Wildlife Management & Habitat Management News » Fishing

Freeze Impacts Texas Coast, Habitat and Wildlife

WM Pro — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:25:11 +0000

The cold weather was tough as temperatures dipped down low last week in Texas, causing gulf waters to get very, very cold. In fact, more than 1,000 sea turtles have been rescued in the wake of last week’s arctic blast, a massive infusion of cold air that brought ice and snow and bone-chilling temperatures to much of the Lone Star State, including the entire Texas coast. As of February 7, it appeared that the turtles suffered minimal mortality during rehab and most were in the process of being released back into the Gulf.

Aerial flyover today was expected to provide a better handle on impacts to the fisheries, but initial reports indicate only minor isolated fish kills. Fisheries professionals in Texas will be focusing efforts in the days ahead on assessing resource impacts. Among the conservation measures employed to help protect the resource was a set of temporary fishing closures around deepwater thermal refuges and a voluntary suspension of barge traffic in the Lower Laguna Madre.

Extreme cold weather is tough on both wildlife and habitat. Fish and reptiles are no different. An important fact to keep in mind is that animal populations rise and fall with climatic conditions. Although it appears no major impacts have occurred on fisheries or turtle resources in the gulf, you know wildlife professionals will be keeping an eye on the situation.

O.H. Ivie Bass Fishing Sets Record!

WM Pro — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:45:43 +0000

My money was on Ivie or Lake Fork. However, it just had to be O.H. Ivie Reservoir! The lake has produced nine largemouth bass weighing 13-plus pounds that have been entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program this spring, and now the 500th bass entered into big bass program has been delivered from the same lake. All the fish were special fish to the anglers who caught them, but the ninth was a little more special: Sam Callaway of Corpus Christi will collect $500 a pound for his catch, a total of $6,670!

Callaway caught Toyota ShareLunker number 500 at 9:20 a.m. April 9 using a Zoom Magnum eight-inch lizard in watermelon/red. The 13.34 pound fish was immediately taken to an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station, Concho Park Marina, where it was held for pickup by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) ShareLunker program manager David Campbell. The fish, 20.5 inches in girth and 26.25 inches long, now swims in the Lunker Bunker at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Behind the scenes, numerous folks in TPWD’s Inland Fisheries and Communications divisions were scrambling to certify the winner and publicize the event through news releases, Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. News about big bass always travels fast, but it seems there are more outlets than ever to get the word out now days.

Anglers wanting more information on Callaway’s catch and the ShareLunker program, check out this link. If this was the prize for big bass number 500, just wait until they get to 1,000! And on that note, it’s time to go bass fishing myself.

Clearing Muddy Water in Ponds

WM Pro — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:58:32 +0000

Water in a newly constructed pond is usually muddy, but water can also be muddy in old, well-established ponds too. In new ponds, water turbidity should clear up as a good sod cover grows on the exposed soil around the pond. However, several things may contribute to a new or an old pond’s muddy water, all of which can be cured through simple pond management techniques. These are erosion in the watershed, fine clays in the construction site, certain fish such as bullheads, livestock within the pond area, and the action of wind on the shorelines.

First, the cause of the problem should be determined. If removal of the cause is not effective, one of several chemicals may be tried. The broadcasting of 1,000 pounds of ground agricultural limestone (calcium carbonate), 740 pounds of hydrated lime, 1,000 pounds of agricultural gypsum, or 250 pounds of aluminum sulfate (commercial alum) per surface acre is effective in clearing many muddy ponds. These materials will help suspended solids to bond together, settle to the bottom, and clear muddy water.

The first two chemicals should clear the pond and keep it clear up to two years. With gypsum it may be necessary to treat several times a year. In some cases, where the turbidity is caused by an excessive growth of microscopic organisms, periodic spray applications of copper sulfate at two pounds per surface acre have proven effective. No matter what has caused the off-color water in your pond, proper pond management can help you, your pond, and your fish.

Lake Livingston, Amistad Produce Big Bass

WM Pro — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:01:42 +0000

Bass fishing is always fun, but every angler hopes hook into a truly large, wall-worthy bass. Putting a big fish on the wall is great, but putting donating a Sharelunker to improve largemouth bass fishing in Texas is even better! To qualify for the program administered by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department bass must weigh 13 or more pounds. This past weekend, two Texas anglers did just that—one at Lake Livingston and the other at Lake Amistad.

Fishing on Lake Amistad, Robert Robles of Del Rio caught Toyota a 13.5 pound bass. At almost the same time, Robert Laird of Livingston set the hook on a 13.19 pound bass. Robles was fishing in about 30 feet of water in Evans Creek using an Amistad Tackle Flutter Spoon. Laird was fishing in 6 to 8 feet of water beside the U.S. 190 bridge across Lake Livingston. He was using a Bagley crankbait.

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

Lake Livingston is not known as a big bass lake, and some of Laird’s friends doubted him when he said he had a fish over 10 pounds to weigh in.

“They didn’t want to believe me on Lake Livingston,” he said. “When I pulled her out of the bag, all their eyes flew open.”

Any angler 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.

Choke Canyon Yields Big Largemouth Bass

WM Pro — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:25:58 +0000

Choke Canyon became the latest Texas reservoir to yield a big largemouth bass for the Toyota ShareLunker program. Not only has the ShareLunker program helped Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) with fish and lake management throughout the state, it’s allowed lucky anglers to put their catch on display. On February 6, Richard Flores of Seguin caught Toyota ShareLunker 478, a 15.09-pound largemouth bass while flipping a 10-inch plastic worm in 12 feet of 57-degree water.

Of the seven fish entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program so far in 2010, three have weighed 14 pounds or more and one more bass larger than 15 pounds. Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, from October 1 through 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.

Bass will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours. The program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Every time someone catches a big bass, that means we all get a better shot at catching on in the future!