Passport to Texas

Flounder. Photo credit: Kendal Larson

Southern Flounder Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Brian Treadway fishes for flounder in Chocolate Bayou in West Galveston Bay.

Chocolate Bayou is an excellent spot for flounder. We have one of the shallowest bays in all the coast. And really and truly, we have the absolute best place to fish in the world right in our own backyard.

Southern flounder accounts for more than 95 percent of the flounder harvest in Texas. Sampling surveys indicate while populations of redfish and spotted sea trout are strong, southern flounder’s in decline.

We’ve had a slow, but steady, decrease in flounder populations throughout the coast of Texas. It’s been worse in some bays than it has in others. But, it’s just been a slow decline.

David Abrego with the Sea Center Texas Fish Hatchery, says data suggests issues affecting southern flounder decline include a lower number of females, overfishing and loss due to shrimp bycatch. Coastal fish hatcheries use brood stock to produce thousands of small flounder that will eventually go back into the bays.

If we’re able to stock fish into areas that are needed. Then, that is just another additional tool that can help the population recover.

Find bag limits and other regulations for fishing for flounder and other species on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series through your purchases of fishing equipment, and motorboat fuels.

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

Jace and Jack Tunnell on the beach. Photo credit: Corpus Christi Caller Times

No More Cups: A Father and Son Make a Difference Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Urban trash creates problems for freshwater and salt water ecosystems. Heavy rains, such as we had last year, sweep debris into our waterways.

You know, any trash that goes into the bay, like plastics, it takes many, many years for that to be able to biodegrade. And it’s not pretty to see, but it’s also bad for the animals.

Jace Tunnell of Corpus Christi and his son Jack frequent their local coastal park and see this problem first hand. During a rainstorm, Jace documented the issue using his video camera.

It blew my mind to see how much trash was coming out. And, unfortunately, that’s just the stuff that floats. I was showing it to jack and his eyes just opened up and he said: “Whoa!”

Together, father and son created a short video they titled All the Cups and posted it to YouTube to raise awareness.

We want people to stop throwing trash everywhere. And….that’s all.

Coincidentally, as their video hit YouTube, the city of Corpus Christi launched its own antilitter campaign. Lawrence Mikolajczyk [Mick-o-laj-check] oversees the city’s solid waste operations.

The overall goal of it is to bring litter awareness to everyone in the city. We do have a beautiful city and we want to keep it that way. We want it to remain the sparkling city by the sea.

Urban trash in our waterways is a national problem. By recycling, or at least properly disposing of trash, we can all make a difference.

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

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

Safety first when using a tree stand.

Tree Stand Safety Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

To be “up a tree” is usually a bad thing—unless, of course, you’re a hunter in a tree stand.

Did you know that the number one cause of hunting injury and fatality in North America is falls from tree stands?

In this instance, being up the tree isn’t the problem… falling from it is. Steve Hall, Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Education Coordinator, offers three simple rules to prevent falls.

One, use a good climbing system. Two, a harness while you’re in the stand. And three, a haul line to haul up your equipment and lower it back down to the ground.

Hall says climbing to the tree stand is when most accidents occur.

You want to make sure you have three points of contact while you’re climbing on a ladder or into a stand. You also want to step down onto the platform of that stand before you strap yourself in, in terms of the tree and the harness.

Once a hunter is in the stand, Hall says he or she needs to be sure the tether is nice and taut.

If he does happen to fall off the platform, this will keep his legs near the platform.

This allows the hunter to easily step back onto the platform. There’s more hunter safety information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series and works to increase hunting and shooting sports in Texas.

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

Ready for a day of shooting at clay pigeons.

Shooting Sporting Clays Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sporting clays came to the US from Britain in the 1960s and gained a fast following; one that continues to grow—especially in Texas.

Texas is the Mecca of the clay target sports.

San Antonio is home to the National Sporting Clays Association and the National Skeet Shooting Association, and from 1987-2002 Mike Hampton was its executive director. A thousand shooters from across the globe travel to the site annually for the National Sporting Clays Championship—shooting more than a half million clay pigeons in 4 days.

The national complex in San Antonio is the largest all around shooting facility in the world.

Competition isn’t the only objective at the facility. Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Ed director, Steve Hall, says shooters also visit year-round to hone their skills and learn safety.

Statistically, sporting clays are very safe. In fact, we use the shooting sports to teach safety—especially to youngsters. We have many programs that combine the shooting sports with firearm safety and safe firearm handling.

Sporting clays isn’t just about turning the pigeons to dust. Charlie Wilson, a shooting instructor, says, it’s about enjoying the outdoors.

They get out into the outdoors—it’s good, it’s clean, it’s healthy…and it’s fun.

The Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series and works to increase shooting sports in Texas.

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

Wade fishing at Goose Island SP

Wade Fishing in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

With eight bay systems to choose from, and almost 400 miles of beach or bay access, wade fishing opportunities in Texas are vast.

We’re fishing the Upper Laguna Madre today, just south of Corpus Christi.

Before he retired from Texas Parks and Wildlife last year, Art Morris worked in Coastal fisheries, and one of his jobs was to generate interest in wade fishing.

[Corpus Christi Bay] is one of the premier bays on the Texas coast to wade fish. It’s got miles and miles of shallow grass flats, with an average depth of three feet. There’s tons of opportunities for wade fishermen to come down here and try their luck.

Minimal gear, bait and a good location are all you need for wade fishing. The location Nick Meyers prefers is North Padres Island National Seashore, with 65 miles of undeveloped beach and surf.

The beauty of this beach is, you’ve got such a variety of fish as you go through the seasons. From the pompano as in the fall and winter. Trout. Redfish. Jackfish. There’s everything in this water. It’s more than likely the most fertile bit of water you can get.

Find other wade fishing opportunities along the Texas coast on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. Through your purchases of hunting and fishing equipment, and motorboat fuels, over 40 million dollars in conservation efforts are funded in Texas each year.

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