EXOTICS ANNUAL INSIDE
exotics texas ANNUAL 2023
The hunting never stops See page 12
Advertising Section
Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
June 9, 2023
Volume 19, Issue 20
Pair nabs 207-pound alligator gar By David Schlake Lone Star Outdoor News
Staring down at a straightened-out, 13/0 circle hook — the second in just a week — 23-yearold Paul Hefner and his father, Tim, knew it was time to step up their game. The pair was taking a swing at big alligator gar, and Lake Corpus Christi was most certainly swinging back.
Before buying and training that first hunting dog, hunters should be aware of the potential costs and the expected benefits. Photo by David Schlake, Lone Star Outdoor News.
The tandem from Austin doesn’t share your typical fishing bond. No Father’s Day Hallmark card has ever tried to speak to a father and son who spend a month on a boat throwing jug lines and trot lines in the direction of giant catfish and gar while sidestepping the occasional alligator. Alas, the two have continued defying norms since Paul was
old enough to bait a hook, so his impending move to Utah was perhaps the strongest incentive they’d ever had to get on the water. “Part of the deal with my new employer was that I get to take this month off to go fishing,” Paul said laughingly. “They knew I was going to be gone for a month.” The extended agenda was
made possible by a familyowned fishing cabin on the Nueces River just north of the lake. Using a combination of their remaining 13/0 circle hooks and a handful of 20/0 shark hooks, they baited live tilapia on more than 20 jugs and placed them strategically throughout a large stretch of water. When they came back around Please turn to page 13
Saltwater Sisters
Worth every penny
First-timers fall in love with a new kind of fishing
The cost of owning a hunting dog
By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News You’re thinking about a dog for a hunting partner, and you’ve looked at several. The price of purchase is one thing, but what is the investment over the average life of the dog? The purchase First, there’s the purchase. For labs or pointing dogs with better-thanaverage pedigree, expect to pay at least $2,000, and often more. If the dog is “started,” beyond the puppy phase with basic bird dog training, the cost will be higher. If you train yourself, the cost is lower, but your time commitment isn’t. Cost: $2,000 Beckham, left, and Karsen Bledsoe made their first saltwater trip on Baffin Bay with their father, Luke. Photo from Luke Bledsoe.
Please turn to page 7
As the summer season approached, Luke Bledsoe wanted to get his two oldest daughters down to the coast and on the water to catch some fish. Karsen, 7, and Beckham, 5, had both loved their early fishing experiences with their father, but were limited to ponds, rivers and creeks in the Hill Country. They had never been on a boat before, but had specifically talked about how they want to go on a motorboat and catch fish. So, when Bledsoe and his wife, Jillian, found themselves in the Port Aransas area with their daughters for a church trip, they felt they should take advantage of their time on the coast. “I called up a friend of mine, Jonathan Alan Fenner, and we arranged for him to get our family out on the water for a quick fishing trip,” Bledsoe said. “We met Fenner down in Baffin for a morning outing, and the trip was an absolute success. The girls had a blast.” Bledsoe said one of the most memorable aspects was the preparation that went into it. Not once did the couple mention to their daughters that they were going on a saltwater fishing trip. Instead, they waited until they were standing inside a sporting goods store getting Please turn to page 9
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Targeting bream on Toledo By Robert Sloan
Catching bream is often easy on Texas lakes, but Toledo Bend Reservoir stands out as one of the premier destinations. The lake is loaded with a variety of panfish like bluegill, redear, longear and goggle-eye (warmouth), and they will hit a variety of lures, live baits and even flies, especially small micro poppers and sponge spiders. The huge reservoir has no shortage of places to fish. Around this time of year, the panfish are on beds and eager to hit
anything that comes their way. The backwater coves offer some of the best clearwater fishing on the lake, and it’s common to see fishermen easing along and sight-casting to the fish. Other good areas are points that drop off into deeper water. Jim Evans has been fishing on Toledo Bend for years. His favorite catch is a big bluegill, but he’ll often end up with a variety of panfish. “I gave up bass fishing a long time ago,” he said while cleaning a batch of bluegills and goggle-eye perch. “With ultralight tackle, they put up a good fight, and they will hit just about anything that won’t Please turn to page 17
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 13 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 15 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 18 Datebook . . . . . . . . . Page 19
INSIDE
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Although Toledo Bend Reservoir is famous for its largemouth bass, other anglers target the ample panfish population, using live bait, lures and flies. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
HUNTING
FISHING
Rain from the side (P. 4)
Snapper season open (P. 8)
Protein tubes clog.
Anglers head to federal waters.
Black bears out west (P. 4)
Fairfield update (P. 9)
Numbers on the rise.
State park closed, legal proceedings ahead.