Passport to Texas

Image from Carp Anglers Group, Austin Team Championship 2012

Angling: Carp Fishing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Carp is the Rodney Dangerfield of the fish world—at least in the US, where many anglers consider it trash. But in other parts of the world, carp is highly sought-after. It may surprise you to know Texas has some of the best carp fishing in the country.

:04—This is one of the three best carp fishing waters in the whole of America.

Steven Bates is talking about Lady Bird Lake in Austin, where he and his brother Michael took part in the Austin Team Challenge carp angling competition.

:03—We’ve been lucky today. We’ve caught about five; right here.

The competition aims to change angler’s perception of carp. Casey Crawford cast in the competition, too, and reeled in a huge 43 pound 12 ounce carp. [:03 ambience]

:11—People that ride [bike] around this, run around it, row in this lake all the time never have any idea that there’s something that big under there. I caught that one ten feet off the bank. Your dog might have been swimming next to it—it’s bigger than your dog. [:01—laughs]

The team with the highest total catch weight went home winners.

:06—The Bates brothers with 550.69 pounds—congratulations on your ATC victory. [whoop]

That’s our show …made possible in part by the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Fort Richardson State Historic Site

State Parks: Fort Richardson Anniversary Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Fort Richardson played a vital role settling the Texas frontier. And we celebrate the146th anniversary of this outpost later this month. Our State Park Guide Bryan Frazier has details.

57 – For Richardson from the 1860s to the 1870s was one of the most significant outposts on the Texas frontier. You’re talking about being on the edge or, and in the heart of, Comancheria at the time. So, this particular outpost was responsible for helping ensure the safety of the settlers and the farmers and the ranchers that were there in the area. And it’s the 146th birthday of Ft. Richardson, which is in the city limits of Jacksboro, just north of Interstate 20, about an hour and thirty minutes west of Fort Worth. And they’re going to have all kinds of activities and re-enactors; soldiers from the 1860s and 70s in their full regalia on horseback, and cannons firing. And there will be cavalry, infantry and artillery troops. It’s just a great event. It’s going to be Friday and Saturday – the 12th & 13th of this month – to get out and see the living history event at Fort Richard State park and Historic Site.

Thanks, Bryan.

Find additional information at texasstateparks.org.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Image, Chase A. Fountain, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

TPW TV: Wildland Fire Team Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas Parks and Wildlife is growing its Wildland Fire Team, made up of employees throughout the state. The TPW TV Series features the group this month. Producer, Abe Moore, has details.

54— We followed Kevin Ferguson who works at Kickapoo Cavern State park, and Robin Dabney, who works out at Dinosaur Valley State Park. They also do lots of prescribed burns, where they burn 5 to 10-thousand acres of parkland every year.

They’re able to handle some seriously stressful situations. Even when I was filming them doing the prescribed burn, I’m just walking along with my camera as the fire’s happening; all of a sudden I noticed my microphone started melting because it was so hot. And I’m running away from the fire, going ‘Okay; I don’t know what I’m doing. I better pay more attention here.’ And they’re just smooth as silk because they know how to handle the situation. It struck me that they really are prepared and well-trained.

The show airs the week of April 7 though 13.

Support provided by Ram Trucks. Doing what’s right and good regardless of the degree of difficulty — takes guts. Those are the people who build Ram trucks. RAM.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Colin Pack of Round Rock caught Toyota ShareLunker 548 from Lake Austin March 27, image by Nathan Reynolds, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Angling: Donating Largemouth Bass Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you reel in a largemouth bass from Texas waters, and it weighs 13-pounds or more, donate it to the Toyota Sharelunker program through the end of the month; you’ll help spawn the next generation of big bass.

To donate a fish, handle it as little as possible, then…

Get a weight on it. If you have a set of scales that you feel like are close enough that you can actually say it’s a good enough weight to call us, weigh it and let us know.

David Campbell coordinated the program for 26 years before retiring in 2012. He explains what to do if you think you have a lunker, and want to donate it to the program.

We would like to have these fish in our possession in less than 12 hours. I realize sometimes if you’re on the other side of the state of Texas is may take me a few hours to get there. If you have to go somewhere and have that fish weighed, leave it in the water in aerated live well or whatever it is, try not to dry the fish off. If that fish weighs 13-pounds on a set of certified scales—whether it’s for business or whatever it is—give us a call as quick as possible. And we dispatch a vehicle; and take care of it until we get there. That’s the main thing.

Log onto the Texas parks and Wildlife website for more information.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish restoration Program…providing funding for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Donald Deville of Ville Platte, Louisiana, caught Toyota ShareLunker 547 from Lake Fork March 20, Larry D. Hodge, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Angling: Breeding Bigger Bass Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Toyota ShareLunker program takes largemouth bass—13-pounds or more—and uses them to breed even bigger bass. By placing the males and females in the same tank, you’d think nature would take its course. It’s not that easy, says David Campbell.

04—It’s very hard to get these older fish to spawn in a strange environment.

Campbell retired from TPW in 2012, after 46 years with the agency, and 26 years managing the ShareLunker program. The bass donated to the program are ten years old or more, making their journey to the spawning tanks more stressful.

08—When you catch a thirteen-pound bass with a rod and reel, that’s not something you just reel in real quick and get it out of the water and put it in a live well—it usually takes some time, and it stresses the fish.

Music and dim lights work to calm humans and put them in the mood for romance. I asked, in jest, whether Campbell tried such mood enhancers with the bass.

11—(laughter) We haven’t tried it, but we have thought about it. (chuckles) We thought about a lot of this in the first few years of the program because we found it was extremely difficult to get them to spawn.

They’re doing something right, because they’ve stocked nearly a million fry in lakes from the Sharelunker program. Donating your catch to the program…that’s tomorrow.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and provides funding for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.