Passport to Texas

Angler Stacy Spriggs of Huntsville caught the 13.06 pound, 27 inch Legacy Class lunker during the Second Annual Stanley Burgay Memorial Bass Tournament on a Carolina rig in 8 feet of water.

Effects of Drought on Bass (it's not all bad) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Lake Travis is the site of this year’s Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest May 17-20th.

Just a few short years ago the lake was at historic low levels due to extreme drought. However, Dave Terre, chief of fish management and research at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says, the drought contributed to improvements in the fishery.

During those low water years, what happened is a lot of terrestrial vegetation grew up into the lake bed, or on the edges of the lake. Then, in 2015, when we caught all that new water, it flooded all that terrestrial vegetation, creating an immense amount of fish habitat at the lake. Then, TPWD came in there and stocked Florida largemouth bass into the reservoir; plus we had a lot of natural spawning of bass also at the same time, and the bass population just took off wildly. And now, we’re just seeing the result of that increased fish production. And these strong year classes of fish up pushing through. And fishing has really been amazing on Lake Travis. And now is a great opportunity with the Toyota Bass Master Texas Fest to showcase this great fishery to a worldwide audience.

It’s free to attend the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest, May 17-20th, on Lake Travis. Find details at bassmaster.com.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, Cecilia Nasti.

Surf’s up in Corpus Christi. Image from http://www.visitcorpuschristitx.org

TPW Magazine: Texas Surfing Championships Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

While you won’t find world-class waves along Texas’ 367 miles of coastline, you will find a legion of surfing enthusiasts engaging the sport with almost cult-like fanaticism.

And in the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine writer, Dave Brown, introduces readers to competitive surfers, in his article: Epic Texas Challenge — Texas Surfing Championships.

Brown puts readers in the middle of the action at the Texas Gulf Surfing Association State Surfing Championships, held each spring at Bob Hall Pier in Corpus Christi.

In the article, we meet surfers, including nine-year-old Keagan Sohls who won the state champion titles in both the Menehune and Micro-Grom divisions. And longtime surfer, Brett Hopkins, who is a grandfather.

Brown writes: There weren’t many surfers in Texas before 1960, but by 1965 that changed. Perhaps due to the Beach Boys romanticizing the sport.

Whet your appetite for surfing with Dave Brown’s article: Epic Texas Challenge — Texas Surfing Championships in the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

That’s our show…. brought to you in part by Ram trucks: built to serve.

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

Bass fishing partners.

TPW Magazine: Epic Texas Challenge: Angler vs. Fish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Throughout 2018, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine is highlighting epic Texas challenges. In the April issue: Angler versus Fish. Largemouth Bass, to be exact.

The article, by Randy Brudnicki, takes readers on a journey through time, starting with a competition in 1955 that was the precursor of the Texas State Bass Tournament.

This year’s tournament is April 28 & 29 at Toledo Bend Reservoir.

Brudnicki asks and answers the question: what makes this tournament epic. He writes that perhaps it’s a combination of elements such as a storied history, unpredictable weather, venue vagaries and a high level of fierce competition.

Part competition, part reunion and part angler fellowship, the Texas State Bass Tournament has kept the man vs. fish vs. man challenge alive for 63 years.

The tournament includes divisions for mixed adult/child teams, senior teams, high school teams, adult teams and individual teams. Competitors range in age from 8 to 80.

Read about the trials and triumphs from past tournaments in Epic Texas Challenge: Angler vs. Fish in the April issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series

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

Creating a brush reef with dead trees.

Creating Habitat for Freshwater Fish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

As we age, it’s natural to experience physical decline. That’s what’s happening to Texas’ reservoirs.

Many Texas reservoirs were formed years ago by constructing dams across rivers. As water filled the low lying areas it submerged trees and shrubs, which became fish habitat.

That organic matter’s been breaking down ever since—and has reached a breaking point in some reservoirs.

This past fall, with the help of local volunteers—and financial support from the Brazos River Authority (or BRA)—Inland Fisheries staff from TPWD completed several projects to improve fish habitat at Aquilla Lake, Lake Georgetown and Granger Lake.

Each water body received a different treatment, from replanting water willows and establishing new plant colonies, to creating artificial reefs, to sinking brush piles—all of which help to improve fishing.

These projects were completed with funding from the Brazos River Authority as part of a multi-year effort to improve all 11 BRA System reservoirs in the basin through 2020.

Learn about these habitat projects as well as others that have taken place in reservoirs across the state on the TPW website.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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

Reeling in White Bass

How Drought Conditions Affect White Bass Run Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

In springtime, the white bass run is among the most anticipated freshwater angling events in the state.

Generations after generations seek these fish during this time, and it’s a good way to get kids involved in fishing. So there are a lot of traditional values to this fishery. And, there’s also a big economic impact by this fishery. It’s very important to our economy.

Marcos De Jesus is a fisheries biologist. When water levels in reservoirs are low, and river flows are down due to severe drought—that can spell trouble for the run.

Because the connectivity between the lakes and the rivers are being lost. So, without the flows that the fish need, they’re not running up river [to spawn].So, our concern is the fishery is not there for our anglers, and number two, these fish are not reproducing properly. And that starts to concern us because these fish are short lived, and we need them to reproduce within the second or third year.

Although the more than 40 percent of Texas is now in a moderate to severe drought, according to the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, white bass are running.

Anglers need to understand that these drought cycles occur, and that the fish still can be caught in the main reservoirs. It’s just that they may not be able to catch them in those typical areas upriver where people traditionally catch them [during droughts].

Find the fishing forecast on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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