March 2016

Other Lures S o there I am, sitting one rainy Saturday in January, watching westerns on INSP. During a particularly gripping episode of The Virginian (more gripping for Sandie, since it featured a very young Robert Redford), there was a commercial for a […]

Creature of the Cactus No animal is more symbolic of the arid regions of Texas than the collared peccary more commonly known as javelina. An animal enshrouded in mystery, these medium-sized mammals have a reputation that precedes them. For starters,

Turkey Fever i t is hard to believe, but it is turkey time again—already! I love turkey hunting. I have to admit that when I am out in the woods, hunting turkeys is even more exciting than hunting whitetail deer. I know

Handguns for Practice I learned most of whatever skill I have with a handgun by shooting targets, and most of that was in practice for matches we once had at the Uvalde Gun Club. Back in the 1970s the UGC was

During the flounder regulation debate in 2008, an interesting theory was being propagated on the Internet. It was a way to help boost flounder numbers without changing bag limits, and I got to hear it in person. “They are always

The Pig Problem  I’ve seen them while hunting Rio Grande turkeys in the spring, my back pressed squarely up against an oak tree, hoping that they wouldn’t scare off a mature gobbler. I’ve seen them while hunting whitetails in the

Seeing Sports or Alabama Bass? A tip of the hat goes out to Josh Helmstetler of Big Spring.  For those who may not have heard, the 29-year old angler was fishing at Lake Alan Henry Reservoir near Lubbock on January 9 when

When A Boomer Sportsman’s Self Confidence Collides with Reality Back when I was “mobile, agile and hostile” no hill was too steep and no marsh was too deep; but now that I am increasingly “fragile, senile and docile” some days

Stimultaneous Stalk M y eight year old cousin toward the hay barn. “Let’s shoot that bird.” I closed the loading port on my BB gun and nodded. “Don’t scare it.” The field lark worked its way through the grass toward the

A Good App-titude L ets get one thing straight right up-front: I hate cell phones. Believe me, I empathize with you folks who think they’re a major distraction from life; that they lead to impolite behavior and social exclusion. They could

Dancing the Jitterbug I caught my first large mouth bass on an artificial lure more than three decades ago. Dang, I’m old. Anyway, I had access to a local farm pond loaded with bass and after borrowing some lures from my

Hand Loading Handbooks T he first thing you need 1reloading is a set of two or three reloading manuals. I prefer those published by Hodgdon, Hornady, Speer, and Nosler. I have found that they are the most dependable when giving

  Blue Wave Sets a New Standard Blue Wave Boats by Parks Manufacturing located in Seminole, Oklahoma has an exciting new model that is sure to be another innovative and class leading design amongst the ever increasing center console bay

Leupold VX-3i Designed, machined and assembled in the United States, the new Leupold VX-3i is designed to deliver a finely balanced optical performance and to help keep hunters in the field longer. More than just light transmission, the Twilight Max

Regaining Stability W eather patterns and conditions become more stable and predictable in April. Here on Sabine Lake that translates into plenty of fishing opportunity with the exception of the intense winds (which will occasionally give you a break) and the

April Showers? No Thanks — Please? I t is hard to remember the  drought Texas suffered through in the recent past, with heavy rain and flooding leading off the news most days. Although there was a dry spell during the

Bait Galore “F ind the bait, and you will find trout, redfish, and flounder,” said Jeremy Wiggins, a long time bay fisherman. I have heard Jeremy and other fishermen and women say the same thing, but I am a kayak fisherman,

A Windy Spawn T he April wind is going to be the one thing that decides for you where you’re going to fish on any given day along the Texas coast. That’s why it is so very important for you to

The Sixth Sense of Fishing I was on halibut charter fishing out of Homer Alaska. I was a client on a custom aluminum 30-foot boat built by Silver Streak Boats from Vancouver Island. It was going to be a rough day,

A Bit of Color O ne spring really starts kicking into gear in April, business begins to pick up on the Lower Laguna Madre. Every flats boat that can will be zipping off towards the long flats of Gaswells, or Cullen