Passport to Texas

Fishing with borrowed tackle

Borrow Tackle and Go Fish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

If one of your New Year’s resolutions includes trying your hand at angling… but you don’t want to spend money on tackle until you know you’re going to like the sport… Texas Parks and Wildlife can help.

The tackle loaner program is a program where different sites have basic fishing rods, reels and tackle that folks can borrow to go fishing.

When you go to a tackle loaner site to check out equipment, you’ll receive a little tackle box with basic hooks and different sizes of bobbers and sinkers. You’ll also be able to check out a very basic spin casting rod and reel.

Anglers under 18 years of age must have an adult check out the tackle for them.

Each tackle loaner site has a simple form that the person who checks out the equipment signs saying that ‘yes’ they will bring the equipment back.

Just leave an ID, and you can check it out for up to a week. Which is perfect for those long camping vacations.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds winter rainbow trout stocking in Texas. So borrow some tackle and reel some in in the New Year.

From all of us at Passport to Texas—Prospero Ano y Felicidad…said another way Happy New Year, y’all.

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

Family time on the water.

Get Dad Outdoors for Father's Day Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

A lot of men don’t want friends and family making a big fuss over them on special days – but we’re going to do it for Father’s Day anyway, Daddio, so deal with it.

Show your Dad what he means to you by giving him the gift of the great Texas outdoors on Father’s Day, June 18th.

Maybe the kiddos could spring for a Texas State Parks Pass (which is really like a gift for the whole family); it allows unlimited access to all state parks for a year, discounts on camping, as well as discounts at state parks stores.

Or, you could take Dad fishing at a state park—because everyone fishes for free at Texas State Parks that have fishing opportunities. Some parks even have tackle loaner programs. Just bring your own bait. Plus, you could catch something tasty for your Dad Day Dinner. How cool is that?

If your Dad prefers alone time with nature, and doesn’t already have a limited use permit from Parks and Wildlife, giving one to him provides access to a million acres of public land in Texas where he can hike, mountain bike, do some wildlife viewing, fish—and in some cases—primitive camping.

Texas is a big state that offers an exciting world of outdoor opportunities. Doesn’t your Dad deserve the best of Texas?

That’s our show for today…Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram.

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

Fishing is fun for the entire family.

2017 Free Fishing Day in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

During National Fishing and Boating Week, most states offer free fishing days. These are days where anglers are allowed to fish on public bodies of water without a fishing license. Anyone who wishes to cast a line in fresh or saltwater may do so…freely.

This year free fishing day in Texas is June 3rd.

Every day is Free Fishing Day at Texas state parks that have fishing opportunities. Once you pay the park entrance fee, you and yours can fish to your heart’s content—while following bag limits and other regulations.

If you’re not currently an angler, but want to give it a try, some parks have tackle loaner programs. Borrow the tackle to use at the park, but bring your own bait. For very little investment, you can sample a sport that gets you outdoors and has the potential of putting food on the table.

On June 3rd in East Texas, the Texas freshwater Fisheries Center offers a day of free fishing, hot dogs, soft drinks and games. Other parks throughout the state offer Go Fish events and Kids fishing derbies on June 3rd, for a day of outdoor fun with family and friends.

Log onto the calendar page of the Texas Parks and Wildlife website for more angling opportunities.

We receive support for our program from the Sport Fish restoration Program… reminding you that Saturday June 3rd is Free Fishing Day in Texas.

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

His first fish at Lake Arrowhead.

Borrowing Tackle via the Tackle Loaner Program Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

It’s winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go fishing. In fact, winter is the only time Texas Parks and Wildlife stocks rainbow trout. Plus, when you fish at Texas State Parks, fishing is free. You’re new to angling and don’t have tackle? No problem.

Many of our state parks that have water for fishing, have fishing poles that people can borrow.

Caleb Harris is an aquatic education training specialist. He says it’s easy to borrow rods, reels and tackle boxes with hooks, sinkers and bobbers.

 [Just] sign a paper that says they’ll bring the fishing poles back, and they can borrow the fishing poles for up to a week, sometimes, as they’re camping in the park. Or, if they just come for the day, they can borrow them and return them back to the park.

You are responsible for your own bait, but I hear rainbow trout bite on most anything; so load your hook with pieces of your picnic lunch. Nothing is easier than fishing for free in state parks with borrowed tackle.

 If people are interested in getting into fishing, we try to make that accessible as much as possible.

Find state parks with fishing opportunities, tackle loaner programs, and fishing classes when you log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

This project and our show were funded in part by a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration Program.

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