Author: Lake Havasu Guide

SAN ANTONIO — The recent acquisition of 421 acres of significant endangered-species land increases the total acreage of the Government Canyon State Natural Area in San Antonio to 8,622 acres.

The acquisition, announced Feb. 3 by The Trust for Public Land, is part of a 12-year effort by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, local agencies, residents and conservation groups to protect land located over the Edwards Aquifer, which is the primary source of drinking water for the City of San Antonio. Government Canyon provides a remarkable recreation destination for area-residents and is scheduled to open on June 4.

The property, known as Canyon Ranch, is crucial to the completion of the state natural area because it is situated between two properties previously acquired by TPL. The property is also extremely important for the protection of nine federally-listed endangered invertebrate species, including three small eyeless beetles, a small eyeless harvestman, and five other small spiders, including the Madla’s cave spider.

“TPL is pleased to be a partner in the effort to preserve Canyon Ranch,” said Amy Wanamaker, TPL project manager. “It is a treasure-trove of native plants and wildlife.”

Approximately 70 percent of the property will be owned by TPWD. The City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Water System will each own 15 percent of the property. TPWD will manage the 421-acre site.

“This is an example of how working together we can do great conservation projects for the people of Texas that we could not have achieved alone,” said Walt Dabney, TPWD’s director of state parks. “It is one more component of a longstanding partnership between TPWD and TPL in the conservation of urban-fringe landscapes and high-value habitat in San Antonio.”

TPWD applied for and secured a $3.5 million U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Grant that included a funding match from the City of San Antonio and SAWS. The local funding came through the City of San Antonio’s Proposition 3 Program that authorized a 1/8 cent sales tax increment to locate and purchase undeveloped land in the Edwards Aquifer’s recharge and contributing zones as a means of protecting the aquifer from pollution.

“We are appreciative to all of the folks that have worked so hard to make this happen,” said Bob Pine, administrator for the Austin Ecological Services Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Preserving Canyon Ranch will not only safeguard the Edwards Aquifer, but also will help a number of endangered species.”

U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn and U.S. Representatives Henry Bonilla and Pete Sessions were extremely supportive of the federal grant.

This acquisition is also part of the Edwards Aquifer Land Acquisition and Park Expansion Program for permanent protection of the city’s drinking water. TPL has pursued projects associated within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone since 1990, protecting more than 11,500 acres over the Aquifer.

“We are so delighted to have acquired this property to protect the Edwards Aquifer,” said former San Antonio City Council member Bonnie Conner, who represents District 4 as a member of the Edwards Aquifer Authority Board of Directors. “This is a significant accomplishment made possible by the citizens of San Antonio through their vote in 2000.” – Lake Havasu

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department surveys confirm what most saltwater anglers already know: the fishing along the Texas coast is getting better and more anglers are taking advantage of it.

About 2,000 new anglers per month on average are discovering Texas coastal fishing, based on saltwater fishing license sales during the last seven years. The economic impact of saltwater angling in Texas exceeds $1.3 billion dollars annually and provides more than 13,000 jobs, according to TPWD research.

“There are indications that this trend will continue,” stated Larry McKinney, Ph.D. and TPWD coastal fisheries director. “The popularity of center-console bay boats continues to increase as does the use of kayaks and the continued increase in the sale of saltwater tackle.”

The amount of time anglers spend plying Texas coastal waters is staggering. In the 2003-04 season, according to TPWD creel surveys, anglers spent 5.27 million hours fishing on the Texas coast.

Not only are there more anglers but they are catching more fish. Landings of the two most popular gamefish, spotted seatrout and red drum, increased coastwide in 2003-04 by 11 percent and 31 percent, respectively. Galveston Bay (24 percent) and the Lower Laguna Madre (33 percent) showed the greatest increases while Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays declined slightly. However, Aransas Bay saw a spectacular increase in red drum landings with an increase of 76 percent. Other bays showed significant increases as well: Upper Laguna Madre (57 percent), Lower Laguna Madre (40 percent) and San Antonio Bay (45 percent). Only Galveston Bay showed a decrease in red drum landings.

“These year-to-year fluctuations show the power of having good monitoring programs that can track annual changes down to the bay system level,” said Robin Riechers, science and policy director for TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division. “But the real value is when you start to link up the data to look at long-term trends.”

The long-term trend in the recreational catch data along with the TPWD resource monitoring data allows TPWD to monitor and track fish populations along the entire coast as well as in each bay system.

Texas anglers have also become more efficient as well. Catch rates (the number of fish caught per hour of effort) for all species combined increased by four percent from .27 fish per hour in 2002-03 to .28 fish per hour in 2003-04. When the statistics for gamefish are examined separately, spotted seatrout saw an increase in catch rate of nine percent and red drum a spectacular increase of 33 percent.

“Even with the increased numbers and pressure, our populations of gamefish, especially red drum and spotted seatrout, remain strong and healthy,” concluded McKinney. “We face challenges in two areas to continue this success. One is assuring that the quality of the fishing experience continues in the face of issues like access and allocation of resources among users. The second is assuring the water quality of our estuarine waters and that freshwater inflows into them are adequate to maintain their health and productivity.” – Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas — “Fly fishing — it’s easier than you think” is the theme of the 6th annual Fly Fish Texas to be held at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center March 5.

A long list of fly-fishing professionals will be on-hand to prove that slogan true, providing seminars and hands-on instruction about everything from fly tying to solving casting problems. Special classes will be offered for beginners and young people.

Although drifting dry flies down a mountain stream in the Rockies may be the picture most people have of fly fishing, there are plenty of opportunities closer to home. Mark Marmon guides urban fly fishers in the Houston area and will share secrets of where and how to fish close-to-home waters. Colby “Pops” Sorrells, a certified casting instructor from Mansfield, will speak about fly fishing for Texas bass. Tye Green grew up fishing the Guadalupe River and will share his knowledge of Texas Hill Country streams.

If fishing Colorado streams is your aim, you’ll want to hear Steve Rawls and Marty Cecil. Rawls guides for B&B Outfitters of Fredericksburg during the winter months and for Elk Trout Lodge in Kremmling, Colorado during the summer. Jim Partin of ArkAnglers will reveal the secrets of reading Colorado trout streams.

There will be sessions for advanced anglers as well. TPWD’s own Bill Johnson, a fisheries technician from Bryan, will teach wade fishing in one of TFFC’s ponds. Ron Sheepstra and Bill Huegel will show how to cast using two-handed long rods. And Ronnie Ray of Austin, another TPWD employee, will speak about fishing large rivers for warm water species.

After you’ve worked up an appetite tying flies, paddling kayaks and casting for rainbow trout in TFFC’s streams and ponds, a visit with Ann Carr and John Jackman at the Dutch oven cooking demonstration area will be in order. They will have fruit cobblers and fresh-baked bread available for sampling.

Fly Fish Texas will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of TFFC, which is four miles east of Athens on F.M. 2495. Athens is 75 miles southeast of Dallas. All seminars, demonstrations and instruction are included in the regular price of admission, $5.50 for adults, $ 4.50 for seniors and $3.50 for children ages 4-12. For more information or directions, call (903) 676-2277.
Seminar Schedule

(All in the Anheuser Busch Dive Theater)

* 9:10 a.m. Bass Buggin Texas Style – Colby “Pops” Sorrells
* 10:10 a.m. Guiding Rivers in Texas -Tye Green
* 11:10 a.m. Fly Fishing for Carp – David Speer
* 12:10 p.m. Urban Fly Fishing – Mark Marmon
* 1:10 p.m. Fishing Texas and Colorado Rivers – Steve Rawls and Marty Cecil
* 2:10 p.m. Fishing a Small Stream – Jim Partin
* 3:10 p.m. Fishing Large Rivers and Warm Water Species – Ronnie Ray

Special Classes and Demonstrations

(Tents outside Visitor Center, Wetlands Pond, Fishing Pond)

* 9:10 – noon Junior Fly Fisher Program, first session
* 10:10 a.m. Solve Your Casting Problems – Colby Sorrells
* 10:10 a.m. Kayak Fishing – Paul Lara and Dave Bradley
* 10:10 a.m. Rigging the Fly Rod for Trout Fishing – Jim Partin
* 11:10 a.m. Fly Fishing Texas Rivers and Streams – Ronnie Ray
* 12:10 p.m. Long Rod Casting – Ron Scheepstra and Bill Heugel
* 12:10 p.m. Roundtable Discussion of Problems and Solutions – Jim Partin
* 1:10 pm. Wade Fishing – William and Bill Johnson
* 1:10 p.m. Texas Hill Country Guide Program – Steve Rawls
* 1:30 pm. “ 4 p.m. Junior Fly Fisher program, second session
* 2:10 p.m. What It’s Like to be a Fly Fishing Guide – Tye Green
* 2:10 p.m. Casting Demonstration, Slow Versus Fast Rods – Mark Marmon
* 3:10 p.m. Kayak Fishing – Paul Lara and Dave Bradley

Day-Long Activities and locations

Commercial Exhibits (TFFC Visitor Center)

* Fly Action/Fish Pursuit by the Dallas Fly Fishers (Visitor Center aquaria)
* Fly Tying (Anglers Pavilion)
* Casting Instruction (East side of fishing pond)
* Western River Style Raft Display (East side of Anglers Pavilion)
* Kayak Tryouts (Wetlands Pond)
* Fly Fishing for Trout, Bluegill and Bass (Fishing stream east of Anglers Pavilion)
* Dutch Oven Cooking (East side of Anglers Pavilion)
– Lake Havasu

If you are like most fisherman who work full-time during the week spending lunches and any chance they get to daydream and do research for their upcoming weekend tournament or fishing adventure then you are part of the bass fishing and tournament society known as the “weekend warrior”.

Being successful in tournaments can be a challenge since you have had no or limited time on the water. Typically, you are arriving at the lake late the night before or early the morning of the tournament or fishing day. You have ideas as to what you are going to do, but will end up spending the first half of the day trying to quickly put together a pattern for the day. So how do you consistently compete? Part of the challenge is the average angler does some, but not enough pre-planning for the day of bass fishing.

I have found the following steps to be necessary for consistent success:

One- If you can get to the lake the weekend before your tournament or the day before, known as “pre-fishing”, it will help you a lot in the tournament. Most likely, it will not help you establish a pattern for the bass because this will change as fast as the day or weather changes. What it will do, is help you become familiar with the water and eliminate water based on seasonal movements of the bass and locate structure and cover that you like or don’t like to fish. Since time is of the essence in tournament fishing, you don’t want to waste it trying to figure out how to run a lake or find a particular area of the lake.

Two- you have to understand the bass. You have to know the creature you are pursuing, their habits, and how they relate to their environment. By knowing this, you can put together a likely pattern before you even get to the lake that will take only minor adjustments during the first part of the day.

Third- putting together a preliminary pattern for a tournament feeds off the two points above. Hopefully you have had a chance to get on the lake prior to the tournament. If not, or even if you have, you should have a detailed contour map in your possession and get access to the internet. From the internet you can gather some important data as follows and set yourself up for a successful day:

• Find out what the current conditions for the lake are; water color, rising or falling water, schedule of water releases from the dam, tidal fluctuations, water temps going up, down, or stable, and the weather patterns in the area for 3 days leading up to the tournament and during.
• Find a history of fishing reports for the lake you are going to. Match the report history to the current conditions. This will give you a starting point.
• Lay your map out flat and begin to eliminate water based on the reports and conditions you are facing given the seasonal movements of the bass. This will help you isolate some areas of the lake that should have active bass.
• Pick one area, like the lower section of the lake or a section of a river arm feeding the lake. By breaking the lake down into smaller chunks, it will be less overwhelming and will keep you focused on fishing rather than “running and gunning” all over the lake. Within this area, look for smaller areas and special contours on your map that would be overlooked by the average angler. Learning how to read a contour map is very important in your tournament success.
• Based on the forage base in the lake, the report history you have, and the current conditions, you can pick some lures that will
  allow you to cover a variety of structure and depths in the area you have mapped out.
• Make a mental or physical list of an action plan. This will usually have you fishing fast at first to find active bass. You may then plan on slowing down or using a different approach or changing locations in the area based on what this initial strategy tells you. By having an action plan, you won’t have to do a lot of thinking on the water and your changes will allow you to capitalize on catching bass faster.

Minor adjustments for success will be second nature to you as you gain more and more experience.

Tournament angling or just having successful days on lakes takes a fair amount of study prior to being on the water if you want consistent success. Nobody is very successful at anything without putting the time in on the fundamentals. The level of competition is getting tougher every year as more and more information is shared. Just know that most anglers won’t put in the time to plan and prepare. This will allow you to have an edge over 50% or more of the field as soon as you hit the water. Your skills and experience will allow you to beat the rest.

Being a successful “weekend warrior” requires you to take more action off the water if you want consistent success. Become a student of the water you are fishing and the behaviors of the bass. This will put you ahead of most of your competition and with time on the water, you will quickly advance well beyond the competition. One last point I would like to make is this: NEVER get sidetracked from your planning by listening to the “dock talk” that takes place by the water’s edge or at the place you are staying. Have confidence in your abilities and the information you have gathered. Most of this talk is B.S. and half truths anyway. If you are going to listen to it, just file it away in your brain to use as an extension to your current plan, but don’t let it sidetrack you.

Best wishes –

David Burlington
Bass Fishing? Ask Dave…
Professional Guide and Tournament Angler
www.bassfishingaskdave.com – Lake Havasu

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– Lake Havasu

ALAN HENRY

Water lightly stained; 49 degrees; .07′ low. Black bass are fair on
shad-colored jerkbaits and jigs suspended in trees. Crappie are good on
minnows and jigs.

AMISTAD

Water fairly clear; 58 degrees. Black bass are very good on Carolina
rigged watermelon seed, watermelon seed red, and red shad soft plastics
and deep diving crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on striper jigs and
slabs in the Castle Canyon area and up the rivers. White bass are fair
on striper jigs and slabs in the Castle Canyon area and up the rivers.
Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on cheesebait over
baited holes in 5 – 40 feet. Yellow catfish are slow.

ARROWHEAD

Water muddy in upper end; 54 degrees; 3.7′ low. Black bass are slow
around rocky areas and flooded vegetation on shallow running crankbaits
and spinnerbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs suspended 13-15
feet near the derricks. White bass are fair on mud flats on
shad-imitation crankbaits and larger jigs with inline spinners. Blue
catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits just off the river
channel in the mid-lake area and above.

ATHENS

Water stained; 50-57 degrees. Black bass are good on soft plastics and
Rat-L-Traps in 8-12 feet around man made brush piles. Crappie are fair
on live minnows in 10-15 feet around docks with brush. Catfish are fair
on prepared baits fished over baited holes in 12-15 feet.

BASTROP

Water murky. Black bass are slow on silver spinnerbaits and shallow
diving crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue
catfish are fair on stinkbait. Yellow catfish are slow.

BAYLOR

Water lightly stained; 48 degrees. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow on minnows. Catfish are slow.

BELTON

Water murky; 4.00′ high. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow.
White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are
slow. Yellow catfish are slow.

BOB
SANDLIN

Water clear; 50-56 degrees; 0.15′ low. Black bass are good on red
Rat-L-Traps and plastic worms in 10-18 feet; most bass still around the
mouth of creeks with adjacent shallow flats. Crappie are fair on jigs
and minnows around heavy brush in 15-25 feet. White bass are good on
jigging spoons in 20-24 feet. Catfish are fair on jug- and trotlines
with live bait.

BRAUNIG

Water stained; 71 degrees; Black bass to 8 pounds are fair along the
shorelines and near structure. Striped bass to 6.5 pounds are fair on
chicken livers and Tony Accetta spoons. Redfish to 18 pounds are fair
on live perch and tilapia. Channel catfish are fair on shrimp, liver,
and stinkbait. Blue catfish are fair on chicken livers, shrimp,
stinkbait, and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are slow.

BRIDGEPORT

Water stained; 50-56 degrees. Black bass are fair on Texas rigged worms
and shad pattern medium running crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows
in 12-18 feet. White bass are fair to good on slabs and live shad in
15-20 feet. Hybrid striper are fair on live bait. Channel catfish are
good on cut bait and worms in 15-20 feet in holes baited with soured
grain.

BROWNWOOD

Water murky; 51 degrees; 0.68′ high. Black bass are fair on black/blue
jigs and waterbug colored Sweet Beavers and brush hogs in the rivers
and in the main lake in wind-blown rocky areas. Hybrid striper are
slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on small tubes and minnows
in the rivers and at Kirkland docks. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow
catfish are slow.

BUCHANAN

Water clear; 55 degrees; 0.46′ low. Black bass to 5 pounds are good
dead-sticking bubblegum Snap Back soft jerkbaits, ¼oz. crawfish
Rat-L-Traps, and suspending Rogues in 5 – 15 feet. Striped bass are
good trolling ½oz. Hyper Striper jigs with trailers around The Willows
in 30 feet, and on large diving shad-imitators and chrome Spin Traps in
surfacing schools. White bass are fair to good on 2in. Spoiler Shad
swim baits, Tiny Traps, and white Road Runners just inside the mouth of
large creeks and the main river channel below Mud Island. Crappie are
fair to good on white and chartreuse Curb’s crappie jigs and live
minnows under baited docks. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue
catfish are slow.

CADDO

Water stained; 51-56 degrees; 1.13′ high. Black bass are good on orange
belly Rogues and black or grape 6″ plastic worms in 3-6 feet around
single cypress trees. Crappie are fair on chartreuse or
black/chartreuse jigs and live minnows in 4-6 feet in Johnson’s Woods.
Yellow bass are excellent on baby crawfish in channels with current.
White bass are good on slabs and spoons in 8-10 feet at channel
intersections below Johnson’s Ranch. Channel catfish are excellent on
limb lines baited with small pieces of hot dog soaked in garlic and
olive oil.

CALAVERAS

Water stained; 70 degrees; Black bass to 7 pounds are good on plastic
worms and grubs around the reed beds along the shorelines. Striped bass
to 6 pounds are fair on chicken livers and shad. Redfish to 16 pounds
are fair on perch, tilapia, and shrimp on the bottom. Catfish to 4
pounds are fair to good on nightcrawlers, shad, and liver in 10 – 20
feet.

CANYON LAKE

Water clear; 57 degrees; 0.35′ high. Black bass to 10 pounds are very
good on pumpkin/chartreuse Snap Back lizards, crawfish Rat-L-Traps, and
Texas rigged pumpkin plastic stickbaits along points in 5 – 12 feet.
Striped bass are fair to good vertically jigging ½oz. silver Pirk
Minnows, 3″ Spoiler Shads, and white bucktails with grub trailers along
channel break lines in 35 feet. White bass are very good (staging for
the spawning run) on ¼oz. silver Pirk Minnows, 2″ Spoiler Shads, and
Blade Runners in 25 – 40 feet. Smallmouth bass to 5 pounds are good on
crawfish tubes, pumpkin Sliding Weight crawfish, and root beer/green
curl tail grubs. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish to 4 pounds are fair
upriver. Yellow and blue catfish to 19 pounds are good on juglines.

CEDAR CREEK

Water stained; 60-55 degrees; 0.14′ high. Black bass are fair on
spinnerbaits and plastic worms around vegetation in 6-10 feet. White
bass are good on slabs in 18-22 feet on main lake humps. Hybrid striper
are fair on 4″ glow Sassy Shad under the birds; better catches coming
between Crappie Island and the dam. Crappie are good on tube jigs in
20-25 feet around heavy man made brush piles. Catfish are good in 4-15
feet on fresh shad just out from windblown banks.

CHOKE CANYON

Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.14′ high. Black bass to 10 pounds are
excellent on gold sparkle spinnerbaits with chartreuse skirts in the
backs of major creeks in 3 – 6 feet early. White bass are excellent on
Riverside Mystic Shad, chartreuse 1.5in. YUM Wooly Hawgtails, 1/16oz.
chartreuse Road Runners, and large minnows at the Hwy. 99 Bridge.
Crappie are good on gray crickets, 1/16oz. white Road Runners, and live
minnows over brushpiles and pilings. Channel and blue catfish are fair
on live minnows, nightcrawlers, and Lewis King punchbait. Yellow
catfish are fair on trotlines and juglines baited with live hybrid
perch.

COLEMAN

Water slightly stained; 51 degrees; 0.41′ high. Black bass are very
good on chartreuse/white Senkos, cherry seed lizards, chartreuse spider
grubs and crankbaits, white spinnerbaits, and black/blue jigs. Hybrid
striper are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are slow.
Yellow catfish are slow.

COLETO CREEK

Water murky; 68 degrees (76 degrees at hot water discharge); 0.19′ low.
Black bass to 6 pounds are good on Carolina rigged soft plastics in 6 –
8 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie to 1 pound
are excellent on minnows in 10 – 12 feet. Channel and blue catfish to 2
pounds are fair on perch and liver in 10 – 12 feet. Yellow catfish to 6
pounds are fair on trotlines baited with perch and cutbait.

COLORADO CITY

Water clear; 53 degrees; .9′ low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are
slow. White bass are slow. Redfish are slow. Catfish are slow.

COLORADO RIVER

(At Colorado Bend State Park) Water murky. Black bass are slow. Striped
bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue
catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are slow.

CONROE

Water stained; 0.23′ high. Black bass are good on watermelon seed and
watermelon red spinnerbaits and shallow diving crankbaits in 1 – 6
feet. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and small tube
jigs. Catfish are good on liver, stinkbait, and shrimp.

COOPER

Water stained; 50-55 degrees. Black bass are fair in 6-8 feet on white
spinnerbaits and soft plastic shad imitations. Crappie are slow to fair
on Betts Crinkle jigs and minnows on main lake brush piles. Catfish are
good on prepared baits in 8-16 feet along creek channels. White bass
are fair.

DUNLAP/MCQUEENEY

Water stained; 50 degrees. Black bass are good on 3/8oz. black and red
Oldham’s jigs with black Uncle Josh’s pork trailers around docks in 8 –
15 feet, and on 4″ red worms with 3/16oz. standing weights around
docks, break lines, and brushpiles near the river channel in 8 – 15
feet. Crappie are slow on live minnows and 1/8oz. white Curbs crappie
jigs around brushpiles at night under lights. White bass are slow.
Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish are slow.

FAIRFIELD

Water clear; 51-75 degrees; normal pool. Black bass are good on worms
fished around mid-lake points and reed beds. Crappie are slow. Catfish
are good on fresh shad and shrimp in 12-18 feet drifted on mid to lower
lake points and around the hot water discharge. Redfish are good with
surface schooling action on large Rat-L-Traps and Sassy Shad on 1/4oz.
heads; several fish in the 15-25 pound range landed the past week.

FALCON

Water fairly clear; 62 degrees. Black bass to 13 pounds are very good
on chartreuse and white spinnerbaits and dark soft plastics. Striped
bass are slow. Catfish are very good on liver and frozen shrimp. Yellow
catfish are slow. Mexican fishing licenses and boat permits are
required to fish in Mexican waters. Everyone in the boat must have a
Mexico Fishing License whether fishing or not.

FORK

Water stained; 50-56 degrees; 0.36′ low. Black bass are fair to good on
red Rat-L-Traps and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits in 8 feet along main
lake grass lines. The deeper bite (18-26 feet) is fair on silver/black
backed suspending Rogues around main lake points with grass. Crappie
are fair on minnows in 30-36 feet on the deep flats on the lower end of
the lake. Catfish are fair on minnows and prepared baits in 20 feet.
Yellow bass are good on small jigs in 20-22 feet. TFF Lake Fork Open
Team Bass Tournament held March 26 – see texasfishingforum.com/lakefork
or call (817) 488-8824.

FT. PHANTOM HILL

Water clear; 51 degrees; .4′ low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on live bait. White bass are fair. Catfish are fair.

GIBBONS CREEK

Water stained. Black bass are good on watermelon red and watermelon
seed spinnerbaits and soft plastics, and on shallow diving crankbaits.
Crappie are fair on minnows and white tube jigs. Catfish are good on
stinkbait and shrimp.

GRANBURY

Water murky; 0.47′ low. Black bass are slow on watermelon and
chartreuse soft plastic worms and lizards. Striped bass are slow. White
bass are slow on silver slabs and live bait. Crappie are fair on
minnows and small tube jigs. Catfish are fair on stinkbait and live
bait.

GRANGER

Water murky; 58 degrees; 1.17′ high. Black bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps
and Stanley Jigs near the mouth of the river. White bass are fair on
twister tail jigs and small white marabou jigs up the river near
Circleville. Crappie to 2.4 pounds are fair on Bass Assassin Jigs and
minnows in 5 – 20 feet. Blue catfish are fair on cutbait and prepared
baits. Yellow catfish are slow.

GRAPEVINE

Water stained; 50-55 degrees; 0.22′ high. Black bass are fair on
Carolina rigged worms and shad pattern crankbaits in 8-15 feet around
submerged vegetation and brush. Crappie are fair on minnows around
docks with brush. White bass are good on jigging spoons and slabs
around humps and points in 20-24 feet. Catfish are good on punchbait
and fresh shad in 15-20 feet in baited holes.

GREENBELT

Water lightly stained; 47 degrees; 24.25′ low. Black bass are fair on
slow-rolled shad-colored spinnerbaits and suspending jerkbaits along
secondary points. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are
good on live bait and shad-colored jerkbaits worked along the dam.
Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait and jerkbaits. Walleye are fair
on live bait. Catfish are good on minnows.

HOUSTON COUNTY

Water stained; 61 degrees; 0.98′ high. Black bass are good on black
buzzbaits with black and white skirts, orange/black Rat-L-Traps, and
orange crankbaits near subdivisions and near ledges in 8 feet, and on
purple worms with chartreuse tails and gold spinnerbaits with
chartreuse and orange skirts near grass edges and sandy banks in 2
feet. Crappie are fair on live minnows and yellow/chartreuse beetle
spinnerbaits near piers at night in 3 – 6 feet. Catfish are slow.

HUBBARD CREEK

Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 11.4′ low. Black bass are slow.
Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass and hybrid striper are
fair on live bait. Catfish are fair on chicken liver and shad.

JOE POOL

Water stained; 50-55 degrees; 0.32′ high. Black bass are fair in 6-10
feet on Rat-L-Traps and Texas rigged worms. Crappie are fair on minnows
and jigs around Corps of Engineers brush piles and bridge columns in
12-20 feet. White bass are good on chrome or white jigs in 20-24 feet
around main lake points and humps. Channel catfish are fair drift
fishing fresh shad and prepared baits around points and humps in 10-20
feet.

LAKE O’ THE PINES

Water stained; 50-55 degrees; 0.27′ high. Black bass are fair on worms
and crawfish pattern crankbaits; some fish landed on jigging spoons
from deep water by anglers fishing for white bass. Crappie are fair on
minnows in 18-24 feet around standing timber and brush. White bass are
fair on jigging spoons and live minnows in 15-20 feet. Catfish are fair
in 15-20 feet on nightcrawlers and cutbait on holes baited with soured
grain.

LAVON

Water stained; 50-54 degrees; 0.44′ high. Black bass are fair on
Rat-L-Traps and soft plastic worms in 8-15 feet. Crappie are fair on
minnows in 20 feet around standing timber and man made brushpiles off
main lake points. White bass are fair on white/chartreuse slabs fished
vertically on main lake points in 20-22 feet. Catfish are good drift
fishing cut bait in 30-40 feet around mid-lake points.

LBJ

Water clear; 55 degrees; 0.50′ low. (Refilling began Feb. 21) Black
bass are very good on Texas Red Terminator spinnerbaits, ¼oz. #46
Rat-L-Traps, and wacky rigged black/blue Wacky Sticks tight to deep
brushpiles and stumps along channel break lines. White bass are fair
vertically jigging Pirk Minnows, chrome Tiny Traps, and Spoiler Shad
swim baits in channels and ditches in the main lake. Crappie are fair
on Curb’s crappie jigs and live minnows under docks. Channel catfish
are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on trotlines.

LEWISVILLE

Water stained; 50-55 degrees; 0.06′ high. Black bass are fair on jigs
in 10-12 feet around docks with brush and tire breakwaters. Crappie are
fair to good on minnows in 15-20 feet around boathouses. White bass are
good on jigging spoons in 20-24 feet around main lake points and humps.
Catfish are good drift fishing fresh cutbait on main lake points and
humps in 20-30 feet.

LIVINGSTON

Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.88′ high. Black bass are good on
spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics. Striped bass are slow.
White bass are slow. Crappie are very good on minnows. Channel and blue
catfish are good on brown crawfish. Yellow catfish are slow.

MACKENZIE

Water lightly stained; 46 degrees; 66.7′ low. Black bass are fair on
jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass and striped bass
are fair on minnows. Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait. Walleye are
fair on live bait and jerkbaits. Catfish are fair on shad and chicken
liver.

MARTIN CREEK

Water clear; 51 degrees mid-lake, 76 at hotwater discharge; normal
pool. Black bass are good in 3-8 feet on jigs and lizards fished in the
hotwater discharge cove. Crappie are fair on minnows in 20-30 feet over
submerged brush and timber. Channel catfish are good on prepared baits
in 15-20 feet around baited holes.

MEDINA

Water stained; 61 degrees; 0.53′ high. Black bass to 4 pounds are good
on gold shad JoBabies, gold Nichols spinnerbaits, and green pumpkin YUM
Houdini Shads off main lake points in 4 – 8 feet. Striped bass to 8
pounds are fair trolling Hellbenders off main lake points in 15 – 18
feet. White bass are very good on chartreuse Berkley Blade Dancers and
large minnows upriver in 8 – 10 feet, and trolling firetiger Bomber As
off main lake points. Smallmouth bass to 3 pounds are good on
black/blue Terminator Finesse jigs with junebug YUM Wooly Hawgtail
trailers over rock piles and steep ledges. Crappie are fair on live
minnows, gray crickets, and pink Fle-Flys around brushpiles and
pilings. Channel and blue catfish are fair on Lewis King punchbait,
chicken livers, and live minnows in 6 – 12 feet. Yellow catfish are
fair on live perch, comets, and jumbo minnows.

MEREDITH

Water lightly stained; 45 degrees; 22.77′ low. Black bass are fair on
minnows and suspended jerkbaits off secondary points in coves. Crappie
are fair on jigs tipped with minnows. White bass are fair on jigs
tipped with minnows. Smallmouth bass are fair on jerkbaits and slabs
tipped with minnows. Walleye are good on bottom bouncers and minnows
along main lake points. Channel catfish are fair.

MONTICELLO

Water clear; 50 degrees upper end, 76 degrees at hotwater discharge.
Black bass are fair to good in shallow water on soft plastics; females
are on nests in shallow water around shorelines close to the hotwater
discharge. Points adjacent the railroad bridge are good spots to
intercept bass migrating into shallow water to spawn. Crappie are slow.
Channel catfish are good on prepared baits in 20-30 feet in the center
of creek channels on holes baited with soured grain and drift fishing
shrimp in the hotwater discharge area.

MURVAUL

No report available.

NASWORTHY

Water lightly stained; 48 degrees. Black bass are slow. Crappie are
fair. Redfish are fair. White bass and striped bass are fair on
minnows. Catfish are fair on chicken liver.

NAVARRO MILLS

Water clear; 1.73′ high. Black bass are slow. White bass are slow.
Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow
catfish are slow.

O.H. IVIE

Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 22′ low. Black bass are fair on live
bait and Carolina-rigged dark plastics tipped chartreuse fished along
humps and creek channels. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White
bass are good on live bait. Smallmouth bass are fair on live baits.
Channel catfish are fair on prepared and live bait.

OAK CREEK

Water lightly stained; 49 degrees; 24.25′ low. Black bass are fair.
Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on live bait. No
boat ramps open. 4×4 vehicles can unload on the dirt road near the dam.

PALESTINE

Water clear lower lake, stained upper end; 50-55 degrees; 0.47′ high.
Black bass are good on jigs and trick worms in 8-12 feet around
boathouses with brush and along the river on the upper end around
stickups. Crappie fair on minnows and chartreuse/black jigs in 15-20
feet around standing timber and heavy submerged brush. Catfish are good
on fresh cutbait along channels in 20-24 feet. White bass are good on
Road Runners and soft plastic shad imitations along the river channel
in the upper end of the lake. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad and
Sassy Shad.

PALO DURO

Water lightly stained; 44 degrees; 43.25′ low. Black bass are fair.
Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Smallmouth bass are fair on live
bait. Walleye are fair. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

PAT MAYSE

Water stained; 49-54 degrees; normal pool. Black bass are good on white
spinnerbaits and Carolina rigged Top Dog lizards in 6-8 feet. Crappie
are fair on black/chartreuse Betts Crinkle jigs and small live minnows
in 24-27 feet on main lake brush piles. Catfish are fair on prepared
baits and nightcrawlers in creek channels. White bass are fair on slabs
in 20-28 feet around mid lake humps. Hybrid striper are good on
suspending crankbaits.

POSSUM KINGDOM

Water clear; 55 degrees; .75′ low. Black bass are fair. Crappie are
slow. White bass are good near Carter Bend. Striped bass are slow on
live bait fished vertically in the lower part of the lake. Channel and
blue catfish are fair just above the reservoir on trotlines baited with
shad. Note: Golden alga is affecting fewer shoreline areas with a shad
die-off.

PROCTOR

Water murky; 2.91′ high. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow.
White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are
slow. Yellow catfish are slow.

RAY HUBBARD

Water stained; 48-54 degrees; normal pool. Black bass are fair on Texas
rigged worms with a light weight in 6-12 feet around rip rap. Crappie
are fair on minnows and jigs at the fishing barges in 12-18 feet and on
the main lake on man made brush piles in 20 feet. White bass are good
on slabs and Sassy Shad fished close to bottom around Robertson Point
and The Peanut. Hybrid striper and striped bass are fair in 20 feet on
4″ Sassy Shad. Catfish are fair on fresh shad and prepared baits in
24-28 feet on holes baited with soured grain.

RAY ROBERTS

Water stained; 49-55 degrees; 0.19′ high. Black bass fair on
Rat-L-Traps around isolated cedar trees in 6-10 feet; some fish still
being landed on jigging spoons in 24 feet at mouth of creeks. Crappie
are good on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs in 28-30 feet around main
lake points and humps with submerged brush. White bass are excellent on
silver jigging spoons and slabs in 22-28 feet. Catfish are good on
prepared baits in 12-20 feet along sheltered creeks.

RICHLAND-CHAMBERS

Water stained; 50-56 degrees; 0.46′ high. Black bass are slow. White
bass are excellent on white or chartreuse slabs fished close to the
bottom in 20-24 feet around Pelican Island and Wind Sock Point. Hybrid
striper to 8 pounds are fair on Sassy Shad and slabs; some topwater
schooling on the edge of The 309 Flats. Crappie are slow on minnows in
20-30 feet around heavy brush and timber. Catfish are good drift
fishing fresh shad in 15-20 feet around the 309 Flats.

SAM RAYBURN

Water stained north, lightly stained south; 58 degrees; 2.86′ high.
Black bass are good on watermelon and green pumpkin Wacky Worms,
Senkos, lizards, and tubes in buck brush. Crappie are fair on live
shiners and pink/white jigs near brush tops in 25 – 30 feet. Catfish
are good on juglines baited with live bait and prepared bait.

SOMERVILLE

Water stained; 1.90′ high. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are
slow. White bass are fair on spinnerbaits and spoons. Crappie are good
on minnows and jigs. Channel and blue catfish are slow. Yellow catfish
are slow.

SPENCE

Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 48.35′ low. Black bass are fair on
Carolina-rigged dark red plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows and
jigs. White bass are fair. Striped bass and hybrid striper are slow.
Catfish are slow.

STAMFORD

Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 4.12′ low. Black bass are slow.
Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White and striped bass are fair
on slabs tipped with minnows. Catfish are fair.

STEINHAGEN

0.27′ high. No report available.

STILLHOUSE

Water fairly clear; 57 degrees; 1.98′ high. Black bass are fair on
Carolina rigged soft plastics. White bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are
slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on
shrimp and chicken livers. Yellow catfish are slow.

SWEETWATER

Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 30.63′ low. Black bass are slow.
Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on live bait
and roadrunners. Catfish are good on live baits and prepared baits.

TAWAKONI

Water stained; 50-55 degrees; 0.09′ high. Black bass are fair on
plastic worms around marinas and docks with brush in 8-12 feet. Crappie
are fair on live minnows jigs in 12-18 feet at the Duck Cove Fishing
Barge and around man made brush piles; best bite during low-light
conditions. White bass are good on 1oz. white or chartreuse slabs
fished close to the bottom around upper lake humps and ridges. Striped
bass and hybrid striper are fair on 4″ Sassy Shad and 1 to 2oz.
slabs
fished close to the bottom in 20-24 feet. Catfish are excellent on
fresh shad and prepared baits in 15-20 feet around points close to the
mouth of creeks – larger blues hitting large pieces of fresh cutbait on
5/0 circle hooks in 35-40 feet.

TEXOMA

Water clear; 50-55 degrees; 0.57′ high. Black bass are fair to good on
jigs and soft plastics fished around boat docks in sheltered waters
with cover. Crappie are fair on minnows around boathouses in 20-30
feet. Striped bass are excellent on live bait, Sassy Shad and slabs in
30-40 feet along the river ledges. Blue catfish are excellent on cut
bait and live shad along the submerged river ledges and adjacent flats.

TOLEDO BEND

Water stained north, lightly stained south; 60 degrees; 2.22′ low.
Black bass are fair on Carolina rigged lizards and French Fries around
main lake grass beds on the south end, Texas rigged soft plastic
lizards and worms around shoreline cover at mid lake, and on
spinnerbaits and shallow running crankbaits around shoreline cover and
jigging spoons over deeper drops in the north end in 15 – 25 feet.
Crappie are fair on shiners over planted brush tops in the Chicken Coop
area above the Pendleton Bridge.

TRAVIS

Water murky; 57 degrees; 2.10′ high. Black bass to 4 pounds are good on
red shad worms, brown jigs, and white drop shot rigs in 15 – 42 feet.
Striped bass are slow. White bass to 1 pound are fair on shad rap
crankbaits and jigging spoons in 10 – 35 feet. Crappie to 1 pound are
fair on minnows and pink and blue tube jigs in 12 – 32 feet. Channel
and blue catfish to 4 pounds are fair on fresh cutbait and
nightcrawlers in 30 – 40 feet. Yellow catfish are slow.

TYLER

No report available.

WALTER E. LONG

Water clear. Black bass are fair on minnows and small crankbaits.
Hybrid striper are good on minnows, silver spoons, Rat-L-Traps, and
gold and black shysters. White bass are good on minnows, silver spoons,
and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish
are fair on shrimp, stinkbait, nightcrawlers, and frozen shad. Yellow
catfish are slow.

WHITE RIVER

Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 18′ low. Black bass are fair on
black/blue jigs and shad-colored crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs
and minnows. Walleye are fair on minnows. Channel catfish are fair on
live bait.

WHITNEY

Water stained; 1.78′ low. Black bass are slow on shallow diving
crankbaits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are
fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on stinkbait and shrimp.

WICHITA

Water clearing; 55 degrees. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow.
White bass and hybrid striped bass are fair on large minnows and white
twister-tails along the dam. Channel catfish are fair on trotlines
baited with shrimp, punchbait or shad. Note: East and north boat ramps
are open.

WRIGHT PATMAN

Water stained; 50-55 degrees. Black bass are slow to fair on Texas
rigged worms and red Rat-L-Traps around brush and stick-ups in 6-12
feet. Crappie fair on live minnows and chartreuse jigs at Kelly Creek
Marina and over submerged brush in 12-18 feet. Catfish are good in
15-20 feet on prepared baits in holes baited with soured grain.
– Lake Havasu

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– Lake Havasu

Cross Trail Outfitters today announced its 2005 Youth Hunting and Fishing Photo Contest. The organization is looking for the very best amateur photographs of young people having fun hunting or fishing.
The theme of this year’s contest is, “Fun in God’s Great Outdoors.” The grand prize winner who submits the best photo will win a choice of a free parent/child Axis deer hunt or guided kayak bay fishing trip.
Photos will be judged both on photographic quality and on how well they represent the theme. All photos must include at least one young person in a fishing or hunting setting.
Finalists will be selected by a panel of outdoor writers, and the final prize winners will be determined by an online vote on the CTO website, http://www.teamcto.org.
Entering the contest is free, and participants may submit as many photos as they wish. Photos may be submitted either hard copy (prints) or online (digital).
In addition to the grand prize hunting or fishing trip, three additional winners will receive valuable gift certificates good toward tuition to the 2005 CTO Hunting and Fishing Summer Camps.
CTO is a non-profit Christian club for boys and young men ages 7-20 who have an interest in hunting and fishing. In addition to popular summer camps, the club offers year-round hunting and fishing trips, skills training, fun shoots, and other activities.
Deadline for submission is March 31, and the winners will be announced in late April.
For complete details on the contest, including the rules, prizes and how to enter, log in to http://www.teamcto.org/photo or call 210-286-4875.
– Lake Havasu

Friends and fellow anglers, So far the winter of ’04-’05 has been very kind. All watersheds in Northern NM and Southern Colorado are over 100% of the 30 year average and its only the beginning of March. Traditionally our wettest months are March, April and May so the forecast is for adequate water for our finned friends this season. Hopefully this pattern is more than a brief respite from the drought of the past 5 years. Heres my predictions on what to expect this year.

The Cimarron should have adequate flows thru June even if they don’t release water from Eagle Nest Lake. The drought drastically reduced levels in Eagle Nest so I expect them to hold back as much water as possible to to build up their storage. Flows from the tributaries below the dam should keep flows between 20-50cfs. thru the Stonefly hatch in June.

The Costilla which opens July 1st has had a banner snow year. Reports say that most north facing canyons have up to 6′ of standing snow. Last year releases from Costilla Resevoir were a lot better [ higher weekend flows and lower flows on weekdays ]than at any time in its 20 year history. I expect flows between 40-90cfs thru mid September. Commance Creek may also make a comeback this year. We have a new piece of private water on the lower Costilla also.

Sanchez Resevoir above the Culebra was close to empty at the end of last year. Depending on how they manage the water it should be best from early April thru July and then we’ll have to see what the summer rains bring.

The Red is its usual self with springs warming the flow and as of now there are caddis, mayflies and little brown stoneflies hatching. Fishing should be great here until runoff which will start in mid April [depending on the weather] and will last into June this year. After runoff the Red fishes well thru November.

The Rio Grande will be back to its pre drought condition. If it stays cool thru April we could have a decent caddis hatch. The bugs will be there the only question is the clarity of the water. After runoff starts, fishing on the Rio will be over until September when lower flows and clearer water will usher in the best fishing of the year on the Grande.September and October are the best months here.

The Conejos will have significant runoff this year and probably won’t be fishable until late June or early July. Fishing should be great thru October. The Pinnacles should be real good when flows get low enough by late July or early August.

The Embudo, Santa Barbara, Pueblo and Chama will all be fishable after runoff thru September.

Rita returns from 4 months of fishing in Patagonia in May and we look forward to seeing you this season

Tight Lines, Ed Adams [505-586-1512]
– Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas—With hundreds of fly-fish enthusiasts filling the air with lines and lures March 5 as they cast for rainbow trout, one had to walk carefully around the grounds of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

While fishing occupied many people, hands-on learning and informal education about subjects as varied as the importance of water quality and tying knots caught the attention of others.

Would-be fly fishers learning how to “match the hatch” by scooping tiny insect larvae from streams and identifying them buzzed about. Experts from Arkansas, Colorado and Texas whetted appetites for fishing with seminars about where and how to fool fish with flies. Fly tyers guided novices through the intricacies of creating insect look-alikes from feathers, foam and thread. And for those who’d rather eat than fish, food vendors and demonstrators turned out hundreds of tacos, catfish dinners and Dutch oven fruit cobblers.

An estimated 1,250 people attended the event held under the auspices of Fly Fish Texas, an organization dedicated to increasing participation in fly fishing. – Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas — Anglers contributed two lunker largemouth bass to the Budweiser ShareLunker program over the weekend, bringing the number of fish entered into the program this season to 12.

Mark LeBlanc of Orange caught a 13.59-pound bass from Sam Rayburn Reservoir about 10:00 a.m. Saturday. Roger Frazier, Jr., of The Colony took a 13.9-pounder from Ray Roberts Lake the next day.

Le Blanc was fishing in 5 feet of water with a Senko plastic bait in a watermelon red/green flake pattern. His fish measured 25.5 inches long and 21 inches around.

Frazier’s fish hit a fluke in two feet of water in the north end of Ray Roberts. The fish was 25.5 inches long and 20.75 in girth. Both fish showed light to moderate hemorrhaging of the fins and appeared to have spawned.

The Le Blanc fish was the first ShareLunker caught from Sam Rayburn since 2002 and only the third since 1998. That lake has contributed a total of 21 fish to the Budweiser ShareLunker program. Frazier’s fish was the first ShareLunker taken from Ray Roberts since 2000 and only the fourth in that lake’s history. – Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas — Anglers caught four Budweiser ShareLunkers from four widely separated lakes the weekend of March 11-13, bringing the season’s total to 16.

The big bass came from lakes Alan Henry, Austin, Choke Canyon and Fork.

Mike Modisett of Lubbock caught lunker No. 13 of the current season from Lake Alan Henry on March 11. The 13.82-pound fish bit a bass minnow in 15 feet of water under a crappie house. It measured 25.75 inches long and 20 inches in girth. The fish was the tenth to be entered in the Budweiser ShareLunker program from Lake Alan Henry and the fifth to be caught from the lake this season.

Lake Fork contributed its fifth fish of the season as well on March 11 when Art Price of Crowley hooked a 13.25-pounder while fishing a black and blue jig with Zoom trailer in nine feet of water on the side of a point. The fish was 26 inches long and 21.5 inches in girth.

Far to the south of those lakes, Dwayne (“Duke”) Kinley of Austin pulled a 13.07-pound largemouth from four feet of water in Lake Austin on March 12. Kinley was fishing a secondary point using a Brush Hog. The fish was 26.25 inches long and 20 inches around.

At about the same time Kinley caught his fish, George Shaw of San Antonio was battling a 13.26-pounder on Choke Canyon Reservoir. Shaw was fishing in 8-9 feet of water when the big bass bit a watermelon red Brush Hog. The fish was 24.75 inches long and 20.25 inches in girth. Shaw’s fish is only the fourth to be entered into the Budweiser ShareLunker program from Choke Canyon.

Although the Kinley and Shaw fish appear to have spawned, ShareLunker program manager David Campbell said the fish are capable of spawning again at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Hatchery personnel began pairing males and females on March 14, according to Intensive Hatchery manager Juan Martinez.

Entries will be accepted into the ShareLunker program until April 30. Anglers legally catching a 13-pound or heavier largemouth bass in Texas waters, public or private, may donate or lend the fish to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for spawning. To enter a fish call David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or page him at (888) 784-0600 and leave a phone number, including area code, where you can be reached. TPWD personnel will attempt to pick the fish up within 12 hours, day or night. – Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas—If you think all it takes to raise a baby bass is a momma bass, a poppa bass and a cozy pond, you’d be wrong.

March is the month when catches of big bass peak in Texas, and it’s also the month when Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fish hatcheries begin raising the next generation of lunkers.

Texas bass fishing is among the best in the nation, and no small part of the reason is the stocking of hatchery-raised fish into public waters all over the state. TPWD operates five freshwater hatcheries, but few people are aware of the complexity and artistry of the process of rearing fish.

And at any rate, most people care only about the hoped-for result: a lunker bass rising to smash their lure.

Making it possible for that to happen often enough to become almost commonplace is the job of TPWD hatchery managers and fisheries technicians.

This is how they do it.

The recipe for baby bass reads like a magic potion: acres of water, miles of plumbing, ozone, Astroturf, sodium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, sodium sulfite, cottonseed meal, phosphoric acid, the right mood lighting and a laser—not to mention two willing fish and anxious humans superintending the whole process.

Hatchery bass spawn in response to the same stimuli as their wild counterparts: warming water and lengthening days in the spring. Temperatures from 59-71 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal. Juan Martinez, the biologist who supervises the spawning of Budweiser ShareLunker bass at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, thinks that a rising barometer also helps trigger spawning. Thus spring storms may play a part. To maximize the effects of longer days, hatchery building doors are kept open from sunup to sundown during the spawning period.

Martinez points out one other factor key to the success of the ShareLunker program, which spawns angler-donated 13-pound-plus females and stocks the offspring into public waters in an effort to improve the quality of bass fishing. “The program depends on the anglers,” he says. “If they catch a fish and keep it in good condition, it will probably spawn, so it’s very important for them to care for the fish properly when
it is caught.” Guidelines can be found on the TFFC Web site (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/hatchery/tffc/sharelunker.htm#Tips).

When a ShareLunker arrives at TFFC, ShareLunker program manager David Campbell gives it what amounts to a fishy physical and treats it for any apparent problems such as fungus or bacterial infections. It’s then kept in isolation for two days to be sure it is healthy.

ShareLunker females are paired with three or 4-year-old males that are themselves descendants of prior ShareLunkers. The male fish spend the bulk of the year in outside hatchery ponds and are brought into the indoor hatchery for spawning. Size matters. The big females snack on rainbow trout while getting ready to spawn. A male largemouth that is too small may end up as lunch for the female instead of becoming her mate.

As befitting fish worth their weight in gold, ShareLunkers are pampered. Water in their 475-gallon private tanks, drawn from Lake Athens, is kept at a constant 63 degrees and is treated with ozone to kill any potentially harmful organisms. Technicians add sodium bicarbonate and calcium chloride to the soft lake water to bring its hardness to 75 parts per million, and the pH is adjusted to range between 8-9. “The eggs depend on calcium to activate motility,” says Martinez, “and the fish tend to do better in hard water than in soft.”

As the spawning season approaches in mid-March, technicians place “spawndominiums” and Astroturf mats in the lunker tanks. The spawndominiums are two-sided frameworks of plastic pipe holding black mesh. The Astroturf mat is placed inside the spawndominium. It’s not for the sake of privacy; bass simply like to have some structure to relate to, much as they would a submerged log or boulder in the wild.

Bass are very territorial, and the male soon stakes a claim to the mat and begins trying to attract the female to join him by rubbing his body against her underside in a kind of courtship dance. If she likes the cut of his jib, she rolls onto her side and releases eggs, and he fertilizes them. The eggs fall onto the Astroturf mat, which are checked the first thing every morning.

Technicians collect mats with eggs and rinse them in a sodium sulfite solution for about 20 seconds to release the eggs from the mat. Fresh water is then used to flush the eggs out, and they are run through a piece of equipment called a Jensorter, which uses a laser beam to count them.

The 7,000-12,000 eggs from each spawn are placed in a separate cylinder called a McDonald jar, which has ozonated water constantly circulating through it. The eggs hatch in two to five days, depending on water temperature, and the fry are transferred to one-foot by eight-foot metal troughs, where they feed off their egg sac until they are big enough to swim, at about age 8-12 days.

At this point the fry have one thing on their mind: food. While spawning has been going on, Tony Owens, the manager of the outdoor hatchery ponds, and his crew have been busy growing that food. After filling ponds with lake water, they add cottonseed meal, phosphoric acid and liquid ammonium nitrate to the water to fertilize it. The pond is then “inoculated”—zooplankton-rich water from another pond is added. The tiny organisms multiply at a tremendous rate, and by the time bass fry are added, there is abundant food for them to eat. The fry from each ShareLunker get their own private pond—spawns are not mixed.

“We continue to fertilize the ponds two or three times a week and sample the fish to check their growth,” Owens says. “In 25 to 30 days the fry will have reached fingerling size, about 1.5 inches, and will have eaten all the zooplankton. At this point we stock them into rearing ponds.”

In yet another aspect of this complicated dance, Owens and crew have also been growing millions of koi carp to just the right size to be eaten by tiny bass. The koi are put into rearing ponds about 10 days before the bass fingerlings are stocked at the rate of 100,000-150,000 per acre. “The whole trick is to get the bass the food of the right size at the right time to keep them from eating each other,” Owens says.

The ShareLunker fingerlings are raised to 6-inch size before being stocked into public waters. Growing them to that size requires the rearing of tens of millions of koi carp for food, but the survival rate of the larger fish when released is much better than for small fry.

Some fingerlings from each spawn are held back to be used as broodfish in the future. This allows TFFC to carry on a selective breeding program in which big bass genes are concentrated from one generation to the next, and it also ensures genetic diversity.

At press time, the fish caught by Rickey Williams of Lubbock from Lake Alan Henry on Jan. 29 was showing signs of getting ready to spawn. Her mate was hovering just beneath her over the Astroturf mat. It has taken dedication, teamwork and more than a little luck to bring these two fish together to make more fish.

And somewhere out there is an angler who will, someday, pull one of those fish from the water and rejoice over the fish of a lifetime, never realizing that the bass on his line is also on the end of another, much longer line, one that has touched the lives of many other fish and people. – Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas—When the Texas Legislature named the Guadalupe bass the state fish of Texas in 1989, it did so because of the fish’s distinctive nature. Found nowhere else in the world outside the San Antonio, Guadalupe, Colorado and Brazos river systems, the Guadalupe bass exemplifies the qualities and resources of the Texas Hill Country.

Ironically, the same conditions that developed the Guadalupe bass also made it vulnerable to change.

Two main factors have led to a decline in the number of Guadalupe bass: habitat loss and hybridization with introduced smallmouth bass. The latter has been by far the more serious.

“These fish lived so totally separated from each other that they never developed mechanisms to avoid hybridization,” said Gary Garrett, Ph.D., a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist who has studied the problem for the last decade at TPWD’s Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center near Ingram.

Following the stocking of smallmouth bass into Hill Country streams beginning in 1974, scientists began finding hybrids resulting from interbreeding between the two species.

“We didn’t know it was going to happen,” Garrett said. “We became concerned, and I took on research into the problem as part of my job in the mid-1980s. We did a wide-range survey and found the problem was more serious than we thought. About 30 to 40 percent of the fish were already hybridized.”

“As soon as we found out hybridization was occurring, we began moving to try and reverse the process,” said Phil Durocher, director of TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division.

“The first thing we did was prohibit any further stocking of smallmouth bass into the native range of the Guadalupe bass to make sure things didn’t get worse. Secondly, we began looking at producing and stocking Guadalupe bass to reverse what had already occurred. Dr. Garrett has led those efforts.”

TPWD biologists decided the best approach was to fight fire with fire by stocking Guadalupe bass in such numbers that their offspring would overwhelm the hybrids. That approach presented its own difficulties.

“First we had to figure out how to raise a riverine fish adapted to living in fast-flowing streams in a hatchery environment,” Garrett recalled. “A muddy bottom and still water didn’t work. Our hatchery expert, Bobby Wienecke, came up with a modified nesting box we called Guadalupe bass condos. His idea was that the fish wanted to be shaded, since they tend to hang around cover such as large rocks, cypress roots and stumps in the wild. So he built boxes with screened bottoms, filled them with gravel and put a roof over them supported by two posts. The fish took to them immediately.”

TPWD began stocking hatchery-raised Guadalupe bass in 1992. Luckily, the ideal test site ran right by Heart Of The Hills: Johnson Creek. Hybrid bass had spread from the Guadalupe River up into the lower reaches of the creek, but none had yet penetrated far upstream. “We found that for the first five or six years, we didn’t seem to be having much of an impact,” Garrett said. “What was happening was that we were pouring large numbers of fish into the creek, and they were moving out into the river. That diluted the effect in the creek, but it spread it over a much larger area, and it took longer to have an effect than we anticipated.”

In retrospect, Garrett says, nature was pointing the way to success. “If we had been stocking Guadalupe bass into all arms of the river all along, we would be much farther down
the road than we are now.”

Stocking the main stem of the river and its north and south arms, however, would require more fish than Heart Of The Hills could produce.

“Tripling the number of Guadalupe bass produced would put a strain on the hatchery system,” Garrett said. “Fortunately, in the last two or three years a number of things have happened that now make it possible. A cooperative effort by TPWD, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, Hill Country Fly Fishers, Southern Council of Fly Fishers, Texas Association of Bass Clubs, the Federation of Fly Fishers and the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau will enable us to stock up to 225,000 Guadalupe bass fingerlings each year for the next five years.”

One other piece of the puzzle that fell into place was the availability of pond space at the federal fish hatchery in Uvalde.

“The Upper Guadalupe River Authority is seeking grant funds to pay for the fish from the federal hatchery,” Garrett explained. “Our department will continue to produce 75,000 fish each year, and the grant will purchase 150,000 annually from the federal hatchery. Thus there is no increase in cost to TPWD.”

“This program is important to us, and we want to thank everybody who is helping,” Durocher said.

Garrett looks forward to the day when Guadalupe bass once again reign supreme in the Hill Country streams that gave them life.

“I expect we will be able to reduce hybridization to near zero if not zero,” he said. “It’s going to be very hard to do, but we’re not going to walk away from this. If we can get the rate of hybridization to near zero, I think nature can finish the job from there.”

In yet one more twist, the same traits that let the Guadalupe bass develop, and made it vulnerable to hybridization, will ultimately prove to be its salvation.

“These fish are adapted to whatever it is that makes Hill Country streams unique,” Garrett said. “They are able to out-compete other species, including the hybrids. Once we get the situation stabilized, these fishes’ special characteristics will let them hold their ground.”

Although they never get very large—the state and world record is 3.69 pounds—Guadalupe bass are a popular sport fish. Fishing for these agile, scrappy fish in fast-flowing waters is said to be similar to fishing for trout in mountain streams.

Anyone who has ever fished for Guadalupe bass in scenic Hill Country streams that remain the most pristine rivers in Texas can appreciate one other quality of the fish. “One of the nicest things about Guadalupe bass is you can’t catch one in an ugly place,” Garrett said. “That alone makes them worth saving.” – Lake Havasu

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has adopted a series of changes to state hunting and fishing regulations that offer greater harvest flexibility on lands managed for mule deer and prairie chickens, while simplifying and expanding hunting opportunity in other areas.

Based on the department’s popular Managed Lands Deer Permit program that provides incentives to individuals that conduct habitat improvement projects on their property for the benefit white-tailed deer, the commission approved similar opportunities for mule deer and prairie chickens.

The new voluntary habitat-based permit programs offer landowners with an approved wildlife management plan greater flexibility in managing mule deer harvest. Permit holders could hunt from the first Saturday in November through the first Sunday in January.

A similar measure addressing long-term habitat loss impacting lesser prairie chicken populations allows a limited harvest option for properties with a wildlife management plan geared toward this species. Under the new regulation, hunting during the two-day season will occur only on managed properties in the program. There will be a two bird daily bag limit and properties in the program will have a harvest recommendation.

Another proposal offering incentives for quail management was withdrawn from consideration pending further discussion with constituent groups, landowners, hunters and other interested parties.

Among the prominent changes in hunting regulations adopted by the commission is a continuation and expansion of special buck-deer harvest regulations in 21 counties. For the 2005-06 hunting season, the department is adding a second buck to the bag limit in counties with the special antler restrictions. Those hunters will be allowed to take two bucks, but at least one must possess an unbranched antler.

In another move, the commission has simplified antlerless white-tailed deer hunting by consolidating the seven different options currently in place across the state into just three standard doe day categories. Hunters are urged to check the county specific hunting rules for these changes in the upcoming 2005-2006 Outdoor Annual, available in August.

The commission also eliminated the aggregate buck-bag restriction in one-buck and two-buck counties. The new regulation allows hunters to take a buck in any three different one-buck-only counties or they could hunt in multiple two-buck counties, provided they do not exceed the county bag limit or take more than three bucks in all the two-buck counties combined.

In addition to deer, the commission adopted regulation changes simplifying turkey hunting. The fall Rio Grande season has been consolidated and standardized to run concurrent with the general deer season. The spring season for Rio Grande turkeys will open the Saturday closest to April 1, 2006 for 44 consecutive days and the eastern turkey season will run April 1-30, 2006. The commission also opened fall and spring seasons for Rio Grande turkey in Cameron and Zapata counties, and a fall season in Tarrant County.

The commission also adopted rules prohibiting hunting by remote control. This issue centers on the use of Internet technology as it relates to the taking of game animals and game birds. The new provision requires any person hunting a game animal or game bird to be physically present and personally operate the means of take.

Several fishing regulation changes were also adopted by the commission, including a change in harvest regulations for red drum on Lake Nasworthy from the current 20-inch minimum length limit and daily bag limit of three fish, to no length and no bag limit to allow for maximized harvest of red drum.

In addition, the commission passed rules defining the North and South Arms of the Concho River to eliminate confusion about fishing regulations. The waters affected include the North Concho from O.C. Fisher Dam to Bell Street Dam and South Concho from Lone Wolf Dam to Bell Street Dam that are covered by special regulations for blue and channel catfish (no minimum length limit and pole and line only angling) and where statewide regulations (12-inch minimum length limit and no gear restrictions) are in effect along the South Concho above Lone Wolf dam.

Also, on Toledo Bend Reservoir the commission voted to remove the 12-inch minimum length limit for spotted bass to make it concurrent with the statewide limit and one being considered
by the State of Louisiana.

Because of concerns about the vulnerability of certain live mollusks and other inter-tidal species to over-harvest, the commission also established a closed season along a small area of South Padre Island including the Brazos Santiago Pass and running on the bayward side of the island to Marisol Drive from Nov. 1 through April 30. The closure is designed to protect species such as hermit crabs, starfish, sea urchins and periwinkles. The new rule also establishes a daily bag limit of 15 univalve snails in aggregate and no more than two each in the daily bag of lightening whelk, horse conch, Florida fighting conch, pear whelk, banded tulip and Florida rocksnail. – Lake Havasu

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Anheuser-Busch, Coastal Conservation Association Texas and the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the first of two very special fishing events on April 23 in Port Aransas to help anglers enjoy and succeed in fishing shallow water.

Some of Texas’ most recognized shallow water fishing experts and scientists will be providing information to all anglers to safely and successfully boat and fish the bay waters of Texas.

For the Port Aransas event, seminars begin at 8 a.m. April 23 at the Port Aransas Civic Center.

Speakers and topics for the Port Aransas event include the following:

* Boats, Trailers & Outboard Maintenance: Nolan Bell, Island Boat Works
* Boating & Fishing Over Seagrass Flats: Larry McKinney, Ph.D. and Director of TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division
* Flats Fishing with Global Positioning Systems: Paul Choucair, TPWD Corpus Christi Bay Ecosystem Leader
* Water safety-rules and regulations-boating ethics: Chuck Ford, TPWD Game Warden
* Sport Fish Life Histories: Bill Karel, Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Center
* Catching Black Drum: Capt. Pat Hunt, Pat Hunt Fishing Charters
* Secrets of Sight Casting in the Back Country: Lefty Ray Chapa, Licensed Kayak Fishing Guide
* Preserve the moment — capturing photos that last: Earl Nottingham, Chief Photographer, Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine

Other presenters include John Glenn’s Taxidermy, Texas Department of Agriculture — GO TEXAN program, Capt. Billy Trimble, Texas Sea Grant Program, and the Coastal Conservation Association Texas.

To participate in the “Flat Out Fishing — Port Aransas” event, you can pre-register by sending cash, check or money order to Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce, 421 W. Cotter, Port Aransas, 78373 or register at the Civic Center on the day of the event. Registration is $20 per individual and $10 per additional family member. Children younger than age 17 get in free. For more information, contact the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce at (800) 45Coast or TPWD at (361) 825-3356. All proceeds from both events will go to the Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas to support the Crab Trap Cleanup program.

The second event will be in Galveston at the Texas A&M University, Galveston campus on May 7. For more information about that event contact, TPWD at (281) 534-0110. These events are restricted to the first 150 people who sign up. – Lake Havasu

HOUSTON — On May 6, more than 100 Golbow Elementary School students will leave the classroom behind, pick up fishing poles, and learn about nature and the outdoors through hands-on experience. It’s an example of how conservation proponents statewide are trying to introduce urban youth to the outdoor environment through fishing.

Mark Fobian, the elementary school P.E. coach, uses fishing as a fun gateway for his students to learn about the environment. Fobian, a certified Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Angler Education Instructor, began teaching fishing basics to his students after receiving permission from his school district and a grant from the Future Fisherman Foundation in the summer of 2004.

“It’s a grant to provide P.E. teachers with equipment that they need to provide a fishing experience for their kids and to teach fishing in the classroom,” said Brenda Justice, TPWD Aquatic Education Specialist. “This is a national grant, and he’s one of two teachers in the Houston area to receive it.”

The May field trip for Fobian’s fourth-grade class will be to the ranch of Herman Meyer, who allows Fobian to stock the ranch pond with fish using grant funds.

In this controlled environment, the students will have the opportunity to fish, and to participate in environmental science activities such as examining aquatic insects and learning to identify which ones are present in clean or contaminated water. Kids will also make fish print T-shirts, practice casting, and talk to local game wardens. Around 60 kids at a time will fish, while the other 60 rotate through the other activities.

Justice, the Houston-area Junior Angler program coordinator, said that the program’s goals match those of the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills — the education standards set by the Texas Education Agency.

“Where it fits the best is in P.E. classes, because it fits with outdoor education, which worked out perfectly for Mark,” Justice said. “He teaches kids in his fourth-grade class knot tying, fish identification, basic equipment, and environmental awareness. Once he goes through all of that, he uses his field trip and takes them on a fishing day.”

Fobian, whose interest in fishing was instilled at a young age by his father, saw the opportunity in his school two years ago for a fishing club, before the sport was added as part of his classroom curriculum.

“I just noticed here at school there weren’t a lot of kids playing sports. I thought it would be something that we could incorporate here at school and get more kids out fishing and spending time with their families,” Fobian said. “When I wrote for this fishing grant last year, this was a situation where we had to get it into the classroom.”

The $5,000 grant helped buy bait-cast rods, spin rods, fly rods and tackle, which kids can check out on the weekends for fishing with their families.

“I’ve had two families come up in the last week and check out equipment to take the family fishing,” he said.

The Future Fisherman Foundation, in conjunction with partner organizations such as American Sportfishing Association, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and The American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, provides many grants to schoolteachers nationwide.

Three Texas schoolteachers were the recipients of grants last year, including Fobian and Sandra Sanchez, a teacher at MacArthur Elementary in La Porte. Sanchez will use grant funds for a fishing field trip to Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center for her fourth and fifth grade classes on May 4-5. – Lake Havasu

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is holding six public meetings during May near areas hit hardest by golden alga. Agency officials will provide updates on golden alga research projects and discuss fisheries management strategies, as well as solicit public input.

Golden alga blooms during the last six months have caused fish kills in more than a dozen water bodies in north-central Texas. None of the occurrences have resulted in serious impacts to the fisheries, but they have provided researchers with opportunities to study actual events in hopes of finding solutions to this naturally-occurring threat.

Since 2001, golden alga fish kills have occurred on two dozen reservoirs in Texas. About 18 million fish have been killed by golden alga during the last 20 years, most of which were either forage or rough fish species.

This alga releases a toxin that kills gill-breathing organisms such as fish and clams. There is no known evidence of human health risks.

First discovered in Texas in 1985, golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) was identified in a fish kill in the Pecos River and has since been responsible for fish kills in the Colorado, Canadian, Wichita, Red and Brazos River systems as well.

Public meetings are slated for the following dates and locations. All meetings start at 7 p.m.

* May 10 — Texas Workforce Commission, 218 14th St., Lubbock.
* May 11 — Civic Center, 157 W. 2nd St., Colorado City.
* May 17 — Possum Kingdom Lion’s Club, 142 LaVilla Road, Lake Possum Kingdom.
* May 18 — Baylor County Extension Office, 500 N. Main, Seymour.
* May 24 — Annex 3 Building, 200 N. Gordon, Granbury.
* May 25 — Lake Whitney State Park Reunion Center, 433 FM 1244, Whitney. – Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas–Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris presented a check for $650,000 to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center at a banquet in Grapevine April 16.

The gift was Morris’ way of expediting the construction of a new education building at TFFC. He pledged at an April 3, 2004, banquet to match dollar-for-dollar, up to $650,000, funds raised by April 16, 2005, by Schooling for Bass, a Dallas support group headed by Richard (“Dick”) Hart. The volunteer group responded by raising $711,000.

Morris made the presentation accompanied by Bass Pro Shops staff and friends. “This check isn’t from one person; it comes from a lot of people,” Morris said. “It comes from the people at Bass Pro Shops. It comes from our customers. And it comes with a tremendous amount of gratitude to Schooling for Bass members, TFFC staff, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director Robert Cook and to all of the incredible people who are a part of Texas Parks and Wildlife. The fishermen and women and future generations of fishermen not only of this state but of our nation are deeply grateful to you for your visionary leadership and incredible support of the sport of fishing.”

Bass Pro Shops has a long association with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In November 1986, Mark Stevenson caught a new state record largemouth bass, which also became the first entry into what is now the Budweiser ShareLunker program. Stevenson named the bass Ethel, and that fish later was given to Bass Pro Shops and was displayed at the company’s headquarters in Springfield, Mo. The check Morris presented to TFFC was inscribed “In memory of Ethel.”

In accepting the donation, TPWD Executive Director Robert L. Cook said, “Texas Parks and Wildlife Department depends on partnerships to accomplish its goals. This is truly a win/win situation. We thank all the Schooling for Bass members and Bass Pro Shops so much.”

Other organizations and individuals contributing to the building fund were Kathie and Ed Cox Jr., Eric Kincaid, ExxonMobil Foundation, Cain Foundation, Ginger Murchison Foundation, Hillcrest Foundation, Sheila and Walter Umphrey, Friona Industries, Hoblitzelle Foundation, Cathey and Don Humphreys, Texas Game Warden Association and J.B. Katz Foundation.

Also attending the banquet were Joseph Fitzsimons, chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, Commissioner Philip Montgomery, Inland Fisheries Division Director Phil Durocher and former TPWD Executive Director Andrew Sansom.

TFFC director Allen Forshage noted, “With completion of this new $1.5 million educational facility, TFFC will have an outdoor education center unmatched in North America.”

The Edwin L. Cox Jr., Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens combines visitation and outdoor education with a production fish hatchery. TFFC is a facility of the Inland Fisheries Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the state agency charged with the management and conservation of the natural and cultural resources of Texas. TPWD also works to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Built as a joint venture between TPWD, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Inc., and the community of Athens, TFFC includes a wetlands trail and over 300,000 gallons of indoor and outdoor aquariums displaying dozens of species of native fish, waterfowl, alligators and amphibians in recreated habitats.

TFFC invites both individual and group visitation. Reservations are recommended for groups of 10 or more. Admission is charged. Public hours are 9a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

Bass Pro Shops, also a major catalog and internet retailer, has 27 destination retail locations across America and Canada. – Lake Havasu

ATHENS, Texas–The Budweiser ShareLunker 2004-2005 season closed April 30 with 24 fish entered, the highest total since 1996.

A large measure of credit for this year’s performance goes to Lake Alan Henry. The 2,880-acre lake southeast of Lubbock produced nine ShareLunkers, largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more. Lake Fork contributed seven, Sam Rayburn Reservoir two, and Lakes Falcon, Ray Roberts, Austin and Choke Canyon one each. Two lunkers came from private waters.

Nine of the fish spawned. Genetic testing showed that six of the big females were pure Florida largemouth bass. They produced 101,000 fry. Most of the fingerlings produced from these fry will be stocked into lakes which produced this year’s ShareLunkers. In addition, 20,000 will be reared to 6 inches and used for growth research studies.

Three females classified as intergrades (crosses between Florida largemouth bass and northern largemouth bass) spawned and produced 70,000 fry that will also be stocked into public waters.

The 171,000 fry are the most produced in one year since the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center opened.

Budweiser ShareLunker program manager David Campbell expects to have most of the donated fish returned to their lakes of origin by mid-May.

Details on the fish entered into the program this year follow, in chronological order.

Oct. 29. Danny P. McBride of Hatchett, Ark., landed a 13.16-pound largemouth bass that became the season’s first entry into the Budweiser ShareLunker program. McBride’s fish was the first ShareLunker from Lake Fork caught in the month of October and only the fifth October fish entered into the program since its inception in 1986.

McBride hooked the big fish in 12 feet of water while using a Carolina rig. The fish was 25 inches long and measured 21 inches around.

Dec. 2. Scott Farmer of Yantis pulled the season’s second Budweiser ShareLunker from Lake Fork. The 13.6-pound largemouth had a girth of 21.5 inches and was 24.5 inches long.

Farmer caught the big fish at a depth of 32 feet in the middle of the lake. It bit on a black jig.

Dec. 4. Falcon Reservoir produced its first Budweiser ShareLunker in nine years, when San Antonio resident Jerry Campos pulled a 14.28-pound largemouth from the lake.

The Campos fish was caught in 5 feet of water on a soft plastic bait. The fish was 26 inches long and 21.5 inches around.

As the Texas resident catching the largest fish of the season, Campos will be honored as Budweiser ShareLunker Angler of the Year at the annual banquet scheduled for May 28 in Athens. In addition to receiving a fiberglass replica of his fish made by Lake Fork Taxidermy and a ShareLunker jacket and cap, Campos will be awarded a lifetime fishing license.

Jan. 29. Rickey D. Williams of Lubbock kicked off a record-setting weekend for Lake Alan Henry when he hooked ShareLunker No. 4, a 13.14-pound fish, on a spinner bait in 8 feet of water shortly before noon. The 26-inch-long fish had a girth of 20 inches.

Jan. 29. Later that day Ben J. Kirkpatrick of Wolfforth went 40 feet deep with a black and blue jig to hook a 13.48-pounder that stretched 25 inches long and 22 inches around. It was the second fish of the day from Lake Alan Henry.

Jan. 30. Lake Alan Henry stayed hot. Kevin Ray Phillips of Sundown caught a 13.45-pounder in 6 feet of water up the river on a Norman DD-14 in Tennessee shad pattern. The fish was 25.5 inches long and 20.625 inches around.

Jan. 30. The fourth fish from Lake Alan Henry in two days just barely made the cut at 13 pounds even, but it marked the first time in the 19-year history of the Budweiser ShareLunker program that four entries were caught from the same lake in a two-day period.

Fishing the main lake in 6 feet of water, Lubbock resident Coy Callison used a chartreuse Norman DD-22 to pull in the 25.25-inch-long, 20.25-inch girth fish.

Feb. 12. Jim Lee of Winnsboro caught ShareLunker No. 8, a 13.91-pound largemouth, from a 55-acre private lake in Wood County. The fish measured 25.5 inches long and 22.125 inches around. Lee was using a 1/8-ounce Bass Assassin jighead with a white Team Luck E Strike three-inch curly-tail grub.

Feb. 19. Andrew Elder, a sixteen-year-old from Deville, Louisiana, caught Budweiser ShareLunker No. 9 from Lake Fork.

Deville was fishing in 3 to 4 feet of water in Pension Creek when a 13.67-pound largemouth hit his crawfish Rat-L-Trap. The fish was 25 inches long and 22.125 inches around.

March 3. Derrell Maltsberger of Denton caught a 13.19-pound largemouth from Lake Fork about 2:15 p.m.

Maltsberger pulled the fish from 9 feet of water near the dam. The fish was 24.75 inches long and 22 inches in girth.

Lakes Fork and Alan Henry were now tied for the season lead with four ShareLunkers each, but the battle was just beginning.

March 5. Mark A. LeBlanc of Orange caught a 13.59-pound lunker from Sam Rayburn Reservoir on March 5. It was 25.5 inches long and 21 inches around.

Le Blanc was fishing in 5 feet of water with a Senko plastic bait in a watermelon red/green flake pattern.

The Le Blanc fish was the first ShareLunker caught from Sam Rayburn since 2002 and only the third since 1998, when it produced six ShareLunkers. That lake has contributed a total of 22 fish to the Budweiser ShareLunker program.

March 6. Roger Frazier Jr., of The Colony was fishing Ray Roberts Lake when he caught a 13.9-pound fish measuring 25.5 inches long and 20.75 inches around.

Frazier’s fish hit a fluke in 2 feet of water in the north end of Ray Roberts. The fish was the first ShareLunker taken from Ray Roberts since 2000 and only the fourth in that lake’s history.

March 10. Mike Modisett of Lubbock caught ShareLunker No. 13 from Lake Alan Henry on March 10. The 13.82-pound fish bit a bass minnow in 15 feet of water under a crappie house. It measured 25.75 inches long and 20 inches in girth.

The fish was the tenth to be entered in the Budweiser ShareLunker program from Lake Alan Henry and the fifth to be caught from the lake this season.

March 11. Lake Fork contributed its fifth fish of the season when Art Price of Crowley hooked a 13.25-pounder while fishing a black and blue jig with Zoom trailer in 9 feet of water on the side of a point. The fish was 26 inches long and 21.5 inches in girth.

March 12. Far to the south of those lakes, Dwayne Kinley of Austin pulled a 13.07-pound largemouth from 4 feet of water in Lake Austin. Kinley was fishing a secondary point using a Brush Hog. The fish was 26.25 inches long and 20 inches around.

Kinley’s fish was the sixth to be entered into the program from Lake Austin.

March 12. At about the same time Kinley caught his fish, George Shaw of San Antonio was battling a 13.26-pounder on Choke Canyon Reservoir. Shaw was fishing in 8 to 9 feet of water when the big bass bit a watermelon red Brush Hog. The fish was 24.75 inches long and 20.25 inches in girth. Shaw’s fish is only the fourth to be entered into the Budweiser ShareLunker program from Choke Canyon.

March 20. Douglas Garland of College Station landed the second-largest fish of the 2004-2005 season, a 14.12-pound largemouth, from a private lake in Wood County. The big bass was 26.5 inches long and 21.75 inches around.

Garland was using a Stanley spinner bait in 5 to 6 feet of water.

March 20. Gary Boyles of Lubbock caught the sixth Budweiser ShareLunker of the year from Lake Alan Henry on March 20. The 13.61-pound bass was 25.25 inches long and 21 inches in girth.

Boyles was fishing in 12 feet of water in Grape Creek with a Berkley Power Worm.

March 28. Guide David Strahan of Alba put Lake Fork into a tie with Lake Alan Henry when he brought in Lake Fork’s sixth Budweiser ShareLunker of the season, a13.05-pound fish that was 24.75 inches long and 21.25 inches around.

Strahan caught the fish in 5 feet of open water using a white lizard on a beautiful sunshine-drenched morning.

March 30. Mark Gibertini of Albuquerque, New Mexico, caught the season’s seventh ShareLunker from Lake Alan Henry, a 13.68-pound largemouth that stretched 26.25 inches long and 20.75 inches around.

Gibertini was fishing in 4 feet of water in the Big Grape area when the fish bit a waterdog.

March 31. Lake Fork pulled back into a tie with Lake Alan Henry for most fish entered into the Budweiser ShareLunker program during the current season.

David Meeks of Texarkana pulled a 13.03-pound bass from 2 feet of water in Wright Creek. The fish bit on a watermelon Senko. The big bass was 24.25 inches long and 21.75 inches around.

April 14. Lakes Alan Henry and Fork continued their see-saw battle to produce the most ShareLunkers during the current season. Jimmy McMahon of Big Spring entered the eighth Budweiser ShareLunker of the season from Lake Alan Henry.

McMahon was fishing in 3 feet of water using a Mad Man White Craw when he hooked the 13.03-pound fish. It measured 26 inches long and 20.5 inches in girth.

April 15. Lake Alan Henry tightened its grip on first place in the race to produce the most ShareLunkers this year.

Matthew Kent Jolly of Lubbock caught the ninth ShareLunker of the year from the lake, a 13-pound fish boated about 2:30 p.m. from 6 feet of water on the south side of Gobbler Creek. Matthew’s
father hooked the fish first, but she tangled the line in a tree and got off. Matthew hooked and landed the 25-inch-long, 20-inch-girth fish a few minutes later.

April 20. Nick Brinlee of Longview caught the final Budweiser ShareLunker of the 2004-2005 season from Sam Rayburn Reservoir on April 20.

Brinlee was fishing a grass bed in 8 feet of water when the 13.36-pound largemouth took a pumpkinseed worm on a Carolina rig. The fish was 26.5 inches long and 21 inches around.

A total of 391 fish have been entered into the program since its inception in the fall of 1986. Of those, 376 * were caught from 52 bodies of public water. The remaining 15 ** were caught from private lakes.

This season marked the first time in the 19-year history of the Budweiser ShareLunker program that Lake Fork did not produce as many or more lunkers than any other lake in Texas. Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Lake Fork each produced six ShareLunkers in 1998. – Lake Havasu