The holiday season is on the horizon and you know what that means – rainbow trout season! We’ll be stocking waterways with trout in early December. The schedule will be posted by mid-November and will be updated throughout the season. 

It’s too hot in Texas to support rainbow trout throughout the year, but they’re so fun to catch and taste so good, we can’t resist stocking them in the chillier months. We stock the Neighborhood Fishin’ ponds and many other locations across Texas, so everyone of any age or skill level can have the thrill of catching trout – it’s great family fun. 

Wade fishing is a lot like hunting because you stalk the fish, even sliding your feet along to try and sneak up on them. It’s uncomplicated because you don’t need a boat, and gear is kept to a minimum since you have to carry it.

Flounder is just one of the Gulf fish suited to wade fishing. A reminder that the daily bag limit on flounder is only 2 fish from Nov. 1 - Dec. 15, and they can only be taken by pole-and-line Nov. 1 - 30 (no gigging). Check the Outdoor Annual for bag and length limits on all saltwater game fish.

If you want to try wade fishing or are an old hand at it, check out this video of wade fishing tips from Coastal Fisheries expert, Art Morris. He also gives a run-down of the gear you need. Try it in a bay or in the Gulf, Texas has plenty of spots where you can wade fish.

Eisenhower State Park is on Lake Texoma which was home to a 121-pound catfish, until it was caught in 2004 and set a world’s record. While we can’t guarantee you’ll catch a world-record fish in a Texas state park, we do know there are plenty of whoppers in them. Some other good state parks at which to drop your line:

• Lake Corpus Christi in South Texas, bass, catfish & crappie
• Sheldon Lake near Houston, catfish & crappie
• Cooper Lake near Dallas, striped, white & largemouth bass
• See the whole list here

Two other things that make fishing in state parks a must-do: 1) it's free - you don’t need a license, and 2) many state parks will loan you tackle at no charge. So if you’ve got family or friends along that don’t own tackle, or you decide to fish on a whim, just pick up some bait, and you’re ready to try your luck. And while we can’t be sure you’ll catch a whopper, we know you can have a lot of fun trying. 

Sometimes a fish will swallow the bait before you get a chance to hook it, and you’ll wind up setting the hook into the fish’s stomach or esophagus. Soft plastic bait is a common perpetrator of this problem. If you want to release the fish, leaving the hook in poses a real problem for the fish’s survival.

Since most new hooks are rust-proof, you can’t just cut the line, take the plastic out and leave the hook, expecting the hook will rust out. But there is a way to safely get the hook out with minimal injury to the fish, and this video shows you how.   

The 31st season of the Toyota ShareLunker Program has begun! It rewards anglers who donate 13-lb or bigger bass to the program, and this year you'll see a few changes. We’ll still be accepting entries Oct. 1 – April 30, but will only take fish caught Jan. – March to the hatchery for spawning purposes. Also, in the past, we’ve used only pure Florida bass for spawning. But starting this season, we’ll be spawning both pure Florida lunkers and those of mixed genetics.

We still have love for those lunkers caught Oct. - Dec. and we will need to collect weight, measurement and genetic data from any lunker at the lake where you catch it. 

If you enter a lunker at any time in the Oct. – April season, you’ll still get all the fun perks, including: recognition by TPWD, an invitation to the awards banquet, and a chance at the Angler of the Year award. Good luck!

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