Lone Star Travelers Blog

The Texas Glider Rally will take place at the Marfa Airport on Hwy 17 from April 4th thru April 11th 2009.  There is a viewing area for you to watch the sailplanes take off and land as they soar the thermals each day from 12 noon until 6 PM.  Sailplane pilots from across the United States gather to attempt record setting altitude and distance flights.  The “wave window” may be open to 30,000 feet.  Glider rides are available by advance appointment.  http://flygliders.com  1-800-667-9464

The Hammerfest Race on Saturday April 4th, 2009 and Sunday April 5th, 2009 is a Texas Cup State Division Race held in Fort Davis, Texas.  Some of the best road racing in the Southwest will take place over these two days in the Alps of Texas, the Davis Mountains.  Saturday morning at 8AM cyclists will mount for a 16 mile race to the top of Mt Locke.  The first 10 miles are a warm up to the final 6 miles of real climbing on grades up to 17 per cent.  In the afternoon on Saturday stage 2 is a flat 16 mile out and back time trial.  On Sunday the major action takes place with stage 3, the “scenic loop” race.  Cyclists will start at the Prude Ranch and climb numerous times steeply to heights of 5,000 to 6.500 feet on the 74 mile route.  Other races will cover a 56 mile route, a 34 mile route and a 16 mile route.  Registration or pre-registration deadline is by April 01, 2009.  Cash prizes and trophies valuing $6,600 will be awarded.  Sponsors are Peyton’s Bikes and Permian Basin Bicycle Association out of Midland, Texas.

The current record for a big bass caught in Texas in-land waters is the 1992 catch of an 18.18 pounder.  This year several lunkers have been entered in to the Share Lunker Program.  Just during the month of March 2009 (which is typically the best month for snagging the big ones) Caddo Lake produced at 15.1 lb on March 02, Somerville a 13.6 lb on March 04, Lake Fork a 14.68 lb on March 07, also at lake Fork a 13.28 lb on March 14, Choke Canyon Reservoir a 15.27 lb on March 14 and again at Lake Fork a 14.43 lb on March 16.   The majority of big fish caught in any given year come from Lake Fork.  In the 1960’s and 1970’s as the population in Texas exploded new reservoirs were built to meet the water demands of the growing populace.  The native species of bass up to that time had adapted to live in Texas streams.  The only natural lake in the state was Caddo.  Over the next several years bass from Florida, California and Cuba were brought to Texas to improve the genetics of the bass population.

Anheuser-Busch, bought last year by a European company is dropping it’s Texas Parks & Wildlife sponsorships including the popular Share Lunker program.  Begun in 1986 as the Lone Star Lunkers the program accepts entries from anglers catching largemouth bass weighing 13 lbs or more.  The bass are either donated or loaned to Texas Parks & Wildlife for use in a spawning program.  Biologists are hoping for genetically superior large mouth bass.  The goal is for big bass fishing in the state of Texas.  Maybe a 20 pounder is in the future?  In the meantime potential new sponsors may contact Texas Parks & Wildlife regarding the opportunities and exposure for the program which will most probably return to it’s roots of the Lone Star Lunkers.

According to Texas Parks & Wildlife biologists dry range conditions throughout much of the state of Texas this spring could have a negative impact on wild turkey production and hunting prospects.