Stoping the closing of the flounder run.

[Leemo]

How about all the little flounder that are killed by shrimp nets. Crazy how many they kill. Killing tiny flounder by the thousands is a much bigger problem.

Have you ever been on the back deck of a shrimp boat? How many different species of flounder swim in the bays of Texas? Can you identify any? Are all species lumped into one category when reported in surveys? What is the technical term of a shrimp net? How many Texas shrimpers actively worked the bays in the 90’s when landings of flounder were at historical levels? What about now?

Should I continue?

[Chance Love]

Won't do a dang bit of good to "let 'em know what you think"... They've already made up their minds and will do what they want... public opinion and science be dammmm'd. Just look at their recent past history of similar "proposed" changes to the regs...

This.

[CaptainDave]

in my opinion with current regulations flounder are rebounding now

I agree with the above. The 2 fish limit from 11/1 through 12/15 has helped flounder start rebounding.

I hated when the limit was dropped for the run; however, I understood why. Flounder get absolutely pounded during the fall run and unfortunately, the majority of fish caught are females heading out to the gulf to spawn. Flounder can be caught throughout the spring and summer, but people simply choose not to target them for most of the year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm against further reductions during the flounder run; but I can live with the current 2 fish limit during the run to help rebound the population.

[rtp]

Waste of time.....they just do what they want. Taking public opinion is just them going through the motions.

[DRT]

Targeting a species during the spawn will have a detrimental affect. That said a couple of guys I know said the flounder fishing has improved the last few years so . . . Who the heck knows?

Gary

[PondPopper]

I realize that this is not going to be a popular opinion here, but if flounder populations are declining, shouldn't we do what we can to help boost their numbers back to historical levels?

They are declining because the redfish population is out of control.. I've been on the coast, 18 miles or less, my entire life and I can tell you that we have entirely to many redfish now... They eat everything.. I NEVER see baby crabs while wading anymore either.. I hardly ever catch baby flounder while cast netting like we did in the past.. Redish feed primarily on the bottom, where the baby flouder hide.. Redfish eat everything. I think the huge decline in the croaker population is because of the redfish also.. The redfish numbers have thrown the entire system out of kilter..

[kyle1974]

And CCA and TPW keep pumping millions of redfish into the bays year after year.

It was only a few years ago TPW was begging people to keep their limits of drum in the Baffin area because the fish were starving to death. And yet, the redfish fingerlings kept coming. It’s insanity.

[Pigkilln]

They are declining because the redfish population is out of control.. I've been on the coast, 18 miles or less, my entire life and I can tell you that we have entirely to many redfish now... They eat everything.. I NEVER see baby crabs while wading anymore either.. I hardly ever catch baby flounder while cast netting like we did in the past.. Redish feed primarily on the bottom, where the baby flouder hide.. Redfish eat everything. I think the huge decline in the croaker population is because of the redfish also.. The redfish numbers have thrown the entire system out of kilter..

I agree, I would like to see them up the catch to 5 and lower min size to 16”

[Pin Oak DXT]

I agree, I would like to see them up the catch to 5 and lower min size to 16”

I am all for reducing the minimum size. Not sure the limit needs to go to 5 but let people keep a 16" fish. Those are the ones I want to eat, not a 20 plus inch red.

[rtp]

They are declining because the redfish population is out of control.. I've been on the coast, 18 miles or less, my entire life and I can tell you that we have entirely to many redfish now... They eat everything.. I NEVER see baby crabs while wading anymore either.. I hardly ever catch baby flounder while cast netting like we did in the past.. Redish feed primarily on the bottom, where the baby flouder hide.. Redfish eat everything. I think the huge decline in the croaker population is because of the redfish also.. The redfish numbers have thrown the entire system out of kilter..

Just another example of man interferring with nature. Why is it the recreational guy is the one always hammered on this? Cut out the commercial fishing if there is a problem. BTW, none of this affects me as I probably dont keep 1 flounder every other year.

[SLICE & DICE]

I think they need to study the effects of industrialization, restriction of fresh water inflow, and habitat loss before going after the recreational anglers. Make these big money companies and coastal refineries pay to create, protect, and enhance habitat. These oil/gas and chemical refineries destroy habitat and remediation is minimal.

[Soggy Bottom]

Baby flounder are all over the back lakes in POC. As a rod and reel fisherman it seems more people “accidentally” catch flounder now than 10 years ago. They have no hard evidence the population is in a decline. We have seen the nets and where they place them to get there samples. Hard drop offs in boat lanes that are easily checked within 5min of the public boat ramps. Flounder don’t travel there. It’s all a sham by one lobbyist for the CCA.

[toomuchsun]

Lower sizes on the tender species like trout. And maybe Reds if they are too many. (fooled me last several trips) I grew up fishing Baffin, Laguna, and all the bays north and south of CC. I have seen mass fish caught and feeding the dolphins when the dying bleeding undersized fish was released due to regs. Good human eating size as well. If I could catch 5 nice trout 12" and no waste and go home, I just helped loss of the fish. I have personal friends long gone who shrimped and yes the by catch can be big time on the flounder. The reduced shrimping (bless the hearts of the families who rely on it) has certainly in my opinion helped the flounder. I gave up on em for Many years. They use to be a common on my stringer. It is coming back. And Parks & Wildlife does have some serious in our favor folks. I am sure some politics etc exist so no defense across the board but underpaid and educated folks work to help. Heck of a situation to confront the whims and desires of those who are not hands on with what happening. I am not but know enough the issues can be improved. I can finally catch a flounder again. 2 is enough as long as weighs in at 86Lbs. each. Oops, I confused halibut. Maybe at least 3 Texas size please

[PondPopper]

Baby flounder are all over the back lakes in POC. As a rod and reel fisherman it seems more people “accidentally” catch flounder now than 10 years ago. They have no hard evidence the population is in a decline. We have seen the nets and where they place them to get there samples. Hard drop offs in boat lanes that are easily checked within 5min of the public boat ramps. Flounder don’t travel there. It’s all a sham by one lobbyist for the CCA.

There aren't any where near the flounder numbers, in the Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay systems, as there were back before the red fish restocking program started and this is coming from 40+ years of fishing these waters..


There is no reason a coupe of guys should be able to catch 100, 150, 200 redfish, in a single trip, throwing plastics, and maybe 5 are legal length. Most are 12"-17".. Eating machines.....
There is not a fish species in the bay systems that eat like redfish do..

[muddyfuzzy]

Stoping the closing of the flounder run.

If lived on the Coast my entire life and have been fishing the Galveston bay complex for over 35 years, I have no issue with the closure. I don’t have the answers to how we got where we are now with the current population numbers but I would rather support a seasonal closure than see a species be worse off than it already is. As stated above by another gentleman, targeting a species during a timed and predictable mass exodus is a pretty easy way to kill a lot of fish. The effects are even for more detrimental when many of the fish taken are mature breeding age females. I mostly target trophy trout these days so my tactics don’t really lend themselves to hook ups with flounder that much anymore. I kill maybe one or two a year and any others get sent back. Personally I see less these days versus when I used to gig the Pocket with my Old Man back in the early 80’s but I’m no marine biologist and that’s just what I see myself.

Nobody really trusts any form of government intervention anymore and sadly I think the guttural reaction by a lot of folks is in spite of genuine efforts by some to improve the fishery. People have strong opinions on wildlife resources topics but we shouldn’t let politics or egos get in the way of doing the right thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk