Texas Saltwater Freeze Closure

[Muddskipper]

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20110202b

This just hit the press

It goes into effect today at Noon through Sat.

[aqua pimp]

Thanks muddskipper. I figured they would. This will be the first time they have done that since they made Offatts and Moses no fish zones in freezing temps.

AQUA PIMP

[WestEndAngler]

I have my own deep water spots and those are fine, I'll hit the ones in Offats up after Noon for some lunch at boudreaux's!

I'll be on the water Saturday between Yacht Basin & container terminals up north looking for Big Uglies

[FP10]

sweet!! My spot for tomorrow isn't on there!

[Milkjug]

Interesting. Looks like they are more worried about it this time than last year when we had ice on the bays.

I wonder if they will stop ICW traffic. From what I understand, barges churning up the deep water kill a lot of the trout that seek shelter there.

[WestEndAngler]

Interesting. Looks like they are more worried about it this time than last year when we had ice on the bays.

I wonder if they will stop ICW traffic. From what I understand, barges churning up the deep water kill a lot of the trout that seek shelter there.

I doubt they'll stop them, that's big business and $$$$.... They were still moving barges in Upper Galveston bay & Cedar Bayou between Bayport, Texas Terminals in Jacinto Port & Cedar Crossing over in Baytown.

[Robalo]

Coe:

Offats is CLOSED east of Marker 22!!

[shallowist]

That's interesting, thanks Brian! Right now, Eagle point water is still at 46. Air temp is rising but won't do much more than slow the water temps from falling so fast. If you look at areas south of us, Port Lavaca and Palacios, they are much colder already. I guess that the tide stations are in shallower water. It's really gonna be touch and go for the shallow bays farther down the coast where it's harder for fish to get to deep wateer for protection. Hopefully the extreme low tides moved the majority of the fish before this cold got here.

[Robalo]

In 1983 I hunted at Port O'Connor immediately after the freeze-thousands of reds, trout and other fish as far as you could see-and that was just the ones floating-I spoke to a shrimper several weeks later-he said his prop wash stirred hundreds more and his nets were just full of nothing but dead fish. Him and I talked and he felt that the thousands more had sunken to the bottom and the estimates of kill were way less than published/thought.

[WestEndAngler]

Coe:

Offats is CLOSED east of Marker 22!!

Yes I know Jerry, you missed this sentence "I'll hit the ones in Offats up after Noon"

[reeltime]

This sucks because we were gonna fish some part's of the Nueces Saturday!Maybe it will warm up!

[Gater]

Interesting. Looks like they are more worried about it this time than last year when we had ice on the bays.

I wonder if they will stop ICW traffic. From what I understand, barges churning up the deep water kill a lot of the trout that seek shelter there.

They can't force the barges to stop running but many of the tow boat companies have agreements with the TP&WD and will voluntarly do so if asked.

Gater

[Troutickler]

Cool . My spot is open for tomorrow!!

[eight]

My spot's open too, gonna try it out after lunch. Got ice in the canal in Bayou Vista this morning.