Texas Fishing News - Texas Fishing Information

Texas Fishing News (2010)

(July 27 Update)

TPWD Set to Graduate 41 New Game Wardens

News Release

Media Contact: Mike Cox, 512-389-8046, mike.cox@tpwd.state.tx.us

AUSTIN – After seven months of training in everything from water rescue and state-federal law to alligator handling, the 41 cadets of the 55th Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Warden class will close one chapter of their lives and start a new one with their graduation Tuesday as state game wardens.

The ceremonies, open to the public, will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the E1 auditorium at the Capitol in Austin.

The new game wardens will then report for duty at stations spanning the state from East Texas to El Paso. Game wardens’ duties include responding to natural disasters and conducting public outreach on a variety of topics in addition to enforcing hunting and fishing laws and water safety regulations.

“Basically, game wardens are the primary law enforcement off the pavement in Texas,” said Major Danny Shaw, director of training at the academy. “We do a lot more for the people of Texas than enforcing game and fish laws.”

This class of cadets is the second to be trained in the new Texas Game Warden Training Center in rural Hamilton County. Located on a 220-acre tract donated by the Police Assistance League of Texas, the $20 million training center project has so far seen completion of an administration building, education hall-armory, dining hall and fitness center. The second phase will include a firing range, a water rescue facility, emergency vehicle operations course, refitting of instructor quarters and cadet cabins and helicopter landing pad.

These 41 cadets will bring to 532 the number of men and women who are carrying on a tradition of service to Texas that game wardens started in 1895.

The following counties will soon be seeing these new game wardens:

Archer County – Richard Key

Brewster County – Daniel Kessler and Matt Kiel

Brown County – Matt Marek

Cameron County – David Lewis

Collin County – Joshua Ross

Concho County – Brad Clark

Dallas County – Jaime Sanchez

El Paso County – Hallie Dacy and Ken Zuber

Falls County – Brandon Rose

Gaines/Andrews Counties – Trey Sparkman

Gonzalez County – Ben Bailey

Hardin County – Wil Nicholson

Hidalgo County – Harry Rakosky

Hudspeth County – Cody Pokorney and Tyler Reed

Kinney County – Dayton Isaacs

Liberty County – Adam Broll

Lubbock County – Chelsea Estrada and Shannon Kruse

Maverick County – David Thorne

Moore/Sherman Counties – Ryan Hunter

Orange County – Phillip LeDoux

Presidio County – Andrew Banda and Bryan Newman

Robertson County – Charles Westerman

Sabine County – Sam Smith

Schleicher County – Christopher Frey

Starr County – Brandon West

Tarrant County – Patricia O’Neill and David Vannoy

Val Verde County – Crystal Hoppe and Isaac Ruiz

Webb County – Calvin Christian and Mark Nelson

Wichita County – Steven Cantu

Zapata County – Shane Bailey, Jake Mort and Jerry Norris

(July 20 Update)

Lifetime License Winner Happy His Luck Hadn’t Run Out

News Release

Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot, 512-389-4701, steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us

AUSTIN – Daniel Hidalgo won $1,000 in Las Vegas many years ago and hadn’t won anything since.

So when he went to his local Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Midland to buy a fishing license and saw a display advertising Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Lifetime License Drawing, the last thing he thought was that his single entry would win.

But he didn’t leave Lady Luck behind in Vegas as he had thought. Hidalgo’s was the winning entry in the June 30 drawing.

“I was thrilled when they called me and told me I won,” he said. “Luck was with me.”

Hidalgo won a lifetime super combo hunting and fishing license and will be able to hunt and fish in Texas for the rest of his life without having to purchase another Texas state hunting and fishing license.

Hidalgo said he, his brother and nephews usually get to fish and hunt about once a year. However, with the money he’ll save with the lifetime license, he said it is “very likely” he’ll take his family outdoors more often.

Another lucky Texan hunter or angler will win a lifetime license in another drawing on December 30. Entries for the December drawing go on sale on Aug. 15 and must be purchased by Dec. 27 to be eligible for the drawing.

Entries to win the lifetime super combo license – a $1,800 value – are only $5.

Participants can purchase entries anywhere Texas hunting and fishing licenses are sold or online at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/buy/. They can also buy an entry over the phone by calling 1 (800) TX LIC 4 U (895-4248).

Entries received for the Dec. 30 drawing that do not win will be automatically entered for a second drawing that will be held on June 30. The deadline for entering the second drawing will be June 27.

There were more than 11,500 entries in the two drawings last year, raising more than $56,000 for on-the-ground conservation projects. The proceeds from the drawing fund TPWD projects such as fish stocking, wildlife management, habitat restoration and land conservation.

Only Texas residents are eligible to win the Lifetime License. Participants may purchase as many entries as they like, and the winner may also give the license as a gift to a friend or family member who is also a Texas resident. For more information on rules and to find a local retailer where you can purchase an entry, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/lifetime.

(July 13 Update)

Biologists sampling Texas coast to prepare for oil spill impacts

Teams collect environmental samples at 21 locations in advance of Deepwater Horizon spill impacts

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Mike Cox, 512-389-8046, mike.cox@tpwd.state.tx.us

AUSTIN – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists are working their way down the state’s long coast line collecting environmental samples so that a baseline record is available to gauge any impact in Texas from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The effort is part of a plan developed by multiple natural resource trustee agencies in coordination with BP.

TPWD is leading specialized five-person teams of scientists who are systematically collecting data at 21 locations up and down the coast. These samples will be used to characterize beach conditions, water chemistry, benthic invertebrates (living creatures in shallow water, mud and sand), and other "indicator" factors.

The department is partnering with the other natural resource trustee agencies for Texas, including Texas General Land Office, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to complete this effort.

A NOAA contractor is accompanying each team to provide chain of custody quality control and oversee the shipping of samples, which go to contracted out-of-state laboratories for analysis.

Sampling on the upper coast began Monday. As of Thursday, samples had been collected at five locations from the Port Arthur area to West Galveston Island. The process is expected to be complete within two weeks, though higher-than-normal tides, rain and flooding associated with the tropical disturbance in the western Gulf of Mexico may delay operations.

Besides the baseline sampling, TPWD is ready to assist with logistical support for GLO and the Coast Guard in oil spill response and clean-up operations. TPWD support will come in the form of boats, logistics, and trained staff with expertise in dealing with HAZMAT situations. TPWD has already worked with partner agencies to provide information on important or sensitive Texas ecological areas, such as coastal parks and refuges.

TPWD has been monitoring the Deepwater Horizon situation since shortly after it occurred on April 20. Early on, the department began planning for possible contingencies and these plans are now being executed.

For oil observed in Texas waters or shorelines call the Texas General Land Office oil spill reporting line at 800-832-8224.

(July 6 Update)

Big Bass Retire to Little Lake

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

ATHENS—What happens to a big bass after it spends 10 or so years at a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) hatchery making little bass to be stocked into Texas lakes?

Fittingly, after rendering noble service to Texas anglers by producing untold thousands of fish, the big bass get to retire to a lake to live out the rest of their lives.

About 100 retired largemouth bass brooders from the A.E. Wood State Fish Hatchery in San Marcos made a 5.5-hour trip to Lake Moss outside Gainesville June 23 in the care of TPWD fisheries technician Mike Pereira. “These fish are from the class of 1996,” Pereira said. “They are 14 years old, and typically their egg production decreases as they age.”

Largemouth bass are believed to live up to 20 years, so the fish have several years to enjoy retirement and perhaps make more little bass in Lake Moss. Since the fish were all pure Florida largemouth bass, the stocking will improve the genetics of the fish in the lake, which are already good—the lake record largemouth weighed 13.25 pounds. Lake Moss was last stocked with Florida largemouth bass in 1982.

Lake Moss is an 1,140-acre impoundment on North and South Fish Creeks in Cooke County north of Gainesville. The City of Gainesville maintains two boat ramps on the lake and charges $35 for an annual boat permit. For more information on the lake, contact the city of Gainesville at (940) 668-4500.

The fishing in Lake Moss is managed by biologists from TPWD’s District 2A Inland Fisheries office located near Pottsboro. Lakes managed out of this office include Texoma, Bridgeport, Lavon, Nocona and Ray Roberts as well several smaller reservoirs.

“Our electrofishing survey in 2006 showed Lake Moss had an extremely high population of largemouth bass, but most were under the legal limit of 14 inches,” said TPWD fisheries biologist Bruce Hysmith. “The stocking of these large brooders should give anglers the opportunity to catch some really nice bass. Too, the offspring from these fish should in time impact the overall largemouth bass population structure.”

Translation: The fishing is about to get better in Lake Moss. These fish may be retired, but they are still working to make fishing better.

(June 29 Update)

Texas Parks & Wildlife Gears Up for Alex

Game Wardens Heading for Valley; Coastal State Parks Curtailing Operations

AUSTIN – In advance of a growing Tropical Storm Alex, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department today announced the closure of three state parks in the lower Rio Grande Valley effective today and the deployment of game wardens to South Texas to assist with emergency operations.

Fifty game wardens are enroute to a staging area in Mercedes. With 17 airboats and 33 shallow-draft vessels, they will be on standby to assist with any necessary search and rescue operations. In addition, a TPWD mobile command vehicle with a satellite system, computer capabilities and dispatchers is being sent to the Valley.

The three parks being temporarily closed – Resaca de la Palma in Brownsville, Estero Llano Grande in Weslaco and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley in Mission – operate as World Birding Center sites. They are primarily day use parks only, though Bentsen offers primitive camping.

Camping reservations for Mustang Island and Goose Island are being cancelled through at least Thursday and no new ones are currently being accepted, but if the storm stays on its current westerly track, it’s anticipated campgrounds will be open for the busy Fourth of July weekend.

Mustang Island has closed beach camping in anticipation of high tides propelled by Alex’s strong winds. However, at present, water-and-electric campsites remain open, and two RV campers are staying for now.

State park personnel from throughout the state have been dispatched to the lower Texas coast to assist with the relocation of critical equipment, such as mowers, tractors, gators and vehicles, further inland to Falcon, Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon state parks.

TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division field office in Brownsville has been boarded up and equipment moved to safe storage. The division’s Corpus Christi marine development facility has been made storm-ready and its personnel are on standby to evacuate if need be.

For the latest information about Alex’s impact on Texas state parks and other TPWD operations, visit: www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

(June 22 Update)

Anglers and Biologists to Meet in Athens August 7–8

Alton Jones to speak at Saturday evening dinner

Media Contact: Craig Bonds, (903) 566-1615, ext. 202; craig.bonds@tpwd.state.tx.us

ATHENS—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries biologists will host a meeting with anglers interested in learning more about fisheries management in Texas at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens on Saturday, August 7.

The meeting will include an angler-biologist fishing tournament on Lake Athens Sunday morning that will feature demonstrations of fish-friendly tournament weigh-in procedures and fish care.

BASS Elite Series professional angler Alton Jones of Waco will address the group at the Saturday evening dinner.

“Fisheries biologists and anglers share many common interests and concerns,” said meeting organizer Craig Bonds, TPWD’s Inland Fisheries regional director for East Texas. “We all want to make fishing the best it can be in Texas, and anglers have played, and will continue to play, a significant role in improving fish habitat in Texas reservoirs, reporting and removing invasive species and implementing best fish-care practices designed to conserve the resource and improve fishing.”

The meeting’s goals are to provide a forum for anglers and fisheries biologists to interact and communicate with each other, provide examples of previous collaborative fish habitat improvement projects and opportunities for future work, and communicate the latest information on proper fish care.

Saturday morning sessions will feature examples of angler-biologist collaboration on a variety of projects from fish habitat enhancement on Lake Holbrook to fish attractor projects in Central Texas reservoirs to giant salvinia removal on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

Afternoon sessions will detail examples of possible future projects as well as information on the Toyota ShareLunker program, treating largemouth bass for overinflated swim bladders and methods for keeping bass healthy after being caught.

The Sunday fishing tournament on Lake Athens, adjacent to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, will allow biologists and anglers to fish competitively with and against each other, but the main purpose will be to demonstrate how to handle and release fish in order to assure maximum survival of tournament-caught bass.

Anglers do not have to participate in the tournament to attend the Saturday meeting.

Preregistration is required since lunch and dinner will be furnished on Saturday. To obtain a meeting schedule and registration form, contact Jimmie Green at the TPWD Inland Fisheries office in Tyler: (903) 566-1615, ext. 200; jimmie.green@tpwd.state.tx.us, or visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/calendar.

(June 15 Update)

Toyota ShareLunker Season Payoff Underway

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

ATHENS—Anglers who catch Toyota ShareLunkers receive a lot of recognition—ShareLunker clothing, press coverage and a fiberglass replica of their catch—but the program is really about what is happening now.

ShareLunker babies are being delivered and stocked into the lakes where their mothers came from as well as other public reservoirs and private lakes that had fish entered into the program.

On Monday about 2,200 fat, healthy ShareLunker fingerlings were stocked into both Caddo Lake and Lake O’ the Pines by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) inland fisheries technicians from the Marshall office.

Fingerlings were also stocked Monday into Lake Livingston and Purtis Creek State Park lake.

The fingerlings were harvested early Monday at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens from the pond where they had been growing for the last month. They were trucked to the lakes, transferred to a tank on a boat, and released into the lakes in places with good places for them to hide and grow.

During the remainder of this week, ShareLunker fingerlings are scheduled to be stocked into Choke Canyon, Amistad, Casa Blanca and Falcon on Tuesday; Lakes Austin and LBJ on Thursday; and Lakes Fork and Nocona on Friday.

The two private lakes that contributed Toyota ShareLunkers are scheduled to receive about 500 fingerlings each next week. Because of O.H. Ivie’s contribution of 11 ShareLunkers during the season, it will receive the most, some 5,000 fish.

A video and photos of Monday’s stockings are at www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Others are being used in the Operation World Record (OWR) program.

“Since the ShareLunker program started we have tried to spawn the lunkers before returning them to the lakes,” said TFFC director Allen Forshage.” Many of the offspring have been used as brood fish that have produced fingerlings stocked into public lakes. Today we spawn the fish as part of a selective breeding program, Operation World Record. The OWR fish are being evaluated in public lakes to determine growth over time. We have completed four years of this evaluation. Besides creating a separate brood stock of OWR fish, we also plan to incorporate these fish into the production brood stock at A.E. Wood Hatchery in San Marcos and the new John D. Parker East Texas State Hatchery near Jasper. This will spread the impact of these fish across the entire state, not just the lakes that have produced ShareLunkers.”

Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see http://archive.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/sharelunker/. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Toyota is a long-time supporter of the Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, providing major funding for a wide variety of education, fish, parks and wildlife projects.

(June 8 Update)

Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame to Induct Two

News Release

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

ATHENS—Two former long-time employees of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will be inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Athens June 5.

Honorees will be the late Edward W. Bonn of Denison and Philip Durocher of Austin.

Bonn was one of three fisheries biologists hired in 1946 by what later became TPWD. As many new reservoirs were built to serve Texas’ growing population, a sport fish able to utilize open-water habitat was needed. Under Bonn’s leadership and direction, experiments were carried out with striped bass, a marine species, to develop ways to stock them into Texas lakes.

Bonn also worked to develop methods to cross striped bass with native white bass to produce hybrid stripers. Both species now furnish recreation and food for large numbers of anglers.

Bonn was also responsible for training many biologists and technicians who came to work for TPWD as the department grew. “Ed was always a very thorough and exacting biologist who was so influential to me in my early training,” said retired fisheries biologist Charles Inman. “He loved fishery management and certainly helped make Texas fishing what it is today.”

Also inducted into the Hall of Fame will be Philip Durocher, who served as the director of TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division for 19 years and retired at the end of 2009.

Durocher went to work at TPWD as a research specialist in 1974 and served as chief of research and management from 1984 until he became Inland Fisheries division director in 1991.

Durocher’s most visible contribution was shifting the philosophy of fisheries management from one of maximum sustained yield to one of optimum sustained yield, especially regarding largemouth bass. Maximum sustained yield emphasized harvest, and largemouth bass were viewed primarily as a food fish. Durocher recognized that adopting a system of selective harvest that allowed bigger fish to live and reproduce would enhance the bass fishery and make largemouth bass a sport fish, increasing the economic value of the fishery.

Under his leadership Texas adopted a statewide 14-inch minimum size limit and five-fish daily bag limit for largemouth bass in 1985. From that point management practices were refined and tailored to fit specific reservoirs. The result was a largemouth bass fishery that is generally acknowledged to be the best in the nation and a vital part of the Texas economy, generating some $2 billion in economic impact each year.

Durocher was also instrumental in attracting top fisheries professionals from across the nation to manage all Texas fisheries using a science-based approach. He recognized the need to modernize the TPWD hatchery system and worked for the creation of the Freshwater Fishing Stamp to replace one aging hatchery and make improvements to the others.

Also under his leadership, a trophy bass fishery was created at Lake Fork, the Neighborhood Fishin’ Program was established, a partnership was forged with Toyota to create the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, and a series of studies were carried out that proved the economic value of fisheries in Texas.

Videos about the honorees can be viewed in the News section of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s YouTube channel.

Two other individuals will be recognized at the awards banquet with Honorable Mention plaques, professional angler Lonnie Stanley of Huntington and the late Allen Crise of Glen Rose, a long-time fly-fisher whose passion was teaching others the art of casting.

(June 1 Update)

Boaters and Anglers Urged to Help Curb Spread of Zebra Mussels from Lake Texoma

Invasive species can damage fisheries, boats, water treatment plants and pipelines

Media Contact: Texas—Larry Hodge, (903) 670-2255, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us; Oklahoma—Micah Holmes, (405) 522-4872; mholmes@odwc.state.ok.us

ATHENS—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) officials are asking all users of Lake Texoma to assist in stopping the spread of invasive zebra mussels to other water bodies in Texas and Oklahoma.

“Zebra mussels have become well established in Lake Texoma after having been introduced into the lake by boats trailered in from other states,” said Brian Van Zee, regional director for TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division.

In addition to being found in Lake Texoma, zebra mussels have been introduced into lakes in the Arkansas River drainage in Oklahoma.

“Zebra mussels have the ability to attach to any hard surface left in the water—boat motors, docks, pipes and even cans and bottles,” Van Zee continued. “The larval stage of zebra mussels can also be carried in water left in livewells or bait buckets.”

Boats being transported from Lake Texoma to other water bodies pose the greatest threat of spreading zebra mussels to other water bodies. At present the only way to deal with that is for boat owners to be responsible and to inspect, clean, drain and dry their boats before moving them from Lake Texoma to another lake.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is asking anyone transporting a vessel that has been used on Lake Texoma to another water body to take the following precautions. (1) Clean all vegetation, mud, algae and other debris from the boat and trailer. (2) Drain all water from the motor as well as the livewell, bilge, bait buckets and any other compartments or systems that hold water. (3) Dry the vessel and associated equipment for a minimum of 7 to 10 days during the months of May through October or for 15 to 20 days from November through April. These drying times are approximations, and conditions such as cooler air temperatures, higher humidity and whether or not the vessel is kept in dry storage should be considered. These are the easiest preventive measures that boat owners can do to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels.

However, boats and other vessels that have been kept on Lake Texoma for an extended period of time and are infested with zebra mussels may require additional cleaning procedures. Power-washing with water at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit and flushing the motor, bilges, live-wells and other water intake systems with 140-degree water will kill zebra mussels. To be effective the water coming out of the flushed systems needs to reach 140 degrees to ensure the entire system was exposed to water hot enough to kill the mussels.

If it is not possible to clean the internal systems or compartments using 140-degree water, the use of either straight vinegar or a chlorine bleach and water solution (one-half ounce bleach to one gallon water) can be effective at killing zebra mussels as long as the mixture is kept in contact with the mussels for 20 to 30 minutes. Clean water should be used to flush the chemicals and dead mussels from the boat following treatment. Boat owners should check with their manufacturer to be sure using these chemicals will not void their warranty.

Large vessels with complex water intake systems such as those used for cooling the engine, air conditioning or personal sanitation may require decontamination by a boat mechanic or marina.

A video showing how to decontaminate a boat can be viewed at http://100thmeridian.org/Video/Clean.asp. Additional information on zebra mussels and other invasive aquatic species in Texas is at www.texasinvasives.org.

Information and videos on the Lake Texoma zebra mussel infestation can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Parks-and-Wildlife-Inland-Fisheries-District-2A/127480703935872?v=wall&ref=ts. This Facebook page will be updated with additional information on Lake Texoma as it becomes available.

Since zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Texoma, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) has suspended pumping water from Lake Texoma to Lake Lavon, which supplies their water treatment plant in Wylie, said Denise Hickey, public relations coordinator for NTMWD. “While zebra mussels do not have a negative impact on the quality of water supplied to our customers, they can clog pipelines and equipment, greatly increasing maintenance costs,” Hickey said.

“Zebra mussels are very good at filtering out the zooplankton and phytoplankton that are the basis of the aquatic food chain for fish and other aquatic organisms,” Van Zee said. “Zebra mussels have the potential to impact the valuable fisheries in Lake Texoma and other lakes. Because of the damage they can do to water pipelines, water treatment plants and anything left in the water, they are a potential problem for everyone in Texas, not just anglers and boaters.”

Under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Penal Codes, possession or transporting of zebra mussels in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, jail time up to 180 days, or both.

(May 25 Update)

Boating deaths decline in Texas, safety advocates want to keep it that way

News Release

Media Contact: Mike Cox, 512-389-8046, mike.cox@tpwd.state.tx.us

May 18, 2010

AUSTIN — Deaths from boating accidents on Texas public waters decreased last year compared with the year before and Texas game wardens, boater education proponents and others hope to keep the numbers trending downward. The decrease in 2009 came after an unprecedented spike in boating accident deaths in 2008, the highest in more than ten years.

“We don’t know for sure what caused the decrease in boating deaths, but we do think two contributing factors are saturation law enforcement and educational outreach,” Parrish said.

Statistics compiled by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department show that 207 boating accidents on Texas public waters in 2009 led to 139 injuries and 38 deaths, compared with 272 accidents, 175 injuries and 62 deaths in 2008. Of the fatalities last year, 25 of the deaths occurred in open motorboats. Only one death was attributed to a personal watercraft.

“While we hate that anyone died in a boating accident last year, we are very encouraged to see that the number of deaths fell so dramatically,” said Game Warden Maj. Jeff Parrish, the state’s marine safety chief. “The trick this year is going to be to keep these numbers down and hopefully see them decrease even more.”

Last year, in the course of 192,882 boating compliance vessel checks, game wardens issued 9,705 citations and 9,928 warnings. The most common violation was not having a sufficient number of life vests available. Wardens issued 2,488 citations for that offense. Additionally, they arrested 220 persons for boating while intoxicated.

One trend that continues to worry those in marine law enforcement is that most water deaths are connected to one-boat accidents – capsizing, running aground, collisions with fixed or floating objects or falls overboard.

“Staying safe while boating is simple as one, two, three,” Parrish said. “First, wear a personal flotation device. The new inflatable jackets are lightweight and comfortable, and they save lives. Second, don’t drink and boat. Third, take a boater education course.”

Parrish said studies show that taking a boater education course can cut accident rates in half. Even seasoned boaters can benefit from the 6-hour basic course, plus earn possible boat insurance discounts. Last year, 36,014 participants benefited from water safety programs sponsored by TPWD.

(May 18 Update)

Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center to be Part of Nature Challenge 2010

Media Contact: Z. Segal, Trinity River Audubon Center, (214) 309-5812; zsegal@audubon.org

ATHENS—Families will be fanning out across North Central Texas this summer in search of outdoor adventures as part of Nature Challenge 2010.

In addition to connecting to their local environment, participants will be able to win prizes for visiting the most sites, compiling the best scrapbook or taking the best photo during their travels.

Theme of the event is Mission: Possible. During the 11 weeks of the event, families will visit as many participating parks and nature centers as they can. Each site will provide information in English and Spanish on specific activities to be completed at that location. Families will keep a record of all their adventures for judging.

“Nature Challenge 2010 is an ideal way for families to explore the outdoor recreation opportunities in their local area,” said Zoe Ann Stinchcomb, education director at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. “The activities designed for each site will take several hours to complete and will involve families in hands-on outdoor fun and nature exploration. Just ask for the Nature Challenge worksheet at the admissions booth, then go enjoy all that TFFC has to offer.”

Opening ceremonies will be held at the Trinity River Audubon Center from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 22. Persons interested in learning more are invited to attend and complete their first mission. The contest will close with an awards ceremony at River Legacy Living Science Center in Arlington August 14.

Sponsors of Nature Challenge 2010 include Texas Agrilife Extension, Texas Forest Service and Houston Wilderness.

More information, a list of all the sites that can be visited and on-line registration are at http://www.texasnaturechallenge.org/.

(May 11 Update)

Texas State-Fish Art Contest Winners Announced

Student artists invited to participate in "Art’s Better Outside" event in July — Texas State Artist Sam Caldwell to create original artwork with students

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

May 10, 2010

ATHENS — Officials at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens have announced the winners in the Texas division of the 2010 Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest.

First, second and third-place winners and honorable mentions are awarded in three grade-level divisions: grades 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12.

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic funds cash prizes for Texas winners: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place and $500 for third place in the 10–12 division. Prizes in the 4–6 and 7–9 grade levels are $100 for first; $75 for second; $50 for third. First-place winners also receive a travel allowance for themselves and their family to attend the national contest and exposition, which will take place at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens July 16–17, 2010.

The 2010 winners for grades 4–6 in the Texas division of the contest are: First place, Nasa Xu, Cinco Ranch Junior High, Katy; second place, Michelle Cho, Nolan Middle School, Killeen; third place, Cain Schoenfeld, Cuero Intermediate School, Cuero.

Honorable mentions in grades 4–6 went to: Jousha Torres, Columbus Junior High-Riverside Campus, Columbus; Dakota Miller, Mildred Elementary, Corsicana; Austin Neill, Athens Intermediate School, Athens; Kaylee Chadwick, Cornerstone Christian School, San Angelo; Hannah Wells, Cornerstone Christian School, San Angelo; Kara Langford, Criswell Elementary School, Forney; Alyssa Searcy, Grandview Junior High, Grandview.

Winners for grades 7–9 are: First place, Brady King, homeschool, Livingston; second place, Callie Clayton, Highland Park High School, Dallas; third place, John Herndon, Liberty High School, Liberty.

Honorable mentions for grades 7–9 were awarded to: Leena Gonzalez, Vanguard Academy Charter School, Pharr; Jocelyn Cantu, Vanguard Academy Charter School, Pharr; Jordan Suarez, Vanguard Academy Charter School, Pharr; Ruvi Villareal, Vanguard Academy Charter School, Pharr; Skye Koehl, Columbus Junior High-Riverside Campus, Columbus; Joseph Wilson, Little Cypress Junior High, Orange; Tyler Freeman, Little Cypress Junior High, Orange.

For grades 10–12 the winners in the 2010 Texas division of the State-Fish Art Contest are: First place, Anh Thu Do, Liberty High School, Liberty; second place, Meagan Bishop, Highland Park High School, Dallas; third place, Bonnie Leung, Lake Travis High School, Austin.

Honorable mentions in grades 10–12 went to: Stacey Spitz, Robert E. Lee High School, Tyler; Callie Hudson, Phoenix Charter School, Greenville; Lorenzo Leyva, Del Rio High School, Del Rio; Reina Chen, Plano West Senior High, Plano; Hailey Sowden, Highland Park High School, Dallas; Ana Hernandez, Presidio High School, Presidio; Austin Linkinhoker, Cedar Park.

The public portion of the State-Fish Art Expo will be held July 17, 2010, and will feature fishing, instructional seminars and demonstrations and a display of all the state and national contest winners. Plans are being made for a day-long schedule of events with food booths and outdoor activities and displays that the public can enjoy in addition to viewing the artwork and voting for the People’s Choice Award. The public can also vote for the People’s Choice Award online at http://www.wildlifeforever.org/.

Public admission to the expo and related activities will be included with paid admission to TFFC.

One outstanding piece of artwork each year is selected for the Art of Conservation Award, and a commemorative stamp featuring the artwork is produced for sale. Proceeds from sales of the stamp are used to fund conservation projects. The 2010 winner will be unveiled at the expo.

The expo will include an outdoor fair with food and activities. Artists will demonstrate their craft; some will have their artwork available for purchase.

Texas State Artist Sam Caldwell will display and sell his work and will also create an original watercolor with student assistance during the day. Sculptor Terry Jones of Jewett will display and sell examples of metal sculptures recycled from used objects. Jones’s work has been displayed at the Texas State Fair and is widely collected. Jamie Williams of Meaningful Memories Photography will demonstrate outdoor photography. Potter Brenda Hennesey will demonstrate how to throw pots and let kids get their hands dirty. Members of the Henderson County Art Club will display their work and demonstrate techniques.

Also appearing will be members of the Society for Creative Anachronism demonstrating fly-tying and sword-fighting. The U.S. Forest Service Amigos del Bosque will feature reptile displays (touching encouraged) and fire prevention; Smokey the Bear will be available for hugs and photos.

The State-Fish Art Contest is a project of Wildlife Forever. Located in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Wildlife Forever is a non-profit multi-species conservation organization dedicated to conserving America’s wildlife heritage. Working at the grassroots level, Wildlife Forever has funded conservation projects in all 50 states, committing millions of dollars to "on-the-ground" efforts. Wildlife Forever supports habitat restoration and enhancement, land acquisition, research and management of fish and wildlife populations.

For more information on the State-Fish Art expo, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc.

For information on Athens-area lodging, dining and attractions, visit http://www.athenstx.org/.

(May 4 Update)

Toyota ShareLunker Season Ends with Big Day at O.H. Ivie

Double dipper and new lake record come out; four others go back in

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

Media Contact: For more information: Greg Conley, (903) 566-2518 office, (903) 520-3821 cell, greg.conley@tpwd.state.tx.us

Media contact on event day: Larry Hodge, (903) 343-2872 cell; (903) 670-2255 office; larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

ATHENS, Texas — April 30, the last day of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 2009-2010 Toyota ShareLunker season, brought proof that sometimes it’s a good idea to pay attention to those "funny feelings" you get now and then.

Jerry Bales of Hico had two big fish in his livewells, and he had a feeling one of them was big enough to become a ShareLunker-13 pounds. But when the fish was weighed at Elm Creek Village Marina at O.H. Ivie, an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station, the scale read only 10 pounds. Disappointed, Bales and his fishing companions were already headed back to the lake when one of them said, "I think we weighed the wrong fish."

Sure enough, they’d taken the fish from the wrong livewell. When the right fish was weighed, it came in at 16.08 pounds, making it not only Toyota ShareLunker 503 but also a new lake record that bested the old mark by nearly a pound and a half.

Bales’s fish missed being the largest entry of the season by only 0.09 pounds. That honor, and Angler of the Year title, go to Keith Burns for the 16.17-pounder he caught from Caddo Lake March 20.

However, Bales takes over the number 19 spot on the top 50 list of biggest bass caught in Texas.

Bales’s catch also made the current season the first since 1992-1993 to have two or more 16-pound-plus entries into the ShareLunker program.

Wesley Pullig of Eden had a funny feeling when he headed for O.H. Ivie that morning. He was scheduled to meet ShareLunker program manager David Campbell to return ShareLunker 477 to the lake. He caught that fish January 21. "I just had a feeling I might catch another one," Pullig said.

He was right. Not long after he put his first ShareLunker back into the lake, he caught his second, a 13.24-pounder that became ShareLunker 504, bringing O.H. Ivie’s number of entries for the season to 11.

Other ShareLunkers returned to O.H. Ivie on April 30 were numbers 495, 499 and 500.

Besides coming from the same lake, Toyota ShareLunkers 503 and 504 have something else in common: They are the only two entries to be caught on the last day of the season.

Pullig joins a very small group of anglers who have caught more than one ShareLunker in the same season. Scott Cupit caught two from Lake Fork in 1990; Bill Lozano caught one from Mill Creek and one from Lake Fork in 1991; Richard Mims caught two from Lake Casa Blanca in 2004; and David Utz caught two from Lake Ratcliff in 2006.

In a class all by himself is Jim Gore, who caught ShareLunkers 33, 34 and 42 from Lake Fork in 1989. One of those fish, No. 34, was the only male ShareLunker. It was accepted to be used as a broodfish because, at 6.5 pounds, it was the biggest male largemouth bass David Campbell had ever seen.

Pullig is believed to be the only angler ever to catch a second ShareLunker on the same day he put another back into the lake.

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

Anglers entering fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker clothing and are recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. In addition, if a Texas angler catches the largest entry of the year, that person receives a lifetime fishing license.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see http://tamus.pr-optout.com/Url.aspx?513992x840877x-1094313. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers, is posted on www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

(April 27 Update)

Toyota ShareLunker 502: Lake Amistad

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

April 22, 2010

ATHENS — Lake Amistad moved into sole possession of second place in the number of Toyota ShareLunkers produced this season on April 21 when Marion Merritt from Florida caught ShareLunker No. 502.

Merritt’s 13.87-pound bass was the fourth to come from the border’s Big Friendly during the current season. Lake Fork has produced three fish. O.H. Ivie Reservoir is way ahead of the pack with nine entries.

Merritt was fishing in 14 feet of water in the San Pedro Canyon area west of U.S. 277 when the fish took a 10-inch Berkley Power Worm in green pumpkin.

Toyota ShareLunker 502 brings the total number of fish entered into the program this season to 31, only five fish short of the record 36 entered during the 1994-1995 season.

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see http://tamus.pr-optout.com/Url.aspx?513992x827028x-658808. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers, is posted on www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

(April 20 Update)

Lake Austin Produces Toyota ShareLunker 501

News Release

General Media Contact: Business Hours, 512-389-4406

April 12, 2010

ATHENS — Lake Austin continues to be the sleeper among public water bodies pumping out largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more.

April 11 Jim McDaniel of Cedar Park caught Toyota ShareLunker 501 from the Colorado River reservoir. The fish weighed 13.01 pounds and was 20.5 inches in girth and 26.5 inches long.

Lake Austin has now produced two ShareLunkers this season and nine overall. One more entry will put the lake into double digits with Amistad International Reservoir (11 entries), Falcon Reservoir (11), Choke Canyon Reservoir (13), O.H. Ivie Reservoir (14), Lake Conroe (16), Sam Rayburn Reservoir (23) and Lake Alan Henry (25). Only Lake Fork, with 246 entries, has made it to triple-digit territory.

McDaniel was fishing in 8 feet of water with an undisclosed lure when he caught the fish. Water temperature was 65 degrees.

McDaniel’s fish was the thirtieth to be entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program this season. The all-time record number of entries is 36.

The ShareLunker season runs through April 30, and with water temperatures slowly rising, additional entries are likely.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

(April 13 Update)

Toyota ShareLunker 500 Angler Collects Big Check

Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation pays $6,670 for big bass from O.H. Ivie Reservoir

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

April 12, 2010

ATHENS — So far this season O.H. Ivie Reservoir has produced nine largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more that have been entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program. All were special fish to the anglers who caught them, but the ninth was a little more special than the others: Sam Callaway of Corpus Christi will collect $500 a pound for his catch, a total of $6,670.

Callaway caught Toyota ShareLunker No. 500 at 9:20 a.m. April 9 using a Zoom Magnum eight-inch lizard in watermelon/red. The 13.34-pound fish was immediately taken to an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station, Concho Park Marina, where it was held for pickup by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) ShareLunker program manager David Campbell. The fish, which is 20.5 inches in girth and 26.25 inches long, now rests in the Lunker Bunker at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Callaway caught his big bass on the first day of the Permian Basin Oilman’s Bass Invitational, an annual event that raises money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The sixteen tournaments held to date have raised more than $1.5 million for the cause.

All participants in the tournament are subject to a polygraph test. Participation is limited to 250 two-person teams and is by invitation only. Callaway placed eighth in the tournament.

"Since the tournament is held to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the payouts are not huge," Callaway said. "Mine will amount to a couple of thousand dollars. Catching the fish was a huge piece of luck-a blessing. It’s one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me as a fisherman, and I’ve been fishing for 29 years."

Callaway’s $500 per pound reward continues the practice of rewarding centennial catches of entries into the ShareLunker program that began with Jason Baird’s catch of ShareLunker 400 from Lake Amistad on February 28, 2006. That fish paid the Gypsum, Kansas, angler $400 a pound. Callaway will also receive a rod and reel package valued at $650 from G. Loomis and Shimano.

With almost three weeks to go in the current ShareLunker season, speculation now turns to how many fish will be entered into the program this season. Callaway’s fish brought the total to 29, which is well above the program’s 23-year average of 20.

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see http://tamus.pr-optout.com/Url.aspx?513992x818173x-744357. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers, is posted on www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

(April 6 Update)

Three-Lunker Weekend Puts Race to Toyota ShareLunker 500 in High Gear

Only three fish to go to reach the 500 mark

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

April 5, 2010

ATHENS — Three more Toyota ShareLunkers have been added to the season’s tally, and spawning of the big bass is about to begin at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

The Race to 500 count reached 497 late Sunday with the entry of a fish from Lake Amistad. On Saturday O.H. Ivie Reservoir produced its fifth and sixth Toyota ShareLunkers of the season.

Steve Hand of Snyder kicked off the big weekend about 9:50 a.m. April 3 when he caught Toyota ShareLunker 495, a 13.22-pound largemouth, on O.H. Ivie. He was fishing in 10 feet of water using a Zoom six-inch lizard.

At three o’clock that afternoon Mark Worthington of Abilene landed Toyota ShareLunker 496. That fish bit a seven-inch red shad Senko in 10 feet of water on O.H. Ivie.

Both fish were weighed and held for pickup by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) ShareLunker program manager David Campbell at Concho Park Marina, an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station.

"It was an awesome feeling," Steve Hand said. "I never felt the bite. I just moved the worm a little bit, and she nudged it. I felt the weight and set the hook, and the fight was on."

Hand is an old hand at fishing Ivie. "I fish Ivie probably 15 to 20 times a year," he said. "I think everybody who fishes O.H. Ivie realizes that the fishing this year way exceeds anything in the past except the first two or three years when the lake was new. The last two or three years the lake has produced a lot of good fish. I think a lot of that is because of what you all [Texas Parks and Wildlife Department] do-spawning fish out, bringing them back, putting them back in the lake. And the bass fishermen all appreciate it. Without [TPWD], we wouldn’t have the fish we have."

Mark Worthington’s day ended up a lot more interesting than it started. "I didn’t have a whole lot of luck until the last cast of the day," he said. "We were fishing off the north island with a seven-inch red shad Senko. I tossed it in a tree, and I guess she was sitting in the top of the tree. She put up a real good fight. She swam out to deep water instead of staying in the tree and pulled drag several times. Then I had trouble getting her to fit in the net she was so big."

Worthington agreed with Hand that the fishing on O.H. Ivie is a bass angler’s dream. "The fishing has always been good here," he said. "It’s probably one of the best eight- to 10-pound lakes in the state. We fish Falcon and some of the other lakes, but I really like Ivie."

At about 7:30 p.m. April 4, Joseph Burgi of Del Rio was fishing in 20 feet of water at Marker 7 on Lake Amistad when he caught a 13.34-pounder on a pumpkinseed Berkley Power Worm. Burgi took his fish to Anglers Lodge, an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station, where it was picked up by TPWD staff from A.E. Wood Fish Hatchery in San Marcos. David Campbell picked the fish up there and arrived in Athens shortly before noon April 5.

Burgi’s fish is the third this season from Amistad. Lake Fork has also produced three fish this season.

The three big bass arrived at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens just as hatchery staff began pairing female ShareLunkers with males in preparation for spawning. A video of that process is at www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

ShareLunker offspring are stocked into lakes that produced entries into the ShareLunker program during the current season. So far this season 26 fish have come from 13 public lakes and two private ones, all of which will be receiving lunker offspring, assuming the big bass cooperate.

The angler who catches Toyota ShareLunker 500 will receive $500 a pound-a minimum of $6,500-for the catch. In addition, G. Loomis and Shimano will award the angler a rod and reel package worth $650.

Because of the value of the prize package, ShareLunker 500 will be X-rayed, and the angler will be required to take a polygraph test to prove that the fish was legally caught and entered according to program rules, which require that fish be turned over to TPWD within 12 hours of being caught.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers, is posted on www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

(March 30 Update)

Lake Nocona Sends Its First ShareLunker to Athens

Race to 500 heats up as big bass pour into the Lunker Bunker

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

March 30, 2010

ATHENS — Add Lake Nocona to the growing list of lakes that have produced their first-ever Toyota ShareLunker during the current season.

Don Wilborn of Sherman caught Toyota ShareLunker 493, a 13.34-pound largemouth bass, from Lake Nocona March 29. Wilborn was fishing in eight feet of water. Lure type was not reported.

The fish was transported to The Tackle Box in Pottsboro, where it was held in a large aquarium until picked up by ShareLunker program manager David Campbell.

"I really believe it is possible to catch a ShareLunker almost anywhere you fish in Texas," Campbell said. "Lake Nocona is now the thirteenth lake to produce a ShareLunker during the current season and the fourth lake to produce its first ShareLunker this season."

Other lakes producing their first 13-pound-plus bass this season are Livingston, Lyndon B. Johnson and Lake O’ the Pines. The ShareLunkers from all three of those lakes were also new lake records; Lake O’ the Pines set two new records in less than a week. New lake records were also set for lakes Casa Blanca and Caddo.

ShareLunker 493 is not a new lake record for Lake Nocona. A 13.4-pound fish caught in 1997 still holds the top spot. That fish was not entered into the ShareLunker program.

"We stocked Florida largemouth bass into Lake Nocona in 1981 and 1982," said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries biologist Bruce Hysmith. "We collected 30 bass in 2007 and found that two of them were still pure Florida largemouth bass. The pure Florida genetics are still in the lake."

The significance of pure Florida genetics is that those fish tend to grow faster and bigger than native northern largemouth bass. Texas began stocking Florida largemouth bass in the 1970s.

Only pure Florida largemouth bass are used in the selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. ShareLunkers from the current season are spawned and the offspring stocked into lakes that entered fish into the ShareLunker program during the season. Most anglers elect to have their ShareLunker returned to the lake after the end of the spawning season.

ShareLunker 493 is the twenty-second fish to be entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program during the current season. Only seven fish remain to be caught to reach the 500 mark. The angler who catches that fish will receive $500 per pound and a rod and reel package from G. Loomis and Shimano. All ShareLunker anglers receive a fiberglass replica of their catch and ShareLunker clothing. If a Texas resident catches the largest entry of the season, he or she receives a lifetime fishing license. The current leader is Keith Burns of Jefferson with a 16.17-pound fish from Caddo Lake. All prizes are furnished by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation.

Fish must be turned over to authorized TPWD personnel within 12 hours after being caught. Entries are not official until accepted by TPWD. Entry numbers are assigned in the order phone calls reporting catches are received by David Campbell.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers, is posted on www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

(March 23 Update)

Two Lake Record Toyota ShareLunkers Caught March 20

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

March 22, 2010

ATHENS, Texas — A snowy blast chilled Spring’s debut in North Texas, but northeast Texas lakes were smokin’. Both Caddo Lake and Lake O’ the Pines produced new lake records.

Keith Burns of Jefferson caught Toyota ShareLunker 487 from Caddo Lake, a 16.17-pound brute that ranks 16 on the list of the 50 largest bass ever caught in Texas. The previous record weighed 16.01. The fish bit a Senko in five feet of water.

The fish also vaulted Burns into the lead for Angler of the Year honors. The Texas resident who catches the biggest fish of the season receives a lifetime fishing license from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation in addition to other prizes awarded to all the anglers.

James E. Hollis of Longview caught the new record for Lake O’ the Pines-13.2 pounds-while fishing in a tournament. That fish was not only the new lake record but also the first ShareLunker from the lake. The former lake record was 12.74 pounds. Hollis caught the fish on a lizard in five feet of water. "I’m not saying what color lizard," he said.

The two-fish weekend coming in the midst of rain and snow driven by fierce north winds increased the possibility the current season will see the 500th fish entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program. The angler who catches that fish will receive $500 per pound for his or her catch-a minimum of $6,500.

The two catches also illustrated the importance of weighing big fish as soon as possible after the catch and calling ShareLunker program manager David Campell to report 13-pound or larger fish immediately. Hollis caught his fish at 7:15 a.m. but did not report it until after the tournament weigh-in that afternoon. Burns caught the Caddo fish at 11:30 a.m. and called it in shortly thereafter, so became entry No. 487, while Hollis’s fish became No. 488.

"Fish that meet all the entry qualifications are numbered in the order we receive the calls from the anglers," Campbell explained. "The ShareLunker program rules require that fish be turned over to TPWD within 12 hours after the catch, since the sooner we begin caring for them the better chance they have of survival. We encourage anglers who catch a fish they think might weigh 13 pounds to have it weighed and put into a minnow tank at a marina or official ShareLunker weigh and holding station as soon as possible."

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

(March 2 Update)

Toyota ShareLunker 484 Comes from Lake Lyndon B. Johnson

First ShareLunker from LBJ smashes lake record

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

March 8, 2010

ATHENS — With the exception of Lake Austin, Colorado River lakes in the Texas Hill Country have never produced bass weighing 13 pounds.

That changed Sunday, when Lloyd Ward of Horseshoe Bay saw a huge bass cruising near the bank in three feet of water. "I pitched my jig in front of her, and she swam over and ate it," he said. The fish tipped the scale at 13.7 pounds when weighed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, headquarters for the Toyota ShareLunker program.

The previous record for Lake LBJ was a 12.55-pound fish caught in 1989.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) stocked northern largemouth bass into the lake in 1971. Florida largemouth bass were stocked in 1976, 2001 and 2002. "Those fish are now old enough to weigh 13 pounds," said ShareLunker program manager David Campbell.

Ward knows his big fish is not the only one in the lake. "I saw two others today that were just as big," he said.

Besides Lake Austin, O.H. Ivie and E.V. Spence reservoirs are the only other main-stem Colorado River reservoirs to have produced entries into the ShareLunker program. Both those lakes are located in West Texas far upstream of Lake LBJ.

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

Anglers entering fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program will receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker clothing and be recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens on June 5, 2010. In addition, if a Texas angler catches the largest entry of the year, that person will receive a lifetime fishing license.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers, are posted on http://www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

(March 2 Update)

Toyota ShareLunker 500 Will Be Catch of a Lifetime for One Lucky Angler

Texas Parks and Wildlife Offering $500 per Pound Prize for 500th Fish

News Release

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

March 1, 2010

ATHENS — Most ShareLunkers — 13-pound-plus bass caught between October 1 and April 30 — are caught by ordinary anglers who enjoy a brief flurry of fame and get a fiberglass replica of their catch and some ShareLunker clothing.

The angler who catches the 500th entry into the Toyota ShareLunker program will get all that and a little something extra: $500 a pound for every pound the fish weighs. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is offering the prize to mark the 500th lunker milestone and celebrate the success of the Toyota ShareLunker Program, which began in 1986. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation is providing the prize money.

A fish that meets the minimum 13-pound weight for entry into the program will be worth $6,500. A 14-pounder would garner the angler $7,000. And should someone catch a new state record weighing, say, 18.2 pounds, they would take home a cool $9,100.

Not bad for someone who just went out to do a little bass fishin’ on a day off from work, which is exactly how most ShareLunkers are caught.

ShareLunkers have now been caught from 58 public reservoirs and more than a dozen private lakes, and all of them are capable of producing ShareLunker 500. Part of the reason for that is the reward a lake gets for producing a ShareLunker: a portion of the fingerlings produced by ShareLunkers that season. ShareLunkers — which are all females — are paired with males that are ShareLunker descendants, and the resulting spawns are stocked into the lakes.

"Everything we know about genetics leads us to believe that fish that are produced by parents that grew big are more likely to grow big themselves," said Allen Forshage, director of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, where the ShareLunker program is headquartered.

Many anglers choose to have their fish returned to the lake where it was caught following the spawning season. ShareLunkers are typically eight to 10 years old, but bass may live as long as 20 years, so they may produce more offspring after they go back home. Survival rate of the big fish during the process is slightly better than 70 percent and has improved dramatically in recent years as biologists have learned more about caring for big bass and as anglers have become more educated about how to take care of fish until they are picked up by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists.

The last thing any angler wants to happen is have a big bass die after being caught. "Two things will do more than anything else to help these fish survive," said David Campbell, ShareLunker program manager. "First, handle the fish correctly. Wet your hands before touching the fish, and hold it by the lower lip with one hand with your other hand under the rear of the fish supporting its weight. Holding it just by the jaw can injure the jaw, and if the fish cannot feed, it will die. Second, don’t leave a big bass in the livewell all day. Get it to a marina with a minnow tank, or an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station, as quickly as you can. The less the fish is stressed, the better chance it has to survive."

And of course, as soon as you have the fish weighed on a certified scale and know it qualifies for the program, call Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or page him at (888) 784-0600. He or another TPWD staffer will pick the fish up within 12 hours seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Remember that an entry is not official until it is accepted by a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department employee authorized to do so. In the case of multiple fish caught on the same day, the times the calls from the anglers are received by David Campbell will determine the order.

For information on the Toyota ShareLunker program, tips for caring for big bass, and a list of official ShareLunker weigh and holding stations, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker.

And one more thing. Good luck. We’d love to present you with that check for $500 a pound-and the bigger the fish, the better we’ll like it.

Keep track of the race to catch 500 on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram. Become a fan and you will receive updates on Facebook.

(Feb. 23 Update)

Toyota ShareLunkers: No. 479 from Amistad; No. 480 from Livingston

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

Feb. 22, 2010

ATHENS — Fish lightning struck twice Sunday, 10 minutes and 500 miles apart.

Fishing on Lake Amistad, Robert Robles of Del Rio caught Toyota ShareLunker 479, a 13.5-pound bass. At almost the same time, Robert Laird, Sr., of Livingston set the hook on a 13.19-pound fish that is now Toyota ShareLunker 480.

Robles was fishing in about 30 feet of water in Evans Creek using an Amistad Tackle Flutter Spoon. His fish was weighed and held for pickup at Angler’s Lodge, an official Toyota ShareLunker Weigh and Holding Station certified by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists to care for big bass.

Laird was fishing in six to eight feet of water beside the U.S. 190 bridge across Lake Livingston. He was using a Bagley crankbait. His fish was held for pickup in a minnow tank at Kickapoo Bait and Tackle in Onalaska.

Laird’s fish is the first ShareLunker entered from Lake Livingston and is the new lake record. The fish also was the big fish in the Polk County Bass Club tournament Laird was fishing in and helped him win. The fish bested the previous record of 12.45 pounds caught Feb. 16, 1987.

Lake Livingston is not known as a big bass lake, and some of Laird’s friends doubted him when he said he had a fish over 10 pounds to weigh in. "They didn’t want to believe me on Lake Livingston," he said. "When I pulled her out of the bag, all their eyes flew open."

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see http://tamus.pr-optout.com/Url.aspx?513992x701695x-1008907. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

Information and updates on the Toyota ShareLunker program can also be found on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Parks-and-Wildlife-ShareLunker-Program/301838055900 and searching for Texas Parks and Wildlife-ShareLunker Program.

(Feb. 16 Update)

Fly Fish Texas Coming to Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center March 13

News Release

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

Feb. 11, 2010

ATHENS — Fly Fish Texas is your one-stop shopping center for everything there is to know about fly-fishing in Texas, and it takes place March 13 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Fly Fish Texas activities are free with regular paid admission to the center.

"Fly Fish Texas is a great show and the only event of its kind," said Walter McLendon of Lufkin, who has organized the show since its beginning. "Other shows cater to people who are already fly-fishers, but we try to introduce people to fly-fishing."

"We take people from ‘This is a fly’ to ‘This is a fish-you’ve caught one,’" explained Allen Crise, who co-chairs the casting lessons.

Fly Fish Texas emphasizes hands-on learning and immediate application of newly acquired skills. Visitors can collect aquatic insects from the center’s streams, tie a fly to imitate one of those insects under the supervision of a skilled tier, learn to cast it from a certified fly casting instructor, then use it to catch a rainbow trout from one of TFFC’s stocked ponds or streams.

Vendors will be displaying and selling fly-fishing gear, and seminars will brief visitors on where and how to fly-fish in Texas fresh and salt waters for a variety of species. The program will include presentations on fly-fishing locations such as Caddo Lake, the Texas Hill Country, the middle Texas coast and the Bolivar Peninsula.

Speakers will also detail where fish are and how to fish for them, how to fish the white bass run, fly-fishing for carp, flies for spring bass and other species-specific information. In addition, instruction will be available on rigging a kayak for fly-fishing, ferruled leader making, Spey rod casting and double-hauling. For a complete schedule of activities and seminars plus a video of the event, visit http://tamus.pr-optout.com/Url.aspx?513992x693689x680784 and click on the Fly Fish Texas link.

The Dallas Fly Fishers will teach classes for beginning fly-fishers; pre-registration is required and is available by calling Craig Brooks at (903) 670-2222.

Event sponsors include Sabine River Authority, Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites — Athens, Orvis, Temple Fork Outfitters, Red Hat Rentals and Mariner Sails.

(Feb. 9 Update)

Choke Canyon Sends 15-Pounder to Toyota ShareLunker Program

ATHENS — Another South Texas reservoir that has benefited from rains several years ago is kicking out big bass.

On February 6 Richard Flores of Seguin pulled a 15.09-pound largemouth from Choke Canyon Reservoir while flipping a 10-inch plastic worm in 12 feet of 57-degree water. That fish is now Toyota ShareLunker 478.

Flores’ fish continues a string of big bass that is significant. Of the seven fish entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program so far this year, three have weighed 14 pounds or more and one more than 15 pounds. Average weight of the entries thus far this season is 13.9 pounds.

Last season the average weight of five fish entered through mid-February was 14.19 pounds. That average was swelled by a 15.45-pound lake record from Choke Canyon and a 15.93-pound lake record from Lake Conroe.

In the 2007-2008 season only one fish had been entered by mid-February, a 13.06-pounder from Lake Conroe. In the 2006-2007 season the five fish entered by mid-February averaged 13.34 pounds.

Flores took his fish to the Calliham Store, an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station, to await pickup. The fish was 26.5 inches long and 21.75 inches in girth.

(Feb. 2 Update)

Riechers Named TPWD Coastal Fisheries Director

News Release – News Images

Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot, 512-389-4701, steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us

Jan. 29, 2010

AUSTIN — Following an extensive nationwide search, Robin Riechers has been selected to lead the Coastal Fisheries Division at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Riechers began his career with TPWD in 1988 and has served in various roles within coastal fisheries, most recently as the Science and Policy Director.

Riechers assumed his new position Feb. 1.

"Robin brings a wealth of institutional knowledge about the key issues and challenges facing our state’s coastal fisheries resources," said Carter Smith, TPWD Executive Director. "He has demonstrated strong leadership skills and the ability to bring consensus among diverse stakeholder groups."

Riechers has played key roles in coastal fisheries conservation and management during his tenure at TPWD, including development and implementation of commercial fishing limited entry programs for shrimp, crab and finfish credited with resource sustainability. On the recreational fishing side, Riechers helped develop innovative strategies for conservation and management of the state’s spotted seatrout and flounder, and protection of seagrass.

"Our valuable coastal resources are under increasing pressure from a variety of environmental, developmental, and societal factors," said Ross Melinchuk, TPWD Deputy Executive Director for Natural Resources. "Robin Riechers possesses the resource knowledge, leadership skills, and strategic vision necessary to lead the Coastal Fisheries division through these challenging yet exciting times."

Riechers began his career at TPWD as an economist in the Coastal Fisheries Division where he implemented and managed the human dimension program that plays an integral part of the agency’s coastal fisheries policy making today.

"When I stepped into the job here we were known as one of the best conservation resource divisions in the country and we still have that reputation today. Working with the Coastal Fisheries team I want to ensure we continue that legacy," Riechers said. "We have the finest conservation professionals in the nation and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead such a consummate group of individuals."

He has represented the department on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council since 2000 and he served as the first ever two term chairman of the Council in 2006 and 2007.

Riechers noted the multitude of challenges facing Texas coastal resources on a regular basis, including natural impacts from storms, freezes, red tide, the ongoing issue of freshwater inflows to keep our bays healthy, and the increased demands and special interests or our users.

"As we see more pressure on the resource from a growing population, our goal is to work closely with the various user groups to ensure a healthy future for Texas coastal resources ," said Riechers. "Our challenge is to effectively manage a limited resource for the benefit of all stakeholders."

Riechers received his Masters degree from Texas A&M University.

(Jan. 26 Update)

Fly Fish Texas Coming to Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center March 13

News Release

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

Jan. 22, 2010

ATHENS, Texas — Whether you are an experienced fly-fisher, a rank beginner or someone just wanting to find out more about "fooling fish with feathers," you need to be at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens on March 13.

The annual Fly Fish Texas event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is designed to teach everything from tying a fly to catching a fish in one day. All Fly Fish Texas activities are free with regular paid admission to the center.

For a seminar and activities schedule, video and speaker biographies, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc and click on the "Fly Fish Texas" link.

Persons interested in receiving basic fly-fisher certification at Fly Fish Texas should preregister for classes by March 11. Morning and afternoon classes will be offered and are limited to the first 20 people to register for each session. To register, call Craig Brooks at (903) 670-2222.

(Jan. 19 Update)

Texas Tackle Factory to Produce "Hackberry Hustler"

Team Texas Tackle Factory has announced a new partnership with Hackberry Rod & Gun. TTF and HR&G are teaming up to release the legendary "Hackberry Hustler" soft-plastic lure.

HR&G has been hand-pouring this dynamite bait for years, using it to catch of big speckled trout and redfish. TTF has begun the process of molding the Hustler for mass production. Look for this bait to be available in all the favorite, fish-catching TTF colors in the spring.

(Jan. 12 Update)

Texas Fisheries Biologists to Hear of Changes Coming to Texas

News Release

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us

Jan. 7, 2010

ATHENS, Texas — Texas fisheries biologists know their jobs are changing. On January 22 a trio of experts will give them a glimpse of what the future may hold at the annual meeting of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

The meeting will take place in the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center here.

Dr. John Nielssen-Gammon, Texas State Climatologist, will address the topic "Texas Climate: Past Changes and Future Projections." Dr. Karl Eschbach, Texas State Demographer, will discuss the changes taking place in the Texas population. And Dr. Scott Bonar, leader of the Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, will address the topic "An Evolving Profession: How Fisheries Management Has Changed in the Far West."

Later in the day and on Saturday other speakers will address subjects dealing with both freshwater and saltwater fisheries, including the state of Texas bays and estuaries, invasive aquatic species, and management of various fish species. A complete conference agenda can be viewed at http://www.sdafs.org/tcafs/meetings/2010_Athens/Program_at_a_glance_2010.pdf.

Many of the presentations will feature the work of biologists and researchers from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), universities and related businesses such as impacts of invasive suckermouth catfish on the San Marcos river and solving the mystery of fish kills at Fairfield Lake from 2003-2009, while others will report on such topics as the state of the spotted seatrout in Aransas Bay and the impact of Hurricane Ike on oyster reefs in Galveston Bay.

Members of the media are invited to attend any or all of the sessions to gather information and interview presenters. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by e-mail to Larry Hodge, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us.

All meetings will take place in the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at TFFC. For directions, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc or call (903) 676-2277.

If you have questions about the program, please contact Ken Kurzawski, ken.kurzawski@tpwd.state.tx.us; (512) 389-4591.

(Jan. 8 Update)

Coastal Anglers Asked to Assist During Freeze

Media Contact: Steve Lightfoot 512-389-4701 or steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us

AUSTIN, Texas – Coastal anglers are asked to be mindful of conditions during extreme cold weather, particularly the impacts a saltwater freeze event can have on game fish populations.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists and game wardens are closely monitoring the saltwater freeze event along the Texas coast and while it does not appear severe enough to warrant closing certain fishing areas, there are things anglers can do to help protect red drum, spotted seatrout, snook and other aquatic resources.

Game fish, including spotted seatrout, red drum, sharks, snook and triple tail may only be taken by pole and line, and it is unlawful to take or attempt to take a fish with one or more hooks attached to a line or artificial lure used in a manner to foul-hook a fish (snagging or jerking).

In addition to killing game fish in shallow bay waters, a hard freeze can also cause surviving fish to congregate in a few deeper areas where they become sluggish and prone to capture.

“The high mortality that a freeze can cause may deplete fish stocks for years,” said Robin Riechers, TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division Science and Policy Director. “Protection of the surviving fish during the few days when they are especially vulnerable to capture would likely shorten the time period for overall recovery of coastal species, especially spotted sea trout.”

Texas has about two million acres of bays and estuaries susceptible to freezes. There were three major freezes during the 1980s, including one in 1989 when the temperature at Brownsville dropped to 16 degrees and an estimated 11 million fish were killed.

By adhering to the regulations and practicing conservation during the freeze, anglers can help ensure a continued healthy future for Texas coastal fisheries.

Anglers and coastal residents can report any freeze related fish kills or large numbers of sluggish or cold-stunned fish by contacting TPWD’s Upper Coast Regional Office at (281)534-0100 or the Lower Coast Regional Office at (361)729-2328.

On the Net: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/freeze/