Just as we’re physically weaker when we lose muscle, freshwater ecosystems weaken when they lose their
mussels.

14—They’re a very important part of the aquatic ecosystem. They’re the foundation. I like to call them the vacuum cleaners; their main diet is bacteria and other small particles. They’re the filtration systems of the rivers, lakes and ponds.

Texas Mussel Watch coordinator, Marsha May, says one species of Texas mussel is on the federal endangered species list. US Fish and Wildlife is considering listing additional species of freshwater mussels.

03—We’ll see what happens in the next three to five years.

You can help keep track of these important species as a member of Texas Mussel Watch.

24—Texas Mussel Watch is a program designed to get citizens involved in monitoring freshwater mussel species throughout the whole state of Texas. We hold workshops normally in the springtime. They can learn about freshwater mussels. Once they’ve gone through the workshop, they can be put on my
scientific permit, and then go out and monitor mussels within their own community and give us information on what they find, because it’s very important information.

Find information about mussel watch on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Texas is home to nearly fifty species of freshwater mussels.

07—They have just really fun names—like the Texas Pig Toe, and there’s the Louisiana Fat Mucket…

Texas Mussel Watch coordinator, Marsha May, says wherever there’s freshwater, you’re likely to find mussels.

08—The live in freshwater streams, lakes, ponds and even tanks. So you can find them pretty much anywhere in freshwater in Texas.

The only place you’ll have a hard time finding mussels is in deep east Texas where the water is too acidic for the mollusk to survive.

06—They prefer more alkaline water. They need to have that calcium in the water to help them build their shells.

Speaking of those shells…if come upon one with or without its occupant…Marsha May says leave it where you find it.

20—Freshwater mussels are protected. In order to handle the shells or live animals, you have to have some sort of license or permit. Either a fishing license, which you can handle any mussel greater than two and a half inches long for most species, and then, my Mussel Watch volunteers have a scientific permit so they can handle all species.

Learn about Mussel Watch tomorrow.

That’s our show with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m
Cecilia Nasti.

Freshwater mussels—soft bodied organisms that live inside hard shells—are vital to Texas’ aquatic ecosystems.

03—They’re the foundation of the aquatic ecosystem.

Marsha May is Texas Mussel Watch coordinator, which is part of the Texas Nature Trackers program at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

14—I like to call them the vacuum cleaners of the system. Their main diet is bacteria and other small partials. They’re the filtration systems of the rivers lakes and ponds. So they have a very important role in cleaning that water.

Marsha says mussels are an indicator species—the aquatic equivalent of a canary in a coalmine.

09—They’re definitely a canary in a coalmine. You start losing these freshwater mussels, then you know something definitely detrimental is going on with that system.

We have lost some mussel species. Historically Texas has had more than fifty species of freshwater mussels, but today we’re down to 47.

22—We currently only have one species that’s federally listed as endangered, and that’s the Ouachita rock pocketbook. We’ve never found it alive in Texas; we’ve only found recently dead shells. So it goes on and off the Texas list. We have 11 species that US Fish and Wildlife is looking at possibly listing.

More on mussels tomorrow.

That’s our show with support from the SFWR program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

The plan: stock more than a quarter million rainbow trout in over 120 locations statewide through March. The challenge: the ongoing drought, which has caused…

07—A combination of low water that doesn’t cool and doesn’t get enough oxygen in it and a combination of access to those sites.

Carl Kittle, who oversees the trout program for inland fisheries, says those two factors will probably mean stocking fewer fish in fewer locations. He adds there are locations statewide able to sustain this winter fishery.

16—We do feel confident there will be some trout stocking. The large reservoirs with tail races, particularly the Guadalupe River coming out of Canyon, are looking good. And, we have a pretty good level of confidence those will be good places to stock trout this year.

Kittle says if inland fisheries is unable to stock all the sites it usually supplies with rainbow trout, then it will put more fish in locations that are suitable. Kittle’s best advice: monitor the website for the most up to date information on the stocking situation.

16—That’s what I would say: watch the website very closely this year. We will identify stockings that look safe; stockings that can’t happen or won’t happen. And those notifications may happen close to the time of stocking and they may change frequently depending on weather conditions.

Find the stocking report on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

We receive support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which funds trout stocking programs in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Winter is no time to put up those fishing poles. That’s because each December Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Inland Fisheries Division stocks rainbow trout statewide.

07—Rainbow trout are a cold water fish, so the winter is the only time that we really have water here that will support them.

Carl Kittle oversees the trout program for inland fisheries. The trout, farm raised in Missouri, arrive at Texas four hatcheries via tank truck.

20—And then we redistribute them from our hatcheries to each of the stocking locations. We have over 120 locations where we have stocked trout in Texas. And how many trout are we expecting to stock this year? Our plan would be to stock about 280-thousand trout. However, this year is unique because of the ongoing drought.

Ah, yes…that pesky drought. The agency may reduce the number of fish and locations it stocks based on how long the drought continues and on conditions going forward.

15—Two things that can happen are that the water level can be so low that there’s no way for fishermen to get at the water. Or, more common what we’re running into right now—is that we don’t have enough clear water in place in a pond to be cool and high in oxygen and support the trout.

But all is not lost. There will be rainbow trout stocked for your fishing pleasure. Learn more on tomorrow’s show.

We receive support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which funds trout stocking programs in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

Alligator gar, virtually unchanged from prehistoric times, is attracting an enthusiastic 21st Century following.

:04—The species in recent years has become very popular amongst anglers and bow fishers.

David Buckmeier is a fisheries scientist for parks and wildlife. To fish for gar, you have to know where to find them.

:21—Most alligator gar are found in coastal rivers along the eastern part of the state; rivers like the Trinity are very, very well-known for their alligator gar populations. They’re also found in our coastal bays. They’re an interesting species in that they can go back and forth—maybe not into full salt water like in the gulf—but definitely in the bay systems. And they can go back and forth into the river and into those upper parts of those bays.

The alligator gar is the largest freshwater fish in Texas and gives anglers a good fight.

:16—Yes, they actually fight quite well. As you can imagine, any fish that weighs 150 or 200 pounds has a lot of power. So, they do fight; they actually jump quite a bit. They’ll completely clear the water. There’s some variations; some of them are more sluggish than others. But, they’re very entertaining and that’s the reason, I guess, for the popularity.

Anglers may keep one of these big fish per day. Lean more about freshwater fishing at the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife restoration program supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

Evolution bypassed the alligator gar. Compare today’s gar to the fossil record, and the differences are insignificant.

:07—They’re often perceived as this very primitive, horrible fish that is kind of scary looking. So people, for that reason, have some fear of them.

David Buckmeier, a fisheries scientist for parks and wildlife, says this coastal river-dwelling freshwater fish is actually quite docile despite appearances.

The alligator gar is the largest freshwater fish in Texas, and can grow up to ten feet long and have the potential of tipping the scales at over three hundred pounds.

:11—They have a head shaped much like that of an alligator, hence the name. They are quite primitive; they have heavy bony scales all across their body, which are called ganoid scales. And it’s actual bone plates that protect that fish.

A behavior that some find unnerving is the gar’s tendency to linger at the water’s surface.

:21—Their gills aren’t advanced enough to get enough oxygen, especially when the water temperatures are warm. So, that’s why people will frequently see them at the top of the water; they’ll come up, gulp air then and go back down. So maybe, it’s not that their gills aren’t advanced enough, maybe they are evolving and they’re going to be crawling on the land soon. (laughs) Unlikely. They’ve been around for a long, long time, and they’ve been the same way.

Alligator gar is abundant in Texas, and is a sought after sport fish. More on that tomorrow.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife restoration program supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

The Fifth annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic Tournament returns to the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe, October 28th through the 30th. Lenny Francoeur (Fran-Koor) is tournament director.

31—First and foremost, the Toyota Texas bass Classic raises funding and awareness for the Texas Parks and Wildlife.

So, you can come out with as many friends and family as you want to bring. Get your tickets in advance, and come out at the end of October and see some world class fishing and world class country music artists.

Francoeur says listeners may be able to obtain a pair of free tickets by going to the Bass Classic website and signing up for their newsletter …

08— …Until we have distributed the full quantity of tickets we have allotted.

Once the free tickets have been distributed, others will be available, says Francoeur, at a nominal charge.

06—We allow kids seventeen and under to get in free as long as they’re with a ticket adult. And we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in October.

Find a link to more information at passporttotexas.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

One of inland fisheries’ management goals includes creating world class angling opportunities in Texas. One way that’s happening is through the Toyota Texas ShareLunker program.

A lunker is a largemouth bass caught between October first and April 30th that weighs 13 pounds or more.

David Campbell oversees the program and says anglers loan these bass to Parks and Wildlife for spawning and research purposes.

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center here in Athens is where we pick up the fish, and we spawn ‘em. We do some of the genetic identification and stuff like that here. Also, Lorraine Fries and her staff at A.E. Wood is doing the actual genetic research on it – on the muscle tissue and the blood samples and the stuff that we send them. And we have a geneticist on staff down there that is actually directing the program. You need that. I’ve raised fish for the last 38 years or so, and when you start looking into the genetic side of things it takes people who have special training.

Hatcheries staff conducts research on bass loaned or donated to the program to produce potentially trophy-sized fish for stocking in Texas public waters.

Learn about the program by logging onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series and works to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Anglers help keep bass fishing interesting in Texas by donating their lunkers to the Toyota Texas ShareLunker Program where they’re used for spawning and genetic research.

07—A ShareLunker is a largemouth bass that weighs 13 pounds or more and is caught between October the first through April the 30th.

David Campbell’s oversees the Toyota ShareLunker Program. He admits in the beginning he wasn’t convinced anglers would participate.

07—I was reluctant for the fact that I didn’t think the anglers would be willing to loan us the biggest fish they ever caught in their life.

When the first lunker came to the program in 1986, not only did Campbell’s concerns disappear, but the fish caused quite a splash.

08—We made national news and it was just like from there on, people call you, and they want to loan you their ten pounders…their eight pounders (laughter)

Thousands of visitors traveled to the Tyler fish hatchery where TPW kept the lunker, just to get a peek.

13—Sometimes they were lined up all the way up to the house, which I lived on the hatchery there, around the office, they’d be lined up down the road, and I’d go out there and open up the door
and let them see the fish…and we had over ten thousand visitors that signed a register one year.

More about the ShareLunker program tomorrow.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.