Passport to Texas

Dr. Bobby Gene Whiteside

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This is Passport to Texas

Dr. Bobby Gene Whiteside taught at Texas State University for 33 years; for 18 years he directed the aquatic biology program there. He calls himself an outdoor oriented country boy.

My family, and then my teaching and then bass fishing was sort of the order of things.

Dr. Whiteside is the first academic inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center Hall of Fame, which honors individuals and organizations for their contributions to freshwater fishing in Texas. A longtime member of the Canyon Bass Club, fellow club member, Carl Adkins, says to know Whiteside is to learn from him.

He basically teaches fishing and how to fish just like he taught species and all the other things when he was actually teaching in the University. Anybody that meets him or is around him very long picks up knowledge from him.

Roy Klein-laster, a retired aquatic biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife, gives this professor high marks.

Educators can really be judged by the network they create. He has had students go into academia, he’s had them work for different conservation agencies, water quality agencies, Parks and Wildlife, EPA.

Dr. Bobby Gene Whiteside is in the spotlight next week on the Texas Parks and Wildlifeseries on PBS. Check your local listings.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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

How to handle fish once you get them home.

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This is Passport to Texas

Like to fish? Then you should know this Saturday, June second, is Free Fishing Day in Texas.

People don’t need a fishing license to fish on that first Saturday in June.

Great news, right? Former Texas Parks and Wildlife aquatic training specialist, Caleb Harris, says when you reel in a fish you intend to keep, there is a humane way to dispatch your catch before it becomes dinner.

Most people say that the kindest way to care for a fish that you want to keep [for dinner] is to put it on ice as fast as possible.

The cold temperature, says Harris, causes the fish’s bodily functions to slow down…way down.

The ice will anesthetize it; it’ll be virtually painless at that cold temperature; the fish will get cold and will slowly pass. So, yeah. If you have a boat, and you have the ability to bring an ice chest, you know—catch the fish—if you intend to keep it, make sure it’s a legal size, and put it right on ice.

When you get the fish home, you’ll want to immediately filet it and either cook it up right away, or freeze it.

Find a video on how to filet fish, and a link to information on the best way to freeze fish at passporttotexas.org.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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This is Passport to Texas

Healthy aquatic habitat means good fishing.

We are at Lake Cypress Springs to construct some artificial fish habitat structures.

Fisheries biologist Tim Bister works to enhance declining aquatic habitat.

There is not a lot of structure for fish like largemouth bass or sunfish to relate to underneath the water. And fish need habitat structure in general. Even in reservoirs that left timber standing, over time that timber in the water breaks down and the habitat for fish declines, so we’re at a point where we really need to start doing something with these reservoirs to improve fish habitat.

With supervision from Texas Parks and Wildlife, anglers Kody Corrin and Calvin Lamont, installed artificial habitat of PVC pipes in the lake.

We love fishing, but we both understand that without conservation of the lakes, we are not going to be able to do that. So it is on our part to make sure we help take care of that, take care of the resource that provides our recreation.

Structure is important, but so is food. Rick Ott manages a native aquatic plant nursery at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

The vegetation is producing food that invertebrates consume, small fish consume the invertebrates, bigger fish eat the smaller fish, and we eat the bigger fish.

Learn about artificial fish habitat next week on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS.

Check your local listings.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, Cecilia Nasti.

Guadalupe Bass (Micropterus treculii)

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This is Passport to Texas

The Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest is a professional bass fishing tournament that puts the spotlight on Texas’ exceptional bass fisheries. The event comes to Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country May 17-20.

Just outside of Jonestown, Texas at Jones Brothers Park.

Dave Terre, chief of fish management and research, coordinates the event for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The pro anglers who fish the tournament should also expect to reel in species other than largemouth.

It’s going to be kind of cool this year. Yes, they’ll catch white bass, they’ll catch a striper. But I think they’re going to be reeling in one really cool fish this year. A fish that they’ve never caught in the 12 year history of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest. They going to be catching some of the state fish this year. The Guadalupe bass. They’re very abundant in Lake Travis, and also, we’re going to be doing some messaging with that fish this year…since we’re doing so much work with the Guadalupe bass right here in the Texas Hill Country; that will be really cool.

The Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest is May 17-20 on Lake Travis. It’s free to attend, and offers an Outdoor Adventures Area for family friendly fun. Details at bassmaster.com.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, Cecilia Nasti.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., will be competing among a full field of 108 anglers in the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Image: bassmaster.com.

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This is Passport to Texas

More than 100 world class bass anglers will be on Lake Travis later this month for an event originally called the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

This event has been going on since 2007, but, for the past two years, it’s under a brand new name: The Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest.

TPWD’s Dave Terre helps to coordinate the event for the agency, which he says is a fundraiser.

To help the department raise fund to benefit our youth fishing activities.

Including the neighborhood fishin’ program, state fish art contest, and various other programs that get youth involved in the sport of angling.

This has been really huge for Texas Parks and Wildlife. So far we’ve raised 2.75 million dollars since the event’s inception since 2007 as the as the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

With another $250,000 donation expected at the Lake Travis event, donations will reach $3-million dollars.

It’s a blessing. And we can thank Toyota, And Gulf States Toyota and Bassmaster for helping us and supporting us in this event, to showcase our Texas fisheries, and to give us these funds to do good work to bring children into the outdoors through fishing.

The Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest is on Lake Travis in Jonestown, Texas. It’s free to attend, and offers an Outdoor Adventures Area for family friendly fun. Details at bassmaster.com.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, Cecilia Nasti.