It’s boats and boating, fish and fishing here on the dock with Rick Smith, brought to you by Marine Outlet of Temple, your Central Texas just add water boat dealer for new canoe kayaks and Old Town Ocean canoes and kayaks. 

The 16th annual Texas National Archery Championship draws a record number of student competitors to Belton. In the 16-year offering, a state tournament opportunity for Texas schools participating in the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP), a record 3,100 students from 148 schools met yesterday and today at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton.  

Students will have a chance to contend for awards and qualify for the NASP National Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. 

National Archery in the Schools’ competitions are unique in that teams are mixed gender by rule. Females comprise 45% of the participants registered this year in both the state qualifying tournament and the state tournament.  

“The National Archery and Schools Program fits all students regardless of gender, athletic, or academic ability,” said Bernie Kessner, Archery Coordinator for the Texas parts of Wildlife Department. 

Students come to compete from throughout the state. From the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle to the inner city of Houston, and they all use the same equipment. 

They also use school owned bows with no sights and no mechanical accessories, so it’s all about their abilities, not the gear. 

Participating schools also vary greatly in size, from small to large, from public to private. The state tournament will be attended by students from small rural schools, large urban campuses, and even home-schooled students. 

A total of $30,000 in college scholarships will be awarded at the tournament. The Texas NASP State Tournament has awarded over $180,000 to the top high school student Archers since the inaugural state tournament in 2006.  

For those competing, college scholarships will go to the top five male and top five female high school archers, along with trophies, medals and new bows and arrows in all categories. 

1st place male and female archers in each division receive Genesis bows and the high scoring male and female Archer will receive a limited-edition Genesis Bow. Door prize drawings will take place throughout the day.  

Students from schools that teach NASP archery as part of the in-school curriculum and shoot a qualifying score in the state qualifying tournament are qualified to compete in the annual March tournament. The qualifying tournament will be held in January with more than 3,200 students participating for a chance to move on to state. 

First place teams in each division are automatically qualified to attend the national tournament. Additional teams may attend with qualifying team scores, and 1st through 10th place male and female individual winners in each division qualified to attend.  

NASP is a nonprofit foundation able to operate only by support from a variety of generous donors, including medal level sponsors, Matthews Archery, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Morrell Targets, the Block, and Rinehart Targets.  

Toyota and the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation are the primary sponsors of TXNASP, and the program is part of Texas Hunters and Bowhunter Education efforts.  

To learn more about the Texas National Archery in the Schools Program, go to the website tpwd.texas.gov and search for the archery division. 

This reminder that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has closed oyster harvesting in three zones in Texas, TX-2, TX-3, and TX-9 in Galveston Bay. These areas closed commercial and recreational oyster harvest yesterday. This closing is based on samples recently collected by the Texas Parks Wildlife Department, showing low abundance of legal-size oysters. 

Parks and Wildlife has worked with the oyster industry to develop criteria for closing areas to harvest. 

The criteria include parameters for oysters when they fall below certain thresholds based on the abundance of legal-size oysters which are three inches or greater, and the percentage of the small oysters from 2 to 2.9 inches. 

All areas currently closed to harvest will continue to be monitored by Parks and Wildlife and will reopen when criteria thresholds are met. For a full list of the Closings of the oyster harvest, go to the Parks and Wildlife website tpwd.texas.gov.  

This is Rick Smith on the dock, wishing you clear horizons, fair winds, and tight lines.