HUNTING ANNUAL INSIDE August 9, 2024
Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
HUNTING texas A NNUA L 2024
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM HUNT? Page 10
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Volume 20, Issue 24
Unlocking the combination to the salt By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News The Texas coast continues to be inundated with freshwater runoff from unseasonably late summertime rains. Along the Upper Coast where freshwater inflow sources are most significant, anglers have been focusing on deeper areas where some of the saltiest water is concentrated, as well as back lakes holding cleaner water. Capt. Ryan Harrison, a Galveston Bay guide, has been focusing his efforts on structure near the Galveston Ship Channel around Seawolf Park and out to the rocks of the north and south jetties. He said the speckled trout bite has been steady despite the consistent rain events. “Luckily, we’ve had some pretty large incoming tides during most of the rain events, so areas along our channels and passes have consistently held good numbers of trout,” Harrison said. “The best action for trout has been coming from live croaker, but live shrimp and soft plastics have been producing plenty of fish as well.” Most of the trout have been in the 17-18 inch range, with plenty of sheepshead, black drum and some redfish mixed in. “You really can’t go wrong fishing the Galveston Channel or the jetties right now,” he said. “The fish are stacked up and hungry.” David Blackwell has been targeting rocks, flats, and marsh drains along the Intracoastal Waterway from the High Island area back down to Tiki Island and the mouth of Greens Lake in West Galveston Bay. He’s been catching plenty of redfish in all sizes around rocks and riprap while chunking crankbaits and spinner baits. “I’ve also been finding some decent trout along the edges of the ICW in upper West Galveston Bay,” he said. “I had been searching for redfish from the mouth of Greens Lake back toward Tiki Island around shell, rocks, and marsh drains, but couldn’t keep the trout
After locating this big axis, Brian Knight was able to get close enough the next morning. Photo by Ky McNett.
‘The kicker buck’ By Reis Ladd
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Immanuel Barela was officially recognized as the new catch-and-release waterbody record holder for Guadalupe bass on Inks Lake. Barela caught a 4-pound, 4-ounce, 19.25-inch fish on a 7-inch swimbait while fishing from a kayak. “I was fishing on Inks with my brother-in-law, Cornell H. Dixon II, and we were on our way back to the dock,” Barela explained. “It was early afternoon, and
Long days, short nights, soaring temperatures and roaring axis bucks are indicative of a Texas Hill Country summer, but not necessarily on most people’s summer vacation radar. For Brian Knight, a Florida resident and tarpon fishing guide, his love for hunting brought him to the Lone Star State as soon as the busy season for the silver king tapered down. Knight’s love for hunting led him to Texas, and this year he was chasing freerange rutting axis bucks with Texas Hunting Resources. Little did he know the magical concoction of timely rains and Mother Nature’s good fortune resulted in one of the best axis seasons on record for the region. The first afternoon of Knight’s four-day hunt was designed to be more of a scouting session and quickly disclosed to the hunting party what was in store for the week. “I was completely amazed at the sheer quantity of animals on the landscape, both axis and whitetails,” Knight said. In the first few hours of the hunt, Knight and his guide, Ky McNett, estimated they saw nearly 30 different bucks. One buck though was at the top of the list. Knight learned of a buck the landowner had seen, saying it was the biggest axis deer he had ever seen, and Knight wanted to see it in person. The landowner said the hunters would recognize the buck considering it had an exceptionally long extra point near the top of his left main beam. While on foot after taking a closer look at a group of deer that first afternoon, Knight described an animal catching his eye during their march down an old caliche road back to the hunting rig. “I noticed something skirting away from us about 150 yards off the road,” he said. “At first, I really wasn’t sure what I was looking at. It was bigger than anything I had ever seen, in life or on TV.” “That’s him! That’s the buck!” McNett exclaimed. After recognizing the buck, the hunter and guide gave chase. They pursued the
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Casting into deeper, saltier water has been a key to finding speckled trout and redfish. Anglers up and down the coast are reporting early morning and midday bites are good. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Kayak angler lands record Guadalupe bass By Nate Skinner
On Inks Lake, Immanuel Barela landed and released a massive Guadalupe bass that topped 4 pounds. Photo by Cornell Dixon II.
Freshwater Fishing Report . . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . . Page 12 Saltwater Fishing Report . . . Page 13 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . . Page 15 Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18
INSIDE
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
For Lone Star Outdoor News
HUNTING
FISHING
Texas Olympians shine (P. 4)
Multiple marlin highlight tourneys (P. 8)
Hancock wins fourth gold.
Fish come in at Port Mansfield, Port O’Connor.
Aoudad with a bow (P. 6)
Cats biting on Braunig, Calavaras (P. 8)
Youngster crawls to within 8 yards.
Decreased power generation slows redfish.