>> LET GO, PUT THAT HAND
RIGHT THERE, HANG ON.
THERE YOU GO YOU GOT HIM.
OK HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.
NOW YOU JUST POINT THAT FISH
AT ME LIKE THAT, AND I'LL DO
THAT FOR YOU, THERE YOU ARE
YOUNG MAN, STICK YOUR THUMB IN
THERE AND HOLD THAT FISH UP.
>> CORY TERRE IS A
TYPICAL TEXAS KID.
HE LIKES SCHOOL,
SPORTS AND FISHING.
HIS FAVORITE, AT LEAST FOR
TODAY, IS PRETTY OBVIOUS.
>> ALRIGHT, SO YOU WANT DROP
HIM IN THE WATER?
>> SURE.
>> DROP HIM BACK IN THE WATER.
>> WELL, I CAUGHT THREE
FISH OVER THERE.
ONE OF THEM WAS ABOUT
THREE POUNDS, AND THE OTHER
WAS ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF
AND IT WAS PRETTY BIG ONE.
>> AND CORY'S FAVORITE FISH,
LIKE MOST TEXAS ANGLERS,
IS THE LARGEMOUTH BASS.
>> THERE HE GOES...
FOURTH ONE.
(music)
>> BASS ARE BIG ALL ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
ACCORDING TO THE U.S.
FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE,
OVER 35 MILLION PEOPLE GO
FISHING IN THE U.S.
EACH YEAR.
IN TEXAS, TWO AND A HALF
MILLION ANGLERS SPEND
OVER TWO BILLION DOLLARS
ANNUALLY ON FISHING.
>> THERE'S ONE.
>> TEXAS HAS SOME OF THE BEST
BASS FISHING IN THE COUNTRY...
(splash)
BUT IT DIDN'T COME QUICKLY
OR EASILY.
(dam noise)
THE STATE HAS MORE THAN 1.7
MILLION ACRES OF INLAND
WATERS, MOST OF IT IN MAN
MADE RESERVOIRS.
BUILT FOR FLOOD CONTROL,
AND TO PROVIDE WATER AND POWER,
THESE RESERVOIRS ALSO CREATED
MORE FISH HABITAT.
(music)
WHEN THE POPULARITY OF BASS
FISHING TOOK OFF IN THE
1960S, THERE WERE BASICALLY
NO LIMITS ON THE NUMBER OF
FISH YOU COULD KEEP.
THIS LED TO A DECLINE IN BASS
POPULATIONS, WHICH IN TURN
LED TO RESTRICTIONS ON THE
SIZE AND NUMBER OF FISH
THAT COULD BE KEPT.
>> BIOLOGISTS IN TEXAS WERE
COMMITTED TO MAKING BASS
ANGLING AS GOOD AS THEY CAN
MAKE IT, AND THEY EMPLOYED
A NUMBER OF TOOLS SUCH AS,
LENGTH LIMITS, AND STOCKING
TO ACHIEVE THAT.
(Splashing water)
>> IN THE 70s, PARKS
AND WILDLIFE BEGAN STOCKING
LAKES AND RESERVOIRS WITH
THE FLORIDA-STRAIN
LARGEMOUTH BASS.
>> WITH ALL THE RESERVOIRS
BEING BUILT THE THINKING WAS
THAT THE FLORIDA BASS WOULD
BE MORE ADAPTABLE TO THOSE
LAKE ENVIRONMENTS AND I THINK
THAT'S PROVEN CORRECT.
>> WELL, IT WOULD WORK.
>> IN THE 1980S, ANGLERS
BEGAN TAKING THE HARVEST
LIMITS A STEP FURTHER,
EMBRACING THE CATCH
AND RELEASE CONCEPT.
WHY KEEP A THREE POUND BASS
WHEN YOU CAN PUT IT BACK
AND CATCH IT LATER,
WHEN IT'S EVEN BIGGER?
>> YOU GOT HER GOOD AND FIRM?
>> I GOT HER.
>> BIGGER BASS IS THE GOAL OF
THE SHARELUNKER PROGRAM.
>> EVERYBODY GIVE ME A SMILE,
COME ON.
>> ANGLERS LOAN LARGEMOUTH
BASS THAT ARE 13 POUNDS
OR LARGER TO THE PROGRAM.
THE IDEA IS TO BREED THE
LARGER FISH, KEEP SOME OF THE
FINGERLINGS FOR GENETIC
STUDY, AND STOCK THE REST
BACK INTO CONTRIBUTING LAKES.
>> I BELIEVE WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE LONG RANGE PROJECTION,
WHAT CAN POSSIBLY COME OUT OF
IT, 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS,
IS THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE A
NEW WORLD RECORD IN THE
STATE OF TEXAS.
>> SEE THE FISH JUST MOVE?
CAST RIGHT IN BACK
OF THE SAME SPOT.
COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.
HOLD RIGHT THERE.
NOW!
>> IF A NEW WORLD RECORD DOES
COME OUT OF TEXAS, THERE'S A
GOOD CHANCE IT WILL COME
FROM LAKE FORK.
(fish splashing)
>> THIS 27,000 ACRE LAKE 60
MILES EAST OF DALLAS,
IS POSSIBLY ONE OF THE
BEST-KNOWN BASS LAKES
IN THE WORLD.
THE CURRENT STATE RECORD
LARGEMOUTH CAME FROM LAKE
FORK, AS HAVE MOST OF THE
TOP 50 BIG BASS IN TEXAS.
>> YOU CANNOT GO ANYWHERE IN
THIS COUNTRY THAT FISHERMEN
HAVE NOT HEARD OF LAKE FORK
AND DO NOT CONSIDER LAKE FORK
AS THE TOP BIG BASS PRODUCER
IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> BUILT BY THE SABINE RIVER
AUTHORITY IN THE EARLY 80S,
LAKE FORK'S REPUTATION AS THE
BIG BASS LAKE IN TEXAS
IS NO ACCIDENT.
>> ALRIGHT.
>> LAKE FORK IS REALLY A
PRODUCT OF MODERN
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT.
EVEN BEFORE THE LAKE WAS
IMPOUNDED THERE WAS A LOT OF
PLANNING THAT WENT INTO THE
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT OF
LAKE FORK.
(boat motor)
>> THE LAKE WAS FILLED IN
SEVERAL STAGES, ALLOWING FISH
POPULATIONS TO GET STARTED
IN SMALL FARM PONDS.
MOST OF THE VEGETATION
AND TIMBER WERE LEFT INTACT,
PROVIDING VALUABLE HABITAT
FOR BASS.
>> PRIOR TO LAKE FORK THEY
WOULD GO THROUGH AND JUST
BULLDOZE THE BOTTOMS.
AND THIS ONE,
THEY KEPT THE TIMBER.
AND THAT GAVE IT A JUMP-START
LIKE NO OTHER LAKE IN THE
HISTORY OF THIS STATE'S
EVER HAD.
>> LAKE FORK OPENED WITH
RESTRICTIVE HARVEST AND SIZE
LIMITS ALREADY IN PLACE.
>> EXACTLY 24.
>> AS A RESULT OF THESE
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES...
EVERYTHING AROUND LAKE FORK
REVOLVES AROUND FISHING...
EVERYTHING.
(music)
>> THERE YOU GO, ALWAYS POINT
IT WHERE YOU WANT IT TO GO.
RIGHT THERE, STOP IT.
>> FISHING AT LAKE FORK IS A
$27 MILLION A YEAR INDUSTRY.
>> HOP IT.
>> IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR
GUIDES, LIKE BRIAN DUPLECHAIN,
TO MAKE A LIVING.
>> SET THE HOOK, HARD, HARD!
>> OH I GOT HIM, OH MY GOD
HE'S HUGE!
(laughs)
MOMMY'S GOT HIM!
>> WHEN YOU GET A BITE
ON LAKE FORK YOU DON'T
KNOW IF HE'S GOING TO BE
TWO POUNDS OR TWELVE POUNDS.
GET OVER HERE.
PULL UP, PULL UP, PULL UP.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SO MANY
PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY AND ALL OVER THE
WORLD, BECAUSE THEY CAN CATCH
FISH WHERE THEY'RE AT, BUT THEY
COME TO LAKE FORK TO CATCH
THAT ONE BIG FISH.
PULL, PULL, PULL.
AND THAT'S WHAT LAKE FORK
IS REALLY KNOWN FOR,
IS ITS TROPHY BASS FISHING.
WHOOHOO!
THIS IS WHAT LAKE FORK
IS ALL ABOUT FOLKS!
THIS IS WHAT YOU COME FOR!
WHAT MARY BETH JUST CAUGHT.
>> BUT LAKE FORK ISN'T THE ONLY
SUCCESS STORY IN THE STATE.
ABOUT AN HOUR SOUTH IS
PURTIS CREEK STATE PARK.
AT JUST 354 ACRES,
PURTIS CREEK LAKE IS KIND OF A
MINIATURE VERSION OF LAKE FORK.
>> THIS LAKE, AND WE SAY THIS
IS OUR LITTLE LOGO, IS THE
BEST LITTLE BASS LAKE IN
THE STATE OF TEXAS.
>> OK, GO AHEAD AND BRING IT
ON IN AND FIRE IT STRAIGHT
OUT IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN
AS FAR AS YOU CAN.
>> BRIAN HUGHES GUIDES ON
PURTIS CREEK LAKE TWO
OR THREE DAYS A WEEK.
HE FOUND THE LAKE
ALMOST BY ACCIDENT.
>> I GOT STUCK IN SOME TRAFFIC
HEADED TO ANOTHER LAKE,
DECIDED TO COME CHECK
THIS ONE OUT.
CAUGHT A 12 AND A QUARTER
OUT OF IT NOT LONG AFTER I
STARTED FISHING IT, AND THAT
CONVINCED ME THAT THIS IS
WHERE I OUGHT TO STAY.
>> THE LAKE RECORD BASS IS
ALMOST 14 POUNDS, AND SINCE
PURTIS CREEK IS STRICTLY A
CATCH AND RELEASE LAKE,
THE TALES OF A 15-POUNDER
SOMEWHERE OUT THERE COULD
WELL BE TRUE.
ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT
PURTIS CREEK LAKE, IS THAT
YOU DON'T NEED A BOAT
TO GET TO THE BASS.
THERE ARE 2 FISHING PIERS,
AND LOTS OF SHORELINE ACCESS.
>> ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT
PURTIS CREEK, YOU'RE ALWAYS
PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEED
YOU'RE GONNA CATCH A FISH.
THERE HASN'T BEEN, MAYBE
ONE TIME, I CAME OUT HERE
AND HAVE NOT CAUGHT A FISH.
WHOO, WHOO!
>> WE ARE LIKE A SMALL COVE
OF LAKE FORK, WE HAVE ALL THE
BIG BASS THAT LAKE FORK HAS
EXCEPT THAT OURS IS IN
A SMALLER AREA.
>> ISN'T HE COOL?
WANNA TOUCH HIM?
>> ARE WE GONNA EAT HIM?
>> NO, WE'RE GONNA LET HIM
GO SO HE CAN GET BIG.
(music)
>> OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO AT
LEAST MAINTAIN BASS ANGLING AS
IT IS OR KEEP IMPROVING IT.
OUR BIG CHALLENGE WILL BE TO
MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE IN THE
FACE OF THE IMPACTS ON WATER
THAT THERE WILL BE IN THE
COMING YEARS.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOST
CRUCIAL FACTOR IN OUR MINDS
TO PROVIDING GOOD FISHING FOR
BASS AND ALL FRESHWATER FISH.
>> WHEN WE TRY TO EXPLAIN THE
IMPORTANCE OF BASS FISHING,
WE TALK ABOUT IT'S IMPACT ON
OUR ECONOMY, OR HOW IT ADDS
TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE,
OR THAT IT'S TRADITION.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE
SIGNIFICANT, BUT THEY
OVERLOOK WHAT'S REALLY
FUNDAMENTAL ABOUT FISHING...
IT'S JUST PLAIN FUN.
>> WAY TO GO BUD!
>> THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST FISH
I EVER CAUGHT.
I THINK I'M GONNA KEEP ON
FISHING FOR A LITTLE
WHILE LONGER.
>> NICE BASS!