is second with 130, followed by April with 87 and January with 58.

Interestingly, the percentages change sig-nifi cantly when you look at Texass biggest bass of all time. Both February and March have 14 entries on the Top 50 list. January has the next highest total, 7.

Narrow the list to the Top 10 and February is king with four entries, all weigh-ing between 16.89 and 17.29 pounds. In fact, it is the only month with more than one Top 10 entry.

The current state record of 18.18 pounds from Lake Fork was a January 1992 fi sh and the No. 2 fi sh, Mark Stevensons famous 17.67 pounder from Lake Fork, was caught in November. The remaining Top 10 fi sh are divided between April, August, May and March, all with one apiece.

So, what does all this say for the historic belief that the biggest bass are the fi rst to push toward the shallows and the fi rst ones to spawn from one year to the next?

Anecdotally, it certainly hints that there may be some truth it. But it is not a theory that veteran TPWD fi sheries biologist Todd Driscoll is willing to hang his hat on.

Driscoll, who oversees lakes Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend and host of other

heavy hitting East Texas bass lakes, is also a hardcore bass fi sherman with a number tournament wins under his belt. He can talk sight fi shing and fl utter spoons with the best in the business, but when asked a question about bass behavior the scientist in him

comes out and he goes looking for data to support his answers. This biologist says he is not aware of any scientifi c research that has been performed to support the claim that the bigger bass in a lake are always the fi rst dump their eggs.

22 | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTOS: MATT WILLIAMS

The pre-spawn provides opportunities for catching giants as they move into staging areas.

March is the top month for entries in the Toyota Share-Lunker program, but for the biggest sh, February is king.


I certainly dont discredit it all, but I dont have any real strong convictions that it is true, either, Driscoll said. Ive seen big fi sh on beds in February, but Ive also seen big ones on beds in March, April and May. The biggest fi sh Ive ever sight fi shed (an 11 1/2 pounder from Lake Pinkston) was caught well into the spawn. I remember telling myself on the way to the lake that day that Id probably already missed out on most of the spawn, but it didnt work out that way.

About Those Staging Areas

Research or no research, the fact remains that February has a rich history of kicking out some of the biggest bass of the year. Although it is entirely possible some of these fi sh are caught off spawning beds, my guess is the highest percentage of the giants are pre-spawners that are caught in relation to staging areas.

Staging areas are places bass where choose to position themselves as they wait for Mother Natures call to spawn. The sweet spots can vary in composition depending on the geographic location of the reservoir and what it has to offer in terms of cover.

Pre-spawn bass will stage around trees, stumps, bushes, ledges, rock piles, brush, along inside grasslines, etc., usually at mid-range depths. Stumble across one of these sweet spots and you can run up the score really quick. Thats because pre-spawners are prone to run in groups, often according to size. Plus, they tend to be pretty aggres-sive when you push the right buttons.

One of the main keys involved in pin-pointing productive staging areas is cover-ing plenty of water. The search can be fi ne-tuned by using a GPS/chartplotter to locate creeks, channel swings, ditches and road beds that connect deep water to shal-low. Bass often use them as highways when making the transition from deeper water to shallower spawning fl ats, coves and pockets.

Water Temp is Huge

As a rule, these early moves dont occur overnight. Instead, pre-spawn bass will usu-ally stop short of the shallows and suspend around a staging area as they wait for the adjacent shallows to warm to a suitable degree.

The fi rst waves of bass usually begin gravitating toward the shallows and setting up around staging areas when water tem-peratures are in the low- to mid-50s. While some bass may spawn once surface temps reach the upper 50s, the majority wont do their thing until water temperatures stabilize at 60 degrees or more.

Not surprisingly, the timing of the deal will vary from one geographic region to the next. Waters located in southern climates tend to warm up quicker than northern impoundments. This explains why bass may be locked on beds as early as January on a south Texas lake such as Falcon and as late as May on a north Texas lake such as Texoma or Ray Roberts.

Something else to remember is that not all of the fi sh in the lake move shallow to

do their thing at the same time. As a rule, the fi rst bass to spawn are those that live at the lakes upper reaches. Most lakes are shallower on the upper end than at the deeper lower end, where the dam is located. Shallower water naturally warms quicker than deep water, especially in areas situated so they catch plenty of warm sunshine, but are protected from chilly north winds.

Finding success with pre-spawn bass isnt rocket science. Its more about bundling up and investing some time on the water just ahead of one of natures greatest shows. Time it right and that sneak peek could produce the biggest bass of your life.


Pre-spawn bass start moving when water temperatures get into the upper 50s.



story by chester moore

Fea 2-Garfish.indd 24 1/11/16 12:02 PM

FOR MANY YEARS, the alligator garfish has had a reputation as a possibly dangerous fish that occasionally would take a bite out of humans.

It supposedly ate its weight in game fish every day, particularly largemouth bass.

An article written by garfish expert Keith Sutton notes that the May 7, 1884 edition of the Arkansas Gazette, states,

While a boy named Perry was fishing in Shoal Creek, Logan County, a gar fish caught his right leg, which was hanging over the side of the boat in the water, and pulled him overboard. His companions rescued him, but not before the leg was terribly lacerated.

A few years ago, I found a reference to a 1922 article in the New Orleans Times Picayune that said garfish are,

more dangerous to humans than sharks.

During that period, it was common to throw table scraps out around boat docks, and gars became conditioned to this. Any so-called attacks were probably related to someone soaking their feet among the food and not the result of human blood-lust on the gars part. In fact, there are no verified human attacks by garfish in recent times.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 25PHOTO: CANSTOCK


The reputation of the gar as a game fi sh popu-lation destroyer is almost as unfounded rumors of human attacks. In 1987, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) TPWD biologist Paul Seidensticker conducted a study called Food Selection of Alligator Gar and Longnose Gar in a Texas Reservoir on Sam Rayburn. From September through October, using jug lines and gillnets, he and his team captured 209 alli-gator gars weighing from 18 to 156 pounds. Most of their stomachs were empty.

Of those that did have food in their bellies, gizzard shad made up 26.4 percent of their diet, channel catfi sh, 14.9, freshwater drum, 12.6, bluegill 7.9, spotted sucker, 6.8, white bass, 4.5, largemouth bass, 3.4, spotted gar, 3.4, crappie, 2.2, lake chubsucker, 2.2 and carp, 1.1. Other items included two coots, 11 fi shhooks, an artifi cial lure and a plastic bag.

Gars really are outcasts that are mis-understood. They have unlimited potential as sportfi sh, but have unfortunately suffered in the court of public opinion, said Craig Springer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In the past gar tournaments were held to help rid the waterways of them to save game fi sh populations from their predatory wrath.

Author Smokey Crabtree used to win many of these tournaments by fi shing in the Sulphur River bottoms in Arkansas. We would catch them six and seven feet long and have them all stacked like cordwood. It was a sight to behold, he said. Crabtree would utilize jug lines baited with live carp in the two to fi ve pound range to catch gars sometimes in excess of 200 pounds.

Today the most pressure on garfi sh comes from commercial fi shing and bowfi shing. Choke Canyon Reservoir near George West used to be widely known for its tremendous alligator gar population, but when the lake was impounded, the harvest of gars was promoted and the result has been a major

decline in gar numbers there.TPWDs own profi le of the lake said,

The number of large alligator gars in the reservoir is presently low due to commercial harvest.

While the offi cial status of alligator gars in Texas is unknown, those of us who grew up fi shing for them have seen tremendous declines in catches in some areas and found some waters that were formerly loaded with gar to be in decline.

With increased channelization and reser-voir construction has come an overall decline of alligator gar numbers recognized at even the federal level.

The garfi sh regulations put in place have gone a long way in helping conserve this amazing fi shing resource. Texas is the last state in the nation with a viable trophy alli-gator gar fi shery. By making sure we dont overharvest what we have left we can keep it that way.

I fondly remember the grand adventure of pursuing Big John the massive alligator garfi sh that lived in a nearby gully. When I was in elementary school, some high school boys came up with the idea of tying a nylon rope to the end of a truck, baiting it with a whole chicken attached to a shark hook and fl oating it out under a jug.

When the jug went under, they would crank up the truck and pull the behemoth ashore. All of the elementary school boys thought that was the greatest idea anyone

had ever concocted.The only problem was they were going to

do it at the big pond on the high school agri-culture departments property where only Ag students could tread without getting in serious trouble.

We would have to watch from the road and hope they could fi t the creature in the bed of their truck so we could get a glimpse. Half a dozen or so of gathered at the gully that day to do some fi shing and of course see which of these legendary fi sh was going to take the bait. We just did not see how they could resist a whole chicken.

We could see that the small crowd of Ag students that gathered to see the capture of Big John were scattering like ants. They were running all over the place.

Were our fabled fi shes so humongous they would run from it? Did it attack one of the bystanders?

Our imaginations ran wild.It turned out they had pulled in a nine-

foot long alligator that was not very happy at being hooked and pulled behind a truck.

Its that kind of intrigue that keeps the alligator garfi sh interesting. Now thanks to enhanced conservation, they will continue to inspire for generations to come.

26 | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: DON ZAIDLE

The author with a huge gar sh he shot (and ate) in 2001.


Cold Trout, Warm Hearts

MUCH LIKE MANY OTHER anglers out there, I have been the victim of a myth. I have believed, for quite some time in

fact, that fi shing is the pits in February.January fi shing is good. March is excel-

lent. So are the other nine months of the year, but February fi shing is a sure way to really put a crimp into your batting average. The weather stinks. The wind is always out of the north or northwest (and as Rudy Grigar once noted, a northwest wind will muddy up a 50-foot well). Not only that, but the fi sh have disappeared. No telling where they went Miami, maybe, but wherever they went, theyre gone.

The truth is that fi shing actually isnt any worse in February than it is any other winter month. In fact, some anglers prefer fi shing in February for myriad reasons, such as decreased on-water traffi c, no jet skis, less heat stroke, and, most important of all, good fi shing for large trout. Professional anglers, such as Captain Dan Land (361-876-7610; txsportsmancharters.com) makes a lot of his money in February.

As colder weather sets in a little bet-ter, you will see the fi shing pick up, said Captain Land, who specializes in fi shing Baffi n Bay and Upper and Lower Laguna Madre. Rather than catching fi ve fi sh in one area, you can catch 15 or 30 or fi nd a good school where its non-stop action.

According to Land, with colder weather and temperatures stabilized (in other words, its colder longer), trout will settle into their dedicated winter patterns and settle their cold-water comfort zones. Once the fi sh have

become established into their winter haunts, they begin feeding on a more routine sched-ule, and that makes them easier to locate and predict. When this happens, says Land, the fi shing is much more consistent and steady.

If you do your homework, it can be very rewarding, says Land.

So what is a trouts winter haunt? According to Land, trout tend to look for deeper water. Deeper water tends to retain its heat more effi ciently, and the poikilo-thermic speckled trout tend to gravitate to warmer water. Deeper water may mean four to six feet, rather than the two to four feet where trout normally congregate in warmer months.

During this deeper water period, Land throws suspending baits such as the B&L Corky or a Brown Lure. On cooler days, he will fi sh a larger lure such as the Corkie Fat Boy, which can be fi shed slower and kept in the strike zone longer.

This is slow work, according to Land, and requires a patient approach and a soft touch. These trout dont necessarily strike with the fast slash a smaller, hot weather fi sh might. The bite is much lighter, akin to a nip a pinfi sh might make. Sometimes you will only feel a mushy sensation on your rod. When you do, set the hook.

Land also advises that you dont ignore the middle and upper levels of the water column. If the water begins to warm, speck-led trout become more active and move up and down the depth column and feed more aggressively.

On mild days, it isnt uncommon for trout to chase bait up to the surface. Dont expect to see bait popping on the surface and gulls diving. The clue to feeding trout might be more discreet, such as a single baitfi sh fl itting across the surface. When you see this, work your bait a little shallower and a little faster.

The end result may be some hot action in an otherwise cold month.

If you decide to fi sh in cold weather,

dont forget to dress warmly. More than a few anglers seem to forget this very impor-tant rule. They dont take into account how biting a north wind can be, or how chilling the spray can be from even a slightly bumpy boat ride. In those situations, the best case scenario may be some miserable shivering. The worst case can be hypothermia and a stint in the hospital.

A mistake a lot of anglers seem to make is thinking that traditionally warm clothing is warm enough. They wear jeans, a long cotton Rugger shirt, and sneakers with athletic socks. If you stay dry, then you will probably stay relatively comfortable.

The problems arise if you get wet by spray or drizzle or an unexpected drenching. Then, those jeans become more of a liability. Denim retains moisture and doesnt dry eas-ily. Even on a windless day, the chill of cold water on bare skin can cause discomfort and even lower your body temperature.

Athletic shoes also tend to retain mois-ture, and certainly athletic socks do (how many times have you taken off a pair of socks after working hard and fi nd that you sweated through them?). All of these can contribute to hypothermia.

It never hurts to own a set of insulated rain gear to shield you from cold spray and unexpected drizzling. The comfort of dry clothing cant be understated. If the day becomes warmer, you can always peel the top layers off and continue fi shing. You cant do that with jeans and a shirt.

Well, you could, but you better have really close friend on board with you.

Email Calixto Gonzales atContactUs@ shgame.com

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

Texas SALTWATER


1602 Saltwater.indd 27 1/11/16 12:56 PM

andloading, also known as reloading, is in

its simplest form the act of replacing the com-

ponents of an expended centerfi re cartridge.

This can be rifl e, pistol, or shotgun. It is not

possible for the handloader to reload rimfi re

cases such as the .22 Long Rifl e or .22 WMR.

The handloader takes the cartridge case that remains

after fi ring a cartridge. After lubricating the case so that

it will not stick, he runs it up into a sizing die. The sizing

die resizes the case back to near the original dimensions,

squeezes the neck of the case to hold a bullet friction tight,

and at the same time removes the expended primer.


How-To Basics for Beginners

Fea 6-Handloading101.indd 28 1/11/16 12:12 PM

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 29COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

story bySteve LaMascus


Then the handloader replaces the expended primer, puts in a new load of powder, and seats a bullet on topsimple. To reload a shotgun shell, the handloader takes the expended shotgun shell, resizes it, replaces the primer, drops a fresh charge of powder, seats a plastic wad over the powder, drops in a fresh charge of shot, and crimps the mouth of the shotgun shell to hold the components in place.

Again, simple. Well, sort of simple, anyway.

The two best reasons for a person to begin handloading are 1) to save money, allowing him to shoot more for the same price and 2) to make better ammunition than he can buy.

Most of us started in handloading to save money, but have found it to be a fun and relaxing pastime in itself. Not only that, we learned that we can tailor our ammunition to our individual fi rearms, providing ammunition that is actually more dependable and more accurate than we can buy over the counter.

Then the handloader replaces the expended primer, puts in a new load of powder, and seats a bullet on topsimple. To reload a shotgun shell, the handloader takes the expended shotgun shell, resizes it, replaces the primer, drops a fresh charge of powder, seats a plastic wad over the powder, drops in a fresh charge of shot, and crimps the mouth of the shotgun shell to hold the components in place.

Again, simple. Well, sort of simple, anyway.

The two best reasons for a person to begin handloading are 1) to save money, allowing him to shoot more for the same price and 2) to make better ammunition than he can buy.

Most of us started in handloading to save money, but have found it to be a fun and relaxing pastime in itself. Not only that, we learned that we can tailor our ammunition to our individual fi rearms, providing ammunition that is actually more dependable and more accurate than we can buy over the counter.

30 | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: IMR LEGENDARY POWDERS

IMR 4955 IS THE LATEST INTRODUCTION TO THE

Enduron series of smokeless powders.

IMR 4955 lands between IMR 4451 and IMR 7977 on the burn

rate chart and is an ideal choice for many popular cali-

bers such as .270 Winchester, .25-06 Remington and .300

Winchester Magnum. Enduron Technology allows accuracy

to be maintained over longer shooting sessions, thanks to a

special additive which helps remove copper fouling as the

rifl e is fi red.

This environmentally friendly formulation delivers ideal

loading densities in medium and big

game hunting calibers.

Ballistic variations based on

climate conditions are a thing of

the past with IMR 4955, thanks

to its temperature insensitivity.

From extreme heat to extreme

cold, shooters will see uniform

velocities. IMR 4955 has a small

grain size, making it extremely

accurate, and it fl ows easily

through a powder measure.

With the addition of IMR 4955 to the

series of Enduron Technology powders, reloaders can fi nd a techni-

cally advanced powder for reloading anything from .223 Remington

all the way up to the .500 Nitro Express.

IMR 4955 will be available in early 2016 in one-pound and eight-

pound containers. Complete reloading data is available in the 2016

Hodgdon Annual Manual or in the Reloading Data Center online at

www.imrpowder.com.

Enduron IMR 4955


To reload metallic cartridges, the hand-loader needs a number of tools to accomplish the task.

Along with primers, bullets, and powder, the beginning handloader will need a reload-ing press; a set of dies for the cartridge being reloaded; a shell holder; a powder scale; something to hold the cases to be loaded; a pad to lubricate the cases to be resized; case lubricant; and a set of brushes to clean and lubricate the inside of the case necks.

As he progresses he will fi nd he has use for other devices such as case trimmers, powder measures, powder tricklers, primer seating tools, primer pocket cleaners; and other gadgets that help him to more easily make better ammo. Starter kits are sold by most reloading tool makers. For the last 35 years I have used the same old press for all my rifl e reloading. The most diffi cult part is selecting the correct components.

Today there is a bewildering array of components for about every cartridge you can think of. The vast majority of the pow-ders I use are Hodgdon products. I have used them for 40 years with perfect satis-faction. Hodgdon currently produces both Hodgdon and IMR powders.

If I am able to choose the brass to reload, I prefer Winchester, Federal, or Hornady, but any name brand brass is perfectly okay.

I use brass from many sources. From time to time I buy new commercial unprimed brass. This is especially true for cartridges that are hard to fi nd or very expensive, such as my .240 Weatherby Magnum or .348 Winchester.

New unprimed brass may not be cheap, but new brass can be used many timeswith mild loads, as many as ten or even fi fteen timesso the price is relative. Dont turn your nose up at brass discarded at the local rifl e range. Properly cleaned and resized, it will work just as well as new brass, as long as it is not corroded or damaged

If you are loading practice rifl e ammo, you can use homemade lead bullets and lower the price per round tremendously, but if you are using the ammo for hunting, commercial jacketed bullets are the best way to go. Revolvers, on the other hand, which operate at much lower velocities than rifl es, can be used with perfect satisfaction for hunting with cast lead bullets. I shoot almost nothing else in my personal revolv-ers. Most semi-autos of any caliberrifl e or handgunneed perfect ammo with jacketed bullets to operate properly.

To make cast lead bullets you will need more tools, such as a melting pot, which can be either a plain steel or cast iron pot heated on a propane burner, or a commercial elec-tric melting pot. You will also need a mold for each of the bullets you intend to make.

You can buy your lead and tin from a website, such as Midway USA, or you can scrounge it from tire shops and garages in the form of wheel weights. Wheel weights are very cheap and make perfectly good bul-lets. Lyman publishes a very good book on casting and loading lead bullets.

Wildcat cartridges necessitate handload-ing. I have several such wildcats, cartridges that are not loaded commercially. These include the Ackley improved series such as the .243 Ackley Improved, .257 Roberts Ackley Improved, and other non-factory cartridges such as the .30-338 Winchester Magnum. A real rifl e nut takes great plea-sure in loading for and shooting such car-tridges, and they have many advantages over their factory parents.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 31PHOTO: HODGDON

I use brass from many sources. From time

more tools, such as a melting pot, which can be either a plain steel or cast iron pot heated on a propane burner, or a commercial elec-tric melting pot. You will also need a mold

Go to www.HodgdonReloading.com for instructional videos and other handloading resources.


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

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSEby &

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

Practicing for Self-Defense

WHEN YOU GO TO THE range to practice with your concealed carry handgun, you need to do more than just

stand at 10 yards and shoot a few magazines at a target. If you have a range that allows it, you should do a lot of move and shoot drills and shooting from concealment.

Put up a target, then park your car about 25 yards from the target. Start at about seven yards, draw your weapon and fi re two rounds, then, fi ring as you move, fi re a round and move, fi re a round and move, until you reach the vehicle, then use the vehicle as cover to fi re the remaining

rounds, then reload as quickly as possible.This teaches you to move and shoot.

Firing one round every couple of seconds gives you the maximum amount of cover fi re and allows you to keep your oppo-nents head down as you move to cover. For instance, with a Glock 17 holding 18 rounds fully loaded, you can, by fi ring one round every two seconds, keep an opponent

down for more than 30 seconds. That is a long time in a gunfi ght.

If you run out of rounds during your movement, practice reloading on the run, but do it safely. If you are not practiced in reloading as you move, stop, reload, and then continue. In everything you do, think safety fi rst.

Another thing you need to practice is

Awkward Positions ON A FLAT SHOOTING RANGE ITS most comfortable to just sit on a rock-solid bench, with your rifl e secured by sandbags, and put the tightest groups possible on a sheet of paper 100 yards away. This defi nitely has its place in test-ing your rifl e, ammunition, and marks-manship skills under prime conditions. However, defensive shooting in the real world isnt as kind.

If you are faced with a defensive situ-ation, you will most likely be reacting to a threat who had the advantage of choos-

ing the time and place of the attack. You are forced to adapt to the current environment. This is why we train to shoot in awkward positions that are less than ideal.

In competitions and tactical drills, we occasionally fi re through small hori-zontal slots in barricades that force you to know how your rifl e shoots when holding it at a 90-degree angle. This type of shooting can help when fi ring

from under cover or concealment such as underneath a vehicle or other barrier or in the roll over prone position that places you as low to the ground as pos-sible.

Considering the clearance needed for a longer defensive rifl e magazine, turning your rifl e sideways allows you to get nearly a foot lower to the ground. This position is rather awkward to most shooters so its a foreign concept. In the

32 | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: HANNAH ROYER

Firing a ri e on its side might be something we will never encounter, but if you are faced with a situation that requires it, you really need to know how your ri e hits from that position.

1602 Dept of Defense.indd 32 1/11/16 12:41 PM

fi ring at multiple targets, again fi ring as you move. Remember that if you are faced with a shooting situation, you should always try to fi nd cover. You should never stand toe-to-toe with an opponent and shoot it out unless you have absolutely no other options. Cover is life.

Now, put up three targets with at least one target width between them, more if pos-sible. Then back off 10 yards, draw, and put two shots on each target. After reload-ing, do the same thing; but this time, move between each pair of shots, putting distance between you and the targets.

Now move up to within three yards of the target on the left. Draw and fi re two rounds unaimed, then start moving to your right and back, fi ring two rounds at each of the other targets as you move.

If your range is equipped with steel targets, make use of them. Falling plates and pepper poppers are great training aids. The best training is where the falling plates and a hostage target are placed side by side. Start on the falling plates, then as you fi nish the plates, reload and engage the hostage target.

Start slow. Speed will come as you practice. Dont try for speed. Shoot for accuracy and the speed will come, in time.

A group of as many as six pepper pop-pers is also a great training aid. They can be moved around to simulate various shoot-ing scenarios.

For instance: Set up three poppers on the left, place your vehicle or other cover 25 yards back, and then place another three poppers to the right. Now from 10 yards draw and engage the three on the left as you move to your cover, reload and engage the three on the right from cover. This is teaching you to think on your feet.

There are endless scenarios that can be simulated with steel targets.

If you are near a range that hosts shoot-ing matches such as IPSC or IDPA, I strongly urge you to try it. You probably wont win, but it is some of the best prac-tice in the world for the concealed carry permit holder. It gives you a lot of trigger time, and the competition adds some stress that you will never experience if you prac-tice by yourself. And if you stay with it you

may, in time, win a few.A wise man once said: People become

good shots just as they become good tennis players, good golfers, and good baseball players, or anything elseby intelligent practice. A man who would enter a golf tournament with only one round of practice behind him in a year would be considered eccentric, if not actually off the beam.

If you would consider it wise to practice for any of the sports mentioned, it only makes sense to practice even more for a situation that may involve life or death.

Steve LaMascus

past I had not tested shooting with my rifl e held at 90 degrees, so I was forced to fi gure it out on my own during a train-ing session while hoping to see the bullet splashes in the berm and compensate accordingly.

For this experiment I used my Adams Arms AR15 in 5.56mm/.223 rifl e topped off with a 1-4x Trijicon Accupoint from a bench at 50 yards with a confi rmed 50 yard zero. Because Im right handed/right eye dominant, shooting with the gun on its left side on the bench was eas-iest for me because the optic was turned towards me.

I found that from this position at the same distance the point of impact was almost four inches 7 oclock of the point of aim. This change is predictable when you think of the arc of the bullet, scope

over bore, and offset change from when the rifl e is held vertical. Shooting with the rifl e on the right side found the point of impact to be a little lower at 5 oclock than shooting on the rifl es left side.

When shot from 100 yards with the rifl e on either side the bullet drifted nearly nine inches to either 5 or 7 oclock depending on which side it was fi red from. That would defi nitely result in a miss from this distance.

We have two lessons to learn from this experiment. First, you should prac-

tice in those awkward positions in order to learn your rifl e better and become a better marksman under a variety of con-ditions. Next, as known to most precision shooters, rifl e cant matters. Your optic is mounted directly over the bore of your rifl e for a reason, and we must keep that in mind for any rifl e engagements in order to shoot straight.

Dustin Ellermann

34 | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: HANNAH ROYER

The point of impact shift when the ri e was red at 90 degrees was rather substantial, even from 50 yards.


Cold SeasonI

HAVE TO SAY THAT FOR ME, February is the worst month of the year. The rut is over, whitetail hunting is over, and unless you are after exotics or

hogs, hunting is overperiod.All thats left are the memories, good and

badmore good than bad, we hope.Even though your time in the woods is

basically over for hunting, you still need to get out there and take care of a few things. Think of it as the clean-up month. That means it is time to retrieve your stands from your lease and inspect them for anything that might cause you problems next season. On a personal level, I know that one of my stands had a squeak in it when I shifted my weight on the stand. Not Good.

We all know that in the woods, any sound at all thats foreign will send a whitetail off to the next county, especially if he is a big boy with a few years under his belt. He did not get big being stupid. Its important that we take the time to do some maintenance on all of our stands and now is the time to do it

Yes, sometimes it can be a major pain in the butt to lug all of your stands out. That is why some hunters prefer to just leave them there year after year. Its in a great spot, and you just want to leave it there.

I can see a few problems with that strat-egy. First, at least where I hunt, you have to be a little concerned about theft. Even though you chain it to the tree (to keep hon-est people honest), it is a bad feeling when you go to your favorite spot to hunt at oh-dark-thirty only to fi nd that your tree stand is no longer there. One year, I went to my spot only to fi nd that not only was my stand was gone, but so was the tree

Second, you need to remember that a tree grows constantly, and the strap you tightened around the tree to hold your stand in place might not be the safest strap any lon-ger. If you elect to leave your stand attached to the tree, then you run the risk of the strap snapping when you put your weight on it causing what could be a serious injury. My advice is to take the time to bring them home where you can go through them carefully.

Are there any loose bolts? Or worse, missing all together. I would take the time to tighten EVERY bolt and screw on each stand. Then while I have them right in fr

Texas Fish & Game February 2016

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