Passport to Texas

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

During spring break you got a taste of what it’s going to be like when the kids are out of school this summer. How will you and the kiddos fill the days on end of “free time” to come?

We at Texas Parks and Wildlife suggest a relaxing, entertaining, and low cost activity you and your family can take to the bank. It’s a little something we like to call fishing.

And all month long you’ll find free fishing clinics at state parks where you can hone your skills.

Even though we gear these clinics primarily for children…we’re, of course, encouraging parents to be there with their children. And what I think is really fun is to watch the parents become just as engaged at these clinics as the children are.

Ann Miller oversees angler education.

Once of the activities people will be able to participate in is learning about fishing regulations. A lot of people, we realize, don’t know when it is that you need to have a fishing license. So, they’ll be able to find that out. They’ll be able to find out about size and bag limits for different species of fish in the state, and at different locations. So, we’ll also be teaching about fishing safety. We want everyone to get out there and enjoy our resources… fish… have fun…and be safe on the water.

Visit passporttotexas.org for a list of fishing clinics taking place statewide.

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

Careful fisheries management by Texas Parks and Wildlife has created a healthy, abundant, and enviable largemouth bass population in Lake Fork in east Texas.

I’ll tell you what. The Texas State [largemouth] record is 18 pounds point 18 ounces. And I was with Dave Terry – an expert at Texas Parks and Wildlife who knows that lake very well… and asked him, Dave, is the Texas state record out there swimming in Lake Fork? And he said, Gene, there’s over a hundred bass in that lake that would smash that world record.

Gene Ellison is Executive Director of the Professional Anglers Association. April 13 through 14, 160 professional bass anglers will take part in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Fork.

These anglers are coming to not only to fish this lake, they’re also fishing for a million dollar prize purse. So, there’s a lot of money at stake here. In addition, if we set a brand new state record during this event it means an additional hundred thousand dollars cash to that angler, plus a fully rigged top of the line bass boat.

But big money and big bass aren’t the only reasons to be at Lake Fork April 13 through 15.

There will be fun things going on all three days. We have six country western live acts, including Clay Walker and Tracy Lawrence, including four other well known country musicians. And this is free admission. So, there’ll be things to do all day long with the kids. There will be wonderful entertainment until dusk, and we want everybody to come out and have a great time with us.

Find more information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today…supported by 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

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

Bass anglers nationwide are anxiously awaiting the start of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Fork in east Texas.

Boy, I’ll tell ya…as an avid tournament angler, we’re all drooling to go fish Lake Fork.

Gene Ellison is Executive Director of the Professional Angler’s Association. The tournament will take place April 13-15.

There are one hundred sixty of us coming down that have qualified to fish this event. And the population of bass in this lake is remarkable. Both in size and in volume.

Many of the lunkers – largemouth bass 13 pounds and over donated to the Sharelunker Program – came from this lake, and have been used as brood stock.

And these giant fish are going to be showcased by these 160 top anglers. The quality of the fish that they catch is going to be remarkable.

This tournament is unique for a couple of reasons: it’s the first time a tournament’s happened at Lake Fork, and anglers will have to work in four man teams…

We’re going to have two guys going out on the water, interpret the water they receive from the two men coming off of the water, and determine how they can best help their team. Also, every fish that’s caught during this tournament that’s less than 24-inches long, will be measured lengthwise, their weight will be recorded, and they will be immediately released. This has never happened in professional bass fishing before.

More on the Bass Classic tomorrow.

That’s our show for today…supported by 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

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

The Guadalupe Bass – our state fish — is only found in the Guadalupe River…and it’s in trouble. This month the Texas Parks and Wildlife television series highlights its plight, and efforts to keep this native pure and strong. Series producer Abe Moore.

The Guadalupe Bass is having a problem with the smallmouth bass, because they inhabit the same streams and they’re cross breeding.

Small mouth bass were brought into Texas by Texas Parks and Wildlife in the mid 70s to provide an additional sport fish for anglers. Having no idea that they might hybridize with our native Hill Country Guadalupe Bass.

So, our pure strain of Guadalupe Bass is disappearing. So Texas Parks and Wildlife with the folks at the Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center is working to save the fish species by basically raising thousands and thousands of baby Guadalupe Bass and then restocking them back into the Guadalupe River and Johnson Creek in the Hill Country. I was impressed with the hatchery guys at the Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center. I mean, this was a yearlong process of them capturing – actually going out and fishing and catching Guadalupe Bass.

I got him. He’s a Guadalupe Bass. He’s a nice fish.

And they would use those to spawn and to have the babies basically and do the whole process. It’s a yearlong thing that they’re working hard on trying to save the fish.

Check local listings to see when the show airs in your town.

That’s our show…supported 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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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

If you’re wondering what people do in the great outdoors, consider spending a little time indoors watching the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series and find out. Series producer Abe Moore…

The first week of April, one of the main stories we’re working on is Pedernales Volunteers. It’s a story on how important our volunteers are to the state park system.

The work they do is a tremendous benefit to the staff, because it saves them a lot of time. It allows us to actually provide a higher level of customer service.

The second week of April, we’re doing a story on the Guadalupe bass – our state fish – and folks at the Texas Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center are working to save our state fish from going extinct.

We began work to raise thousands and thousands of pure Guadalupe Bass, and put them back into the system, and simply overwhelm the hybrids.

The third week of April, we’re heading out with the game wardens of the Texas parks and Wildlife department. They’re heading out to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

Lots of chaos. But when we were given a mission, we brought order to that chaos. We had a command staff. We had game wardens that were organized, knew how to work the boats, and knew how to fit into a team effort.

And, finally, on the fourth week of April on our TV program, we’re doing a program called “Student Parking” – and it deals with all of our state parks and how great they are as outdoor classrooms.

Check local listings to see when the show airs in your town.

That’s our show…thank you for joining us…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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