Texas Almanac, 1992-1993 Page: 85
656 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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ENVIRONMENT 85
Freshwater Fishing
During the 1989-90 fiscal year an estimated 2.5 mil-
lion Texas fishermen spent more than 41 million days
fishing on our 1.7 million acres of public impoundments
and 80,000 miles of rivers, streams and bayous. These
anglers fished for sport and food, avidly seeking such
longtime favorites as largemouth bass, crappie, white
bass, sunfish and the various species of catfish. Consid-
erable time was spent seeking introduced species such
as smallmouth bass, walleye, striped bass and the
striped/white bass hybrid.
Freshwater recreational fishing is big business in
Texas. During the fiscal year, these fishermen, both resi-
dents and visitors, spent an estimated $4.9 billion on the
purchase of goods and services related to recreational
fishing, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart-
ment officials.
The year 1988 marked the beginning of a new era of
freshwater fishing in Texas. New, more restrictive regu-
lations on the two most popular sport fishes, largemouth
bass and crappie, reflected the state's commitment to
maintaining and improving the quality of fishing in
Texas.
The increasing number of fishermen is straining
some fishery resources. New and better fishing equip-
ment is adding to this increased pressure. Catch-and-re-
lease fishing has emerged on the Texas scene as the
conservation theme of fishermen who desire continued
quality fishing.
TP&WD has continued its programs of stocking fish
in public waters to increase fish numbers and species di-
versity. Among the most successful introductions are:
* Florida bass, a subspecies of largemouth bass,
grows heavier than native bass. The Florida bass has
been stocked in almost every Texas reservoir and has
forever changed the face of bass fishing in Texas. The 17-
pound, 10-ounce bass caught in Texas in 1986 is among
the 10 largest bass ever captured in the United States
and places Texas among the top states in trophy bass
fishing. Eight- to 12-pound bass, once a rare catch any-
where, are now commonly taken in Texas. All of the top
50 largemouth bass ever caught in Texas have been
caught since the introduction of Florida bass in 1972.
* Striped bass were once native to Texas' coastal
areas, and efforts to re-establish the species on the coast
are underway. They also have been introduced success-
fully in fresh water. Reproducing populations have been
established in Lakes Whitney and Texoma, and excellent
striper fishing can be found at Lakes Buchanan, E. V.
Spence, Possum Kingdom, Amistad and Livingston. A
hybrid between the striped bass and white bass has
added another sport fish for many smaller Texas reser-
voirs.
R Walleyes, native to the northern United States,
have been stocked in many Texas reservoirs in the west-
ern half of the state. They adapt well to clear, rocky
lakes that provide only sparse habitat for largemouth
bass. Lake Meredith is noted for its walleye fishery.
i Smallmouth bass also are doing well in many reser-
voirs in the western half of the state, where they have
built sustained populations through natural reproduc-
tion. The state record smallmouth bass, caught in 1988 at
Lake Whitney, weighed 7 pounds, 11.5 ounces, and many
lakes have produced smallmouths weighing more than
five pounds.
" Saltwater red drum have been introduced into
some Texas freshwater reservoirs, and they are doing
especially well in Lake Braunig at San Antonio. Other
lakes supporting good numbers of these fish are
Fairfield, Tradinghouse Creek and Colorado City.
In addition, rainbow trout are stocked during the
winter months on a put-and-take basis at more than 50 lo-
cations, including the Guadalupe River below Canyon
Reservoir Dam, the Brazos River below the Morris Shep-
pard Dam, Possum Kingdom Lake, Foster County Park
at San Angelo, Boykin Springs in Angelina County, the
San Gabriel River below Lake Georgetown, the Clear
Fork of the Trinity River in Fort Worth, and in dozens of
small lakes in state and city parks.
Saltwater Fishing
The Coastal Fisheries Branch is responsible for mak-
ing management recommendations regarding the
state's saltwater fishery resources within the bays and
estuaries and out to nine nautical miles into the Gulf of
Mexico. The coastal fisheries conducted in Texas' 4 mil-
lion acres of salt water by about 20,000 commercial fish-
ermen and an estimated 1.6 million recreationalfishermen have an economic impact of about $1.9 billion
annually.
The objectives of the Costal Fisheries Branch are to:
(1) Assess annually the status of finfish, shrimp, crab
and oyster populations and associated environmental
variables in the coastal waters.
(2) Seek the best scientific information and
approaches available in making management assess-
ments of the fishery by consulting the scientific litera-
ture, other resource management agencies and
resource users and by publishing and presenting results
of scientific studies.
(3) Prepare long-range management plans that de-
termine optimum yield for brown shrimp, white shrimp,
blue crab, red drum, spotted seatrout, Southern floun-
der, black drum and Eastern oyster to provide max-
imum economic benefits to the fishermen while
protecting the resource.
(4) Enhance existing fishery populations by stocking
red drum, spotted seatrout, striped bass, snook, tarpon
and white shrimp in Texas bays and assessing the
impacts of stocking on present populations and existing
fisheries.
(5) Enhance fishery habitat and economic benefits
by revitalizing 500 acres of reefs.
(61 Determine annually the demand for, utilization
of and economic value of fishery resources, and the mo-
tivations, management attitudes and satisfaction of re-
source users.
(7) Inform fishermen and consumers on seafood uti-
lization to the maximum extent possible through
improved communications with users of the resources.
(8) Prepare fishery plans and manage coastal re-
sources through participation in the Gulf of Mexico Fish-
ery Management Council and other entities.
(9) Develop mariculture techniques for the commer-
cial production of black drum and spotted seatrout and
provide information to the commercial mariculturist in
Texas.
(10) Implement the artificial reef management plan
to provide for orderly and effective use of this manage-
ment tool to ensure maximum economic benefit and
fisheries enhancement for the State of Texas.
The Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station
at Palacios provides information and techniques nec-
essary for the improvement of Texas fisheries manage-
ment plans. Research is directed toward methods for
spawning and rearing marine fish and shellfish. Once
developed, such techniques will be used to provide ani-
mals for stocking coastal bays and freshwater reser-
voirs, and information on techniques will be made
available to commercial mariculturists in Texas. Coastal
fisheries personnel exchange information with their
counterparts in other states.
As directed by the Texas Legislature, the Seafood
Marketing Program was initiated to increase the utiliza-
tion and value of seafood products. This charge is aimed
at all functional levels within the marketing channel. The
Seafood Marketing Program functions through an inter-
agency contract with Texas A&M University, the Texas
Agricultural Extension Service, the Sea Grant College
Program's Marine Advisory Service and the Texas De-
partment of Agriculture. Several fisheries development
foundations nationwide have also supported various
work completed by the Seafood Marketing Program.
Activities in Fiscal 1990
g The closure period for Gulf shrimping in state wa-
ters was coordinated with the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) for closure of the Exclusive Economic
Zone to increase yield and value for the shrimping indus-
try.
" More than 8,000 biological samples and associated
water and weather data were collected.
" The Texas Shrimp Fishery Management Plan and
Economic Impact Statement were adopted, and a
Shrimp Advisory Committee was created and appointed.
" The most comprehensive shrimp management
regulations since the Shrimp Conservation Act of 1959
was enacted were adopted.
" Regulations were modified to prevent depletion of
spotted seatrout damaged by freezing weather by plac-
ing a 15-inch minimum size to increase spawning poten-
tial. Size and bag limits were also modified for
gafftopsail catfish, Florida pompano, snook, red snapper
and blue crabs.85
ENVIRONMENT
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Kingston, Mike. Texas Almanac, 1992-1993, book, 1991; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth279642/m1/89/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.