Randy Williams of Staunton, Illinois, finally broke the ice: He caught Lake Fork’s first Toyota ShareLunker of the season on Tuesday, March 16.  The fish weighed 13.0 pounds and was caught in three feet of water on a Senko.

Toyota ShareLunkers 479 and 482 were returned to Lake Amistad on Tuesday, March 16. Neither of the fish was pure Florida largemouth bass, making them ineligible to be used in the selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

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.