Passport to Texas

Saltwater Fishing

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Saltwater anglers have a lot to look forward to in 2014.

08— 2014 looks great! We’ve got trout populations that are doing well. Flounder are showing signs of rebounding since the November gigging ban has been put in place.

And that’s just the beginning, says Art Morris, fisheries outreach specialist with coastal fisheries.

20—Red drum are holding their own. Black drum are everywhere. Our trout numbers have risen recently in the last couple of years from a point where we had concerns – especially in the mid-coast. We’re still watching those trends closely, and have recently proposed reducing the bag limit to five up the coast, as we currently have in the Lower Laguna Madre. Nevertheless, we should see some big trout coming in this year. Overall the number of fish are good on the coast.

Recent rains mean better environmental conditions. And when it’s good for the fish, it’s good for the fisherman.

20—Those seeking redfish are probably going to want to hit the mid-coast. We’ve got other species that are basically tropical in nature, like gray snapper –they’re abundant. Hopefully, we’ll have some tarpon this year; snook have been making the rounds up the coast in recent years due to the warmer winters. We’ve got a good variety and good numbers of fish. I think we’ll have a good year in 2014.

Art Morris says coastal fishing is like the proverbial box of chocolates.

03— You never know what you’re going to get. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: it’s all going to be good.

Read more of Art Morris’ thoughts on the 2014 saltwater fishing forecast in TPW Magazine’s February Digital Fishing issue. For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Crab trap removal from Texas bays

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Crab traps—abandoned by their owners in Texas bays—continue to snare crabs, sport fish and other marine life. Since 2002 TPW, its partners and volunteers have removed traps annually during a 10 day cleanup.

04— And we’ve removed 30,449 traps to date.

Coastal biologist, Art Morris, says one derelict trap can ensnare 26 crabs a year; since the removal program, a half million crabs have been spared. This year’s cleanup is February 21 through March second.

14— Anytime during that closure, anybody can remove traps from the bays. But, on Saturday the 22nd, we’ll have our main event day, where we have our staff facilitating some of the sites on the coast and some of our partners will be facilitating some of our sites on the coast.

The program welcomes volunteers with boats, as well as those who wish to work on shore.

18—We will pass out gloves and tarps for people; we will have water available at our facilitated sites. All ages can participate. We’ve had boy scout troops come out and help out. We’ve had the elderly and everybody in between that’s spent significant time doing this.

At some locations along the coast, partners and volunteers even have cleanup parties.

11— There are some places that have barbeques and hot dog and hamburger grills going. Some of these places have had a party every year and really get into it.

Contact your local coastal fisheries field stations, or visit the TPW website for details about getting involved.

The Sport Fish Restoration program Supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Picking up abandoned crab traps in Texas bays

Conservation: Crab Trap Removal, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Crab traps lost or forgotten in the gulf kill crabs as well as other marine and shore life.

04— But blue crabs, stone crabs, and sheepshead are the big three.

Throughout the years rogue traps have ensnared countless species of game and sport fish, says coastal biologist, Art Morris.

22— We’ve [also] seen things like Diamondback Terrapins—which are a species of special concern—as well as river prawns, other turtles (not sea turtles, but other freshwater turtles). We’ve removed the remains of an otter out of a trap; we’ve seen the remains of birds that have been caught in these traps once the traps have been washed onshore. These are prolific killing machines.

Prior to 2002, only Game Wardens or the trap owners could remove the devices legally from surf or shore. Until then, the derelict traps kept racking up kills. But in 2001, the Texas legislature stepped in.

19— The Texas Legislature saw to it that we [TPWD] needed authority to create an abandoned crab trap removal program. And the grated us the authority to do that. And what that looks like today is a 10 day closure for the use of traps; any traps that are left in the water [during that time] are considered abandoned and classified as litter. So, anybody can remove them.

We’ll have details about the 2014 Crab Trap Cleanup – and how you can help – on tomorrow’s show.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Fishing with borrowed tackle

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If one of your New Year’s resolutions included trying your hand at angling… but you don’t want to spend money on tackle until you know you’re going to like the sport… Texas Parks and Wildlife has a tackle loaner program for folks like you.

15—The tackle loaner program is a program in which we provide different sites with basic fishing rods and reels and some very basic tackle so that citizens can borrow that equipment and go fishing.

Ann Miller oversaw aquatic education at parks and wildlife before retiring.

16—When you go to a tackle loaner site to check out equipment, you’ll receive a little tackle box with basic hooks and bobbers and sinkers of different sizes. You’ll also be able to check out a very basic spin casting rod and reel.

Anyone over 17 will need a fishing license to check out equipment. Persons under 18 must have an adult check out the tackle for them.

15—Each tackle loaner site has a simple form that the person who checks out the equipment would sign, saying that ‘yes’ they will bring the equipment back. And you will just leave an ID there –you can check it out for up to a week.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds winter rainbow trout stocking in Texas. So borrow some tackle and reel one in.

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

Lionfish, photo by CHASE FOUNTAIN TPWD 2013

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Popular among saltwater aquarium enthusiasts, the beautiful and venomous Lionfish – native to reefs in the South Pacific –ended up in South Atlantic waters where no predators exist.

06—Mainly nothing eats them because their coloring and their appearance says ‘danger’ to other animals.

Melissa Gaskill is a science and travel writer living in Austin. Considered invasive, Lionfish – known as voracious eaters and prolific breeders—outcompete and eat native gulf species. Gaskill says it’s time humans make short work – and dinner—of Lionfish.

08—This is one of the few fish where authorities encourage you to catch and eat as many as you can. There’s no limit; the more the better.

Florida holds Lionfish derbies where people remove the fish in bulk from gulf waters. Gaskill says if you bring one to shore, steer clear of the venomous fin tips. She says if you want to eat lionfish without the risk…

21— Well, the easiest way is to get a commercial fishery going and order it in a restaurant. And I think that will eventually happen – and it’s delicious, so that will be a good thing. In the meantime, certainly most of the derbies people spearfish; and actually lionfish are really easy to spearfish because they don’t dart away. You know, they’re top of the food chain type behavior and they just sort of sit there looking at you saying like, ‘Yeah. Bring it on.’

Melissa Gaskill’s article on lionfish appears in the December issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

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