When it comes to fishing in Texas, a lot of folks' thoughts tend to first turn to weekend trips to the coast, to places like Port Aransas (aka the "Fishing Capital of Texas"). And, listen, as a former Coastal Bend resident, I get it. Saltwater fishing is fun. But, as a native Austinite, I'm also here to tell you that there's plenty of good fishing to be done right here in Central Texas.
Don't believe me? Just ask Willie Pipkin.
This past February, the Austin native reeled in a whopping 14.05 pound while fishing near Barton Creek on the shore of Lady Bird Lake. His the lake's previous largemouth bass record of 13.50 pounds from 2015.
"When I finally got it to the bank ... I realized it was enormous, like way bigger than anything I've ever seen," Pipkin said. "I grabbed the scale and I put it on there real quick, and the scale said 14 [pounds.] I about lost my mind."
The big bass was also identified by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of this year's "Legacy ShareLunker" class.
The allows anglers who reel in a bass weighing more than 13 pounds during the first three months of the spawning period (January through March) to loan the fish to TPWD for the department's selective breeding and stocking program.
"We take that fish to our freshwater fishery center in Athens, Texas, and they spawn the fish out," Patrick Ireland, a fisheries biologist with TPWD, said. "And then the offspring from that fish, we will stock back into Lady Bird Lake and other reservoirs across Texas."
Pipkin's bass was released back into Lady Bird Lake in May, having spent three months at TPWD's freshwater fishery center.
Pipkin, a local musician, compared the record-breaking catch to winning a Grammy award.
"I go back down there [to Lady Bird Lake,] and I have, like, six or seven high school kids come up to me and want to talk to me," he said. "It's been fun � the amount of people who have responded positively."
Want to try and catch your own trophy fish, but don't know where to go? Here's a list of some places around Austin to help get you started.
But first, make sure to get a license!
Unless you're under 17 or visiting a state park, you'll likely need to purchase a license from TPWD before fishing.
Licenses can be purchased online on or at a . They range in price from $7 to $68 depending on the type you select.
Most Texas residents can purchase a one-day, all-water license for $11. The same license can be purchased by non-Texas residents for $16. These licenses allow for fishing in both freshwater and saltwater environments.
TPWD also offers freshwater, saltwater and all-water license packages. These licenses are valid from the time they are purchased to Aug. 31 of the same year. Texas residents 65 and older receive a special discounted price.
Nearly all of the money collected from license sales, Ireland said, goes directly towards helping operate TPWD's fisheries programs.
"It keeps the funding going for us to grow these fish and do habitat improvements. It even pays for law enforcement, to to make sure people are abiding by fish and game laws," he said. "It really is not just a fee, just to make people pay to go fishing. It's very helpful towards our endeavors."
Highland Lakes
There are plenty of great fishing spots located within the Highland Lakes chain, a series of large freshwater reservoirs created by dams on the lower Colorado River.
"Starting with Lake Buchanan, I think it goes into Inks, and then LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ and Lake Austin, into Lady Bird, and then back into the Colorado River," Pipkin said. "All those spots are great fishing."
He recommended anglers check out Lady Bird Lake because of its accessibility. Folks can easily cast a line from the shoreline, or launch a kayak or canoe to fish from.
Plus, Pipkin said, "I catch big fish out of there."
Ireland seconded the recommendation.
"For a small urban lake of only 400 or so acres, that lake produces very large fish of lots of different species," he said.
Ireland said it's not uncommon for anglers on the lake to catch and release as many as 20 to 30 largemouth bass each day.
If you do decide to check out and fish at Lady Bird Lake, make sure to keep an eye out for turtles! The lake is home to several species, including red-ear slider, soft shell and snapping turtles, and if you aren't paying attention, they can get stuck on your fishing hook.
Note: If a turtle does happen to swallow your fishing hook, or appears seriously injured, TPWD recommends calling . Do not place your fingers or hands around its mouth and try to remove it yourself.
You can check out the links below for more information from TPWD about fishing on the Highland Lakes:
State parks
If you're interested in fishing but aren't ready to invest money into a license or equipment, I recommend visiting one of the Austin area's many state parks.
"You don't need fishing licenses in our state parks, which is nice perk because we stock a lot of our state parks around this area, such as McKinney Falls, Blanco State Park, Bastrop State Park," Ireland said.
Some parks, like Bastrop State Park, even offer a , where you can borrow fishing equipment for free.
You can check out the links below for more information from TPWD about fishing at Austin-area state parks:
Neighborhood Fishin' Program
Does making a trip out to one of the Highland lakes or state parks seems like too much of a hassle? No worries. Check out one of the Austin area's community fishing ponds or lakes.
Both Bullfrog Pond and Kingfisher Lake at are stocked regularly with fish as part of TPWD's . The program aims to increase fishing opportunities for folks, especially youth, who live in urban areas of the state.
The agency typically stocks the park with catfish every two weeks, starting in the spring and ending in the fall. In the winter months, they switch to stocking the park with rainbow trout.
One of my favorite recent memories involves fishing at Bullfrog Pond with my younger siblings. The park has a fantastic fishing pier, bathrooms and a large, shaded pavilion near the pond that's great for picnics!
