Page 74 - Sun Rays March 2013

74 | SUNRAYS MARCH 2013 ONLINE: SCTXCA.ORG
The Hunting & Fishing Club
hosted the eighth annual Sun
City Texas Trout Tournament
at Berry Creek Pond on February 9-10.
Saturday, February 9 was a Members
Only day for the Hunting & Fishing
Club, but Sunday, February 10 was open
to the entire Sun City Texas community.
The tournament brought out close to
100 residents and their families and
friends, who were each allowed to keep
as many as five fish (if they caught them,
that is). There was also a healthy dose
of competition; each hour from 8 a.m. to
noon, a prize was awarded to whoever
caught the largest fish within that hour.
Approximately 350 farm-raised rainbow
trout were put in the pond for the big
event―that’s a lot of fish! The coordinator
for the event, Bill Smith, was also able to
acquire a new attraction to avid fishers:
10 lunkers. A “lunker” is an unusually
large fish. Whereas the majority of the
fishwere 1-lb. rainbow trout, the lunkers
were 5-plus pounds―a real catch!
Smith said that there were still about
250 trout left after the tournament, in-
cluding all 10 lunkers! All of the fish
Hunting & Fishing Club’s
Trout Tournament
By Maggi Jones
Catch of the day:
Your dinner!
PHOTOS BY HOLLY MOORE
that weren’t caught will live in the pond
through May to June, until the water
gets too hot for them to thrive (usually,
trout can’t survive in water over 65 de-
grees Fahrenheit). All residents are wel-
come to continue fishing for trout at the
pond through May; however, in order to
do so, a fishing license is required per
state regulation (available at the Texas
Parks & Wildlife website, www.tpwd.
state.tx.us). The club’s president, Jim
Grier, encourages residents to “come catch
your dinner!” There are a few exceptions
to this invitation: the club asks that any
“lunkers” be released; although they are
the largest trout, they are also fairly old
and not much of a treat to eat. Also, please
release any catfish, as the club is hoping