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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has issued a temporary closure to saltwater fishing along parts of the Texas coast to protect resources during freezing weather conditions. The closure took effect at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 2, and extends through noon on Saturday, Feb. 5.
“Prolonged cold weather conditions can drive fish to gather in deep holes and channels where they are extremely susceptible to fishing pressure,” said Robby Byers, executive director of CCA Texas. “Every fish we take out of the population now could lengthen the time it will take to recover if there is a bad kill as a result of the freeze. We are asking anglers to not only cooperate with the closures, but to spread the word to their friends and family members who may fish.”
The Texas coast is no stranger to catastrophic freeze events. Major freezes in the 1980s killed millions of fish, including hundreds of thousands of red drum and speckled trout. The effects of the kills lingered for years as populations struggled to rebound, leading to lean times for anglers.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations specify that game fish, including speckled trout, red drum, sharks and tripletail may only be taken by pole and line. It is unlawful to take or attempt to take a fish with one or more hooks attached to a line or artificial lure in a manner to foul-hook a fish by snagging or jerking. Anglers and coastal residents can report any freeze related fish kills or large numbers of sluggish or cold-stunned fish by contacting TPWD’s Law Enforcement Communications office at (281) 842-8100 or (512) 389-4848.
“The weather is out of our hands, but we still have a role to play in ensuring that as many fish as possible survive this event,” said Byers. “We ask everyone to keep conservation in mind – in the event we do have a major fish kill, the surviving fish will be the key to future generations.”
“Prolonged cold weather conditions can drive fish to gather in deep holes and channels where they are extremely susceptible to fishing pressure,” said Robby Byers, executive director of CCA Texas. “Every fish we take out of the population now could lengthen the time it will take to recover if there is a bad kill as a result of the freeze. We are asking anglers to not only cooperate with the closures, but to spread the word to their friends and family members who may fish.”
The Texas coast is no stranger to catastrophic freeze events. Major freezes in the 1980s killed millions of fish, including hundreds of thousands of red drum and speckled trout. The effects of the kills lingered for years as populations struggled to rebound, leading to lean times for anglers.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations specify that game fish, including speckled trout, red drum, sharks and tripletail may only be taken by pole and line. It is unlawful to take or attempt to take a fish with one or more hooks attached to a line or artificial lure in a manner to foul-hook a fish by snagging or jerking. Anglers and coastal residents can report any freeze related fish kills or large numbers of sluggish or cold-stunned fish by contacting TPWD’s Law Enforcement Communications office at (281) 842-8100 or (512) 389-4848.
“The weather is out of our hands, but we still have a role to play in ensuring that as many fish as possible survive this event,” said Byers. “We ask everyone to keep conservation in mind – in the event we do have a major fish kill, the surviving fish will be the key to future generations.”