Outdoors

Recreational red snapper season re-opens

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced that an agreement has been reached with the National Marine Fisheries Service to extend the 2017 recreational red snapper season by 39 weekend days in the Gulf of Mexico for recreational anglers.

Red snapper fishing will reopen for private recreational anglers in the Gulf out to 200 miles every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including Monday and Tuesday of the July Fourth holiday and the Monday of Labor Day. This 39-day season opened June 16. State seasons will run congruently with the federal season.

shadow

Want to have some fun outdoors? Try one of these options.

What is the greatest thing about living on the right side of Texas? The outdoor options – it’s that simple.

Unfortunately the cold front that moved through Southeast Texas last weekend is probably the last one we’ll see for a while. But for the time being we’ve got some mild weather to deal with and if you’re looking to have to fun outdoors now is the time to get there.

Get into crabbing

shadow

Reds on the run at Keith Lake

Christian Frillou of Orangefield caught this largemouth bass weighing 11.1 lbs o

Keith Lake fish pass was loaded with fishermen on Good Friday. Some were on the bank, but most were in boats and fishing with anything from live shrimp to fresh-caught mullet. The only problem was a lack of fish. After Rocky Chase had caught a couple of undersized reds, we made the decision to crank up and head across Keith Lake to the south shoreline and fish protected water with jigs, topwater plugs and Wakers. That’s where we found a limit of reds.

shadow

The skinny side of bass fishing is game on right now

Chuck Simmons used a 4-inch Big Bite craw tube to catch this Lake Waco bass and

I just got in from a bass fishing road trip that took me from Sam Rayburn to Lake Waco in five days. This is definitely my favorite time of year to target bass. They are up shallow and spawning. It’s the only time of year in Texas when you can actually see bass on the beds. And if you hit it just right the fishing can be phenomenal.

shadow

Snakes galore right now

A snake-eating snake, this rarely photographed 7-foot long indigo was seen on a
Bald eagle resting after being shot from the nest by a teen.

This has been one of the warmest winters on record for Texas, and with all that sunshine comes bad news in the form of snakes.

shadow

Grand slam fishing on Sabine Lake

Sabine Lake guide Jerry Norris with one of many trout caught on 5-inch Shad Assa

We didn’t leave the dock until about 10:30 last Thursday morning, but it really didn’t matter. The weather was drop-dead perfect for fishing on Sabine Lake.

shadow

Game wardens hunt down poachers shooting ducks on the Neches River

The 2016-17 duck hunting season is officially closed and overall it was better t

The duck season closed this past Sunday at sundown, and based on reports here in Southeast Texas, it was a pretty run for most hunters. Some of the best shoots were at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Port Arthur. Coastal hunts in the marsh were fair, and guide Colby Denbow reports that his hunts between Beaumont and Winnie were pretty good overall.

shadow

Rayburn comes through with big-time numbers of bass

The first bass tournament of the year was held Jan. 14 at Sam Rayburn by Bass Champs, and out of 397 teams entered, John Iles and Brian Shook won with 30.75 pounds and took home $20,000.

When it was all said and done, 794 anglers caught a total of 646 bass with an average weight of 3.11 pounds. Right at 123 limits were caught, while 266 teams didn’t weigh in a single bass.

shadow

Texas bird hunts can’t be beat

One of the most exciting birds we can hunt in Texas is the bobwhite quail. A goo

Texas hunters have it made. We have big numbers of white-tailed deer, turkeys, wild pigs, ducks and geese, as well as doves. We’ve got huge chunks of land that produce bobwhite and blue quail, and if that’s not enough, check out a hunt for snipe since the season is open through Feb. 12.

shadow

Must-have gear for waterfowl hunting

Robert Sloan photo

Waterfowl hunters are not that techno crazy when it comes to gearing up for success. It’s basically like football – you get suited up with the essentials and go at it full speed. The crazy thing about duck and goose hunters is that we have to go afield prepared for just about anything that can be thrown our way here in Southeast Texas – rain, cold, mud, ice, sleet, mosquitoes, snakes and even alligators. It can be a true test of one’s perseverance on any given hunt.

shadow