Dr. Mark Fisher is the Director of the Science Group in the Texas Parks and Wildlife – Coastal Fisheries Division. Listen in as he gives us a quick overview of our coastal fisheries and shares some perspectives on both Hurricane Harvey and the recent cold snaps. Lots of excellent information is shared in this quick episode!
In an effort to make state regulations consistent with federal regulations, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) is proposing to increase the commercial and recreational daily bag limits for king mackerel from two fish per day to three fish per day. This move would provide additional angling opportunities for the public while simplifying compliance and enforcement of this specific fishery. State biologists do not foresee any negative impacts to the resource or adverse economic effects on participants in the fishery.
TPWD will accept public comments on the recommended change until 7:00 a.m. on January 25, 2018. Click here to be directed to the public comment portal and review the complete proposal.
House Natural Resources Committee Approves Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Bill
Washington, D.C. – December 13, 2017 – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources approved H.R. 200, a bill sponsored by Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) that amends the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide flexibility for fishery managers and stability for fishermen. A coalition of organizations representing the saltwater recreational fishing and boating community endorsed H.R. 200 and highlighted the importance of incorporating saltwater recreational fishing management provisions into the nation’s primary law governing federal fisheries management.
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Cedar Bayou is a natural pass connecting Mesquite Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Throughout recorded history is has been opened and closed by both natural and man-made influences. It was last re-opened in 2014 and has been the topic of much discussion since. Aaron Horine, Quentin Hall, Captain Jay Watkins, John Blaha, and Shane sit down to talk about this historic and celebrated pass from an engineering, science, biology, and fishing contexts. Click here to learn more about CCA’s involvement with Cedar Bayou.
It doesn’t get much better than the fall season in Texas. By now, the trout should have transitioned to their fall patterns, red fish can be easily spotted in the flats, and the flounder are “running”. For me, there is nothing more thrilling than feeling “the thump” of a flounder bit and joy I feel when I get to bring that tasty meal home to the family.
Texas Parks and Wildlife closely monitors southern flounder populations and even has a stock enhancement program that releases young flounder back into our bay systems. You can learn more about this program by taking a visit to Sea Center Texas and requesting a hatchery tour. For now, this video will have to do!
Decision Will Require Controlled Removal of Dioxin Waste from the Lower San Jacinto River
Houston, Texas – (October 12, 2017) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made the decision to remove the toxic dioxin waste from the San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund Site in Channelview, Texas. The cleanup plan, officially approved on October 11, will protect human health and the coastal environment by removing highly contaminated sediment from the site in a safe manner, using cofferdams and other engineering controls. The plan estimates that nearly 212,000 cubic yards of dioxin waste will be excavated from the site at a cost of $115 million.
In this episode, Kacee Bones and her husband Stephen open up their home to discuss sheonthefly.com, Hurricane Harvey, sight cast fishing on the middle coast, destination fly fishing trips, and recent on-goings at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
Four years of drought followed by three years of flooding and two major hurricanes have undoubtedly changed fishing in Galveston Bay over the past decade. Trout juvenile recruitment numbers in the upper coast have been fairly consistent over the years but what effects do these historic natural events have on adult trout populations? Captain Steve Hillman joins the podcast to talk about habitat loss in Galveston Bay, speckled trout management, and a variety of other topics.
Memorial Day Flood of 2015, Tax Day Flood of 2016 and late-May Floods of 2016. Two consecutive years of historic flooding were major setbacks for public oyster reefs and the oyster fishery in Texas. In fact, in June of 2016 Galveston County declared a state of disaster for the oyster industry. That was all before Hurricane Harvey, the largest flooding event in United States history. Sadly, much of Harvey’s rainfall was also within the Galveston Bay watershed.
The following is an article originally submitted in the July Edition of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine and updated for this blog.
On a crisp morning this past April, Jason McCartney, an avid kayak angler from Houston, was in pursuit of some speckled trout and redfish in the productive estuary near The Village of Tiki Island, adjacent to Interstate 45. The tide was extremely low, so while waiting for the water to move in, Jason decided to sit back, be present in the moment, and enjoy a peace of mind that can only be found while relaxing on the water.
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