Passport to Texas

ShareLunker: Breeding Better Bass Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

One of inland fisheries’ management goals includes creating world class angling opportunities in Texas. One way that’s happening is through the Toyota Texas ShareLunker program.

A lunker is a largemouth bass caught between October first and April 30th that weighs 13 pounds or more.

David Campbell oversees the program and says anglers loan these bass to Parks and Wildlife for spawning and research purposes.

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center here in Athens is where we pick up the fish, and we spawn ‘em. We do some of the genetic identification and stuff like that here. Also, Lorraine Fries and her staff at A.E. Wood is doing the actual genetic research on it – on the muscle tissue and the blood samples and the stuff that we send them. And we have a geneticist on staff down there that is actually directing the program. You need that. I’ve raised fish for the last 38 years or so, and when you start looking into the genetic side of things it takes people who have special training.

Hatcheries staff conducts research on bass loaned or donated to the program to produce potentially trophy-sized fish for stocking in Texas public waters.

Learn about the program by logging onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series and works to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

History of a Fish Story Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Anglers help keep bass fishing interesting in Texas by donating their lunkers to the Toyota Texas ShareLunker Program where they’re used for spawning and genetic research.

07—A ShareLunker is a largemouth bass that weighs 13 pounds or more and is caught between October the first through April the 30th.

David Campbell’s oversees the Toyota ShareLunker Program. He admits in the beginning he wasn’t convinced anglers would participate.

07—I was reluctant for the fact that I didn’t think the anglers would be willing to loan us the biggest fish they ever caught in their life.

When the first lunker came to the program in 1986, not only did Campbell’s concerns disappear, but the fish caused quite a splash.

08—We made national news and it was just like from there on, people call you, and they want to loan you their ten pounders…their eight pounders (laughter)

Thousands of visitors traveled to the Tyler fish hatchery where TPW kept the lunker, just to get a peek.

13—Sometimes they were lined up all the way up to the house, which I lived on the hatchery there, around the office, they’d be lined up down the road, and I’d go out there and open up the door
and let them see the fish…and we had over ten thousand visitors that signed a register one year.

More about the ShareLunker program tomorrow.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series.

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

ShareLunker Club Tournament Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic tournament raises funds and awareness for the work of Texas Parks and Wildlife. This world class bass fishing competition takes place Halloween weekend on Lake Conroe. Tournament Director Lenny Francoeur says if you can’t make it to the Lake, and you have an internet connection, you can still keep track of the action.

11— They can still check it out online and we’ll have a real time scoring function as well. So, you can check the website, and see exactly up to the second how every angler is doing and what
weight they have for that day. So, it’s a neat little feature.

Francoeur says there’s a special competition currently underway as a lead up to the Bass Classic, and a kick off to the ShareLunker season, which began October 1.

25— The TTBC has created the ShareLunker Club Tournament. It’s only on Lake Conroe and it’s going to be for three weeks. Anyone who’s interested in catching a bass over 13 pounds, and signs up
to be a member of the ShareLunker Club—it’s a hundred dollars, but you get tickets to the event and parking and other benefits—the largest ShareLunker caught on lake Conroe between October 1
and October 21 will win a hundred thousand dollars cash.

Find a link to more information at passporttotexas.org.

We record our series in Austin at The Block House.

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

This is Passport to Texas

When you get a snarl in your fishing line, it’s usually not worth trying to pick it apart, so you cut it off and toss it. But pitching monofilament line in the water or on shore is a bad idea.

10—People just don’t realize it can get caught up in boat motors, and it really has been quite a problem. There have been many animals that’ve been injured and killed with this monofilament fishing line.

Ann Miller just retired from her post as Aquatic Education coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife. You may think disposing of monofilament line in the water or on shore isn’t a problem, because UV rays will break it down, rendering it harmless.

15—But you forget that many times, if the monofilament is below the water line or in the shade, those UV rays are not there breaking it down. And so, we really do have a lot of monofilament that is in the environment for many, many years.

Circumvent future trouble by recycling line in outdoor collection bins, or at participating bait shops.

10—The goal of the monofilament-recycling program is to help reduce the amount of monofilament in the environment, to help protect wildlife and fish, and people’s property.

That’s our show…we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…which support diverse conservation efforts in Texas…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel.

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

What's Your Line (doing littering the shore)? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

When you hear the word tilapia, you may think of a savory meal with lemon butter sauce, but you probably don’t think of the term “invasive species.”

11—The tilapia are great to eat. They’re raised as a food fish, and they’re quite tasty. They’re quite popular in restaurants. But the problem is when they’re in our natural waters they are upsetting the ecosystem.

Tilapia have been in Texas for decades. They were originally brought in as a food source to be raised in fish farms, but eventually made they’re way into Texas waters.

Gary Garrett, a Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologist, says tilapia can be a threat to large mouth bass and other native species.

16—They build big pit nests and in doing that they stir up a lot of the settlement. And it’s been shown, for example, with large mouth bass, all that sediment stirred up and settling back down will often kill large mouth bass eggs.

When tilapia do this, they can potentially damage the entire ecosystem because of the intricate food chain.

Texas Parks and Wildlife does have state regulations for tilapia, but because tilapia are found all over the state, they are difficult to control. But if you like to fish, Garrett says you can help.

03—Don’t throw them back. If you catch them, keep them.

So next time you catch a tilapia, turn on the grill and get cooking. You’ll be doing yourself and the Texas ecosystem a favor. The SF Restoration program supports our series…and works to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

Taking Down Tilapia Play Now | Play in Popup | Download