HUNTING TEXAS ANNUAL INSIDE August 14, 2026
Texas’ Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
HUNTING texas AN N UAL 2 02 6
YEAR FOR A TROPHY BUCK
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Volume 22, Issue 24
Improving in the bays Go deep for coastal species with the heat By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News
TPWD Webless Migratory Game Bird Program Leader, Owen Fitzsimmons, said this season marks the third year in a row that dove numbers for both mourning and white-winged dove are in excellent shape. “This year ranks right up there as one the best years we have seen over the past two decades in regard to pure dove population numbers,” Fitzsimmons said. “We are sitting at around 37 million mourning dove, statewide. Last year, that number was around 36 million, and the only other year within the last 20 that experienced a higher number of mourning dove
Water and air temperatures are the warmest they have been all year, and multiple species of fish up and down the coast are retreating to deeper water to escape the heat. Yep, it’s a downright scorcher out there, and at times, redfish, speckled trout, and black drum have exhibited lethargic behavior because of it. The last full moon occurred at the end of July, and it coincided with westerly winds and low tides. This made for tough fishing conditions at the beginning of August, and many anglers struggled to consistently find actively feeding fish. Over the past week or so, water levels rose with the return of southeasterly breezes, and the bite improved significantly. Avid tournament angler David Blackwell said he found good numbers of redfish along the edges of the Intracoastal Waterway in the High Island area recently. He was targeting the edges of drop-offs in ditches down rocky banks and mud flats holding concentrations of baitfish and shrimp. “There were plenty of redfish in all sizes up and down the ICW,” Blackwell said. “We caught them in all ranges of the slot-size limit, and there were a bunch of undersized reds mixed in, as well.” Blackwell said the best bite came from chunking scented soft plastic shrimp imitation lures rigged under a popping cork. “We tried throwing spinnerbaits and crankbaits, but the water was pretty dirty,” he said. “I think the noise from the pooping cork combined with the scented bait made the
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The table is set for a record setting dove season. Bird numbers are at all-time highs. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Record numbers Population highest ever, but birds may be scattered By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Luke Battistoni shows off a nice trout he caught while fishing with his dad, Capt. Ryan Battistoni, near the ship channel in Galveston Bay. Photo by Capt. Ryan Battistoni.
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Running deep Largemouth in midsummer patterns By Cory Byrnes
Winston Steele and his dad, Heath, hold up a 9.86-pound bass caught recently on O.H. Ivie. Photo by Dalton Smith.
The Texas heat has the bass running deep. August is a time for anglers to start throwing huge worms and to build a deep well of patience. On Possum Kingdom Lake, the fishery has seen a rebound in the population since the state re-
Fishing reports . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Grip & Grin . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . . Page 12 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18
flutter spoon in that flooded timber off of those deep ledges and hang on.” Be patient and keep mobile. It is a good time of year to build confidence with other baits. The thermocline develops, Kennedy said, and the fish will start to suspend just above it. “You pay attention to your electronics; you should get bit, and you should get bit good. But I will tell you, think. The dog days of summer, it’s going to be like winter fishing; you may only get Please turn to page 13
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For Lone Star Outdoor News
stocked a few years ago. Joseph Kennedy with J.K. Outdoors reported he and his clients have also enjoyed a strong early morning bite before they make their move offshore to deep ledges and flats. “Points are really good on PK,” Kennedy said. “A variety of bait has been effective right now. You can adapt about any fishing style a person has. In the deep water, worms and jigs dragged have been good. Another really good tactic is a flutter spoon. Put that
HUNTING
FISHING
Interesting results (P. 4)
Bad Braunig (P. 7)
DuckDNA project finding weird combos.
Anglers reporting slow redfish bite.
Displaced (P. 4)
Record blue cat (P. 6)
Exotics on the move after floods.
Lake Amistad gives up big blue.