Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
July 28, 2023
Volume 19, Issue 23
Billfish Pachanga becoming a staple
Bait and Switch Catfish bite steady on live bluegill, cut bait, punch bait By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News Anglers across the state are catching catfish in a variety of areas. Strong numbers of eating-sized channel and blue catfish have been providing consistent action in rivers, lakes, creeks, sloughs and stock ponds. While bluegill has been the bait of choice for those who have been able to catch them, fishermen willing to brave the heat are seeing a fast bite with several different offerings. Catfish enthusiast Jerry Garcia has found recent success chasing blues and channels on Lake Worth, noting the efficiency of using bluegill during evening and nighttime hours in 3-4 feet of water around stumps. “I’ve caught some blue catfish up to 20-25 pounds, but most of the fish have been in the 15- to 20-inch range,” Garcia said. “Cut buffalo has also produced steady bites when I haven’t been able to get bluegill for bait. Nothing seems to catch the big ones, however, like bluegill.” Meanwhile, along the Rio Grande River near Laredo, Sergio Rivas has been catching quite a few blue cats and the occasional flathead while bank fishing. Most of what he has been catching have been between 5 and 20 pounds. “Live bluegill has by far been the best bait, but cut shad, cut carp, and cut tilapia have also been producing bites,” Rivas said. Lake Fork fishing guide Russell Rollins has found the most consistency with channel cats this summer, noting large schools in about 25 feet of water near the edges of creek channels. Most of the fish he has caught have been concentrated 4-5 feet from the bottom in the water column. “I’ve had the most luck tying my boat off to a tree and positioning it over a school of fish,” he said. “From there, my anglers have been dropping punch bait straight down, and catching channel cats as fast as they
Rebecca took home the grand championship at the Billfish Pachanga tournament in Port Aransas. Photo by Fred “Ace” Salinas.
By Eric Pickartz
For Lone Star Outdoor News The Billfish Pachanga Fishing Tournament out of Port Aransas was held a few weeks ago and produced some impressive totals, but the real winners were conservation and community. Five years removed from its inception, the Billfish Pachanga tournament has seen drastic growth and success, quickly turning into a regional staple. Co-founder Gabe Goodman and his partner started out of their dockside restaurant, Virginia’s on the Bay, which now hosts all of the tournament’s on-shore events. “It’s been a very grassroots campaign, and we’re on the ground, setting things up and Fishermen pursuing catfish have been having the best luck bringing in larger cats on live panfish. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
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By Craig Nyhus
The City of Dallas announced a multi-year plan to demolish and rebuild the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the site of the Dallas Safari Club Annual Convention and Sporting Expo for the last 14 years. Previous plans of the convention center were to remodel the facility in stages, leaving room for major conventions to continue with limited incon-
venience. However, the recent announcement to close the entire facility during the reconstruction caused conventions to adjust. DSC had to look for a new temporary home. The first goal was to stay in the state, but the two largest facilities in Houston and San Antonio weren’t able to accommodate dates for the convention that uses 800,000 square feet of space, and Fort Worth’s smaller convention center is planning a remodel of its own. DSC reviewed a total of
32 locations nationwide, eventually coming to the decision that the 2025-2029 conventions would take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. DSC said the search and evaluation took into consideration convention center facilities, hotels, amenities and international airport access, as well as regional outdoor lifestyle demographics. Convention dates will remain the same as previously announced for each of the five Please turn to page 6
CONTENTS
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Lone Star Outdoor News
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 19 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Datebook . . . . . . . . . Page 22
INSIDE
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
DSC headed to Atlanta in 2025
DSC exhibitors will be greeting potential customers in Atlanta beginning in 2025. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
HUNTING
FISHING
Watching corn prices (P. 4)
Spotted redfish (P. 8)
Market price expected to drop.
Freshwater lakes seem to have more.
Shooting biodegradable wads (p. 4) Sheepshead with a bow (P. 9) Several companies have new technology.
Floating cabin pilings targeted.