Passport to Texas

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.

Sharing angling tips with would-be fishermen.

TPW TV: Coastal Expo Volunteer Family Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Despite their busy home, school and work schedules, several times a year, the Gibson family of Bastrop, Texas, volunteers at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Expo. Kris Shipman coordinates these events.

If we didn’t have volunteers like the Gibsons, we wouldn

’t be able to reach all the kids and provide those first time experiences outdoors.

Three thousands kids attend the weekend Expos to learn about the marine world. The entire Gibson clan is on hand to help. Meet them next week on a segment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV Series on PBS.

[Kaylee Gibson] It’s almost a little bit of an adrenaline rush.

[Chad Gibson] I’d say about 60 to 70 percent of the kids who come through there have never either been fishing, they’ve never been to the coast.

[Travis Gibson] Once you start learning—not only yourself but teaching other kids, it’s really fun. You can develop a habit of teaching people instantly.

[Doriann Gibson] It is hard work. But we get so much more out of it than what we put into it.

The Gibson family first started volunteering at Bastrop State Park in their hometown; and it’s strengthened their bond.

It allowed us to really have that quality time with our kids. It’s fun. It’s purposeful but we get to do it as a family.

Meet the Gibson family next week on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS. Check your local listings. The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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

Oyster Bed

Restoring Oyster Habitat After Ike Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas lost 8-thousand acres of submerged oyster habitat when Hurricane Ike blew into the gulf in 2008. Some reefs will restore naturally; other will receive some help.

24- We are trying to accelerate that that recovery effort by putting some the materials down to allow new oysters to settle on. We also worked closely with the commercial industry and got them involved in pulling their dredges up with bags off of them across some of these reefs that were marginally covered up, and to pull the shell back to the surface to provide that substrate for young oysters to attach to and start growing.

Lance Robinson is with coastal fisheries. Ike pushed saltwater and debris 15-20 miles inland, which decimated saltmarsh habitat — habitat that’s a marine nursery for sport and commercial species. Restoration work is ongoing.

12-And it took several weeks just for heavy equipment to get into the marshes to remove the mountains of debris before we could get in and assess what the other impacts were. And at that point it was just gut-wrenching.

As bad as the damage after Ike, Robinsons says it could
have been worse.

13-Both from a human impact and a natural resource impact had the storm tracked a little bit farther to the north. It would have brought the eye farther into the bay, and we would have seen a much more devastating impact.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration project supports our series.

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

Galveston Island. Steve Alexander, president of Galveston Island SP friends group.

Hidden Damage from Hurricane Ike Still Being Repaired Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Few will forget the images from 2008 of the devastation to Galveston Island by Hurricane Ike. Yet, there is Ike caused damage we cannot see.

06- The losses of some of the invaluable habitat associated with Galveston Bay.

Including submerged oyster habitat. Lance Robinson is with coastal fisheries. The hurricane deposited sediment on top of 8-thousand acres of oyster reefs in Galveston Bay. That’s nearly half of the consolidated oyster habitat within the system.

24-That is a huge loss of a valuable resource. Not only from the commercial fishing aspect to it, but for the ecosystem services that they provide that a lot of people don’t really recognize or really see. Such as: water filtration, providing habitat for other fish and crabs and other organisms that are associated with structures. Sort of like an oasis in a desert.

A single adult oyster filters water at a rate of about 50 gallons a day, improving ecosystem water quality.

10-The waste water treatment plants within Houston filter the same amount of water as a hundred and thirty acres of oyster reef; we lost 8-thousand acres of those reefs.

Restoring the reefs–that’s tomorrow.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration project supports our series, and funds diverse conservation projects in Texas.

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

Bay fishing success.

Sight Casting Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Fishing isn’t the passive activity people make it out to be.

09- You know, people picture this guy sitting on a bucket beside a lake or a river, watching a red and white bobber floating in the water. That is so far from the truth. Heh!

David Sikes is the outdoors writer for the Corpus Christi Caller Times, and says he and his coastal compadres prefer sight casting, which is active angling.

03-And we don’t cast until we see a fish, oftentimes.

Due to the skill level required, beginners may not catch fish, but then again, said Sikes, they may.

09-I’ve introduced several of my friends to sight casting. And during the very first trip, they saw–and caught–the fish that they saw. And, it’s pretty cool to watch.

When sight casting from a boat, you need at least two people–one to spot the fish and one to catch them. Anglers never sit when sight casting and they use lightweight flies as lures.

15- And I would really recommend that they at least, for the first time, get indoctrinated by going out with an actual, professional guide. I can recommend several down here who are really good. And, it might seem a little pricey at first, but the lessons are very valuable.

David Sikes wrote an article on Sight Casting for Redfish for the June issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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