May 23, 2008

TPWD: 2008 Coastal Fishing Forecast Outstanding

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas coastal fishing forecast for 2008 looks much improved compared to last year. In 2007, one of the wettest summers on record played havoc with fishing success, as finding fish and identifying fishing patterns were a challenge to even the best anglers. On a positive note, biologists say, all the freshwater that came flushing into the bays carried nutrients and sediments that can really boost productivity. Coupled with a mild and dry winter, this year all of Texas’ bays are poised to really take off and provide some of the best fishing in years, biologists say.

"We are about to get a real-life demonstration of just how important freshwater inflows into our bays and estuaries really are," said Larry McKinney, Ph.D., TPWD coastal fisheries director. "It was such an extraordinary event that I am sure it will sustain productivity for some time and the end result will be some very strong year classes of fish, especially along the upper coast."

That prediction is echoed by Mark Fisher, Ph.D., TPWD coastal fisheries science director. Fisher has sorted through the mountain of data compiled by one of the most extensive data monitoring programs of its kind in the world, projecting that analysis into the upcoming fishing season.

"The long term data we have available for analysis provides a powerful basis for projecting population trends, so I have a lot of confidence making projections," said Fisher. "How successful an angler is in catching those fish is something else altogether, and all we can say there is good luck!"

Spotted Seatrout, Red Drum and Southern Flounder

One of the most sought-after game fish in coastal waters, spotted seatrout, or "speckled trout," is a case in point regarding angler success. Although landings decreased by 5 percent overall last year, the catch rate — an indicator of individual angler success — did increase by 8 percent. TPWD considers gill net surveys the best means available to estimate populations of adult fish. Spotted seatrout populations coastwide were at near-record numbers last year, with the spring 2007 gill net catches the highest in six years.

Red drum, or redfish, is the other fish most often sought by Texas recreational anglers, but they were not as easy to find last year as usual. Landings decreased by 24 percent and angler catch rates declined by 13 percent in 2007. This basically means catch rates returned to more "normal" levels. The unusually high tides made it more difficult for shallow-water anglers to find redfish. The good news for anglers is that gill net surveys show red drum populations remaining at near-record numbers, with fall 2007 catches the second-highest on record.

Southern flounder landings and abundance are at record low levels when considering the entire coast, so they remain a concern. TPWD’s coastal fisheries staff is looking carefully at this issue and expects to bring options for next year’s state fishing regulations to the TPW Commission to try to begin to turn this fishery around.

Here are highlights for individual bay systems:

Sabine Lake — Spotted seatrout abundance is at a near-record high, and 2007 gill net catch rates were also at near-record levels, well above this system’s 22-year average. Red drum anglers should expect successful trips since last year’s recreational landings of red drum were a near-record high and TPWD’s fall season gill net catch rate was the highest seen since the 2002 season.

Galveston Bay — Galveston Bay spring gill nets produced the highest spotted seatrout catches in 23 years. Recreational angler data collected during the same period of time indicates that both red drum and spotted seatrout catch rates have remained steady. This suggests that anglers should experience average or better-than-average trout and red drum catches for the remainder of 2008. Gray (mangrove) snapper and striped bass added additional variety to angler catches in 2007.

Matagorda Bay — Spotted seatrout catches in spring 2007 gill nets were the highest ever recorded over the past 24 years of sampling Matagorda Bay. These impressive numbers suggest that spotted seatrout populations in this system are doing very well and potentially translate into exceptional fishing for the upcoming summer months.   Look, too, for the return of a fall croaker run bolstered by good numbers of surprisingly large Atlantic and spotted croaker.

San Antonio Bay — Spring gill net catch rates for seatrout were down in 2007, continuing a recent trend, and dramatically off the 1998 high. The fresher bay conditions in 2007 also resulted in reduced fishing effort over the system as angler success rates dropped for spotted seatrout for the first time since 2003. The climbing salinities this year should present improved trout angling opportunities if current conditions continue through the summer. The 2007 red drum gill net catch rate fell off the record high of 2006. Despite this, the trend is still upward. Angler catch rates for red drum were also off in 2007. If the 2007 wet conditions persist, finding fish can be a challenge, so here is a hint: Hynes Bay. Netting surveys indicate that large numbers of red drum frequent this bay during warmer months. Anglers can launch their boats at Austwell in Hynes Bay and avoid a long run to fishing spots.

Aransas — Spotted seatrout abundance exhibited a sharp increase in last spring’s gill net surveys from a low in 2006 and anglers should be able to reap the benefits with increased catches this spring and summer. Red drum abundance remains well above the coastwide average and even increased during last fall’s gill net surveys. Angler landings of red drum this summer and into the fall season should rebound from the declines noted in 2007. Salinity levels in all areas of Aransas Bay are within normal historical ranges, and with continued routine rainfall events, habitat conditions should enable excellent recruitment for most species.

Corpus Christi — Angler catches of spotted seatrout should remain stable, with catches likely to improve for red drum. Spotted seatrout populations have decreased slightly, although the red drum population has increased to the third highest level ever recorded.  Abundance of sheepshead in Corpus Christi Bay are typically higher than the coastwide average, and they can provide a great family fishing opportunity.

Upper Laguna Madre — Spotted seatrout abundance in spring 2007 was the lowest recorded in the last four years. There are still a lot of big fish, as 18 percent of spotted seatrout caught in last spring’s gill nets (about the same percentage as last year) are 24 inches in length or greater.   Landings in 2006 were lower than 2005 but were still above the long-term mean. Upper Laguna Madre fall gill net catch rates for red drum were the second-highest recorded since 1984. Black drum are often overlooked by upper Laguna Madre anglers, but are extremely abundant in the upper Laguna Madre and show gill net catch rates 4-5 times higher than red drum and spotted seatrout.

Lower Laguna Madre — Private boat landings for spotted seatrout last year were at their lowest since 1990. However, with the new bag limits in place anglers should expect catches to improve and good numbers of smaller spotted seatrout (15 — 17 inches) can still be caught. While harvest data showed that red drum catch rates for anglers were down slightly in 2007, TPWD gill net catch rates were at near-record highs. Anglers targeting red drum should expect excellent catches in 2008. Area fishing guides reported excellent catches of snook, tarpon and mangrove snapper last year and, following a mild winter, 2008 should continue that trend.

May 23, 2008

Donations, Angler Dollars Help Achieve Shrimp Buyback Goals

AUSTIN, Texas — It’s taken more than a decade and close to $12 million, but an effort to purchase and retire commercial shrimp licenses and improve the ecological health of Texas bays has achieved its goals, thanks to support from recreational anglers, shrimpers and conservation-minded financial supporters.

Bay shrimpers have voluntarily sold more than 1,800 licenses to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and retired from the business since the buyback program began in the 1990s. As a result, peak bay shrimping effort has decreased by 91 percent since 1994.

During the same period, shrimper bycatch, or accidental catch of other marine life besides shrimp, has decreased by 84 percent. Abundance of bycatch species such as croaker, sand trout and anchovies has increased by 61 percent. Croaker abundance in Texas bays has almost doubled since 1994, and 2007 marked a record high catch in TPWD bay trawls. Anglers can expect to see the return of the fall croaker run.

"Our goal was to return bay shrimping effort to the levels of the 1970s, and we’ve achieved that," said Larry McKinney, Ph.D., TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division director. "Our red drum and trout fisheries are in their best conditions in 30 years, with populations increasing. And reducing the impact of near-shore shrimping has been significant in getting us to where we are today. Our objectives continue to be higher catch rates for shrimpers, reduced bycatch and healthy ecosystems."

Private donors played a key role in the buyback effort. On May 22, a check for $1.2 million was presented to the TPW Commission by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director Dick Davis.

"This success story involves a diverse group of conservation philanthropists who all deserve recognition," Davis said.

The campaign began 18 months ago when former TPW Commission Chairman Joseph Fitzsimons recommended that the foundation establish a fund in honor of the late William Negley, a long-time advocate of Texas coastal conservation. Charter contributors to the campaign via the Bill Negley Fund include Fitzsimons, Ed Harte, Will Harte, the Harte Charitable Foundation, Commission Chairman Peter Holt and Commissioner Dan Friedkin, who together provided $400,000.

"We’ve finally reached the goal Bill Negley set decades ago," Fitzsimons said. "I was sitting at Negley’s breakfast table 20 years ago, when he told me this had to happen. His vision was that anglers and other conservationists would bear the cost of this, not through regulation but through purchase of licenses to help fund efforts to reduce bycatch. Later, the Harte family asked me what single effort would make the most difference for coastal conservation, and they made a $250,000 challenge grant to get things rolling. All Texans will benefit from the resulting improved health of our coastal ecosystems."

The Foundation, led by board members Mimi Zoch, Karen Hixon (now a TPW Commissioner) and Pat Murray, raised the remaining $800,000. Contributing partners included the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation, the Meadows Foundation, the Amon Carter Foundation and Texas Coastal Conservation Association. Several other foundations and individuals also contributed.

For bay shrimpers, the buyback program has provided an exit strategy for an industry plagued by declining shrimp prices and skyrocketing fuel prices. Those who remain have benefited-although total landings have decreased, the shrimp catch-per-hour has doubled since 1994, meaning the bay shrimp fleet is now smaller but more efficient.

"We’ve offered a way for people to make a graceful exit from a business in decline, providing some funds to get retrained or go into other businesses," McKinney said. "That was also an original purpose of the program authorized by the legislature."

For the first five years, state funding for the license buyback came almost exclusively from a surcharge on commercial bay and bait shrimping licenses, which still generates funds dedicated only for shrimp buyback.

That changed in 2000, when the TPW Commission approved a $3 surcharge on saltwater fishing stamps required of almost all recreational anglers fishing Texas coastal waters. That surcharge was set to expire in 2005, but the commission later approved an indefinite extension.

The commission now has the option to consider discontinuing the $3 surcharge, but the department plans to seek public input on whether to continue the surcharge and use the revenue to address other conservation needs.

"We’ve talked with Coastal Conservation Association and others about whether to drop the $3 surcharge revenue, or to continue it to fund other projects, such as increasing our license buybacks for crab, flounder and black drum commercial fishing, or perhaps increase fish hatchery capacity," McKinney said.

A portion of bay and bait shrimping license revenue remains dedicated for shrimp license buyback, so TPWD will likely continue to purchase smaller numbers of licenses in coming years, although the program’s main goals have been achieved. More than 1,000 bay and bait licenses remain in the fishery, so if the industry turns around and more shrimpers return to the bays, license buyback could still be important to reduce effort and protect bay ecosystems.

Feb. 4, 2008

Sites Announced for Crab Trap Clean-Up Feb. 15-24

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division officials have announced drop-off sites for the 7th Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program, running this year from Feb. 15-24.

During this 10-day period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with crab traps and any traps left in the bay will be presumed to be abandoned and considered litter under state law, thus allowing volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.

Volunteers are needed to assist in the coast-wide effort to remove the numerous wire mesh cages used to catch crabs that have been lost or abandoned since last year’s cleanup and in years past.

To facilitate volunteer trap removal efforts this year, TPWD staff has designated sites in each of the eight major bay systems for trap collection.

Areas that are relatively free of abandoned traps will have stand-alone sites with dumpsters marked for trap removal.

In other areas where more effort is need, sites will be manned until noon on Saturday, Feb. 16, weather permitting, and have stand-alone dumpsters for the duration of the closure. For those who choose to work on their own, TPWD requests information about the number of traps that are collected.

Volunteers can work at their own pace during the closure as time and weather permit, but cannot remove traps before Feb. 15 or after Feb. 24. Any crabs found in the traps must be set free. Last year, volunteers with the aid of numerous sponsors removed more than 2,000 traps.

To participate, volunteers can pickup free tarps, gloves, trap hooks and additional information at each of the sites or their local TPWD Coastal Fisheries Field Stations.

(Facilitated sites will be manned from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Sat., Feb. 16)

Sabine Lake — Local TPWD coordinator Jerry Mambretti (409) 983-1104

• Walter Umphrey State Park Boat Ramp on Pleasure Island — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

Galveston Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Bill Balboa (281) 534-0100

• Jones Lake State Ramp (Fat Boys) — Facilitated Feb. 16 & stand-alone through the 24th.
• Ernie’s Bait Barn — Facilitated Feb. 16 & stand-alone through the 24th
• Stingaree Boat Ramp — Facilitated Feb. 16 & stand-alone through the 24th
• Seabrook SH 146 Bridge Public Ramp — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24
• Fort Anahuac County Park — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

Matagorda Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Josh Harper (361) 972-6253

• Mitchell Cut Boat (ICWW) Ramp @ Sargent — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24
• Matagorda Harbor — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24
• Railroad Park @ Palacios — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

San Antonio Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Norman Boyd (361) 983-4425

• Charlie’s Bait Stand — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24
• Port O’Connor TPWD Docks — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

Aransas Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Dennis Pridgen (361) 729-2328

• Goose Island State Park Boat Ramp — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24
• Cove Harbor Boat Ramp — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

Corpus Christi Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Tom Wagner (361) 729-2328

• Conn Brown Harbor Boat Ramp @ Aransas Pass — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

Upper Laguna Madre — Local TPWD coordinator Todd Neahr (361) 825-3353

• Bluff Landing Marine — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24
• Kaufer Park Boat Ramp — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

Lower Laguna Madre — Local TPWD coordinator Mark Lingo (956) 350-4490

• Adolfe Thomae County Park @ Arroyo City — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24
• Port Mansfield Navigation District Ramp @ Port Mansfield — Stand-alone Feb. 15-24

Feb. 4, 2008 - TPWD

Flat Out Fishing — Lake Jackson Highlights Gulf Angling Opportunities

AUSTIN, Texas — For the fifth year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will host a Flat Out Fishing seminar in Lake Jackson to help anglers start the new year with an edge. The event will be held at the Lake Jackson Civic Center Feb. 9 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The day-long events include seminars and presentations from noted guides and experts covering a variety of offshore, nearshore, kayak and fly fishing techniques

"Flat Out Fishing is full day of professional fishing seminars for beginning to experienced fishermen to learn how to become better anglers in a relaxed and friendly setting that offers plenty of opportunities for interaction with the presenters. The speakers are some of the most knowledgeable authorities in their field in Texas." said TPWD Coastal Fisheries Outreach Specialist Art Morris.

Flat Out Fishing — Lake Jackson features the following speakers and presentations:

• Capt. Frank Kubin of Underwater Adventures (formerly Capt. Elliott’s Party Boats) will draw on 17 years of overnight and long-range offshore fishing trips to help attendees understand how to get the most out of long-range tuna trips, especially those targeting Yellowfin tuna.
• Bill Balboa, TPWD’s Galveston Bay ecosystem leader, will discuss the importance of sargassum to offshore and nearshore fisheries.
• Capt. Charles Foster of Blue Chip Charters, will discuss the ins and outs of finding offshore structure.
• Capt. "Lefty" Ray Chapa, an FFF-certified fly casting instructor and former kayak fishing guide, will talk about saltwater fly fishing.
• Jeff Herman, an ACA-certified paddling instructor, member of Team Ocean Kayak and kayaking editor for Harold Well’s Gulf Coast Fisherman magazine will introduce attendees to the finer points of kayak fishing.
• Award-winning outdoor writer Larry Bozka will wrap-up the seminar with a presentation on jetty fishing.

Participants will be eligible for door prizes and "goody bags."

The cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple, payable by cash, check or money order at the door. Registration fees are tax-deductible. Proceeds benefit the Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program. Children under 17 may attend free with an adult.  Seating is limited so register early to ensure your participation.

To register for the event, contact Art Morris at 361-825-3356 or by e-mail at art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.us.

The Lake Jackson Civic Center is located at 333 Hwy 332 East, Lake Jackson, Texas.

Flat Out Fishing is underwritten by Anheuser-Busch and sponsored by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, CCA Texas, the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Shimano, Daiichi and others.

Jan. 30, 2008 - TPWD

Four Boat Ramp Projects Receive Grant Funding

AUSTIN, Texas — Four projects designed to enhance boating access to Texas waters will share more than $1.4 million in matching federal grants through the State Boating Access Program.

Boat ramp facility improvement projects at Lake Buchanan, Cameron Park in Waco, Port Aransas and Surfside Beach were approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its Jan. 24 meeting.

The State Boating Access Program was authorized in 1975 by the Texas Legislature. The program provides funds for the purchase, construction, renovation and maintenance of boat ramps, access roads and other related facilities to improve recreational boating access to public waters. Construction for approved projects is supported on a 75 percent (federal), 25 percent (local) basis.

While the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department administers the grants, funding comes from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, also known as Wallop-Breaux for the original congressional sponsors. The Sport Fish Restoration program is funded by revenues from a portion of federal gasoline taxes generated when recreational boaters gas up their boats and a federal excise tax on items such as fishing rods, reels, creels, lures, flies and artificial baits.

Following are summaries of the projects receiving matching grant funds:

Black Rock Park Boat Ramp Renovation

Llano County is receiving $403,100 for replacement of a 2-lane boat ramp at Black Rock Park on Lake Buchanan that will be useable at more varied water levels, along with a parking area and signage.

Cameron Park Boat Ramp Improvements

The City of Waco is receiving $500,000 for replacement of an existing boat ramp, parking lot improvements, new courtesy docks, lighting, an access road and signs at Cameron Park East. The park is located at the confluence of the Brazos and Bosque Rivers. The existing boat ramp is aged.

Municipal Harbor Ramp Improvements

The City of Port Aransas is receiving $112,000 to renovate two lanes of boat ramps, add fish cleaning station, shade structure, security lighting and signs at the Municipal Harbor ramp. The facility provides public boating access to the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.

Village of Surfside Beach Boat Ramp

The Village of Surfside Beach is receiving $125,174 for construction of a new restroom, security lighting, fish cleaning station, and expanded parking area, at a newly constructed boat ramp. The facility will provide public boating access to the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway via the Freeport Ship Channel.

Organizations that submitted grant applications but were not funded in the current round are invited to resubmit their applications for consideration in the next round of grants, projected to be in October 2008.

Aug. 31, 2007 - TPWD

Saltwater Anglers Reminded of Changes in Regs

AUSTIN, Texas — Starting Sept. 1, new fishing regulations for spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre and offshore fishing statewide go into effect.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission April 5 approved lowering both the bag and possession limits for spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre from 10 to 5.

The reduction in the limits addresses a downward trend in the spawning stock biomass of spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre — a trend that runs counter to steadily increasing populations elsewhere on the coast.

Of particular concern to TPWD biologists is that spotted seatrout spawning stock biomass currently is about half what it was at the time of the 1983-1984 freeze, which resulted in a major kill of spotted seatrout and other species along the lower coast. A greater number of reproducing fish can help stocks recover faster after such a catastrophic event.

The new regulation applies to the entire Lower Laguna Madre, from Marker 21 in the Landcut, to South Bay and including the Brownsville Ship Channel and Arroyo Colorado. The new regulation applies to “inside waters,“ waters landward from the shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf beaches are not included in the area, but any boats fishing in Gulf waters and landing their catches within the boundaries are subject to the lower bag limits.

The 80th Texas Legislature also passed a bill requiring anyone landing fish caught in the Gulf of Mexico in Texas to possess a valid Texas saltwater fishing license and saltwater stamp endorsement. The bill, introduced as H.B. 3765, was rolled into H.B. 12 and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry June 15.

Previously, anglers fishing in federal waters — often on “party” or “head” boats, but on private boats as well — were not required to have a Texas fishing license. Anglers exempt from the requirement to hold fishing license and saltwater stamp endorsement (for instance, anglers under the age of 17 or those born before Sept. 1, 1930) also are exempt from the new law.

Also, beginning Sept. 1, anglers are reminded that:

• The minimum length limit for sheepshead has increased from 12 inches to 13 inches, and will continue to increase in one-inch per year increments until the minimum length for possession is 15 inches.
• The minimum length limit for tarpon now is 85 inches.
• Circle hooks are required when fishing for red snapper in state waters.

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On the Net:

• http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/

April 23, 2007 - TPWD

Saltwater Anglers Can Expect Good Year Coastwide, ‘Banner’ Year on Some Bay Systems

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department coastal fisheries biologists are predicting a good year for saltwater anglers in Texas.

“Two years ago, the year began with a white Christmas and ended with a record number of hurricanes. Last year began with a severe drought and ended with no hurricanes. This year has started off chilly and wet,” noted Mark Fisher, Ph.D., TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division science director. “Despite the unusual weather patterns, the outlook for the coastal angler is a good one.”

Fisheries biologists forecast angler success by analyzing the previous year’s sampling and survey data. Sampling is conducted using gill nets, bag seines and trawls; surveys of anglers are conducted throughout the year.

The resulting data set has been called the largest and best such collection of information on coastal fisheries in the world and received high marks in an independent scientific review by scientists from the American Fisheries Society.

“Overall, our data show our inshore saltwater fisheries to be in excellent shape,” said Larry McKinney, Ph.D., director of TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division. “Texas bays continue to provide world-class angling opportunities, and we are hopeful that recent changes in regulations — including last year’s seagrass conservation measure in Redfish Bay and the upcoming spotted seatrout bag limit change in the lower Laguna — will help continue that trend.”

An analysis of information collected in 2006 indicates:

Coastwide

• Fishing effort remained steady from last year, despite high fuel costs.
• Total landings decreased 4 percent and total catch per angler-hour decreased 3 percent.
• Spotted seatrout landings and angler catch rates decreased 3 percent.
• Red drum landings increased 12 percent, and angler catch rates remained at a 10-year high.
• Gill net surveys show red drum populations remaining at near-record numbers.
• Gill net surveys indicate high abundance of 20 to 30-inch trout from the strong 2000-2004 year classes. Red drum are at near-record abundance, with high numbers of 20-24-inch fish. A strong 2005 year class is just now reaching the 20” minimum size. Above-average numbers of 14-20-inch flounder are also present.

Sabine Lake

• Some popular boat ramps are still in disrepair from Hurricane Rita.
• No live bait (shrimp or fish) is available in the area.
• The system received above-average rain since last fall. Lower salinities and higher freshwater inflows should push productive fishing to the southern reaches of the bay and out into nearshore Gulf waters.
• Black drum anglers should expect successful trips.
• Spotted seatrout abundance is at a near-record high, as is southern flounder.
• Anglers should use extreme patience and caution when driving to Sabine Pass during early morning or late evening hours. During these times, traffic is very heavy due to several major industrial projects.

Galveston Bay

• Red drum abundance remains high with last fall’s gill net catches being the second highest on record. A large number of small fish were seen which should help the angler catches be above average for the 20 to 25-inch sizes.
• With all the rain this winter, along the Galveston-Freeport area, salinities should be more normal and forage species (shrimp and other baitfish) should be abundant.
• The average size of flounder seen in gillnet surveys has increased even though the abundance of southern flounder remains low.
• Spotted seatrout abundance in gill net surveys is just below the long-term average. Angler catches should remain stable, as in the past few years, and have many fish in the 18 to 22 inch range.

Matagorda Bay

• Last year’s unusually warm and dry winter resulted in challenging spring and summer red drum and spotted seatrout angling. Guides and recreational anglers often reported fishing in areas not traditionally known as “hot spots” and discovering surprisingly good catches. It is likely this year’s cooler, wetter winter will redistribute prey and predator species back into the historically productive recreational fishing areas in Matagorda Bay.
• Colder winter temperatures in Matagorda Bay did not result in significant temperature-related fish kills so it is probable that mangrove snapper abundance will remain high.
• Last fall, bait camp owners in Sargent reported a banner croaker run for anglers fishing the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Mitchell’s Cut, the Gulf pass at Sargent. Given current conditions it is likely this trend will continue throughout the next summer and fall.
• Flounder catches during the fall were surprisingly high. Significant numbers of anglers accessing shoreline fishing sites near the Colorado River diversion via canoe and kayak reported excellent flounder fishing near the junction of the Matagorda locks, Colorado River diversion and the Intracoastal Waterway.
• Sargassum and Portuguese-Man-O-War are already piling up on Matagorda beach. The arrival of this pelagic vegetation generally indicates the arrival of warmer Gulf waters, tripletail and other pelagic species such as ling and dolphin.
• Gulf shrimpers have been observed working nearshore Gulf waters off Matagorda beach in search of spawning white shrimp. While this occurrence may not seem a logical diagnostic tool for predicting recreational angler success it does indicate the presence of large quantities of prey in the surf. Inevitably, the presence of the large white shrimp equates to the presence of finfish predators exploiting this abundant food source.
• Current hydrologic and environmental conditions combined with our knowledge of a steady upward trend in landings and abundance of spotted seatrout and red drum seems to indicate that 2007 will be a banner fishing year in the Matagorda Bay system.

San Antonio Bay

• Last fall's higher-than-average salinities were recently dismissed by heavy rainfalls over the watershed. Salinities in San Antonio Bay are now below average; however the freshwater inflow volume was not large enough to "freshen up" Espiritu Santo Bay where many anglers fish. If rainfall over the watershed is normal for the remainder of the year San Antonio Bay salinities should return to normal during the summer.
• Despite near record-high fishing pressure, angler landings for red drum and spotted seatrout continue to increase and remain at 20 year highs.
• Netting surveys indicate that red drum populations in the bay system are the highest in over 20 years. This should make for good red drum angling in 2007.
• While netting surveys for spotted seatrout indicate the population is off the highs of a few years ago, it is still higher than the long-term average and has increased much over the last 20 years. Anglers can expect trout fishing in 2007 to be similar to last year.
• While netting surveys indicate that the Southern flounder population is declining, the angler catch rate has remained stable. There is no reason to suspect this trend will not continue in 2007.
• Several research projects are underway in the estuary to ensure continued adequate freshwater inflows to the San Antonio Bay system and provide for improved oyster reef maps for upper San Antonio Bay.
• For an added adventure anglers visiting Calhoun County should try Hynes Bay near Austwell. Netting surveys indicate that large numbers of red drum frequent this bay during warmer months. Anglers can launch their boats at Austwell in Hynes Bay and avoid a long run to fishing spots.
• A non-traditional saltwater species that can be caught in the San Antonio Bay ecosystem is blue catfish. This species is a freshwater resident that ventures into the upper bay near the Guadalupe River in Guadalupe Bay and Mission Lake. Blue cats are fairly easily caught on live or dead bait after rain-induced "freshets" and make excellent table fare.

Aransas Bay

• It remains illegal to uproot seagrass within the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area. However, anglers are reminded that access is allowed throughout the RBSSA. Hint for boaters: Lift, Drift, Pole or Troll in seagrass meadows.
• Spotted seatrout abundance showed a decline from previous record highs and has dipped slightly below the coastwide average. Angler catches have remained high but declined somewhat from last year.
• Red drum abundance is lower than last year but is tapering from near record highs during 2002-03. Angler landings of red drum are following this same pattern and they should find another good year of fishing.
• Routine rainfall events have kept salinity levels below historical averages throughout the Aransas system. Recruitment for numerous marine organisms should be excellent because of this.
• Last fall’s red tide event impacted very few game fish in Aransas Bay

Corpus Christi Bay

• Increasing salinity along with a lack of freezes in recent years should continue the trend of larger angler catches of gray snapper along with other more tropical species moving up from the south.
• Angler catches of red drum and spotted seatrout should remain high. Spotted seatrout populations have increased, although the red drum population has declined slightly.
• Southern flounder numbers are similar to last year, and angler catches will likely remain low.
• Sheepshead abundance is similar to last year. Angler catches have been increasing for the past 5 years and are expected to remain at high levels.

Upper Laguna Madre

• Spotted seatrout abundance in 2006 remained at near- record numbers. Fish over 24 inches in length made up about 18 percent of spotted seatrout caught in last spring’s gill nets. Upper Laguna Madre spotted seatrout landings generally increased between 1990 and 2006. Landings in 2006 were the second highest on record since 2000.
• Upper Laguna Madre fall gill net catch rate for red drum was the lowest recorded since 1995. The low abundance of red drum in fall 2006 may have been caused by severe drought conditions in south Texas resulting in very high salinities during 2005 and much of 2006. Despite the drought and lower abundance, recreational landings continued to increase.
• Black drum, often overlooked by anglers, are extremely abundant. The upper Laguna is the center of abundance for this species.
• Completion of the Packery Channel Dredging Project and Packery Channel public boat ramps last summer has provided area anglers improved access to Gulf and jetty fishing opportunities. A good number of large snook, spotted seatrout, and red drum were landed from the Packery Channel jetties last summer. Large schools of Spanish mackerel have been reported by jetty fishermen this spring.
• Brown tide has been observed since Fall 2003, but it has not affected fish populations. Large noisy lures or rattling bobbers are effective at producing fish in brown-tide stained water, as are natural baits.

Lower Laguna Madre

• Red drum were caught in near-record numbers again last year. Anglers should expect the same for 2007.
• Spotted seatrout populations and catch rates were down last year; however, anglers should still expect to catch good numbers of the smaller spotted seatrout (15 — 17 inches) and a few of the over-25 inch size class can still caught by the skilled, or lucky, angler.
• Snook, tarpon, and mangrove snapper catches continue to be excellent in the lower Laguna Madre. Snook and mangrove snapper anglers should concentrate their efforts around structure adjacent to deeper water and along the mangroves in South Bay.
• Anglers are reminded that, beginning Sept. 1, 2007, both the daily bag and possession limit for spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre will be five fish, only one of which may be 25 inches or longer.

Anglers can find more information on historic catch rates (by species) for any Texas bay system — as well as boat ramp locations — at TPWD’s interactive, online “Catch Rate By Minor Bay” application.

For more information about a particular bay system, please contact the appropriate TPWD Coastal Fisheries ecosystem leader listed below:

• Sabine Lake: Jerry Mambretti (409-983-1104)
• Galveston Bay: Rebecca Hensley (281-534-0108)
• Matagorda Bay: Bill Balboa (361-972-6253)
• San Antonio Bay: Norman Boyd (361-983-4425)
• Aransas Bay: Karen Meador (361-729-2328)
• Corpus Christi Bay: VACANT (361-729-2328)
• Upper Laguna Madre: Kyle Spiller (361-825-3353)
• Lower Laguna Madre: Mark Lingo (956-350-4490)

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On the Net:

• Catch Rate by Minor Bay Application: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/maps/gis/ris/catch_rate.phtml
• Texas Recreational Fishing Regulations: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/recreational/
• Changes to Saltwater Fishing Regulations Sept. 1, 2007: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20070409c
• Seagrass Conservation: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/news_roundup/seagrass_conservation/

March 28, 2007 - TPWD

Coastal Fisheries Bay Team Tournaments Scheduled for 2007

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department kicks-off the 2007 Coastal Fisheries Bay Team program with two events in South Padre Island April 7 and April 21.

The program, launched in 2005, is designed to recruit experienced anglers to assist TPWD with collecting brood stock for hatchery programs. The anglers receive t-shirts and fishing lures — and the chance to win hand-held GPS units, rods and reels and BOGA-Grip handheld scales — all while promoting conservation.

The two South Padre Island events will target spotted seatrout for production of fingerlings that will go right back into the Lower Laguna Madre. Four additional tournaments in the fall will target southern flounder.

“This all ties in to genetic diversity—the more fish we have for hatchery broodstock, the better it will be for the millions of fish we stock in Texas public waters to improve fishing each year,” said Robert Adami, TPWD coastal fisheries biologist in Corpus Christi.

A coastwide spotted seatrout stock assessment last year showed a downward trend in the species’ spawning stock biomass in the Lower Laguna Madre, prompting concern that in the event of a catastrophic freeze or red tide event, the fishery could take longer to recover.

Because spotted seatrout move relatively short distances during their lives and typically spawn close to where they were born, trout from different bay systems are genetically distinct. TPWD stocks fingerlings in the bays where their parents were caught.

“Avoiding inbreeding is an essential component of any hatchery breeding program. You don’t want the same fish siblings year after year after year,” Adami said. “You want at least 25 percent of your brood stock to be new fish each year, and this program is helping us do that.”

Each Coastal Fisheries Bay Team tournament is open to 30 two-person teams, 60 people total, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration takes place on-site the day of each tournament. There is no entry fee, but all entrants must be 21 years old or older. Participants may turn in three fish per tournament. For tournaments focusing on spotted seatrout, only one fish more than 25 inches may be turned in per angler.

“People are under the misconception that we need big trout. What we need is any trout they can bring us,” Adami said. “I provide livewells and aerators. You can do this anywhere, from a pier or from a jetty. You don’t even need a boat.”

Everyone who brings in at least one fish is eligible for a drawing to win a Garmin eTrex GPS, a BOGA-Grip handheld scale or a Shimano Calcutta 200B baitcasting reel mounted on a Texas Tackle Factory rod.

Anglers who register for the event but do not bring in a fish are eligible for a drawing for a Shimano Cruxis reel. All registered participants receive a Coastal Fisheries Bay Team t-shirt and a gold spoon with the Coastal Fisheries Bay Team logo embedded in the lure.

The prizes, equipment, and program are made possible through support from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Since 1991, Anheuser-Busch, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, has contributed millions of dollars in funding to support conservation causes and fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation programs in Texas.

All of the tournaments listed below will take place from 6 a.m.-12 p.m:

• Spotted Seatrout: South Padre Island, April 7, 2007, Sea Ranch Marina
• Spotted Seatrout: South Padre Island, April 21, 2007, Sea Ranch Marina
• Southern Flounder: Pleasure Island, October 20, 2007, S.A.L.T. Club
• Southern Flounder: Aransas Pass, October 27, 2007, Conn Brown Harbor
• Southern Flounder: Port O’Connor, November 3, 2007, Froggies Bait Doc
• Southern Flounder: Texas City, November 10, 2007, Boyd’s One Stop

Anglers interested in participating should call Robert Adami at (361) 215-7340 or e-mail him at robert.adami@tpwd.state.tx.us.

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On the Net:

• http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/programs/cfbt/

Jan. 29, 2007

 

TPWD Proposing To Drop Lower Laguna Madre Trout Bag to 5

(including some other significant proposed changes)

 

Coastal Fisheries biologists have proposed reducing the daily bag limit of spotted seatrout from 10 to 5 in an area of the Lower Laguna Madre south of Marker 21.

 

The proposal, which was presented to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s Regulations Committee along with several other suggested changes to the 2007-08 Statewide Hunting and Fishing Proclamation, would mark the first time the department has attempted a regional approach to managing a saltwater fishery.

 

The reduction in the daily bag limit addresses a downward trend in the spawning stock biomass of spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre — a trend that runs counter to steadily increasing populations elsewhere on the coast. Of particular concern, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Director Larry McKinney, Ph.D., told commissioners, is that spotted seatrout spawning stock biomass currently is about half what it was at the time of the 1983-1984 freeze.

 

A greater number of reproducing fish can help stocks recover faster after a catastrophic event such as a severe freeze or red tide algal bloom.

 

“We’ve had lots of comments in our scoping meetings,” McKinney said. “Of course there are concerns over biological need, but we think the data is very good and compelling. We’ve also had a lot of comments saying five fish is something we can live with.

 

McKinney said it should be obvious within the first two to three years whether the proposed bag limits are having the desired effect.

 

The proposal sets the bag limit for spotted seatrout at five for the area south of Marker 21 and the adjacent wellhead channel just inside the south end of the Landcut and includes the Arroyo Colorado, the Brownsville Ship Channel, South Bay and the two Gulf passes to the ends of the jetties at the Port Mansfield channel and Brazos Santiago Pass.

 

The Gulf beach on Padre Island National Seashore is not included in the area, but any boats fishing in Gulf waters and landing their catches within the boundaries would be subject to the lower bag limits.

In addition to the proposal to lower the bag limit on spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre, coastal fisheries biologists are seeking public input on several other recommendations, including:

• Increasing the minimum length limit for sheepshead from the current 12 inches to 15 inches, in increments of 1 inch per year. This would, by 2010, allow all retained fish to have reproduced at least once.

• Implementing a “no-take” rule for Diamondback terrapins. The rule would exempt permitted non-game dealers and collectors.

• Raising the minimum size limit on tarpon from 80 inches to 90. The 80-inch minimum was put in place in 2006 to allow for the possibility of a new state record fish to be landed. A 91-inch fish broke the old record in the fall of 2006. Based on the scoping comments, McKinney told commissioners there appears to be a significant amount of support for returning to a purely catch-and-release tarpon fishery. The proposal was modified by the commission to have a zero fish bag limit for tarpon.

• Requiring the use of circle hooks when fishing for red snapper and reducing the minimum size limit for red snapper from 15 to 13 inches.

• Enhancing the ability of Texas enforcement officials to prosecute cases in Texas courts by adding language in the Statewide Hunting and Fishing proclamation mirroring federal rules for the red snapper commercial fishery individual fishing quota (IFQ) program. This will allow state officials to make state cases when the case would otherwise not meet the profile/economic level to warrant federal prosecution. McKinney told commissioners that his staff also will be looking at creating a licensing system that allows party and charter vessels to more easily license fishery participants at the boat. Finally, McKinney said, his staff will continue to work within the federal process of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service to create the most flexible management options for Texas — such as separate season/bag limits (as compared to the rest of the Gulf) — that will optimize local benefits.

The proposed proclamation also includes minor changes to “clean-up” current rules, including broadening the definition of what types of boats are prohibited from harassing fish; including language that makes it clear that coastal and salt waters mean the same thing; and exempting offshore aquaculture operators from state bag and size limits as they land cultured fish.

 

TPWD Inland Fisheries biologists proposed increasing the possession limit for striped bass from 10 to 20 on Lake Texoma. The proposed change would reduce angler confusion with respect to fish landed in Texas.

 

Inland fisheries biologists also proposed extending by one year the current provision allowing the harvest of catfish by means of lawful archery equipment which includes crossbows. The department is still in the process of evaluating the impact of the regulation on catfish populations.

 

Public comment about these issues and others of interest may be made to TPWD, Regulatory Proposals Public Comment, 4200 Smith School Road, 78744, by phoning (800) 792-1112 or by visiting www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/public_comment .

 

In addition, a series of public meetings is scheduled across the state during March to take public comment. Following is a calendar of upcoming public meetings. One or more additional hearings will be scheduled for the lower coast to address coastal fishing proposals. Locations and times will be announced soon.

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On the Net:

• TPWD Public Meeting Calendar: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/meetings/statewide_hearings/

Media Contact: Aaron Reed, (512) 389-8046, aaron.reed@tpwd.state.tx.us

 

Oct. 9, 2006 - Texas Parks & Wildlife

NOAA Implements Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast System for Texas Gulf Coast

A new harmful algal bloom forecast system is now in place along the Gulf coast of Texas. The announcement of the ecological forecast program was made at today’s meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a federal-state partnership to address critical coastal issues facing the Gulf states. The system will generate forecasts weekly to determine the current and future location and intensity of blooms, and the likely impacts to the environment.

“Because these blooms contain neurotoxins, they threaten human and ecosystem health, and can substantially impact coastal economies,” said Margaret A. Davidson, director of NOAA’s Coastal Services Center and the NOAA delegate to the Alliance. “Using observational data for ecological forecast systems shows the value and need for the development of an integrated ocean observing system, one that can assist in addressing the threats to our health and our economy caused by harmful algal blooms.”

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) will run the system geared to predict harmful algal blooms (HABs, or “red tides”) caused by the highly toxic algae, Karenia brevis. The blooms are known to cause fish kills, shellfish toxicity, water discoloration, and respiratory distress in humans. Coastal community managers of Texas will be notified of bloom status through a bulletin NOAA will issue weekly via e-mail to registered users with natural resource management responsibilities.

Advance warning of blooms increases the ability to mitigate the impacts of these events. The harmful algal bloom forecasting system couples observations made by Texas state agencies with NOAA imagery and models to supply improved information on the location, extent, and potential for development or movement of the blooms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Harmful algal blooms most often found in the Gulf of Mexico are commonly known as "red tides," and are caused by the toxic algae Karenia brevis, They are responsible for shellfish closures, fish kills, marine mammal strandings and deaths, and respiratory distress in people.

Since 1999, under a research program designed to develop informational tools to assist coastal managers, NOAA has been working with agencies managing harmful algal bloom monitoring and impacts in the Gulf of Mexico. Using an advisory bulletin format, NOAA has been providing information to identify blooms before they are reported at the shore, and has provided assessments of the extent of the blooms allowing for more effective sampling and monitoring.

The bulletins are developed by integrating data from various ocean-observing systems, including imagery from commercial and government satellites; meteorological data from NOAA observing stations; and field data collected by state and university monitoring programs. This information is then synthesized and interpreted by an expert analyst, in order to determine the current and future location and intensity of Karenia brevis blooms, as well as their potential impacts on humans, marine mammals and fish.

Conditions are posted to the forecasting system Web page once a week during non-bloom periods and twice a week during bloom periods. When NOAA detects a possible bloom, Texas state managers are notified to conduct field sampling. If state managers confirm the bloom, then the public is informed through the forecasting Web page, the news media and other appropriate outlets.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, NOAA, and scientists from the Coastal Services Center recently met with local resource managers, tourism groups, and Chambers of Commerce in Galveston, Corpus Christi and South Padre Island to provide information on the development of the Texas forecast system.

The system created for Texas was based on the detection system that NOAA designed for Florida’s Gulf coast in 2004. While the organisms are the same, Florida experiences multiple blooms annually. Texas has experienced three bloom events since 2000, including a bloom underway now on the middle Texas coast.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department currently monitors harmful algal blooms (HABs), including red tide, and regular updates are available on the department’s Web site.

HABs occur in the waters of almost every U.S. coastal state. Direct economic impacts of HABs in the United States have been estimated to average $75 million annually, including impacts on public health costs, commercial fishing closures, recreation and tourism losses, and in management and monitoring costs.

In 2007 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. From the establishment of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America’s scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

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On the Net:

• Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasts: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/habf/ 
• NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science: http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/
• TPWD: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/hab/

Oct. 6, 2006 - Texas Parks & Wildlife

Deer Park Man Breaks 33-year-old Texas Tarpon Record

AUSTIN, Texas — A 25-year-old Deer Park man set the pending Texas state record for tarpon when he landed a 210-pound, 11-ounce fish off the Galveston Fishing Pier Wed.

Jeremy Ebert was fishing for “bull reds” when something different – and obviously bigger – picked up his bait.

“We hooked the fish at about 8:30,” Ebert said. “It made one big jump and then smoked off about 300 yards of line real quick. I got a good look about 30 minutes later, and I knew he was big.”

Ebert fought the fish for about 45 minutes, and lifted it from the water with the help of a massive net and more than half-a-dozen other anglers.

“I grew up on that pier. I’ve fished it a lot,” he said. “I saw my dad catch a tarpon off that pier when I was about 11 years old and it hooked me for the rest of my life.”

A self-proclaimed “tarpon junkie,” the record-breaking fish was Ebert’s fifth “Silver King” of the year and only the latest of about two dozen he’s landed in his fishing career.

A change in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s fishing regulations last year dispensed with the $120 trophy tarpon tag and made it legal for an angler to keep one tarpon over 80 inches. The 80-inch minimum length was settled-on as the threshold for a fish that might beat the longstanding state record of 210 pounds.

That fish, an 86.25-inch tarpon, was caught in November of 1973 by Tom Gibson.

“I’ve never killed one, I’ve always taken care of them,” Ebert said of his decision to keep the fish and have it weighed. “We got this fish to the pier and it pretty much rolled-over dead. I wouldn’t have brought one up just to take pictures. If there was a chance of reviving him, even if he was that size, I probably would have let him go.”

Capt. James Plaag of Silver King Adventures has been chasing Gulf coast tarpon for years, and said 2006 has provided as good a tarpon season as any he’s seen.

“This year’s been like old times,” Plaag said. “Our tarpon fishery this year was outstanding. There’s been some big days.”

On one of those days this year, Plaag said, he went 10 for 21 at the mouth of the Brazos River. Translation: he and his clients landed nearly half of the tarpon they jumped. The biggest fish that day was estimated at about 140 pounds.

“You can’t target the big ones,” he noted. “You just hope he gets on there.”

Plaag said that, as much as he would have liked to have set the new record himself, he was happy to see his friend Ebert do it.

“I was proud of Jeremy. He fishes a lot – he deserved it,” Plaag said. “The average guy, if he hooked that fish, he ain’t gonna catch it. Records are made to be broke, and it just gives me something else to fish for.”

“This is a shocker here. If there’s one state record I want, this is it,” Ebert said. “All my friends drove down in the middle of the night to see it. It was definitely the best fish I’ve caught.”

Ebert donated the fish to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. TPWD biologists have taken DNA samples and also will age and sex the fish before it is displayed on an “ice table” at the annual TPWD Expo in Austin Oct. 7-8.

TPWD Aug. 28, 2006

Discussions To Continue on Regional Spotted Seatrout Management Options for Lower Laguna Madre

AUSTIN, Texas — Anglers in the Lower Laguna Madre could see spotted seatrout bag and size limits that are different from those in effect in other bay systems as early as September 2007.

A regional management plan for the Lower Laguna Madre is one solution being considered by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department coastal fisheries biologists to address a downward trend in both the number and size of the popular game fish being landed in Texas’ southernmost bay system.

In a briefing to TPW commissioners Aug. 23, Randy Blankinship, TPWD’s ecosystem leader for the Lower Laguna Madre, said that the department’s data shows that good numbers of spotted seatrout are being recruited to the fishery. Still, Blankinship said, fewer fish over 20 inches are being landed, even though fishing pressure has remained constant or even slightly increased in recent years.

“Because coast-wide trends are positive and the Lower Laguna Madre is the only bay system exhibiting negative trends in spotted seatrout, a regional management approach appears to be one option to accomplish the goal of maintaining a world-class fishery,” Blankinship told commissioners.

Spotted seatrout still flourish in the large, hyper-saline bay, which boasts more than 185 square miles of seagrass meadows. Catch rates for speckled trout, as they are commonly called, are measured in number of fish caught per hour or “catch per unit of effort.”

Coast-wide CPUE has continued to rise. In the Lower Laguna Madre — from the Land Cut down to South Bay — the CPUE has been declining. The catch rates in the lower Laguna Madre are still high as compared to other bay systems, but clearly are not being maintained at historical highs.

“This is not a fishery in crisis,” Blankinship said in an interview. “There is no danger of spotted seatrout stocks collapsing; it’s more a question of reversing these trends and getting a high quality fishery back to the very high quality fishery we have historically known.”

Blankinship acknowledged that two fish-killing freezes during the 1990s, the drought of record for South Texas and reduced freshwater inflows may all be factors in the fishery trends.

“Ours is basically a two-pronged approach of dealing with long-term environmental issues like habitat and water quality in conjunction with fisheries regulations,” said TPWD Coastal Fisheries Director Larry McKinney, Ph.D. “While we can often influence management of environmental factors we do not control them. We do control fishing regulations and action there can have more immediate and positive results.”

McKinney said any proposed regional management plan would be submitted to the Commission as part of the standard statewide hunting and fishing regulatory process.

The commission will be updated in November on these considerations and then the formal process typically begins with a briefing of the proposed rules in January before the commission.

A regional approach to coastal fisheries species management would be a change in a philosophy where coast-wide management (equivalent bag and size limits) have been the norm.

In considering regional management approaches, fisheries managers would be considering the biological implications of the rules as well as shifting fishing pressure which may impact adjacent areas and other species; the ability of game wardens to enforce different regulations and the ease with which anglers can comply with different regulations; and the socio-economic impacts to local communities.

Coastal Fisheries will be holding a series of additional scoping meetings prior to the November commission meeting to discuss specific management options.

July 17, 2006

Satellite Tracking Study To Shed Light on Tarpon Migration

AUSTIN, Texas — For many a veteran angler, the pinnacle of a fishing career comes with the explosion of chromed muscle that signals his first tarpon hook-up. That experience was once common on the Texas Gulf coast; so common, in fact, that through the 1950s, tarpon tournaments were commonplace and presidents and potentates made the journey to the third coast to catch a “silver king.”

Then, the tarpon seemed to just disappear. By the early 1970s, the sought-after sportfish were rarely seen off Texas, and even more rarely landed. And no one really knows why.

The construction of reservoirs and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway diminished and altered freshwater inflows; coastal development filled-in critical habitat and water quality declined as population and industry expanded. Biologists say all are factors that likely contributed to the species’ decline. In addition to those perturbations, commercial fishing pressure in Mexico increased over the years and often targeted tarpon.

“It is difficult to put your finger on the one reason for the decline in tarpon along the Texas coast,” said Larry McKinney, Ph.D., director of Coastal Fisheries for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. “It is likely a combination of many things. One of the confounding factors is that we actually know very little about the biology of the species.”

Researchers hope to change that beginning with the Tarpon Tomorrow Pro-Am Tournament Aug. 4-5. At the event, headquartered at Laguna Harbor in Bolivar, Texas, scientists will attempt to place as many as one dozen pop-up archival transmitting tags on tarpon.

The tags, known by the acronym “PAT,” are embedded in the muscular backs of the fish for up to two years. While being towed by the tarpon, the tags record the fish’s movement, water depth and water temperature at regular intervals. At a preset time, the tag pops off the fish and floats to the surface where it transmits the recorded information to an orbiting satellite.

“It’s going to tell us, we hope, information concerning Texas tarpon migration as well as their behavior in entering and leaving Texas estuaries,” said Scott Alford, tournament committee chairman for Tarpon Tomorrow, a non-profit foundation dedicated to understanding and protecting tarpon stocks. “There’s also going to be an effort to place some tags in tarpon off Port O’Conner and in the bay.”

Alford said his goal as a lifelong tarpon angler is to see uniform management of the tarpon population across the Gulf of Mexico, and researchers say the PAT program will help do just that.

“The information collected on this research project will have a direct application to the management of this species by defining the population or “stock” shared by different States and Mexico,” said Ivonne Blandon, Ph.D., a biologist and genetics expert at TPWD, who is coordinating the effort for the agency. “It is truly an international scientific effort as we are working with experts from all around the world but especially Mexico.”

Already, PAT deployments from taggings in Mexico, Louisiana, Florida and the Atlantic seaboard have yielded valuable information about the migratory patterns of the fish.

Tarpon Tomorrow is the driving force behind the ongoing project and is leading a group of like-minded sportfish conservation organizations — Tarpon and Bonefish Unlimited and the Coastal Conservation Association — in gathering support for the study.

Tarpon Tomorrow has secured private funding for the purchase of about half a dozen of the $3,500 tags, and TPWD purchased six of the tags for use by the program.

The study itself is a collaboration headed by Jerald Ault, Ph.D., of the Rosenstiel Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Scott Holt of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, and biologists from TPWD and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

While not as abundant as in the 1950s, tarpon seem to have made something of a comeback in recent years along the Texas coast.

The numbers today are sufficient to support a small but productive recreational fishery and a number of guides specialize in catch-and-release trips for the silver king.

The tagging program is part of a larger effort by anglers and agencies to improve the fishery. TPWD has also been studying hatchery techniques, working to assure freshwater inflows in Texas bays, protecting water quality and restoring critical habitat along the Texas coast and in conjunction with counterparts in Mexico.

“It will take all of us together, scientists, fisheries managers, conservation organizations and saltwater anglers to assure the future of tarpon,” said McKinney. “But for the first time in many years I see the possibility of progress towards that goal and we do not want to miss that window of opportunity.”

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On the Net:

• http://www.tarpontomorrow.net/
• http://www.texastarpon.net/
• http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/didyouknow/tarpon.phtml
• http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/tarpon/

April 26, 2006 - Boaters Urged To ‘Lift, Drift, Pole or Troll’ as New Seagrass Reg Takes Effect

ROCKPORT, Texas — The popular Redfish Bay area receives an extra measure of protection beginning May 1. On that date, a new regulation takes effect, prohibiting the uprooting of seagrass within the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area (RBSSA).

The shallow, highly productive body of water straddling the Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi Bay systems in the Coastal Bend boasts the state’s northernmost extensive stands of sea grasses, highly evolved marine flowering plants that are one source of the area’s bounty of red drum and spotted seatrout.

Aransas Bay, appropriately enough, often leads the state in the catch rate of red drum in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department gill net sampling.

Anglers’ success here has led to a surge in the area’s popularity, and the fragile seagrass meadows — they cover about a third of the 32,000-acre portion of the bay that has been designated a state scientific area — are showing the effects.

“This area is number one for guided fishing trips, and receives the second highest pressure along the Texas coast for private boat anglers,” said TPWD Coastal Fisheries Biologist Faye Berens. “Visitors outnumber locals two to one.”

In a recent study, more than half of randomly selected areas in the bay showed evidence of propeller scarring. The trenches destroy the grass, fragment habitat, channel tidal movement and sometimes take years to recover.

“A seagrass meadow supplies everything that many marine organisms need. It provides food for grazing animals at the base of the food chain, surfaces to cling on for small crawling critters, shelter and hiding places for small invertebrates and fish, and ambush points for the larger predators and game fish,” said Dennis Pridgen, another Coastal Fisheries biologist. “For them it’s the nursery, the roof over their heads and the grocery store all rolled into one.”

When the TPW Commission voted on the new rule in November 2005, several options were on the table. One was to replace voluntary “no-propeller” zones in the most sensitive parts of the bay with mandatory no-prop zones.

Instead, commissioners chose the least restrictive option, one that focused on changing boater behavior and creating a new appreciation for the value of seagrass habitat. No portion of the RBSSA has been closed to any type of boat or motor.

“What we’re trying to do is really get boaters to think about what they’re doing out in the water,” Berens said. “The responsibility is on the boater to know the area he’s fishing in, and also protect and preserve some of the habitat that supports the fish that he’s fishing for.”

To that end, TPWD has launched a public education and outreach program targeting boaters in the local area as well as around the state. At boat ramps in the nearby communities of Rockport, Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Port Aransas, signs will make anglers aware of the new regulation and also show the boundaries of the state scientific area.

Boundary signs will mark the 50-square-mile area in which the regulation applies, and TPWD employees will install signs marking preferred access lanes (PALs) to help guide boaters safely through sensitive portions of the bay. Biologists developed the PALs based on the input of local boaters and commonly prevailing winds and tides in the area.

TPWD’s Aransas Bay Ecosystem Leader Karen Meador stressed that the lanes are experimental.

“We’re going to install these where we can, and where we think they will do the most good,” she said. “If we find that they are not useful, or if the lanes need to be marked in different areas, we can move them.”

Proponents of the new regulation are urging boaters who use the RBSSA to follow these rules of thumb:

• Even though boater access is allowed throughout the RBSSA, boaters can avoid damaging seagrass by simply avoiding shallow areas.
• If the vessel's wake is muddy, the propeller may be cutting into the bay bottom and causing damage. It is the boater's responsibility to know the depth of the water they are running in and to avoid areas too shallow for their vessel.
• When these shallow waters are encountered, it is suggested that boat operators LIFT their motors, DRIFT, POLE or TROLL.

In fact, “lift, drift, pole or troll” has become something of a mantra in the Coastal Bend — one that local biologists hope more boaters will adopt.

“We have an amazing natural resource here,” said Larry McKinney, Ph.D., director of TPWD’s coastal fisheries division. “We want the people of Texas to be able to continue to enjoy it and to take advantage of the wonderful fishing opportunities Redfish Bay offers.”

McKinney said that Census data suggest population — and fishing pressure — along the coast is likely to double in the next 20 years.

“We have to take steps now to ensure our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the same angling opportunities we take for granted today,” he said.

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SIDEBAR: Redfish Bay State Scientific Area is a roughly triangular portion of Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays bounded by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway on the west, the Aransas Bay shoreline of Talley, Traylor and Harbor Islands to the north, and the Lydia Ann Channel and Corpus Christi Ship Channel to the east.

The new law (31 TAC §57.921) states that:

“Within the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area, no person shall cause or allow any rooted seagrass plant to be uprooted or dug out from the bay bottom by a submerged propeller, except as may be permitted by a coastal lease issued by the Texas General Land Office or otherwise permitted under state law.

“It is not a violation to: anchor a vessel within the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area; or use electric trolling motors within the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area.”

The law further states that:

“No person may move, remove, deface, alter, or destroy any sign, depth marker or other informational signage placed by the department to delineate boundaries of the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area or to designate specific zones within the area.”

Violators of the law can be charged with a Class “C” Misdemeanor, which can result in a fine of up to $500.

Jan. 30, 2006 - TPWD Commission Approves $1.5 Million for Boating Access

AUSTIN, Texas — Thanks to action by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Thursday, the City of West Tawakoni will be able to build its first boat ramp on Lake Tawakoni, and the Willacy County Navigation District will be able to dredge the Port Mansfield channel to navigable depths.

Those are just two of the six boating access projects TPW commissioners voted to fund in their January meeting. The action will provide $1,541,957 in State Boating Access Program matching grants to local entities on both inland and coastal waters.

“We’re interested in providing additional opportunities for boating access where needed,” said Tim Hogsett, TPWD’s recreation grants director. “This is pass-through money. It’s a reinvestment back into boating of tax dollars that have been paid by boaters.”

Hogsett said TPWD now awards the grants twice a year, with deadlines June 30 and Oct. 31.

The State Boating Access Program was authorized in 1975 by the 64^th Legislature. The program provides funds for the purchase, construction, renovation and maintenance of boat ramps, access roads and other related facilities to improve public recreational boating access to public waters.

The program receives funding from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, also known as the Wallop-Breaux Program. Construction for approved projects is supported on a 75 percent (federal), 25 percent (local) basis.

Wallop-Breaux funds are derived from federal gasoline taxes paid by boaters and by law must be used to facilitate access for motorized vessels.

The approved projects are:

• $375,000 for City Park Boat Ramp Development, City of West Tawakoni. The City of West Tawakoni requested a 75 percent matching share grant for construction of a two-lane boat ramp, access road, parking area, bulkheads, restroom, courtesy dock and signs.
• $499,987 for Calaveras Lake Boat Ramp Renovations, San Antonio River Authority. The SARA requested nearly half a million dollars for renovation of two sets of boat ramps (a total of five lanes), access roads, parking areas, bulkheads, lighting, walkways and signs at Calaveras Lake southeast of San Antonio.
• $125,580 for Log Cabin City Park Boating Access, City of Log Cabin. The City of Log Cabin requested a grant for the renovation and expansion of a two-lane boat ramp, courtesy dock, access road, new restroom, entry station, fish-cleaning station, pavilion and signs at Cedar Creek Lake.
• $150,000 for City Park boating access improvements, City of Point Comfort. The City of Point Comfort requested a grant for construction of a new restroom, renovation of courtesy docks, and signs at a public boat ramp on Lavaca Bay.
• $166,390 for Boerne City Lake boating access, City of Boerne. The City of Boerne requested a grant for the construction of a new restroom, courtesy dock, surfacing of existing parking area and access road and signs. The facility provides public access to Boerne City Lake.
• $225,000 for Port Mansfield channel dredging, Willacy County Navigation District. The WCND requested a grant to help pay for dredging of the Port Mansfield Channel at the Gulf of Mexico jetties. The channel provides the only public boating access to the Gulf of Mexico between Corpus Christi and Port Isabel. The one-time project will dredge the mouth of the channel to a depth to serve recreational boaters, and future maintenance will be the responsibility of WCND or another entity.

Eliminate trophy tarpon tag: TPWD is also proposing to eliminate the requirement that tarpon be tagged and instead would implement a minimum length limit. Under current rules, no person may catch and retain a tarpon of less than 80 inches in length, but may retain one tarpon of more than 80 inches in length by tagging the fish with the trophy tarpon tag from the person’s fishing license.

The proposed amendment would eliminate the tagging requirement and replace it with a bag limit of one tarpon of 80 inches in length or longer per person.

Alter black drum harvest rules: A similar proposal also would modify the rules governing possession of black drum. Currently, black drum are managed by means of a bag limit combined with minimum and maximum size limits. The proposed amendment would allow a person to keep one black drum of greater than 52 inches in length per day.

Reduce possession limits on flounder: The department is proposing a reduction to the possession limit for flounder taken under a recreational license. Under current rule, the possession limit for any fish is twice the daily bag limit, unless specified otherwise. Thus, with a daily bag limit of 10, the possession limit for flounder is 20, and for those flounder fishing trips which last past midnight the 20 fish per angler possession limit applies. The proposed change would make the possession limit identical to the daily bag limit.

Naming tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis) a game fish: TPWD proposes to list tripletail as a game fish and create a minimum size of 17 inches and daily bag limit of 3 fish [6 in possession]. This rule is similar to what other states have adopted and since tripletail females reach reproductive maturity at about 17 inches, this would provide protection through at least an initial spawning cycle.”

Increasing minimum length limits on largemouth bass: The current harvest regulations for largemouth bass on 250-acre Marine Creek Reservoir (Tarrant County) consist of statewide 14-inch minimum length limit and a five-fish daily bag limit. The proposal would implement an 18-inch minimum length limit. The change is necessary because Marine Creek Reservoir has been selected to be involved in the Operation World Record research project.

 

Jan. 16, 2006 - Federal Grant to Restore Galveston Bay Rookery Island

HOUSTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a federal grant to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for a more than $1.2 million project to restore wetlands on North Deer Island, the largest bird rookery island in the Galveston Bay system

The Texas grant was part of more than $15 million in grants to 12 states to help acquire, restore and protect coastal wetlands for long-term conservation benefits to wildlife and habitat under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.

North Deer Island in West Galveston Bay is used each year by up to 30,000 breeding pairs of 19 species of coastal-dependent birds, including more than 1,000 nesting pairs of federally listed brown pelican.

The North Deer Island project will protect and restore over 135 acres of fish and wildlife habitats. In Phase II to be funded by the federal grant, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and project partners, will protect 82 acres of island habitat from erosion and restore eight acres of estuarine marsh.

The total cost of the project is $1.24 million, with $653,300 of that paid by the federal grant. The partners share of the project will be $587,000. Project partners include the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Gulf of Mexico Program, USFWS Coastal Program, Texas Genco’s EcoCenter, Shell Marine Habitat Program and Houston Audubon,.National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grants are awarded to states through a competitive process. The program is funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, with money generated from excise taxes on fishing equipment, and motorboat and small engine fuels.

“These are win-win projects,” said Dale Hall, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director. “I’m very excited when we’re able to leverage the taxpayer dollar with our partners and get a lot more value for the money.”

For more information on this project please contact Jamie Schubert at (281) 534-0135 with the Coastal Fisheries Habitat Program.

Jan. 9, 2006 - Flat Out Fishing Offers Tips for Novice and Expert Anglers

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will host a very special event to help Coastal Bend anglers start the new year with an edge. The third annual Flat Out Fishing event kicks off at 8 a.m., Sat., Jan. 28, at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The event will be held at the university’s Science and Technology Building in Room 104.

The day-long event includes seminars and presentations from noted guides and experts and covers everything from the life histories of popular sport fish to fishing the flats and landing trophy trout.

“Flat Out Fishing offers anyone from beginning to experienced fishermen a variety of opportunities to increase their knowledge of the sport,” said TPWD Coastal Fisheries Outreach Specialist Art Morris. Morris added that the event benefits the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s abandoned crab trap removal program fund. That program has removed more than 18,000 abandoned crab traps from coastal waters since 2002.

Flat Out Fishing begins with a boating safety presentation at and continues through 5 p.m. with the conclusion of “Lefty Ray” Chapa’s photography seminar. Participants will be eligible for door prizes and “goody bags.”

The cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple, payable by cash, check or money order at the door. Registration fees are tax-deductible. Children under 17 may attend free.

Seating is limited to the first 100 participants. To register, contact Art Morris at 361-825-3356 or by e-mail at art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.us

Flat Out Fishing is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, CCA Texas, the Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau, Daiichi, Saltwater Conservation Association Texas and the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program.