Outdoors

Fish near floating debris for tripletail action

They are in our area again, and the tripletails are a welcome addition to most any angler’s cooler. Not only are the tripletails in the gulf and in Big Lake in Louisiana, but the redfish and speckled trout are showing up. The reds and specks are being taken mostly on live bait.

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New hunting and fishing licenses are now available

Dove hunting seasons opens Sept. 1, and about two weeks later, we’ll be shooting teal. Shortly after that, the archery season on deer opens in October. But to participate in any of those very popular shooting activities, you’ll need to have the 2012-13 hunting license, which is available where sporting goods are sold as of Aug. 15.

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Diving birds, shad slicks lead to big trout

There are now some seagulls showing up on Lake Sabine and on Big Lake in Louisiana. Some of the speckled trout that are feeding under the gulls are nice size, while some are small. There are, however, some nice size sand trout present. There are some larger specks that have been consistent in other places. This type of action will get better and better as the time goes by with October and November being the peak.

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‘Hawgs’ rule, but creative hunters aren’t far behind

Pig hunting in Texas is big time popular. We can hunt them year round, they multiply faster than roaches and can be trapped, shot with a gun or bow and, in some extreme cases, chased down with dogs then whacked with a big knife or even a spear. Better yet, we can shoot as many pigs as we want 24/7. There ain’t no limit on wild hogs.

For the discriminating hunter that is looking for something different, you might want to check out Tactical Hog Control. This is a company offering a hunting experience that is truly unique.

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Time to give night fishing a try

I’ve written about some really good mid-day summertime speckled trout fishing, but everyone does not enjoy being out in the hot weather. More and more anglers have decided to do their thing during the nighttime. By doing this, their fishing success could be unparalleled without being exposed to the hot August sun. We should all keep in mind that the sun is a probable cause of many skin problems. By heading out during the dark times, those problems will be limited.So what equipment is necessary in order to switch from the typical daytime angling to doing it at night?

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Lamar coaches rack up the crappie on Rayburn

Even though it’s been hot enough to fry eggs on the boat ramp concrete, crappie fishing is about as good as it gets on Sam Rayburn.

“This lake is in magnificent shape, about as good as I’ve seen it in 10 years,” said guide Bill Fondren. “This week I had the Lamar University football coaches out on the lake, and we caught enough crappie to sink the boat.”

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Delightful afternoon on the water under the sun

Sometimes the fishing situation is not exactly as one would believe. By exactly, I mean the action is not always limited to the crack of dawn or dusk. Sometimes during the summertime, there is some hot action during midday.

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Southeast Texas anglers bring big catches to CCA STAR tournament

The Coastal Conservation Association STAR tourney, which runs through Sept. 3, is getting a lot of attention from Southeast Texas fishermen. One of the most coveted spots on the leader board is held by Sour Lake angler Michael Fesco. He’s leading in the speckled trout category with an 8 pound, 10 ounce trout caught on Sabine Lake with live bait. That’s the heaviest trout to be entered into the STAR in the upper coast division.

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Texas dove and teal seasons set

And it looks all good for Southeast Texas hunters

 

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has just announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved the 2012-13 Texas early migratory game bird seasons. As of now, it’s all good news. Dove hunters across the state will have a 70-day season with a 15-bird daily bag limit. The icing on the cake is that we’ll have a 16-day early teal season.

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Despite recent rains, drought a hunter concern

With the saltwater fishing going full blast, there have also been many questions about deer range conditions. Certainly the rains that have been widespread have benefited all of the deer ranges. We all remember that by this time a year ago, we were well into a super drought. Many deer hunters are questioning the outlook for the upcoming hunting season.

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