The sixth annual Fishing for Freedom bass tournament, hosted by the Central Texas Marine Association along with the Fort Hood Morale, Welfare and Recreation office (MWR) and BLORA, is slated for Oct. 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 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.

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

 Texas Bass Classic

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic promises not only a stellar lineup of world-class fishermen, but an equally compelling slate of musical artists to round out each day’s events.

Some of the biggest names in each field will converge on Conroe from Oct. 28-30 for the tournament, which will also feature some of the industry’s top manufacturers and vendors and more.

Tourney organizers sent me a stack of complimentary tickets for all three days, which will be available at the Woodway Wal-Mart sporting goods department and the Academy Sports & Outdoors gun bar in Waco.

The tickets are valid for admission into the festival grounds for angler weigh-ins and the concert of that particular day. All activities, including concerts, weigh-ins, interactive expo areas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Adventures Area will take place at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center’s festival grounds in Conroe.

The other catfish

Waco angler Mark Fallon continues his pursuit of that big, elusive yellow catfish, but in the meantime, he’s getting really good at running across Lake Waco’s rocky shorelines, including the boulders (known as rip-rap) to grab his fishing rods before they’re pulled into the lake.

He’s also getting good at cooking the blue catfish he’s been catching.

“Most people will turn up their noses at a big blue as table fare,” he said.

But Fallon has developed a method to make a tasty meal out of a whopper blue cat.

First, bleed the fish out and fillet it. Then, soak the fillets in cold salt water for two hours in the refrigerator. Pour off the water and marinate overnight in a mixture of Spicy V-8, beer and fajita salt.

To cook the fish, Fallon grills it for 10 minutes on each side, using oak under a bed of charcoal to give it a smoky flavor. After grilling, he finishes it off under the broiler for 20 minutes at 300 degrees.

Add lime and black pepper, a jalapeno and serve with bread and the sides of your liking.

Outdoor programming

ESPN Radio Central Texas has expanded its outdoor coverage with the addition of the weekly broadcast of “On the Dock” with Rick Smith, which will air from 7-8 a.m. Saturdays.

Smith, who owns Marine Outlet in Temple, will be joined by Billy Conway.

“The Outdoor Report” with Jeff Fritscher of Legacy Outfitters  and ESPN’s Paul Catalina continues to air each Thursday from 6-6:30 p.m.

Deer hunt preview

Stay tuned to the Tribune-Herald outdoors for a white-tailed deer hunting forecast from Central Texas wildlife biologist Josh Sears. Despite the record heat and continuing drought, Sears sees some bright spots for deer hunters.

Protecting our nation

May the efforts of our law enforcement, military, government agencies and vigilant citizens working hard to protect our nation continue to pay off. Here’s hoping we’ll be talking about trivial things like dove hunts and football games Monday morning.

www.centexoutdoors.com

 717-8907