Hats off to you sir.

 

Wow Tom! great to hear from you.

 

Wow, green to you! I didn't think FADs were legal in Texas waters. Great news!

 

Going in federal water

 

While I am glad these are going in, these are not quite what is in Florida and can we get some in closer. While I have taken my boar 50 miles out, it is not common as it is not 30 plus feet. I will add the locations and if conditions are right...

 

I run my 26 footer out to 75 miles regularly. I'm super stoked

 

That's awesome. I've fished the wrecks and such ~50nm out of Matty on multiple occasions. The FADs aren't that much further.

 

Plugged the coords in and looks like the FADs will be 80-85 miles offshore from Freeport jetties and spread across a 20.5 mile range from one end to the other. Also being put in 1300ft unless I put the coords in incorrectly.

I've never fished stuff like this but it doesn't seem like much structure other than a big buoy and long chain. How well would they hold pelagics?

 

They're going to work really good. They're use them in the other gulf states and they're always producing

 

Awesome news! Following can't wait.....

 

keep in mind a large number of avid sportsmen/fisherman expended much time and money to this project-a project that will, hopefully, significantly improve our offshore opportunities. Each buoy cost approximately $40-$50,000-they are not toys and need to be respected-

 

It will be rare if I ever get out that far in my boat but I still appreciate the fact that people are improving our public fishery. It didn’t cost me a dime. Thanks to any and all contributors

 

Wow! That's great news. Been following some other posts on your efforts to deploy these and so excited to see them going in! Thank you for all your time and $$$ spent to improve the blue water pelagic experience for our Texas coast! Big win in my opinion! Can't wait to fish them.

 

i believe the cameras are for observing underwater activity and not boats on the surface-not sure

 

We will have cameras on top of all the buoys and selected FADs will have underwater time lapse cameras to take pics of what fish are there. The message needs to be HELL NO! if you see your captain wanting to tie off. If they break free due to Googans tying off, they will not be replaced - this project is 100% privately funded.

 

There is a USCG regulation that specifies the fine. I'm not an attorney, but I would think that if you can show visual proof (such as a photo with time/date) of a boat tied up to a FAD, then I would think the USCG could enforce the fine. Another thing to consider is that these FADs were financed by the donors' purchasing the naming rights for ten's of thousands of dollars - I would think they may have a claim as well if someone breaks the mooring lines by tying off. Just don't tie off people. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

 

Tom Hilton has led amazing efforts over many years to protect and enhance the fishery we all enjoy. Thank you Tom for making the ocean a better place.

 

I first met Tom at the NASA Hilton back in 2018 when TPWD had the first public hearing on the expansion of the three-day snapper season nonsense. He's one of the very few who's truly fighting for us. We all need to get behind him and behind this project.

 

I am behind this project 100% and have supported it from the beginning (and yes, I have even put my money where my mouth is). I think it is unreasonable to expect the USCG to police anyone mooring to the FADs like a mall cop. It is on us, the fisherman, to ensure that nobody is mooring to it. We need to take/use photos to report them those not following the rules/law so that they may be fined. We need to use the radio to remind people they are not mooring buoys. Its on us to educate those who the FADs will be benefitting.

 

I would love to be involved in this!
Please let me know when and where you need any help regarding staging, delivering, hauling of the units. Or any other help you may need!

 

I just wanted to take a moment to express my deepest thanks to Tom Hilton for his incredible efforts in improving fishing opportunities off the Texas coast. It's truly inspiring to see someone so dedicated to enhancing the marine environment and fishing experiences for others, and it's clear that a tremendous amount of time, effort, and resources have gone into these projects.

From the artificial reefs closer to shore to the newly deployed offshore FADs near the continental shelf, the impact of these initiatives is nothing short of remarkable. These FADs, in particular, represent a monumental undertaking—requiring extensive approvals, planning, and coordination with government agencies like the USCG (or others). The sheer effort it must have taken to get this project off the ground cannot be overstated.

The fact that this is 100% privately funded only amplifies my admiration. Between the costs of buoy design, materials, manufacturing, and mooring systems—not to mention the added complexities of electronic communication, underwater cameras, and surface surveillance—it’s clear this project has demanded an incredible level of dedication, creativity, and perseverance. And now, at the deployment stage, I can only imagine how challenging and time-consuming this phase must be as well.

Tom, your commitment to the fishing community and the marine ecosystem is nothing short of extraordinary. Your work has already made a significant difference, and these new FADs will undoubtedly create even more opportunities for anglers while supporting the offshore ecosystem. On behalf of myself and, I’m sure, many others in this community: Thank you for your vision, hard work, and generosity in making these projects a reality.

We owe you a debt of gratitude for all you've done to improve the sport and environment we love.

 

Wow! Thank you very much - it is appreciated.
This project could not have happened without the support and resources brought by the Houston Big Game Fishing Club and the many donors who have invested in this project.
All the best,
Tom

 

just received word today that some of the fads have been deployed and the rest are in process-great news

 

We had a delay due to equipment failure last week, but as of now, FADs 1-10 have been deployed and I expect the remaining 4 will be deployed today!
Best,
Tom Hilton
www.HiltonsOffshore.com

 

Tom,
Is there a public site to view the cameras above and below the water?

 

We will post appropriate photos at www.TexasFads.com - the underwater cameras have not been installed yet.
Best,
Tom

 

How long do we anticipate it'll take for pelagics to start hanging around the FADs? Are we anticipating days or weeks or months?

 

probably years... best not fish them for a while.

 

How long has 5-8 been out?

 

They have been deployed one week now.
Best,
Tom

 

any photos from fads yet? above or below water?

 

We trolled FADs 12-14 a few weeks back. Nice size mahi and some schoolie size wahoo were hanging around. We spot locked near the fad and we saw a good amount of bait fish hanging around the chains. We'll probably spearfish it next time we go out.

 

very nice!! thats a great report already thanks

 

that gary glick one looks like the anchor chain might be a little tight or hopefully just a big wave making it look that way

 

We also found it to be about 100' off the listed coords. The current was pretty strong that day which could account for that.

 

i heard the bad news that one fad is alreaady lost-any confirmation

 

where'd you see that?