'It's exciting': Texas offers Free Fishing Day June 5

Cast'em if you've got'em, especially this Saturday, June 5, when an oh-fish-ial license won't be required all day in any Texas body of water.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)'s annual Free Fishing Day is all about the roe-mance and, for some, the oppor-tuna-ty to learn from the bass-t, Inland Fisheries Division Outreach and Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center Director Tom Lang told Houston Daily.

"Free Fishing Day[s] have been occurring in states across the country for decades," Lang said. "While I was not a part of those early discussions, I believe that the inspiration, the heart of free fishing day, came from – and still comes from – the love of fishing and the innate desire of anglers to share their joy with others. Having a free fishing day makes it just that much easier for anglers to introduce a friend or family member to the joys of fishing."

Free Fishing Day "is a wonderful opportunity" for newbies to mullet over what this sport could mean for them going forward, TPWD Director Craig Bonds said in a June 1 announcement.

"We hope those trying fishing on this special day will also learn that purchasing a license is an act of conservation," Bonds said. "A fishing license purchase is one of the simplest and most effective way people can support fisheries science and management."

More than a year of pandemic didn't scale back on popularity of the sport in Texas, Lang said.

"All indications are that COVID-19 appears to have increased fishing participation and participation in outdoor activities in general, including during Free Fishing Day," he said. "Fishing is an excellent mental and physical health activity and has been readily accessible for a great many Texans with the many close to home fishing opportunities that we at TPWD work so hard to provide."

The piscine staying power of fishing in Texas is obvious, Lang said.

"There’s a reason that people say that a 'bad day fishing is better than a good day at work,'" he said. "Take someone fishing, you’ll be glad you did."

Lang said fishing is for everyone to enjoy.

"It’s exciting to catch a fish, it’s also peaceful while waiting for the bite, and of course if you choose to keep them, they can make for a tasty meal that you can be proud of that you provided," he said.

Lang said the funds from fishing licenses are used to conserve aquatic resources for current and future generations.

If Saturday won't be enough, fishing is free year-round in Texas' 70 state parks, though you're still on the hook entry fees.