Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

For thirty-nine year old Keith Burns, fishing isn’t just a hobby, it’s a family tradition. His grandfather and father both grew up fishing on Caddo Lake in East Texas.

Now it’s our turn to take our kids, or nephews or whatever down there and start fishing.

Burns fishes every free chance he gets. But fishing hasn’t been so good on Caddo Lake for several years because of the invasive giant salvinia plant.

You just kind of had to fish where there was open water. You couldn’t really fish some of your favorite places because of the invasive aquatic life that was in there. I hate that stuff.

Then, flooding and a cold winter killed off some of the giant salvinia, allowing Burns to really fish again. In fact, Burns didn’t just fish. This past March he caught a lake record 16.17-pound sharelunker bass.

I can’t tell you what it meant for me to do that. With the history our family has on that lake, it just meant the world to me.

Burns says he now wants giant salvinia to get off his lakes, and he wants everyone to help make that a reality.

We’ve got to take five minutes and check our trailers and make sure we don’t have any hitchhikers we are taking to another lake and depositing there.

That’s some good advice from a great fisherman.

You can find more information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… we had research and writing help from Gretchen Mahan…the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

The Toyota Texas ShareLunker program anticipates accepting its 500th largemouth bass donation this spring. Carl Adkins of San Marcos, Texas, reeled in number 481 on February 27.

:09—I caught it at 6:45, just barely daylight. Caught it on a soft plastic off the edge of the grass. Pulled it from about seven foot of water into about 10-12 foot of water.

The program accepts largemouth bass, caught between October 1 and April 30, weighing 13 pounds or more into a selective breeding program. Adkins fish was 13.1 pounds.

:08—It really fought real well. I knew it was a nice fish. I knew it was a big fish. But I didn’t realize it was quite as big and I saw the girth on it.

Adkins’ donated bass will enter a selective breeding program with the intent of creating even bigger bass.

:15—I’m a member of a bass club, and we support it. We had one other member donate a ShareLunker. And I have a tag in my billfold that we printed up years ago in our bass club that gives the ShareLunker numbers that we have everybody carry in case we get one. And I was lucky enough o need the number.

The lucky angler who reels in the 500th ShareLunker will receive $500 a pound for every pound the fish weighs.** Find details about the ShareLunker program at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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**Toyota ShareLunker 500 Angler Collects Big Check
Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation pays $6,670 for big bass from O.H. Ivie Reservoir

…and now for Sharelunker 501!

Lake Austin Produced ShareLunker Number 501!

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Javelina strolling in the park.

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This is Passport to Texas

No matter what your outdoor interest, chances are you’ll find it at Choke Canyon State Park. Bryan Frazier is our guide.

Choke Canyon State Park—a great place to go in terms of catfish fishing, which turns on a little later in the spring. Crappie fishing, white bass…Choke Canyon has just risen in the ranks, if you will, in the fishing world as a place to go to really catch lots of different kinds of fish. But, right now, bass fishermen, that’s one of their hot spots to stop and visit on the way. A lot of tournament fishermen show up there.

Another thing about Choke Canyon is, it’s a complete park from a recreational standpoint. You’ve got hike and bike trails, you’ve got a gymnasium, you’ve got screen shelters that have been enclosed with air conditioning, you’ve got lots of different facilities. A group facility, fish cleaning stations—so many different things, depending on what your needs are. Hookups for RVs are good there, with 50 amp service.

It’s far enough south—you’ve got great birding—even some of the things like the green jays and chachalacas…and the wildlife viewing is unmatched. Whether you’re looking for deer, or turkeys or javelina—they’re oftentimes viewable right from the park road in your vehicle. A great place to take the kids to get them familiar with nature. So, Choke Canyon is definitely a place I recommend this time of year to people to visit.

Find more State Park Getaway information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

This week’s state park getaway takes us to Falcon Lake State Park, where fishing for bass tops a long list of recreational opportunities. Bryan Frazier is our guide.

Falcon state park—this time of year—is really one of the premier bass fishing destinations in the United States. It’s one of the first ones to be an indicator of the bass fishing season, if you will, as a lot of bass fishermen can note.

There’s a butterfly garden there that the volunteers helped build. You’ve got great camping, you’ve got some enclosed shelters there that are air conditioned. So, Falcon State Park, this time of year especially—but really all year—a great place by yourself, friends, family, check out Falcon State Park.

Find more State Park Getaway information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

The 2009 drought left private ponds throughout Texas low or bone dry—conditions that Todd Engeling says actually presented pond owners with an opportunity.

There was an opportunity for a number of folks to really go in and renovate those facilities and prepare them for the rains when they came.

Engeling is chief of inland hatcheries for Parks and Wildlife. With luck, ponds got a needed facelift when dry, and are returning to their former glory thanks to winter rains. The down side is—fish in those ponds probably didn’t survive the drought.

So, if you’re looking for an opportunity to get fish for your private pong, although the Parks and Wildlife department raises millions of fingerlings each year, we do not provide those to the general public. But, there are a number of commercial, private fish hatcheries that can provide you with what you need for stocking—including any advice on what you need and how many would be appropriate for you to stock in those areas. And on our webpage there is a link to the Texas Aquaculture Association, which maintains a list of their members who can provide that service for you.

In fact, the parks and wildlife website offers information on creating and maintaining private ponds…

Including how you can deal with some of that unwanted vegetation.

Visit the TPW website for information on ponds, stocking, and other landowner information.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish Restoration program.

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

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