SAN ANGELO, Texas — If you’re looking for a reason to get outdoors and enjoy the unusually mild weather this weekend, San Angelo District Fisheries Biologist Lynn Wright from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department would like to remind you that Saturday is Free Fishing Day in Texas.
“It gives an opportunity for folks to try out fishing, who are not really ready to commit to buying a fishing license,” Wright said. “If you’re a fisherman and you’ve got friends or family who’ve maybe never fished before, you can say, ‘Hey, let’s go fishing because you don’t even need a license.’”
Wright said he’s hoping those who do try it out Saturday get — well, hooked — because TPWD depends on it.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but Texas Parks & Wildlife, we’re not funded with general revenues, we’re funded solely through hunting and fishing license sales. So that’s a positive for folks. When you buy that hunting license, when you buy that fishing license, you know for certain that 100% of those dollars are going to Parks & Wildlife so we can do the things we do, like stock fish, manage those fish populations and make fishing better,” he said.
Additionally, TDPW is partnering with The City of San Angelo's Recreation Division to present the annual Youth Fishing Derby downtown along the Concho River for children in age groups 1-6, 7-12 and 13-17.
Registration starts at 7 a.m. at the Celebration Bridge, 16 E Avenue A. Trophies will be awarded for the largest fish and most caught fish. Participants must bring their own poles and bait.
But if downtown fishing isn’t your idea of the great outdoors, Wright said there are plenty of other spots in and around town to cast your line.
“We’re blessed in San Angelo to have a lot of different places to bank fish from. Lake Nasworthy has many different city-maintained parks that have really easy bank fishing access; as well as on Bell Street, there are a lot of parks with bank access.”
For more information about the Youth Fishing Derby, contact the Recreation Division at 325-657-4450.
To learn more about Free Fishing Day, get fishing tips or find a spot to fish, visit the TPWD website.
