Are you planning an outdoor family adventure during spring break? Athens and the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) are the place to start.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are content with the 1,360 birds collected during two years of field research comparing lead and non-lead ammunition effectiveness for doves.

Another South Texas reservoir that has benefited from rains several years ago is kicking out big bass.

Expansion of mule deer hunting opportunities tops a short list of proposed changes to the state’s hunting and fishing regulations the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is considering for 2010-2011.

O.H. Ivie Reservoir and other West Texas lakes suffered from drought from the late 1990s until 2004, when rains came again.  The drought took two forms: low water and few big bass caught.  The fish drought ended January 16, when Ben Blaine of Merkel landed a 14.02-pound largemouth bass from O.H. Ivie. It became Toyota ShareLunker No. 475.

Another West Texas reservoir rebounding from the drought of the late 1990s is starting to pump out monster largemouth bass.