Downthebarrell Outdoor Adventures

Fish samplings at area lakes yield positive results

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:19:00 EST

Fish samplings at lakes Nocona, Ray Roberts and Weatherford by the park and wildlife department�s Lake Texoma fisheries office indicate positive results regarding blue and channel catfish. The gill net catch rates for numbers of blue catfish at Ray Roberts were the highest on record, according to state biologist Bruce Hysmith. �Historically, it takes time for blue catfish to build in a lake,� Hysmith said. �The samples have increased nine fold since the 1998 collection when the largest bluecat was 6.2 pounds. This year�s collection produced blues up to 20.5 pounds. Lake Nocona, a city-water supply lake, produced numbers of blue catfish weighing up to 21 pounds and Lake Weatherford, also a city-supply water lake, yielded 12 channel catfish per net with the largest weighing 13 1/4 pounds.

Perfect Catfish Lakes

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:34:00 EST

For catfish, these lakes are absolutely purr-fect Have you ever wondered how catfish got the name? The answer is fairly simple: They have "whiskers" (like most breeds of cats) and they can be just as feisty as cats when challenged. Species of catfish abound around the globe, but Texas anglers go after three: channel cat, blue cat and yellow cat. We'll skip the mud cat because of its lack of fishing interest and palatability. So, which lakes are the best for each species? Here are my choices: Blue catfish Lake Texoma On Texas-Oklahoma border northwest of Sherman-Denison, about 100 miles from Fort Worth 74,686 surface acres Honorable mention: Choke Canyon, Lewisville, Whitney Regulations: 12-inch minimum; daily limit: 15 Lake Texoma became well-known for trophy blue catfish long before Cody Mullenix caught a then-world record 121.5-pound blue in January 2004. Jug-line anglers and others had been catching big blues there for years. The best bait is live or cut gizzard shad, but blues can be caught on a variety of other baits often favored by anglers, including punch baits, blood baits and shrimp. Winter fishing usually produces the larger blue cats in deep water on the lower end of the lake and along the deep upper channels. January and February are probably the best two months to catch trophy fish. Texoma has become one of the most popular lakes for using jug lines with live and cut gizzard shad, but many anglers using rods and reels catch them on Carolina-type rigs like those used to catch striped bass. Drifting live shad over humps and through narrow channels and draws produces many of the best catches. Anchoring and fishing an individual ledge or the edge of a channel works well, too. Channel catfish Lake Tawakoni About 15 miles southeast of Greenville, about 80 miles from Fort Worth 37,879 surface acres Honorable mention: Falcon, Granbury, Ray Roberts Regulations: 12-inch minimum; daily limit: 25 If you go to Tawakoni anytime soon, fish shallow. For the past few weeks, fishing guides and other anglers have been catching large numbers of channel cats averaging 2 pounds or more on punch bait in about 3 feet of water near flooded new-growth willows, grass and weeds along the shorelines. That means fish can be caught by bank and wading anglers as easily as from a boat. The best rig for catching them shallow is a slip-cork rig. Tie a rubber band about 30 inches above the hook and weight and just above a bobber that slides on the line until it is stopped by the knot in the rubber band. This system will keep your bait a few inches off the bottom when fishing in 3 feet of water. A No. 4 or smaller treble hook works best for holding punch bait. The shallow-water fishing is expected to remain good for about a month, then the fish will probably move into heavily timbered areas to roam and feed in 13 to 16 feet of water. When that happens, pre-baiting an area with soured maize will help attract schools of feeding channel cats. Yellow catfish Lake Palestine 15 miles southwest of Tyler, about 135 miles from Fort Worth 25,560 surface acres Honorable mention: Buchanan, Cedar Creek, Livingston Regulations: 18-inch minimum; daily limit: 25 This fish is a trotliner's dream, and, sometimes, a trotliner's nightmare. Lake Palestine yielded a 98.5-pounder in 1999, and many other "flatheads" weighing 40 to 70 pounds have been caught on trotlines baited with live perch and set on lines across "yellow cat cattle trails" on the lower end of the lake. Getting fish that big off a trotline and into a boat is not for the faint-hearted or weak of strength. And care must be exercised when handling trophy-size catfish to avoid injuries. Yellow cats feed mostly on live bait, and they are very territorial. At Palestine, the ledges and humps off the Neches River channel -- as well as at the mouths of Flat Creek, Kickapoo Creek and Ledbetter Slough -- typically produce the largest yellow cats. Most of the large Palestine yellow cats are caught in colder months, from about October through early April. The fish move into the deepest haunts of the lake during the summer and can difficult to catch.

Mature turkeys prove elusive targets for spring hunters

Fri, 02 May 2008 09:17:00 EST

Sports Friday, May 2, 2008 One West Texas guide said hunters are using "ambush" tactics to bag older turkeys like this big guy. Weeks before the spring turkey hunting season opened, hunting outfitter Roy Wilson predicted what hunters would face. "Too many jakes," he said. "Remember what the season was like in 2003, when we had lots of turkeys but mostly young birds? It's nice to have them around, but it makes it difficult for hunters to bag the older birds." With four weeks gone and only two left in the North Zone spring season, many hunters report that most of the gobblers they've seen are 2 or 3 years old with 2- to 6-inch beards. Hunters also report that they are finding very little daytime gobbling activity. Similar stories have emerged from South Texas, where the season ends today. "It has been pretty tough to bag an old bird this year," said rancher Kerry Joy of Eldorado. "We have a tremendous amount of jakes, but the big boys have been hard to find. I saw a lot of big ones before the season opened so I know they are out there. At first, I thought it was just [my problem], but I got to asking around and others are saying the same thing "We have had some gobbling off and on during the day, but, overall, it's been pretty quiet out there." Joy said that he has seen groups of 15 to 20 or more jakes traveling together. Many people believe jakes traveling in large groups often chase older birds away from the hens, making the older toms more timid. Ken Mayer of All American Outfitter, north of Clarendon in the Panhandle, said he has seen large groups of jakes on properties he hunts in Donley, Hall and Collingsworth counties. "We had a pretty wet spring last year, and that led to a good hatch," Mayer said. "There has been very little daytime gobbling. Once they touch down [from their roosts], they shut up after about a half hour and then get fired up again about an hour before sundown. That's usually because the gobblers have gotten lost from the hens and are trying to catch back up with them." Joy said some hunters have relied on "ambush" hunting, waiting at places where the birds usually go rather than calling the birds to them. Greg Simons of Wildlife Systems in West Texas agreed. "The season has been really tough," said Simons, who hunts on ranches in Coke, Tom Green, Schleicher, Sterling, Comanche, Dimmit and Pecos counties. "Those guys who have been willing to camp out over feed or water have been able to shoot birds because a lot of turkeys have not been receptive to coming to a call. We have a lot of jakes, but they are mostly 3-year-old birds. We have killed some older ones with some of the best spurs we ever have had, but there has been very little gobbling activity." Robert Steenbeke of 1A Hunting in Texas Guide Service in Yancey, about 50 miles southwest of San Antonio, said the story has been the same in South Texas. "It's been as tough as it gets," said Steenbeke, who guides hunts in Zavala County. "We have seen very few mature birds. We have lots of jakes and lots of hens, and that's made it tough to get the older birds in. "Most of the gobblers have hit the ground and then shut up. Several have been taken while coming to feeders with the hens." But Steenbeke said the problems this season, which ends May 11 in the North Zone, could bode well for the future. "With so many jakes around this year, it should be a heck of a year next season," he said.

Texas Early Year Round UP

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:16:00 EST

Teen sets state junior bass record Fifteen-year-old Tyler Goetzman of Willis set a Texas largemouth bass record for junior anglers, catching a 13.06-pound bass at Lake Conroe on Jan. 13. Goetzman used a Rat-L-Trap in 6 feet of water to make the catch, which surpassed the 13-pounder caught by Kenny Schuette at Alan Henry Reservoir in June 2005. Goetzman donated his fish to the Budweiser ShareLunker program, which uses bass 13 pounds and larger for genetic studies and spawning at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. The bass is the program's 442nd entry and is the 12th ShareLunker bass from Lake Conroe. The catch also is only the fourth time in the program's 21-year history that the season's first lunker has been caught in January. Waterfowl update The statewide duck hunting season closes Sunday, and hunters in North and Central Texas shouldn't look for any significant changes in the remaining few days. South Texas hunters, on the other hand, have been benefiting from the late arrival of pintails, gadwalls, mallards, widgeons, teal and redheads, especially in the mid-coastal counties. Hunters on the upper and lower coast continue to have fair success at best. Hunters from the upper Panhandle south to the Knox County area have been suffering the same problems as those in Central Texas: a lack of water on the small ponds and lakes. The Brazos River near Graford has provided spotty hunting; the largest concentrations of mallards, gadwalls, teal and widgeons in that area have been during the late-morning and mid-afternoon hours. Limited hunting activity on the river has resulted in large numbers of birds being seen in certain areas. Hunting on farm and ranch stock tanks has been fair to good in North Texas. Green-winged teal, gadwalls, widgeons and a few ring-necks are providing the bulk of the action. Hunting on small ponds has been best during the first hour or two of daylight and very limited during the remainder of the day. Goose hunting continues to be hit-and-miss along the Texas coast, where the season ended Jan. 13 for specklebellies but continues for Canadas and snow geese. Windy days have helped improve decoying action among the Canadas, but the snows remain hard to fool. Many snow geese have started to break up into smaller groups and have not responded to decoys well. Deer update Although the deer hunting season is over except on ranches under the Managed Lands Deer Permit program, hunters may be interested to know that activity around deer corn feeders seems to have improved in numerous areas. This year's tremendous crop of acorns, and in some areas pecans, has been blamed for the lack of deer utilizing corn feeders throughout the upper two-thirds of the state. Since the season ended earlier this month, trail cameras set up around corn and protein feeders indicate activity around the feeders has improved, probably because of dwindling supplies of natural foods and the lack of hunter activity. Dallas Boat Show If you are interested in antique boats and the history of boating, extreme action wakeboarding, catching catfish or looking at what's new in boats, you might want to visit the 55th annual Dallas Boat Show scheduled Feb. 1-10 at Dallas Market Hall. More than 800 watercraft will be on display, including a $1 million yacht and a 1970s vintage cigarette boat owned by Ross Perot. Show hours are 3 p.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 4-13 and free for ages 3 and under. For more information, go to www.dallasboatshow.net. Crab trap cleanup Volunteers are being sought to help clean up neglected crab traps along the Texas coast Feb. 15-24. Similar programs the past six years have removed more than 22,745 crab traps, parks and wildlife department officials have said. Legal crab trap activity will be put on hold during the 10-day cleanup. Collection sites will be designated in each of eight major bay systems. Anyone interested should contact one of these coastal fisheries division offices: -- Sabine Lake, 409-983-1104 -- Galveston Bay, 281-534-0100 -- Matagorda Bay, 361-972-6253 -- San Antonio Bay, 361-983-4425 -- Aransas Bay, 361-729-2328 -- Corpus Christi Bay, 361-729-2328 -- Upper Laguna Madre, 361-825-3353 -- Lower Laguna Madre, 956-350-4490

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Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:50:00 EST

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Hunting & Duck Report

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:38:00 EST

Waterfowl: Duck hunting � especially for mallards, widgeons, green-winged teal and gadwalls � has been good the past week on many shallow lakes from Knox City to Hubbard Creek Reservoir, Proctor Lake and Lake Whitney. Cold fronts have pushed more ducks into North and Central Texas. Diving ducks � including ringnecks, scaups and canvasbacks � have provided the best action at Lake O� the Pines, Fork and Toledo Bend, but overall success on those lakes has been only fair. Flights of green-winged teal, mallards and widgeons have slowly increased the hunting action on the Brazos River north and south of Possum Kingdom Lake and south of Lake Whitney. Snow last week in Panhandle fields and playa lakes caused mushy conditions but better goose hunting. Decoying action among Canada geese and snow geese has improved, and prospects for the coming week are fair to good. Red-headed ducks have provided most of the action along the coast, especially in areas with shoal grass around Rockport, Port O�Connor, West Matagorda Bay and Seadrift. The coastal prairies have provided fair to good hunting for green-winged teal, mallards, gadwalls and shovelers, especially in the Wharton, El Campo and Eagle Lake areas. Dove: The short winter mourning dove seasons in the Central and South zones aren�t expected to produce outstanding hunting except in areas where large numbers of migrating doves have congregated and stay around after the shooting begins. Seasons in both zones opened Dec. 26; the season runs through Friday in the Central Zone and Jan. 12 in the South Zone. Most of the doves found in the Central Zone have been scattered in mesquite flats or around deer corn feeders. Typically those birds take flight and leave those areas once hunters approached. White-tailed deer: Hunters are beginning to see more deer coming to their feeders now that acorns have been depleted. Plus, some hunters have seen more bucks following or chasing does in the past two weeks than they saw when the peak of the rut usually occurs. Apparently, many does did not breed earlier in the season and have come back into estrus, sparking major rutting activity in several counties, including Jack, Wise, Young, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Brown, Hamilton and Lampasas. Women On Target: The National Rifle Association�s Women On Target program offers eight hunts this year, opening with a hog and bobcat hunt April 25-30 in Barksdale, about 80 miles northeast of Del Rio. A Sportsmen All-weather, All-terrain Marksmanship training event is scheduled in conjunction with the Texas hunt, providing world-class instruction in hunting and marksmanship. The training focuses on weather and terrain conditions, and how to shoot from a variety of positions. An archery hunt for white-tailed deer and turkey in Missouri is scheduled, the first bow hunt offered in the program, which began in 1999. Also on the schedule are a game bird-fly fishing combination excursion in Maine, and hunts for turkey in Kansas, pheasants in South Dakota, elk in Colorado, pheasants and chukar in Nebraska, and white-tailed doe, bobcat, coyote and hog near Marietta, Okla. Pre-registration is required for each hunt. For more information, call 800-861-1166 or go to www.nra.org. Ray Roberts bid approved: Forever Resorts, which owns Southfork Ranch in Dallas, won the bid to take over Ray Roberts Lake State Park�s Lantana Lodge, which has 30 guest rooms, a conference center and a full-service restaurant. Forever Resorts � based in Scottsdale, Ariz. � owns four other Texas resorts, including Chisos Mountain Lodge at Big Bend National Park and Lake Amistad Resort and Marina. Remington buys Marlin: Remington Arms of Madison, N.C., has acquired Marlin Firearms of New Haven, Conn., one of the nation�s longest-operating firearms companies. With the purchase, Remington also acquired H&R 1871, the world�s largest manufacturer of single-shot rifles. Those single-shot rifles are marketed as Harrison and Richardson and New England Firearms.

If it's cold up north, then it's fowl down in the south

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:24:00 EST

Hunters are hoping the arrival of colder weather soon will help bring more Canada geese to lakes in Texas. A bird in a hand might be worth two in a bush, but most Texas waterfowl experts say they would rather see more birds in the sky before predicting how hunters are likely to fare during the rest of the waterfowl seasons. The second segment of the split duck season opened Saturday and runs through Jan.27. Hunter success for ducks has been poor in some areas, fair in others, and exceptionally good in a few places. Bagging limits of geese has been a struggle for some hunters in the coastal rice fields of South Texas and in the upper Panhandle, but good in the West Texas plains around Knox City, Rochester and Seymour. What it will take for hunters to see more ducks and geese migrating through Texas has and probably always will be keyed to one factor: weather in the Dakotas, Nebraska and southward. Extremely cold weather (with snow and ice) drives migrating waterfowl south into Texas. Dallas-Fort Worth area duck hunters have had fair success, with stock-tank hunting providing the most consistent limits of birds. Stock tanks over much of the Cross Timbers area have started to dry up, but numerous stock tanks still are attracting gadwalls, widgeons, mallards and teal. Hunting on the Brazos River north of Possum Kingdom Lake has been fair to good on many days, but poor to the south between the dam and the US 180 bridge. East Texas hunters, especially those who hunted Lake O' The Pines, and Caddo, Fork and Toledo Bend lakes, had the best hunts during the first split and should continue to have fair to good success throughout the seasons. How the duck and goose hunting has been in other areas and what some guides predict for the rest of the seasons: Texas Panhandle high plains Scott Curtsinger, Longneck Outfitters, in Lubbock: "We are hoping the weather that is supposed to arrive here this weekend [a low of around 29, with a chance of a wintry mix, is forecast for tonight] will help bring in more birds. The goose hunting has been pretty good so far, but a lot of our water here is starting to dry up. The water has concentrated the geese in a few areas. Where there is water, there are a lot of birds. The first half of the duck season was really good, really consistent. I think we probably have had the biggest population of green-winged teal, pintails and mallards that I ever have seen here.... Right now I would say every other party [of goose hunters] is shooting limits. The warm weather has been a big factor. The geese are feeding only about 45 minutes to one hour in the mornings and not moving much at all in the evenings. Sandhill crane hunting has been excellent. We have been getting limits every day, especially in the mornings. We have been getting limits of cranes in the mornings over decoys and pass shooting." West Texas rolling plains Tony Stanfield, Stanfield Hunting Outfitters, in Knox City about 180 miles west-northwest of Fort Worth: "The goose hunting has been good, but the duck hunting has been spotty. We probably have 450,000 to 500,000 geese in the area right now -- lots of Canadas and specklebellies and a few snows. The majority of the geese are feeding in the mornings. We still have a good number going out in the evenings, but nothing like in the mornings because of the [warm] weather. Steve Barber of Arlington and his group of 24 hunters got 101 geese Thursday morning by about 11. They were hunting in a plowed field with wheat stubble. We have a good [cold] system expected for this weekend, and with all the snow and ice they are supposed to get in the Dakotas and Nebraska, that should help bring more birds down. The duck hunters have been getting a lot of widgeons. We have been seeing a few mallards, but not really a lot of them." South Texas coastal area Mike Ladnier, Bay Prairie Outfitters, in Midfield about 80 miles southwest of Houston: "The hunting, overall, has been kind of tough mainly because of the [warm] weather. Most of the geese have been getting down here later than usual. In fact, I think this is the latest I have ever seen them coming down. Our best shoots have been about 28 geese, but we just began seeing the larger numbers of birds arrive [Tuesday and Wednesday]. It just is not what we usually have at this time of the year. We are taking a lot of Canadas and specklebellies and some snows, but the snows are mostly older birds with very few young birds. The first half of the duck season was good. We had a lot of birds on the bay and still do, so we are in pretty good shape there. We have a lot of redheads and pintails, but other ducks as well. I think the remainder of the duck season is going to continue to be good." Waterfowl seasons Duck: Through Jan. 27 Sandhill crane: Through Feb. 3 Goose East zone: White-fronted, through Jan. 13; Canada and light, through Jan. 27; light (conservation order), Jan. 28-March 30 West zone: Light and dark, through Feb. 5; light (conservation order), Feb. 5-March 30 Note: The dividing line for the East-West zones is from the International Toll Bridge at Laredo, north following Interstate 35 and 35W to Fort Worth, then northwest along US 81 and 287 to Bowie, then north along US 81 to the Texas-Oklahoma border. Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Web site

At age 77, ranch owner sees patience rewarded

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:58:15 EST

By BOB HOOD Star-Telegram staff writer Bud Dearing of Gordon bagged this 14-point buck on his ranch in Erath County. GORDON -- As a hunter for most of his 77 years, Bud Dearing displays the obsession with, dedication to and appreciation for wildlife that devout deer hunters admire. Even so, he never thought he might become a record holder. Earlier this month, the Gordon resident bagged a huge white-tailed buck that scored 188 Boone and Crockett Club points in northern Erath County, perhaps the largest buck ever officially recorded from that county and certainly one of the largest typical racks ever taken in North Texas. Dearing's buck had 14 points on a 29-inch rack. The deer field dressed at 156 pounds and was estimated to be 5 1/2 years old. Dearing bagged the big buck after a 34-day quest. He got a jump on the regular season because his 1,400-acre ranch about 70 miles west of Fort Worth is in the Managed Lands Program, which allows deer hunting Oct. 1 and through February. He knew the buck was ranging about a mile between three box blinds. "I got up every morning and went to one of the blinds and then came back in the evening to hunt it before moving to one of the other blinds the next day," Dearing said. "I saw a lot of really nice bucks, but not the big one. And then [another guy] said he saw him while going through one of the pastures." Evening was waning on the day when Dearing got his shot. He was sitting in a blind overlooking a small food plot. Several does milled about in the field, and two eight-pointers joined them. Then, Dearing realized a deer was moving past the blind behind him and heading toward the other deer. "He walked right past the blind, and I had only a rear-end shot, so I knew I didn't want to take that," Dearing said. "He went on past a feeder into the brush and then came back out about 10 minutes later into an opening. That's when I knew I had a good shot, and he went straight down." If Dearing's buck is certified for the Boone and Crockett Club's record book, it will be the fourth deer taken by his family to earn a world record. "I have a cousin in California with two mule deer in the records book, and his son has one deer in the records book," Dearing said. "We think we may be the only family with four deer in the books, but we are researching that." Dearing was honored 10 years ago in Van Horn for having hunted 50 years on the same ranch where he took a mule deer that scored 181 points, the sixth-best mule deer taken in Texas. Last week, he was nominated by a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist for the District 3 (Cross Timbers Region) Land Stewardship Award, which recognizes landowners for their deer management programs. Dearing used to lease his land to a group of hunters but decided five years ago to switch to managing his acreage for the deer, not just for hunting profits. "I could have sold that buck for $12,000 to $20,000 to someone willing to pay that price, but that just isn't me," he said. "Steve and I talked about it and we decided that if anyone was going to put that deer on their wall it would be one of us. The money just doesn't mean that much to me." After 34 days, bagging the buck was a matter of endurance and uncomfortable conditions. "After climbing into one of the blinds before daybreak, I suddenly realized there were five young owls that had been nested in it," he said. "They sounded like five rattlesnakes when they started hissing. And, after daybreak, the mother owl came right into the window with a mouse or something and she and me both were startled half to death.... I figured the baby owls had a place of their on so I tried not to bother them. But you can imagine the smell inside the blind. OK, I told myself, at least the deer won't be able to smell my scent." Dearing said he was so excited after shooting the buck that he dreamed about it the following night. "I dreamed the whole thing as it happened, and then all of a sudden I woke up and realized I had been dreaming," he said. "I really panicked. I thought it was just a dream until I realized it wasn't and that I really had gotten that deer." Big bucks Most of the largest-antlered white-tailed bucks taken in Texas are enclosed on high-fence ranches, but good management practices on low-fence ranches are producing an increasing number of quality antlers. Some of the top bucks taken this season, with their Boone and Crockett Club scores: High-fence ranches Hunter County Points Marko Barrett Webb 272 7/8 * Misty Schnautz Frio 251 6/8 * Garrett Gordy Zavala 233 7/8 * Jerry Wassom Webb 200* Craig Curry Frio 193 4/8 Rick Young Colorado 191 5/8 Floyd Smith Zavala 190 6/8 Sergyo Martinez Frio 190 2/8 H.D. Johnston Colorado 190 Jake Venable McMullen 188 3/8 * Matthew Metting McMullen 174 2/8 Mike Weeks San Saba 174 2/8 * Low-fence ranches Brock Benson Grayson 206 5/8 * David Traylor Frio 203 5/8 * David Maske Webb 195 5/8 * Steve Holloway Maverick 192* Bud Dearing Erath 188 Pat Vardeman Nacogdoches 170 4/8 * *non-typical gross points; in general, typical antlers are symmetrical on both sides and the points grow straight up off the main beam, but non-typical antlers are asymmetrical and the points are going in any direction off the main beam. Notes: Minimum scores for entry in the annual Boone and Crockett Club Awards book are 160 for typical white-tailed deer and 185 for non-typical. Minimum scores for entry in the Records of North American Big Game are 170 for typical and 195 for non-typical.

Head for Red River when striped bass is th

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:59:58 EST

DENISON -- The race is on for striped bass, but the best action isn't on Lake Texoma. Anglers in the know are racing to the tailrace in the Red River below the dam of the Texas-Oklahoma border lake. "The fish in the river are in much better shape than the fish in the lake," fishing guide Steve Barnes said. "The river fish are fat and healthy in all sizes, whereas the fish in the lake are healthy in the 8- to 16-inch class, but the fish over 20 inches are so poor that you can't get a fillet off the side of them. And they have little fight when you catch them. "Texoma is a great lake, but, just like the river, it has its good times and its bad times, depending on water levels and quality. Right now, the lake is the worst I have seen it in five years, and the river is the best I have seen it in five years. "For now, I am going to fish the river instead of the lake, because even though the limit is five on the river versus 10 on the lake, we are getting five much larger fish on the river." Barnes has been launching his air boat in the river and idling only a short distance to hook up with quick limits of 18- to 25-inch stripers weighing 3 to 8 pounds. Barnes and his customers caught many striped bass on live shad Thursday near the dam, then headed downriver where they had spotted a school of surfacing stripers. There they used top-water lures to catch numerous 7- to 10-pound fish, and even caught one 12-pounder. "I like to get there early in the mornings, take out a scoop of shad [from the bait tank] and dump them in the water," Barnes said. "The stripers start turning on immediately. We rig spinning rods with shad and no weights. We free-line the bait, and all of the trips I have had lately have produced quick limits no matter how many people I have in the boat." Barnes said the river has changed, mainly because of high-water releases on the lake after heavy flooding. "The river has struggled over the past few years because there has been no real flow," he said. "A lot of holes silted in, and the fish moved downriver. This year, the rains scoured out those holes and the fish have moved back up. "I think the action will slow down some when the water gets colder, but we will start catching even larger fish at that time. We already have caught several over 10 pounds. "When you fish the tailrace, there always is the outside chance you may hook into a monster striper weighing 40 pounds." Now, that's a tailrace worth racing to. Toll at Texoma The Striped Bass Capital of the World is quieter than normal these days, but the lull among big stripers won't last forever. Lake Texoma has changed from last year, mainly because of heavy flooding this spring and summer. The lake's high water levels might have caused oxygen depletion in flooded vegetation and a fish kill of larger stripers, said fishing guide Steve Barnes, adding that fishing for big stripers is the worst he has seen in five years. "We apparently had a fish kill at the end of summer from all that floodwater getting back into the vegetation," he said. "It sure eats up the oxygen, and the water quality was poor at the end of summer. It didn't affect small fish. We had one of the best crops of 12- to 15-inch fish I ever have seen, and next spring that will be good fish -- fat, but not big." Many of the larger stripers being caught are skinny, which might indicate a depleted supply of smaller shad, but an abundance of smaller fish appears to be growing to take their place. "The lake should be good next year for [keeper] fish, but we will just have to wait and see if we have many 20-inch and larger fish this winter when the water gets cooler and the bigger fish become more active," Barnes said. Guided trips Fishing for striped bass on the Red River below Lake Texoma: Guide: Steve Barnes Information: 866-776-4843, www.txfishingguide.com Rate: half day (3-5 hours), $275 for two people, add $100 for each additional person up to six Limit: five striped bass per angler per day License requirement: You might need a Texas and Oklahoma license, depending on where you fish; licenses are available at Dave's Ski and Tackle (4411 U.S. 75 North in Denison), also the site to meet Barnes. Also Bald eagles: Once anglers have caught their limits, Barnes often takes them on an airboat tour downriver to look for bald eagles, which migrate through the area every fall and winter. "There are plenty of bald eagles on the river.... As it gets colder, there will be even more eagles." Trophy catfish: In December through February, Barnes offers Red River trips for large catfish -- 40 to 50 pounds, or even 60 pounds. The blue catfish fishery begins to build when the water temperatures drop to 60 degrees and below. The colder the weather, the larger the fish. Full-day guided trips are $475 for one to three people, $550 for four.

Grilled Dove Rub Recipe

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:34:14 EST

Grilled Dove Rub Recipe 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons granulated onion 2 teaspoons garlic powder Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Makes enough for at least a dozen doves. Rub both sides of each dove with the mixture and refrigerate doves for one hour before grilling. ENJOY!

Wyoming is heaven for nature lovers

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 14:08:22 EST

JACKSON, Wyo. -- Folks who take their nature seriously can probably trek the Himalayas or challenge the steppes of Siberia. But all that adventure can be found closer to home, where the only passport you need is a sturdy pair of knees. The wondrous state of Wyoming harbors Grand Teton National Park and the town of Jackson at the base of the majestic Grand Teton Mountains. This sub-range of the Rockies trails 40 miles across the glacial valley, offering everything from mountain climbing to skiing to wildlife safaris and mountain vistas you've only seen in galleries. Jackson swells in the summer months with family vacationers, but the best time to visit is the fall before official skiing season begins in early December. The valley is known as Jackson Hole _ hole being an old trapper's word for valley. The town itself is Jackson. Most visitors arriving in November have come to hunt, but the fishing remains pluperfect until the 100 back-country lakes ice over. There are three heart-stopping ski areas in the region, none of them for rank beginners. In fact, most of the permanent residents report they came to Jackson for the skiing and stayed for the lifestyle. The median age in Jackson is 31. There's no unemployment in the area and the population of 20,000 permanent residents swells to more than 3 million visitors per year. Most of them arrive in July or August. The weather is blustery as you bid adieu to October, but the season is unparalleled for its pristine beauty. Prices dip after Labor Day and many summer activities continue. There's still time for photo tours, horseback riding and river rafting. One of the best of these is the float trek down the Snake River aboard a rubber inflatable guided by a knowledgeable oarsman who knows as much about the area's history as he does about the river. This trip in the summer runs $49 for adults and $29 for kids. It offers a unique view of the Grand Tetons not accessible by road, so make sure that digital camera is charged up. (888) 998-7688. Ninety-seven percent of Teton County is federally owned, and we can thank ol' John D. Rockefeller for having the prescience to buy 35,000 acres, which he ceded to the Feds for the national park. There are great places to stay including the Snow King Resort, the year-round playground at the base of Snow King Mountain and just six blocks from Jackson's famous town square. A hubbub of activities roil outside your door, including skiing which dates back to the `30s when locals had to scramble to the top on foot. Now chair lifts take the drudgery out, and you can ski both night and day. The hotel offers free shuttles to the airport. Hotel rates Oct. 14-Dec. 21 $150; June-August $260. For info call (800) 522-KING. For families and honeymooners the new Love Ridge condos offer all the comforts of home, plus luxuries not at the homestead. The top rated two-bedroom runs about $390 October-Dec. 21 (this is half the summer price). (800) 533-7669, www.snowking.com. Eleven miles northwest of Jackson sits Teton Village with the elegant Teton Mountain Lodge, less than a mile south of the national park itself. Teton Mountain Lodge lies within walking distance of ski lifts, the Bridger Gondola, mountain biking, rock climbing classes, kids' activities and shopping and it sports a massive new state-of-the-art spa. If you forgot something you can take advantage of the lodge's "gear closet" where you can borrow most anything you need. Lodge rooms run $129-199 October-November; $199-$399 in the summer; www.tetonlodge.com or call (307) 734 7111. While you're in Teton Village you don't want to miss the gondola ride to the 9,000-foot summit. Here there are three restaurants to revive you including the fine-dining Couloir Restaurant. Accommodations are available inside the park itself, including the art-deco Jackson Lake Lodge, which caters to families, prices ranging $189-$259 during the summer season, though it closes the end of September. If skiing, snowboarding and mountain climbing occupy the days, the nights are for dining and drinking. For its size the Jackson area is replete with great eateries. At the high end are the Snake River Grill, the Cascade Grill House & Sprits at the Teton Mountain Lodge, the Westbank Grill at the Four Seasons and Rafferty's at Snow King. But the real trick here is to eat where the locals go, saving a bundle and experiencing some great grub. Major local secrets include the Teton Thai in Gaslight Alley off the main square, Pica's Mexican Tacqueria and Bubba's Bar-B-Que. There will be a line at Bubba's (they don't take reservations) so residents suggest you put your name on the list and continue sightseeing to pass the time. Adventure-filled activities abound from sleigh rides to paragliding to fly-fishing. Several operators provide wildlife excursions from open topped vans _ an unforgettable experience with early morning forays likely to stir up coyote, pronghorn (who can run 60 mph), elk, moose, deer and maybe even a grizzly or a brown bear. Wildlife Expeditions offers year-round visits with a maximum of 10 guests accompanied by a biologist (888) 945-3567 or www.wildlifeexpeditions.org. The Gray Line bus also features an all-day tour $80. (800) 443-6133. At the end of October as many as 10,000 elk are drawn to the National Elk Refuge at the lowest elevation in the valley next to the town of Jackson. During Wyoming's desolate winter the elks' diet has been supplemented here since the `20s. Adjacent to the real things sits the National Museum of Wildlife Art, across from the Elk Refuge. This fabulous little museum, admission $10, is family owned and you can see the care and devotion given to the nearly 4,000 works of art. Their goal, they say, is to celebrate humanity's relationship with nature. The artwork here does that. ___ IF YOU GO: Grand Teton road information: Call (307) 739-3614. Park information: Web sites such as http://www.grand.teton.national-park.com; http://grandteton.areaparks.com. It's wise to do your homework on the Web sites. The National Park personnel are not very helpful. Visitor Centers: Moose Visitor Center at the park's south end, open daily all year except Christmas. Colter Bay Visitor Center on Jackson Lake, open mid-May through September; Jenny Lake Visitor Center open June through Labor Day. (307) 739-3399. Jackson Chamber of Commerce: For a full list of accommodations, open year-round. (307) 733-3316. www.jacksonholechamber.com Info: www.jacksonhole.com Temperatures: Maximum temperature in July, 82; August, 81; October, 59; November, 40. Admission into the national park: $25 per vehicle for seven days. Winter day use: $5. If you take one of the excursions park admission is extra.

Don't float your boat, try wading right in

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:10:24 EST

Wade fishing is a cool way to spend a day at the lake. Water, water everywhere, and lots of places to fish. The high water levels on many North Texas lakes give anglers with boats plenty of places to search out bass and other game fish, but is a boat really necessary? Absolutely not. For a really cool way to fish this fall, put on a pair of old tennis shoes or wading shoes and step right up to -- and into -- a lake near you. Wade fishing can be fun, productive, inexpensive and a great way to fish waters that are often unreachable by boat. Plus, early fall is a great time to catch largemouth bass in shallow water. Falling water temperatures trigger baitfish movement in the shallows, which triggers the predatory instincts of game fish such as largemouth bass. Waders can also catch other species, including channel catfish, sunfish and some sand bass. Keys to successful fishing while wading are choosing an area with good fish habitat and working the area slowly. Gearing up You can splurge or you can keep it simple and not worry about your bank account springing a leak. For safety and convenience, take these few pieces of gear on your wade-fishing excursion: Needle-nose pliers: For pulling out hooks, bending hooks and more. $4-$15 Pocketknife: Always handy. $8-$100-plus Rope-type stringer: As little as 69 cents for one for panfish or $5 or more for a heavier, longer one for larger fish. Fanny pack/belt pouch: Holds lures, hooks and other small gear; more expensive ones come with drink holders and more compartments. $6-$25 Nail clippers: For cutting fishing line when changing lures. $2-$39 (Go cheap!) Wading shoes or boots: Some fine ones are available for $50-$200-plus, but my choice is a $10 pair of tennis shoes. Tips: Safety first: Before you enter a lake, make sure you know the locations of drop-offs such as creek channels, ledges or fast-sloping banks. Even when you think you know the area, don't take that for granted. When wading, slide your feet along the bottom or just off it. Don't ever take long steps. Protect the legs: Wear blue jeans, not shorts. You never know when you'll rub against a limb or something underwater that could cut or scratch you. Don't get hooked: Carry a good, sharp pocket knife and pair of pliers with a good cutting area in case you encounter an unmarked trotline, discarded fishing line or other obstacle. Fish friendly: Honor all properly set and marked trotlines, jug lines, limb lines and other legal fishing activity. Other anglers have the same rights you do. Lures that lure Bass: The two most popular lures for wade fishing are plastic worms and spinner baits. Generally, a Texas-rigged plastic worm can be used to probe dense cover such as cattails, bull rushes, willows, salt cedars and similar growths -- and to flip around stumps or worked over points and other structure. Spinner baits are ideal for fishing flats, edges of structure and even over the tops of underwater weeds. Another good choice is a buzz bait for shallow waters. Panfish: Earthworms, bacon, grasshoppers and commercial dough-type baits are good choices. Channel catfish: Punch bait, minnows, grasshoppers, chicken livers and shrimp are excellent baits. Top five area lakes Higher-than-normal lake levels have provided acres of shallow water that attract fish yet are often inaccessible by most fishing boats. Here are my top five choices of public lakes within 100 miles of the Metroplex: Benbrook Lake High water has provided good wade fishing for bass, catfish and sunfish along the shorelines of the upper creeks -- Bear, Mustang and Rocky -- and in coves such as the one behind Rocky Creek Marina. Spinner baits are ideal, but Texas-rigged plastic worms work well, too. Catfish can be caught in these same areas, as well as along the Mustang and Holiday parks shorelines. Lake Graham/Lake Eddleman The Graham-Eddleman power plant duo provides good bass habitat on the upper reaches of each lake. The area north of the U.S. 380 bridge over Lake Eddleman has lots of stumps and flooded weeds. The far upper reaches are best but you will have to wade a distance to reach them from the bridge. The U.S. 380 bridge over the upper area of Lake Graham provides wade anglers with excellent access at Kindley City Park, where the best fishing can be found below the bridge rather than in the narrow channels above it. I've only fished for bass at these places but have heard of good catches of catfish being made there, too. Hubbard Creek Reservoir I began wade fishing on Hubbard Creek near Breckenridge in the early 1970s. This is one of those good ol' West Texas lakes that produce good catches of bass in the summer and fall. At this time of the year, I like to wade close to the banks in the coves on the Hubbard Creek arm of the lake from the dam to Lost Creek. This is one lake where wading areas are more plentiful than on most other lakes. Lewisville Lake The key to catching bass while wading on Lewisville is to find submerged vegetation, such as willows and grass in the backs of the big coves, and fish the area thoroughly. Good places to start are the area in the back of the Old Lake Dallas portion of the lake and flats off the Trinity River channel on the upper end of the lake. Ray Roberts Lake This popular reservoir has numerous places to wade for bass. Access to many is via public boat ramps or state park units. Largemouth bass currently are very active in the shallows and hitting top-water lures, spinner baits and swimming lures. Be prepared to see an occasional school of sand bass at the surface almost anywhere on the lake.

Texas Teal Season Is Off With A Bang!

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:48:57 EST

Hunters with a zeal for Teal should be pleased with how rain has increased the birds population. Where groups of 10 and 12 were seen in times past, Now groups of 25 to 50 are frequent! Hunters should be pleased! This seems to be the case as well for the general duck season thats coming soon. Early Teal Season begins North & South Zone 9-23-07 thru 9-30-07 Regular Gun 11-3 to 25 and 12-8 to 1-8-08 High Plains to 9-23 Regular Gun 10-21-22 & 10-27 & 27

Seasonal Trout Fishing in Colorado

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:39:43 EST

This years trip to the Rocky Mountain State proved to be a real "where are the Trout" adventure. Since the Barrellmaster ventured into the streams mid September the summers crowds of fishermen had depleted the planted stock of rainbows and natural brookies and cutthroats in the lakes and streams. This is not to say that there weren't any fish - NO there were! They were just a little harder to entice out from under the rocks and tree limbs. Also the type of food supply change was in full swing. You would always be second guessing what fly to use or woolybugger. Well you get the point. The old Barrellmaster even tried power bait to no avail! But I did catch some decent rainbows. Ah, I can't wait for next years report!

Texas Dove Season

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:31:10 EST

This season appears to be dragging because the weather has been so mild. However, one cold front did enter the state and brought some birds with it. At this time it appears that quite a few are hanging out in the metropolitian areas. Hopefully another cold front will dip into the state soon.

The "Hunters Extravaganza" Signs up Guides & Outfitters

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 11:55:12 EST

The "Hunters Extravaganza" was a complete success and the Barrellmaster signed up guides and outfitters from all over the country and outside the US. The guide and outfitter information will soon be published on the website. Once published inside our members site, if you don't see your favorite guide or outfitter, simply contact us and give us details about their website and we'll make the introductions!

Downthebarrell NEWS For Week of 8-13-2007

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:23:43 EST

For those of you in Texas, the "Hunters Extravaganza" is hitting the state this month. August 17th - 19th Located at the Will Rogers Memorial Center's Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Building. Time is from: 5-9PM Friday Saturday: 10AM - 8PM Sunday: 11AM - 6PM Admission is: $10.00 - Adults $5.00 Children 13-17 12 and under FREE For More Information go to www.ttha.com TIP: If you go to your local Academy Sporting Goods Store they have $1.00 off Coupons!

Downthebarrell Membership Website

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:38:48 EST

Downthebarrell.Com is giving out FREE memberships for a short period of time. Our site provides sportsmen and women hunting and fishing content, streaming videos, custom leather goods, travel getaways, free software, a forum, a picture gallery and more! We decided to do our site a little different. We know people need information and we've got it in our health, hunting, fishing, camping & hiking section as well as our cooking page in which we've got tons of recipies. Our 36 video streams come from all over and we change them monthly. Check out our NEW BLOG! We try to entertain as well as inform. We have a marketplace store. Our goal is to get you farther down the trail or to that perfect fishing or hunting spot.

Downthebarrell.Com Constant Headlines!

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:45:51 EST

View the latest in Fishing and Hunting News From Around the Globe!

Booksanyone.Com Membership Site

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:09:13 EST

Booksanyone.Com strives to deliver the best in high-value, low-priced Ebooks, Software, Audio and other products almost Free for its members! AND by joining YOU can promote YOUR products TOO!

Bidonland Auction Bargins

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:07:37 EST

Bidonland.com introduces donation services for nonprofit organizations while offering auction services to real estate professionals and the general public. With its launch May 1, 2006, this web site provides bankers, mortgage bankers, property managers, real estate professionals and the general public an opportunity to post property, acreage, homes, land, vacant lots, buildings, and other real estate items. Anyone can register to sell or bid on items listed in other categories using auction services offered by bidonland.com. Our site makes the process simple. The site has no holdbacks or hidden fees for holding your very own auction. The winning bid is all anyone pays at bidonland.com!

Downthebarrell Blog

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:02:24 EST

Downthebarrell Blog provides sportsmen and women hunting and fishing, cooking, hiking, outdoor content and articles. Our web site www.downthebarrell.com also contains streaming videos, custom leather goods, travel getaways, free software, a forum, a picture gallery and more!