Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 190
I have no idea why we as anglers are constantly trying to complicate things, always re-inventing the wheel and adding corners. In our never ending quest to catch more and bigger fish we often stray down the path which we think leads to discovery only to find that out that if we had just read the street signs we’d be in much better shape. Over the years it seems like we have become so detailed and specific that the average fisherman suffers from “paralysis by analysis”. Fishi...
It's a common known fact that we have some of the craziest weather in the world here in Texas, especially on the coast. January and February have historically been some of our worst weather months, the conditions at this time of the year coupled with low water temps can make it down right miserable. During these periods the average fisherman may defer from the outdoors to a warmer climate by the fire thinking that the fishing won't be worth the effort, big mistake. For many...
“Howdy Tex” was a common greeting from other anglers as Bink Grimes and I strode down the sidewalk towards our waiting boat. “I wonder how they know we’re from Texas” I thought to myself, then I looked down at my rods and it hit me as gazed at the fist full of baitcasters. We were in Florida and baitcasters are a dead giveaway that you are from the Lone Star State, down in the Sunshine State spinning tackle rules the angling world. Now before you go get in a fired up huff a...
How many times have you had it happen to you? After hours of fishing, struggling, changing baits, and changing tactics it finally happens, the fish finally decide to cooperate and all is right with the world again. That brief period of euphoria wipes away all the memories of cold boring hours spent probing empty acres of water; it’s the opportunity we all search for yet only few find on a consistent basis. Those few fishermen who routinely find these brief periods where fish g...
Just like the old saying “all good things must come to an end” the 2023-2024 waterfowl season is almost over. Texas hunters will have until January 28th to get it done while the folks across the river in Louisiana will finish up on January 21st. For plenty of local hunters it feels like the season already ended as this crazy weather pattern has made staying on the birds a challenge. Hunters who have been willing to put in the scouting time and be flexible are still sho...
In all the major bay systems along the Texas gulf coast die hard big trout hunters are licking their lips in anticipation of finding that one truly big speckled trout of a lifetime. The late fall and winter months are regarded as the best times to pursue real wall hanger size trout, and here on Sabine lake we are no different. In the past couple of years we have seen some amazing things come our way to change the way we as anglers looked at fishing. Some or most of these...
Any tackle geek knows they are the next great weapon in the angling arsenal, saltwater spinnerbaits have come to the coast and the redfish have a new enemy. They come in array of different colors and each one does a little something different that sets it apart from the competition. Truth be told there are 2 basic styles and they both do a great job catching fish. The most common style is the “safety pin” style, famous in bass fishing circles and the one most known by Tex...
For months the faithful waited in anticipation for opening day and in what seems to be the blink of an eye the 2023-24 duck season is just about gone. With a few weeks to go before the end many water fowl hunters have resorted to road trips to get that last little fix in before the party ends. For many hunters the coast has been the destination, especially the Rockport and Port O’ Conner areas since they have been covered up with ducks for most of the season. The stories about...
Cooler water and air temperatures along with overcast days conjure up a recipe for the coastal plugger and big fish are the main course on the angling menu. These conditions dictate a different approach and a different mentality from the rest of the year. Some things are obvious, slowing down and paying attention to water temps and tides go without saying. The more subtle approach and bait presentation are also high on the list. At this time of the year many folks revert to...
It's a common known fact that we have some of the craziest weather in the world here in Texas, especially on the coast. December, January and February have historically been some of our worst weather months, the conditions at this time of the year coupled with low water temps can make it down right miserable. During these periods the average fisherman may defer from the outdoors to a warmer climate by the fire thinking that the fishing won't be worth the effort, big mistake. F...
How many times have you had it happen to you? After hours of fishing, struggling, changing baits, and changing tactics it finally happens, the fish finally decide to cooperate and all is right with the world again. That brief period of euphoria wipes away all the memories of cold boring hours spent probing empty acres of water; it’s the opportunity we all search for yet only few find on a consistent basis. Those few fishermen who routinely find these brief periods where fish g...
A steady stream of boats, hunters, and dogs crowded the local launches Saturday morning as the Louisiana duck season officially opened just one week after Texas got started. Adams bayou, the Vinton Drain ditch, CowBayou, and Hiway 82 towards Holly Beach looked like a parade route as local hunters descended on the marshes in anticipation of legal shooting light and the first flight of ducks. As expected it was a very hit and miss proposition to say the least. The current state...
There are very few things that are as satisfying as a well thought out plan coming together and for many local hunters that’s exactly what this past weekends opener provided. Nice temps and light winds greeted local hunters as they took off into the woods and marshes as the 2023-24 Texas general hunting season opened up on Saturday. Deer hunters and waterfowlers converged on their favorite spots as months of anticipation, planning and waiting turned into great expectations a...
“You remember when….” is a question that I am hearing all too often these days, especially when I am talking to water fowlers. Less than a decade ago our area marshes were a haven for all types of migratory birds, world class wing shooting at its best. The skies were filled with ducks and geese and the local hospitality and great Cajun cuisine made this part of the world a magnet for hunters from all around the globe. Well the food and hospitality are still here but the birds...
Perhaps the only thing better than shooting a big deer or filling a strap with a limit of ducks is watching a kid accomplish the same feat. Young hunters in this day and age face a wide variety of obstacles in everyday life and those obstacles also spill over into the sport of hunting. Anti hunting groups spread half truths designed to keep kids away from the sport, land is tougher to access, and people just don’t have as much time anymore it seems. Well the Texas Parks and W...
For a long time I always equated the best time of the year with the full moon in October, which coincidentally happens next week on the 28th. For all intents and purposes summer is now in the rear-view window and those nasty 90-degree days should be nothing but a memory. Occasionally we get a reminder from Mother Nature that we are never far from crazy weather but judging from the forecast I’d have to say we may be safe for a few days so get ready to enjoy everything a...
All along the Texas gulf coast the pattern is the same, cool fronts signal the much anticipated frenzy that is fall fishing. Anglers of every description ready themselves with the latest technology and gear in hopes of finding flocks of gulls working over schools of hungry speckled trout and redfish. Shiny fiberglass cruisers masquerading as bay boats are stocked up with an array of tackle that would make most anglers drool with envy. It is the same scenario in each bay...
Texas white tail deer hunters will get their first opportunity to chase that buck they have been dreaming of since last season ended as the 2023-24 season gets underway this Saturday. The archery only season should be a good bench mark as to how much the state-wide drought has affected the deer herd. Hunters in east Texas as well as the panhandle, west, and south Texas have been extremely dry for most of the year, especially during the critical months when young deer as well a...
Saturday morning’s early teal season opener began with plenty of odds stacked against most hunters in our area but that fact did not dampen the enthusiasm associated with the opportunity to shoot ducks. Some local hunters along the coast actually began to camp out at some of the local public hunting areas on Thursday in hopes of ensuring a prized location for Saturday morning. I must admit, even though I love to hunt teal that I am not mad enough at them to sleep on the r...
In what has become a highly anticipated yearly ritual, wingshooters from all over Texas will make there way to the fields and marshes as the 2023-24 waterfowl hunting season officially gets underway this Saturday as early teal season opens. The teal season opener has become a real gathering of sorts, almost a social get together if you will. Hunters eagerly awaiting each new hunting season head to the fields for their first taste of what is in store and this one looks less...
The easy north wind has already begun to work magic on local hunters as they eagerly await the September 1 opener of dove season here in Texas. North Zone hunters as well as Central Zone hunters will enjoy a few weeks of hunting before those of us south of IH-10 get into the mix of things on the 14th. So far the days leading up to the opener have been filled with some goofy weather that always seems to make an appearance before the season starts. For the past several seasons...
No matter how hard lure manufacturers try they will never be able to create a lure that works better than real thing, period. The typical profile of the weekend angler is not that of the high end trophy trout hunter who chunks artificial lures for hours on end looking for one big fish, it’s the fisherman who takes a quart of live shrimp or a bucket of mud minnows and looks for anything that will bite. Much has been made of the big trout phenomenon and all the hoopla that s...
For some strange reason I feel like I’m stuck keep repeating the same week over and over. We continue to have extreme heat, no rain, plenty of southwest wind and more of the same nonsense from those engaged in the witch hunt of our former president. It’s just more of the same stuff we can’t control but unfortunately have to live with but good things are on the horizon. It doesn’t make any difference if you’re a hunter or a fisherman because this time of the year has something...
The Biden administration announced recently that schools who teach programs like Hunters Education, archery, or any sort of competitive shooting will have their federal funds from the ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) blocked by using a loophole in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, moved to block funding citing such programs violate the BSCA by providing training in the use of “dangerous weapons”. Several Senators, inc...
Hands down, without a doubt, one of the top 3 most asked questions I get from local and out of town anglers alike is “how do you read the tide chart for this area?”Most any fisherman who spends time on our local waters has a theory about how the tides work and where they need to be to catch fish during those tides.Surprisingly enough there are plenty of people who don’t understand how important the tides really are, or for that matter what a tide is. According to Webster’s dic...
