The arctic blast hit us all very hard and had Texas in a grip worse than I thought it would, but more surprising than that it took even the forecasters back a few steps too as it caused unprecedented ice damage to life and property, not to mention the devastation it caused to the salt water species we all love. Surely we all saw the reports and the video of damage and dead fish up and down the Texas coast and it was heart breaking to watch. Time will tell us all what the ultimate affect was concerning the fish populations and so moving forward most of us should be taking that to heart when back out on the bay.

Customers are booking trips for March, April and beyond which is a good thing when your livelihood is entertaining folks as a fishing guide, especially after last years devastating drop in business due to the pandemic. The legal side remains the same and it’s not against any regulations to catch and keep fish for consumption. That said, my pre-trip discussion with customers aside from safety gear overviews and the workings of my boat have been focused on conservation. The clients have so far all agreed they are not on a meat haul and are out for the enjoyment of the trip, to learn a few more skills, to learn more about the middle coast area and to keep a few fish for a meal or two. Thankfully they get it and I personally will continue to spread a CPR (Catch-Photo-Release) attitude like I always have before this freeze and before this year.

Techniques for catching fish right now haven’t changed from before the cold weather and based on my last outings the fishery is looking as good as it can. There were plenty of black drum and a couple redfish to catch and we released way more than we kept. The dead fish floating I observed were mostly hard head catfish followed by mullet and also a couple redfish and trout. I realize some have floated and sunk before this trip and some too may not have surfaced but it had been well over a week since the last of the frigid water warmed up.

On my bait trips which is mostly what I run, March is typically the “live shrimp on popping cork” method for me which lasts until early May. Speaking to a couple guides who are in the know, there may be some shrimpers back at work this coming week to give it a try. In the meanwhile we are back to work soon and will be giving reports of the condition of the ecosystem.

Read the reports, review the data, realize it may not be as bad as social media’s knee jerk reactions suggest and then come see us in person for a nice day or two out on the water. There are a lot more facets to a fishing trip than putting fish in the box: learning more about how to interact with other boaters; the right gear you should invest in to safely operate your own boat; techniques for finding and catching more fish; how to safely release a fish; and what bait presentations to use are amongst a few of them.

Capt Stephen Boriskie Bay Flats Lodge, Seadrift, Texas
888-677-4868

Allan Berger, Leslie Taylor, Ashley Berger, Alejandro Velasquez with crab traps to offload at TPWD dock.

Feb. 2021 Results for Texas MidCoast Bay Systems

Press Release by San Antonio Bay Partnership

Every February, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department closes the bays to commercial and recreational crabbing for a 10-day period. This temporary closure enables a coordinated effort by agencies and organizations to remove derelict crab traps which continue to entrap and kill crabs, fish, and turtles
.
This year, 1203 traps were removed from the three coastal bay systems on the
Texas mid-coast (Lavaca/Matagorda, San Antonio, and Aransas Bays). “It’s especially important to remove these old traps from the bays. Not only are they a source of ghost fishing, but they are also navigation hazards and unsightly litter,” said co-organizer Katie Swanson, Mission-Aransas Reserve Stewardship Coordinator at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.

Removal of derelict crab traps was a massive effort this year involving 60 boat days and 148 volunteer days. The effort was led by San Antonio Bay Partnership, Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Lavaca Bay Foundation, and the Matagorda Bay Foundation who organized many groups, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries, local chapters of the Coastal Conservation Association, the Guadalupe Blanco River Trust , International Crane Foundation, Mid-Coast Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Sea Grant, Lavaca-Navidad River Authority, and individual citizen volunteers.

This is the second year that technology was used to collect data on each removed trap including: location, owner, and content. SABP Chairman Allan Berger stated, “The data reveals that many of the derelict traps are on the shoreline, likely the result of several storms this summer. However, a significant number appear to be in place and not picked up by commercial crabbers. It is anticipated that an analysis of the data can reveal root-causes and result in fewer lost traps in the future.”

“The effort was a great success thanks to the volunteers and organization that participated despite the disruptions of the winter storm. The weather reduced boats and volunteers. Further, TPWD recommended that the start of the effort be delayed three days to allow commercial crabber additional time to retrieve their traps since the winter storm had interrupted their work.”

Berger continues, “The loss of three days during the closure challenged the cleanup team to effectively search the bays in the remaining seven days. However, it was far better for the crabbers to retrieve their traps.”The tally is significantly lower than last year’s count of 1632. While a detailed analysis of the data remains to be completed, Berger anticipates that the cause is due both to fewer boats / volunteers and the crabbers having done a better job of retrieving their traps.

This year’s derelict crab clean-up effort was supported with funds from a NOAA Marine Debris Program Community-based Marine Debris Removal grant obtained by the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, supplemented by local sponsors Guadalupe Blanco River Trust, Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, and the San Antonio River . In addition, in-kind support was provided by U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Sea Grant, Bay Flats Lodge, Lavaca-Navidad River Authority, and the captains who provided their private boats.

Berger says that “While the cleanup is a lot of work, it is essential for keeping our bays clean and productive—and it’s fun.” If you want to be included in the early planning for next year, contact Allan Berger at SanAntonioBayPartnership@gmail.com

The Seadrift Chamber of Commerce is hosting a monthly market days. It will be held the last weekend of the month.

We welcome all homemade products, cups, produce, jewelry and baked goods, just to name a few. We also welcome direct sale representatives like Tupperware, Scentsy, Pampered Chef, etc.

We only ask for no ‘garage sale’ type booths be set up.

Please call or email us for more information.

Please email us at seadriftchambertx@gmail.com

Or call Tracey Johnson at 361-746-8488

Carley Ehrlich at 832-287-3893