There were 15 participants in the Wednesday Evening Jackpot Fishing Tournament held at Lake Brownwood on May 1st.  Each Wednesday, sign up is from 4:45 to 5:20 pm at the lake dam ramp and fishing hours are from 5:30 to 9:00 pm sharp.

The results of the tournament are below:

Lake conditions:

Weather was partly cloudy.

Wind: 5 to 17 mph East, gusts to 20

Air Temp: Start 88° End 78°

Water was stained to clear 68° to 72°

There were 16 fish weighed in for a total of 42.93 lbs

Out of 15 contestants, 10 people weighed in fish with 3 limits.

Contestants

1st.  Steven Armstrong...................................12.47

2nd.  Brandon Blaylock....................................8.49

3rd.  Joey Wynn.................................................7.60

The Lake Brownwood State Park will host their 17th annual open house on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11.

Fun youth and family activities will be available during the open house and participants can enter the park at no cost.

Friday is dedicated to youth outdoor education with many area schools attending to spend the day at the park.  Saturday is family day and all facilities will be open for viewing.

Those attending the open house can experience a catch and release fish tank for school age kids, the Operation Game Thief trailer, the Buffalo Soldier program, as well as other outdoor exhibits, activities, and displays presented by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and associated organizations.

Below are the fishing reports for area lakes as reported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this week.

Lake Brownwood

Water murky; 67–71 degrees; 11.42' low. Black bass to 8 pounds are excellent on Bass Hogg Gorilla jigs, green pumpkin soft plastics, and white/chartreuse crankbaits around docks. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are excellent on minnows and white jigs near Wild Duck Marina under lights at night in 10–20 feet. Crappie are excellent on minnows and white tube jigs over brush piles in 1–8 feet. Channel catfish are slow. Blue catfish to 8 pounds are fair on trotlines baited with live bait. Yellow catfish to 40 pounds are good on trotlines baited with live bait.

Boat owners are invited to take part in a boat safety check at the Lake Patrol Office at the Lake Brownwood Dam from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. hosted by Brown County Water Improvement District-Lake Patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens, Hook & Anchor Marine and Water Sports, and Wild Duck Marina.

Boats will be checked for all required safety equipment as mandated by the Texas Water Safety Act.  Additional instructions or answers to questions on ramp etiquette, loading and unloading procedures, as well as information on other safety issues will be provided during this time.

All boats are subject to safety equipment checks by law enforcement officers while on any Texas Public waterway.

Organizers encourage all boat owners to “make a day of it, bring your family, get your boat checked and get a free hot dog while you are here.”

The mighty Central Texas oak trees that help shade homes and beautify neighborhoods are falling prey to an incurable and deadly disease.

Oak wilt is a fungal disease that has caused tree deaths in 74 Texas counties.

Trees infected with oak wilt can spread the disease to surrounding oaks via their interconnected root systems. When that happens, the only way to stop further spread is by digging trenches to break the root connections.

The deadly disease also can be spread by insects, which strike primarily from February through June. Sap-feeding beetles are attracted to the sweet-smelling spore mats produced by infected red oaks. The disease is spread when those insects fly off to feed on a healthy red oak or a live oak with a fresh wound.

Texas A&M Forest Service Forester Eric Beckers said oak wilt is primarily seen in the central part of the state but confirmed cases of the disease have been reported in the Texas Panhandle and eastern areas.

There were 17 participants in the Wednesday Evening Jackpot Fishing Tournament held at Lake Brownwood on April 24th.  Each Wednesday, sign up is from 4:45 to 5:20 pm at the lake dam ramp and fishing hours are from 5:30 to 9:00 pm sharp.

The results of the tournament are below:

Lake conditions:

Weather was partly cloudy.

Wind: 4 to 10 mph east north east

Air Temp: Start 61° End 57°

Water was murky 63° to 66°

There were 21 fish weighed in for a total of 50.58 lbs

Out of 17 contestants, 11 people weighed in fish with 4 limits.

Contestants

1st.  Steven Armstrong.......................................8.63

2nd.  Kenneth Mitchell.........................................8.28

3rd.  Jeff Windham..............................................6.89

Below are the fishing reports for area lakes as reported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this week.

Lake Brownwood

Water stained; 63–67 degrees; 11.11' low. Black bass to 5 pounds are good on Bass Hogg jigs, watermelon and green pumpkin soft plastics, and spinnerbaits around docks. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are excellent on minnows and chartreuse jigs off Kirkland docks. Crappie are very good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs over brush piles. Channel catfish are slow. Blue catfish to 8 pounds are good on trotlines baited with live bait. Yellow catfish to 40 pounds are good on trotlines baited with live bait.

There were 14 participants in the Wednesday Evening Jackpot Fishing Tournament held at Lake Brownwood on April 10th.  Each Wednesday, sign up is from 4:45 to 5:20 pm at the lake dam ramp and fishing hours are from 5:30 to 9:00 pm sharp.

The results of the tournament are below:

Lake conditions:

Weather was overcast.

Wind: 5 to 13 mph, gusting to 20 mph north

Air Temp: Start 50° End 46°

Water was murky 61° to 64°

There were 16 fish weighed in for a total of 52.06 lbs

Out of 14 contestants, 9 people weighed in fish with 1 limits.

As Wildfire Awareness Week kicked off this week, April 8-14, Texas A&M Forest Service is reminding residents of simple precautions they can take to prevent dangerous blazes.

About 90 percent of wildfires in Texas are attributed to preventable causes such as debris burning, outdoor campfires and welding. A little common sense – such as making sure your debris burn site is away from structures and overhanging branches – can prevent a wildfire from igniting. Other tips include:

·         Never burn leaves on a windy day.

·         Monitor local burn bans by contacting your county judge’s office.

·         When barbecuing, never leave a grill unattended.

·         Clear away grass, leaves and other debris within a 10-foot perimeter of any burn pile, campfire or barbecue grill.

·         Keep water nearby when doing anything outdoors that creates a spark.

·         If you see a fire, call 911.