Fly the Wind

ADVENTURE Port Isabel: * April 28, 2006 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 2, Issue 17 * angler’s paradise www.lonestaroutdoornews.com See Page 19 INSIDE HUNTING Check grandpa’s attic Trophy found in field or even on a saloon wall could make record books By Wes Smalling The record books of the Boone and the hunter, said Jack Reneau, Crockett Club have categories that go Boone and Crockett’s director of big beyond your typical category of trophies game records. Texas state That giant whitetail mount you spotted bagged during hunting season. The club “Rather than recording egos and record at a neighborhood garage sale or gathering also lists records for “picked up” trophies stuff like that, what we’re recording is non-typical dust in an attic could turn out to be more and for mounts of unknown origin. the success of conservation efforts,” whitetail taken than just treasure. The reason for the categories is because Reneau said. in 1892, by an It might just win you a world record. the club’s emphasis is on the animal not See PICKUPS, Page 11 unknown hunter. Game management and selective breeding isn’t new for deer, but now one Texas rancher is doing Changes the same for hogs as a way for landowners to improve their stock of trophy wild hogs. in weather Fly See Page 6 Wildfires in the Panhandle killed suit bass 12 people and destroyed almost a million acres, but wildlife the specialists say there may be a just fine silver lining for game animals. By Mary See Page 6 Helen Aguirre FISHING wind Spoiling for a fight? This is the time of the year along Texas’ Blame the near-shore Gulf waters to find big bass in Don’t let coastal the rambunctious jack crevalle Texas on El Niño. and their tasty cousin, the fronts blow you away The global amberjack. These fighters can weather pat- By Brian Holden test even the most experienced tern that is angler’s skill. responsible for periodic erratic rainfall might also be behind the number of f today is the kind of day See Page 8 trophy bass being caught this year. anglers dream of — warm, “Two years ago, I predicted that this windless with tailing reds — A successful release of flounder year and last year would be a record Ithen tomorrow could just as fingerlings has Texas Parks and year for hooking trophy bass,” said easily be a nightmare of wind and Wildlife officials confident they Gene Wilde, an associate professor of dropping temperatures. fisheries ecology with the Wildlife Such is spring in Texas. can raise the fish in captivity if Fisheries Manage-ment Institute at Three seasons of the year can see necessary. Texas Tech University in Lubbock. fronts blow through that instantly The Texas Parks and Wildlife˙s drop the temperature 20 degrees See Page 9 Budweiser ShareLunker Program and increase wind speed 20 knots. recorded 24 largemouth bass weigh- To the recreational fisherman, get- NATIONAL ing 13 pounds or more in the 2004- ting “blown out” by one of these Pennsylvania officials believe 2005 season. It was the highest total fronts has always been a risk you teens are behind a killing spree since 1996. take when you head to the coast. that left as many as 50 deer So far this year, the program has Anglers, even fly fishermen, can dead. The animals were shot recorded 32 ShareLunkers (through use these fronts, and the changes April 24), with five of the last six tro- they cause, to their advantage if over a six-township area — their phy bass being caught at Lake Alan they keep a few things in mind. carcasses left to rot in the fields. Henry near Lubbock. Cold fronts on the middle coast Wilde said when El Niño hit in generally blow in from the north, See Page 4 1997-’98, it brought abundant rains to forcing the water off of the flats Texas. into the Gulf. CONSERVATION “What we think happens is we get “The combination of north A slew of grants by the Migratory rain and water levels stay up in lakes. winds and high pressure squeeze Bird Conservation Commission When water levels are high, it pro- the water out of the bays like push- will restore thousands of acres of duces more largemouth bass,” he ing down on a sponge” says wetlands as well as acquiring said. Rockport guide Paul Brown. “No Allen Forsage, director Texas other time is the falling tide more needed acres to provide habitat Freshwater Fisheries Center, agreed forceful or more predictable than for migratory birds. FISHING THE FRONTS: When a spring cold front rolls in, you need to know how that the increased number of bass is to best the changes in conditions. Photo by David J. Sams. See FRONTS, Page 12 See WEATHER, Page 11 See Page 5 PRSRT STD DEPARTMENTS California’s big bass US POSTAGE PAID Across the Nation Page 5 PLANO, TX Product Picks Page 13 landings are no fish tale PERMIT 210 Heroes Page 14 By Wes Smalling bass anglers have poured onto the 76- acre lake outside San Diego in droves Outdoor Puzzler Page 15 in the hopes of landing a largemouth California, here they come. in the class of Weakley’s 25-pound, 1- Wild in the Kitchen Page 15 It’s been over a month since Mac ounce monster. Weather Page 15 Weakley reeled in his shockingly “Dixon is a really small lake and huge largemouth bass from southern with this last fish it’s getting ham- Game Warden Blotter Page 16 California’s Dixon Lake that unoffi- mered,” said Mike Giusti, fisheries cially broke the world record. biologist for the California Outdoor Datebook Page 17 Since that day, March 20, pie-eyed See CALIFORNIA, Page 10 Page 2 * April 28, 2006 SHAKE UP THE SCALES IN A MAJOR WEIGH Thrilling tournament competition…exciting weigh-ins… ESPN Outdoors Expo…2006 Bassmaster Memorial. Come See All the Action! 2006 BASSMASTER MEMORIAL | MAY 18-21 EAGLE MOUNTAIN LAKE & LAKE WORTH | FT. WORTH, TX JOIN US FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL BASSMASTER MEMORIAL. The first of three Bassmaster Majors features the top 50 anglers of the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster® ELITE SERIES competing for big money, a big title and the Don Butler Memorial trophy. The Bassmaster Memorial is named in honor of Don Butler, the first member of BASS and the second winner of the Bassmaster Classic. More than $600,000 in cash and merchandise prizes will be paid out in this four-day event, with the champion taking home $250,000. Check out the ESPN Outdoors Expo where you can browse products from local vendors and official BASS sponsors. Stop by the BASS Booth to learn more about various Bassmaster tournament series and membership programs. Other expo activities to enjoy include interactive games and the Georgia Southern University Wildlife Experience. Saturday features a double weigh-in as the second event of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour takes center-stage, prior to the weigh-in for the third competition day of the Memorial. BASSMASTER MEMORIAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS* * All times Central. All events are free admission. Thursday, May 18 & Friday, May 19 Saturday, May 20 Sunday, May 21 • Launch – 7:30 am, West Bay Marina & RV Park • Launch – 7:30 am, Lake Worth Boating & Ski Club • Launch – 7:30 am, Lake Worth Boating & Ski Club at Lake Worth at Eagle Mountain Lake at Lake Worth • Expo – 10:00 am-4:00 pm, Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall • Weigh-in – 4:30 pm, Will Rogers Coliseum • Expo – 10:00 am-4:00 pm, Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall • Weigh-in for Women’s Bassmaster Tour • Weigh-in – 4:30 pm, Will Rogers Coliseum. & 3rd day of Memorial – 4:30 pm, Will Rogers Coliseum. Visit www.Bassmaster.com for more details. Can’t make it to the event? Catch Sunday’s weigh-in on ESPN2 at 7pm ET. Check your local listings. © 2006 BASS®. All rights reserved. IT TAKES ON KIDS. IT TAKES ON CARGO. IT EVEN TAKES ON THE COMPETITION. GMC Yukon SLT THE YUKON GMC FORD NISSAN TOYOTA YUKON EXPEDITION ARMADA SEQUOIA ADVANTAGE SLT XLT LE LIMITED TURNING DIAMETER 38.3 FT 38.7 FT 40.8 FT 42.3 FT EPA EST. 2WD FUEL ECONOMY 16/20 MPG 14/19 MPG 13/19 MPG 15/18 MPG (city/highway) ONSTAR® 1-YR SAFE AND STANDARD NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE SOUND SERVICE* TRI-ZONE CLIMATE CONTROL STANDARD NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE XM SATELLITE RADIO®** AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE REAR LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE A CONSUMERS DIGEST YES NO NO NO BEST BUY WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE.® SEE THE PROS AT YOUR LOCAL GMC DEALER Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. *Call 1-888-4ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) or visit onstar.com for system limitations and details. **Available in the 48 contiguous states. Basic service fees apply. Visit gm.xmradio.com for details. ©2005 OnStar Corp. All rights reserved. OnStar and the OnStar emblem are registered trademarks of OnStar Corporation. ©2005 XM Satellite Radio Inc. All rights reserved. The XM name and related logos are registered trademarks of XM Satellite Radio Inc. ©2005 General Motors Corp. All rights reserved. Yukon, GMC and the GMC logo are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. Page 4 * April 28, 2006 NATIONAL Wal-Mart to Duck hunters have stop selling voice at high levels firearms at 1,000 stores Tomke chosen for Sporting Conservation Council Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retail- er, announced in April it would no Ducks Unlimited Chairman of the Board “This appointment gives waterfowl longer sell firearms in about 1,000 John Tomke was recently chosen to serve on hunters a voice at the highest level of deci- locations — about a quarter of its U.S.

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