The 2012 B.A.S.S.National Conservation Summit.

The Angler Advocate is attending the B.A.S.S. National Conservation summit in Shreveport, La. This event is a gathering of the Nation's leading fresh water conservation leaders, and state and Federal resource managers. The agenda is loaded with great presentations and topics. Training and mentoring of our State conservation directors is also a big component. I will update the blog through ought the weekend.

What Stewardship Looks Like.

The fishing industry lost a man larger than life this week with the untimely passing of Ray Murski. Ray was not just a legend, but a one of a kind type of guy who was a friend to everyone and a tireless advocate for our sport. I was privileged to know Ray through our shared appointment to the TPWD inland fisheries advisory board. Ray has been a fixture in the fishing world from the early days where he fished Ray Scott's first event on Beaver lake in 1967. He has been a professional angler, businessman, and a philanthropist to all things outdoors. He lists one of his greatest accomplishments as introducing over 50,000 children to fishing and the outdoors, but I tend to think that number could be 5 million if you count every young angler who caught his first fish on a Strike King lure. As a successful businessman, Ray contributed untold amounts of money to support programs like the Texas Brigades and focused his efforts on programs which benefited youth in the outdoors and conservation. Ray gave his time tirelessly to serve on many advisory boards and help influence the direction of many outdoor related programs. Without question his legacy will live on through his family, friends, and the Ray Murski Memorial Fund set up through Inwood National Bank in Dallas.  For details call 214-451-7250.

You don't need to be the owner of a multi million dollar company to be a steward. I know many and Andrew Oliver, the owner of Get Five Lures is one of them. Get Five is the definition of a start up company with the introduction of The Dinero in early 2011. Andrew has demonstrated his company philosophy of BE GREAT ON AND OFF THE WATER by supporting many programs and charities in the company's short history. "It’s not just a slogan" says Andrew "It’s a philosophy that goes to the core of why I started Get Five and how I want it to operate as a company." In the last year, Get Five has supported Fishing for Freedom, Warriors on the Water, March of Dimes, Seven Coves Bass Club Habitat Project, the Dell Children’s Hospital Kid Fish Event, ALS Therapy Development Institute, and countless club events and benefit tournaments across the country.
Andrew believes anglers need to give back more than they take from the sport we all love. Giving back can be monetary, involve donating your time at a youth event, working on a habitat project, or attending a public hearing defending anglers rights or resources.

Ray Murski's presence will be missed by many, but I am confident that others will step up to fill his shoes and Andrew Oliver is just one such young man who will make a difference.

The Stumpy Stumps of Lake Dunlap

If it seems like I have a lot of stump stories on my new blog, it is not by coincidence. In Texas we have a lot of lakes which have been hit hard by the drought leaving lakes low and the timber which is normally well under water in plain view. I have received reports from all over Texas reporting incidence of trees and habitat being removed by lake front property owners. Currently river authorities and resource managers across Texas have different policies regarding tree removal, and we are working with TPWD to implement a more reasonable and uniform policy across the state to protect habitat.

Lake Dunlap's story started not as the result of drought, but rather a scheduled draw down to make repairs to the dam. Lake Dunlap is a 410 acre river lake located between New Braunfels and Seguin on the Guadalupe River. (MAP). Carl Adkins who serves as the Water Policy Coordinator for the Texas B.A.S.S. Federation Nation was tipped off by a friend that a group of  Preserve Lake Dunlap Association members were pushing to have large areas of timber cut in the lakes lower end to improve the area for skiing. Carl reached out to TPWD district biologist John Findeisen and director of research and management Dave Terre making them aware of the plans. TPWD contacted the river authority GBRA and a meeting was established which allowed all parties to discuss the project. A series of trips to the lake were made by boat with anglers and lake association members on board along with TPWD and GBRA to identify areas which would be left alone and marked. Stumps which posed navigational hazards were also identified for removal. The project was shaping up to be a textbook example of how anglers can get involved with resource managers and other lake users and work together to meet the needs of each group. Unfortunately things did not turn out quite as planned.
On a rainy day in December just days after work had been completed by GBRA cutting and marking the identified areas, individual property owners took it upon themselves to modify the plan, and with 3 boats they managed to cut 80 or more stumps at the water level which at the time was 3 1/2' below normal pool.  The brazen actions of these individuals created a public safety issue and once GBRA became aware of the work of these individuals they took immediate action to close the lake to all boats and prevented more habitat destruction. (GBRA emergency directive)
The Texas B.A.S.S. Federation Nation has since been working with TPWD and GBRA pushing for mitigation by these individuals for the habitat loss as well as developing a plan which will limit skiing in this area given the newly cut stumps which are now at an unsafe depth below the surface for skiing. I will keep you posted as to how this develops.