It sounds like a broken record, but it looks like we are going to have more rain and thunderstorms. Already our lakes are right at flood levels, and now more rain. 

As the main law enforcement presence at Texas State Parks, Park Police officers protect the state’s natural and cultural resources through community-oriented policing and emergency response.

AUSTIN – Anglers across the State of Texas are gearing up for Free Fishing Day on June 5. The first Saturday in June each year allows Texans to fish on any public waterbody in the state without a fishing license.

Our lakes are still above normal levels, and some are slightly stained to muddy. Pat Mayse, as well as other area lakes, is this way, and usually the dam areas have the clearer waters.

"My love for building a cabin back in the woods began at an early age. Two neighbor buddies and I used hatchets to hack down several sweet gum saplings in the patch of woods beside our farm to construct our cabin."

Maybe after this week the rain will give us a break and hold off for a while. Most of our area lakes are above normal pool; some as much as 4 feet, and others about 2 to 3 feet above normal.

For the past couple weeks, the topwater bite on Texoma has been as good as it gets. Early summer is traditionally the best time for catching stripers on topwater plugs here.

There is plenty of water flowing at the trailrace behind the Dam at Mayse. I’m not sure what the anglers are catching, but there’s several of them fishing there.

The big fish bite for trophy blue catfish has slowed as always this time of year, but now is a time of plenty for anglers wishing to target the eater fish weighing between 2 and 10 pounds.

The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

Rains and high winds — just generally bad weather for fun fishing. This past weekend almost all our area lakes had these conditions. On Pat Mayse, we also had falling water levels which is bad for the spawn.

Trail cameras have come a long way since the first one I used several decades ago. A company out of Louisiana sent me a camera that actually recorded photos on 35 mm film.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Community Archery Program wants to help Texans learn how to harvest their own meals, join a tradition in the outdoors, and improve on or learn a new skill through “Bowhunter by Fall."

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is hosting the first statewide virtual 5K “Spring Spawning Run” to celebrate the fish spawning season.

Since we are going to get warmer nights, water temps will rise, and when they do, there will be a wave of bass coming to the shallows.

Is there anything more exciting while fishing than watching a big bass attack a top water bait, strike it hard, miss getting hooked, and come back and nail it again?

On most of our area lakes, the fish have spawned or are getting ready to begin their spawning cycle. They aren’t all in the same spawning cycle though.

I enjoyed a couple of days outdoors last week, and I truly wish each and every one of you could have been with me. Since that’s impossible, let me describe the short but fun and action packed couple of days.

Crazy, crazy weather — temperatures running from the low 80s to low 40s, plus wind and rain. All of this adds to the confusion of the fish and the fishermen as well.