Passport to Texas

Blue Catfish

Fishing: Managing Catfish for the Future Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Largemouth bass is hands down the favorite sport fish among anglers in Texas

04— Today in Texas about 50% of our anglers say they prefer largemouth bass.

Dave Terre, chief of inland fisheries research and management, says another fish is gaining on largemouth.

05—About 20 percent of anglers prefer fishing catfish in Texas.

That’s right – the humble catfish. Catfish are better able than largemouth bass to survive and thrive when water levels are low, such as during drought.

06—We’re trying to study catfish more intensively to determine how we can make fishing for catfish even better.

Over the next couple of years Texas Parks and Wildlife will develop management plans for catfish, and ask for public input. Until then, grab a rod and reel and cast for cats.

15— Most people in Texas – when they think of a fish, they think of a catfish. I think that’s the honest truth. Bass get more notoriety, but catfish are very important and I think a perfect fish to start new anglers on fishing, and to get a new generation of Texas interested in fishing.

Lots of folks are interested in eating catfish, too. So Dave Terre says as the agency develops fisheries across the state, it’s ensuring opportunities for the harvest of decent sized catfish for your dining pleasure.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds fisheries research in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Catching Blue Cats in Lake Waco

Fishing: Rethinking Catfish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An old timey freshwater fish is gaining in popularity again. What is it?

04— A traditional fish that’s been caught by anglers for many, many years.

That’s more of a clue than an answer, Dave. Dave Terre is chief of inland fisheries research and management. Here’s another clue: Parks and Wildlife produces and stocks this fish in Texas water bodies.

05—Yes, we do produce many, many catfish in our state fish hatchery system in Texas.

Catfish! Was that so hard?

28—As a matter of fact, we stock literally thousands of advanced size channel catfish in small ponds located throughout the state. One of those programs is our neighborhood Fishin’ program, where we’re stocking every two weeks adult channel catfish 12-inches or larger, into some 14 water bodies across the state to offer up great fishing opportunities for people who reside in urban areas of our state, which is definitely a group that we would like to reach out to.

To the original point: serious anglers are rediscovering catfish. This begs the question: why?

15— Texas is changing. We’re going to be experiencing more drought conditions in Texas; and what we know about catfish is they are able to deal with fluctuating water levels better than largemouth bass, which have been – and will continue to be – a popular sport fish in Texas.

With heavy stocking and a new eye toward management catfish is a traditional species for changing times.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds fisheries research in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Crab trap removal from Texas bays

Conservation: Crab Trap Removal, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Crab traps—abandoned by their owners in Texas bays—continue to snare crabs, sport fish and other marine life. Since 2002 TPW, its partners and volunteers have removed traps annually during a 10 day cleanup.

04— And we’ve removed 30,449 traps to date.

Coastal biologist, Art Morris, says one derelict trap can ensnare 26 crabs a year; since the removal program, a half million crabs have been spared. This year’s cleanup is February 21 through March second.

14— Anytime during that closure, anybody can remove traps from the bays. But, on Saturday the 22nd, we’ll have our main event day, where we have our staff facilitating some of the sites on the coast and some of our partners will be facilitating some of our sites on the coast.

The program welcomes volunteers with boats, as well as those who wish to work on shore.

18—We will pass out gloves and tarps for people; we will have water available at our facilitated sites. All ages can participate. We’ve had boy scout troops come out and help out. We’ve had the elderly and everybody in between that’s spent significant time doing this.

At some locations along the coast, partners and volunteers even have cleanup parties.

11— There are some places that have barbeques and hot dog and hamburger grills going. Some of these places have had a party every year and really get into it.

Contact your local coastal fisheries field stations, or visit the TPW website for details about getting involved.

The Sport Fish Restoration program Supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Picking up abandoned crab traps in Texas bays

Conservation: Crab Trap Removal, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Crab traps lost or forgotten in the gulf kill crabs as well as other marine and shore life.

04— But blue crabs, stone crabs, and sheepshead are the big three.

Throughout the years rogue traps have ensnared countless species of game and sport fish, says coastal biologist, Art Morris.

22— We’ve [also] seen things like Diamondback Terrapins—which are a species of special concern—as well as river prawns, other turtles (not sea turtles, but other freshwater turtles). We’ve removed the remains of an otter out of a trap; we’ve seen the remains of birds that have been caught in these traps once the traps have been washed onshore. These are prolific killing machines.

Prior to 2002, only Game Wardens or the trap owners could remove the devices legally from surf or shore. Until then, the derelict traps kept racking up kills. But in 2001, the Texas legislature stepped in.

19— The Texas Legislature saw to it that we [TPWD] needed authority to create an abandoned crab trap removal program. And the grated us the authority to do that. And what that looks like today is a 10 day closure for the use of traps; any traps that are left in the water [during that time] are considered abandoned and classified as litter. So, anybody can remove them.

We’ll have details about the 2014 Crab Trap Cleanup – and how you can help – on tomorrow’s show.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Fishing with borrowed tackle

Angling: Tackle Loaner Program Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If one of your New Year’s resolutions included trying your hand at angling… but you don’t want to spend money on tackle until you know you’re going to like the sport… Texas Parks and Wildlife has a tackle loaner program for folks like you.

15—The tackle loaner program is a program in which we provide different sites with basic fishing rods and reels and some very basic tackle so that citizens can borrow that equipment and go fishing.

Ann Miller oversaw aquatic education at parks and wildlife before retiring.

16—When you go to a tackle loaner site to check out equipment, you’ll receive a little tackle box with basic hooks and bobbers and sinkers of different sizes. You’ll also be able to check out a very basic spin casting rod and reel.

Anyone over 17 will need a fishing license to check out equipment. Persons under 18 must have an adult check out the tackle for them.

15—Each tackle loaner site has a simple form that the person who checks out the equipment would sign, saying that ‘yes’ they will bring the equipment back. And you will just leave an ID there –you can check it out for up to a week.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds winter rainbow trout stocking in Texas. So borrow some tackle and reel one in.

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