Colorado River Guide Blog

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 Mohave

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 Mohave

Springtime abounds with nature fulfilling it’s clockwork course of destination.

A magnificent wake up call to the plant and animal kingdom to start their yearly ritual of mating, multiplying, and growing. This mysterious time of year surrounds our world with beauty, life, and energy that awakens our deepest feelings and senses to a level of childish excitement. For all these signs tell us – SPRING IS HERE, and to an angler, it means fishing time again.

Fishing in the spring is much more enjoyable for anglers because the weather is usually warmer, and the bass are beginning to be more active in their feeding binges after their long winter metabolic slow down. The days are getting longer, and the warm sun rays gleaming down begin to warm the water, triggering a call to the male bass to come to the shallower water and prepare a bed for the ladies in waiting. Bass movements are centered around their spawning, and the spawning is centered around water temperature.

Therefore, if the weather cools, the male bass will move back out into deeper water, but will remain close to the spawning areas waiting for a warming trend again. This pattern may occur several times before the male bass feels it’s time to make the actual bed. When the water temperature reaches about 55 degrees, the males start cruising the shallow water, feeding actively on available bait fish, storing up for the long, energy draining part he plays in the actual spawn. During this time, the female bass are in a period known as staging, and will be located in deeper areas such as points, edges of creek channels, sides of humps, or breaklines. They are waiting for their magic water temperature, which is in the mid 60’s, to signal it is time to move toward the spawning grounds. The male bass courts his lady by bumping his nose into her side, guiding her to his nest. She deposits her eggs and he fertilizes them with his milt. A few days late r, her job is finished, and she moves back out in deeper water for rest and recuperation. Left to his own demise, the male becomes full time guardian of the eggs. Once the fry are hatched, his instincts dictate that he stay with them for a short time protecting his young from hungry intruders.

But, soon he grows wary and hungry, and his will to survive overpowers his parental calling. Gorging his own babies for instant nourishment, he then leaves the vulnerable fry unprotected, letting nature choose it’s destiny.

From the millions of fry that are born, only a small percentage actually reach adulthood, because they are so vulnerable when small. Predators, lack of forage, water temperature drops, and mankind all play a critical role in how many baby bass will reach adulthood.

The north side of lakes and coves will warm the quickest, because it receives the sun for a longer period of the day, and is less volatile to the cold northern wind. Once the bass start their trek up the major creek channels, efforts should be concentrated in the secondary creek channels on the northwest side, and the shallow flat areas at the back and sides of the secondary creek channels. Usually, the murkier the water, the more shallow the bass will spawn. Pre-spawn, spawn, and post spawn will be in different areas of the lake, at different times, making it difficult for the weekend angler to establish a consistent pattern, because each phase does not last very long. However, bass will be spawning somewhere on the lake, from late February through April or May, following the same sequence of patterns of pre-spawn, spawn, post spawn. Study the spawning sites, the creek channels that lead the bass there, and the points at the beginning of the coves. Start a fishing diary of where bass spawn, and note the routes, cover, and structure they use to get there.

Then return there next year, because bass return to their spawning areas year after year, following the same routes. If you notice male bass swimming along the shoreline in a spawning area, then you can be assured that the egg laden females are close by. Within a couple of days to a week, the girls will be moving in to join the boys., providing the water temperature remain warm and constant.

Spawn time is so interesting to watch and study. Witnessing the precise timing of each stage, and to know that each bass that reaches
maturity has overcome great and numerous obstacles to reach catchable size. Our bass need to be respected and handled very gently during this time, and released as quickly as possible. Better yet, just leave the nesting bass alone to natures call. A good pair of polarized sunglasses allows you to witness the beautiful bass romance which is performed underwater.

There is an old do*****entary on video, entitled “Big Mouth”, which shows the life of a bass from birth to death, including the spawn. It can be rented at most video stores, and I highly recommend it to learning anglers for a better insight of how a bass lives, the spawn, and how it relates to the world underwater. Please practice catch and release, and safe handling of bass.

Sherry D. Ruslink
Licensed Bass Fishing Guide – Lake Fork
owner – Anglers Educational Seminars
http://www.texs.com/ladybass
email: ladybass@onramp.net
817-572-3675 phone & fax
903-473-1016 Lake Fork
– Lake Mohave

Post spawn generally causes anglers to question their ability in locating and catching bass. Many anglers are presently facing the inevitable question: Where are the bass hiding? Rest assured the bass are there, close to their spawning flat, traveling the route they utilized to enter areas for nesting. Post spawn is characterized by bass moving back to areas they call home. During this time of rest and recuperation, bass show a tendency towards lethargy and inactivity, which generally lasts about 2 weeks. Post spawn may
deal anglers a low blow in catching numbers of bass, but remember, it won’t last long, and the bass will still bite.

On any given lake, not all bass are doing the same thing at the same time. Given this premise that bass have individual biological time clocks, will help ease the blues while fishing for post spawn bass. Starting in the upper end of lakes, bass will begin the first wave of their spawn on the northwest sides of the lake and coves. Like a giant wave, the spawn will creep slowly down the lake to the lower end over a period of several weeks to a couple of months. The water temperature must be conducive to eggs warming enough to hatch, and with that knowledge the upper ends will warm the quickest, while the lower end will be the last area to warm enough for a spawn to take place. As well, most female bass will not lay all their eggs in one nest with one male partner. Fear that their eggs will be destroyed, females will wave in and out of nesting areas, mating with different males over several weeks. Therefore, an area may have prespawn, spawn, and post spawn going on at the same time. Females stage and recuperate in the same areas, which are most apt to be secondary points right off of a creek channel that leads to a protected spawning territory.

The difference in a prespawn and post spawn female is the activity level. Post spawn bass will not expend much energy in chasing baitfish because they are physically spent. They will suspend in more open water, during the transition period from post spawn to summer phases, and basically be in an inactive state for several weeks. On the other hand, male bass have a tendency to hang around in the shallows and feed more actively on vulnerable forage, before transistioning to summer homes.

While experiencing post spawn in one area of the lake, try fishing other areas that might still be in prespawn or spawn, or has transistioned from post spawn already. Prime post spawn and transitional structure is long sloping points, humps, roadbeds ditches, and tankdams that will serve as migratory routes for bass to travel. Stopovers from one area to another need to have ideal cover which will serve as shade and offer them protection from other predators. Stumps, trees, grass, ledges, tire reefs, and rocks will give bass a place of comfort and security, and give them an advantage in ambushing their prey.

While fishing for post spawn bass may not be to the liking of most anglers, there are alternatives to the actual post spawners, as mentioned above. Experiment a little and attempt to find what stage of the game the bass are in, and then move to the upper end or lower end according to the different stages until all bass are through with the 3 phases of prespawn, spawn, and post spawn.

Sherry Ruslink is a professional tournament angler and guide on Lake Fork. She owns Anglers Educational Seminars which specializes in lady angler education. She may be reached at 817- 572-3675, 903-473-1016, email: ladybass@onramp.net, homepage: http://www.texs.com/ladybass – Lake Mohave

Points are one of the most common types of structure found in a lake. Structure is defined as any contour change in the lakes bottom, and that includes points. There are many different types of points, depending on the particular lake and it’s bottom composition. Points can be structured with rocks , sand, mud, or clay, and may also offer cover on some points, such as trees, grass, stickups, tire reefs, and lay downs. Points (structure) coupled with grass or trees (cover) is an automatic magnet for bass, and other species of fish. Points are heralded as probably the best overall structure a lake has to offer for bass hangouts.

All points are not created equal! There are about four different types of points used for identification. Bar points are found in shallow reservoirs, and are usually flat, sandy rises which offer no irregularities, and run long distances under water before falling off into the main lake river channel. Sometimes bar points may even be separated from the shoreline, and will be situated at the main lake river and a ditch, or secondary creek.

Primary or main lake points are two distinct points on either side of the mouth of a feeder creek, where the two creeks join the main lake. Main lake points that drop into the main river channel, enriched with cover, are key bass hangouts. Secondary points are located in mouths of small coves or pockets that extend back from the main creek arm. These are usually shallower and not as large as primary or bar points. Bluff points fall into two categories: main bluff points, where the channel cuts away from a bluff and forms a shoal which has gravel or rock that lines the turn; and rock bluffs form a continuous ledge underwater, moving deeper and deeper as it parallels the creek channel.

Creeks and rivers also offer points within the tributary, which will be on the bends where years of current has etched away the contour as the river traveled downstream. Channels wind their way across and around the lake floor in every reservoir, cutting across many irregularities and undulations that form points.

When a creek channel runs in close to the bank or a point, it is definitely a place that bass will hangout sometime during the four seasons. Tight bends in creek channels offers a bluff and shoal, where the flow of current has etched it’s way along contour changes. Underwater humps or ridges c an offer points that are either formed naturally, or were formed during construction of the reservoir. Workers push and pile dirt and trees in a given location which forms a point, and naturally serves as home to many fish.

Bass instinctively follow contour changes in a lake during their daily movements, preparing for their annual spawn, and adjusting to seasonal changes.

A bass’ movements are governed by several influences: oxygen, spawning, and feeding. Bass use points as stopovers in their travels to and from

spawning. When the spawn is completed, points again serve as a magnet for bass to grab an easy meal. However, they don’t just relate to points at random. Patterns are followed, using specific type of points and sub-structure on those points, under predictable cir*****stances. Being able to understand these patterns and habits, and key in on which points bass may be relating to is essential in consistently being able to locate bass.

Bass habits can be patterned by the time of year. When spawn movements dictate, they swim into the creeks, and move to the primary points first. As the water warms, bass then move back in the creeks to the secondary points and hold for the conditions to signal the proper time for nesting. After spawning, they reverse their route back to the secondary points, then on to their summer homes.

Bass like points for locating baitfish, which makes points prime feeding locations for predator fish. Water on points is churned through wind and boat traffic, which in turn creates oxygen being rejuvenated in the lake. Points on lakes and reservoirs will normally have some type of cover, whet her it is man made or natural. This makes a point even better. If you are lucky enough to find more than two covers, such as grass and trees on a points, then the point deserves a good look with an LCD. Bass will be there somewhere!

Use a good topo map to locate points and creek
channels. Research and homework should be accomplished before journeying to a lake, eliminating potentially unproductive water. Use a marker buoy system to clearly get a picture of how the point is located. Once the layout of the point is established, lock in the coordinates on a GPS unit, or triangulate position by using landlocked reference points.

Sherry Ruslink is owner of Anglers Educational Seminars, specializing in ladies bass fishing classes. She is a licensed bass fishing guide on Lake Fork, touring pro on the Bass’n Gal circuit, and a freelance outdoor writer – member of Texas Outdoor Writers Assoc. She may be contacted by calling 817-572-3675, 903-473-1016, email: ladybass@onramp.net, homepage: http://www.texs.com/ladybass

Sherry D. Ruslink
Licensed Bass Fishing Guide – Lake Fork
owner – Anglers Educational Seminars
http://www.texs.com/ladybass
email: ladybass@onramp.net
817-572-3675 phone & fax
903-473-1016 Lake Fork – Lake Mohave

Crankbaits are great fish finders, and are productive twelve months of the year. Baitfish can be imitated through various styles, colors, and patterns of crankbait lures. Some are large, fat, and big billed and have a big wobble when retrieved through the water; others are more narrow, compact in size, and have a smaller bill, and travel more fluidly with a tighter wobble; and still other crankbaits possess small bills and barely dive under the water. These crankbaits are generally referred to as lipped or billed crankbaits and all float when not being retrieved. The bill, shape, size, speed of reel, and line size will influence how the lure will respond when retrieved under the water. Then, there is another classification of crankbait which is the lipless version. Most of the lipless crankbaits are sinkers rather than floaters, therefore depth and speed are dependent on retrieve, line size, and reel gear ratio.

Crankbaits imitate baitfish, usually shad, crawfish, bream, or some other forage base particular to that lake. They dive under the water, have an erratic movement, and will tweak a bass’s interest, if presented correctly. Lure manufacturer’s use different material compositions to manufacture their lures. Some use balsa wood, others use plastic, and combinations of rubber, plastic, metal, and wood have been used. Each
crankbait has it’s own particular personality, and reacts differently when retrieved.

Many retrieve methods can be applied to give crankbaits a different action. Straight retrieve, crank-crank-pause, three cranks-pause, all these techniques would make the lure react differently under the water. Sometimes a more subtle approach would be warranted, however other times a more erratic movement would be the most appealing to bass. Line size, reel gear ratio, and even rod action also affects the reaction of crankbaits. The best way to see the reaction of a lure is in clear water, possibly a swimming pool. Therefore, when fishing, a better imagination can be used when working the lure.

Crankbaits are great lures to use on schooling bass, but they are also good when bass are suspending on structure, and can appeal to bass that are hidden in cover if bounced around in the cover. Bass are curious by nature, and are competitive for their food source. Crankbaits appeal to bass as easy, vulnerable prey!

Every color in the rainbow can be found in crankbaits, however natural forage base lures are the best colors to use. Shad imitations, crawfish colors, black, bream or perch color are all good colors to start with on any given lake. Too many times anglers change colors way too often, and should try changing the lure speed, action of the lure, or lure size before changing the color.

Crankbaits can also serve as cover and structure locators. Many pros, such as David Wharton use this technique so as not to disturb the water with their trolling motor. Cast out, and crank back with an easy retrieve, until the lure bumps something. Stop the retrieve, let the lure float up, then start the retrieve again. Most people are a little intimidated by crankbaits because of their reputation to snag cover easily, however staying in tune to what the lure is doing, and stopping on an impact will get lures back. If it snags, then try popping the line while holding the rod taut.

For more versatile fishing, try some crankbait fishing. Summer is a good time to try them out where bass are holding on points, roadbeds, and creek channels. Crankbaits are fun, catch bass, good twelve months of the year, and are very versatile lures.

Sherry Ruslink is a licensed, full time bass fishing guide on Lake Fork. She offers day and night trips, corporate trips or group trip coordination, and gift certificates. Sherry is a professional tournament angler, and owner of Anglers Educational Seminars (specializing in lady angler education). For information on Lake Fork guide trips, Ladies Bass Fishing classes, or Ladies Casting classes, Sherry can be reached at 903-473-1016, email: ladybass@koyote.com , or URL: http://www.texs.com/ladybass/fork.htm
She is sponsored by: Triton Boats/Mariner Motors, Four Seasons Marine, Castaway Rods – Factory Team, Lowrance, Motorguide – Power Gator, McCoy’s Fishing Line, Gene Larew, Pro-Line, Bass Assassin, Top Brass Tackle, and Norman Lures.
– Lake Mohave

Successful anglers most often possess a quality of self confidence in their abilities to locate, tempt, and catch bass. As with all things in life, the more one knows about what they are doing, the more adept they become at that situation. The old saying “Practice makes perfect” certainly holds credence, in that one either becomes better through trial and error, or discouragement sets in and another situation is sought. Not all people will be good at what they attempt to do, however learning as much as one can about the skill desired can equal successful bass fishing.

There is the angler that seems to always catch fish, share knowledge, have a positive attitude, and have everything together. And, there is the angler that catches fish at random, always secretive about what he knows, seemingly negative about life in general, and never is quite ready for anything. Do you know these two anglers? An angler can tell you much about his everyday personality through a fishing excursion. The successful angler has confidence, and it carries over into his everyday life situations. He carries confidence in his abilities to be successful, simple as that! This person has taken the time to learn as much as he can about angling, and it is paying off in his fishing endeavors! People refer to the successful angler as “Lucky”, but luck can only play a very minor part in locating, tempting, and catching bass. Successful anglers carry within their minds a confidence that all too often, unsuccessful anglers don’t possess.

Learning about bass behavior, how it relates to it’s environment, structure and cover, seasonal changes, proper equipment, lake compositions and conditions, weather, topographical maps, and electronics are all important in becoming successful at bass fishing. The successful angler is not just content to chunk and wind, hoping the big one attaches itself firmly to a hook, but he learns all there is to know about what he is pursuing. The more he learns, the more confident he is in being able to put all the variables together to have a auspicious fishing experience. Research and planning are key elements in a fishing adventure. Doing your homework before going to the lake will often lead to time spent catching bass, instead of racing around the lake in total confusion. Confident anglers have learned to read topo maps and their electronics. Homework is started by calling the various water body controls and finding out what the soil composition is, the natural cover of the lake, what the local baitfish are, whether the lake is constant, rising, or falling, and talking to local marinas about depth fish are being caught. Listening to weather conditions, and knowing how these conditions might affect bass, are some key variables that can affect how you might approach your fishing excursion. Confident anglers have studied, and learned the many variables that influence bass fishing, and they adjust accordingly. Instead of trying to locate another anglers honey hole, and fishing exactly the same color of lures, the successful angler does his homework to be successful.

There are a number of ways to increase your fishing knowledge. Classes in fishing have become popular in recent years, and are a good way to increase your knowledge through interaction with pros. Instructional videos and books are out on most aspects of fishing, and can be bought, rented, or borrowed. Talking to successful anglers about what they feel is important in catching fish. Hiring a recommended guide can help on learning discoveries about lakes, structure, cover, and bass behavior in a particular lake. Planning and research into the fishing trip is very important in learning as much as you can about the area, lake, and fish.

Depending upon your own wisdom, and watching your knowledge grow through each fishing experience will most definitely help in fishing success. And, success equals confidence.

Sherry Ruslink is a licensed bass fishing guide on Lake Fork, owner of Anglers Educational Seminars, Bass’n Gal Touring Pro, and freelance outdoor writer (TOWA). She can be reached at 817-572-3675, 903-473-1016, email: ladybass@onramp.net, URL: http://www.texs.com/ladybass

—
Sherry D. Ruslink
Licensed Bass Fishing Guide – Lake Fork
Anglers Educational Seminars – owner
Bass’n Gal Touring Pro
Outdoor Writer – TOWA
http://www.texs.com/ladybass
http://www.texs.com
http://www.bassworld.com/lakefork/
– Lake Mohave

Many anglers have fished for years, not understanding the physical and mental make-up of a bass’s system. To increase productivity in anything, one must first do some homework on what makes anything “tick”. And, that includes the bass. A bass’s senses include sight, hearing, smell, taste, and feel, however they are different than human’s senses because their brain is more primitive. Because of this, their senses must react to their environment differently. Humans can think and reason, animals react. Their lives are governed through genetics, and their existence is programmed through their senses. The physical and mental make-up of a bass is simple, but yet sophisticated compared to other animals.

A bass’s eyesight is excellent, and is absolutely the most important sense it has. Without eyesight, a bass would have a short life span. It is the dominant force used for seeking and selecting food. A fish’s retina is made up of cones for color vision and rods for black, white, and shades of gray vision. A bass’s eyes can receive up to 5 times more light than a human, and this allows them to distinguish shapes, sizes, movement, and color patterns that the human eye can’t, even under varying water clarity and light conditions. They do not have lids, but are able to change the shape of the eyeball to varying conditions of light. They have wide field vision, a full 180 degrees for each eye. Bass’s eyes improves with age, and will continue to grow throughout it’s life. Bass can see color, extensive experiments have been done on color and bass perception. Yellow and blue are both less distinct than other colors. Bass see red and violet best, and green second best, but they can discriminate between all colors.

Hearing – The lateral line is a hearing organ designed for sounds close to the fish. It extends from behind the gills to the tail on either side of the fish. It is as accurate as a radar in pin pointing the presence of an object. Anything moving through the water must displace water molecules. It is this displacement that is picked up by the lateral line, and the fish can strike the source of that sound as effectively as if it were seen with the eyes. The lateral line works only with near field sounds, those that are within a few feet of the bass, but is a deadly system

Hearing – The ear system is inside their heads, although they do not have external earflaps as we do. Their bodies act as a sounding board, and they can hear and react to sounds a long distance away. This organ is real sensitive, and through their ears is what makes bass spook away sometimes.

Bass’s sense of smell is keen, but sense of smell and taste does not really affect their behavior. Sense of smell is called olfaction. Sharks, catfish, and salmon has been studied in depth, and are known to have a greater sense organ, and use it more fully in their lives. Bass use their smell for foraging and protection. Bass preyfish are made of amino acids, building blocks of protein. And. can smell small frightened preyfish up to 25 feet away. They use it to find their way back to certain feeding and spawning areas. Their migrating abilities allows them to return home through their olfactory perception. Smell is used in reproduction, territorial claims, and communicating with each other. Located on each side of the head. Chemoreception is the most primitive sense in the universe, and it is used to avoid harmful PH conditions, flee from harmful chemicals, to find food, and find suitable dissolved oxygen content. It forms the basis
of the bass’ entire behavior.

Scents – potions for adding to the lure, are the rage. They generate 40 – 50 million dollars in sales. They are slow to permeate the water, and are quickly carried off by the water. Scents may make the lure more positive, mask human smell, and make the bass hold the bait longer. You can overpower the olfactory system by saturating the water with scent. Someone who strongly reeks with perfume tends to repel people! Naturally, the manufacturers want you to use it a lot, so they tell you to soak it. Possibly, the optimal time to use scent is in cold water, where water doesn’t displace as quickly. Manufacturers claim their products work on inactive bass, but obviously active bass will hit anything! On the other hand, WD 40 has been used, anise oil, fruit flavored vaseline, and all sorts of home remedies have been claimed to work. You be the judge, of course if you catch a fish, using anything, you then have confidence in the item. But, whose to say that bass wouldn’t have hit your bait, had you not had the scent on?

Taste works the same way. A bass has already sized up whether he wants your lure or not. So you must appeal to his other senses. Sight first, hearing, so he can hone in on your bait, smell and taste so he will hold on to it longer.

As one can see, a bass’s senses is important for the bass to live out a full life. But, it is equally important that an angler understand a bass’s senses to aid in their pursuit of this beautiful creature – the LARGEMOUTH BASS.

Editors Note: Sherry Ruslink is sponsored by Triton Boats/Mariner Motors, Four Seasons Marine, Lowrance, Castaway Graphite Rods – Factory Team, Gene Larew Lures, McCoy’s Mean Green Fishing Line, Pro Line, Motorguide, Top Brass Tackle, and Lockhart Lures.. She is a licensed guide on Lake Fork, Touring Pro, member of Texas Outdoor Writers Assoc., instructor and seminar speaker on bass fishing, TPWD angler educator, and owner of Anglers Educational Seminars. You can reach her at 1-877-523-9227, email: ladybass@koyote.com, URL: http://www.texs.com/ladybass/fork.htm

—
Sherry D. Ruslink email: ladybass@koyote.com
Rt 1, Box 190-D-8 http://www.texs.com/ladybass
Emory, TX 75440 http://www.texs.com/ladybass/fork.htm
903-473-1016 http://www.texs.com
1-877-523-9227 http://www.texs.com/lvl
Anglers Educational Seminars http://www.wmi.org/Bassfish
Prof Tournament Angler http://www.tbbu.com/magazine/index.htm
Outdoor Writer ICQ – 2138299
– Lake Mohave

Of all different aspects of tournament fishing, without a doubt the least understood by the average angler is the matter of prefishing. Even the word “prefishing” itself is awfully ambiguous. Just mention that word to someone who knows nothing about bass tournaments, and you caii get some funny looks.

What I am going to discuss today are the two dift’erent types of prefishing. The first being the practice or prefish that takes place a week or two prior to the event, and the second being the practice which takes place immediately prior to the competition, Both practice sessions can be an integral part of a successful tournament, but if they’re improperly conducted, they can ruin your performance.

I have spent as much time prefishing before tournament off limits periods as anybody in the last ten years, and I think I’ve learned some things that can really pay off for both pro and amateur alike. When I was starting my pro career out West, I literally lived out of my van. I would travel from lake to lake, prefish, tournament fish, and then move on to the next lake. I would say I averaged about 7 days of prefishing for each tournament. Nowadays, because of time constraints and plenty of experience, I don’t prefish nearly as much. I prefish for about 1/3 of my tournaments these days. I think it’s important to prefish on lakes and rivers I’ve never seen before, and these new bodies of water are where I spend my time.

The main objective I am trying to accomplish during this advance prefish is to learn where everything is at inde lake. I want to know what the personality of the lake is. That is, where the different types of structure are, changes in water color, depths, just your basic stuff That way, when I come back for the tournament and I find bass holding on a particular type of cover, I know where I can run to find some more without wasting valuable practice time.

No angler will be able to learn the whole lake in
one week, so just try to become intimate with one or two areas of the lake that look like they will be good when you come back. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It is far better to spend a lot of time in just a couple of areas, than to spend a little bit of time in many areas.

The one thing that can really mess you up prefishing this early is catching a lot of Rsh. I’ve seen this happen so many times I’ve lost count. A sherman will catch a really nice stringer a couple weeks prior to the tournament, and instantly get totally locked in to that pattern and area. They go back for the tournament and try the same stuff that worked two weeks earlier in the same area, and they fail miserably. Fish change daily, and most of the time they change a bunch in two weeks.

I’ve learned not to be concerned with catching a lot of Gsh during this prefishing period. Sure, I want to catch a few to get a little confidence, but I’m mostly just concerned with learning the lake.

I worry about how to catch them during the oflicial practice period.

If you are not able to spend any time on a lake before the cutoff period, don’t worry about it. Some of my best finishes have come on lakes that were new to me that I had no time to prefish. The whole key in this situation is being able to commit yourself to one part of the lake, and not being at all concerned with what goes on in the rest of the lake. It is hard to gain confidence in a part of the lake without ever seeing it before, so you’ll have to rely on information from past tournaments, advice from other fishermen, or just your natural intuitions. I must comment that this is a very exciting way to fish a tournament. You just have to believe that the bass live in the area you’ve chosen, and figure out how to catch them.

Let’s move now to a discussion on the official days of prefish. Most tournament circuits aUow the fishermen two days of practice before the competition starts. How you spend the time should largely be determined by how many days long the tournament is. The short tournaments of one or two days require that the angler be on the fish right out of the box. There is no time for catch up in these short events. So it is important in the prefish period to determine where you are going to fish, and what you’re going to throw.

The longer tournaments of three or four days like we fish on the B.A.S.S. tour require a different approach during the official prefish. -En this situation,-I-am often just-seeking to-determine what the seasonal pattern is for the area of the lake I plan to fish. I want to get a few bites in prefish, but mostly I’m just looking for that comfort zone; that is an area and technique that fits the seasonal pattern. I’ve learned so much in these long tournaments, and really prefer them over the short ones.

The Bassmaster Pro-Ams have a three day prewash period followed by a three day contest. On those prefish days, I am not thinking so much about present cir*****stances as I am about how I am going to catch fish on the third and fourth days of the tournament. I guess that is why I generally move up in the standings each day of the tournament. I am always thinking ahead.

A lot of guys have a record of busting a big stringer on the first day, and then they slowly slip away as the event progresses. While on the other hand, some guys move up in the standings each day. The difference is their prefish strategy.

To win a one day tournament, you have to be right on the fish from the start. But the longer tournaments require a different approach. I generally get more in tune with the Gsh with each passing day, so I don’t concern myself with catching too many during this o%cial practice period. What I’m looking for, again, is a key area and technique that should produce some quality fish for the existing seasonal pattern.

One of the biggest mistakes people make during this official prefish is trying to cover too much water. Big mistake. I recommend picking an area that you like, then dropping your trolling motor and fishing the whole area. This way nothing will be overlooked, and you will find out what they want and where they are. I can’t tell you how many times I was fishing too fast in practice, and passed right over a huge bunch of Gsh. The faster you fish and the more water you cover in prefish, the better chance you have of overlooking a true honey hole.
I generally don’t set the hook too often during prefish. It is good to catch a couple of fish to see how big they are, but then I shake off the rest of my bites. Remember, what you catch in practice doesn’t count.

The average weekend pro has the tendancy to spend his tournament fishing the same area where he got bit in practice. This is fine if you are truly in tune with the fish, and know exactly what time of day they are active, and what they are biting on. But if you are fishing one area for 30 minutes, then running 5 miles to another spot where you got bit in prefish, then moving again to another spot where you got bit, chances are you are just spot fishing, and not fishing the Ash. You might do 0.K. in a one day event by spot fishing, but this wont hold up for the long tournaments.

When I talk about fishing the fish, I mean keeping an open mind every day to changing conditions. Bass change all the time, and the successful anglers are the ones who learn to adjust with them. Just about eery tournainent I fish, I notice the bass changing from the prefish period to the competition days. That is why your top pros aren’t the ones who catch the big stringers during practice. In the longer tournaments, the prewash days should just give you an idea of where to start, then you have to simply be ready for what each new day has in store.
– Lake Mohave

For the past two years I’ve been hearing about all the big fish being caught at Falcon. Not that any fisherman has every been known to misstate a fact but the tales of so many 20 pound plus 5 fish catches were a bit hard for me to believe at first.

These stories started coming more frequently when a couple fishing buddies of mine, Ed Parten and Bruce Shuler, started fishing south Texas bass tournaments last year. Parten, a well known bass fishing fugue around the State, had told me several times that a 20 pound weight in a tournament wouldn’t make a check and that it frequently took 30 plus pounds to win. For those readers who aren’t avid tournament fishermen 20 pounds usually wins a tournament in Texas where we have a five fish limit. In fact it probably would win in most states for a two day catch.

In mid March I made lodging reservations for a trip to Falcon to find out first hand what this lake was all about. The Oso Blanco Lodge in Zapata came highly recommended and a call to them was answered with what Texans know as that special kind of hospitality that can only be found in the Rio Grande Valley. Sonia Delorme, lodge manager, graciously explained the facilities at Oso Blanco and made our reservations.

Falcon is a 6 to 7 hour scenic drive from Houston so our early Sunday morning departure got us to the lake shortly after noon. Us was my beautiful wife, Paulette and a fishing buddy and touring BASS pro, Phil Whittemore. After checking in at Oso Blanco we still had a few hours of daylight and the weather was absolutely beautiful, mid 80’s, sunny with a comfortable breeze from the Gulf, so we decided to get in a couple hours of fishing before dark.

After getting our Mexico fishing licenses we headed east, toward the dam, so that we could fish the lake from one end to the other in the next few days. Falcon State Park is near the dam so that is where we launched. We headed for the first major creek we found on the Mexico side and went to the back of a small feeder creek on the southeast side of the creek. We hadn’t been fishing 15 minutes and got our first fish. In the next hour we caught eight more fish, the largest of which was around 6 pounds. These fish are not the timid garden variety bass we are used to around Houston, when you stick on of these babies you’d better have a firm grip on you rod handle or they’ll take your stuff away from you. By dark, which was just a couple hours, our best five fish would have weighed around 18 pounds. On the ride back to the lodge we talked about the prospects of doing this every day for the next two days.

Next morning we headed out for Old town of Guerrero where we had been told the fishing was good. Old Guerrero is usually partially submerged in Falcon but because the lake was 28 feet low it was high and dry and we couldn’t get to it for the shallow water. We did a little fishing but spend most of the morning exploring.

At 11 we headed back to Oso Blanco for lunch. We me owners Dave and Sonia Delorme in the Lodge lobby and had a very nice visit. Dave and Sonia are a couple of likable Snowbirds who, like many, could make the trip back to New York after the Rio Grande Valley experience. They have been in Zapatta for eight years now where the operated an RV Park before Oso Blanco. It’s very easy to see why they like it so much there. The place has everything you could ask for, spacious and very comfortable newly remodeled rooms, a swimming pool with BBQ pits, RV Park, on site, Oso Loco Restaurant from which you can enjoy a gorgeous view of the sun setting over old Mexico, enclosed fishing pier and even an on site tackle shop.

After lunch we headed to the tackle shop, Lunkerville Tackle, where the owner, Chip Harmon, gave us some tips for catching Falcon bass. Chip and his wife LeEtte run a very well stocked tackle shop and were very helpful in providing us with the right stuff to throw. They have five guides that wok for them and say they often come in with 10 pound class bass. That’s pretty classy in my book. Chip explained that although Falcon may not provide many State Record class bass it did have a very good population of bass in the six to 10 pound range. Our experience on this trip found that to be true.

Following one of Chip’s tips we decide to fish the creek is on. We caught fish in several
areas of the creek throughout the afternoon. Although we didn’t get any big fish, our biggest was around 4 pounds, we did plenty nice fish. The sunset that evening was really spectacular.
The next morning we set out early for some serious bass fishing. We caught fish all morning with our biggest fish just under 7 pounds. No 10 pounders but more than enough quality fish to convince us that this lake was everything I had hear and more. The fishing was probably tough when we were there, especially for big fish, due to bright full moonlit nights. The hospitable atmosphere of the Rio Grande Valley, the gorgeous weather, the excellent fish population and the mean attitude of the bass combined to make this one of the most enjoyable fishing trips I can remember.

For lodging information call Dave or Sonia Delorme at the Oso Blanco Lodge.(210-765-4339) For fishing information, Guide Trips or tackle call Chip or LeEtte Harmon at Lunkerville Tackle & Guide Service.(210-765-3939) – Lake Mohave

The fish are on the move; however, the lake dropped over a foot in a one week period and on Friday, they received over 9″ of rain which had the bass pulled back out of the buck brush and they were relating more to mainlake points, secondary points and inside and outside weedlines. The frontal and post-frontal winning pattern was a Carolina rigged pumpkin green lizard or chartreuse pepper french-fry fished anywhere from 2-10′. The majority of the fish were located 1/2 way back in the creeks and as far back as you could maneuver your boat. Some fish were holding just outside the grass in the coves and pockets with smaller creeks and/or ditches located in the back.

Bill Ritzell and his partner, Allen Mittinen, won our local Port City Bass Club tournament on Toledo Bend using the above pattern and ended up with a two day combined weight of 41#. They were using CastAway Honey Carolina rods with Team Diawa TD1 reels spooled with Trilene Big Game 15# line. And, had it not been for Bill’s sponsor, Boots Follmar Marine in Houston doing some last minute repair work on his engine, Bill might not have had his boat in time to fish the tournament. Luckily, the boat was quickly repaired and he was able to go on and compete; and, win the tournament.

The 2nd place team of John Montgomery and Gary Mittinen, caught their fish primarily on Rat-L-Traps fished on bends and points off the feeder creeks to wind up with a team stringer of over 34 pounds. While 3rd place team of myself and Rusty Traylor caught our fish on spinnerbaits, Carolina rigs and Rat-L-Traps. We caught most of our fish on Sunday in anywhere from 6-25′. We also found our early fish on Sunday to hit Rat-L-Traps holding in front of the grassline in a mainlake cove at about 6-8′. I had big bass of the tournament, caught on Sunday on a CastAway Honey Carolina graphite rod with a Daiwa TD2 reel spooled with 15# Big Game Trilene line with a 3-foot 10# leader and a chartreuse/pepper Riverside Floating Air Fry. Big Bass was just over 5#’s and she was holding off a mainlake island on the outside grassline in 25′. The grass was deep out off the island and grew out as far out as 18′. Due to the recent cold fronts and rains, the bigger fish were staging, getting ready to move into the creeks and were holding in front of the grasslines. They had not yet moved into the backs of the creeks to perform their annual rituals. Due to strong North West winds and frontal conditions of Saturday, they would not bite, but the high bluebird skies and light winds on Sunday found several that went to the scales.

The massive fish kills of last summer on our East Texas lakes has had a dramatic effect on the fishing this spring. Both numbers of fish caught and size of fish being caught are directly affected by the fish kill. Big bass this time of year should be 8+ pounds, instead, we’re lucky to see a 5# bass being caught. There just not catching any big fish this year, and, what big fish are being caught are darn few!

The results of the Texas Oilman’s tournament sponsored by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards also showed a decline over year’s past in the number of big fish coming to the scales. The predominant pattern was the Carolina rig dragging a lizard or centipede in anywhere from 2-14′ water off of mainlake and secondary points. With all the rain, cold fronts and heavy winds the pre-spawn fishing has definitely been affected and continues to be affecting these migrating fish. They don’t know whether to go in and lay their eggs or back off. If the fish don’t move in by this coming weekend with the full moon, it will be April before the spawn is in full bloom. If you haven’t had a chance to get to the lake, now’s your chance, you haven’t missed a thing and chances are, you’ll be right on target for some of the best fishing the year will offer. – Lake Mohave

For the past month, Big Sam has been as temperamental as most all our East Texas lakes have been, especially in giving up numbers of bass. The high winds, rain and weekend cold fronts have kept the bass hanging out, and as of yet, they have not moved onto the beds to do their spring thing! The last weekend of the month will see a full moon and if the stubborn bass don’t move up then, it will be April before we see any signs of eggs being laid on the beds. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen some small but catchable buck bass move into the shallows in the backs of the creeks. There were signs of some of the bigger fish trying to move into the really shallow water last weekend, but they are so skiddish, they just won’t settle down and can’t be caught (at least not by this angler!)

We were fishing a club tournament last weekend and my husband, Norman, was fishing with his partner, 15 year old John Haehn. They were fishing in our Boots Follmar Marine Skeeter 210 with a Yamaha 225 EFI which had no trouble getting to their fishing spots around the lake in the high winds and rough water. Norman caught nine keepers on Saturday around the outside of the bushes in 2-4 foot depths. While I was in the other boat with my partner, Jan Shaw, and we struggled on Saturday and ended up with just one keeper that Jan managed to scratch out of the same area. We were all using the same pattern we have been on for the past six weeks using CastAway medium action graphite spinning rods, Shimano Spirex 2000FB spinning reels spooled with 10# Trilene Big Game and rigged Texas style with Riverside Floating Air Fry’s and lizards and Zoom centipedes and lizards. When we went to weigh-in on Saturday, eight of our members, including this writer, had big fat zeros, which is very uncommon for the caliber anglers we have in our Club. There were a lot of our members with only one or two fish and that’s strange, for this time of year.

On Sunday, we went right back to the same area hoping to repeat Norman’s prior day’s success story; however, the fish just wouldn’t cooperate as we only caught small one’s where keepers had been the day before. Since nothing was happening in the shallows, we fanned out and went in different directions trying to scratch out some keeper fish for Sunday’s weigh-in. Jan and I went South and fished some mainlake points dragging Carolina rigged lizards and centipedes and Texas rigs with the same baits. I finally caught a keeper in 8-10′ of water off a secondary point on a watermelon Riverside Floating Air Fry and was very thankful for the one fish! Norman and his partner went up North on the lake to investigate some of his other places that fish had been holding but to no avail, they ended up coming back down South and finished up in the same area he started in on both days. Big fish of the tournament was a 4.42# bass caught on a Carolina rig.

On Sunday afternoon, several of our members got into some keeper fish that were caught on spinnerbaits and Texas rigged worms in the very backs of a creek on the south side of the lake and managed to catch ___ keepers from one little area. All in all, the fishing was very poor this last weekend and it was difficult for most everyone to even catch five keepers.

I talked to Scott Soission of Needmore Tackle today and he indicated that last Friday they caught a 7# bass using a “Wacky” worm and were throwing to the outside of the bushes, but it was a cloudy day, and that during the week, they had been catching their fish in the bushes in about 6-7′ depths, using “Wacky” worms on the cloudy days. On the bright days, they were catching most of their fish on Carolina rigs on the mainlake dragging on the slick or bald spots with some kind of grass nearby. He also said that fishing mainlake spots over the weekend was almost nil due to the high winds on the lake. On Monday, an 8.84 and one over 5 pounds were caught dragging Carolina rigs anywhere from the bank to about 10-foot. He also confirmed that the fish should be moving up anytime now and that when they do decide to move in the fishing is going to be fast and furious.
– Lake Mohave

The holiday season is a good time for reflection. A time to be grateful for all that we have. A time to give just for the good feeling we get from giving.

One of the most important things that we all can be thankful for, after good health and good fortune for ourselves and our families is this great land we live in. From coast to coast it is filled with the most wondrous places. Our beautiful mountains, oceans, rivers, streams and lakes that we too often take for granted are truly things to be thankful for. They are great gifts placed here in our land to be enjoyed by all.

Along with these great gifts comes an important responsibility to care for them and preserve them so that future generations can enjoy the pleasures they provide us all. Many of our great rivers and lakes, once on their way to becoming “Toxic Reservoirs” full of “Mutant Aquatic Lifeforms”, are now well on their way to being restored to the condition they were a few hundred years ago when our ancestors settled this great land. The result of this turnaround is largely due to the efforts of a relatively small group of people called conservationists. Not the extremist groups, concerned with protecting some tiny insect from extinction, but ordinary folks with good common sense and, thankfully, a very high degree of responsibility, who have come together to focus attention on the care of our natural resources.

One doesn’t have to have been around too long on Lake Conroe to remember the days when the water was so clear that you could see your toes when you stood or swam in it. That was before “Mother Natures” natural filtration system was removed. Today that wouldn’t be possible even if you were 6 inches tall.

“Remember the Alamo”, huh! “Remember Lake Conroe”. Remember when it was easy for the occasional fisherman to catch a bass.

One doesn’t have to look to far, less that 100 miles, to our north south east or west to see fine examples of what proper conservation methods can do to preserve the pristine cleanliness of our lakes that are teeming with fish that can still be caught by the occasional fisherman. Properly managed these great reservoirs still provide the beautiful clean waters and abound with aquatic life even better than when our forefathers came to this country.

Give your children, grandchildren, great grand children, and so on, the gift of a beautiful and bountiful place to enjoy. Do you part if it’s only by giving something to those who are working hard every day, on a voluntary basis, to keep our lakes and rivers clean in the State of Texas.

Texas Black Bass Unlimited is one such organization. Dedicated to the preservation and conservation of our great lakes and rivers this group of volunteers is working every day, doing things to improve and enhance natures resources. Ordinary hard working every day Joe’s like you doing what they can to make it better for us all.

“Remember Lake Conroe”. Let’s put it back the way it was when you didn’t have to be 6 inches tall to see you feet or “Angler of the Year” to catch a fish.

Give a friend a membership for Christmas. For information call 713-580-1469 or 214-381-0748. Subscribe to “Our Inland Fisheries” magazine today. You can make a difference.
– Lake Mohave

Some 40 odd years ago a grey haired man stood on a bridge with a young boy looking at a bobber floating below in the Arkansas River in Wichita, Kansas. As the old man leaned over the railing to look at some ducks that were swimming by under the bridge something fell from his shirt pocket and into the river. Ploooop ! Well there goes my teeth Grandpa told me with a wry smile on his face and lips flapping, as they tended to do when he talked without his teeth. I was about 6 years old at that time and don’t remember whether we caught a fish or not but that memory was the first I have of Grandpa taking me fishing and one that I’ll have and cherish for the rest of my life.

My dad wasn’t much of a fisherman but was always willing and ready to go along when Grandpa wanted to take me fishing. I remember a trip we went on out of Rehobeth Beach, Maryland in the Atlantic. I was around 8 years old. It was the first time I had gone salt water fishing. I don’t remember whether we caught fish or not but I do remember my poor Dad either hanging over the side of the boat, and he wasn’t dropping his glasses either, or laying in the cabin on the bunk moaning. Poor Dad.

Those early fishing trips kindled a fondness for fishing in me that has grown into a passion. There isn’t much I’d rather be doing than fishing. Even though I’m guiding full time now it is still the best way for me to relax and get things into perspective. Whether it’s just watching the line peel off my reel after a cast and float gently to the water or watching a Heron stalk breakfast along the bank across the cove I’m fishing I can’t imagine a better way to relax. And of course hooking a largemouth and watching him thrash the surface on the end of my line isn’t too bad either, but just being on the water is still often a very magical time for me.
I see that same magic on the faces of the young children I occasionally get the privilege of taking fishing. Every summer there is a tournament on Lake Conroe to benefit the Sunshine Kids. These kids are very special indeed, and I usually benefit much more than they do from the fishing trips we enjoy together. You can feel the excitement in the air the morning of the tournament when the Ladies from Houston Fish, the Bass Club that sponsors the tournament each year, are pairing up the young anglers with their guides for the day. There isn’t money enough in the world to buy the kind of satisfaction one gets from taking a kid fishing.

It doesn’t matter whether you are cat fishing, white bass fishing, crappie fishing or bream fishing children always enjoy themselves.

It doesn’t have to be in a fancy boat or even a boat at all. Some of my fondest memories are fishing a small pond or creek from the bank.

You don’t even have to catch a lot of fish just point out the wonders of nature that are always around us but not often enjoyed.

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment either. A cane pole will do just fine.

If you aren’t a regular fisherman ask the guy at the local tackle store or marina for some help or look up a local fishing guide and tell him you need some help. You’ll find that all fishermen will be willing and often eager to help you enjoy your fishing more.

Make taking a kid fishing a regular event in your life. Take your son or daughter, niece or nephew or just one of the neighborhood kids.

You’ll be giving them a gift that money can’t buy, they can’t lose, the dog won’t chew up and that they will have for the rest of their life. Hopefully you’ll spark in them what my Grandpa did for me and that fishing will be as good for their soul as it will be for yours. – Lake Mohave

Visit our booth at the Houston Boat Show January 7th – 16th at the Reliant Center, Houston Texas.

Red Wing Boat Company
836 South 75th Street
Houston, Texas 77023
713-921-0656
– Lake Mohave

Visit our booth at the Houston Boat Show January 7th – 16th at the Reliant Center, Houston Texas.

Rinker’s Boat World
2500 W Mt Houston
Houston, Texas 77038
800-847-9247
281-847-0064

– Lake Mohave

ATHENS, Texas—Terry Jones of Jewett turns trash into treasure—metal sculptures that look like prehistoric fish despite being made of old saw blades, meat grinders, car parts and anything else that strikes his fancy.

“A piece is only as good as the quality of the junk that’s in it,” Jones said. But instead of the finished pieces looking like the junk they’re made of, they resemble something from a fishy horror movie—gaping jaws, saw-toothed fins and scissor-like tails.

Jones’ whimsical folk art will be featured at an art show and sale Dec. 4-11 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center here. Jones said most of his customers so far have come from the Austin area.

In contrast to the metal sculptures, the show will also feature botanical art by Bruce Lyndon Cunningham of Nacogdoches and outdoor-themed paintings by several Athens-area artists. Artists will donate a portion of each sale to the building fund for a new education center at TFFC. Jones and other artists will be at TFFC for the opening of the show on Dec. 4.

Jones credits his antique business to an eye for good junk and to friends for supplying him with quality raw materials. “I find a lot of stuff at auctions and estate sales,” he said. “I try to use as many antique tools as possible in my sculptures. Once I get an idea for a piece, I go looking for the parts to make it. One small piece I made recently took four weeks to build because I did not have what I wanted. So I just let it sit until I found the eyes—as soon as I saw them, I knew where they needed to go, and I finished the piece.”

That sculpture, which features gears from an automobile transmission for the eyes and a section of a large sawmill blade as the dorsal fin, will be part of the December show.

Jones’ fishy figures attract a lot of attention at the antique shop and bait store he and wife Carla operate in downtown Jewett. “The look on people’s faces when they see a piece is the real reward,” he said. “They are trying to figure out what all the pieces are and where they came from.”

The sculptures go together in Jones’ head first. Then he welds them together in the parking lot of the store. “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with pieces going together in my head,” he said. “The hard part is finding the mouth. That’s the focal point of a fish. You have to start with the mouth and build from there, because the mouth determines how big the rest of the fish will be.” The pieces are sanded clean, welded together and coated with lacquer to make them weatherproof.

Jones, 45, has no formal art training but has always liked to draw. He acquired his welding skills working as an ironworker. He says using one person’s junk to create another person’s treasure requires no special training: “It just boils down to having a good imagination,” he said.

For more information call (903) 676-2277. – Lake Mohave

AUSTIN, Texas — The limestone walls of the Indian Council Room deep within the bowels of historic Longhorn Cavern near Burnet will ring with the sounds of the holiday season at three special Caroling in the Cave performances. The Longhorn Cavern State Park event is just one of a number of holiday events taking place at Texas state parks and historic sites this season.

This is the third year that the acoustically blessed Longhorn Cavern has hosted the underground Christmas concerts that have proven extremely popular. The Westwood Honors Show Choir from Round Rock will give a performance a cappella from 4:15- 6:15 p.m. Dec. 15. Victoria B & Friends will perform on Dec. 18 (2:15-4:15 p.m.) and Dec. 22 (4:15-6:15 p.m.) Reservations are required and can be made by calling (877) 441-2283.

The holiday season in Texas State Parks kicks off early, Nov. 26-Dec. 20, with a Candlelight Christmas Dinner at the Starr Family Home State Historic Site in Marshall, a town known for its lighting festival. Experience a sumptuous Victorian Christmas dinner from a long ago era in the 1890s Blake Home as accomplished singers serenade you. Call (903) 935-3044 to make dinner reservations.

Throughout December, state parks will host a variety of events, including Christmas on the Border at Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center in Lajitas on the Texas-Mexico border. The festive event will include folklorico dancers, school choirs, Christmas treats and refreshments, and a special visit by Santa. The program will start at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12. For information, call (432) 424-3327.

Holiday events in the parks wrap up on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. with the 35th annual Tree Lighting at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site in Stonewall. Join the Johnson family for festivities that include performances by carolers, a living nativity, Santa Claus, and a special nighttime tour of the LBJ Ranch and lamp-lit tour of Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm. For more information, call (830) 644-2252.

Other Texas State Parks hosting special holiday tours and other events (most of which charge a fee) this year are as follows:
Big Bend Country

* Fort Leaton State Historic Site Posada del Fortin – Dec. 16. Park staff and Presidio High School student docents will conduct a traditional Texas borderlands Christmas celebration at the old fort. Posada starts at 6 p.m. followed by free refreshments and entertainment by mariachis and folklorico dancers; donations accepted. Located in Presidio County, four miles southeast of Presidio on the River Road to F.M. 170. Call (432) 229-3613.
* Magoffin Home State Historic Site Holiday Victorian Tea – Dec. 5. Begin the Christmas season by joining in an annual holiday tea party. The whole home will be festively decorated with a Christmas tree in each room. There will be two seatings, 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; fee is $12 per person and includes home tour. Advance ticket purchase is required; no tickets sold day of tea. (Note: this popular event sells out quickly, so contact the park as soon as possible.) Located in El Paso County, in the city of El Paso, east on I.H. 10, exit on Cotton Street; turn right on Myrtle Street, left on Octavia Street, left on Magoffin Street, home is on the right. Call (915) 533-5147.
* Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park Santa at the Tramway – Dec. 16-20, 23-24. Santa will be at the top of Ranger Peak waiting for children to deliver their letters in person and to take their pictures with Ol’ Saint Nick. Noon to 5 p.m.; fees $7 adults, $4 children 4-12. Located in El Paso north of Interstate 10 and west of U.S. 54 North. Exit U.S. 54 North on Fred Wilson; take a left on Fred Wilson, which turns into Alabama Street, follow, Alabama to McKinley Avenue and take a right; McKinley ends at the base of the tramway. Call (915) 562-9899.

Gulf Coast

* Battleship TEXAS State Historic Site, Yuletide Texas – Dec. 1-31. Christmas was a special time for the sailors and officers who served aboard Battleship TEXAS, and now you can get a glimpse at that history. See the dreadnought adorned with lights, ornaments and decorations in the spirit of the season to replicate what crewmembers did while serving their country. Hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; fees are $5 adults, $4 senior citizens, $3 children ages 6-18, and children five and younger are free. The site is located 22 miles east of downtown Houston via Texas 225 and Texas 134. Call (281) 479-2431.
* Brazos Bend State Park A Simple Christmas – Dec. 4. Bring the family for an afternoon and evening of Christmas fun, including face-painting, historical interpretation, piñatas, hayrides, storytelling and Santa Claus. It’s from 3 p.m.-8 p.m. and is in Fort Bend County, 20 miles southeast of Richmond on FM 762 or south of Houston on Texas 288 to Rosharon. Call (979) 553-5101.
* Fulton Mansion State Historic Site 21st Annual Candlelight Christmas Carol – Dec. 11. Celebrate the Christmas spirit and sing along with a medley of carols on the front steps. Light refreshments will be served afterwards at this historic home that has been featured on Home and Garden TV’s “Christmas Castles.” Hours are 6:30-8 p.m. and it’s located in Aransas County three miles north of Rockport off State Highway 35. Call (361) 729-0386
* Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site Lone Star Legacy Candlelight Christmas – Dec. 4. Enjoy an open-house featuring free tours of the plantation house adorned in its seasonal finery. Refreshments will be served. It’s from 6-8 p.m., and donations taken for the park’s Lone Star Legacy endowment fund. It’s located two miles north of West Columbia on FM 2852. From Houston, take State Highway 288 south to State Highway 35. Turn south on State Highway 35 and travel 12 miles to West Columbia. Outside West Columbia take FM 2852 to Park Road 51 (1702 N. 13th St.). Call (800) 792-1112.

Panhandle Plains

* Abilene State Park Christmas Lane — Dec. 7-Dec. 24. Abilene State Park joins with Abilene State School to sponsor the event. Local organizations and businesses set up holiday displays for school residents and the general public. The Lane also provides an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to participate in holiday activities. More than 100 business and organizations are scheduled to participate this year. The display
will be at Abilene State School, 2501 Maple St. The event is free. Donations for the state school and Volunteer Services Council will be accepted. Call (325) 795-3370.
* Big Spring State Park Holiday Lights Display – Thanksgiving Weekend and Dec. 15-31. The park features a lights display in conjunction with the Festival of Lights, featuring three large poinsettas (eight feet high and 20 feet wide) covered in lights. There will also be an illuminated 10-foot star as part of the display on the edge of the park’s 200-foot bluff that marks the northern limit of the Edward’s Plateau. It’s located in Howard County within the city limits of Big Spring just off FM 700. Call (432) 263-4931.
* Fort Richardson State Park and State Historic Site Children’s Visit with Victorian Santa – Dec. 11. View the parlor decorated for this festive holiday celebration just as the officers’ children did at the fort in the 1870s. Santa is there from 2-4:30 p.m. and the event is located in Jack County, one mile southeast of Jacksboro on U.S. 281. Call (940) 567-3506.

Pineywoods

* Texas State Railroad State Park Victorian Christmas Train – Dec. 4, 11, and 18. This is an annual event hosted by the state park and Palestine Convention and Visitors Bureau. Vintage steam trains will offer a quieter, simpler celebration. The trip will feature ladies in early 1900s Christmas dresses, as well as wassail and an assortment of fruitcakes and nut breads from world-famous Eilenberger’s Bakery. Strolling carolers will add to the charm. The hours are 4-6 p.m.; fees are $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-13 and younger; and reservations are required. The park is located in Anderson County, two miles east of Palestine on U.S. 84 to Park Road 70. Call (800) 659-3484 or (903) 723-3014.

Prairies and Lakes

* Cedar Hill State Park Caroling Through Penn Farm – Dec. 4. See Penn Farm by candlelight on a lantern-lit tour. Then participate in a Christmas carol sing-along and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies around a campfire; 6-7:30 p.m. Please call to confirm. Located 10 miles southwest of Dallas, four miles southeast of Grand Prairie, and three miles west of Cedar Hill and is accessible via FM 1382. From US Highway 67 exit FM 1382, 2.5 miles north on the left. From Interstate 20 exit FM 1382, four miles south on the right (on the Joe Pool Reservoir). The park is skirted by FM 1382 and Mansfield Road. Call (972) 291-5940 and (972) 291-3900.
* Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway Cross Timbers Cowboy Campfire Christmas – Dec. 10-12. Bring the entire family for a weekend of holiday fun. Friday and Saturday nights will feature a Christmas-theme campfire program at the Lone Star Amphitheater with cowboy music, poetry and a sing-along from 6-8 p.m. From dusk to 10 p.m., Friday through Sunday, take a drive through the park to see the light display. The park is located in Park County, four miles east of Mineral Wells on U.S. 180 or 15 miles west of Weatherford on U.S. 180. Call (940) 328-1171.
* Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Site Trail of Lights – Dec. 10-11, 17-18. Enjoy a fantastic quarter-mile trail illuminated with thousands of lights that decorate the park. Walk a trail overlooking the town of La Grange. Experience the more traditionally decorated, 1850’s-era home of H. L. Kreische, bedecked in holiday splendor and reflecting a Texas-German style. Bring your children to tell secrets to Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and enjoy the genuine seasonal hospitality of the Friends of Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery, sponsor of the event. Hours are from 6-8 p.m. and fees are $3 for adults and $1 children ages 3-12. It’s located in Fayette County, a mile south of La Grange off U.S. Highway 77 to spur 92. Call (979) 968-5658.
* Sam Bell House Maxey State Historic Site Old-Fashioned Christmas for Kids – Dec. 11. Children and their families are invited to make old-fashioned Victorian Christmas decorations. Children in grades 2-4 are scheduled at 9:30 a.m.; children in grades 5-7 are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. and reservations are required. It’s located at 812 S. Church St. in the heart of Paris. Call (903) 785-5716.
* Sebastopol House State Historic Site Tour of Homes – Dec. 11-12. Sebastopol House will be showcased on the Seguin Conservation Society’s 2004 Annual Tour of Homes. The tour includes some of Seguin’s oldest and finest homes, decked out in holiday splendor. Tickets are available at Gifts & Gourmet (830) 379-1242. It’s located in Guadalupe County, in the city of Seguin. Turn south at State Highway 46 and go one mile to U.S. Highway 90A (Court Street); turn east and go one mile to the park entrance. Call (830) 379-4833.
* Stephen F. Austin State Park — Pancake Breakfast With Santa – Dec. 11. Have a breakfast of homemade pancakes with homemade syrup, sausage, juice and coffee and let Santa know your dreams and wishes for this Christmas. It’s from 8-10a.m. and the fee is $3 per person. Or go on a caroling hayride Dec. 11 from 6-8 p.m. through the park and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate afterwards. Located in Austin County, three miles east of Sealy off I.H.10, take exit F.M. 1458, go north two miles, turn left on Park Road 38 to entrance. Call (979) 885-3613.
* Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site/Barrington Living History Farm Candlelight Christmas – Dec. 10-11. Come share a traditional Christmas with the Anson Jones Family at their annual gathering of friends and neighbors. Enjoy a festive atmosphere filled with 1850’s music and dancing. Wassail and cookies will be served. It’s from 6-8 p.m. and fees are $6 adults, and $4 for children 12 and younger. It’s located in Washington County, eight miles southwest of Navasota off Texas 105 and FM 1155. Call (936) 878-2213.
* Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site – Old Fashioned Christmas at Ike’s House, Dec. 4 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Come experience an old time Christmas in the park with arts and crafts vendors, entertainment featuring Bell Ringers, Varsity Choir, and Symphonic Band. The Birthplace is decorated in festive 1890’s style. Santa will also be making an appearance! Tours are available and the event is free. The park is off US Hwy 75, exit Morton St (FM 120 E) to US Hwy 69 (Austin Ave) and go right to Main Street. Call (800) 792-1112.

South Texas Plains

* Goliad State Park — History in Lights – Nov. 25-Dec. 31. Accentuated by a unique lighting display, the history of Mission Espiritu Santo comes to life to celebrate the holiday season. It’s from 5–10 p.m. daily and there is a Christmas Concert on Dec. 4 from 8-9 p.m. It’s located in Goliad County, 1/4 mile south of Goliad on U.S. Highway 183/77A, to park entrance. Call (361) 645-3405.

Visit the Web (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/) or call (512) 389-8900 for more information about events and campsite or lodging accommodations. – Lake Mohave

AUSTIN, Texas — You won’t need a fishing license this winter to try your luck at hooking one of the thousands of rainbow trout being stocked in lakes and rivers at more than a dozen Texas state parks.

The Family Fishing Celebration, a special promotion to encourage families to enjoy fishing in Texas state parks, waives the fishing license and stamp requirements for adults at about 70 state parks. And winter trout season is an opportune time to take advantage of this special promotion.

Fifteen Texas state parks will benefit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s trout stocking taking place December through February. Four parks, (Fort Boggy, Fort Richardson, Fort Parker, and Lake Tawakoni), are conducting special trout fishing events as part of the Family Fishing Celebration.

On Dec. 11, Fort Richardson State Park in Jacksboro will hold its annual Kids Fishing Day. From 10 a.m. to noon, children 12 and younger can fish for trout at Quarry Lake, which will be stocked with 1,000 of the 8-12 inch fish. Prizes will be awarded for the first and largest fish caught. The agency’s Inland Fisheries Division will furnish a limited number of rods and reels.

An additional 1,000 rainbows will be stocked at Fort Richardson in preparation for Family Fishing Day on Jan. 15. Anglers of all ages will be able to participate at the Saturday event held at Quarry Lake. Call the park at (940) 567-3506 for more information about the fishing events.

Fort Boggy State Park near Centerville will host Trout Fishing Day from 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 22. The free fishing event is open to children ages 4-16 and they must be accompanied by an adult. The fee for adults is $2. For additional information, call the park at (903) 344-1116.

Pair-a-Trees Pond at Lake Tawakoni State Park just east of Dallas will be stocked with 500 trout in advance of a Junior Angler Education program and Kids Fishing Day to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 19. Participants in the TPWD-sponsored education program will have the first shot at fishing the park pond. The pond will be open to anglers of all ages the following day. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided by Wills Point Kiwanis Club. Call (903) 560-1795 for details.

At Fort Parker State Park, the Mexia Bass Club will be sponsoring a trout fishing clinic providing children with an opportunity to come out and fish Lake Springfield, which will be stocked with 1,200 rainbows. The clinic will be held Jan. 29 and 30. For more information, call (254) 562-5751.

The following state parks will offer trout fishing (starting dates noted) this winter:

* Abilene State Park (Jan. 11)
* Blanco State Park (Dec. 9, Jan. 5, Jan. 20, Feb. 17)
* Bob Sandlin State Park (Dec. 27, Jan. 30)
* Buescher State Park (Dec. 16)
* Copper Breaks State Park (Feb. 8)
* Fort Boggy State Park (Jan. 30)
* Fort Parker State Park (Jan. 22)
* Fort Richardson State Park (Dec. 11, Jan. 15)
* Landmark Inn State Historic Site (Jan. 16)
* Meridian State Park (Jan. 9)
* Lake Tawakoni State Park (Feb. 19)
* Palmetto State Park (Jan. 30)
* Rusk State Park (Dec. 16)
* South Llano River State Park (Dec. 18, Feb. 3)
* Tyler State Park (Dec. 3, Jan. 7)

TPWD launched the Family Fishing Celebration on Labor Day Weekend in 2003 and decided its success warranted its continuation for at least an additional year. The promotion has been extended through Aug. 31, 2005. Academy Sports & Outdoors also has come on board as the exclusive sponsor for fiscal year 2005.

TPWD has the authority to grant the license waivers for such events under Texas Parks and Wildlife Code. The waiver will save Texas residents fishing in state parks the $28 cost of a freshwater fishing license package and non-residents $55. Park admission fees, as well as fish catch and size limits, still apply during the yearlong event. Any fish requiring a tag, such as oversize red drum and tarpon, must still be tagged. As of Sept. 1, a special rainbow trout stamp is no longer required in Texas.

During the Family Fishing Celebration, license-free angling will be restricted to bank and pier fishing, and to fishing in bodies of water totally contained within the boundaries of a state park,
such as Lake Raven in Huntsville, according to Bryan Frazier, FFC coordinator for Texas State Parks. If anglers launch boats from state park property to access an adjacent lake or other water body, he said, they will still need a fishing license and requisite stamps because the waiver will not apply outside state park boundaries.

Frazier said that the Family Fishing Celebration’s no-license policy also applies to piers operated by the state, such as Copano Bay Fishing Pier, and to wade-fishing where applicable within the boundaries of a state park. The license waiver does not apply to the state’s 50 Wildlife Management Areas.

To enhance the fishing experience, many state parks have lighted piers, fish-cleaning stations, boat ramps, lakeside campsites and other facilities. If you don’t have a boat, some parks will rent you watercrafts, such as kayaks and canoes.

A complete list of state parks offering fishing opportunities and dates of upcoming special fishing events and seminars is available on the TPWD Web site (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/familyfish/), or by calling (800) 792-1112. – Lake Mohave

ZAPATA, Texas — At and around the Falcon Lake area on the Mexican border, game wardens had a busy November.

“Efforts of game wardens in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies have been very successful in the past few weeks in the Falcon Lake area,” said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Director, Col. James Stinebaugh. “We intend to keep the pressure on all of our border areas to enforce game laws and assist other agencies in their missions when called upon to do so.”

Following are some of the November accomplishments of the wardens:

* Wardens observed a Mexico commercial fishing vessel enter into United States waters on the Rio Grande River. When the officers attempted to stop the vessel, the subjects evaded arrest and went to Mexico. During the pursuit, the officers noticed a large number of plastic-covered bundles in the center of the violator boat which they suspected to be drugs. When the officers back-tracked the pursuit route, they discovered one of the plastic bundles floating in the water. The bundle, which was later determined to be marijuana, was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol and weighed 41 pounds. The investigation continues.
* Wardens received a call advising that a vehicle loaded with drugs had just left a border location and was traveling toward Laredo. U.S. Border Patrol initiated the vehicle stop and Game Wardens were backing them up. The suspect vehicle drove off the highway and crashed into some thick brush and the driver fled. The officers were unable to locate the suspect; however, the vehicle was seized along with 348 pounds of marijuana.
* Wardens observed a vessel enter into U.S. waters from Mexico. The wardens followed the vessel to a public boat ramp in Zapata and initiated a water safety inspection. While inspecting the vessel, the game wardens noticed an open compartment that contained what they believed to be a bundle of marijuana. Upon further inspection of the vessel, the wardens located a total of 11 bundles of marijuana which was later weighed and totaled 125 pounds. The case was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.
* While working at Falcon Lake, wardens observed a Mexico commercial fishing vessel enter into U.S. waters. When the vessel entered into Arroyo Tigre, game wardens stopped the vessel. The operator of the vessel beached his boat on the bank and he and his passenger fled into some thick brush. The officers searched the area but were unable to locate the two subjects. The officers seized the vessel along with 3,000 feet of gill net.
* Wardens observed a Mexico Commercial fishing vessel enter into U.S. waters around Zapata. The wardens initiated a stop of the vessel and two Mexico commercial fishermen were arrested for possession of illegal fishing devices (gill nets) and transported to the Zapata County Jail. The violators were fined $450 each and their boat, motor and nets (900 feet) were seized by the wardens pending forfeiture proceedings.
* Other general seizures made in November include 3,000 feet of unattended gill nets and one unattended hoop net. – Lake Mohave