The Texas Game Warden Academy’s largest class ever is set to hit the field next week.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) said game wardens perform water rescue operations, respond to natural disasters, and conduct public outreach programs, in addition to enforcing traditional hunting, fishing, and water safety regulations.

"Basically, game wardens are the primary law enforcement off the pavement in Texas ," said Major Danny Shaw, director of training at the academy.

This 54th Game Warden graduating class was the first to be trained at the academy’s new site in Hamilton County , in a facility donated by the nonprofit Police Activities League.

Previously, cadets trained at a converted warehouse in Austin and various borrowed facilities around the state, adding extra costs and travel time to the training schedule.

Current graduates received 1,400 hours of training over seven months in areas such as peace officer training, firearm use, public speaking, police driving, all terrain vehicles, and various Texas Parks and Wildlife statutes and other state codes.

Now onto the report...

North Sabine---Trout are fair with some fish reported in East Pass and along the Louisiana shoreline on live bait and light colored plastics. Reds are mixed with the trout. Flounder are good along the Intracoastal and in the bayous on Gulp shrimp and live bait.

South Sabine---Capt. Phillip Samuels reports fair under birds under emerging slicks along the Louisiana shoreline and on the main lake. Gulp shrimp and light colored shrimp imitations are producing the most fish. Flounder are fair along the Louisiana shoreline and around the causeway on live finger mullet.

Sabine Pass ---Capt. Brian Fischer reports good trout fishing over shell on Bass Assassins and live bait. The jetties are good for small sharks and bull reds on mullet. Spanish mackerel are also thick at the jetties. The rigs are starting to hold good numbers of kings with a few ling and tripletail caught as well.

Sabine River ---Shell Cut has been fair to good for blue catfish and redfish on mullet. The shoreline between Adams Bayou and the Dupont Outfall has been holdings reds and many small flounder.

Calcasieu ( Big Lake )---The Hackberry Rod and Gun Club reports trout and reds are good under the birds and around slicks throughout the system on live bait and soft plastics. Topwater action is early and late. Very few reports of flounder.

Sam Rayburn---Guide Roger Bacon reports bass are remain good on Carolina-rigged Fin-S Worms on the outside grass lines in colors like redbug, junebug and other dark colors. Crappie are fair to good on the brush piles on shiners fished in 25 foot depths. Most of the fish are hanging in 15 feet of water. Channel cats are fair around baited brush piles on the main lake on shiners.

Toledo Bend ---Holly Park Marina reports largemouths are good on chug bugs, frogs and buzz baits. Crappie are good over baited brush and boat docks on shiners. White bass are good on spoons fished late on the flats. Bream are still hitting crickets and worms but few of the fish are on beds. Very few reports of catfish.

Lake Livingston ---Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials report largemouths are fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and topwaters. Striped bass are good but small on pet spoons and hellbenders. White bass are very good on hellbenders, pet spoons, and Charlie slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are very good on shad. Yellow catfish are slow.