Lake Amistad angler and businessman, Carl Wengenroth, owner/operator of Angler’s Lodge and Riverslung Lure Company has accepted even more responsibilities in his new role as Texas BASS Federation Nation Fish Care Coordinator.  Tim Cook, Conservation Director for Texas BASS Federation Nation has appointed Wengenroth to help ease the burden of the demands of the conservation director, by creating a new position, focusing on this extremely important aspect of conservation, fish care.

In his new role as Fish Care Coordinator, Wengenroth will be travelling extensively throughout the state.  He will be meeting with the tournament director in each region to discuss ideas for proper fish care and even meeting with individual bass clubs to provide educational seminars, when requested.  According to Wengenroth his primary concern is to ensure everyone is using holding tanks.  These holding tanks need to be equipped with oxygen bottles to provide the recommended level of oxygen. Sure Life™ chemicals are also recommended.   Additionally, one tank should be dedicated as a salt dip tank to treat the fish before releasing the fish back into the lake.  Wengenroth is excited about the Federation’s addition of the live release trailer this year.  He says he has not seen it yet, but expects it to be similar to the trailer used by Bass Champs.  The benefit of the trailer is that fish can be treated and released back to the lake with less handling and less stress.  The fish are handled at the weigh in, recovered in the tank, and released at the boat ramp directly from the tank.

Wengenroth brings some unique credentials to the table.  In addition to his current role has Conservation Director for the Texas BASS Federation Nation West Region, Wengenroth operates a local tackle shop which includes an official weigh station for the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TWP) Sharelunker program.  His facilities include holding tanks, aeration, and chemical treatments necessary to recover and hold large fish, preparing them for transportation by TWP to their facilities in Athens, Texas.  As part of an ongoing process to learn more about fish care, especially in Lake Amistad, Wengenroth has been involved with a lengthy study, conducted by TWP to determine the effects of “phizzing”.  Phizzing is a process used by some tournament anglers to release the air trapped in a fish’s bladder, when that fish was caught in deep water, to improve the survival rate of fish brought to the scales.  This has been a lengthy on-going study, but results are expected soon.  Wengenroth has been an advocate for fish care for some time, speaking out when necessary to denounce practices counterproductive to the well being of fish during some tournaments.  He has offered and provided support to organizations such as BASS for their Elite series tournaments and their Open tournaments.  Even though BASS has its own methods of handling fish, Wengenroth is able to provide help with conditions unique to Amistad.

If you have any questions for Carl Wengenroth, or you club would like to schedule an educational seminar he may be contacted at 830 719 9907 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .