Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Construction of the new $27 million East Texas Fish Hatchery in Jasper County, with an anticipated completion in early 2010, is now underway.

The new East Texas Fish hatchery is proposed to replace the Jasper Fish Hatchery.

Todd Engeling is chief of inland hatcheries. The state-of-the-art facility is being built just below Sam Rayburn Reservoir, a juxtaposition that’s no accident.

We chose the Jasper County site to sit just below the Sam Rayburn reservoir. It sits below a quality water source, where we have an agreement with the Lower Neches Valley Authority to withdraw water from the reservoir that will guarantee us a good water source well into the future.

Beyond access to quality water, this site also allows for environmental efficiencies.

Under some circumstances within the reservoir throughout the year—we can gravity flow water from the reservoir to the hatchery. A significant part of the power consumption of any facility is the cost to pump water. Moving water can be very expensive. Where we can get some assistance from gravity to do that, to move water without having to use powerful pumps, it’s to our benefit. And this location offers that opportunity.

Learn more about inland fisheries at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish restoration program… providing funding for the operations and management of the Texas’ state fish hatcheries.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

After seven decades, the Jasper Fish Hatchery will be retired, and replaced by the new state-of-the-art East Texas Hatchery.

Construction has begun in early July. We’re anticipating the completion will be sometime early 2010.

Todd Engeling is chief of inland hatcheries. The new facility is under construction on 200 acres below Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

About 2000, we did a feasibility study to determine if it whether it was more feasible to renovate the facility where it was at, or to move it to another location. And based on that assessment, we chose to build a new facility in another location.

The East Texas Hatchery will provide at least 45 acres of fish production ponds capable of delivering up to 4.5 million fish annually for stocking in Texas public waters, including….

Primarily a sub species of the large mouthed bass; channel catfish and blue catfish, and bluegill sunfish. Those will be the principle species that it will be raising. It will also have the capability to participate with our striped bass and hybrid striped bass program should it be needed in the future. We think right now, given what pond space we were planning, we should be able to produce four to five million fingerlings a year.

Innovations and environmental efficiencies at the new hatchery…that’s tomorrow.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish Restoration program… providing funding for the operations and management of the Texas’ state fish hatcheries. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas form Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Diane de la Garza used to be a competitive gymnast. But now she’s turned her attention to professional bass angling.

This compared to competitive gymnastics is very different. There are some similarities, with your determination and giving it your 100-percent. With fishing, there are so many factors out there: the weather, the fish…there’s little bit of luck to it, but there’s also figuring out what the pattern is, and knowing what depth to fish, and what they want. Whether it be top water, or a worm, or what have you. And so, putting all the pieces together is like a puzzle. And that, to me, is so intriguing and it is such a challenge.

De la Garza and her husband Hector, another professional bass angler, are taking part in this year’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo at the Fishing Fundamentals area.

And this is where we’re going to tell you how to do it, where to fish, what you need, and we’re also going to have some biologists in the area with us. And, I’m going to be demonstrating some techniques with the visitors, and we’ll be open for questions.

Learn about professional angling…or where to find the best fishing hole near you…when you come to Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo, October 4 and 5. The festival is free, and open from 9 to 5 both days.

That’s our show….with support from the Sport Fish Restoration program… funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuels For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

The seed for her career as a professional bass angler took root when Diane de la Garza was a child.

When I was a little girl, my father and my mother took me fishing, and my parents always made the time to take us out and to introduce us to the outdoors. And for that, I will always be grateful.

De la Garza and her husband Hector, both professional bass anglers, are part of this year’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo October 4 & 5, in the Fishing Fundamentals area.

So, we’ll be sharing stories….sharing techniques…sharing ideas…answering questions….it’ll be a blast.

De la Garza says Expo is a tremendous opportunity to introduce children to the diverse outdoor recreational opportunities available to them, such as fishing.

It is so important for parents to take the time to take their kids out fishing. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you catch any fish or not; what you’re doing is you’re creating memories. And, the lives that we have today—we get so busy. And I know for me, looking back, some of the best memories that I have of my family is when they took me out fishing and getting to experience the outdoors.

Professional bass anglers, Diane and Hector de la Garza, will be at Expo on October 4th & 5th, in the Fishing Fundamentals area. We have information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show….with support from the Sport Fish Restoration program… funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuels For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Relive the agony and ecstasy of the First Toyota Texas Bass Classic this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show. Series producer, Abe Moore.

So on the last week of August, we’re profiling the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. It just wrapped up its second year at Lake Fork, but we’re going to profile the very first year. And we followed two characters: one was the tournament favorite, Alton Jones whose from Waco, Texas. I

t’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been fishing professionally now since 1990. I never dreamed that when I was starting out that some day I would earn more than a million dollars bass fishing. Now we just travel around, all over the United States and fish bass tournaments. It’s pretty fun.

So, he’s kind of established, and he’s doing pretty well in this bass fishing thing. And the other character is Darrin Schwenkbeck, and he’s only won a couple of tournaments and he’s barely making enough money to pay for gas to get himself from lake to lake.

It’s a tough road. And it’s where I stand. And then I’m going to have to get my act together and start catching them in the next few to, uh, keep on going.

So, what’s interesting about this story is that we follow the characters of professional bass fishing. So, maybe when the next Toyota Texas Bass Classic happens next year, folks can go down there and look at these anglers with a different perspective.

Thanks, Abe.

Find a list of stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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