Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Biologists at the Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center in Kerrville for the past thirteen years have worked to reestablish the Guadalupe Bass, which had experienced a significant population decline.

It has two different problems it’s facing throughout its range. One is just habitat loss – which a lot of animals face. Here, and in most of the places it occurs, that’s not nearly as much of a problem as hybridization with the smallmouth bass.

Dr. Gary Garrett is a fisheries biologist at Heart of the Hills. The Guadalupe bass occurs only in the Texas Hill Country, in the headwaters of the streams that drain the Edwards Plateau. Smallmouth bass, introduced to these waters in the mid-1970s to provide additional sport fish for anglers, hybridized with the native species.

So, they’re not as well adapted for their environment. They may do well in the short run, but in the long haul they’re really not going to be as good a species.

Efforts to restore the Guadalupe bass population began with a study of Johnson Creek.

Here in Johnson Creek where we began the study, we started with about thirty percent of the fish were hybrids –and that wasn’t stable – it was still increasing when we started.

The prognosis for the state fish of Texas is excellent. And we’ll tell you about it tomorrow.

That’s our show for today…supported by the Sport Fish Restoration program, which funds research at the Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Paul Dockery, from San Antonio, emailed his outdoor story to us through our website: passporttotexas.org.

He told us he’s an avid outdoorsman and a member of the Christian Outdoor Alliance, http://www.mycoa.org/. He shares his favorite times spent in the outdoors.

You know, it’s not that any one in particular thing happens. It’s just the fact that we get to get to get away and spend some quality time together. And we’ll be out on God’s front porch enjoying the beautiful weather and just enjoying each other.

My favorite times in the outdoors are when I get to load up with my wife and the kids. And we’ll have an ice chest and some goodies in it, and some folding chairs and a portable grill, and we’ll drag our boat out to a riverbank somewhere in the Hill Country. And just spend the day getting by on what we didn’t forget to bring.

We’ll have some fishing rods, and things like that, and probably take the dog with us, and spend the day out enjoying the Hill Country.

Visit passportotexas.org and send us your outdoor story. We may invite you to tell it to Passport to Texas listeners, like Paul did. And if we use your story, we’ll send you a Life’s Better Outside t-shirt!

That’s our show for today… Remember: Life’s Better Outside…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Outdoor Stories: Paul Dockery - Spending Time With Family Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Whether you plan to hit the road or stay home this summer, now is the perfect time to make your plans. And to help you with a few ideas is Associate Publisher of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, Charles Lohrmann.

June is the perfect time to plan a fishing trip to the Texas coast, because you’re still a few weeks ahead of the extreme heat of July and August, and when you get down there to the coast, kayaking is the perfect way to get to the fish. Our saltwater fishing writer, Larry Bozka has written an article about kayak fishing and some things to keep in mind as you plan a fishing trip like that.

So, whether you’re staying home or traveling to the coast, or even going out to Southwest Texas to devil’s river, we have something that will make the summer a little more interesting.

Thank you, Charles.

That’s our show…visit us online at www.passporttotexas.org… to listen to shows and to share your favorite outdoor story.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

The month of May brings fish stories and park stories to the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series. Writer/producer, Alan Fisher, gives us a rundown.

The first week of May, we’re featuring a recent inductee to the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame – Richard Hart.

About every other Monday I get a call from Dick, and I hear this voice say, ‘Wait until you hear what we caught this weekend.’ And it’s usually not so much what he caught, as it is what the other person caught.

Dick Hart, not only holds a couple of world fishing records for fly fishing, he’s done great things for the sport in terms of education and mentoring. And, he’s been a benefactor for the Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. And the week of May sixth, we have another inductee into the Fishing Hall of Fame – Buddy Bradley – who’s an excellent bass fisherman. And he’s actually done a lot in the science of bass fishing.

But I found out also, that you could work on the condition response of the fish and make the fish – trigger the fish – to strike when in reality he’s not hungry at all.

The week of May thirteenth, we take a visit to the Pineywoods, both at Tyler State Park and at a Lone Star Land Steward winner. The week of May twentieth, we visit Palmetto State Park in Central Texas, and the last week of may, we’ll pay a visit to Mother Neff State Park, which is often considered the first official state park in Texas.

Check your local listings.

That’s our show…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.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

A day of fishing is one of the simplest, most relaxing, and inexpensive outings you and your family can experience together. If your family’s never gone fishing before… and think it’s something you’d like to try…or if you used to fish, but haven’t been in a long time… and want to brush up on your knowledge…Texas Parks and Wildlife offers free fishing clinics at state parks during the Family Fishing Celebration.

It’s just been a wonderful program around all of these different state parks that are participating in our family fishing celebration. It’s been a wonderful experience for everyone.

Ann Miller, who oversees angler education, says the kiddos will find the clinics especially appealing because of added incentives.

They can win a first fish award if they are catching their first fish. Many of them will receive learning materials, such a fish identification cards. They might also even get a chance to win some pretty nice door prizes by becoming involved in these clinics. So, they’re a lot of fun. Kids will have a great time. They’ll come with probably some fishing gear to get themselves started with, too.

Visit passporttotexas.org for a list of fishing clinics around the state.

That’s our show…sponsored by the Sport Fish Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuels…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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