The Lost Rider Podcast with Herman Brune

Martha Spencer's first career choice was broadcast media. She worked her way up through the ranks to becoming the meteorologist at the ABC affiliate in New Orleans. However, she decided to change careers. Cajun Adventures suited her better and she became an offshore deep-water fishing guide. She loves the deep-water but ultimately moved to guiding the bays along the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Much of her interview is about how to fish, know the moon phases, and watching tides. She also discusses the variables of bay guiding versus off shore guiding. Martha says deep water guiding is a young person's business. There are less days to guide, a smaller profit margin, and it's harder on you physically. Nevertheless, it's obvious she still likes the big water as she says that on a good day a person can sneak from the bays to fish a little offshore.

Michael Scherer is a catalyst for Fishing's Future. It is a program that is active in 18 states with more than 35,000 participants. One of the largest groups is in Katy ISD with more than 14,000 students and their families. Scherer explains that it's all about getting families into the outdoors. He also says that they have the capabilities to accommodate anyone despite situations or handicaps. Scherer says they teach how to find, catch and cook fish.

There are four tips:

1. Learn the fish

2. Cast where the fish are

3. Know before you go (regulations and keeping a journal of knowledge)

4. If you don't know let it go - It's all about making and saving memories.

 

One last bit of policy is the 3R's: Recruit, Retain, and Reactivate. Scherer says that fishing them is not a "one and done" deal. Fishing's Future takes families fishing multiple times. 

Cole Payne is the new president of the Texas Brigades. These are the summer youth camps based on the academic teachings of wildlife conservation. Some of the themes are Coastal Brigades, Bobwhite Brigades, Buckskin Brigades, Water Fowl Brigades, Bass Brigades, etc. Payne came up through the ranks as a student and volunteer. The week-long schedules include as many class room studies as they do outdoor activities. It's a hands-on experience and each venue boasts experts explaining and showing the high school aged youngsters the values of managing habitat, as well as, familiarizing them more with the biology of various species. The camps are geared towards giving a leg up to students that may select a career in the outdoors. 

Russell Stacey is the new Executive Director of the Dallas Safari Club (DSC). He came up through the ranks of volunteers and has served as the president of the Dallas Safari Club Foundation.

Stacey relates that while DSC is all about conservation, the Foundation is committed to education.

Also, DSC has added another event to their annual offerings. The DSC Summer Expo and Foundation Gala will be at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, in Grapevine, Texas. It provides a family-oriented outing with vendors, conservation seminars, and the usual waterpark and experience of staying at the Gaylord Hotel. 

Matt Rice is the spokesman for the organization American Rivers. Rice's expertise concerns problems in the American West with the Colorado River that most U.S. citizens recognize. Meanwhile, American Rivers is coming to Texas, and Rice is interested in learning more about the Texas, Colorado River. Brune elaborates the loss of agriculture, and wildlife habitat as the Texas, Colorado River no longer supplies irrigation water to the Lower Colorado River Valley. The two talk about the easily confused topics as Rice explains that the western Colorado River also loses water for agriculture and wildlife as mandates sent water to the east side of the Continental Divide for Denver and Ft. Collins. 

James Bigley is an international ranch realtor based in New Braunfels, Texas. He operates in all 50 U.S. states, as well as, Mexico and South Africa. Bigley's concern is that he brokers large acreages to first time ranch owners who must learn conservation, land, water, and wildlife stewardship. Along with the basic tenants of rangeland management, Bigley knows that it's necessary to understand the legalities involved in the social, economic, and literal weather climates in which he operates. He helps clients gain the conservation knowledge needed for the properties they acquire.

Challenger to the HD85 state representative seat is Lt. Col. Dennis Geesaman. He says that the days of bipartisanship, as seen with George W. Bush and Bob Bullock, are gone. Geesaman feels that the Democrat left has moved so far that compromise is all but gone. He agrees that the MO of school funding should be removed from property taxes, and the homestead tax needs to be eliminated for everyone. Otherwise, the American Dream will not be available to the next generations. He recognizes that new ideas are in place to check the declining rates of education, and he relates that while he would be a freshman legislator, he desires to seek seats on agriculture related committees. One of his quotes indicates that the seemingly bloated budget is caused by spending problems. 

The Texas 2026 March primary season is heating up. But, State Representative Stan Kitzman is adamant that Austin is not Washington D. C. While many issues are decided down party lines, Kitzman says that without bipartisanship amendments and many issues high on constituents' radar would not be resolved. He also goes on to relate that "water issues" are looming larger than ever on the horizon. It is probable that precedents, such as the rule of capture, will be discussed in the next session. He also says that the burgeoning budget is due to the ever-growing population. Kitzman assures us that removing the MO school funding will provide more property tax relief while efforts are in place to "raise the bar" on public education.