Texas Bass Fishing

Largemouth Bass Seminar Set for Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center

ATHENS, Texas — If growing and catching bigger largemouth bass in your private pond or lake are your goals, mark your calendar for March 28 and 29.

Toledo Bend Fishing Report February 2008

February is a great month to catch fish in number and size on Toledo

Bend. The Bass and Crappie will begin staging and feeding heavy in

anticipation of the spawn and the Whites will be migrating into the

river proper for their annual “river run”.

TPWD Proposed Regulation Changes

AUSTIN, Texas — Expanded hunting opportunities for mule deer and pheasant in the Panhandle are among the proposed changes to the state’s hunting and fishing regulations.

Four Boat Ramp Projects Receive Grant Funding

AUSTIN, Texas — Four projects designed to enhance boating access to Texas waters will share more than $1.4 million in matching federal grants through the State Boating Access Program.

Youth Wildlife Leadership Camp Bass Brigade 7-11 July 2008

Since mid 1990s the Texas Brigades have conducted wildlife leadership development camps for young men and women between 13-17 years of age. Each camp is 4.5 days and uses the biology, habitat, food chain, quality of environment, conservation and social-economic issues of a wildlife species as the core curriculum. The mission is to develop Tomorrow's Outdoor Leaders Today through training and development of leadership, communication and presentation skills in a learning environment promoting self-confidence. The camps are Bob White, Buckskin and Bass Brigades. Bass Brigade is back this year after a 2 year hiatus. Applications can be downloaded at the website at www.texasbrigades.org or you can email me for more information at the address provided. Applications are due 1 April 2008. Bass Brigade will be held 7-11 July 2008 at the LCRA facilities at Buchanan Dam, Marble Falls, TX. Selection of cadets is competitive. If you have or know of a teenager with leadership potential and interest in the outdoors, please make them aware of this unique personal growth opportunity. The future of fishing is our responsibility. Texas Brigades is a 501(C)3 organization. Email bassbrigade@earthlink.net for more information.

TPWD�s Top 10 Texas Conservation News Stories of 2007

EDITORS NOTE: In this issue of TPWD News, we forsake our usual format for the most part and provide a summary of the top news stories of 2007. Details about these topics can be found in the department’s online news archive. Please note that TPWD will not be distributing weekly news during the coming holidays. Weekly news distribution will resume on Jan. 14, 2008. Happy Holidays!

Tail Walker, Better Than Ever In 2008

Press Release September 6^th 2007

Harrisonville, MO. -- Tail Walker Lures LLC. After a 85% approval rating in a field test with North American Fisherman. We decide to go one step further and see what we could do to make our Top Water Lures even better. After looking over hundred of reviews, we found two key factors that 15% of the anglers in the field test wanted to see changed in Tail Walker.

Making it easier to start the walk the dog action and being able to use a wider selection of fishing line when use the lures, were the main issues with 15% of the anglers in the field test.

Building A Better Brush Pile

Building a Better Brush Pile

by Steve Masters, Bringitbaits.com ProStaff

If you really want to get serious about setting out brush piles prepare yourself for some hard work, but it can pay off big later. Bass will use brush piles throughout the year but the heat of summer and winter are the prime times to fill your live well with brush pile bass or turn that 14 pound limit into a 20 pound sack with a big brush pile kicker. I'm not advocating breaking any laws but the ol chain saw and pruning shears method is hard to beat. About the best way to legally get and sink trees is asking someone clearing a lot off for construction for the ones they cut. They had rather give them to you than have to deal with them themselves almost every time. Another way for me at Lake Mitchell was after a tornado had gone through; there were prime hardwoods of all sizes along the bank blown over. A lot of my brush piles are large trees I've found floating down the river. If I'm just out fishing for fun I usually have a few concrete blocks in the floor of my boat just in case. You'll probably be surprised how much you can find to sink if you get in the habit of looking for it while on the lake.

The other side of sponsorship

The Other Side of Sponsorship
By: Steve Masters - Bringitbaits.com

It seems that most tournament fishermen are willing to stop just short of selling their souls to be sponsored. I was recently on a website that had several tournament fishermen listed and their sponsors. Some of these guys had eight or ten sponsors and have never left the ranks of the weekend tournament circuits. Out of curiosity and maybe a bit of envy I started looking at some of the pro staff sections of their sponsor’s websites. I stopped looking after three.

MINNESOTA FISHERMEN TAKE A CRITICAL LOOK AT PETA

(I-Newswire) - On a local Minnesota fishing website, many fishermen are expressing their outrage at PETA’s aggressive anti-fishing campaign. In response to recent posts on My Fishing Pals' message forum ( www.myfishingpals.com ), anglers from across Minnesota are showing a united front against the efforts of PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal rights groups are aggressively attempting to inhibit all hunting and fishing in Minnesota and other states. These groups are intently focusing their attack on sport fishing, a traditional Minnesota pastime. PETA's message is that recreational anglers cause extreme and needless pain to fish and bait. Their agenda is to heighten the public's awareness to the killing of any fish or animal. In addition, they desire to promote animal rights at the grassroots level, spreading awareness in communities and making sure their message is visible and heard.