Storm chasing came into existence when David Hoadley from North Dakota started chasing storms back in 1956. He used to collect the data (predictions) from weather stations and airport control towers. Neil Ward together with Oklahoma university played a major role in institutionalizing storm chasing. Oklahoma university together with NSSL (national severe storms laboratory) initiated the tornado intercept project in the year 1972.
Storm chasing now is more of a recreational endeavor and is seldom research specific. Its main intentions remain photography and video recording. It is one of the favorite endeavors for thrill seekers who like to live life on the edge by chasing dangers.
Storm chasing can also be used for scientific work is generally cited as a goal. Direct participation in such work is almost always impractical except for those collaborating in an organized university or government project. Storm chasers are also storm spotters. They report observations of hazardous weather to the concerned authorities. As these are real time reports, they benefit real-time warnings with practically seen information as well as science which increases the reliability of severe storm databases used by weather stations and climatologist.
Storm-chasing is generally done using light vehicles that can maneuver on difficult roads. Normally they are trailed along with an RV that has make shift radars and other weather-tracking gadgets that are used to spot changes in weather and probable development of a storm in the nearby area.
Storm chasers are not generally paid to chase, with the exception of television media crews in certain television market areas, video stringers and photographers, and researchers such as a handful of graduate meteorologists and professors. An increasing number do sell storm videos and pictures and manage to make a profit.
You don’t need a specific qualification to be a storm chaser. Local National Weather Service offices do offer storm spotter training classes, which are usually held during the spring.
Storm chasers come from a wide variety of occupational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Chasers may be professors, scientists from other fields, engineers, programmers, students, teachers, pilots, medical doctors, postal workers, laborers, photographers, or from any other totally unrelated background. A large majority of chasers are male. Although the ages range from teenagers to those in their 60’s, the average age is probably around 35. Many of these storm chasers possess college degrees and a large number of them live in the central and southern region of The United States.
If you are looking to go fishing, Texas is probably the best place for you to go try out your luck. It becomes the best state for fishing as it has almost all varieties of fish. If you are looking for a saltwater fish or a freshwater fish, you can go to Texas for fishing. The state has all types of fish for everyone’s needs. Some of the hotspots in the state are outstanding in terms of quantity, quality, and in some cases both. The ideal way to go about fishing in any part of the country is to keep an eye out for the peak times. Read along to find out what to find in spring and summer according to the fishing reports of Texas.
Spring (March, April, May)
Spring is fairly the best time for you to go fishing for largemouth fish, according to the fishing reports of Texas. Out of the 50 biggest largemouth fish that are available in Texas, 34 can be found in Lake Fork. The record for the biggest largemouth fish is 18.18 pounds, which was also found in Lake Fork in March. If you go to the mid-term of Spring, you would have to move to Lake Buchanan and get your hands on the blue catfish. Lake Buchanan also has a good number of channel cats and flatheads. Lake Texoma if where you would want to be towards the end of the season. The Stripers that have migrated during Feb and March start to show up in the open water areas.
Summer (June, July, August)
Red snapper is the primary fish to be found during the initial stages of summer in the Gulf of Mexico. However, it is an issue among the fishery officials due to the quotas and season dates. The fishing reports of Texas also state the fish to be the most wanted fish as well as one of the tastiest fish in Texas. Lake Tawakoni is the home for Channel Catfish that are found in abundance during the mid-term of the summer. West Tawakoni is also deemed as the “Catfish Capital of Texas.” The annual catfish haul takes place during the summer and it is an event you must not miss out on. August would bring in the end of the summer and Laguna Madre is the place to be so that you can get your hands on some fresh Speckled Trout. Fishing reports of Texas have shown that the “Mother Lagoon” is one of the best places for you to go fishing during this period.
If you are looking to go fishing on a Sunday afternoon, there is one thing you must keep an eye on before heading out of home the fishing report. A fishing report is written by people who go fishing, it essentially talks about the type of fish available in a certain area, the weather conditions, tidal waves, and the intensity of the ocean current. A fishing report is ideally used by fishermen to know where they can find a certain type of fish they are looking for. It helps them determine where to cast their lines.
The water temperature can define the activeness of the fish in that area. If the temperature is high, then the fish would not move around a lot as it will be significantly hot. Similarly, if it is cold, then they will not move at all. To sum it up, unless the temperature of the water is pleasant, the fish will not indulge in a significant amount of movement. It is difficult to lure resting fish as they will not bite or chase the lure.
Another important component of a fishing report is the water conditions. Whether the water is still or moving, the pace of the movement (if any), if the water is muddy or full of debris are factors to be kept in mind. If the water is moving too quickly or there is a significant amount of mud in the water, then it will be a bad day to go fishing. The fish will not be able to exercise complete control on their movement and will not be able to see the bait if it is too muddy.
These reports are made according to different regions which help the fishermen decide when and where to go fishing. For example, fishing reports of Texas, Washington state, green bay etc. A fishing report of Texas would broadly include the weather condition, wind speed, when the fish are biting, where they are biting, and the types of bait that are effective.
Fishing report of Texas
Texas is home for Saltwater fish like Black Drum, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, and many others. If you are going out fishing in this season you will come across Snapper (red), Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, Redfish, and Black Drum. The best time to go fishing during spring is late-afternoon and early evenings. The fish bite due to a high metabolism and digestion. The sun overhead helps the fish move around adequately.