Sports and Outdoors

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 321.14 Water Temperature:
85  degrees - top
83 degrees - bottom

Panther players open practice
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–A week after other Cedar Creek Lake area teams started practice, the Mabank Panthers opened two-a-days Monday.
Between 115 and 120 youngsters turned out on the first day, sixth-year head coach Jimmy Cantrell said Tuesday.
How to they look?
Speaking quietly, so as not to be overheard by the nearby players, Cantrell said, “Not bad for the second day.”
The Panther varsity players appear to have retained much of what they worked on during practices last May, Cantrell said.
“The (team) chemistry seems good right now,” he added.
Players also came into training camp in fairly good condition, Cantrell reported.
“We’ve only got one out, and he’s sick,” Cantrell said. “As far as conditioning goes, I’m not disappointed.
“Some are better (conditioned) than others, as you would expect,” he added. “Most of the kids were pretty religious about working out in our summer program.”
While Kemp and Eustace players put pads on Monday, the Panthers can’t don full gear until Friday.
Both Kemp and Eustace have scrimmages set early Saturday morning – Kemp at home against Malakoff, Eustace on the road at Venus – but the Panthers won’t be scrimmaging Saturday after their media day picture-taking.
The Panthers’ single scrimmage will come Thursday, Aug. 20, when they host the Canton Eagles. A starting time has not been announced, but should be around 6 or 6:30 p.m.

New 2009-10 fishing/hunting licenses
go on sale Aug. 15
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–License fees are up, and for those hunters who choose to go primitive – as in bowhunting – rules have changed.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations for 2009-10 will be released Saturday, Aug. 15, but a summary of the hunting and fishing regulations is available on-line in a pdf format at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations/changes10.phtml.
All 2008-09 hunting and fishing licenses expire Monday, Aug. 31. Newly purchased licenses will be good through Aug. 31, 2010. All new rules go into effect Sept. 1.
Hunting/fishing license endorsements, usually referred to as “stamps,” are available for purchase, and all fishing/hunting license packages include one or more stamp endorsements.
Hunting/fishing licenses are sold at more than 1,700 locations across the state. Many licenses and endorsements can be purchased by phone (call toll-free 1-800-895-4248 during regular business hours Monday through Friday), or over the Internet at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/licenses_online_sales.
In general terms, license and registration fees have increased by about 5 percent.
Making crossbows legal for use during the archery-only season and new antler restrictions are the biggest changes in deer hunting regulations.
Kaufman, Henderson and Van Zandt counties were not among 52 counties added to the list of counties with antler restrictions, as all three were already on the list.
In the Tri-County area, deer hunters may kill two legal bucks, but only one of them may have an inside antler spread of 13 inches or more.
A legal buck deer has:
• a hardened antler protruding through the skin, and
• at least one unbranched antler, or
• an inside spread measurement between main beams of 13 inches or more.
Hunting restrictions are different for hunters holding Managed Lands Deer (MLD) permits and/or Landowner Assisted Management Permits System (LAMPS) permits. Refer to the summary noted above for details.
Archery season runs from Oct. 3 through Nov. 6 throughout the Tri-County area, with the general deer hunting season opening Nov. 7 and lasting until Jan. 3, 2010.
Muzzleloading firearms have their own season, and may not be used during archery-only season. An archery stamp endorsement is required to hunt deer during the archery-only season.
Crossbows must have a minimum draw of 125 pounds, be equipped with a mechanical safety, and the stock must be at least 25 inches long or longer. The bow may be equipped with a telescopic sight.
There are no draw restrictions on longbows, compound bows or recurved bows. Arrows must have a broadhead point at least 7/8 inch wide, with at least two cutting edges, or a mechanical broadhead that opens to at least 7/8th of an inch on impact.
The Tri-County area is in the Central Zone for dove hunting. Regular dove seasons are Sept. 1 through Oct. 25, and Dec. 26 to Jan. 9, 2010.
Hunters have a bag limit of 15 mourning, white-winged and white-tipped doves combined, including not more than two whitetips. A hunter may not have more than twice the daily bag limit in his possession.
As in past years, no hunting is allowed from a public road or road right-of-way, and hunters are not allowed to shoot when the projectile will cross a property line without written permission from the adjacent landowner.
Legal hunting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. No artificial light may be used to hunt game after dark, and dogs may not be used to hunt deer in any area of the state.
All hunters/fishers 17 years old or older must carry on their person a driver’s license or other recognized personal identification, such as a Texas Department of Public Safety ID card.
Turning to fees, the state offers a wide range of combination fishing and/or hunting packages, including:
• hunting license – resident $25, youth/senior $7, non-resident $315.
• fishing license – resident freshwater package $30, senior $12, non-resident freshwater $58.
• one-day all-water fishing – $11 residents, $16 non-residents.
• Super Combo all-inclusive hunting and fishing – $68, senior Super Combo $32.
• Lifetime hunting or fishing license $1,000; lifetime combination license $1,800.
There are a few new items under fishing regulations.
A new alligator gar bag limit has been established – one fish per day, effective Sept. 1. The bag limit will apply to both recreational and commercial fishing.
Lake Richland Chambers in Navarro County, along with Lake Lewisville in Denton County, has a new 30- to 45-inch slot limit for blue catfish.
The daily bag limit for channel and blue catfish will remain 25 fish per day, but only one blue catfish more than 45 inches in length may be retained. No harvest of blue catfish between 30 and 45 inches will be allowed.
Statewide bass bag and length limits remain the same – five fish in any combination, with a minimum length of 14 inches (for largemouth and smallmouth) or 18 inches (striped and hybrid striped).
Bag limit for white bass is 25 fish, all 10 inches or longer. There is no bag or length limit for yellow bass.
For catfish (channel, blue, hybrids), the daily bag limit is 25 fish, and all must be 12 inches or longer.
Crappie limits are the same – 25 fish in any combination, all 10 inches or longer.
Some area lakes – Athens, Fork, Purtis Creek State Park and Richland Chambers – have individual restrictions on bass, catfish or the gear that may be used in the lake.