star-telegram.com: Bob Hood

Allure of plastic still strong after 57 years

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:34 CDT

By BOB HOOD

The first soft plastic lure for bass and other freshwater fish hit the market 57 years ago. In 1949, Nick Creme, a machinist and avid angler from Akron, Ohio, melted soft plastic materials in his kitchen and hand-poured the concoction into molds made from night crawlers in his basement to produce the first "rubber worm." Creme's Wiggle Worm was offered for sale two years later, some with a harness of two exposed hooks and a tiny propeller on a short leader. The lure's name was changed to the Scoundrel a few years later.

When I met Creme in the late 1960s, after he had moved the Creme Lure Company to Tyler, we marveled about how his soft plastic lure was stirring such a fuss in the bass-fishing world. Scores of new soft plastic lure designs have followed, and so have ways to rig them. More than a half-century later, anglers continue to learn, and invent, various ways to rig soft plastic lures shaped like worms, lizards, crawfish, shad and many other creatures.

The methods, hook styles, weights and hardware for rigging soft plastics are many. Here are my six favorite rigs:

Texas rig

It emerged shortly after Nick Creme introduced the Wiggle Worm and remains one of the most popular rigs today for catching bass in both open water and thick cover. In the late 1950s, Texas anglers became the first to put the point of the hook inside the worm with a bullet-shaped weight against its nose so they could pitch the lure into flooded mesquites, salt cedars and willows without hanging up. They called the technique "doodle socking," now known as pitching and flipping. No other soft plastic rig can match the Texas rig in weedless effectiveness.

Weightless rig

This is just like the Texas rig, but the sinker is removed. Anglers cast the worm over mats of potato weeds, coontail moss and other aquatic vegetation and work the lure across the surface by holding the rod tip high on an erratic retrieve. In the late 1970s, I whittled a piece of quarter-inch wooden dowel into a popper type head, drilled a hole through it and slipped it onto my line ahead of the worm. The result was a top-water popper-type worm rigged Texas style. Later, a lure manufacturer produced something similar out of foam that looked like a snake head. Regardless how you dress them, soft plastic worms and lizards are very effective bass catchers when fishing flooded vegetation in shallow water.

Carolina rig

This is one of the oldest hook, swivel and sinker techniques, probably first used for catfish. The basic Carolina rig involves placing a heavy sinker (barrel or bullet-shaped) on the line and tying the end of the line to one end of a two-way swivel. A 14- to 24-inch leader of line is then tied to the other end of the swivel followed by tying on a hook. Some anglers add a bead or beads between the sinker and the swivel while others prefer to replace the swivel with a special "line stopper" made by various manufacturers. The idea is to let the sinker go to the bottom where the plastic lure will float above the bottom structure as it is retrieved by slowly lifting the rod. Generally, use a short leader for shallow water and a longer leader for deeper water or bottoms with heavy aquatic vegetation.

Wacky rig

I think this rig might have been developed by someone who just didn't know any other way to rig the worm. It has been popularized in recent years by Wacky Worm Inc., and, now, a wide variety of soft plastics are used in wacky rigs. The original method is to push the point of a hook through the middle of the worm, leaving the point of the hook exposed on the opposite side. This is a rig for light tackle, usually spinning or spin-casting rods and reels spooled with 6- to 10-pound test line. Many anglers use it to fish boat docks or edges of aquatic vegetation by casting the worm, letting it free fall, then twitching or rapidly lifting the rod two to six times and then letting it fall again. If you want the worm to fall more rapidly and "dive" under a boat dock or similar structure, insert a small panel nail into the nose of the worm.

Mojo rig

This relatively new rig uses a hook, swivel and weight set similar to the Carolina rig but with a slender, lighter weight and usually a shorter leader. Some weights made for Mojo rigs have long slivers of rubber that can be inserted through the middle of the weight to peg it on the line. The rig is designed to catch bass suspended in the tops off trees or other structure, or hiding under boat docks. Leaders 6 to 8 inches work well in shallow water, but you might go to 12 to 18 inches in deeper water. It is effective with spinning or bait-casting equipment and works best on lighter lines. Twitching or shaking the lure once it is at the desired depth gives the soft plastic its enticing action.

Drop shot rig

The drop shot rig was first used for catching bass near the bottom or suspended in deep water. It requires a finesse technique involving light weights, small hooks, finesse soft plastic baits and spinning gear with 8- to 12-pound test line. Many anglers use this rig by casting it to the bank and then "shaking" it back on the retrieve by erratically lifting the rod. I prefer to use a 3- to 5-inch curly tail worm but wouldn't hesitate to use any other small soft plastic designed to produce a lot of action. A Palomar knot is best for tying the hook to the line. I use a 12- to 18-inch leader unless I'm fishing heavy moss or other vegetation on the bottom in deep water. For that, I go to a longer leader to keep the worm above the weeds. Tapered weights or those that are long and slender work best. Although you can rig the worm wacky style I prefer to push the point of the hook through the nose of the worm and then bring it back out with the point exposed.

Mature turkeys prove elusive targets for spring hunters

Thu, 01 May 2008 11:14 CDT

By BOB HOOD

Weeks before the spring turkey hunting season opened, hunting outfitter Roy Wilson predicted what hunters would face.

"Too many jakes," he said. "Remember what the season was like in 2003, when we had lots of turkeys but mostly young birds? It's nice to have them around, but it makes it difficult for hunters to bag the older birds."

With four weeks gone and only two left in the North Zone spring season, many hunters report that most of the gobblers they've seen are 2 or 3 years old with 2- to 6-inch beards. Hunters also report that they are finding very little daytime gobbling activity.

Similar stories have emerged from South Texas, where the season ends today.

"It has been pretty tough to bag an old bird this year," said rancher Kerry Joy of Eldorado. "We have a tremendous amount of jakes, but the big boys have been hard to find. I saw a lot of big ones before the season opened so I know they are out there. At first, I thought it was just [my problem], but I got to asking around and others are saying the same thing

"We have had some gobbling off and on during the day, but, overall, it's been pretty quiet out there."

Joy said that he has seen groups of 15 to 20 or more jakes traveling together. Many people believe jakes traveling in large groups often chase older birds away from the hens, making the older toms more timid.

Ken Mayer of All American Outfitter, north of Clarendon in the Panhandle, said he has seen large groups of jakes on properties he hunts in Donley, Hall and Collingsworth counties.

"We had a pretty wet spring last year, and that led to a good hatch," Mayer said. "There has been very little daytime gobbling. Once they touch down [from their roosts], they shut up after about a half hour and then get fired up again about an hour before sundown. That's usually because the gobblers have gotten lost from the hens and are trying to catch back up with them."

Joy said some hunters have relied on "ambush" hunting, waiting at places where the birds usually go rather than calling the birds to them.

Greg Simons of Wildlife Systems in West Texas agreed.

"The season has been really tough," said Simons, who hunts on ranches in Coke, Tom Green, Schleicher, Sterling, Comanche, Dimmit and Pecos counties. "Those guys who have been willing to camp out over feed or water have been able to shoot birds because a lot of turkeys have not been receptive to coming to a call. We have a lot of jakes, but they are mostly 3-year-old birds. We have killed some older ones with some of the best spurs we ever have had, but there has been very little gobbling activity."

Robert Steenbeke of 1A Hunting in Texas Guide Service in Yancey, about 50 miles southwest of San Antonio, said the story has been the same in South Texas.

"It's been as tough as it gets," said Steenbeke, who guides hunts in Zavala County. "We have seen very few mature birds. We have lots of jakes and lots of hens, and that's made it tough to get the older birds in.

"Most of the gobblers have hit the ground and then shut up. Several have been taken while coming to feeders with the hens."

But Steenbeke said the problems this season, which ends May 11 in the North Zone, could bode well for the future.

"With so many jakes around this year, it should be a heck of a year next season," he said.

Stocking plan helps Lake Bridgeport

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:56 CDT

By BOB HOOD

Lake Bridgeport’s hybrid striped bass fishery once was plagued with an unusual problem: too many fish being stocked too often.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries Division biologist Bruce Hysmith said he began noticing a decline in gizzard shad numbers in 1997 — and a decline in the weights of hybrid striped bass, white bass and largemouth bass. Gizzard shad is a favorite food source for all game fish species.

Now, Bridgeport is showing positive results from a modified stocking plan Hysmith implemented n 1999, cutting the annual stocking rate of hybrids from 10 to five fish per acre.

A recent study of Bridgeport’s hybrid fishery confirmed the modified stocking plan is working well, Hysmith said. Of 137 hybrid stripers collected in gill nets over a three-night period last week, 97 (71 percent) were 18 inches or longer.

Also, Hysmith’s gill nets captured 107 sand bass of which 51 percent were 10 inches and longer.

The bottom line, Hysmith said, is that hybrid stripers and sand bass are offering lots of action for Bridgeport anglers and should continue to do so for years.

What worked at Lewisville?

When Kim Bain won the Women’s Bassmaster Tour season opener at Lewisville Lake on Saturday, one of her primary patterns was flipping to pockets of brush about half a mile from the launch site at Sneaky Pete’s.

“The rising water helped me there, and I was protected from the wind,” she said.

She worked Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver plastics, blue and black and watermelon red/black.

She also fished Tower Bay and Stewart Creek, and points with flooded brush in various spots around the lake.

And at Amistad?

Texan Todd Faircloth primarily used two techniques while winning the Bassmaster Elite Series Lone Star Shootout Friday through Sunday on Amistad Reservoir.

He fished a 6-inch Senko to fill out his limit and used a swim bait, as many other anglers in the field did, to entice his bigger bites. The largest bass of his Sunday limit, an 8-13 brute that earned Purolator Big Bass honors and $1,000, was boated on a swim bait.

Second place Clark Reehm primarily Carolina-rigged a big worm in red. He said the bigger bass came later in the day.

Boat ramp re-opens

At Lake Palestine, the Kickapoo Creek boat ramp has been re-opened after being closed two months. The ramp, on Farm Road 315 south of Chandler, was closed Feb. 7 because of an invasion of giant salvinia, a noxious weed that spreads rapidly and is capable of choking off shallow-water areas to boat access.

Anyone finding suspected giant salvinia in public water is asked to contact Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist Rick Ott at 903-566-2161.

Removing feral animals

State parks officials are trying to find ways to remove feral, exotic species of animals from some parks, particularly aoudad sheep and wild burros at Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Stocking plan helps Lake Bridgeport

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:42 CDT

By BOB HOOD

Lake Bridgeport’s hybrid striped bass fishery once was plagued with an unusual problem: too many fish being stocked too often.

Now, Bridgeport is showing positive results from a modified stocking plan Hysmith implemented n 1999, cutting the annual stocking rate of hybrids from 10 to five fish per acre.

Also, Hysmith’s gill nets captured 107 sand bass of which 51 percent were 10 inches and longer.

The bottom line, Hysmith said, is that hybrid stripers and sand bass are offering lots of action for Bridgeport anglers and should continue to do so for years.

What worked at Lewisville?

“The rising water helped me there, and I was protected from the wind,” she said.

She worked Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver plastics, blue and black and watermelon red/black.

She also fished Tower Bay and Stewart Creek, and points with flooded brush in various spots around the lake.

And at Amistad?

Texan Todd Faircloth primarily used two techniques while winning the Bassmaster Elite Series Lone Star Shootout Friday through Sunday on Amistad Reservoir.

Second place Clark Reehm primarily Carolina-rigged a big worm in red. He said the bigger bass came later in the day.

Boat ramp re-opens

At Lake Palestine, the Kickapoo Creek boat ramp has been re-opened after being closed two months.

The ramp, on Farm Road 315 south of Chandler, was closed Feb. 7 because of an invasion of giant salvinia, a noxious weed that spreads rapidly and is capable of choking off shallow-water areas to boat access.

Anyone finding suspected giant salvinia in public water is asked to contact Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist Rick Ott at 903-566-2161.

Removing feral animals

Folks, go take a hike -- all across Texas

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:42 CDT

By BOB HOOD

If someone tells you to go take a hike, you have plenty of places to choose from in Texas.

Spring and early summer are great times to hike because the landscapes have been given new paintings -- by flowering dogwoods and red buds in East Texas and mountain laurels and cacti in far West Texas.

Numerous trails can be found in national forests, parks and wildlife refuges, and state parks and natural areas, around U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes -- not to mention the many urban trails along rivers and community lakes. Or, you might want to try one of these five hiking areas, chosen to display the variety of trails across the state.

1. Big Bend Ranch State Park

432-358-4444, www.tpwd.state.tx.us

In the true wild west of Texas, nature and time have carved magnificent sculptures out of rock and sand, created unusual clear-water holes and decorated the surroundings with rare cacti and other plants on more than 300,000 acres in the Chihuahuan Desert wilderness. I saw the ranch for the first time in 1988 when I accompanied former Texas Land Commissioner Bob Armstrong in his private plane as he championed a successful effort that allowed the ranch to be purchased by the state, and I immediately fell in love with the ranch.

The 19-mile Rancherias Loop Trail is north of Farm Road 170 and passes through two canyons and desert springs. It is a rough climb with some steep canyon sides and is recommended for experienced backpackers in good physical condition. The hike takes at least three days and two nights.

The Rancherias Canyon Trail (9.6 miles round trip) takes hikers from a trailhead at a parking area to an old wagon road, then through a deep but wide canyon, ending in a box canyon with the awesome sight of an 80-foot high waterfall. This is a moderately difficult full-day hike.

The Closed Canyon Trail (1.4 miles) is well-suited for families with sure-footed children, but caution must be exercised because of its ruggedness. You will start high and end up low on the Rio Grande, traversing through a deep but narrow canyon, some relatively tight spaces and eventually step onto the smooth rocks at the river.

2. Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway

806-455-1492, tpwd.state.tx.us

The Upper Canyon Trail (6.3 miles plus 1.5-mile walk back to the trailhead) starts north of the park's main road near the Little Red Tent Camping Area. An hour or so into the hike, conditions become steep and rugged, especially as you head from the valley toward Fern Cave (watch out for poison ivy and poison oak near the cave). The scenery is great from the top of the ridge near and beyond Fern Cave. A GPS or compass is recommended to keep you on track, especially if rain has caused the trail to become overgrown with vegetation.

3. Lost Maples State Natural Area

830-966-3413, www.tpwd.state.tx.us

This can be a crowded area in the fall, when the leaves are turning color, but it's also beautiful in spring and early summer, when mountain laurels and other small plants are in bloom. The area has an abundance of short hikes, ranging from a half-mile to 4 1/2 miles or more -- perfect for a family outing. The most popular are the short Maple Trail path and the 4-mile-plus East

Trail and West Trail. The Sabinal River, which borders the area on one side, is a great place to view turkeys, white-tailed deer and other wildlife.

4. Sabine National Forest

866-235-1750, www.fs.fed.us

The 28-mile Trail Between the Lakes (Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn) winds up and down through the hills and valleys of the forest and is a relatively easy hiking-only trail that is well-marked and ideal for a three-day venture through the East Texas pineywoods. Camping areas are available along the way. The trailhead begins at Lakeview Recreation Area on Toledo Bend and ends on the easternmost point on Sam Rayburn. This is a place where you should consider shuttling by leaving a vehicle at the end of the trail unless you want to spend a longer time and hike back to the trailhead.

5. Sam Houston National Forest

Fishing-trips raffle to help fight breast cancer

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:29 CDT

By Bob Hood

Four Texas fishing guides are raffling fishing trips to raise money for fellow angler Martin Pingree, who plans to participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk Nov. 7-9 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Pingree, his wife, Kay, and youngest daughter, Amy, plan to walk 60 miles in the event to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer. His oldest daughter, Michelle Pingree Rasberry, is in remission from breast cancer, said Lake Lewisville catfish fishing guide Bobby Kubin.

Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

“This is the second year to raffle off the fishing trips,” Kubin said. “Last year was a huge success with over $2,000 raised.”

The four half-day trips being raffled (with raffle drawing date) are catfishing on Lewisville Lake with Bobby Kubin (April 18), sand bass and hybrid striped bass fishing on Cedar Creek Reservoir with Billy Seaman (May 18), coastal fishing with Doug Stanford (June 18) and largemouth bass fishing with Pat Wilshire (July 18).

Raffle tickets — $5 each, six for $25 or 13 for $50 — are good only for one drawing. To purchase tickets with PayPal, cash, check or money order, call Pingree at 940-224-7680 or send an e-mail to mkpingree@yahoo.com.

Big Game banquets

A record high of more than 2,250 hunters entered their trophy animals from last season in the Texas Big Game Awards Program, and many will receive awards at one of eight regional banquets.

Awards also are presented to land owners, and the banquets include raffles, auctions, seminars, exhibits and trophy animal displays. Additional information is available at www.texasbiggameawards.com or by calling 800-839-9453, ext. 114.

A statewide banquet is scheduled June 28 at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio.

The regional banquets:

April 26: Trans-Pecos, Alpine

May 3: South Texas, Robstown

May 17: Edwards Plateau, Burnet

July 12: Pineywoods, Nacogdoches

Aug 23: Panhandle, Childress

Sept. 6: Coastal Plains, Seguin

Sept. 13: Cross Timbers, Abilene

Sept. 20: Post Oak Savannah, Athens

76.35-pound winner

Fort Worth angler ready for opener at Lewisville

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 04:37 CDT

By BOB HOOD

Meta Burrell has come a long way since her dad taught her how to fish 15 years ago.

This week, the 20-year-old Fort Worth resident will be one of the youngest competitors -- possibly the youngest -- in the Women's Bassmaster Tour's season-opening tournament at Lewisville Lake.

"This has always been my dream," she said. "I have been fishing since I was 5 years old. I have fished a lot of tournaments and have been in the boat with a couple of pros....

"My dad taught me everything. I learned how to back a boat trailer down the ramp on my own, but my dad has helped me with everything I know."

Her father, Gordon Burrell, said he "started her fishing when she was 5 years old for sand bass at Eagle Mountain. Meta would fish with me all night, and I can't tell you how many times she would ask me day after day to take her fishing again."

When Meta was 14, her father had been fishing in Working Man's Night Bass Tournaments at Eagle Mountain Lake and was winning money in many of them. (Gordon also owns the Eagle Mountain record for largemouth bass, an 11.65-pounder he caught five years ago yesterday.)

"One day she told me she wanted to fish the tournaments, too, and win some money," Gordon recalled.

Said Meta: "I won enough money that first year to buy my own [used] boat. It was a Stratos with a 200 horsepower motor on it."

Gordon asked a friend, Andy Anderson, to team with Meta in Couples Association of Sport Tournaments events. After Anderson passed away several years ago, Meta teamed with another family friend, Arthur Tucker, on The 2 of Us Couples Tournaments circuit. They were Anglers of the Year in their division two years ago and were leading the Metroplex Region this year (going into Saturday's tournament).

Burrell -- a single mom with a 3-year-old son, Tyler -- has fished lots of lakes (her biggest bass is an 8 1/2-pounder from Lake Fork), but her favorite lake is still Eagle Mountain.

"I was born and raised on that lake, and I love it," she said. "It has everything I need -- good structure, grass, boat docks, points, everything."

For the Women's Bassmaster Tour event, Burrell faces a full week of fishing; practice days are Monday through Wednesday, and the tournament runs Thursday through Saturday.

So what did she do this weekend? She headed to Lake Tawakoni on Friday and Saturday for a 2 of Us tournament, then plans to work today at Wal-Mart.

"I plan on going to Lewisville Monday and just look around, see what the water is like and things like that," said Burrell, who has three sponsors: Fort Worth-based Swamp Hawg Lures, Granbury-based Ezee Jigs and Moritz Chevrolet of Fort Worth.

At Lewisville Lake, anglers are expected to face stained to muddy water. The off-color conditions, combined with the spawning season, likely will benefit anglers such as Burrell who favor flipping plastic worms and working spinner baits through shallow water. Burrell said she believes that it will take 12 to 15 pounds of bass per day to win.

"I have two places where I have been catching fish [at Lewisville], and I feel confident with my worm bite and spinner bait, but I will work with a jig, too," she said.

Regardless of how she fares this week, Burrell plans to continue fishing The 2 of Us circuit and as many open tournaments as her time allows.

"I have loved to fish all my life, and I love to fish tournaments," she said. "It all was started for me with my dad, and I cannot thank him enough."

Women's Bassmaster Tour Stop 1

Thursday-Sunday, Lewisville Lake

Women’s Bassmaster opener is at Lewisville next week

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:31 CDT

By BOB HOOD

The Women’s Bassmaster Tour comes to the Metroplex next week, opening its third season April 10-12 at Lewisville Lake.

This year’s tour offers a new prize: The Angler of the Year will qualify for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, becoming the first woman in the world’s most prestigious bass fishing competition.

“The Classic berth stepped up the competition,” said 2006 Angler of the Year Dianna Clark of Bumpus Mills, Tenn. “My determination is stronger than it’s ever been.”

Next week marks the third time the WBT has come to Lewisville. The lake hosted the 2005 WBT Preview and stop No. 3 in 2006. Clark won the 2006 event with 30 pounds, 2 ounces, and 2006 WBT Championship winner Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., won the 2005 Lewisville event.

Fans can follow the competition next week at www.bassmaster.com. Live, streaming video and real-time leader boards of the weigh-ins are scheduled to begin daily at 3 p.m. In addition, the final weigh-ins, which a free and open to the public, are to be held at Academy Sports and Outdoors store at 2428 S. Stemmons Freeway in Lewisville, across from Vista Ridge Mall.

The 2008 Tour has four stops before the WBT Championship, which is scheduled for Oct. 23-25 on Lake Hamilton at Hot Springs, Ark. The other three stops are May 22-24 at Lake Neely Henry in Alabama, June 19-21 at Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee and Sept. 18-20 at Clarks Hill Lake in Georgia.

Men also in Texas

The Bassmaster Elite Series visits Texas this week and next, with two tournaments at lakes on the Rio Grande River: Thursday through Sunday at Falcon International Reservoir and April 10-13 at Amistad Reservoir.

State bass tournament

The Texas State Bass Tournament, which is April 12-13 at Sam Rayburn Reservoir, offers bass clubs a chance to compete in a Bass Club Top Six division.

The weights caught by six designated members will be totaled to determine the winning club. Trophies will also be awarded in Team, Individual, Husband-Wife/Couples, Adult-Boy, Adult-Girl, Senior Team, Big Bass Overall, Big Bass Boy and Big Bass Girl divisions.

Tournament headquarters are at Cassells-Boykin Park. For more information, go to www.texasstatebass.com.

Briefly

--John P. Thornton of Fort Worth caught an 11-pound, 3-ounce largemouth bass in early March on a Wave Worm in about 4 feet of water in Glade Creek at Lake Fork. After several photos were taken, Thornton released the fish, hoping it would spawn and possibly give another angler a chance to set a “personal record.”

--Prescribed burns are under way on the LBJ National Grasslands near Decatur and people entering the area are urged to use caution. For additional information, call National Forest Service district ranger Jim Crooks or fire management officer Scott Fry at 940-627-5475.

--The second annual Clay County Turkey Fest is next week in Henrietta, from noon-7 p.m. April 11 and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. April 12 at Pioneer Hall. The event features a turkey calling contest, family activities, exhibits, auctions and a banquet.

AREA LAKES

	WATER	WATER	WATER	LARGEMOUTH				STRIPED
Lake	LEVEL	TEMP.	COND.	BASS	CRAPPIE	SAND BASS	CATFISH	BASS-HYBRIDS
Alan Henry	1.91 low	58	stained	good	fair	poor	fair	no report
Amistad	6.83 low	69	clear	good	fair	fair	good	good
Arlington	0.01 high	60	clear	fair	fair	poor	good	no report
Arrowhead	2.14 low	59	stained	fair	good	poor	good	fair
Athens	0.38 high	64	stained	fair	fair	poor	good	no report
Benbrook	0.20 high	60	stained	fair	good	fair	fair	fair
Bob Sandlin	0.11 high	63	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	no report
Belton	0.25 high	65	clear	fair	fair	fair	good	poor
Bridgeport	1.01 low	64	stained	fair	fair	fair	good	fair
Brownwood	1.16 low	60	stained	good	fair	fair	fair	fair
Buchanan	2.65 low	60	clear	good	fair	fair	fair	excellent
Caddo	1.46 high	62	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	fair
Cedar Creek	0.01 high	65	stained	fair	fair	good	fair	fair
Eagle Mountain	0.22 high	60	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	no report
Falcon	19.94 low	71	excellent	fair	fair	good	fair
Fork	0.46 high	65	clear	fair	fair	poor	fair	no report
Granbury	0.62 low	63	clear	fair	fair	fair	poor	poor
Grapevine	5.82 high	63	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	no report
Hubbard Creek	2.22 low	64	stained	fair	fair	fair	good	fair
Joe Pool	1.74 high	63	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	fair
Lake O' the Pines	0.62 high	64	murky	fair	fair	fair	fair	poor
Lewisville	1.46 high	64	stained	fair	fair	fair	good	fair
Livingston	0.26 high	64	murky	good	good	good	good	poor
Navarro Mills	1.25 high	63	stained	poor	poor	poor	good	poor
O.H. Ivie	10.83 low	59	stained	fair	good	good	fair	no report
Palestine	0.48 high	63	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	fair
Possum Kingdom	0.99 low	58	stained	poor	poor	fair	good	fair
Proctor	1.16 high	62	stained	fair	good	good	good	good
Ray Hubbard	0.04 low	62	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	poor
Ray Roberts	1.58 high	62	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	no report
Richland-Chambers	0.09 high	63	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	fair
Sam Rayburn	1.35 low	68	stained	fair	fair	fair	good	fair
Somerville	0.09 high	62	stained	poor	fair	poor	poor	fair
Stillhouse	0.29 high	61	clear	good	good	fair	good	poor
Tawakoni	0.91 high	62	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	fair
Texoma	3.43 high	62	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	fair
Toledo Bend	1.04 high	67	clear	fair	fair	fair	good	poor
Weatherford	2.04 low	62	stained	fair	fair	fair	fair	no report
Whitney	2.04 low	60	stained	poor	good	fair	fair	fair
Worth	0.16 low	59	stained	poor	fair	poor	fair	no report

HOT SPOTS

LARGEMOUTH BASS

Falcon: Action has been excellent in 2 to 6 feet for anglers using chartreuse and white spinner baits, shallow-running crank baits and jigs with soft plastic trailers.

These five are saltwater gems

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:39 CDT

By BOB HOOD

Coastal anglers worth their salt know there is a smorgasbord of artificial lures designed to first attract them and later attract fish.

Choosing the right lures isn't easy for some anglers, especially new ones.

One day last week, I rummaged through two tackle boxes full of lures I have tested over the years on redfish and speckled trout. These two boxes alone held almost 50 lures, and a couple of much smaller boxes contained perhaps that many more smaller ones.

The overstocked tackle boxes prompted a question: What if I were limited to five lures on my next trip to the coast?

It didn't take long to pick my must-have lures. Sure, there were a lot of other lures that are almost carbon copies of them, not to mention choices of colors and color patterns. After all, that's why my saltwater arsenal had grown to almost 100 lures.

Fish-catching five

Bob Hood's choices of five saltwater lures for spinning and bait-casting anglers:

1Heddon Super Spook

$5.74

The Super Spook is an improved version of the Heddon Zara Spook and can "walk the dog," a phrase that describes the lure's side-to-side surface action. (That phrase was coined by a Heddon sales representative more than 70 years ago while watching a prostitute walking her dog on a leash.) The lure's side-to-side action leads to strikes from large redfish and speckled trout when they are traveling in schools and chasing after mullet and other bait fish. The Super Spook is available in a large assortment of colors and light-reflecting finishes and is equipped with super-sharp Excalibur rotating treble hooks.

Online: heddonlures.com

2Rapala Twitchin' Rap

$5.99

Rapala lures have set more world records than lures from any other manufacturer. The Twitchin' Rap is made of balsa wood and is weighted for long casting. It sinks slowly, especially in saltwater, and is designed to attract fish from 6 inches to 2 feet below the surface. Online: rapala.com

3Bass Assassin

Saltwater Shad

$4.40 for 8

Designed to be fished on lead-head jigs for redfish and speckled trout (feeding in schools or alone in flats and oyster beds), the five-inch Saltwater Shad is one of the most popular soft plastics from Texas to Florida. The bait also is good for catching snook, tarpon, dolphin, stripers and flounder. The Saltwater Shad has a long, thin tail; if you want something with more action, other models have curly or notched tails, or are boat-tailed.

Online: bassassassin.com

4Capt. Mike's Weedless Willow Spoon

Striper action is hot below Texoma

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:31 CDT

By BOB HOOD

Fishing for striped bass on the Red River below the Lake Texoma dam has been exceptional, with many fish weighing 8 to 12 pounds and some much larger, fishing guide Steve Barnes said.

“We are catching limits of good size fish from 4 to 7 pounds and releasing quite a few 8- to 12-pounders,” Barnes said. “We also caught a 23-pounder on March 22,” he said.

Falcon hosts big event

Falcon International Reservoir hosts a Bassmaster tournament April 3-6, and Kevin VanDam said he thinks the Rio Grande River impoundment on the Texas-Mexico border will be one of the most productive locations BASS has visited in its 40-year history.

“I’m really excited to go to Falcon,” said VanDam, who won the elite series season opener in Florida. “It ranks with Mexico’s El Salto. We are going to knock their socks off. Steve Kennedy’s record is in real trouble there.”

Kennedy holds the BASS tournament record for heaviest total weight for four days with a catch of 122 pounds, 14 ounces in March 2007 at California’s Clear Lake.

“The big factor at Falcon is the wind,” VanDam said. “The wind blows a lot in Texas. If we get a couple days where the wind blows 30 mph during competition, it’s going to make it hard for guys to move around and hard to fish. If we hit stable weather there, the all-time record’s going to go down.”

Not all about fishing

Richland-Chambers Reservoir hybrid striper and sand bass fishing guide Bob Holmes recently returned from fishing and guiding anglers for peacock bass on the Amazon River in Brazil. Holmes’ account of his trip is a reminder that there is more to fishing than just catching fish.

“If the first fish you catch weighs only 10 pounds you know you are going to have a true battle on your hands when you get a bigger one on, and that’s just the beginning,” Holmes said. “The trip really comes together while you are fishing and you see the parrots flying overhead, fussing at you for being there. Then you hear something blow and it is a school of dolphins playing around. “You will see gators, caiman and crocodiles swimming ahead, then you will hear the huge howler monkeys deep in the jungle. Maybe the piranha are schooling on the next point. Look up and a family of river otters is playing on some riverbank with deep overhanging jungle.

“You will smell smoke from some hidden camp and see the e tropical fishermen making a living on the water in their often strange river craft. Ancient trees of all kinds teem with life around you. Sometimes you will be in swift running water and sometimes just still and dark pools.

“Just before dark, the jungle rally starts showing out with all kinds of sounds, birds flying to their roost and other animals [heading] to their lairs. At night, you sense you are just half a degree from the equator as the old moon is so close you feel as if you can reach out and just put your arms around it.”

Holmes said he plans to go back to the Amazon late this year or early next year.

Adult-youth tournaments

The 2008 Fun-n-Sun Adult-Youth Fishing Tournament Trail kicks off Sunday at Lake Bridgeport with headquarters at Runaway Bay. More information is available by calling 817-447-9191.

Game wardens wanted

Up to 55 applicants will be accepted into the Texas Game Warden Academy class that begins Nov. 1. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is accepting applications through April 30 for the seven-month training program.

More than 400 people applied for 40 positions last year. Applicants must be 21 before October 2008 and have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Bilingual wardens receive an extra stipend.

Information and application forms are available at online at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/warden or by calling 877-229-2733.

Life jacket program seeks help