EXOTICS ANNUAL INSIDE May 22, 2026
Texas’ Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
EXOTIC
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Volume 22, Issue 19
Not slacking off Gray fox have shown an increase in rabies in the Hill Country, with several showing up recently. Photo by Conor Harrison, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Rabies on the rise Gray fox rabies outbreak a concern in Hill Country By Mike Bodenchuk For Lone Star Outdoor News
Hunters in the Texas Hill Country are being warned about rabid gray fox in what is an interesting twist of science. Rabies in the Hill Country is hardly new. The book Old Yeller was written about boyhood experiences in Mason County. But this new episode is an interesting development in rabies management. Rabies is a viral disease that has numerous variants, typically named for the host species. In Texas, there are a number of bat variants and the South-Central skunk variant. Traditionally, there was also a Texas gray fox variant and a canine-coyote variant. The latter two were eliminated in Texas through oral rabies vaccination campaigns. What’s important is that these variants typically circulate within the host species and
Top-water action from speckled trout is becoming more consistent as water temperatures up and down the coast continue to rise. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Trout and redfish bite heating up on moving tides By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News Speckled trout and redfish continue to be the focus for many inshore anglers targeting coastal bays and marshes.
Live shrimp, soft plastics, and top-water lures have been hard to beat, while other presentations have been bringing fish to hand, as well. Redfish have been found in shallow and deep water, and specks have been concentrating along main bay flats and shorelines, as well as around mid-bay structure. Redfish tournament angler Tim Young has been chasing
reds along the marshes and back lakes surrounding Sabine Lake, where he said the fish have been cruising in pods, chasing small baitfish. Top-water lures have produced the most consistent strikes for Young in these shallow areas. “I’ve been keying on stretches of water with scattered oyster shell,” Young said. “Grassy points and windblown banks have also been holding a lot of activity.
The reds have really been keying on swarms of small shad, and I’ve been able to sight-cast to them in areas where they are busting the baitfish along the surface.” Young said the key to catching fish has been focusing his efforts during windows of peak tidal movement. The bite has been dying down when the tide slacks off. Most of the reds have been in the mid- to upper-slot range.
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Postspawn pattern Crappie bite good over brush and timber By Nate Skinner
With late-spring patterns in full force, the majority of crappie across Texas’ inland lakes have completed their spawning season and are stacking up over brush piles, timber, and other structure in 10- to 25-feet of water. Good numbers of fish are being
minnows rigged on a jig. “We’ve been catching crappie up to 14 or 15 inches in length, and on average, most are in the 11- to 14inch size range,” Payne said. “Moving from spot to spot until you find some fish that are willing to feed aggressively is the best tactic. Some days certain areas are producing better than others, for whatever reason.” Payne said casting across and over brush piles has been drawing more strikes than setting up right Please turn to page 9
Fishing reports . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Grip & Grin . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . . Page 14 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18
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found in a plethora of areas and hotspots. Covering water to locate schools of aggressively feeding, larger caliber crappie has been the key, and both jigs and minnows are producing plenty of bites. Fishing guide Paul Payne of Paul’s Guide Service, said most of the crappie on Lake Palestine are in a post-spawn pattern. He’s been focusing on brush piles, lay downs, and shallow timber in 10- to 18-feet of water, and his anglers have been consistently catching fish on live
Lake Palestine is producing good catches of crappie over brush piles and timber in 10- to 18-feet of water. Photo by Paul Payne.
HUNTING
FISHING
Double bearded (P. 4)
Jack attack (P. 6)
Youth hunter takes big first gobbler.
Jack crevalle hitting along beaches and jetties.
Sold out (P. 15)
Bulls and blacktips (P. 7)
Colt BOA reaches maximum orders.
Shark season is here.