Archive for September 2nd, 2009

A Texas Style Running of the Bulls

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Texas anglers look forward to the annual running of the bulls — bull redfish, that is.

It’s large schools of mature red drum – male and female – aggregating near gulf passes to spawn.

Bill Balboa is Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader. The bull red run begins in late August, crescendos about now, and continues through the fall. And these fish, most over 28-inches long, give anglers a good fight.

They call them bulls for a reason, and it’s because they’re very strong fish; they don’t give up easily. So generally most anglers are going to fish for bull reds in the surf using what I would consider typical surf tackle — which is a little bit heavier rod and reel, because what they can expect is a lot of long runs from this fish. They pull very hard. Much like a bull would pull if you had it on a rope.

Although anglers can reel in bull reds all along the gulf coast, their best opportunities lie north of Matagorda Bay.

:08—A lot of bull red fishing occurs in Sergeant up off of Freeport; Crystal Beach and Bolivar, in that area, and off of Sabine Pass.

Learn more about the annual bull red run when you visit passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…made possible by the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.