The general hunting season is over with the closing of the special youth-only and late spike and antlerless seasons on Sunday. Now it is time for the outdoor-minded person to try some winter fishing.

In many northern states, winter fishing through the ice is a popular sport. We do not have that opportunity in Texas, but there are other options.

As I reported in a previous column, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks rainbow trout in various community fishing lakes, state parks and popular river tailraces that offer easy angling access.

Anglers use a variety of baits -- from whole-kernel, canned corn or commercial soft bait to artificial flies and small spinners. Of course, earthworms are always a good bait to catch trout and many other species of fish.

Although many trout stockings have been completed, several more are scheduled through February. Some of these are the Guadalupe River tailrace below Canyon Dam on Friday and again Jan. 29, and Nolan Creek in Belton on Feb. 12. Other stockings include Copperas Cove City Park Lake on Feb 14 and Blanco State Park on Feb. 21. Each site will receive from 1,000 to 2,000 rainbows.

Probably the most popular trout fishing spot in Texas is the Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam. This winter, the river will receive more than 19,000 trout.

The Guadalupe is the only fishable place in Texas where rainbow trout can survive during the summer months.

One public access point along the river, Camp Hueco Springs, has been leased by TPWD specifically for trout fishing. An area map and directions to the site are available on the TPWD Web site.

A Texas freshwater fishing license is required for trout. Youth anglers 16 and younger and all anglers fishing within state parks are exempt from the fishing license requirement.

Daily bag limit is five trout, and there is no minimum limit, except for a 10-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River below the tailrace. In this area, anglers may keep only one trout per day, which must be 18 inches in length, and any trout must be caught on artificial lures.

Speaking of fishing, a recent report by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the American Sportfishing Association, 12 state fish and wildlife agencies including Texas reported an almost 8 percent increase in the number of fishing licenses sold in the first six months of 2009.

Possible reasons for the increased sales range from a slow economy, which may allow people more time to participate in outdoor activities, to fishing being a lower-cost alternative to other forms of recreation.

The report states that anglers contribute the most significant funding source for conservation and recreation in the United States. With the purchase of fishing licenses and special excise taxes on gear and motorboat fuel, hundreds of millions of dollars are collected each year or funneled to state wildlife agencies for conservation and recreation.

In 2008, $720 million in excise taxes were distributed for fisheries management and recreational boating enhancement. Fishing license sales generated an additional $600 million in revenue for state and fish wildlife agencies.

Another study on outdoor recreation participation showed that in 2007 alone, more than one million Texans hunted, two million went fishing, and there were four million Texans who enjoyed wildlife through activities such as bird watching, kayaking and nature study.

Our country has been experiencing an economic recession for some time, and relatively speaking, outdoor activities are still affordable for most Texans. Fishing does not require a lot of expense. As I said before, if you fish in a Texas state park, you do not even have to purchase a fishing license.

Former Soil Conservation Service employee and longtime writer Mat Taylor offers his outdoors column for Dispatch Record readers. He can be contacted at (254) 518-2262 or via e-mail at mntaylor@wildblue.net.