Area lakes are among best-rated for fishing in entire U.S.



Amistad dam on the U.S.-Mexico boundary near Del, Rio Texas

The Fort Worth (Cowtown) Star Telegram is reporting:



Falcon Lake and Lake Amistad (Del Rio) are known for their black bass, but fishermen have been cautioned about safety since Mexico began cracking down on border violence in 2006. In March, the FLW Outdoors canceled a tournament scheduled for Falcon Lake and moved it to Beaver Lake in Kentucky. Each of the tournament's 11 events produce between $1.5 million and $3 million for the local economies, spokesman Jeff McCoy said.

 

"We would never put our contestants in harm's way," McCoy said. "So when prospective tour fishermen expressed fear over border violence, our antenna went up."

"I advise anglers to file an agenda of their plans when fishing Falcon or Amistad," said Alfonzo Vielma of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in San Antonio. "Tell friends where you are going and what time you're planning to return. Always take a cellphone and list the number of the county sheriff and local game warden. If you decide to venture into Mexico waters, don't go too far. Keep yourself in a position to exit quickly if necessary. We have had no known incidents occur on the Texas sides of either lake."