Passport to Texas

Nice looking red snapper.

Angling: Red Snapper Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Seasoned anglers may roll their eyes when I make this confession, but I have been using “redfish” and “red snapper” interchangeably. This—I know now—is wrong.

11— Red snapper is different from what people commonly refer to as redfish or red drum. So, yes. Two different species. Red snapper and red drum… of which red drum is often referred to as redfish.

Thank you, Jeremy Leitz [LEETZ], for clearing that up. Jeremy is with coastal fisheries. These species are easy to tell apart: Red drum is more streamlined and has a black dot on its tail; red snapper is chunkier and…well… redder.

08—Red snapper are typically found in deeper waters along structures such as artificial or natural reefs. While red drum are in the gulf, they’re typically more sought after in our bay systems.

I’m telling you this because Parks and Wildlife’s Coastal Fisheries division requests your help with a voluntary red snapper survey, which makes accurate identification of the species vital.

14— What we’re asking of recreational anglers is that after a fishing trip, they log onto a website to record the number of red snapper that trip harvested. Only one angler needs to report per party, but again, after you’re done with your trip, log into the website and report the number you have caught.

The survey is a pilot program that continues through May 2015. Find it on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series; it’s funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

Dinosaur Valley State park, Paluxy River.

Recreation: Natural Swimming Holes Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You don’t have to hunker down indoors this the summer when the temperature starts to climb. In fact, many state parks offer a cool alternative to air-conditioned cabin fever with a number of natural swimming holes…

Public swimming pools can be fun if you like noise and crowds. If you prefer peaceful playtime, float your cares away at Blanco State Park, 40 miles north of San Antonio. Here you’ll find cool, clear, spring-fed swimming for anyone seeking refuge from the long Texas summer.

Just 10 miles north of Beaumont is Village Creek State Park, and a free-flowing stream, popular with tubers and paddlers.

Located about one hour from Fort Worth, Dinosaur Valley State Park allows visitors to swim in the same Paluxy River where dinosaurs roamed 113-million years ago.

Garner State Park near Uvalde is home to 10 acres of Frio riverfront, giving visitors plenty of space to swim the clear water, scoot the rapids in inner tubes, or even rent pedal boats.

Find listings for river and creek swimming sites at state parks at texassrtateparks.org. You’ll also find a list of sites with lake swimming, and even some with ocean swimming. Or, if you prefer swimming pools, there’s a directory of parks offering those controlled environments to beat the heat. And don’t forget your sunscreen!

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.

Fish at Sea Center Texas

Invasives: Aquarium Trade, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How far would you travel to ensure the future of your favorite exotic aquarium fish?

06—We had some folks telling us that they would go as far as 50 miles to find an appropriate body of water.

You may think releasing your pet fish into Texas waters, when you no longer want it or can care for it, is humane. Yet exotic aquaria species disrupt natural ecosystems and out-compete native fish for resources.

Priscilla Weeks is a senior research scientist at the Houston Advanced Research Center. Her team used a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant to research why people release their fish into Texas waters.

14—I think there might be a stereotype where folks think that it is easy, emotionally, just to release a fish. But actually what we’re finding is folks are very attached to their pets.

Research shows whether a person gets rid of their fish depends on personal preference like a fish’s behavioral or physical attributes. Weeks says oftentimes if those attributes change, so does the owners’ interest in the fish.

Weeks says some people think releasing a fish is the only option, but, among the alternatives are euthanizing it, and the less drastic: taking it back to the pet store.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel.

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

Aquarium fish

Invasives: Aquarium Trade Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Audio clip from Finding Nemo] 04—He’s gonna get out of here. He’s going to get flushed. What a smart little guy!

We love the scenario from the Pixar film Finding Nemo where a cute little aquarium fish escapes back into the wild. The problem is most of these captive species aren’t from Texas. Luci Cook-Hildreth is Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Inland Fisheries Division.

18—Even really smart people sometimes don’t understand that a fish is not just a fish and water is not just water. They go, “I have a creek in my backyard, and I have a fish that’s too big for my tank. Well, why don’t I just set him free?” And they don’t understand that there’s a lot of biological and ecological ramifications to that decision.

When these non-native fish thrive, they out-compete native Texas fish populations.

Cook-Hildreth says the internet makes buying exotic species of fish easy and practically impossible to regulate. Despite state laws, there seems to be a constant supply – and demand—for illegal species…and for good reason.

16—Folks that are interested in selling illegal fish have the potential to make thousands of dollars on these fish. And we can slap a fine on them, for $200 or $300 dollars; it’s really just the cost of doing business for these folks.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restorarion program supports our series… and receives funds from your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel.

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

TPW TV: Boat Builder Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Houston architect Skip Johnson builds boats for fun.

10—However elegant and beautiful a boat looks, it looks that much better in the water gliding out in front of you; that’s their function in life.

And the boats he builds achieve their destinies. During a TPW PBS TV segment this week, he shows off his skills.

09— I came up with the idea of a kind of a semi jet drive. All of the sail fru-fra is stuff I’ve added just to play around with here recently.

While Skip builds boats for fun, he puts some through their paces in competitions like the annual Texas Junior Safari.

03—The boat did real well. It just needs a better motor.

In the end, Skip Johnson says building boats and entering competitions isn’t about winning prizes…it’s about beauty.

06— Just my personal opinion, but anyone that looks at one of these boats and doesn’t see beauty in it doesn’t have a soul.

[ 16—Start Lyle Lovett song: If I had a Boat]

The Boat Builder segment airs the week of July 13 on the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS TV series. Check your local listings.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.