Last week as I was crossing the Twin Bridges, I glanced toward the Midway Park shoreline and noticed a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department truck and stocking trailer on the boat ramp.

The crew was in the process of depositing another round of hybrids into the lake as part of the joint effort by the city of Waco, the Corps of Engineers and TPWD to improve the quality of Waco’s water supply.

The aim of the stocking program is to improve water quality through predator species decreasing the number of the lake’s gizzard shad, which feed on the beneficial zooplankton that eat the lake’s water-fouling phytoplankton.

Around 45,000 hybrid-stripers, a cross between sand bass and striped bass, were stocked in Lake Waco about a year ago, and TPWD biologists are keeping close tabs to make sure the stocking ratio meets the project’s goals.

During a recent sampling survey, one hybrid was collected near the dam. It was roughly 10 inches in length, and it’s suspected that anglers could be catching hybrids and mistaking them for sand bass. The best way to distinguish between a sand bass and a hybrid is by examining their tongues. Sand bass have a single tooth patch on their tongues, while hybrids have two.

However, hybrids don’t usually develop distinct patches until their second year, making them almost indistinguishable from sandies until they’re keeper-sized. Hybrids feed primarily on shad, and they grow at a rapid rate. It’s not uncommon to catch a 10- to 15-pounder once a lake’s hybrid population has matured.

With Lake Waco’s longstanding reputation as a solid catfish and crappie fishery, plus its emergence as a largemouth bass lake over the past few years, the addition of hybrids should bolster the lake’s standing as a destination spot for anglers and tournaments.

And we’ll get better-tasting water to boot.

High school angling

The first High School Bass Championship is slated for this weekend at Lake Belton, according to tournament sponsor Rick Smith, owner of Temple’s Marine Outlet.

The brainchild of pro angler and guide Justin Rackley, the tournament is open to students entering grades 9-12 in the fall, as well as students who graduated this spring.

Entry fee is $100 per two-person team, and largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass all qualify for weigh-in. Participants under the age of 18 must fish under the supervision of an adult boat owner and operator.

The purpose of the tournament is to promote the sport of competitive bass fishing at the high school level, as well as to foster an appreciation for our natural resources and conservation.

For more information, visit www.texashighschool basschampionship.com.

Catfish are biting

Navarro Mills Lake Marina owner Brenda Wallen (578-1131) reports a strong catfish bite on the Dawson-area lake.

“Channel catfish are good on minnows and stink bait, especially in areas chummed with soured maize,” she said, “and blue catfish are biting extremely well on jug lines baited with goldfish and shad.”

One day last week, Wayne Cook from Haslet, along with John Welch from Killeen, caught 29.1-pound and 23.5-pound blue cats on a jug line baited with sunfish.

Bass fishermen are catching decent numbers of largemouths on crank baits — including the week’s best — an 8-pounder caught off the bank in Liberty Hill Park on Wednesday night on a minnow.

Bohemian bass bonanza

The 30th Annual Bohemian Big Bass Classic drew 182 anglers to Lake Whitney last weekend. John Staley finished at the front of the pack with a total weight of 11.22 pounds. Jimmy Lawrence took second, followed by Ronnie Griffin in third.

The tourney’s big bass, a 6.72-pounder, was hauled in by junior angler division winner Tyler Chiles. The second- and third-place big bass were just ounces behind.

More than 332 pounds of fish were weighed in, with the average fish weighing 2.64 pounds.

Get well soon

Speedy recovery wishes go out to two of my favorite fishing partners — my dad Gerald and my friend and outdoor column contributor Clay Yadon. Best wishes and big fishes.

www.centexoutdoors.com

717-8907