Lots Happening in May

The old saying of needing to wait but a few minutes if Texas weather does not suit you seems equally applicable to major weather patterns on opposite ends of our coast. A few weeks ago the Sabine region was drowning in record floods while middle and lower coast areas are already becoming summertime dry. Our fisheries have rebounded incredibly since drought-ending rain came last year, and maybe my imagination is working overtime, but I sure hate to think we could be headed into another prolonged dry spell.

Dickie Colburn and Chuck Uzzle have interesting pieces on the Sabine floods in this issue. Believe it not they're already catching fish. Dickie mentions that more than a few people he's never met, readers of this magazine, called and emailed to offer flood evacuation assistance. I think that says a lot about Texas anglers having hearts of gold, and a profound willingness to assist their fellow man. You do not find this everywhere you go. Kudos!

Also in this issue, John Blaha writes of CCA Texas' Executive and State Boards approving $1.5 million to enable CCA's Building Conservation Trust program in seeking matching funds from various sources to be applied to marine habitat creation and restoration projects here in Texas. This is a huge milestone and something Texas anglers should be rightfully proud of. All Texas anglers will benefit. Most importantly, the marine resources of Texas will benefit. That's what stewardship is all about.

I have been gleaning bits and pieces of the ongoing red snapper saga. It continues to baffle me that recreational anglers will receive another micro-season in federal waters. Reports that came yesterday hint toward maybe only eight or nine days, beginning June 1, yet the commercial interests can fish almost whenever they choose to harvest their allocation. Something wrong here. Rec anglers foot the bill for fisheries management with license purchases and pump huge sums into coastal economies. The problem, or so I'm told, lies in the fact that commercial landings have been documented for decades while little is truly known about the recreational take, and the feds are hedging. The iSnapper app is a great tool. If you fish for snapper, I encourage that you document your trips and landings. Maybe someday the pendulum will swing our way.

May 8 is Mother's Day and I cannot imagine a better way to honor the mothers in your life than taking them fishing. Make it her day, pack a big lunch and make a whole day of it. Better yet, treat her to a nice Sunday brunch and an afternoon of fishing.

Take the kiddos! If you have none of your own, borrow some. Sign them up for the CCA STAR Tournament while you're at it. Memorial Day weekend and the kickoff of the STAR Tournament will be here before you know it. They will not only qualify to win great scholarship prizes for landing great fish, there's also the chance to qualify for an Early Bird registration scholarship.

Let's go fishing!