Early in 2011, local Captain Tom Hans spearheaded an operation involving a group of local volunteers to catch broodstock of spotted seatrout for Lake Jackson’s Sea Center Texas where Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has engineered a Stock Enhancement Program to replenish bay waters. At that time, Mrs. Jennifer Butler with the TPWD came to POC and commandeered the operation and instructed fishermen on the procedures involved to safely guarantee the success of catching and transporting the fish to be used. The result of two fishing excursions netted over 100 fish to be used as broodfish for our area. The results of this endeavor are shown in the chart below as reported by Mrs. Butler. The numbers represent the total amount of fingerlings released at an average size of 35 millimeters each since that time.

As the year 2014 comes to a close, it is encouraging to find that almost all of the releases have taken place in our local bays compared to the total fingerlings released statewide. TPWD is aware of the decimation of the trout population in our area and is involved in a concerted effort to reverse this trend.

The present broodfish on hand have had a banner year of production. However, as they age, the fish are not as prolific and need to be replaced with younger trout. Upon being informed of this, Captain Hans lined up some volunteers and secured the permission from the Ineos Plant supervisor to allow the TPWD fish tank truck access to a fishing area. Local Captains Kirk Morgan and Doug McClung and Tom Hans joined Corando Chapa of Ineos in catching forty more broodfish to replenish the aging stock. It will be rewarding to find that some trout that have been caught locally and more catches in the future will be a result of this ongoing program to restock our bays.