Bass Fishing in Texas

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about bass fishing in Texas. Now settle in, because this is a story about drought, determination, and a whole lot of largemouth bass. It starts, like so many good Texas stories do, in the 1950s.

That decade handed the state a massive statewide drought, the kind that cracked the earth and dried up the future. Water shortages spread across Texas, and governments at every level scrambled to respond. They built reservoirs.

A lot of them. And here is where the story turns, because those reservoirs, born out of hardship, quietly became something nobody quite expected. They became a bass fisherman's paradise.

The drought had opened a door that Texas anglers would never let close again. Now, it wasn't just the water that changed things in the fifties. People were moving, too.

Families that had followed the promise of the city after World War II found themselves living that urban life, and somewhere in between the concrete and the commute, a lot of those city dwellers discovered bass fishing as a way to breathe. Get out. Cast a line.

And in 1955, somebody at the Waco Tribune-Herald decided that wasn't enough. They organized a competitive bass fishing tournament right there on Lake Whitney. The first of its kind in Texas.

One year later, in 1956, that tournament had grown into the Texas State Bass Tournament. From a newspaper idea to a statewide event in a single year. Meanwhile, fishing technology was developing, helping anglers get more efficient out on the water.

And the federal government got into the act too. Congress passed the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1950, authorizing federal funds for state fish hatcheries and for programs to restore and manage fish populations. By the 1970s, Florida largemouth bass, the scientific name on the marker is Micropterus salmoides floridanus, were introduced into Texas reservoirs because they are well suited for those environments.

The sport kept growing, and in 1986 more restrictive length and daily bag limits came into effect, fostering catch and release fishing. That shift helped turn bass fishing into one of the most popular sports in all of Texas. Sporting clubs organized.

Businesses built up around it. And today, across this big state, bass fishing remains a highly popular sport, a leisure activity, and a profitable business. What started as a response to drought ended up being one of the great pastimes of Texas.

The reservoirs filled, the bass thrived, and Texas never looked back.

What the marker says

In the 1950s, bass fishing started to become a popular outdoor activity for residents in Texas, sparked by reservoir building. During that decade, a massive state-wide drought occurred, leading to water shortages. Reservoirs built in response to the drought greatly expanded bass fishing opportunities. A number of other changes spurred on the popularity of bass fishing in the state. Urbanization occurred during the 1950s, as many families moved to the city following World War II. Many of these city dwellers became interested in bass fishing as a leisure activity. In 1955, the Waco Tribune-Herald organized a competitive bass fishing tournament on Lake Whitney. This tournament, the first of its kind, became the Texas State Bass Tournament in 1956. Also during this time, fishing technology developed, which helped anglers become more efficient. Additionally, governments at all levels worked to keep fishing populations healthy. The federal aid in sport fish restoration act, passed by congress in 1950, authorized federal funds for state fish hatcheries and programs to restore and manage fish populations. By the 1970s, Florida largemouth bass (micropterus salmoides floridanus), which are well suited for Texas reservoir environments, were introduced. In 1986, more restrictive length and daily bag limits fostered catch and release fishing. This helped turn bass fishing into one of the most popular sports in Texas. As bass fishing continued to grow in popularity, sporting clubs organized and business associated with it increased. Today, across texas, bass fishing continues to be a highly popular sport and leisure activity, and a profitable business.