+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | TPWD News Releases Dated 2005-09-12 | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | This page contains only plain text, no HTML formatting codes. | | It is not designed for display in a browser but for copying | | and editing in whatever software you use to lay out pages. | | To copy the text into an editing program: | | --Display this page in your browser. | | --Select all. | | --Copy. | | --Paste in a document in your editing program. | | If you have any suggestions for improving these pages, send | | an e-mail to webtech@tpwd.state.tx.us and mention Plain Text Pages. | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [ Note: This item is more than seven years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. ] [ Media Contact: Kristen Everett, 512-389-8046, kristen.everett@tpwd.state.tx.us ] [KE] Sept. 12, 2005 'Dirty Dozen' Prohibited Species Brochure Debuts AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has introduced a new brochure which details prohibited species in the seafood market. The brochure describes the harm to humans and the ecosystem that could result if each of the exotic (non-native) species makes it out into the environment. For example, in the case of prohibited Tilapia: they may compete with native fish for resources and inhibit reproduction in some native species, and also may destroy vegetation and habitat by digging holes for spawning. The brochure and companion poster is being distributed to TPWD law enforcement and fisheries offices statewide. Printing was funded through the settlement of a large case involving exotic/prohibited species. TPWD worked closely with the Harris County District Attorney's Office on the project. A total of 5,000 brochures and 500 posters were printed. "Posters will be distributed to groceries and markets where there have been problems in the past with these prohibited species. Texas Game Wardens will also distribute them on patrols and in out-reach meetings," said Lance Robinson in Coastal Fisheries who deals with exotic species and works near Houston. The idea for the project happened when Houston-area game wardens found Asian swamp eels and some prohibited Tilapia, and discovered a huge distribution of water spinach, which is also prohibited but is a staple in the Asian diet. More than a ton was confiscated recently and had been growing for more than a decade, according to investigators. Now water spinach will only be allowed through a permitting process. "The goal is to try and educate the public about these prohibited items and try to explain WHY they are prohibited," Robinson said. The species in the new brochure are as follows: Pacific oysters (unless they've been shucked), all species of Cynoscion in the drum family except spotted seatrout, snakeheads, freshwater eels (family Anguillidae) except for the native American eel, mitten crabs (family Grapsidae), tilapia not from a TPWD-permitted facility, swamp eels (family Synbranchidae), several members of the Penaeid shrimp family, all species of giant rams-horn snails, water spinach, a number of Asian or Chinese carp species including grass carp, and piranhas. * For a complete list of prohibited exotic species in Texas, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/exotic. For a brochure, visit a TPWD Law Enforcement office or call (512) 389-4864. * Correction, Sept. 23, 2005: The original version of this paragraph has been corrected for spelling and clarity. (Return to corrected item.) -30- [ Note: This item is more than seven years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. ] [ Media Contact: Kristen Everett, 512-389-8046, kristen.everett@tpwd.state.tx.us ] [KE] Sept. 12, 2005 Dallas Man Gets World Record On Fly Rod AUSTIN, Texas -- A Dallas man's catch from earlier this year was just certified as a world record by the International Game Fish Association. Josh Hill, 22, of Dallas caught the smallmouth buffalo on March 29 on a self-tied fly and fly rod at the Pedernales River. It was certified at 20.89 pounds, 33 inches and had a girth of 24 inches. Hill won the water body record and state record. He received certificates for those awards from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "It's an interesting story how I caught the fish," Hill said. "I had just graduated from UT-Austin and had to do a thesis and did it on fly fishing and the white bass run. I found a professor there who had the record smallmouth buffalo (before this catch), Gibbs Milliken. But we actually went out fishing for the white bass for my thesis project. All of the sudden I hit something pretty big and was like, 'this is not a white bass.' I fought the fish for 45 minutes. I eventually landed it by working it into a shallow groove. After that, the professor and I went out and celebrated." Following is a list of recognition categories. State Records for Public Waters --Rod & Reel -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from Texas public waters by rod & reel fishing. --Fly Fishing -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from Texas public waters by fly fishing methods using artificial lures. --Unrestricted -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from Texas public waters by any legal method other than rod & reel. --Bow Fishing -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from Texas public waters by bow fishing. State Records for Private Waters --Rod & Reel -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from Texas private waters by rod & reel. --Fly Fishing -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from Texas private waters by fly fishing methods using artificial lures. --Bow Fishing -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from Texas private waters by bow fishing. --Water Body Records -- Records for individual locations (reservoirs, rivers, bays, etc.) are also maintained. --All Tackle -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from a particular Texas public water body using any legal method. --Rod & Reel -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from a particular Texas public water body by rod & reel. --Fly Fishing -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from a particular Texas public water body by fly fishing methods using artificial lures. --Bow Fishing -- recognition for catching the largest fish of a species from a particular Texas public water body by bow fishing. --Big Fish Award -- for catching a trophy class fish of selected species. --Catch and Release Award -- for the catch and live release of a trophy class fish of selected species. There are also categories for the first fish caught by an angler of any age and for a catch that does not meet the requirements of other award programs but still deserves recognition. Consideration for all state and water body records, except first fish awards, must include the fish's weight on certified scales. Certified scales are scales (either electronic or spring-based) that have been certified as accurate by the Texas Department of Agriculture, the International Game Fish Association (which certifies handheld scales) or a commercial scales calibration company. Feed stores, fertilizer plants, and scales calibration companies are good sources. Record fish must be weighed on certified scales within three days of the catch, although weights on non-certified scales will be considered providing the scales are certified within 30 days. Applications must be received within 60 days of the catch date and a notary witness is required for State Record applications. For more information, contact Junior Angler Recognition Awards Program, Attn: Joedy Gray-IF, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin TX 78744, e-mail: joedy.gray@tpwd.state.tx.us or phone (512) 389-8037. -30- [ Note: This item is more than seven years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. ] [ Media Contact: Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us ] [LH] Sept. 12, 2005 Big Country Gets Big Rains ATHENS, Texas -- Every time there are widespread rains of half an inch or more across West Texas, the San Angelo Standard-Times puts a drawing of a crowing red rooster, General Rainz, on the front page. Following flooding rains in mid-August, General Rainz is probably hoarse and looking for high ground. "The rains were good news for fish and wildlife," says Bobby Farquhar of San Angelo, regional director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Inland Fisheries Division. "We got about 10 inches above our average rainfall last year, and so far this year we are running about four inches ahead. This puts us in really good shape for rains we may get this fall, which is normally our rainy season." After nearly a decade of drought, rain began returning to the Big Country last year. In the fall of 2004 E.V. Spence Reservoir caught about six feet of water, and O.C. Fisher Lake rose 12 feet. The August 2005 rains augmented the levels of those lakes and caused catastrophic flooding around Lake Stamford, which rose 14 feet in less than three days. Up to 10 inches of rain fell from Big Spring to Temple, causing several deaths from highway flooding. Many lakes within a 100-mile radius of San Angelo caught at least a foot or two of water. Others saw much bigger rises: Champion Creek, 3.5 feet; J.B. Thomas, six feet; E.V. Spence, eight feet; Oak Creek, seven feet; and O.C. Fisher, 12 feet. "We will put the lakes that caught water on the priority list for stocking," Farquhar says. "Some that caught water last November were stocked this past spring. If a lake has new flooded habitat, we will put it on the list to be stocked again next spring. While those fish won't be catchable size for a year or two, people are already seeing improved fishing in the lakes that caught water last November. We're hearing that anglers on E.V. Spence are catching limits of white bass and lots of small stripers for the first time in four or five years. That's really good news for them." Farquhar tempers his optimism with a bit of West Texas humor -- "Like the old-timers say, the next drought starts the day it stops raining"-but the effects the rains have had on the Big Country are apparent even to the casual observer. Normally dried and brown in August, roadsides and pastures are verdant, and stock ponds are brimming. Timing of the rains may be particularly important, says Mandy Scott, assistant fisheries biologist. "When we have heavy rains in the winter, we sometimes have an outbreak of golden alga," she says. "The fact these rains came in the summer may mean that won't happen." Fisheries biologist Craig Bonds says monitoring of fish populations and golden alga status will be stepped up to enable TPWD to make the most of the situation. "We will be doing more than routine monitoring to determine where the greatest need is and use that information to prioritize our stocking requests and to keep anglers informed on where the best fishing is," he says. Scott added that anglers can help in the rebuilding of the fishery on O.C. Fisher by practicing catch-and-release. "We have stocked 9-inch channel catfish and adult largemouth bass, and we encourage anglers to release them so they can spawn," she says. Rising water levels have also improved access at O.C. Fisher, where the three-lane boat ramp is now usable, and Oak Creek, where the ramp near the dam again reaches the lake. Lakes receiving stocked fish in the last three years are shown as follows. Lake Nearest Town Year Species Stocked Number Stocked Size Abilene Buffalo Gap 2004 Blue catfish 59,893 Fingerling 2004 Channel catfish 53,981 Fingerling Clyde Clyde 2004 Channel catfish 21,957 Fingerling 2004 Florida largemouth bass 45,277 Fingerling Coleman City Coleman 2003 Channel catfish 33,584 Fingerling 2004 Hybrid striped bass 9,998 Fingerling Colorado City Colorado City 2003 Bluegill 162,739 Fingerling 2003 Channel catfish 79,983 Fingerling 2003 Channel catfish 151 Adult 2003 Red drum 177,093 Fingerling 2004 Bluegill 83,251 Fingerling 2004 Channel catfish 149,628 Fingerling 2004 Florida largemouth bass 143,915 Fingerling 2005 Channel catfish 165,719 Fingerling 2005 Channel catfish 359,729 Fry 2005 Florida largemouth 162,134 Fingerling E.V. Spence Robert Lee 2003 Channel catfish 132,861 Fingerling 2003 Florida largemouth bass 148,516 Fingerling 2004 Blue catfish 125,000 Fingerling 2004 Channel catfish 85,471 Fingerling 2004 Florida largemouth bass 124,706 Fingerling 2004 Striped bass 27,041 Fingerling 2005 Striped bass 37,243 Fingerling 2005 White crappie 146 Adult 2005 Largemouth bass 100,885 Fingerling 2005 Channel catfish 187,342 Fingerling Fort Phantom Hill Abilene 2003 Hybrid striped bass 63,209 Fingerling 2004 Hybrid striped bass 64,777 Fingerling 2005 Hybrid striped bass 63,400 Fingerling Graham Graham 2004 Hybrid striped bass 16,816 Fingerling 2005 Hybrid striped bass 12,867 Fingerling Kirby Abilene 2003 Flathead catfish 44 Adult 2003 Largemouth bass 8,775 Fingerling 2004 Channel catfish 1,621 Fingerling 2004 Largemouth bass 76,790 Fingerling 2004 Saugeye 37,425 Fingerling Nasworthy San Angelo 2003 Hybrid striped bass 19,410 Fingerling 2004 Hybrid striped bass 19,386 Fingerling 2005 Hybrid striped bass 6,933 Fingerling New Ballinger Ballinger 2005 Gizzard shad 196 Adult 2005 Largemouth bass 68 Adult 2005 White crappie 327 Adult 2005 Bluegill 386 adult 2005 Florida largemouth 31,161 Fingerling 2005 Walleye 15,000 Fingerling Oak Creek Blackwell 2003 Blue catfish 77,124 Fingerling 2003 Florida largemouth bass 71,789 Fingerling 2004 Channel catfish 42,399 Fingerling 2004 Florida largemouth bass 62,048 Fingerling O.C. Fisher San Angelo 2003 Florida largemouth bass 71,426 Fingerling 2005 Bluegill 35,025 Fingerling 2005 Channel catfish 20,018 Advanced fingerling 2005 Channel catfish 75,072 Fingerling 2005 Florida largemouth bass 239 Adult 2005 Gizzard shad 160 Adult 2005 White crappie 394 Adult 2005 Florida largemouth 75,052 Fingerling Proctor Proctor 2004 Hybrid striped bass 67,985 Fingerling 2005 Hybrid striped bass 67,524 Fingerling Twin Buttes San Angelo 2004 Channel catfish 41,950 Fingerling 2005 Channel catfish 154,733 Fingerling 2005 Florida largemouth 150,017 Fingerling 2005 Florida largemouth 135 Adult 2005 Largemouth bass 295 Adult Valley Creek Ballinger 2005 Bluegill 97 Adult -30- [ Note: This item is more than seven years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. ] [ General Media Contact: Business Hours, 512-389-4406 ] [KE] Sept. 12, 2005 Stay Tuned Information from Texas Parks and Wildlife is available on radio and television, as well as the newsstand. Radio Passport to Texas, TPWD's radio series of weekday, 90-second stories, is broadcast on more than 100 Texas stations. For more information, visit the Web. Video News TPWD provides video news reports that run in newscasts on numerous Texas stations, as well as on cable and satellite outlets around the nation. Television "Texas Parks & Wildlife" is a weekly half-hour television series seen on PBS affiliates around the state. This week on PBS: If you want to reduce the odds of there being a fatality on your boat by 80 percent all you have to do is make sure that everyone puts on a life jacket when they get aboard. That's just one of the interesting, and potentially life saving tips you'll get from Boater Education Coordinator Jack Dyess when you take a boating safety course. So why are the "Lost Pines" of Bastrop State Park lost? Explore some of the theories with Assistant Park Manager Todd McClanahan and David Riskind, the Director of Natural Resources for the State Parks. Hunter Education Director Steve Hall has some turkey calling tips for beginning and experienced hunters. Discover the role that coastal marshes play in the state's ecology and economy when we go seining near Rockport with Fish and Wildlife Technician Tommy Garcia. Then head over to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site with Ted Hollingsworth and Russ Kuykendall to see how the marsh is being restored with dredge material from the Houston Ship Channel. Tag along with some kids, and Dave Buzan, as they look for some creek bugs that will help them determine whether the water is polluted or clean. And finally, get real close to some frogs and toads. For more information about this week's programs and where they can be viewed, visit the Web. Magazine Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine is always available on newsstands throughout the state and by subscription for $19.95 a year. To subscribe, call (800) 937-9393 or order online. --- On the Net: Passport to Texas: http://www.passporttotexas.org/ TPWD on PBS: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/tv/ TPW Magazine: http://www.tpwmagazine.com/ -30-