[Lucky Strike]

After reading a lot on the flounder I feel that there should be tags just like the red fish. Why not have a size limit and stop the gig catch. Hook catch only so you could measure for tagging. A limit with no more than 10 tags a year for over 20 inch fish. No more commerial sale of wild flounder. I know this will get some upset. I hope the Tx PWD will start some of these changes.

About 5 or 6 years ago I started out of Little Bay in Rockport on the opening day for shrimping. I stopped and counted 87 boats dragging nets in 180 degree radius in Aransas Bay. That is what is wrong with the fishing.

Look at the Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass. The town doesn;t want to have people come into town that could buy half the city. They had rather have a rusty sinking shrimp boat and keep the harbor looking like a grave yard of old boat and junk building. What a mess!!!!

 

[rtoler]

Hmm

Something needs to be done to help Mr. Flounder out.... I noticed a big decline in catching descent flounder 5yrs ago in my favorite flounder spots.

 

[REELBEAST]

Hey Lucky, Conn brown harbor is just fine the way it is. We have some issues down there but we are working on them. Conn Brown harbor was built originally as a deep water port for the shrimp fleet, and there was no one complaining while their mouth was full of shrimp in the mid to late 1900's. Now we are over run with people coming down to abuse the resources of the area, and most of them act as if we here in Aransas Pass owe them something. I for one favor our city's decision to keep the harbor as a shrimp boat harbor. I live in Aransas Pass and do not feel as though I owe anyone outside of Aransas Pass anything. I like Aransas Pass, that's why I live here, FULL TIME. I love Conn Brown harbor, it's awesome. If you have a different opinion, no problem, but please do not beat us up on a public forum, feel free to go elsewhere. By the way I love to gig flounder, and I agree that changes should be made, but just cut the limits way back. Gigging flounder is a tradition, it is not how we harvest them, but how much we harvest.

 

[Dipsay]

Hey Lucky, Conn brown harbor is just fine the way it is. We have some issues down there but we are working on them. Conn Brown harbor was built originally as a deep water port for the shrimp fleet, and there was no one complaining while their mouth was full of shrimp in the mid to late 1900's. Now we are over run with people coming down to abuse the resources of the area, and most of them act as if we here in Aransas Pass owe them something. I for one favor our city's decision to keep the harbor as a shrimp boat harbor. I live in Aransas Pass and do not feel as though I owe anyone outside of Aransas Pass anything. I like Aransas Pass, that's why I live here, FULL TIME. I love Conn Brown harbor, it's awesome. If you have a different opinion, no problem, but please do not beat us up on a public forum, feel free to go elsewhere. By the way I love to gig flounder, and I agree that changes should be made, but just cut the limits way back. Gigging flounder is a tradition, it is not how we harvest them, but how much we harvest.

Amen bro...amen

 

[Figfarmer]

Keep Conn Brown the way it is. That's why I moved to Aransas Pass 5 years ago. My father used to drive us from El Paso down to A.P. back in the 60's. Upon returning, some 45 years later, I found it almost like it was back in the old days. That was the alure to me. I used to live in south Florida in the 70's and early 80's and left because of the hordes of people and if your boat didn't cost the price of a new house you felt like a welfare case. A.P. is a nice, quiet place. I knew sooner or later that the Florida developers would find it. I'm all for keeping the harbor strictly as a park and boat launch. Once the mega-yachters move in they start taking over with all of their mega-dollar requirements, mega-dollar rules and mega-dollar regulations imposed on the locals. Just my 2 cents. I know that sooner or later it will look like Miami.

 

[Figfarmer]

Oh yeah, 5 flounder limits. Hook em, gig em (by boat or by foot), hypnotize them, whatever. I know that it's a living for some but If I become president of the world, I will ban all commercial fishing. Fish farms could raise commercial fish (I think. When I become president of the world, I will fiqure it all out). OK. Just ran out of beer. Good night.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Tell me why you don't want to improve the value of the local property in Aransas Pass? Yes years ago there was a need for the shrimp boat harbor, but now explain why the boats left. Not enough shrimp for all to catch!!!!! The same thing happens when there is not enough regulations to stop over harvesting the fish. Progress will come, but go look at the Rockport area or Port Aransas. Try to buy a piece of property there and then go to Aransas Pass to see all the vacant buildings. I wanted to buy an RV park a few years ago in Aransas Pass, but the city told me that if I closed the park to update the improvements it would be closed down by the city. It is a sore site to see today with all the run down trailers and rv's.

I think that it is time to review the fishing regulations. Change is needed now for all to have a fair chance to catch a few fish.

 

[squidmotion]

i just love the gigging 'traditionalists'

a boat set up for gigging, generator, huge lights, air-kicker motor, that hauls in a boat-load of flounder... commercial, or not,

that's a tradition???


i guess gill-nets, dynamite, and magneto fishing are also considered 'traditional' methods as well...?

who cares if it's traditional or not... if found that giggers are hurting the population of flounder (seriously open to massive speculation on this board), then it needs to GO.

commercial giggers, illegal gill netters and giggers, and shrimp boat bay haulers.... these are the enemy... the rec giggers aren't the problem, but they will unlikely feel the fallout.

and the gig by lantern wading only folks? that's a nice idea, but makes it impossible to enforce...


and those who deny that the flounder population in texas isn't under stress.... i don't know what to tell you.... i know what i know, and i know there are less and less flounder for the rod and reel crowd... less than there ever have been since i first moved to this wonderful state 35 years ago...

take flounder off the restaurant plates, make it a game fish (sorry giggers)... outlaw commercial gigging... continue to buy back shrimp licenses...

so before any of you guys flame me, remember this is just my opinion, and that is all... i don't have any more votes/pull about this than anyone else... but i stand for what i believe in about gigging, and i love to catch flounder on a rod and reel...

keep cool, everyone... open debate is a good thing, name calling and finger pointing gets nothing done...

 

[REELBEAST]

Listen closely. WE LIKE ARANSAS PASS THE WAY IT IS!!!!!!!! If you do not like it, GO TO ROCKPORT, STAY IN ROCKPORT. For a person who does not live here you seem to have a big interest in my city. I moved to Aransas Pass from Rockport because of all of the problems development brought, I had planned to spend the rest of my life in Rockport, but I got tired of having to deal with all of the weekend warriors and had the luxury to choose a place to live anywhere on the South Texas coast. I chose Aransas Pass. The best best fishing, the best access, and a small hometown atmosphere. We like it that way. Rockport wants you and your money, go see them, it will be a win/win/win situation for all involved. No disrespect intended Lucky, but I do not go to your house and complain about the way you run it. I stay at my house and enjoy PARADISE every day. For the record I know several shrimpers that use Conn Brown, and I see no reason to send them packing. The harbor is theirs and will be there for development long after they are through with it. I just hope that I too am through with it before all of the developer's move in.

 

[Figfarmer]

I have no problem with cleaning up old RV's and run down properties in A.P. I would just hate to see CBH filled with condo's, private housing and Huge hotels. Conn Brown Harbor should stay a place for fishing, boat launching, bait selling, parks and picnics, shrimp boat parking, etc. Overnight docks would be ok, too. CBH is a jewel that few places in the US has. We almost lost it forever for a few million dollars. Imagine going to the harbor and instead of the pier there was a 20 story hotel looming over you. That is what almost happened, thanks to our old mayor. JMO

 

[gordaflatsstalker]

That's what's happening to Matagorda. Developers are buying everything up and building houses and they are doing away with the old swing bridge. They should have left Matagorda how it was. As for floundering, they need to do away with commercial fishing and drop the limit to 5. There is nothing wrong with gigging fish. Whether you are in a rigged out floundering boat or on foot. But when you have commercial guys that go out and gig 60 flounder a night everynight of the week, there's something wrong with that. Floundering is a past time. My grandfather would wait for November every year to head down to Port Aransas to go gigging during the run. He did it on foot and lantern but he still gigged as many as the guy in the boat. So saying a boat helps you out is not entirely true. It just makes it easier. Drop the limits and do away with commercial gigging.

 

[2112]

The answer is simple...get rid of commercial shrimpers and other bay trawlers
Leave us rec giggers be. Picking on rec giggers is no different than picking on pro fish guides. 1% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish so quit crying and learn what you are doing.

 

[kemahguy]

Flounder Limits

I definitely agree that a five flounder limit needs to happen as soon as possible! I also think that croaker need to be classified as a game fish as well, because if we don't I'm affraid of what the future may hold for us and future generations.

 

[REELBEAST]

Floundering on foot has been around in my family for as long as I can remember, from a child with my father to last night. I use to go with my father since I was to young to remember. We would carry those big heavy pump up lanterns with the side shields, lots of extra mantles and we usually had a spare globe. I remember getting way down the beach and lose the light for what ever reason, man was that dark, and what about a flame out, that was always exciting. I remember moving up to propane lanterns, that was way up town at the time. I use to take my daughters one at a time when they were small, they would crawl up on my shoulders and ride till we stuck a fish then jump off and help me string it up, I thought I would pass out some nights from lack of blood flow to my head. My wife stuck one of our biggest flounder ever while 5 months pregnant with our son. Now we use underwater lights with motorcycle batteries on our hip, but floundering is definately a TRADITION at our house. For the record I support flounder conservation and would love to see a five, even a three fish limit, for ALL, both commercial and recreational. Also need to get rid of the midnight double limit rule. Flounder should fall under a noon to noon rule. IMO.

 

[BACLIFF BERT]

Get rid of the commercial boats and bay trawlers and problem is totaly solved.
16" minimum and 10 in possesion as a new reg.

 

[Lucky Strike]

Watch out

I knew that the people would not like to change the regulations on gigging. You don't know, but I have been around this area for 35 yrs. The Game Wardens are never around to watch the people cleaning the illegal size trout, red fish, or flounder which is what most people think. Don't be surprised!!! The next thing needs to be a larger fine which I will be backing. I have never gigged a flounder, but caught several on plastic. The old way was to use long nets pulled by several people in the surf. That old tradition has been stopped too. If you care about the future of fishing down here , support the Tx Park and Wildlife to change regulations for smaller limits on flounder. No more sales of wild flounder for any reason!!

 

[dwilliams35]

Tell me why you don't want to improve the value of the local property in Aransas Pass? Yes years ago there was a need for the shrimp boat harbor, but now explain why the boats left. Not enough shrimp for all to catch!!!!! The same thing happens when there is not enough regulations to stop over harvesting the fish. Progress will come, but go look at the Rockport area or Port Aransas. Try to buy a piece of property there and then go to Aransas Pass to see all the vacant buildings. I wanted to buy an RV park a few years ago in Aransas Pass, but the city told me that if I closed the park to update the improvements it would be closed down by the city. It is a sore site to see today with all the run down trailers and rv's.

I think that it is time to review the fishing regulations. Change is needed now for all to have a fair chance to catch a few fish.

You need to realize that there's people in this state that don't live where they live as an investment. I for one could really care less about the value of my property: I'd rather it stay low to keep the taxes reasonable. Why don't I care about it? Because I plan to be here until the day I die. There's people in Port A that feel the same way: they are there because they love it, and they love it because it is what it is: and quite often because it ISN'T what YOU want it to be. If that means Conn Brown stays an eyesore to your average suburbanite, then so be it: it's not there for them.
Just for the record, to some level or another, I agree with you about the flounder. How that fits into your vision for a new, antiseptic Conn Brown is beyond me. It's Texas, and you don't need to try to turn it into Miami. If the people who built that town want it that way, who are you to say they're doing ANYTHING wrong.

 

[REELBEAST]

OK, so I say a three fish limit, but lets agree on a five fish limit to keep more people happy. Does it matter if I gig them or hook them on a rod and reel? We all want the same thing but those that do not gig seem to feel as though I have some unfair advantage. A five fish limit on rod and reel would not be any harder than a gigged limit if I was targeting flounder with rod and reel on the same night I gig. As a matter of fact I can probably fish for flounder a lot easier than I can load up all of my gigging equipment. Simple truth is very few people ever target flounder with rod and reel.
The problem is over harvesting, not the means in which we harvest. Why not support a three flounder limit and lets see what happens? Same limits for commercial fishing, this goes on all year with huge limits and will soon put flounder on the endangered species list. Put everyone in the same situation, doesn't matter if you're commercial or recreational. Doesn't matter if you gig from a boat or gig on foot. Doesn't matter if you fish for them with rod and reel, or hand line. I say the same limit for everyone, and IMO a three fish limit is plenty.

 

[gordaflatsstalker]

If you put the commercial limit at three then buying a flounder in the store would be like buying lobster. Might as well do away with it all together. 5 is a better bag limit than three.

 

[Lucky Strike]

I could go along on a 5 fish limit caught anyway you want to get them.

This thread has had a good debate so let's all get together and send our thoughts to Austin. Maybe something will be done.