Everything’s bigger in Texas, and Waco veterinarian Ray Emerson recently taught his granddaughters Rebecca, 11, and Elizabeth, 8, that fishing is included.

The girls were on an extended visit from Michigan, and Emerson decided to give them a taste of Central Texas fishing by booking a trip with Lake Whitney guide Clay Yadon for a morning of striper fishing pandemonium.

Emerson is no stranger to angling, but puts the striper trip at the top of his fishing experiences.

“We got up at 4:30 a.m. and got on the water around 6,” Emerson said. “Within 15 minutes, we were fishing hot and heavy. I’ve fished plenty before, but I’ve never caught fish like that.”

Within an hour, the group had boated 18 stripers weighing between 4 and 16 pounds, with several falling in the 7-12 pound range.

“They were fat and in great shape,” he said. “We hooked some larger ones that were released as soon as we netted them, and a couple of those were 18-pounders – they were big enough to give a great fight and nearly pull the girls in.”

Elizabeth hit the water running, but Rebecca was a little intimidated at first, Emerson said. After a few fish came aboard, though, the older sister decided it was time to quit watching and start catching.

“After that, she was hard to keep away from a bowing rod and singing reel,” her proud grandfather said.

By 7:30 a.m., the harvest was over and the group was back at the marina.

“Clay apologized and apologized about the trip being over so soon,” said Emerson, “but I told him to stop; he’d given me one of the best and fastest-action fishing days I’d ever had, and he had totally blown my young granddaughters away.”

Emerson is set to go again in early August with two more grandchildren, Tate, 8, and Megan, 6.

“I hope we do at least half as well on that outing,” he said.

Free tournament

The sixth-annual Fishing for Freedom Bass Tournament, hosted by the Central Texas Marine Association along with the Ft. Hood Morale, Welfare and Recreation office (MWR) and BLORA, is slated for October 14-15.

This is a free tournament with the mission to take members of the military for a day of fishing on Lake Belton. Boaters are asked to furnish their boats and some tackle so that these men and women have the opportunity to spend a day on the water experiencing the thrill of catching fish.

The team that catches the heaviest five fish stringer will win a Triton bass boat rigged with a Mercury outboard motor. There will also be plenty of door prizes, and every participant will receive a free collector hat and T-shirt.

This tournament is made possible through the generous donations of area merchants and the hundreds of boaters, fishermen and volunteers who participate. Registration will start Sept. 1.

For more information, go to www.fishingforfreedom.org. 

Hunter education class

A Texas hunter education class is set for July 30-31, with both dates making up one complete course. The class will be held at the Texas Farm Bureau Conference and Convention Center, located next to the Farm Bureau building between Highway 6 and Fish Pond Road.

Class times are: Saturday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m.- 6 p.m. Cost of the course is $15 per student. Cash and checks are accepted, but not credit or debit cards.

People born on or after Sept. 2, 1971 must successfully complete a hunter education course before hunting in Texas. The certification is good for life and is recognized in all 50 states, as well as some hunting provinces in Canada and Mexico.

For more information, call Gardner at 751-2569 or 717-1858.

Gulf oil spill

Members of a recreational-angling coalition lauded introduction of U.S. Senate legislation that would facilitate cleanup of areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced today.

The bipartisan RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act of 2011 would establish a Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration council, a science and fisheries endowment and a Gulf Coast Centers of Excellence to channel recovery efforts.

Under RESTORE, 80 percent of Clean Water Act penalties charged to BP would be dedicated to restoration of the Gulf Coast.

The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most popular areas for recreational fishing in the United States, contributing $8 billion in economic output annually and supporting more than 82,000 jobs.

Outdoors women

The next Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop will be held at Camp Allen in Navasota Sept. 16-18. No matter your outdoor experience, aptitude or attitude, if you are a woman interested in giving outdoor skills a go in a friendly and safe environment, this workshop is for you.

Meals and lodging are included in the registration fee. For more information go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/bow.

Elk foundation

The annual Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet is coming up Saturday at the Amsler building in Crawford. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Games, raffles, silent and live auctions, a steak dinner and more await attendees.

The RMEF works to protect elk and other wildlife habitat throughout the Rocky Mountain states and other areas with elk populations. The group is currently working in Texas to radio-collar and monitor elk in the Glass Mountains area.

For more information, go to the RMEF website or call 717-7137.

www.centexoutdoors.com

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