Passport to Texas

Get outside during Spring Break, and use the Texas State Parks APP as your guide.

Spring Break Week: Get Outside Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

As nature begins to wake from her winter rest, Texans prepare to take time off from school and work to enjoy it. We call this time Spring Break, and for most of us, that’s next week.

If your plans involve exploring Texas, but you’re not sure where to start, you’ll find ideas and resources on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Check out the state park section to discover which parks, historic sites and natural areas are near you. Click on the events tab of any page, and find guided tours, hikes and hands on activities happening while you’re there.

For information on the go, download the Texas State Park APP to your smart phone; most of the time, no internet access required to use it.

Using the app, find parks with swimming, fishing, kayaking and other activities; locate cabins, lodges, shelters, RV sites, and tent camping sites; you can view parks with boat ramps, dump stations, showers and more.

The FREE app is available for iPhone and Android devices, and available at the Apple App Store and Google Play.

We have more ideas for enjoying spring break all week long week.

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

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

Creating fish habitat in aging reservoirs.

TPW TV -- Building Habitat for Fish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Most freshwater fishing in Texas happens in reservoirs.

So we want to make sure we conserve the reservoirs and these fishing opportunities by restoring habitat.

Marcos de Jesus is with For Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries. On next  week’s For Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS, the agency and its partners renew underwater habitat in reservoirs for better angling.

We can always supplement the woody debris, the vegetation, or any type of cover that fish need by cutting something like cedar trees. We can also use artificial habitat that different commercial producers make. These things are put together to mimic trees, that creates cover.

Although TPW has the expertise…

These projects can become expensive and they are labor intensive so we need partnerships to actually get these great projects on the water.

Partnerships with groups like Friends of Reservoirs.

Friends of Reservoirs is a great group. And these groups are usually composed of stakeholders that have the common interest of conservation and fishing. So they team up with Texas Parks and Wildlife; we do some great projects around the state.

See reservoir renovation in action next week on the For Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS. Check your local listings.

If you want to get involved and help TPWD with conservation initiatives, feel free to call local district biologist. And get involved and help us in conservation. We can’t do it alone.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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

Texas Independence Hall

Celebrate Texas Independence Where Texas Began Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

March 2 is an important date in Texas history. It’s when Texas declared its independence from Mexico. And each year we celebrate where it all began: Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park and Historic Site.

The Texas Independence Day Celebration is an annual two-day living history event; this year it’s on Saturday and Sunday, March 3 and 4.

It’s when we celebrate the day when 59 delegates met in 1836 to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico in 1836.

This admission-free event features live music, food, demonstrations, living history presentations, kids’ activities, and more.

Historical reenactors set up an accurate Texas Army camp where visitors may wander freely among the tents to learn how the soldiers and their families lived in 1836.

During that weekend, admission fees are waived for the site’s attractions. Admission to the grounds, on-site shuttles and parking are also free.

Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site is halfway between Houston and Austin. Come out and celebrate with us on March 3rd and 4th. Find more details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

Big Blue Cat, Lake Tawakoni. Image: Capt. Michael Littlejohn.

Are Catfish the Future of Freshwater Fishing? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Largemouth bass is hands down the favorite sport fish among anglers in Texas

Today in Texas about 50% of our anglers say they prefer largemouth bass.

Dave Terre, chief of inland fisheries research and management, says one fish is gaining on largemouth.

About 20 percent of anglers prefer fishing catfish in Texas.

That’s right – the humble catfish. Catfish are better able than largemouth bass to survive and thrive when water levels are low, such as during drought.

We’re trying to study catfish more intensively to determine how we can make fishing for catfish even better.

Texas Parks and Wildlife developed a management to guide the future of this sport fish in Texas.

Most people in Texas – when they think of a fish, they think of a catfish. I think that’s the honest truth. Bass get more notoriety, but catfish are very important and I think a perfect fish to start new anglers on fishing, and to get a new generation of Texas interested in fishing.

Texas is home to at least 10 species of catfish. Three provide important fishing opportunities to anglers: Channel, Blue, and Flathead Catfish. We have a link to the catfish management plan at passporttotexas.org.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds fisheries research in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Catching Blue Cats in Lake Waco

Anglers Discover a New Favorite Old Fish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

An old timey freshwater fish is getting new attention. What is it?

A traditional fish that’s been caught by anglers for many, many years.

That’s more of a clue than an answer, Dave Terre. Dave is chief of inland fisheries research and management. Here’s another clue: Parks and Wildlife produces and then stocks this fish in Texas water bodies.

Yes, we do produce many, many catfish in our state fish hatchery system in Texas.

Catfish! But you knew that, right?

As a matter of fact, we stock literally thousands of advanced size channel catfish in small ponds located throughout the state. One of those programs is our neighborhood Fishin’ program, where we’re stocking every two weeks adult channel catfish 12-inches or larger, into some 14 water bodies across the state to offer up great fishing opportunities for people who reside in urban areas of our state, which is definitely a group that we would like to reach out to.

To the original point: serious anglers are rediscovering catfish…but why?

Texas is changing. We’re going to be experiencing more drought conditions in Texas; and what we know about catfish is they are able to deal with fluctuating water levels better than largemouth bass, which have been – and will continue to be – a popular sport fish in Texas.

With heavy stocking and a new eye toward management catfish is a traditional species for changing times.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds fisheries research in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.