SPORTS
OUTDOORS: Rains boost stockings
Widespread rains in spring raised lakes to levels not seen in years, and lakes were stocked to take advantage of improved habitat.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department freshwater fisheries had a better-than-expected production year for Florida largemouth bass, blue catfish, striped bass and palmetto bass – making all of them more available.
TPWD has five inland fish hatcheries; however, one is currently closed due to water supply problems.
Regardless, in 2015, the department produced and stocked nearly 500,000 channel catfish fingerlings, 800,000 blue catfish fingerlings, 4.8 million striped bass and other fingerlings including Guadalupe bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill and largemouth bass.
Spring rains also brought reservoirs to levels great for the habitat of those fingerlings.
When reservoir levels go down for several years, vegetation grows up in the dry lake bottom. When levels rise, the flooded vegetation gives little fish a place to hide from predators.
Nutrients are released into the water, and it jumpstarts the food chain.
Spawns from resident fish also benefit from the higher water levels.
The TPWD reports fishing should see a significant improvement during the next several years, and predator species like bass and striped bass will have plenty to eat and grow quickly.
Information on stocking procedures may be found at: tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/stocking.
For more information, call your local TPWD biologist.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries technicians Steven Hise (left) and Wes Dutter transfer striped bass fingerlings from the hauling trailer to containers on board a boat in preparation for stocking them in Possum Kingdom Reservoir located in Young County. Possum Kingdom received 213,209 Florida largemouth bass fingerlings. (Courtesy photo from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department)
The Nocona Lady Indians beat Saint Jo at home on Saturday morning.
The Lady Indians won 16-1 after four innings due to run-rule against the smaller school.
Nocona was coming off a competitive loss at Collinsville earlier in the week while the Lady Panthers were hoping to compete after a busy week of their athletes doing everything else besides just softball.
The Lady Indians easily won the first matchup between the teams in March, 19-2 and it was more of the same on Saturday.
Saint Jo struck first to start the game off well. Jordyn O’Neal hit a one out single. Krista Reeves followed with a walk after O’Neal had stolen second base and had advanced to third thanks to an error trying to throw her out. A wild pitch then allowed her to score to put the Lady Panthers up 1-0.
The lead did not last long. Nocona’s first two batters drew walks which set up Abby Hill to drive them both in with a single to right field.
Despite giving up a single and a walk later in the inning, Saint Jo’s defense did not allow another run. A line out and groundout to the shortstop while picking off a runner attempting to steal got the Lady Panthers out of the inning unscarred.
The Lady Indians led 2-1.
That was about as competitive as it got. In the second inning, Nocona’s bats got going. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases up with no outs.
Reagan Phipps drew a walk that drove in a run. Hill hit another two RBI single. Skye Kirby followed with a two RBI double.
After the first out, Allie Sutton drove in one run with a single. There was a fly out for out two, before a runner came in to score after a passed ball. Finally, an error allowed two more runs to score on the base paths.
Nocona had scored nine runs and led 11-1 to break the game open heading into the third inning.
Taylor Patrick hit a double, with O’Neal and Reeves following with singles. Unfortunately for Saint Jo, Patrick was thrown out before the hits attempting to steal a base so the Lady Panthers scored no runs from this.
The Lady Indians kept pouring on the runs. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases up with no outs. Tinley Cable then hit an RBI single. Shelby Swell was hit by a pitch that drove in another run.
After two strikeouts, Evelyn Marquez drove in two more runs on a double to put Nocona up 15-1, coming up one run short of ending the game early.
The Lady Indians scored that one run in the fourth inning. After Phipps drew a leadoff walk, Hill hit a triple that drove her in to end the game.
Nocona won 16-1.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
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