Hunters and other gun owners are closely watching the pending legislation in Austin that deals with expanding gun rights to holders of concealed handgun licenses — including the right to carry on college campuses.

One argument against this bill is that permitting concealed handguns on campuses would be a reactionary approach instead of a preventive one. I agree, but many gun owners, including myself, don’t see that this is a persuasive argument against the bill.

Prevention is critically important, and it is the shared responsibility of parents, co-workers, teachers, mental health workers, friends and others. But a gun in the hands of a licensed, law-abiding citizen is a last line of defense for innocent people when things go wrong and no other options are available.

Another argument against the bill is that CHL holders consider themselves law enforcers. None of the people I know who have a CHL thinks of themselves this way. Responsible CHL holders know that carrying a gun is a serious responsibility — not a magic solution to the problem of the massacres that have been happening recently across America. They simply ask for their constitutional right to protect themselves.

The same arguments about lawlessness and Wild West-style shootouts arise every time that easing of CHL restrictions are proposed, but these stale and unsupported predictions have not come true. If this bill becomes law, things will go on as usual, and nobody will know which few teachers and students (who must be 21 or older) are licensed to carry a firearm.

Prohibiting CHL holders to carry handguns on campus will only stop the law-abiders from having guns; the unstable and the criminal will continue to carry them to class.

The basic question is whether people have a right to defend themselves against these unstable or criminal individuals. CHL holders are allowed to carry their legal, licensed weapons almost anywhere — why should they not be able to carry them in the places where massacres have occurred with terrible regularity: college campuses?

‘Limits every day’

Lake Whitney striper guide Clay Yadon (817-219-3707) reports that when the wind allows, fishing has been excellent. Saturday’s catch included a 20.5-pounder that was part of a 20-fish limit.

“Limits have been coming every day,” he said. “It has been fast and furious action. When we hit one of those big schools, it’s like a Chinese fire drill on the boat. People are running everywhere trying to grab rods while fighting a fish on another.”

Yadon says the water temperature is still a few degrees shy of full-blown spawning-style topwater action, but the weekly cold fronts have so far kept things from going to code red.

Live shad fished off the bottom in 21 feet of water along breaks in the lower end of the lake has been productive lately.

Wacoans take trip

Waco anglers Doug and Brent Peterson recently took a fishing trip to Galveston, which was highlighted by a 40-pound black drum caught by Brent while fishing with crabs in 40 feet of water on 30-pound test line.

Doug reports that while fishing is open for business in Galveston, many of the businesses on the Gulf side of the sea wall are still in shambles.

“Pilings are all that’s left of numerous cafes and shops, and evidence of wind and water damage is everywhere,” he said.

Visit the Centex Outdoors Web site for a photo of Peterson and his impressive fish.

Wednesday bass tourney

Last week’s Lake Waco Wednesday Bass Tournament was won by the team of George Litton and Dan Dylon, whose three-fish bag weighed 8.84 pounds. Steven Tindell and Julie Copeland claimed second with 8.72, followed by Michael and Travis McCollough, with 7.62.

The tourney’s big bass, a 5.52-pounder, was caught by Skip White.

Centex Outdoors correspondent Mark Terry reports that 54 boaters competed in the contest, adding that the weigh-in was hampered by the lack of light at the boat ramp.

Would it be too much to ask that the Corps of Engineers install lights at each of the lake’s boat ramps and docks? It would make life a little easier for those using the lake after dark.

Lake Waco Open

Robby Bruce and Nathan Foddrell took first-place honors at last weekend’s Kiwanis Club Lake Waco Open with five fish totaling 21.08 pounds. Second place went to Jack Campbell and Billy Garrett, who weighed five fish that tipped the scales at 20.6 pounds, and the team of Trey Fielding and Lowell Bennett came in third with a 19.18-pound bag.