Travel USA
April 27, 2020
Getting You There
Cabela’s King Kat Greenville Trout Bout Fly Tying 101 Daingerfield State Park
Destination: Texas
Kelly Lowman and Mickey Casey with two of their first place catfish
Local fishermen win Cabela’s King Kat Tournament
By John Parsons
Kelly Lowman of Wills Point and Mickey Casey of Mesquite teamed up to haul in 152.3 pounds of catfish to win the tournament held on Lake Tawakoni, helped by a 52.4 pound catfish. “We finally won one,” Lowman said. The winners earned a check worth $3,500. “We made a lot of drifts in 24-25 feet of water,” Casey said. “We just kept catching 30-inch fish. We couldn’t catch a big fish. I finally caught a good one but it did not look like we were gonna’ win this thing. Kelly hooked a good one at the end of our drift about 1 o’clock. We had about 70 pounds.”
They decided to try shallower water and started a drift in 13 feet of water and made the decision to try big baits on big rods. They had the 6-rod maximum in the water. “We use big, fresh gizzard shad,” Lowman said. “Not frozen shad, not brined shad; fresh gizzard shad!” “You’ve got a good one,” Lowman said of when the drag starts screaming. Casey bragged on the Parks planer boards they used. “If I can’t tear ‘em up, they can’t be torn up,” he said. “They have given me good service. I lost one the other day and Parks sent me another right away.” Casey was right at home on Lake Tawakoni as the owner and operator of a
guide service on the lake.
Second Place A Kansas team of Mark Thompson and John Jamison claimed second place with 148.1 pounds of catfish. Their catch included a big fish of 52.8 pounds and earned them a check for $1,500. “We had four bites and caught four fish.” Thompson said. “Our bite was later, after about 10 a.m., but the fish bit throughout the day. We used gizzard shad for bait.” Third Place Another Kansas team won third place with 123.6 pounds of catfish with a big fish weighing 46.3 pounds brought in by Lance and Chase Nolan.
They used cut shad to catch their fish.
Fourth Place and Big Fish Michael Davis and Jesse Neufeld from Kansas rounded out the money makers with the tournament Big Kat weighing 67.8 pounds and worth $540. Their total weight was 117 pounds. “The big fish came on cut shad,” Davis said. “We knew he was big. He made a couple of really good drag runs on us, but once he was tired, he played pretty nice. It was Jesse’s new personal best.” Finale
Points were assigned to the team members placing in the local event. The cumulative points
will be used during the championship event. There were 27 teams from three states entered in the competition, according to Bo Newsom, tournament co-director. Fish caught during the Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail events are released alive back into their lake. About 75 people showed up at the weigh in station set up in West Tawakoni City Park. This marked the sixth year for the tournament to include Lake Tawakoni. The West Tawakoni Economic Development Corporation hosted the local event. Sponsors included the North Texas Catfish
Club and the Chamber of Commerce. There was a children’s fishing rodeo held earlier in the day with five boys and girls competing for prizes. Nobody caught a fish so they played games to earn the prizes. The 2020 Championship The 2020 Cabela’s King Kat Classic Championship will be held Oct. 30-31 on Milford Lake in Milford, Kansas. The Classic features a guaranteed payout of $120,000 in cash and prizes. The points race is set to pay $30,000 to the top 20 places based on the competitor’s top five finishes in 20 local events and the one super event held at Lake Ray Hubbard in Garland.
The big kat of the day. Jesse Neufeld and Michael Davis show off their winning 67.8 pound catfish
Some big catfish being weighed. All of the fish were kept in live wells on the boats before being weighed and released back into the lake.
Eightteen teams caught and released 1,223.7 pounds of catfish during the one-day tournament on Lake Tawakoni
Biggest catfish was worth $540 while fourth place was worth $350 for Jesse Neufeld and Michael Davis
Tanner Green (14) shows off his 36.4 pound catfish with his teammates Tori and Brandon Lasswell
A big catfish goes into the weighing tub for the team of Ty Wolf and Troy Kuhlman
The winning team of Kelly Lowman and Mickey Casey with their plaques and a check for $3,500 from Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops
Tony Pennebaker and Colton Quattlebaum caught a 40.5 pound catfish
David Spivey displays the second-largest catfish caught which weighed in at 57.6 pounds
Second place winners Mark Thompson and John Jamison pose with their plaques and $1,500 check
Third place winners Lance and Chase Nolan show their plaques and a check for $1,000
Greenville 2020 Trout Bout
By John Parsons
Greenville Parks & Recreation hosted its second-annual Trout Bout Fishing Derby for kids and adults Feb. 15 at Graham Park. The derby consisted of four youth and three adult categories. There were 50 children competing from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The adult competition started at 10:45 and went until 1 p.m. Competitors were required to provide their own fishing equipment and were limited to five trout. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
waived the fishing license requirement for the event. A fishing license is required to fish in Graham Park Lake at all other times. Corey Gadwal of Greenville was joined by his son, Elijah (11) and niece, Lana Valderrama (11) for a day of fishing. Vanidi Im of Greenville brought her children, Alan Munoz (5), Angelina Munoz (10) and Aidan Munoz (12) to enjoy the fishing. The youth first-place winners were Alan Munoz (5), Jayden Kwon (6), Angelina Munoz (10) and David Hernandez (14).
The youth winners were awarded a medal plus a fishing pole, tackle box and gloves. The prizes were donated by Academy Sports + Outdoors. The 12-14 inch long trout came from the Texas Freshwater Fishery Center in Athens and were delivered Feb. 14, according to Pamela Vierus, Greenville recreation coordinator. “Greenville purchased 2,800 trout for the 1.5 acre lake that averages 6-8 feet deep,� she said. Anglers were allowed to keep their trout since they are unable to survive the summer heat.
Pamela Vierus, Greenville recreation coordinator
The lake is also stocked with bass and catfish for catch and release.
Lana Valderrama (11) of Greenville fishes for trout
Alan Munoz (5) Vanidi Im (mother), Angelina Munoz (10) and Aidan Munoz (12) Greenville. Each child caught one trout.
Jayden Kwon (6) of Greenville receives his first place medal plus awards of fishing pole, tackle box and fishing gloves donated by Academy Sports + Outdoors
Angelina Munoz (10) of Greenville receives her first place awards
A fisherman sets his poles during the Trout Bout tournament
Brittany and Michael Branch of McKinney prepare for the adult competition accompanied by their dog, Coda
Travel USA Production, editing. layout and design by John Parsons Texas A&M University-Commerce Business Practices in Photography course Professor: Leigh Merrill Cover photos: Little Pine Lake, Daingerfield State Park All work was created by, owned by and the responsibility of John Parsons
First place award winners in the youth division- David Hernandez (14), Angelina Munoz (10), Alan Munoz (5) and Jayden Kwon (6)
Cousins Lana Valderrama (11) and Elijah Gadwal (11) of Greenville fish for trout during the second-annual derby
David Hernandez (14) of Greenville caught three trout
A display of flies for sale at the Orvis store in Plano
Learning to tie a wooly bugger
The Orvis store located in the Preston Towne Crossing shopping center at 2412 Preston Road in Plano held a Fly Tying 101 class Feb. 29. The participants learned to tie a wooly bugger.
Mike Spillman of Rowlett sets his hook in a vise
One of the wooly buggers on display during the class to show students what their fly should resemble upon completion of the Fly Tying 101 class
The wooly bugger is a wet fly that is fished under the water’s surface. It is a popular pattern for both freshwater and saltwater game fish. Depending on the colors of the materials used in its construction, the wooly bugger can imitate large nymphs, baitfish, leech, drowning terrestrial insects, clamworms, crayfish, shrimp or crabs. The wooly bugger attracts fish in fast or slow moving water, rivers, ponds and lakes, in dirty water or spring creeks. This fly was created by Russell Blessing in 1967.
Royce Calhoun of Garland concentrates as he ties material onto the hook shaft of his wooly bugger
Royce Calhoun, Hudson Brucker and Brian Brucker watch the instructor before continuing to tie their flies
Brian Brucker of Allen measures his Maribou feather against the hook’s shaft to insure the correct length before tying it on
Steven Palmer, Orvis instructor, demonstrates how to start wrapping thread onto the hook as Mike Spillman looks on
Hudson Brucker (11) threads his bobbin holder using a long-nosed needle threader Reed Spillman (6) watches before tying his final knot using a whip knot tool Steven Palmer spins his bobbin holder counter-clockwise after tying on the hackle feather
Whiting Farms of Oregon carefully breeds chickens that produce higher quality feathers that are specifically intended for fly fishing.
Mike Spillman helps his son, Reed, measure a Maribou feather for the correct length against the hook’s shaft
Daingerfield State Park
Eli Neale (8) of Longview selects a worm under the watchful eyes of his sister, Gracie (6), and brother, Joshua (4)
By John Parsons Daingerfield State Park hosted its third-annual Family Trout Fishing Days Jan. 18 and 25 after stocking Little Pine Lake with 4,000 rainbow trout, averaging 10 inches long. No fishing license was required and the fishing was free. “The 80-acre lake is spring fed with some areas reaching 32 feet deep,” Roy Dalby, who lives just two miles from the park, and Little Pine Friends of Daingerfield State Park
‘A Place Apart’
volunteer, said. “Some trout survive our Texas summer heat in those cooler areas so there are fish from previous years available for anglers to catch,” Dalby said. “The park, Texas State Fishery, Morris County and the City of Daingerfield each donated 1,000 trout,” Tammie Little, assistant park superintendent, said. Volunteers Dalby and Janice Vickery of Diana, Texas provided hot chocolate plus handed out loaner fishing poles and free corn and marshmallows for
visitors to use as bait. “The first day of this event saw 160 people attend,” Little said. “Few fish were caught that day.” Mark Yates brought his daughter, Shelby Yates, and her children, Laney Crawford (6) and Grayson Crawford (4) from Marshall to try their luck and enjoy a day together. They were the first to drop lines into the lake’s water. Charleen Worsham of Longview has attended the event before. She and a friend were camping at the park for the event. Worsham
used a cane pole in her efforts to catch fish. It was the first time for Sam and Ashley Neale of Longview to visit Daingerfield State Park. They brought their children, Eli (8), Gracie (6) and Joshua (4), with them to fish and have fun together. Richard Baumer and his sons, Reid (6) and Caleb (4), of Longview have visited the park before but this was their first time to fish. Reid spent little time before starting to fish from the pier. Jimmy Hill of
Longview, his daughter and her son come to the park “a lot.” They also tried their hands at catching some of the trout. Little Pine Friends of Daingerfielvd State Park was started in 2017. There are currently 19 active members. The group is a “501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the benefit and endless improvement” of the park, according to the membership application brochure. The Friends Group “assist the park in achieving its goals of serving visitors and protecting park resources,” according to
information about the group or volunteer opportunities can send a message to littlepinefriendsofdsp@ gmail.com. The federal government provides funds to the park based on the number of volunteer hours each year, Dalby and Vickery said. The park covers 506,913 acres and was deeded to the state in 1935 by private owners and opened in 1938. Architect J. Reginald Gunn and landscape architect Calvert Swing Winsborough led a group of local experienced men and
An angler fishes from a kayak in Little Pine Lake
the brochure. The brochure continues with the volunteer group’s mission statement: “It is the mission of Little Pine Friends of Daingerfield State Park to facilitate the conservation of natural and cultural resources, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and foster an understanding of the diversity of Texas’ lands and heritage for all generations.” There are a number of volunteer opportunities to get involved with throughout the year. Anyone interested in more
two Civilian Conservation Corps companies in developing the park 1935 to 1939. The companies, 2891, a white unit, and 1801, a black unit, utilized local timber and stone plus concrete to develop the park’s distinctive features. The park’s features include a store, overnight group lodge, cabins, camping sites, restrooms, showers, swimming area, picnic area, playground and much more for visitors to enjoy a stay or a day. Enjoying the
Reid Baumer (6) fishes while his dad, Richard, watches
outdoors has always been a priority at Daingerfield State Park. Families continue to pass down its recreational and nature activities to their younger members. This was obvious Jan. 25 as there were several families, including two threegeneration families, fishing for trout. Visitors are able to get up close and personal with the park’s hardwood and pine forests, wetlands and natural springs. They can experience the rich plant and animal life as the landscape showcases the park’s natural biodiversity. The park is rich in history and nature. It continues to give visitors the chance to experience the outdoors. Texas Parks and
Wildlife staff and volunteers work hard to ensure the park’s natural and cultural resources are protected for future generations. Reservations can be made through the department’s website, TexasStateParks.org.
The park is rich in history and nature More information about this historic and dynamic park can be found on the park’s website, tpwd. texas.gov/state-parks/ Daingerfield as well as its Facebook page, on Instagram and on Twitter. The park can be contacted by phone at 903645-2921.
Charleen Worsham fishes with her cane pole
The park is located at 455 Park Road 17, Daingerfield, Texas 75638.
Little Pine Friends of Daingerfield State Park volunteers Roy Dalby, who lives two miles from the park and Janice Vickery of Diana, Texas offer hot chocolate, doughnuts, free bait and loaner poles to visitors
Colorful paddle boats are available for rent
An angler fishes from a kayak during the family fishing day
A bridge for the hiking trail that goes around Little Pine Lake of Daingerfield State Park