Outdoors

The right tackle for catching more trout and reds

All sorts of lures can be used to catch a mix of trout and reds like this. Some

There have been a gazillion lures made over the past several decades that are designed specifically to catch speckled trout and redfish, but there are a few that stand out like a sore thumb and have the ability to catch these very popular game fish on any given day at any given time. Here are a few of the very best lures that have proved their worth time and again.

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Magnolia tree millions of years in the making

Magnolia Tree

The sheer variety of magnolia tree options might surprise you. Although your local garden center may handle only a few varieties, you can find magnolia trees that are deciduous and evergreen, if you really search. Some of the southern beauties have blossom options of white, pink, purple or yellow. Some magnolias are trees; some are shrubs.

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East Texas lakes produce big time numbers of 13-pounders

Lake Fork’s four entries during the past season weighed 14.06, 13.11, 16.04 and

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s ShareLunker Program has come to an end for the 2013 season. The nearest lake to the Golden Triangle to give up a 13-pound-plus bass during this season’s program is Toledo Bend. Feb. 15, Toledo Bend Reservoir gave up a 13.06-pound bass to Louisiana angler Casey Martin, who was fishing a tournament. Martin’s fish, now Toyota ShareLunker 543, was 26 inches long and 21 inches in girth.

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Sam Rayburn, T-Bend make nation’s Top 10 for bass

Two East Texas lakes are ranked as the Top 10 best in the nation — Sam Rayburn a

The second annual list ranking the country’s best bass lakes has been released by Bassmaster Magazine, and Sam Rayburn is ranked No. 2 with Toledo Bend at 10.

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Plant shape-giving trees

The shapes of plants in your yard can affect the look of your home. As noted in the previous Garden Gate article, your choice of weeping, round, pyramidal, columnar or horizontal plants in your yard will make a world of difference in your home’s appearance. Have something to hide, like a bad roof? You can direct the viewer’s eye away from “the offender.”

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Odd twist at end of lunker season

Allen Kruse

The 2013 season on ShareLunker bass weighing 13 pounds or more is nearing an end, but not without at least one more very interesting twist.

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Gobblers strutting their way to spring hunting adventure

Turkey hunting doesn’t get any better than what we have in Texas. Here in the Pineywoods, the restocking of eastern wild turkeys is still struggling in many counties but going strong in others. It’s the Rio Grande turkey that makes spring hunts so popular among thousands of hunters. They are numerous and can be found just about anywhere you hunt from Central to South and West Texas.

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Design gardens with shapes to direct the eye

Have you ever thought about changing the look of your home by changing the shape of the front yard landscape? Before you say no, grab your camera, head out the front door and take a few shots of your home. You can then go to the local drugstore and print out a dozen or so copies, as large as you can. Grab a new black marker, too, if you don’t have one.

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Spring fronts make it tough to find big trout

Early spring cold fronts continue to move through Southeast Texas, and that has made the business of catching big trout on Sabine Lake more than a little tough. But there is good news in that a few big trout are being fooled by lures. The best I’ve seen within the past couple of days came from the north shoreline of East Galveston Bay. She weighed an impressive 9 pounds.

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Through the Garden Gate Home Tour

Put on your walking shoes because this Saturday, April 13, there is a treat in store for all plant lovers and area home and garden enthusiasts. The Magnolia Garden Club has organized speakers and home gardens to tour that “sing the songs” of organic gardening, adaptability to nature and dedication to outdoor beauty.

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