News

Who is responsible for water quality on Texas lakes? The Texas Parks &Wildlife Department puts blame on the river authorities and the river authorities point back to the TP&WD. Who is protecting wildlife, their habitat and even human health? The answer is, sadly, NO ONE.

The agencies that have been set up by both the TP&WD and the river authorities to protect us from chemical pollution in our waters are the same agencies we should be protected from. Texas seems to be having the same problem as the state of New York; “after four years of battling the NYS Department of Conservation and the Chatauqua Lake Association, Save Our Lake Environment (SOLE) stopped the lake application of the toxic herbicide endothall by pressuring the state to follow its own rules.” Endothall, which contains the herbicide Hydrothol 191, has been found to cause massive fish kills when applied to lakes and even bears the warning, “Do not use where fish are important resources.” It seems the state of Texas needs to be regulated itself if we are to have safe recreational and drinking water. The Health Awareness and Water-Knowledge (H.A.W.K.) organization states, “there are little or no laws in the State of Texas other than following the labeling for application guidelines. THIS IS NOT AN INDICATION OF SAFETY – THIS IS THE PROBLEM. THE EPA DOES NOT DO RIGOROUS TESTING.”
Out of the cooperative efforts of concerned citizens that halted the chemical poisoning of Lake Bastrop, Better Aquatics in Texas (B.A.I.T.) was formed. B.A.I.T. is a network of Texas sportsmen, conservation, health and environmental advocates, including Bastrop County Environmental Network, Central Texas Association of Bass Clubs, Clean Water Action, Fishermen Involved in Saving Habitat (F.I.S.H.) and Health Awareness and Water Knowledge (H.A.W.K.). The organization’s primary purpose is to improve the habitat of our freshwater reservoirs.

One problem Texans have in their lakes is the overgrowth of Hydrilla and other dominating plants in the lakes causing hazardous boating conditions, fish kills and related problems. The TP&WD all too often seeks to solve this problem with total eradication of the nuisance plant with the use of grass carp, which eat the problem plant AND all the vegetation in the lake, or chemical methods. One pesticide used by the TP&WD is called 2, 4-D. This chemical is easily absorbed by foliage and quickly distributed throughout the treated plant, which dies in seven to 14 days after treatment, but it has also been traced to incidences of cancer and birth defects.

Another toxic chemical that the TP&WD uses to rid Texas lakes of unwanted vegetation is Sonar. The ingredients of Sonar includes N-Menomethyl Formamide (NMF), which can cause birth defects, Teratoger, which can cause birth defects, and Hepatoxin, which damages the liver. Dr., David Marrack, a Houston physician who heard that the TP&WD and LCRA were considering the use of Sonar in Texas waters, specifically in Lake Bastrop, says in a letter to the TP&WD, “these facts which could and should have been known by Texas Parks and Wildlife And LCRA ought to have eliminated any consideration of the use of Sonar in this State’s waters….”

Therefore, the need for organizations like B.A.I.T. and H.A.W.K. are very real indeed! B.A.I.T. supports the use of non-chemical methods to control Hydrilla and other nuisance weeds in our lakes. They are also “further resolved that grass carp are the least acceptable method of non-chemical control and should be used in bodies of water from which they cannot escape and in the proper stocking rate to maintain the ecosystem.” They want to change the policies and the prescription-writing practices of the TP&WD for Hydrilla and other noxious weeds from total eradication to the use of non-chemical control methods.

B.A.I.T. relies on the generally accepted principles of Integrated Pest Management for protection of the environment. Integrated Pest Management is the “coordinated use of pest and environmental information with available pest control methods to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment.” These principles include “1) strategies that rely on the best combination of pest management tactics that are compatible with human health and environmental protection, 2) the use of non-chemical management strategies whenever practical, and 3) the preferential use of least-toxic chemical controls when pesticides are needed.”

As a frequenter of Texas fresh waterways, I am very glad B.A.I.T. and H.A.W.K. are out there watching out for my health interests! The use of chemicals without
discretion is getting way out of hand and all of these organizations need our support! To contact B.A.I.T. and H.A.W.K., write to 728 Lake Placid Dr., Seguin, TX 78155, or call 830-303-4717. You can also e-mail the President of H.A.W.K., Robin Richardson at rrichar315@aol.com. – Lake Havasu

FOND DU LAC, Wis. Nov. 15, 2004 – Mercury Racing is pleased to introduce the all-new Bravo III XR drive. All of the Bravo One XR drive performance enhancements, once limited to racers and performance boaters,are now available for recreational sport cruisers. The heavy-duty XR components have been time tested in the world’s harshest environment – therace course.

The counter rotating, duel propeller drive features a new cone clutch and shift engagement strategy. SmartCraft electronic engine management makes shifting into and out of gear smooth as silk, making docking much easier with less chance of stalling. A sleek new shape and hot new graphics highlight the new Bravo III XR drive.

The Mercury Racing Integrated Transom System (ITS), available as an option, enhances drive height flexibility while making the transom more aesthetically pleasing and simplifying installation. The ITS features integral power steering cylinders. Trim and steering cylinders, multi-mounted to the heavy-duty gimbal ring, transfer stress loads back to transom, increasing strength and durability. A built-in, seven-inch setback improves boat running attitude in selected applications. Performance upgrades to the Bravo III XR drive includes a new rear drive cap with built-in, tie-bar attachment. The tie-bar attachment fixture, built into the new rear drive cap, eases installation of a tie-bar for multi-engine boats by eliminating the need to change drive caps. Multi-attaching points of the upper and rear drive caps enhance the strength and durability of the tie-bar attachment fixture as well.

The Mercury Racing Bravo III XR drive is available as an option with selected HP525 EFI engine packages and as an accessory.

Released: 11/15/2004-RM – Lake Havasu

For several years now, Lake Conroe’s supply of largemouth bass and crappie and its comeback as a major Texas fishery have been discussed by scientists of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and other biologists across the state. The Lake Conroe Restocking Association was implemented as a way to guarantee an abundant supply of game fish for the lake.

At a meeting held at Stow-A-Way Marina on May 7, 1995, Mark Webb of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department noted that the restocking program was successful in bringing back a dying population of crappie, but the restocking of largemouth bass had not been sufficient. Webb says the TPWD is “trying to put Lake Conroe back in as good a position as possible trying to maximize the fishery.”

To this end, the TPWD plans to assist the LCRA by stocking a total of 525,000 largemouth bass fingerlings in the lake in the Spring of ‘95 and again in the Spring of ‘96. In an effort to make the lake “a better open water fishery” and to give sportsmen another fishing target, the TPWD will also stock 210,000 hybrid striped bass in Lake Conroe. Crappie will also be monitored by the TPWD and the agency will advise the LCRA whenever more stockings are necessary.

Another problem that affects the fish populations on the lake was discussed at length. The problem, according to Webb, is the lack of aquatic vegetation in the lake. What Lake Conroe needs, he said, is “juvenile fish habitat on this lake.”

In the early 1980’s, landowners around the lake saw the over-abundance of Hydrilla in the lake as a hazard to recreational boaters and were able to convince the TPWD to put a supply of grass carp in the lake. The grass carp were chosen because they would eat the Hydrilla, but they also ate other native plant populations. This eliminated the chances of younger fish to hide from their predators and eliminated a major source of food for fish, subsequently reducing the numbers of all fish in the lake.

Webb feels the grass carp are dying or at least aging and not eating as much. He thinks now would be the time to re-establish native aquatic vegetation.

Also present at the meeting was Dr. Michael Smart of the U.S. Army’s Corps of Engineers’ Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility (LAERF). Dr. Smart is an aquatic plant biologist who has been studying aquatic vegetation for 20 years. He and his associates have been working on aquatic vegetation problems in other lakes throughout the country such as Lake Onondaga in New York, Lake Guntersville in Alabama and Lake Lewisville in north Texas. He agrees with Webb that the time is right to start re-vegetating Lake Conroe.

According to Webb, the TPWD will implement a program to re-establish aquatic vegetation in Lake Conroe with the technical advise of the scientists at LAERF. Funds for the program will be provided by the LCRA, who will also provide the manpower necessary for re-vegetation, and matching funds will be obtained by the TPWD from private and government sources.

Dr. Smart desires a diverse community of native plant species for re-vegetation in Lake Conroe. He hopes by establishing several non-problem native plants, he can reduce the incentive of fishermen to plant their own Hydrilla and starting the problem all over again. He recognizes the establishment of Hydrilla as a very real threat and warns the lake area of a need for a “Hydrilla early-detection system” whereby the plant can be found and quickly destroyed.

Hydrilla is an exotic plant that multiplies to a point where it can choke a lake, killing other native plants and whole fish populations. It also becomes a nuisance to boaters, water-skiers and swimmers. Developers despise it because it can make otherwise ideal lakefront property unappealing to potential buyers. Eventually, if allowed to grow unchecked, it can kill a lake.

The plant biologists of LAERF recommend a variety of non-problem plants to use in re-vegetation. These include wild celery, stargrass, the American lotus, muskgrass, American pondweed and cara.

A group that included Dr. Smart and Mark Webb were setting out to begin their plans for re-establishing the vegetation the following morning, starting with the north end. They were to look for desirable plant seed
and places to establish caged plots where the growth of the plants can be monitored. The entire process can take several years.

Dr. Robert Doyle is a research scientist from the University of North Texas who is conducting research at the Lewisville facility. He was on hand at the meeting and added, “nature herself could be relied upon to do the landscaping.”

Dr. Smart is confident that plants will grow in Lake Conroe. If the research group can get some test plots out this year, he says, they will know by the end of the year what will grow and what the next step will be.
Phil Durocher, the director of the TPWD Inland Fisheries Unit, was also at the meeting. He spoke in favor of the plan, noting that Lake Conroe was the first lake to use grass carp as a method of controlling the overgrowth of aquatic vegetation, so it should also be the first lake to take advantage of this habitat enhancement program. “This project is where we need to go.”

Now all Lake Conroe needs is the help of everyone who uses the lake to work together with the TPWD and these scientists. Someday soon, Lake Conroe can once again rank as one of the state’s best fisheries.
– Lake Havasu

On June 11th, Governor George W. Bush met with representatives of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA), the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), and several conservation groups at Lake Bastrop to address the issue of treatment of aquatic vegetation.

Dr. Larry McKinney, senior director of aquatic resources at TPW, explains the dilemma. “Our research and experience, and that of scientists throughout the southern states, clearly demonstrates the positive benefits to both fish populations and sportfishing when aquatic vegetation is present. The difficulty arises when vegetative surface coverage becomes excessive, particularly when the plant is a non-native species like Hydrilla. Access to fishing, boating, swimming and other water-related activities can become a real problem when one of these exotic species gets out of control.”
Aquatic vegetation like Hydrilla can be a nuisance to boaters, swimmers and fishermen if it is allowed to grow unchecked. Several measures have been taken in recent years to eliminate this problem on Texas lakes.

Chemical control was once thought to be the answer and herbicides are still used today. However, chemical treatment of the unwanted vegetation has led to death or illness in humans and wildlife and will no longer be tolerated by a growing number of Texas citizens.

Mechanical methods have been used in several Texas lakes, but the results have been less than desirable. Grass carp were used by TPW in Lake Conroe and the unwanted vegetation was destroyed, but the cost in fish habitat and water quality was very high. Steps are currently being taken on this lake to restore the fishing resources of this once famous bass-fishing lake in East Texas.

Another mechanical solution to the abundance of noxious aquatic vegetation was introduced recently and examined on that day in June. The Mechanical Vegetation Harvester (MVH) that was presented to the government officials was on loan from the Tennessee Valley Authority and received unanimous support.
This machine reportedly can cut one acre of Hydrilla per hour to a depth of five to six feet. It cuts the vegetation, squeezes the water from it, shreds it, then puts the shredded vegetation back in the water. The machines have a cutting width of up to 10 feet and weigh up to 14,000 lbs. The harvester does not hurt the fish population either, according to the Department of Natural Resources in Minnesota, where the harvester has been used for years.

The harvesters have been around since about 1902, according to Pat McCarty of Texas Black Bass Unlimited. They were created from a need to knock down weeds so that clean ice could be cut from frozen lakes. These massive machines have evolved considerably in the last several decades. By efficiently cutting and removing Aquatic vegetation, harvesting offers an environmentally sound, cost effective and practical solution to the control of excessive plant growth.

Harvesters have been used extensively in the Great Lakes region and in the northeast, with some very positive results. Mr. B Rendan of Woodbridge, Virginia, is very happy with the harvester his community purchased. “Harvesting is selective for fish management – it leaves habitat available for fish.”
Mr. D. Heise of LaPorte, Tennessee, says, “The quality of fishing has improved [on City Lake since we started using the harvester], and the fishing areas are more accessible now.”

Mr. J. Wardlaw of Dewey Lake in Dewagiac, Michigan, has been using the Hydrilla Harvester for years. He comments, “We have bigger fish of all types now because of reduced cover.”

The Governor took the MVH on a test drive and he is reported to be pleased with his findings. Other Texas State officials were similarly impressed.

According to Robin Richardson, President of Health Awareness and Water Knowledge (HAWK), in a Board of Director’s meeting of the GBRA on June 17, approval of a Cooperative Aquatic Vegetation Management Contract between TPW, LCRA, GBRA, Friends of Lake McQueeney (FOLM), and the Sportsman Conservationists of Texas (SCOT) regarding a MVH was passed.

Richardson sees the MVH as the only viable means to rid Texas lakes of nuisance vegetation. – Lake Havasu

Capt. Kirk’s Marine is growing by leaps and bounds! Glenn Kirk has expanded operations to include the Stratos, Ski Centurion, Donzi and Reinell lines in addition to the Fisher line and Gambler line he had previously sold.

Stratos is a very good name in fishing boats. Kirk carries all sizes of this boat line from 15 feet, 10 inches to the 33-foot offshore fishing boat with the patented Stratos Deep Vee hull. The Deep Vee hull carries a five year warranty and is available on most of the Stratos line.

Ski Centurion is a tournament water-ski boat. It is designed for the competition water-skier who skis year-round. Five-time world slalom champion, Bob La Point, has assisted Ski Centurion in development of the new LaPoint Tru Trac. This tournament ski boat is available at Capt. Kirk’s Marine Service.

Kirk describes the Donzi line as “sports cars on the water. They are small, compact and REAL fast.” The Donzi also makes a luxurious 33-foot pleasure boat. But don’t let the elegance fool you; the Donzi 33ZX is all performance. With twin 502 MerCrusier power she’ll reach speeds up to 65 mph, with all the stability and tracking that Donzi’s are famous for.

Capt. Kirk’s line of Reinell boats include the family pleasure boats and the fishing boats. Reinell has been in the boat building business for over 70 years and carry with them a legend of unsurpassed craftsmanship. Reinell’s motto is “we’re in the water to stay.”

Kirk says, “we feel like we have a boat for everybody out there. If you like boats, come see us and we’ll put you into a boat that will fit your lifestyle and needs. We have the pontoon boat, aluminum bass boats, fiberglass bass boats, tournament bass boat, jon boat, jet boat, sport runabout boat, bow-rider, tournament ski boat, offshore fishing boat, offshore runabout boat, center console bay boat and cuddy cabin.”

Capt. Kirk has also made some staff changes. New to the staff are Randy L. Nichols, who joined the team in October of ‘94 as the Sales Manager, and Service Manager, Gary Bellman. Sally Grimes assists as the Office Manager, David Inman is the new fiberglass repairman and Paul Nordstrum and Mike Walker are new service technicians. Duane Blair still acts as Parts Manager and Troy Kirk, the Captain’s son, still assists Capt. Kirk as VP of Operations.

Expansion of the shop itself is another change that is currently underway. Kirk is planning to build a 4800 square foot showroom, five new sales offices, a 3200 square foot parts and accessories area, a 4000 square foot closed service shop area and a 6000 square foot open service bay area. The shop will basically expand to ten times its present size onto the three acres surrounding the shop. Kirk hopes to complete renovations by late spring of this year.

Kirk, who is still very involved in the tournament circuit, sponsors a pro staff team that welcomes Mike Metcalf, David Truax, Kirk McKenzie and Steve Cain as new members. Dick Clements and J.C. Evans are two members of the pro staff from last year.

Tournament fishing is going to play a big part in Kirk’s future. “In 1995, we see ourselves getting more expertise in the area of serving the needs of the tournament bass angler.” Capt. Kirk’ Marine Service is going to become more involved with the B.A.S.S. tournament circuit and through that they plan to learn how to best serve the tournament bass fisherman’s needs. “We have found that it is a constantly changing, hi-tech sport and we’ve found that it’s necessary to be out there on the front line so that we stay abreast of innovation.”

Captain Glenn Kirk, his wife, Donna, and son, Troy, along with the rest of the staff are working together to serve their customers with their boating needs.
– Lake Havasu

Club Exclusive offers the serious outdoorsman the hunting adventure of a lifetime. Located on Lake Guerrero just 165 miles south of the Texas border, this hunting lodge set in the unspoiled Mexican countryside offers terrific opportunities to catch trophy size bass and hunt plentiful whitewing dove, duck, geese, and quail.

Thanks to catch-&-release, the fishing that Lake Guerrero has to offer has proven excellent in the past and only promises more of the same for decades to come. Club Exclusive can even provide fully rigged bass boats with 48 HP outboards and trolling motors. Fishing licenses are issued at the lodge and if you insist on bringing your own boat, boat permits are issued here also.

Club Exclusive is the closest hunting facility to the Abasolo Whitewing Colony, the largest whitewing colony in the hemisphere. Mexico’s whitewing dove season runs from August 15 to October 30 this year. Morning Dove season begins on September 1 and runs through December 31.

Travel back in time to the days of NO POINT SYSTEM when hunting for duck in Mexico. Club Exclusive will even provide the decoys and duck blinds. Mexico’s duck season lasts from December 1 to February 28.
The converging flyways over Club Exclusive provide incredible goose hunting. Resident guides are specially trained in goose hunting. Goose decoys are supplied by the resort. Mexico’s goose hunting season is the same as duck season: December 1 – February 28.

Quail hunting is an untapped resource in Mexico. Club Exclusive offers 30,000 acres of leases for hunting quail and you’re welcome to bring your dogs. Kennels are available on the premises, but you are sure to bust plenty of coveys with or without dogs. Mexico’s quail hunting season spans from December 1 to February 28.

Transportation to the resort is provided from McAllen, Texas, but you can also fly directly to Club Exclusive’s sister lodge, Big Bass Lodge, which is located very close by and offers similar amenities. You can even drive all the way there on all-paved highways.

Club Exclusive Hunting Lodge provides combination hunting and fishing trips that include the use of their own shotguns. This will save you the expense of purchasing a Mexican gun permit for $350.00. Experienced guides, refreshment coolers, cleaning and packing of game and fish, hunting and fishing licenses, transportation to grain fields for bird hunting, and fully equipped 48 HP fishing boats are all included in the combo packages because Club Exclusive wants your trip to Mexico to be one you’ll repeat again and again. Gasoline is even available on-site and the lodge features a paved boat ramp.
For the traveling outdoorsman, RV campgrounds are available at the resort. Drive all paved highways right up to your lot.

Rooms at the lodge are modern with private baths and all are air conditioned. The rooms sleep two to four guests. Wake up with complimentary juice and coffee. The Palapa Bar offers card playing and a satellite TV. The open bar features nachos, margaritas, beer and soft drinks, and a game room with pool tables, darts, and Ping-Pong. The restaurant serves three meals a day and a swimming pool is available.
For a truly memorable hunting or fishing experience, Mexico is the place to do it and Club Exclusive or Big Bass Lodge can surely help make it the trip of a lifetime! – Lake Havasu

The training of dogs for hunting purposes requires a knowledgeable trainer with a firm hand AND a kind heart. Dogs are trained in Texas to retrieve birds, primarily duck and geese. Pheasants and quail are also birds of prey in Texas that dogs are very useful in hunting. Some even say it’s impossible to hunt quail without a dog because a bird dog is necessary to locate and flush the covey. It should be noted here that there are two distinct types of hunting dogs: the retriever that is used to retrieve the duck or goose that falls in the lake or marsh and the bird dog that is used to point to and flush quail. This article will focus on the training of retrievers.

I researched the training methods of several well-known trainers of retrievers. Although each had different ideas about small aspects of the training process, all share the same basic concepts about training a retriever to hunt.

The first question when training a retriever is, “What breed of retriever is best?” Richard A. Wolters, is the author of several books on hunting dogs and has developed techniques for training hunting dogs for the dog owner who wants to train his dogs himself. In Water Dog, he recommends potential dog owners to visit a field trial, where hunting conditions are simulated in a competition setting, and “watch the dogs work.” Each breed is different in certain aspects, he says, such as the dog’s coat. Potential breeders should pay attention to what breed is available with which to breed their *****es, he adds.

The big three breeds to look at, for retrieving, he says, are the Labrador retriever, the Golden retriever, with its long coat, and the Chesapeake Bay retrievers. “If you can find the flat coat, curly coat retriever or the Irish water spaniel,” he says, “don’t overlook them.”

Jeff Campbell owns and operates Katybrook Kennels Retriever Country in Hockley, Texas, located nine miles north of Katy. He specializes in training all types of retrievers for hunting in any bird season. Jeff will take a dog to train anytime after the dog is six months old. Prior to the dog turning six months old, the owner has a responsibility, Campbell says, to help develop retrieving instincts in the dog and let it become “a grand game.”

“A dog that has those instincts developed before the intensive training begins is much easier to train and becomes a better hunting dog,” according to Campbell.

Kerry V. Kern has written extensively on canine training and care. In his book, Labrador Retrievers, A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual, he recommends starting the puppy as early as eight weeks on some elementary retrieving exercises..

The training period for a retriever spans from four to six months at Katybrook Kennels, but Campbell also trains any breed of dog for obedience in a one-month course for which the dog is boarded for the month.

Jelly is Campbell’s Labrador retriever and she is extremely well trained. She is now 7 1/2 years old and has won two derbies, or field trials for dogs under two years, and has qualified all-age, which is a very high achievement for a competition hunting dog. Jelly’s father is a National Amateur Field Champion (NAFC) named NAFC Trumarcs Zip Code, or Cody for short. Her mother is Doc’s
Country Classic.

Jelly is a champion because she’s had good breeding and also because Campbell has shown her a firm hand AND a kind heart. He believes in not over-doing it with the reprimands. “In training retrievers,” he says, “ you must keep the dog’s spirit alive at all times. When making a correction, do not overwhelm the dog so that he has a hard time recovering.”

Campbell believes that the training should not end when the dog goes home. The dog’s return home should be the beginning of a new phase in the process. “The whole key to training is that when the dog goes home, the owner needs to follow up on the dog’s training and the dog will excel and the two will become a team.”

Most hunters have their dogs trained the summer before the bird hunting season begins. Some dogs receive refresher courses each summer. Texas summers can be brutal and Campbell warns owners to beware of heat stroke. He says, “have two large bags of ice on hand in coolers to cool down the dogs if they get too hot.” A dog’s normal temperature is between 100.5 to 102 degrees F (38-38.9 degrees C). When cooling off the dog with ice, Campbell says, be careful not to bring the temperature below normal because the dog may go into shock.

Arnold Boudreaux owns Schomer Kennels in Cut ’n Shoot, Texas, located northeast of Houston. He has been training dogs for over 30 years in Morgan City, Louisiana, and in Texas. He trains primarily retrievers and, in addition to basic obedience, he only trains dogs to hunt.

Boudreaux tries to train the dogs in water in the summertime. A well-trained dog, he says, should be trained on land and in water.

Boudreaux has some tips for the owners of hunting dogs: “I recommend that potential dog owners investigate the blood lines of the dogs before the purchase. Don’t just buy the dog because someone said it was a good dog. Go by what the mother and father are like to tell what your dog is going to be like.”

The 49th day of the puppy’s life is the day Boudreaux recommends taking the puppy from its litter. This, he says, is a theory developed over 30 years ago by the trainers of seeing-eye dogs, On this day, so the theory goes, the bond that has developed between the dog and its littermates can most easily be transferred to a human family, and not a day before or later.

On the other hand, Kern recommends that puppies wait until their eighth week to be separated from their littermates. He calls the first eight weeks of a puppy’s life “the canine socialization period” and he says that if a puppy is taken before the eighth week, “the puppy may not have fully learned the lessons of animal socialization.” The animal may grow to react aggressively to other dogs.

Labrador retrievers are excellent hunters and their owners are blessed with a breed that loves to learn. Dog hunting with a well-trained retriever is exciting and a reliable conservation tool. The dog can retrieve birds from places where most hunters can’t get to it or can’t find it and would otherwise leave behind.

It is vital that the owner also be a part of the training process. Each dog has its own idiosyncrasies that the trainer must identify and teach to the owner before the dog goes home. – Lake Havasu

The Emergency Medical Service Benefit Fund, Inc., held a benefit bass tournament at Lakeview Marina on May 7th, which proved to be a beautiful day, for the Alan Schlein family of Montgomery County.

Schlein was only 29 when he passed away, leaving behind a wife and young son. He served as a paramedic in Montgomery and Harris counties. He worked for the Montgomery County Hospital District EMS at the time of his death.

The EMS Benefit Fund, Inc., was organized shortly after Schlein’s untimely death “to raise funds to support EMS personnel in times of need or catastrophe,” according to Bobby McMinn, President of the organization. The corporation began with this benefit at Lakeview Marina and will continue with other benefits as they are needed.

The tournament was a success with 32 teams competing. All the funds raised were split in half, with half going to the Schlein family and half split among the winners, according to Stanley Mims, Secretary of the EMS Benefit Fund, Inc.

The entry fee per team was $60.00 with a $10.00 optional “Big Bass” entry fee. The “Big Bass” category had a 100% payback.

First place was taken by Joey Pizzini and Tom Dean with a total weight of 13.63 lbs. The first place team won 70% of the half of the earnings ear-marked for contestants, or $660.00.

In second place was Keith Yarbrough and Eric Chandler of Crosby with a single bass weighing 7.4 lbs. The second place team members shared $160.00 or 20% of the day’s winnings. Yarbrough, who actually caught the 7.4-lb. bass, was the big winner of the day because he also walked away with the optional “Big Bass” prize totaling $310.00.

Third place went to a couple that weighed in at 7.28 lbs. Third place won 10% of the winnings or $80.00.

Following the bass tournament, an auction was held at the marina. McMinn wishes to thank the cooperation of numerous businesses of Montgomery County in providing over $7000.00 of auction goods and services. Bar-B-Cue was also provided at the tournament by “numerous grocery stores,” says McMinn.

A total of $800.00 was received at the tournament for the Alan Schlein family.
– Lake Havasu

Family Boating Center has been doing business in the Houston area for about eight months. They opened their doors at the Humble location on January 2nd of this year and they’ve already captured a large share of the Houston boating market.

The boat dealer is the exclusive dealer of Tracker boats in the Houston area. Tracker boats are reputed to be the world’s #1 selling fishing boats. They offer a bass boat, the Bass Tracker, a pontoon, the Sun Tracker, and a high-performance bass boat called the Nitro. All of these boats Tracker Marine builds “to exceed your expectations,” and I know Family Boating Center will exceed your expectations, too. The boat dealer also sells Mercury outboard motors.

Clay Mills, the president of Family Boating Center, does not believe in high pressure, pushy salespeople. He wants to sells his customers only what they really want.

“We believe in letting the customer drive the boat before they buy it,” Mills says. “We’re so close to Lake Houston that we can let a customer drive a boat anytime they want to and they’re under no obligation to buy.”

Mills says other dealers are proud of their “demo weekends”, but Family Boating Center has a demo day every day.

Tracker Marine, located in Springfield, Missouri, sends their catalog of all their boats and boating accessories to thousands of customers each year, and James Julian, the sales manager of Family Boating Center, is proud to say all these same products are available at Family Boating Center for exactly the same prices. The boat prices are not marked up as you might expect.

Mills says they like to take the team approach to customer service at their store. Their goal is to have the customer’s purchase of a boat be only the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. He likes to stress to customers that Family Boating Center will be there after the sale.

He backs this up with a top-notch service department that works on all Tracker products, whether purchased at his store or not. They also work on all American-made boat engines and keep Saturday hours.

Mills has been in and around the marine business for almost 20 years. Before opening Family Boating Center, he operated several Tracker Marine stores in other cities. Prior to this period, he worked with OMC in their Performance and Racing Division in Lake Hamilton, Florida.

All the experience and hard work of Mills and Julian and the eight other employees have paid off for Family Boating Center. The store was named 1994’s Top New Dealer for the U.S. at the recent Tracker convention. This is quite an honor and reflects the overall customer satisfaction of the store.

Family Boating Center and Tracker Marine are both proud sponsors of the pro-team of Brian Utecht and Curtis Thompson who each drive Nitro 190s. Utecht’s boat is a Nitro 190-DC and Thompson drives a Nitro 190-TF. Both boats are equipped with a Mercury 150 XR6 outboard motor and feature anti-feedback standard. The Nitro 190-TF boat, motor and trailer is available at Family Boating Center for only $16,995 and the 190-DC, with heavy-duty carpeting new for ‘94, for a paltry $17,295, plus freight and rigging.

Tracker introduces the all new 2000-TF in ‘94. This is the top of the line in Tracker high-performance bass boats and features the latest innovations, power options and fishing electronics. This boat offers “maximum performance for uncompromised fishability” and you can pick it up at Family Boating Center for only $18,295.

Family Boating Center is open at Highway 59 North and Beltway 8 from 9:00 to 5:30 Monday through Saturday, and by appointment anytime. In addition to the weekday hours, their service department is even open on Saturdays from 9:00 to 3:00.

Family Boating Center is there to assist you in the knowledgeable purchase of a boat and Clay Mills will not let you leave the store with anything less than what you want. Pay them a visit and experience why Tracker is the #1 fishing boat.
– Lake Havasu

The First Annual Friends of Conroe Golf Tournament was held on September 13 at Wedgewood Golf Course on Highway 105 W. According to Jo Ann Carter, Secretary of the Friends of Conroe, the purpose of the tournament was to provide funds to bring top-name bands to the Fourth Annual Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival to be held in October.

The tournament had 88 entries at $70.00 per entry. Trophies were awarded to first, second and third place team winners. A $50.00 cash prize was awarded to Don Carter for coming closest to hole #17. Mr. Carter donated the his prize back to the Friends plus $50.00 and it was auctioned. Mark Peters won the $50.00 cash prize for coming closest to hole #10 and he also won a $50.00cash prize for the longest drive on hole #18. Hal Griffin won the $50.00 cash prize for the longest hole on hole #18.

Fourteen door prizes were given away including two 24K gold putters donated by Smith Honda, six rounds of golf for four at area country clubs, stereo headphones donated by Home Entertainment, Inc., and a $50.00 gift certificate to the Wedgewood Pro Shop.

Drinks were provided to the players on the course by Silver Eagle and Coca-Cola. An excellent catfish dinner was served by Vernon’s Kuntry Katfish and prizes were awarded following dinner.

This was the first golf tournament of the Friends of Conroe and Jo Ann Carter was pleased with the turnout. “For our first tournament, it was better than wonderful. Our hope is that everyone had fun and is looking forward to next year.”

The Fourth Annual Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival will be held October 15, 16 and 17th in downtown Conroe. The goal of the festival is to provide funds for the beautification of Conroe and community projects, and ultimately to build a civic center here. The festival began in 1990 with this goal in mind, and according to Carter, “everyone said it couldn’t be done”. But that first festival had an attendance of 25,000. Last year’s attendance was 35,000 and this year-the sky’s the limit!

The golf tournament was successful in bringing in the necessary funds for the bands, so here is a line-up of scheduled bands for the three days:
Friday-Will LeBlanc and the Bayou Boys, Roddy Romero, Bert Wills and the Crying Shame, Miss Molly and the Whips and the Jim Ponder Band and Frenchy Burke.

Saturday-Lionel Stew, the Sam Brothers, Chubby Karrie, Zachary Richard, Global Village, Sisters Morales, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Jimmy Thackery, Rodney Lake, Shake Russell and John Saunders, Rio Bravo and Hickory.

Sunday-Bayou Roux, Joe Douglas, the KILT Band, Highway 101, the Fab Five and Hot Cakes.

Three days of continuous music on three stages is planned. In addition, according to Wayne Vaughan, Treasurer of the Friends of Conroe, there will be 18 food booths set up, each with different kinds of food for a total of 75 food items. Saturday at 10:00 A.M. a parade with floats will begin circling the downtown square. Sunday at 3:00 the Friends will holda dance contest. There will also be a carnival, hunting and fishing exhibits with a live catfish tank, arts and crafts exhibits and a circus village for children with clowns and a petting zoo.

The whole festival sounds like a whole lot of fun for everyone. Hope to see you there!
– Lake Havasu

The Guadalupe Basin River Authority (G.B.R.A.) manages the Guadalupe Basin, which flows from the heart of the Texas Hill Country to Lavaca Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. It supplies water to all of the local water suppliers like the Spring Hill Water Plant, which gets its water directly from Lake Placid, a lake formed by the Guadalupe River. The G.B.R.A. endorses random chemical treatment of hydrilla and other nuisance aquatic plants in the river and does not guarantee its water quality. This leaves the local providers the responsibility of ensuring the quality of the water they provide to the public for drinking.

Robin Richardson is the director of the Spring Hill Water Board in Seguin. She is also a conservationist, President of Health Awareness and Water Knowledge (H.A.W.K.) and founder of Better Aquatics In Texas (B.A.I.T.).

According to Ms. Richardson, the Spring Hill Water Treatment plant and the Canyon Regional Water Authority are not equipped to get all the aquatic pesticides out of the water in their water treatment process. She feels the G.B.R.A. should be responsible for providing quality water resources for drinking and recreation.

On June 1st, Richardson went swimming near her home on Lake Placid and saw where the G.B.R.A. had chemically treated aquatic vegetation in the lake – less than 20 feet from where her community gets its drinking water!

“I feel like the coyotes are guarding the chicken house and this has got to stop. I want the G.B.R.A. to warrant their actions if they’re going to endorse aquatic pesticides, and that means bringing the community into the decision-making process of how our raw drinking water should be managed,” says Richardson.

The most popular pesticide used in Texas lakes seems to be Sonar, which is strongly suspected in the onset of cancer-related diseases among people using reservoirs in which Sonar has been applied. Restrictions on the amount of the pesticide to be used in a specific area have not been clearly established among users. A permitting process would make clear the dosage for a particular size reservoir, which would alleviate part of the problem.

No governing body is responsible for the treatment of drinking water, she says, and she suggests the establishment of a permitting process for the treatment of aquatic vegetation. “This would be the key to protecting our drinking water.”

According to Pat McCarty, who was in attendance at the recent meeting in Athens of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, H.A.W.K., the Lower Colorado River Authority (L.C.R.A.) and several other state water-governing bodies, Larry McKinney of the TP&WD discussed setting up a committee to study whether permitting should be required for the introduction of pesticides into Texas lakes. “Results from this committee could strongly affect legislation.”

Richardson blames the G.B.R.A. for killing the submersed vegetation in Lake McQueeney. The Friends of Lake McQueeney, a local conservation group, and the G.B.R.A. both have come out in favor of Gov. Bush’s proposed hydrilla harvesters as a non-chemical weapon against unwanted aquatic vegetation, but Richardson says, “it’s just lip service.”

Richardson is a strong proponent of the mechanical hydrilla harvester. She was present at the recent meeting of Gov. Bush, the TP&WD, the G.B.R.A., the L.C.R.A., and others on Lake Bastrop where the mechanical hydrilla harvester was taken for a test drive. “I was in the boat with Ray Scott, Terry Oldham, Harold Sharp, a local fishing talent and true conservationist, and David Stewart. As we were watching the harvester operate, back behind the harvester and rising up was a bald eagle – I had never seen one! Around the bend, he dove for a fish And when he flew off, I thought to myself, ‘he could not have read nor understood the chemical restrictions had the lake been treated, making that fish too contaminated for consumption.’”
– Lake Havasu

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team is one of the best group of divers in the state. It is a unique organization made up of 32 members, all of whom have full-time jobs which they leave when a crisis develops. The head of the Dive Team, or the Team Dive Master, is Sergeant Robert Schuster. Schuster has led the team for the last nine years.

The Dive Team is strictly a volunteer group and all the members supply their own diving equipment and pay their own expenses. They are not county employees. They are also all from this area and were trained to dive on Lake Conroe.

“It’s important that the divers are experienced with Lake Conroe because it’s such a dark, murky lake,” says Schuster. “If you’re used to diving in the Caribbean, you won’t be able to dive Lake Conroe. We have to crawl along the bottom and feel out in front in the silt and mud for what we’re looking for in a body of water that has eight to ten inches visibility.”

When Schuster took on the job of Team Dive Master, there was no team. He was the only diver for three years until gradually he started taking on friends and neighbors who could dive Lake Conroe and had other jobs but could still be on call. Now, Schuster has five certified police officers, four paramedics and even six women as part of his team. Joy Ogden, the Directory of Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services, is one of Schuster’s divers.

The Montgomery County Dive Team has been called by every surrounding county to assist in drowning accidents or to look for evidence thrown into a body of water, such as guns, knives, stolen property, cars and boats. The Dive Team has even been called by Harris County, which has its own dive team, because of the skill of the Montgomery County Dive Team in finding what it’s looking for.

The Dive Team has pulled 17 bodies out of Lake Conroe, all of which were drowning victims. According to Schuster, when the Dive Team gets to the scene of a drowning accident, there is little hope that the victim will be found alive. “The body is brain dead in four to five minutes.”

When asked about the gruesome aspects of the job, Schuster replies “it’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it. What really gets you is when the victim is a child.” In addition to dealing with the limited visibility, you need a strong stomach to do this job. Schuster adds “it’s the same thing you have to deal with as an Emergency Medical Technician”.

In the winter of ’91, an inmate of the Texas Department of Corrections escaped from prison and shot a store clerk and a female customer in San Jacinto County. He then threw the gun in the Trinity River and flew to Florida where he was apprehended. Schuster was called to find the gun and his team got to work. They found the gun in the murky waters of the Trinity River in three hours.

On the day after Christmas in 1990, the Dive Team was called to Patton Village, on the east side of Montgomery County, to find seven empty safes in a private lake. The safes were needed by the City of Mont Belvieu and Montgomery County to make a case against the convenience store robbers who drove into the stores and dragged the safes out. All seven safes were recovered from the snake- and alligator-infested lake.

When Schuster is not diving for Montgomery County or any other county, he repairs ambulances at his specialty shop. It is the only ambulance repair shop in the state and he gets ambulances from Mont Belvieu, Cypress Creek, Montgomery County, Trinity County, Harris County Emergency Corps, and from as far away as Hall County near Amarillo. He gives up many an evening or weekend to repair the these trucks because, he says, when someone needs a truck repaired, it’s only a matter of time before there is a crisis.

Two of Schuster’s employees at the shop are also divers and Schuster says that these two divers are two that he can usually count on to dive when he gets the call because they are almost always available.

Schuster, who is a deputy sheriff, patrols the waters of Lake Conroe much like the Marine Division (see “The Boat Police”) in hopes of preventing a drowning. If you should spot him in a county boat on the lake, say a little prayer. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it. – Lake Havasu