FEATURE ARTICLE ARCHIVES
Texas Fish & Game Magazine
Late Season Whitetails
WHEN I THINK ABOUT late season deer hunting in eastern Texas — that time period when winter ushers in some of the coldest weather of the year and bucks are run down, hungry and slowly regaining their senses following the major rut, I often think about a conversation shared years ago with veteran East Texas deer hunter, Randy Ivy of Nacogdoches. It revolved around the importance of hunting in close proximity to food. Ivy says this is especially true if you’re gunning for a mature animal. “He’s in survival mode now,” he said. “Food is critical. He’s got to eat, or he’ll die…”
Backwater Basics: The Fish & Game Saltwater Playbook
SLIDING A KAYAK into a quiet marsh or back bay at first light is one of the purest forms of saltwater fishing. No outboard motor noise, no wake, no pressure—just you, the paddle, and fish that haven’t been spooked yet. It’s here, in the skinny water and winding back creeks, that redfish and black drum thrive…
Cell Cams
THE DAYS OF RELYING solely on paper maps, gut instinct, and memory are long gone. Modern hunters are embracing mobile technology to scout terrain, monitor game, and log hunting activity more efficiently than ever. Cell phones and remote game cameras have become essential tools for serious hunters looking to sharpen their edge…
Crappie Sonar
IT’S NO SECRET that forward-facing sonar is all the rage these days in freshwater fishing. From tournament circles to recreational arenas, many anglers are using the technology to find and catch crappie, big bass, and even catfish with more efficiency than ever before…
The Reel Rudow
WHEN IT COMES TO BOATS, ocean fishing, and the fine points of seamanship, few names carry as much weight in the outdoor world as Lenny Rudow. For decades, he has been a trusted voice on the water, combining a mechanic’s eye for detail with an angler’s instinct for where the fish are biting…
Making Merry in the Outdoors
CHRISTMAS IN TEXAS has its own unique flavor. While some folks up north dream of snowy pines and hot cocoa by the fire, we often find ourselves with crisp mornings, golden sunsets, and a landscape brimming with the quiet treasures of nature…
Surf Basics for Landing Big Reds & Specks
The Fish & Game Saltwater Playbook Feature Article by TF&G Staff LISTEN: (5 min, 24 sec) LATE SUMMER AND
Dodging a Bullet on Public Land Loss
LAST JUNE, A LITTLE-NOTICED PROVISION buried deep in a federal budget reconciliation package set off alarm bells across the outdoor community. Tucked away in the lengthy legislative text was a proposal to sell or transfer between 2 and 3 million acres of public land currently overseen by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. Had the measure passed, it would have represented one of the largest reductions in federally managed land access in decades…
Hidden Dove & Duck Options
LET’S FACE IT. When it comes to big water fishing holes, there just aren’t many secrets anymore. Much the same can be said for duck and dove hunting sweet spots on public hunting lands. One careless social media post or slip of the tongue amongst big ears these days is all it takes to call in the troops and ruin a great hunting spot that may have taken years to locate…
The Scariest Animals in Texas
TEXAS IS A HUNTING AND FISHING paradise, but it’s also home to some of the most dangerous wildlife hunters are likely to encounter anywhere in North America. While most hunters are tuned in to wind shifts and game movement, it’s easy to forget that the outdoors has teeth, venom, and disease waiting in the shadows. From the pine forests to coastal marshes, these five threats deserve more attention from anyone heading into the field…
Top Notch Hunting
FOR DECADES, LOU MARULLO has guided tens of thousands of Texans through the intricacies of hunting and bowhunting. He’s not only Texas Fish & Game’s Hunting Editor, but also a master bowhunter-education instructor, deeply committed to hunter safety and education… If Marullo is the voice of education and gear-tested enthusiasm, Larry Weishuhn is the heart of whitetail management. Known widely as “Mr. Whitetail,” Weishuhn brings a lifetime of hands‑on wildlife biology and ethical deer hunting to Texas Fish & Game’s Texas Whitetails column…
SPECIAL: Cast & Blast
THERE’S NO BETTER TIME to be a Texas outdoorsman than when summer starts slipping and the air gets that first nip of fall. That’s when the real season begins and not just for one thing, but for everything: birds in the air, fish in the water, deer in the brush. You can chase it all if you’ve got the time and the gas money…
The Basics of Night Fishing
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT the Texas coast after dark that feels like a different world. But for seasoned anglers, nightfall doesn’t signal the end of a fishing trip but the beginning. Night fishing on the Texas coast can be as productive as it is peaceful, and in many cases, even more rewarding than fishing in the heat and hustle of daylight hours…
Stocking Up
WHEN IT COMES TO STOCKING animals, Texas doesn’t just think big. It thinks bold, wild, and sometimes just a little bit weird. From restoring Eastern wild turkeys in the Pineywoods to attempting to raise Nile perch in power plant lakes, the Lone Star State has a rich (and highly entertaining) history of putting critters back on the land and occasionally in the water. Let’s start with the wins…
Lost Your Lease?
LOSING YOUR DEER LEASE can feel like getting gut kicked. For many hunters, that annual lease isn’t just access to land but is a tradition, a refuge, and a connection to friends, family, and nature. But whether it’s due to rising lease prices, land changing hands, or personal conflicts between lease members, losing access can happen suddenly. The good news? There are opportunities to bounce back if you’re willing to stay flexible and be creative.
Fish/Tech
LIKE IT OR NOT, technology is here to stay. Advancements continue to surface in the tools we use in virtually every aspect of life ranging from cutting the grass, to preparing meals, communicating and even vacuuming the floors of our homes. You just never know what might come down the pike next.
Charmed by Snakes, Part 2
DURING THE DECADE of the ‘60s, between years at Lamar High School and the University of Houston, my snake collecting was pushed aside in favor of fishing, hunting, falconry and, increasingly, surfing. Following higher education, in 1969 I had a two-year commissioned detour on an aircraft carrier through the South China Sea to the Gulf of Tonkin…
Gone Coastal
KELLY GROCE IS A TEXAS-BASED outdoor writer, photographer, and angler who brings the Gulf Coast to life through her vivid storytelling and firsthand fishing adventures. As the author of our “Going Coastal” column she takes a deep and fun look at fishing on the Texas Coast.
Stream Stress
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES inland anglers face in Texas, especially in the western 2/3 of the state where large, navigable rivers are scarce, is access. Texas is 97 percent private land and that means most of the land around streams and rivers is private…
Offshore STAR Strategies
THE THRILL OF HOOKING INTO a sleek and powerful kingfish, battling a stubborn ling, landing a monster red snapper, or chasing dorado along weedlines makes for an unforgettable experience and can lead to big STAR wins…
Charmed by Snakes
A WATER SNAKE WAS BETTER than a ribbon snake, and a hog-nosed snake was better than a water snake, and a rat snake was twice as good as the whole passel in a sack. That was our standard of measure during junior-high snake collecting days along the banks of Houston’s Brays Bayou…
Keeping it Fresh
MATT WILLIAMS IS a distinguished outdoor writer whose extensive contributions to Texas Fish & Game Magazine have solidified his reputation as a leading authority on freshwater fishing through his Texas Freshwater column. Matt has been closely assosiated with Texas Fish & Game almost from the beginning…
Group On!
I RECENTLY EMBARKED on an adventure that was nothing short of epic. My journey took me off the Atlantic Coast of Florida, where I joined TF&G Hot Spots Focus writer and Spot Stalker Guide Service owner Captain Derek York along with Michael Sherer of Fishing’s Future and Chris Geib. Our mission was clear: to catch the elusive Goliath Grouper, a fish that had long been on Derek’s bucket list and had quickly captured my imagination…
Coastal Development Vs. Conservation
THE TEXAS COAST is caught between development and conservation. With sprawling industrial expansions, aggressive land development, and relentless dredging, the delicate ecosystems that support fishing and hunting traditions are under immense pressure…
Go Big or Go Finesse?
BASS FISHING IN TEXAS, with its sprawling reservoirs and legendary lakes, presents anglers with both opportunities and challenges. Whether you’re chasing a trophy largemouth in Lake Fork or navigating the grassy shallows of Sam Rayburn, choosing between giant lures and finesse techniques can make or break your day…
COVER STORY: The Next Mega Bass
ANGLERS LOOKING TO JOIN the Mega Bass Club this year—recording official catches of eight, ten and thirteen-plus pounders—can look to three Texas lakes as the most promising places to apply their efforts: OH Ivie and JB Thomas in West Texas, and the grandpappy of ShareLunker production, Lake Fork in the east. Here is a profile of each…
The Fish & Game Saltwater Playbook
THE TEXAS COAST offers prime opportunities for topwater fishing for speckled trout, especially given the unique geography and diverse estuary systems found along its shores…
Poaching in Texas
FROM “FLIPPER” THRILLING FAMILIES on television in the 1960s to modern-day dolphin encounters at aquariums and resorts, the love affair families have with dolphins is a strong one. So, when game wardens in Orange County, Texas, found a dead dolphin impaled by a fishing arrow, it sent shockwaves across national media outlets.
Floating Options
MANY ENTRY-LEVEL ANGLERS are hitting the fishing market not in a high-powered bass boat or big bay boat, but in kayaks, paddleboards and other more easily portable and affordable vessels…
Doggett and Pike: Fish & Game Icons… Texas Outdoor Legends
THIS ISSUE WE BEGIN a series honoring our columnists, who provide us with such valuable content and inform us about their adventures in the great outdoors. We are going to start with two of the first people I met when I began my career: Joe Doggett and Doug Pike.
High-Tech Optics for Hogs
THANKS TO BREAKTHROUGHS in high-tech optics, hog-hunting tools have come a long way. These innovations are giving hunters new advantages, making night time hog hunting more effective, and helping keep feral hog populations in check…
COVER STORY: Bucks on a Budget
HUNTING AIN’T CHEAP. This is especially true in Texas where 97 percent of the land is privately owned and instead of getting a public hunting permit or special tag to hunt, you have to pay for a season lease, day lease or an outfitter to take you hunting. Here are some ways to make for good hunts even when your next decision probably won’t be which stock portfolio best suits your needs…
Chilled Specks
FALL IS A PRIME TIME for speckled trout. They are generally working under the birds and feeding along the surface so finding specks can be easy. Finding big ones, however, is not so easy. It can seem as if you have to go through 50 small ones to get one over 20 inches. Here are 10 tips to help you locate and catch bigger speckled trout during the fall months on the Texas Coast…
Five for the Fall
FALL ALWAYS MARKS the arrival of a long list of much anticipated Texas hunting seasons. But don’t make the mistake of stashing those flipping sticks and topwater plugs just yet, bass busters. You could miss out on some of the best fishing of the year…
Time to Target Jetty Jumpers
“WHAT IS THAT? my fishing partner (and now former Texas Fish & Game colleague) Nicole Becka asked me and our boat captain Robert Scherer. As she pointed toward the tip of the Port Aransas Jetties, several long black fins stood out of the water…
East Texas Ducks
WE’RE ON THE CUSP of another duck season in Texas and Clay Shipes is anxious to see how things shake out on lakes and rivers across the Pineywoods. Shipes knows a thing or two about ducks and duck hunting. He is Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Regional Migratory Game Bird Specialist for East Texas…