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Biologists Assess Ike Impacts To Coastal Ecosystems

AUSTIN, Texas — Hurricane Ike’s big storm surge caused hundreds of localized oil and hazardous materials spills that pose threats to fish and wildlife, and it pushed saltwater into upper coast freshwater wetlands that support migrating waterfowl and estuarine life. But ecological damage to coastal habitats may not be as widespread or severe as some had initially feared.

NOVEMBER 2008 TACKLE GIVE-AWAY

CLICK TO WIN! NOVEMBER TACKLE GIVE-AWAY!

This month we are giving away a $50.00 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card. All you have to do is register to win. Be sure to enter the contest code into your entry form. Look on the left hand menu for the "Tackle Give-Away" button!

You must be a registered member of our forums to be eligible. It cost nothing to join! You can enter once every hour for a better chance to win!

Contest Code - TBF1108

Budweiser ShareLunker Season 23 Begins October 1

ATHENS, Texas-Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will begin accepting entries into the Budweiser ShareLunker program Oct.1.

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between Oct. 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Budweiser ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number, including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.

TBF Member in the Spotlight - Randy (aka Ratmo®)

Each month we like to feature a member of the forum and this month we are featuring Ratmo!!! Each morning we all wake up to some of Ratmo’s Minner-Bucket coffee and I just can’t start my day without some! So let’s get to know Randy just a bit better!

When did you first start fishing and what is your earliest fishing memory?

Imma thankin, I was bout siz when I started. Had access to a lot of gravel pits that would git restocked with fish every so often from the Trinity River floodin. As far as that earlist memory … reckon, I was bout 3. Dad and my uncle would go to the Brazos River to fish for cats an bout anything else that would bite. Remember that they would run a trotline an bait it out with cubes of PK soap that they cut off tha bar.

What is the primary fish species that you fish for? What makes this species stand out more than others?

Crappie is what gits me ta goin!! Not only are they a challenge to locate and pattern, they be some dang good eatin too!

Do you or have you fished any tournaments? If so, what tournaments do you fish (or have you fished) in?

Fished Cast tournies for bout three years till they went under. Fished quite a few Big Fish Cliff tournies as well. Lookin ta git back into it fore long.

If you could have a chance to fish with any professional angler, who would it be and why?

Guess that would be Capps an Coleman. Who knows, I mite learn sumpin.

What’s the one aspect of fishing that you enjoy most?

Smoke on tha water, whipperwills whippering, and tha challenge that’s fidna hit as soon as you drop tha hook in tha water.

You are a very active member here at TBF!! What makes TBF special to you?

This site is everything you could want. If you want serious fishin info, it’s here ta be had. If your feelin a bit frisky an wanna cut up, it’s got that here too. TBF Rocks!!!!

One Dead Following Boat Collission on Lake Fork

Saturday, 13 September 2008 07:13 Three men were injured in a boat accident on Lake Fork Friday morning. One of the men later died from his injuries at a Tyler hospital. Gerald McSchooler and his nephew were fishing on Lake Fork yesterday when their boat was struck by another bass boat near Little Mustang Cove. Authorities say one boat struck the other, running up and over it, eventually capsizing in the water. McSchooler and the driver of the other boat were taken from the lake to Tyler hospitals by helicopter. McSchooler's nephew suffered only minor injuries.

McSchooler's boat was able to make it to the shore while the other boat remained in the water for more than an hour. Game Wardens were eventually able to recover the boat and have impounded both vessels pending the investigation into the crash.

McSchooler worked at Cade's Building Supplies in Mineola. The hardware store remained closed Saturday morning. He had been involved in community theater at the Lake Country Playhouse.

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Crappie Fishing Articles

HOT! HOT! Summertime Crappie
Posted by Awmiller (awmiller) on Sep 02 2008 at 1:50 PM
Crappie Fishing Articles >>

HOT! HOT! Summertime Crappie
by: Gary (a.k.a. fishinman)

Summer has finally arrived. We have 100+ degree days and what many consider the “dog days” of summer are upon us.  Besides the fall, if you can stand the heat, summer is one of the best times to get out and catch a good mess of “slabs”.  What’s so good about the “dog days, you ask?  This is one of the most predictable times of the year for finding crappie. If you find ’em, then they’ll probably be at the same place tomorrow.  My favorite way to fish for these summertime crappie is “jigging” vertical timber.  Vertical fishing is usually around some sort of hardwood tree (pecan, oak, bois d’arc).  But, the real key is determining the correct depth and is what I consider the most critical factor in summertime crappie fishing.  How to determine the “hot, hot” spots of summer is usually TOW—time on water.  Be willing to experiment with your presentation, fish the entire water column, and keep a record of your trip.

Equipment—I use either a 1/16 or 1/8 oz plain head jig (nothing wrong with painted heads, just cheaper for me!)  As for jig bodies, I am partial to 1 ½  to 3” jigs (smaller during the early summer to “match the shad hatch”).   These jig bodies are usually solid heads with a tube-type (tentacle) tail.  Jig color usually depends on the lake (water clarity) and usually varies from lake to lake.  Popular colors include (white/chartreuse, black/chartreuse, blue/white, etc).  As for rods, I use an 8’ rod with a baitcaster reel (personal preference).  The 8’ rod allows you to fish around and over most visible structure without having to reach out too far.  I also like using a clear, blue-florescent line in 10 lb test (many like a hi-vis line, but, again, personal preference).

Presentation, Water column and Depth—I usually start about 12 to 14’ deep (sometimes shallower), then work down from there.  Crappie, as most know, feed up. I don’t like pulling fish up through what could be a school of fish.  Another key, fish slow, many times in the summer, crappie want a jig that is dead still, other times a slight twitch, and more times than not, a slow pull (swim) upward.  I can’t stress enough the importance of being a line watcher!  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked the person I’m fishing with, if they are going to “catch that fish”?  On some days, you won’t feel that solid “thump” from a crappie bite.  It will be dead weight (where they just inhale the jig) or your line will just go “slack” (feeding up). 

Fish on!!   Fish at different depths (water column) until you get bit—start shallow, as I said, work down, usually I work 2’ at a time.  If you get bit at a certain depth, remember where you were and try to mimic that again or at the next tree.  Even better, when you find a limb on a tree at the correct depth, hold on, usually they’re sitting on top or just under that limb. Also, don’t be afraid to fish out away from the main trunk of the tree and follow the limb out, crappie love to suspend in the tree limbs!

Records—Keep good records-They don’t have to be elaborate—After a trip, write down notes about the trip—include things such as temperature, wind speed and direction, time of day fished, areas fished, jig colors and anything else you think would be important.

Lastly, I believe that nothing can take the place of TOW—Learn something about the trip every time you go out, whether you’re successful or not.  The more time you can spend on the water, the more “in touch” you become with what’s going on down “below”.  I hope you can take something from this article.  Believe me, I’m no crappie “guru”.  I’ve made many “water hauls” to the lake.  Use what you can and disregard anything you don’t agree with.  Just my thoughts!   Fish hard!  Have Fun!  Good Luck and Good Fishin’!  Remember to drink plenty of water on these hot, hot, days.