Month: January 2010

Speckled Trout Fishing on the Texas Coast

This time of year is a great time to fish for speckled trout. These animals are usually very stocky this time of year and put up a great fight, if you can find them along the Texas coast. Now is the season for personal bests to be bested, when John Glenn’s taxidermy studio expects a seasonal wave of upper-class specks destined to decorate walls and mantels.

But the angling elites who target these elusive trout trophies are not pleased. Several anglers have told the press that they’re experiencing the worst early-winter trout fishing in recent memory. This contrasts greatly with a stellar spring and summer south of the JFK Causeway, when bait croaker produced full boxes of solid specks. You think there’s a connection? Continue reading Speckled Trout Fishing on the Texas Coast

Central Texas Hiking Trail

With spring just around the corner, the weather is much more conducive for some serious hiking and rock climbing in Central Texas, and what better place to find a central Texas hiking trail than Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The terrain is well suited for both the casual hiker as well as those looking for a more adventurous climb. The website notes: “Enchanted Rock State Natural Area consists of 1643.5 acres on Big Sandy Creek, north of Fredericksburg, on the border between Gillespie and Llano Counties.”

The state park charges a small fee for parking, and it is a haven for nature lovers and outdoorsmen. The Loop Trail covers a terrain of 4 miles, and Summit Trail climbs 425 feet in 0.6 miles, according to the park’s map. It is recommended that you bring plenty of water and snacks because that particular hiking trail can be harder than it looks. Continue reading Central Texas Hiking Trail

Hunter Shot While Duck Hunting

It’s being reported that a duck hunter near Port Arthur, Texas, has been killed in a duck hunting accident on the upper Texas coast. Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Bob Morgan says 30 year old Matthew Thomas Janson, of Houston, was hit by a shotgun blast as he and a friend were firing at ducks at J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area.

Morgan says the Sunday shooting is being investigated as an accident. He says the men launched a boat in Sabine Pass and that the shooting happened about an hour later in a marsh. The hunting partners were at compartment 17 of the South Bayou Unit of the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area when they began shooting simultaneously at ducks. Continue reading Hunter Shot While Duck Hunting

Texas Big Bass Fisheries Should Thank Durocher

Phil Durocher, longtime head of Inland Fisheries at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is ending his 35 years at the agency. He doesn’t go alone, however. His wife, Jean, also retired on December 31, ending a 35-year run as a nurse in one doctor’s office. Durocher walked away from the top fisheries job at TPWD a little scarred from past fights, but knows he played a role in pushing Texas to the top of bass fishing in North America.

He spent more than a few hours standing before hostile crowds and commissions, quietly offering up his positions, often using his gun bang-damaged ear to pretend he didn’t hear the semi-silent cursing and complaining from his audience. That was especially true in 1986, when Durocher was TPWD’s front man traveling the state promoting a change in bass fishing regulations that would forever alter the world of fishing. Continue reading Texas Big Bass Fisheries Should Thank Durocher

Texas Addressed Conservation Issues

Just last week, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced interim charges for Texas Senate committees that will explore issues and solutions during the interim period before the 82nd Texas Legislature convenes in January 2011. Among the agencies addressed was the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Below is a listing of some committee interim charges relevant to TPWD and its mission that could impact its constituents.

Natural Resources

  • Analyze and compare the differences in cost between immediate implementation of the State Water Plan compared to staged development over time.
  • Review the joint planning process for management of groundwater resources and monitor the progress of groundwater conservation districts’ efforts to establish, before the statutory deadline, desired future conditions for aquifers.
  • Study the need for the state to regulate the drilling of new wells within proscribed depths and distances of Texas rivers, in order to prevent the draining of surface water from alluvial plains of river basins.
  • Monitor the environmental impacts, including water usage, and role of the TCEQ and other agencies in oil and natural gas development in areas of the state such as the Barnett Shale Continue reading Texas Addressed Conservation Issues

Texas Coast Duck Hunting Report

Duck hunting along the Texas coast had been hit and miss this season, even with the cold weather pushing down some new ducks. Duck hunting reports indicate ice was a problem on the coastal prairies for waterfowl hunters. Ponds iced over two inches thick in some places, and that made for tough duck hunting. Few birds moved, according to several outfitters submitting duck hunting reports.

Many hunters along the coast reported seeing an influx of birds overnight, probably because the area had the most open water and feeding areas. However, coastal hunters on the bays said the bird flight was slim as well, but not for lack of birds. Port O’Connor and Rockport are holding large rafts of red heads, lesser scaup, pintails, and some gadwall. Continue reading Texas Coast Duck Hunting Report

Texas Bays Depend on Freshwater Inflow

On Monday, January 11, 2010, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Water Resources and Coastal Fisheries staff attended a meeting of the Guadalupe-San Antonio Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committee. A similar meeting recently took place for the Trinity-San Jacinto Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committee, where members heard presentations from their appointed science team about freshwater inflow recommendations for Galveston Bay. Outdoor enthusiast understand the importance of freshwater flows for the health of coastal habitat, widlife, specifically waterfowl, and fish species, and it’s good to see the problems are being addressed.

Three other bay-basin committees are also working on the Nueces, Sabine/Neches, and Colorado/Lavaca systems. All this stems from Senate Bill 3 passed by the Texas Legislature in 2007, which established a comprehensive, statewide process to protect environmental flows. The process relies upon input from local stakeholder groups composed of balanced interests ranging from agricultural water users to commercial anglers–all with a vested interest in water rights. The hoped-for outcome is protected environmental flow regimes to help ensure healthy rivers and estuaries. Continue reading Texas Bays Depend on Freshwater Inflow