BULL RUN: A Texas style running of the bulls ... details are 
ahead on Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas anglers look forward to the annual running of the 
bulls -- bull redfish, that is.

"It's large schools of mature red drum - male and female - 
aggregating near gulf passes to spawn."

Bill Balboa is ecosystem leader for the Matagorda Bay 
system. The bull red run usually begins in late August, 
crescendos in September, and continues through fall. 
And these fish, most over 28-inches long, give anglers a 
good fight.

"They call them bulls for a reason, and it's because they're very 
strong fish; they don't give up easily. So generally most anglers 
are going to fish for bull reds in the surf using what I would 
consider typical surf tackle -- which is a little bit heavier rod and 
reel, because what they can expect is a lot of long runs from 
this fish. They pull very hard. Much like a bull would pull if you 
had it on a rope."

Although anglers can reel in bull reds all along the gulf 
coast, their best opportunities lie north of Matagorda Bay.

"A lot of bull red fishing occurs in Sergeant up off of Freeport; 
Crystal Beach and Bolivar, in that area, and off of Sabine Pass."

That's our show for today ... thank you for joining us ... it 
was made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and 
Wildlife Restoration Program ... For Texas Parks and 
Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.