With the exception of Lake Austin, Colorado River lakes in the Texas Hill Country have never produced bass weighing 13 pounds.  That changed Sunday, when Lloyd Ward of Horseshoe Bay saw a huge bass cruising near the bank in three feet of water.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants to make it easier for Texans to go fishing and this year has renamed and expanded its learn-to-fish initiative to include dozens of special springtime events being held at 13 state parks throughout Texas.

Michael Banks of Jacksonville had a day off and decided to go fishing March 9. "I was just looking for a day out," he said. "It would have been a great day if I had not caught a fish."

The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

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.

Attractive as ornamentals and functional in some applications, invasive aquatic plants can also pose a threat to the state’s natural resources. To provide appropriate opportunities for use of certain non-native aquatic plants and algae without risking impacts to the state’s natural resources, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is looking for help compiling a prospective list of exotics that could be allowed for sale in Texas.