Passport to Texas

Crab Trap Cleanup, photo by Art Morris, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Conservation: Crab Trap Cleanup Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Since 2002, more than 29-thousand derelict crab traps have been removed from Texas bays.

:13— Through our program we have documented over forty species of organisms that are caught in these traps that include game fish, and commercially important fish, and even Diamond back terrapins which are a species of special concern.

That’s Art Morris is a biologist with Coastal Fisheries. He says Parks and Wildlife is gearing up for the Sixteenth annual Crab Trap clean up, February 15-24. Volunteers are needed.

:34—Anybody can volunteer, however, we primarily need people with boats, and particularly air boats. But there are jobs for people that don’t have a boat. We need people to unload boats; we need people to maybe sometimes to go out with people that will have crew members to go out with them. We’ll provide gloves; we’ll have tarps for boats. You don’t need to sign up for anything. We would like you to call ahead of time so we can get an estimate of how many people are going to come to that site. Most of our work’s going to be done in San Antonio bay, north, because that’s where most of the crabbing effort goes on. But anybody can volunteer, and they can do it on their own.

The main cleanup event is February 16 from 8:00 to noon; check the Texas Parks and Wildlife website or find information on how to volunteer at passporttotexas.org.

Morris warns to remove traps only during Feb. 15-24 as it is illegal all other times as traps are private property.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Crab Trap Cleanup Art Morris, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Angling: Ghost Fishing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There are ghosts in the gulf that silently trap and kill thousands of marine species annually.

09— They are a perpetual trapping machine. When something gets caught in there, it has nothing to eat and it dies, and it becomes bait and it attracts other fish and other organisms.

That’s Art Morris…ghost buster. Actually, he’s a biologist with Coastal Fisheries. The entities he’s after are abandoned crab traps…adrift in the gulf…ghost fishing.

09—And one of the key things about this, because they’re targeting for crabs, that’s the number one species that we see—the targeted organisms is what we’re losing to these derelict traps.

Weather and vandalism are the primary reasons why traps end up adrift, indiscriminately ensnaring crustaceans and other sea life. Morris says since 2002, more than 29-thousand of these A.W.O.L. traps have been removed from Texas bays.

12—A single trap can kill 26 blue crabs per trap per year. And we can extrapolate those numbers out and we estimate somewhere in the area of half million blue crabs are saved through this program alone—or have to date.

Morris hasn’t removed these traps alone—he’s had a lot of help from volunteers during annual crab trap clean ups. Your chance to help rid the gulf of ghost fishing happens next month… details tomorrow.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

White Bass, Colorado Bend State Park

Angling: Battling White Bass Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Largemouth bass give fishermen a good fight, but the smaller white bass is just as capable of providing anglers with an adrenaline kick.

14— Ounce for ounce, they are a real strong fighter. But they’re not as big as largemouths. If they grew as large as largemouth bass, I think we’d have to fish for them with surf rods and heavy lines.

John Jefferson is an outdoor writer, and crafted an article about this species for Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine’s February digital fishing special.

11— Most people that fish for whites will use lightweight tackle, a medium to lightweight spinning rod, and four to six pound test line – and then they’re fun!

Late winter and early spring white bass begin schooling in tributaries to spawn. Whether from a bank or a boat, fishing for whites in open and running water is your best bet for success.

21— Middle of the creek, and then draw the lure back to the shore. And you’ve covered water from the deeper water in the middle up to the shore. You’ll probably hang one. It’s not uncommon, and a neat thing to see [that sometimes] you’ll hook one fish and as you’re reeling it in and playing it, there will be two or three others schooling right along with it.

They’re probably offering moral support. Read the February digital fishing special, free online, at www.tpwmagazine.com.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel…

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

White Bass, Illustration TPWD

Angling: White Bass Run= Sprintime Fun Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In the February Digital Fishing Special from Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine you’ll find an article on white bass by outdoor writer John Jefferson.

11— White bass is a great sport fish. Parks and Wildlife records show there are more white bass caught per hour of fishing than any other fish in Texas.

Usually a lake dweller, white bass school in tributaries to spawn in late winter and early spring.

21— The white bass are triggered to spawn when the water reaches 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As far as the calendar, instead of the thermometer, it starts sometimes as early as warm days in January, but it really picks up in February and March. Those are the best two months.

Anglers may keep up to 25 fish caught with a pole and line that meet the 10-inch length requirement. Although white bass prefer shad and minors, they’ll take artificial lures, which is what John Jefferson says he uses.

13— With me, it was a matter of laziness. I didn’t want to lug a big minnow bucket up and down the creeks when I could take a few jigs with me and a lightweight spinning rod and spend more time actually fishing than changing bait.

We’ll talk more with John about white bass tomorrow.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel…

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

Neighborhood Fishing

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Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine’s February digital fishing special offers freshwater and saltwater fishing forecasts compiled by Steve Lightfoot.

07— You won’t catch anything if you don’t go. The only way you can determine for certain that you will or will not catch anything is by casting a line.

Lightfoot, a wildlife & fisheries information specialist, used input from fisheries biologists to craft the forecast. He said for the best success — you can’t go wrong with rainbow trout.

16— Our community fishing lakes and some of the other hot spots around the state that we stock in winter with rainbow trout, offer a wonderful opportunity to take novices out… children… families…. These fish are stocked with the purpose and intent for people to go catch them, take them home, and eat them.

Lightfoot recommends using the fishing forecast as a planning guide…especially for coastal angling.

22— If you’re planning a trip to the coast, you want to make sure that you’ve got as much information as you can so that you can prepare for what species are most abundant. For example, our biologists are seeing a lot of black drum, a lot of sand trout showing up in our bay systems. So, these are overlooked species
that anglers should possibly try and target if they’re planning a trip to the coast.

Find the forecast in Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine’s digital fishing special online this month at tpwmagazine.com.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series…and funds rainbow trout stocking in Texas… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.