When Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine publisher Randy Brudnicki planned a fishing trip to Falcon International Reservoir with his sons Jason and Dustin for the week after Christmas, he knew the time was right to catch a Toyota ShareLunker.

Andrew Watson of Highland Village caught the first entry of the 26th Toyota ShareLunker season December 27, 2011, from Lake Fork.  Watson and his father were fishing under the Texas 154 bridge for crappie using live minnows when the 13.51-pound largemouth bass began taking their minnows.

The East Texas Woods and Waters Foundation (ETWWF) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will host two special fishing events in January 2012. Two thousand rainbow trout will be stocked into The Nature Center pond to provide a free fishing opportunity for area youth and their adult fishing mentors. Event dates are January 7 and 14, 2012, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., rain or shine.

For hunters who do not have access to privately-owned land, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is providing low cost access  to nearly a million acres of department-managed lands for hunting, including most wildlife management areas, some state parks and many leased properties under the Annual Public Hunting permit program.

Only the sound of running water fills the Lunker Bunker at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. The 22 round, 1,500-gallon ShareLunker holding tanks are ready to receive fish.  So far none have arrived.

The recent discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a captive deer in Missouri underscores the need for vigilance in monitoring whitetails and taking action when questionable deer are discovered in Texas captive breeding facilities.