Passport to Texas

Toyota Texas Bass Classic, Image by Larry Hodge

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This is Passport to Texas

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic is May 20th thru 22nd this year.

We’re in our tenth year now. The event is moving to a new location in Frisco, Texas; we’ll be at the Toyota Stadium, and fishing at Lake Ray Roberts State Park.

Dave Terre, with Inland Fisheries, helps organize and promote this professional bass fishing tournament and outdoor festival.

 The Toyota Texas Bas Classic gives us an opportunity to really showcase what it is that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department does. It gives us an opportunity to showcase the great fishing we have in our state. This year it’s going to give us a great opportunity to showcase state park opportunities we have, since this year we’ll be doing it at Lake Ray Roberts State Park.

Professional bass anglers compete to reel in the biggest bass for big winnings. The true winners, though, are the youth of Texas; the Toyota Texas Bass Classic is a fundraiser for Parks and Wildlife’s youth fishing programs.

We’ve already received about 2.25 million dollars which the department has taken and reinvested back into youth fishing related outreach, creating new anglers. It’s really an exciting opportunity for Parks and Wildlife; something no other state has.

Find details and ticket information for Toyota Texas Bass Classic at toyotatexasfest.com.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Fun at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic

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This is Passport to Texas

The long Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to gather the family and head to the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Fork, 65 miles east of Dallas. It’s a professional bass fishing tournament….

11– Fishing is just one part of it. It’s an awesome time to bring your family and come listen to country and western music. Also a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoor adventures area supported by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Dave Terre is with Inland Fisheries.

19– Your kids can meet with some of our fisheries biologists; maybe learn how to cast, how to shoot a bow, how to camp. There are lots of hands on activities for kids and families. Is there a cost to go to the event? There is a small cost to the event, but there is no charge for parking. You can get information at the toyotatexasbassclassic.com website.

If you’re looking for more of a hands-on opportunity, the event always needs volunteers.

15– You can register to be a volunteer for the tournament, at toyotatexasbassclassic.com. If you would like to work with Texas Parks and Wildlife specifically, indicate that there on the site. And, as a benefit to that, you’ll get into the Toyota Texas Bass Classic for free.

The Toyota Texas bass Classic is Memorial Day Weekend at Lake Fork.

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

Toyota Texas Bass Classic

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This is Passport to Texas

The Ninth Annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic returns to Lake Fork Memorial Day Weekend.

07– It’s an event that helps showcase some of our great fisheries across the state–Lake Fork being one of the best bass fisheries.

Dave Terre, with Inland Fisheries, says this professional bass tournament raises the bar with regards to the  handling of  fish.

27– One thing that’s really unique about the Toyota Texas bass Classic is that it employs a totally new tournament format. The format, itself, allows for the fish that are caught during the tournament to actually be weighed in the boat and immediately released, rather than coming to the stage and being weighed in front of an audience, which puts stress on fish. So, this tournament really revolutionized the way
tournaments might be held in the future.

Lake Fork is known for its lunkers–largemouth bass that tip the scales at more than 13 pounds.  While the pros have yet to catch one during the 8 years of the tournament, Terre says: this might be their lucky year.

15–I’ve been promising a lunker for a pretty good number of years right now. But you know what? I think this is the year. We’ve had numerous fish caught over 10 pounds; we’ve never broken that 13 pound barrier. But I think Lake Fork–it could happen this year.  But you need to be there to witness it yourself.

Go to toyotatexasbassclassic.com for ticket information and a schedule of activities for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic Memorial Day Weekend.

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

Toyota Texas Bass Classic

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This is Passport to Texas

Memorial Day Weekend, Lake Fork Reservoir, 65 miles east of Dallas, is the site of the Ninth Annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

08-What it is, is a world class fishing tournament for professional anglers. It’s also a benefit event for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Dave Terre, chief of fisheries management and research at Parks and Wildlife, says the event showcases the state’s quality fisheries, with Lake Fork being among the best bass fisheries in the country.

18- Last year was just incredible. Two anglers caught over a hundred pounds of bass in three days [and] set all sorts of records for numbers and weights of bass caught. So, this year, the bar has been set very high; and hopefully we’ll be able to exceed that. But there’s one way to find out, and that’s to come to the lake and see it for yourself.

Find ticket information and a schedule of activities at toyotatexasbassclassic.com. Money from the event funds outreach programs.

16-In the eight events that we’ve had so far, we’ve raised over two million dollars. And those dollars have been plugged directly back into youth fishing outreach. It’s brought new kids and their families [and others] into fishing through the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, by helping to fund our programs.

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic on Memorial Day Weekend offers a stellar country music line-up, food and outdoor adventure activities for the family: find ticket information and other details at toyotatexasbassclassic.com.

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