Passport to Texas

Johnny Spruiell of Iowa caught ShareLunker 546 , Cody Talley, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Angling: The Sharelunker Program Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Anglers know they can find big bass in Texas.

06—We have more big bass caught in Texas than anywhere I know of. I’m talking about anywhere in the United States or anywhere in the world.

From its inception in 1986, until he retired from Parks and Wildlife in 2012, David Campbell coordinated the bass spawning program at Parks and Wildlife, called the Toyota ShareLunker program.

17—I know there’s been some bigger fish caught in California, Florida—but it’s the numbers of big fish. And the anglers can go to almost any reservoir in the state of Texas and have the potential of catching a thirteen pound plus large-mouth bass. I don’t think that Anyone else can come close to that.

Anglers who reel in largemouth bass weighing 13-pounds or more are encouraged to donate their catch to the ShareLunker program. The donated bass enter into a spawning program, with the hope of creating faster growing, bigger bass.

11—We’ve had somewhere in the neighborhood of three quarter of a million fry from the sharelunkers through the years. We only had one year last year. We’ve had some years we didn’t have any spawn. Then some years we might have five, six or seven spawn.

The challenges of breeding bass in captivity…that’s tomorrow.

That’s our show for today…with support fro the Sport Fish Restoration Program…providing funding for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens…

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

Bastrop State Park

State Parks: 80th Reunion of the CCC Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Civilian Conservation Corps, or the CCC, was fundamental in the development of the state and the national park systems. Our state park guide, Bryan Frazier, says this month we’re celebrating the program’s 80th anniversary.

56 –We’re doing a reunion and an anniversary honor for the 80th year of the CCC; it’s going to be at Palo Duro Canyon, April 6th and 7th. And so we’re putting out a call for someone who might know of someone or be related to someone who served in a CCC camp – we especially want you at this event. But the public is also invited. There will be displays of the craftsmanship of the CCC; American Youthworks will be there and they’ll do a demonstration of constructing a bench form a log, and they’ll show how the CCC worked by hand to build these amazing pieces of furniture and these amazing structures that still are in use today. Here in Texas we have 29 state parks that bear the signature of the CCC. April 8 & 7 at majestic Palo Duro Canyon in the Panhandle. We want people to come and enjoy that, and see what the CCC represented and the legacy that it has today.

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.