Texoma Talk Blog

Toby Keith Foundation Fish Bowl 2020

BJ Kirkpatrick Lake Texoma news, News 06/10/202007/23/2025Fishing

The Fish Bowl 2020, hosted by The Toby Keith Foundation, will take place on Lake Texoma June 20, 2020. First place in the Bass Division will be $10,000 (based on 150 boats) and a $500 prize will go to the worst fisherman. Entry fee is $200 for a two person team.

“We are beyond grateful and excited to have found ways to revise The Fish Bowl to ensure everyone’s safety and keep it on our schedule,” said Executive Director, Toby Keith Foundation, Juliet Nees-Bright.

The Foundation’s goal is to keep the momentum of this event going through a difficult time and do everything in their power to keep the fishermen safe while they enjoy the tournament. The Captains meeting will not be mandatory this year and will only be for those who did not register online or send in their registration via mail. The Captains Meeting will be at 6 pm, June 19, 2020 at the Rally Pavilion, Rooster Creek Campground, Lake Texoma State Park, Kingston, Oklahoma.

Anglers can launch from any launch site in either the Texas or Oklahoma. Weigh-in will be at Rooster Creek by 3:00 pm.

Register online at www.tobykeithfoundation.ort/news-and-events. Entries will be accepted through 6 pm, June 19, 2020. For more information call (405) 271-6552, email Juliet@tobykeithfoundation.org or visit the website Registration will also be available at the Captains Meeting.

In the event of inclement weather and the fishing tournament has to be cancelled, your registration fee will be considered a donation to The Toby Keith Foundation or will be refunded upon request.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the OK Kids Korral. A haven for the entire family as a child with cancer receives treatment, the OK Kids Korral provides comfort for the family in a time of pain. Located only a few blocks from the Children’s Hospital, The Ok Kids Korral provides spaces where children can let loose and parents can simply relax instead of spending long hours traveling to the hospital for treatments. Donations will be accepted.

Northeast Texas Children’s Museum schedules summer activities

BJ Kirkpatrick News 06/06/202007/23/2025

Northeast Texas Children’s Museum announces summer activities. An emphasis on outdoor activities is reflected in the June calendar at the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum. “Because of the concern over COVID -19, the Children’s Museum is putting more emphasis on our outdoor area. Even though temperature checks, handwashing, and frequent sanitized cleaning are a part of our policy for the inside of the building, some parents may still prefer outside play for their children. We have a great outdoor area which includes the State Farm ship, a sand area, and a dry riverbed with sharks teeth. However, we are adding specific outdoor activities to enhance the area”, said Sharline Freeman, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum.

Beginning with a visit from the Davis Family Animals on the morning of June 12, weekly outdoor activities are planned. On Friday, June 19th the outdoor area will become an obstacle course with water balloons instead of basketballs for shooting at the goal, tunnels, and additional outside obstacles to overcome. This activity will be available in both the morning at 11:00 and the afternoon at 1:30.

There will even be a Fourth of July Egg Hunt on Friday, July 3rd. Under the sponsorship of Brookshire’s Grocery, 2,000 eggs were provided to the Children’s Museum for the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. Because of the closures related to Covid-19, the Easter Egg Hunt has now become the Fourth of July Egg Hunt. Again, there will be one hunt in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Regular admission to the Children’s Museum covers the cost for the additional activities. There will be a limited number of participants, and reservations can be made online or by calling the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum at 903-886-6055. Updates for summer activities can be seen on the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum’s web page at www.netxcm.com or the museum Facebook page.

Lake Texoma Free Fishing Days

BJ Kirkpatrick Lake Texoma news, News 06/05/202007/23/2025Fishing

The first Saturday in June each year is designated as Free Fishing Day in Texas. Texans can fish on any public waterbody in the state without a fishing license on June 6, 2020. Everyone can fish (while practicing social distancing, of course) without a state fishing license on Oklahoma’s Free Fishing Days June 6 -7, 2020. If you are fishing on Lake Texoma, you will need a Lake Texoma or Texas fishing license for June 7^th.

All of Lake Texoma is open for free fishing June 6, but free fishing will only apply to the Oklahoma portion of the lake June 7. Anglers must abide by all Texas fishing license and permit requirements when fishing the Texas portion of Lake Texoma on June 7.

“Free Fishing Day is a wonderful opportunity for anglers to share their knowledge, skills, equipment, and love for fishing with a new participant, yet it’s also more than that,” said Craig Bonds, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department inland fisheries director. “We hope those trying fishing on this special day will also learn that purchasing a license is an act of conservation. A fishing license purchase is one of the simplest and most effective way people can support fisheries science and management.”

“These are some of the best days to take a newcomer or youth fishing with you,” said Skylar St. Yves, fishing coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “There’s no state fishing license requirements, so someone who has never been before can just wake up in the morning and head out for a fun day of fishing. And someone from out of state can visit and enjoy what Oklahoma’s waters have to offer without worrying about having a state fishing license.”

Even though the outdoors are always open on Lake Texoma, the Wildlife Departments encourages everyone to heed health officials’ recommendations for staying safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. For anglers, it’s easy to distance yourself from other by the length of an adult’s fishing rod.

License sales are one of the primary sources of funding for the Wildlife Departments of Texas and Oklahoma. Sportsmen and sportswomen pay for conservation projects when they buy a license. The Department’s Free Fishing Days can help us introduce new anglers and ensure that great fishing and habitat work will continue for years to come. There’s no excuse not to take someone fishing on June 6 and 7. The weather is usually nice, the fishing is great and, best of all, it’s free.