The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Local student angler, 11 year old Keagan Trahan of Bridge City, is all smiles as he cashed in on a tagged bass worth $1500.00 while recently on a trip to Toledo Bend.

Capt. Chuck Uzzle

For the Record

The annual hiatus from school that kids of all ages look for every year, otherwise known as Spring Break, is almost here.

During this week off from the rigorous demands of reading, writing, and arithmetic you can rest assured that a cry will rise up from the masses that there is nothing “fun” to do.

Video games have long been mastered and challenges are getting more difficult to come by every day, give your student a first hand look at some real life they may have never seen before and take them out on the water.

It is astounding that so many kids have so little idea about things that pertain to the outdoors.

On a guide trip last year a client had brought his college age son along, during the day we encountered some rosette spoonbills feeding in the shallows near the mouth of a bayou.

“Man would you look at those pink flamingos” the young man exclaimed, “I had no idea that there were really birds that looked like that?”.

After a brief lesson on the actual name of the birds and the places that they inhabit I could tell that the young man was becoming more interested in the trip as well as the surroundings.

After a day on the water this young man had a better perspective on a whole new world that he never knew existed until he witnessed it himself.

When things like this happen and I am fortunate enough to see how people are affected by the outdoors it gives me a good feeling that little else can compare with.

Now you don’t need to have a boat or fancy gear to get a kid started or introduced to the outdoors, all you need is some time and a little bit of planning.

There are plenty of places like piers, beaches, lakes, and rivers that offer outdoor opportunities.

State parks are great places to start because they have helpful information as well as personnel to get you headed in the right direction.

By placing a call to a particular park or outdoor venue you can get some idea of what each place has to offer as well as the best times to go there.

By doing a little bit of homework you can plan your outdoor activity and maximize your fun, after all fun is what it is all about.

One local student angler, 11 year old Keagan Trahan of Bridge City, got a jump on the Spring Break crowd recently on a trip to Toledo Bend.

Keagan was fishing a Texas rigged Senko in 12 feet of water when he caught a solid keeper bass that was a little bit unique.

The bass had a tag in it from BassCashBash.com which netted Keagan a smooth 1000 dollars! Keagan also earned an extra 500 bucks for his bonus registration! A mighty nice haul for the young angler and certainly one he and his family will not soon forget.

There are lots of local outdoor attractions here at home as well as all over the state to look at for Spring Break, choosing the right one for you and your young one is just the first step on a long journey that will provide many pleasant memories in the years to come.

The Blue Elbow Swamp, canoe trips on Village Creek, and just about any refuge along the gulf coast all offer some of the more interesting places to visit and things to do.

A simple phone call to the state park headquarters or visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website for all the information you need concerning each park and the activities offered.