Fishing - Wildlife Management Pro

Texas Trout Stocking Schedule is Released

“For an inexpensive, entry-level fishing experience the entire family can enjoy, it doesn’t get much easier than winter rainbow trout fishing in Texas.”

So begins the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) news release announcing this year’s schedule of winter rainbow trout stockings. Beginning on Dececember 3 and continuing until mid-March, the department will stock upwards of 260,000 hatchery-reared rainbow trout at 119 sites across the state. TPWD has been stocking rainbow trout each winter since the 1970s. The complete 2008-2009 Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule is on the TPWD Web site at this page. Here anglers can find stocking locations, stocking dates and driving directions to each site. Among the winter trout stocking sites are 13 Neighborhood Fishin’ locations in city suburbs across the state. These spots get trout stocked every two weeks in the winter, but catfish are also stocked there in the summer, making them year-round family fishing destinations. Details are on the Neighborhood Fishin’ Web page, which lists the urban area, lake or pond, driving directions, and a TPWD name and contact phone number for each site.

Oklahoma Expo to Feature Fisheries Field Trip

Bass

Oklahoma anglers have been enjoying fishing in Oklahoma for decades, but it’s hard to imagine fishing being any better than it is today. But just what exactly goes into managing a quality fishery like the ones found all across Oklahoma? Participants at the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo can find out Sept. 26-28 by taking the Fisheries Management Field Trip at Guthrie City Lake.

The fisheries field trip provides everyday anglers the chance to get an inside look at the daily activities of a fisheries biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Visitors will take a barge ride and observe the process of electrofishing (shocking) and trap netting to collect largemouth bass, crappie and other game fish. The field trip also will include an opportunity to learn how biologists age fish and see how these are used to maintain quality fisheries around the state.

“Anyone, no matter your age or skill level, can enjoy good fishing in Oklahoma, but a lot of that is because of the work of biologists to manage and sustain good fishing in our waters,” said Jeff Boxrucker, assistant chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department.

Those interested in taking the field trip must pre-register before Sept. 25 to reserve a time, but spots may be filled before then. Pre-register by calling Carol Lee at (405) 521-3721 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Space is limited on the trips, and sign-up is on a first-come, first-served basis. Five trips will be taken during Expo Sept. 26-28, including 6 p.m. Friday and at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Continue reading Oklahoma Expo to Feature Fisheries Field Trip

Jasper Fish Hatchery Starting Up

The fish hatchery in Jasper will start soon!

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says that this week will begin the long-awaited groundbreaking for Texas’ newest fish hatchery in Jasper. As is turns out, a $27-million construction contract has been awarded for the project, which replaces the aging Jasper Fish Hatchery.

The Jasper fish hatchery will include a whopping 45 acres of production ponds, a 34,000- square-foot production building, administrative office space, and a maintenance shop and storage area.

The hatchery will be situated on 200 acres and is scheduled for completion in 2010. And the really good news for Texas’s fishermen — the hatchery is expected to produce between 4 million and 5 million fish per year!

Flounder Fishing Techniques

In Texas, flounder can be taken by rod and reel in almost any portion of any bay. However, it often is more productive to fish around jetties or oyster reefs that extend into the bay from shore. Flounder do not swim continuously and they tend to accumulate in places in their search for food. During the fall when flounder are moving to the Gulf for spawning, the best flounder fishing takes place in the channels and passes leading to the Gulf.

During the spring, wade fishermen work the edges of channels, such as the Intracoastal Waterway, as the fish are moving back into the bays.

Flounder can be taken by rod and reel or by gig. When fishing with rod and reel, light tackle is typically the go-to tackle for catching flounder. Both artificial lures and natural baits can be used to catch this patient flatfish. Over barren bottoms, lead heads rigged with plastic worms are often very effective. In heavily vegetated areas, shallow-running spoons are best.

Flounder show a decided preference for live bait over dead bait. Live shrimp retrieved slowly along the bottom often produce excellent results. Several species of killifish, referred to locally as mud minnows, fished in a similar fashion are good bait. These often can be taken in large numbers with a cast net or minnow seine.

Fishing Lake Texoma: In Search of Striper Action

Lake Texoma Striper Fishing

We left out for a couple days of fishing on Lake Texoma this past weekend. After the four hour trip from my house in Texas we settled in to our hotel room in Denison and prepared to hit the lake for a few hours of fishing before it got dark. We launched the boat and had a few technical difficulties, but we soon cruised the lake near the dam. However, we had no luck — not a fish.

The next day we were up and on the lake before sunrise. We thought we might find some fish in the area, but nothing. Then we saw a congregation of boats and we went to investigate. As you’re probably aware, usually a bunch on boats in a location is a good sign, but after driving on over — nothing again. As it was mid-morning, we decided to just ride around the lake a bit (and there is plenty to ride around on since the lake is like 85,000 thousand acres) and then do some trolling.

That did’t yield much, so we kept moving and ended up on the Texas side of Lake Texoma near Little Mineral. We finally found a spot that was holding some sand bass (white bass) and we caught several. We were on the boards! We kept crusing down the Texas shoreline picking up fish here and there and then we found a spot that was holding some stripers. We worked the area for a while a picked up quite a few. They finally quit biting and it was past lunch time so we bugged out for a break and a bite to eat. My father and I returned that evening to fish a couple hours, but we only picked up a few sandbass and one nice striper.

The second morning proved to be the most successful. My father and I hit the lake at sunrise, but started just west of Eisenhower State Park. We tried a little bit of everything, but we weren’t having any luck. Then we moved to the area where we had picked up some stripers the day before, just west of Butterfly Cove. We caught some sand bass and even an occassional striper, but then we saw that the stripers were schooling and were on the surface — exactly what we had been waiting for!

We cruised over, dropped the trolling motor, and starting throwing topwater lures. The fish were in a feeding frenzy so all we had to do was put something with hooks in front of their face. Each cast would yield strikes and and soon it would be fish on! The schools would come up from anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes, but we finally found a school that was hanging out on top. My father and I each caught a limit of stripers (10 each) that morning and I caught many more that I threw back.

All in all, Lake Texoma was OK! That’s kind of an Oklahoma joke — but come to think of it we did catch all of our fish on the Texas side. I’m already looking forward to a repeat visit!

Texas State Parks Still Offer Free Fishing

Texas State Parks offer free fishing

In Texas, fishing and warmer weather go together like chips and salsa. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants those already “hooked” on fishing and newcomers to the sport to keep in mind that Texas state park waters offer ideal and economical spots for pursuing the family-friendly sport.

This year marks the fifth year of the Free Fishing in State Parks program that waives fishing license and stamp requirements within more than 50 Texas state parks. To capitalize on the program, which has been extended through Aug. 31, 2008, a dozen state parks are hosting “Free Fishing in State Parks” events where participants learn fishing skills, angling rules and regulations, have a chance to hook a fish and perhaps win door prizes such as rods and reels. Continue reading Texas State Parks Still Offer Free Fishing

Texas ShareLunker Program

The ShareLunker program is a selective largemouth bass breeding program that is housed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. To participate, anyone legally catching a 13 pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code.

Some of the offspring from these large fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. This, in turn, increases the genetics of the remaining bass population. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas. Continue reading Texas ShareLunker Program