Texas is world-famous for its largemouth bass, and this year is shaping up to be pretty famous itself. From Jan.-March, anglers reeled in 23 ShareLunkers at 10 different lakes, the most since 1995. 

“This Toyota ShareLunker collection season was simply historic in so many ways – we live for seasons like this,” said Tom Lang, Director of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Lake O.H. Ivie was the place to be, giving up 12 Lunkers over 13 lbs. See the full list of lakes and their Lunkers, and check our press release for more standouts of the season. 

Now YOU need to get out and land your new personal best! ShareLunker collection season may be over, but the ShareLunker program runs all year because those hawgs bite all year. Try the topwater lures featured in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story, Twitch, Twitch Kaboom, give your lures extra oomph with tipping, or sign up for our free, online bass fly fishing class in May. The next question is, which lake are you going to hit first? 

Texas has over 191,000 miles of rivers, creeks and streams. But with over 95% of the state privately owned, it can be hard to get to those rivers. So we work with private landowners to lease river access for your fishing and paddling pleasure.

Our most recent access additions are on the Llano, San Marcos and Brazos Rivers. 

Watch our short video, River Access, a Few Things to Know, for tips on correct behavior when you're on leased private property, so that we can continue to use it. Find out more about the program in the magazine story, Take Me to the River.

Blackened fish is a classic offering in many restaurants. Try this super easy video recipe,  How to Cook Blackened Fish Bites, for a delicious lunch or dinner in a snap. If you've got kids around, they can even help prep the fish pieces by giving them a good shake. Try this simple recipe soon – moist bites of delicious goodness await!

The February freeze took its toll on our coastal fish, with more than 3.8 million fish killed. Spotted seatrout were hard hit, with 89% of that loss in the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre bay systems.

To help them rebuild their numbers, the TPW Commission took emergency action and temporarily changed bag and size limits for seatrout in the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre. The daily bag there is now 3, and you can only keep seatrout 17-23" long. All seatrout regulations can be found in the Outdoor Annual. 

We will continue to boost populations by restocking seatrout from our hatchery at Sea Center Texas. Watch our video, Sea Center Fish Stocking to see how it's done.

What can you do to help? As coastal fish recover from this freeze event, practice conservation by choosing to catch and release, or to harvest only those fish you need to eat. Conserving fish now will support a faster recovery.

Boating is great fun but it requires responsibility to stay safe on the water. Deaths by drowning are up in Texas, so follow these 3 tips to help you and other passengers stay safe:

1. Wear a life jacket

2. Avoid alcohol

3. Watch your kids

See our collection of water safety tips and helpful resources, including a link to the Boater Education course required for boaters born after 8/31/93 and recommended for anyone operating a boat in Texas. See the Outdoor Annual for more boating rules and regulations, 

Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens brings together avid anglers, curious schoolchildren, dedicated conservation professionals and many generous supporters in their passion for Texas’ freshwater resources. Its 106 acres of aquariums, exhibits, fishing ponds, and a fish hatchery that produces millions of Florida largemouth bass annually, engages people of all ages.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) spearheaded the fundraising effort 25 years ago that made the facility come to life. Today, TFFC’s aquariums and exhibits are due for an update, and TPWF is currently halfway to a $3 million fundraising goal for the needed improvements. You can help showcase the best of Texas’ inland waterways by by making a donation.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) is now in Congress. If passed, this bipartisan legislation will dedicate $1.3 billion annually to state and tribal conservation initiatives without increasing taxes. These funds will be dedicated to wildlife action plans to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered in the future. 

Join the growing support for RAWA that includes anglers and hunters, energy and automotive industries, sporting and conservation organizations and many others – ask your representative in Congress to support RAWA. For more information, see our press release, Bipartisan Bill to Help Declining Wildlife Introduced on Earth Day in Congress.