Passport to Texas

Guadalupe Bass

Conservation: Guadalupe Bass Restoration Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Nearly 40 years ago, Texas Parks and Wildlife began stocking smallmouth bass in the streams and reservoirs in the Edwards Plateau region to improve Hill Country angling opportunities. The unforeseen result: the fish hybridized with the native Guadalupe Bass (known only to those waters) threatening to displace the State Fish of Texas.

02—It’s got its problems and its challenges.

Dr. Gary Garrett says the plight of the species goes beyond hybridization. Inadequate land management caused changes to GB habitat, which also exacted a toll.

Over the past 20 years, fisheries research biologists, like Dr. Garrett – who heads up the watershed conservation program for Texas Parks and Wildlife – landowners, and others have worked together to help improve land and conserve GB habitat using an ecosystem approach.

29— The help is everything from restoring grasslands on the uplands; helping to restore and preserve good riparian habitat; preventing erosion; keeping sediment flows properly balanced within the streams; good water quality and water quantity. You don’t just stock more fish and they’re happier and everything’s cool. You do all of these things together to make a solid, sound, healthy ecosystem, and everything flourishes within it – especially our state fish.

Tomorrow: Life in the city affects life outside of the city.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds conservation projects in Texas.

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

Sport Fish Restoration Monies

Angling: Sport Fish Restoration Program,2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Federal Sport Fish Restoration program—funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuel—funds a variety of conservation projects in Texas. Last year Texas Parks and Wildlife received $17.4-million from the program.

11—That funding went to support sport fisheries management, sport fish stocking in Texas waters, fish habitat conservation, enhancement and restoration efforts, and aquatic education.

Timothy Birdsong coordinates the Sport Fish program for Parks and Wildlife.

08 – Fifteen percent of that program is used to perform improvement to boat ramps and other boating access facilities around the state.

Birdsong says this is a successful conservation model—a user pay, user benefit program.

24 – The taxes that you contribute as anglers, and as boaters, to this pot of money, is used to improve the resource for you…to provide additional opportunities…provide additional access to these waters. So, it is vital that we continue to have the support of the anglers and the boating community to be able to maintain the program at the level that it is currently.

See how Parks and Wildlife spends these funds when you visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuel.

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

TPW Magazine March 2013

TPW Magazine: All About Fishing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We’re hooked on fishing here at Texas Parks and Wildlife; and if you are, too, then the March issue of our magazine might reel you in. Editor, Louie Bond.

63— Well, you know, it’s spring, so we’re knee deep in water and we are fishing. We fished in February and had our special digital out there, which is still very relevant. People can go to our website and take a look at that and get lots of good fishing information. But in the March print issue, we’ll have some great fishing stories as well. We’re going to take a look at power plant lakes, which early in the spring when the water’s still cold, it’s a great place to fish, because they generate warm water – so there’s nice, warm steamy water – the fish love it and they’re biting like crazy. Then we’re going to talk about cat fishing as well. You know, we’ve spent a lot of time looking at how to grow bigger bass, and now TPW is looking at growing bigger catfish. Catfishing is an incredibly popular sport in Texas; very abundant. So, it can only get better from here. And our last feature is kind of wild and whacky. They describe it as a combination of fishing and hunting – plus a little ‘wow’ I think. It’s when you’re going out for alligator. Can you imagine hauling in an alligator into your boat? It’s a very exciting story. It’s lots of fun. So, lots of fishing and fund and adventure in our March issue.

Thanks, Louie

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

Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee Tommy Martin, image from Vimeo

TPW TV: Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

This month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS television series, meet an inductee into the 2012 Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, who – says series producer, Don Cash – would go fishing even if it weren’t his job.

60— On the Parks and Wildlife television show, we’re going to feature inductees into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame for 2012.And one of them is a guy named Tommy Martin whose been fishing professionally for over 40 years. Tommy won a tournament way back when; one of those Bass Masters, way back in the days of black and white film. And he talked about how much money he made then, and the difference in how much they make now. What I thought was kind of interesting about Tommy is despite the fact he’s on the water 200-250 days a year, either fishing tournaments of guiding, in his spare time, he still likes to go fishing. So, right now there are 24 inductees in the Texas Freshwater Hall of Fame, which is located in Athens, at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries center. Some of the guys are professional fishermen. Some of them are boat builders. Some of them are guys that like to fish and maybe decided to help kids learn. But everybody in the hall of fame obviously has a love for fishing. And Texas is a great place to have that love.

Thanks, Don.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and provides funding for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

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

Hunstville State Park’s Lake Raven

Parks/Angling: Lake Raven for Bass fishing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Largemouth bass fishing reigns supreme in Texas; while most anglers choose to cast in big lakes like Amistad, our SP Guide, Bryan Frazier tells us smaller State Park lakes, like Lake Raven, might surprise you.

53— Lake Raven, only 210 acres, inside Huntsville State Park – very scenic — was rated as the number one bass lake for bass in the 14 to 17-inch size. And one of the top overall lakes that was done in the study for all year. It gets overlooked a lot. Lake Raven is just one example. Bass fishing in Texas is legendary; it is maybe the model fishery for the rest of the United States. And the inland fisheries department here does a fantastic job with that. And it’s a good marriage with state parks, because of all the other recreation. And Huntsville SP, where Lake Raven is, has lots of other things to offer. From miles and miles of trails to horseback riding – you can rent horses there – and lots of different things. But the fishing…Lake Raven really is a shining star; smaller bodies of water can oftentimes have great fishing, too. And state parks – when you’re inside a state park, no one even needs a fishing license, with the free fishing in state parks, And Lake raven is one of them. But bass fishing in Texas is king, and Lake Raven is at the top of the list.

Thanks, Bryan.

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.