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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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Forum Staff

Let me introduce you to our Forum Staff

Jackie Kennedy - Moderator
Posted by Awmiller (awmiller) on Jul 22 2008 at 9:23 AM
Forum Staff >>

(Photo Not Available)

Jackie Kennedy
(a.k.a. jackieblue)

Hidy folks I'm a fishing guide. Now doesn't that sound glamorous? I hope so because it is!! I'm the one who takes you fishing and takes your money. Simple and easy as that. Some folks tip me and others cuss me. I'm just like everyone else, some days I tear em up and others I struggle. 75% of my customer base are also friends who fish with me because they feel sorry for me and try to keep me from starving to death. A fishing guide is the easiest job in the world and the hardest all rolled into one. I spend three to seven days a week on the water and try to pattern or guess what the fish are going to do on any given day. This is on a 52 week schedule. I rise at 5 AM or earlier and get to bed at midnight or later. No vacation, sick days, 401K, retirement, or benefits of any kind.

I'm constantly in the market for terminal tackle, hooks, line, sinkers, and swivels. I also use plenty of rod & reels, gasoline, two stroke oil, ice, drinking water, gator ade, coolers,  props, trolling motors, batteries, bilge pumps,  livewell pumps, nets, anchors, electric knives, gallon bags, tires, wheel bearings, light bulbs and various other sundry items. Did I mention every time the fishing gets good either my boat or motor breaks?! This loses me money on the trips I miss and the repair bills.

If I made twice what I make I would be comfortable, and I can't name anyone who has gotten rich being a fishing guide. I'm happy and content with what I do to make what resembles a living. Would I change my job for anyone else?  Probably, but I don't know how to do anything else.

I grew up fishing with my great uncle, Mat Tickel, on a lake in Purdon, TX. My father also took me fishing on Richland and Chambers Creeks, long before Navarro Mills and Richland Chambers ruined the creek. As time went on we moved to Cayuga, TX and I became very familiar with Duncan's Lake, Catfish Creek, and the Trinity River. One day in 1966 or '67 Jim Duncan took me to Cedar Creek lake crappie fishing. I didn't know what a crappie was but I wanted to catch one. After catching one and finding out it was, what I called a white perch, it was just another of life's little surprises.

Moved to Lake Tawakoni in '68 and live there until 73. I didn't know any better and spent many day chasing bass and nights crappie fishing. During all this time we always had out a trotline, throw lines, and hoop nets. I even had one of those crank devices for a direct line to talk to the catfish.

I gave up harvesting fish or being a game hog many years ago and now see the error of my youth and foolish ways.

I spent a few years chasing Stripers on Whitney but gave up on those around 1990. When it got to where we caught fish long enough to weigh 20# but hit the scales at 12#, the golden crud had killed the forage base and the fish nearly starved to death.
I became interested in catching catfish on rod & reel and Chris Watson became my mentor. I spent between 2-3,000 dollars learning the ropes on guided trips. He is still to this day the best fisherman I have ever been in the boat with. I was happy to go out and catch a limit of blues but soon yearned to catch the bigger blues and began reading and trying to catch them myself. I finally figured it out and became somewhat successful on a daily basis.

The true love of my life Red Drum, or underwater freight trains, came along thanks to Bubba Gump. He showed me how to set up and catch them. After a person catches reds how can they get excited about anything else?

I still fish for others things but in the back of my little pea brain I still hear a reel stripping drag, taking line, doubling a rod, and testing every phase of my tackle.