Get ready to wet a line because we have a bunch of fishing talk to get into! We kick it off with TPWD Information Specialist Larry Hodge. Based out of the Freshwater Fishery Center in Athens, he’s right in the middle of all things freshwater fishing in Texas. Larry also writes for TPWD Magazine and his latest work Hot On Fishing is featured on the cover of the March issue. The article focuses on these little hidden gems scattered across the state that serious anglers know as Power Plant Lakes. Due to warm water released from the power plants, these 20 plus lakes offer great cold weather fishing for bass, crappie, catfish, white bass and even freshwater red drum.

We discuss the best lake for each species and I throw Larry a curveball when we discuss Lake Fork’s history and why it continues to produce Sharelunker quality bass year in and year out (Fork is responsible for 3 of 8 lunkers entered into the Sharelunker program this season). Larry with a beautiful power plant lake red drum caught on Braunig Lake, San Antonio.

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Then a real treat when Professional Bass Angler Joe Thomas drops by. Having fished both FLW and BASS over the years, Joe has won his fair share of tournaments and prize money. But these days you might recognize him more for his work as the host of Outdoor Channel’s “Stihl’s Reel in The Outdoors” and “Scent Lok’s High Places”. And this weekend, Joe is actually at another great Texas bass fishery- O.H. Ivie where he is the emcee and host of the Suddenlink Open Tony Gibson Memorial Fishing Tournament benefiting Hospice of San Angelo, TX. Joe talks about his favorite pre-spawn baits and we get his thoughts on the Alabama Rig. An avid bowhunter, we might even get into some big game hunting. Joe and myself at the 2010 Ducks Unlimited National Convention in Dallas where I had the honor of acting as emcee.

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Then we shift gears and talk about something very important that I feel many Texas outdoor enthusiasts overlook. Lets face it, we all love to hunt and or fish and those passions can be very expensive. So whether it’s a ranch, ATV, bass boat, deer blind or if you are a guide or outfitter- you need to protect yourself. Sometimes bad things happen to good folks like you and I and that is why our friend Holmes Williams of Texas Insurance and Financial Services stops by to talk about the importance of protecting your outdoor/recreational assets. Holmes is a lifelong Texas outdoorsman and is even a PH (licensed Professional Hunter) in Botswana, Africa. I’m sure Holmes will share a couple of those experiences with us as well. Holmes rocking Game Guard Camoflauge with his SCI #5 overall Black Wildebeast. Texas proud brother!

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