It's In The Bag
With Winter almost over and Spring just around the corner, the conditions for some huge numbers of Trophy size game fish is looking very good. Due to the El`Nino weather phenomenon which has been playing havoc for those on the West Coast. Around these parts the strange weather patterns has made for a very unseasonably warm winter. Which translates into those semi-juvenile trout, reds, flounder and every other species of gulf coast fish to have an easy time of it in an otherwise difficult time of the year. Instead of wasting precious energy trying to keep warm.. The game fish have been basking in almost hot tub conditions while gorging themselves on the abundant supply of baitfish in the bays. Which hopefully should translate into some state record numbers of trout, flounder and reds being caught this year. The other good news is it should also trigger some much earlier than anticipated springtime runs in almost all the game fish species categories both inland and offshore. The bad news is that Texas anglers who usually wait until the end of February and early March to get those boat running and fishing tackle in working order. This year are going to be starting that task a lot earlier than normal, in fact that is something you should be doing now instead of reading this article..
So while your oiling and re-spooling those reels, packing them trailer bearing and tuning up those engines while daydreaming of that special 31 inch trout soon to be hanging on your wall. Or trying to think of what price you should seel you old truck and boat rig that is about to be replace with the new Ford and Redfin that you wil be claiming in a few short months after catching that tag Red. Take a little time to see the other side of the big picture.. How this El`Ninfo freak of nature that comes along once in a great while can benefit you and your favorite species of sport fish that you are so fond of catching.
Just like the freezes of a few years back devastated the trout and other species for years to come. In fact we are just now getting over the effects and starting to see some marked improvements in numbers and weights of game species. The warming trend effect of this winter can go a long way to helping improve the size and weights of your favorite fish for a long time to come also.. Not only did the light winter have a measurable effect on those breeding age fish. It also had the same effect on all the other secies on the Gulf Coast food chain. From yearlings, smi-juveniles and adult, all of the classes should have benefited from the light winter.. This also includes the bait fish and just about everything else in the bays, shoreline and offshore fishing environments. And if managed right should go a long way to improving the numbers for future generation species of game fish..
So in these coming months once the season kicks off and your enjoying one of the better things to come out of California since the mini-skirt fad, surfboards, and string bikinis. While hauling in those trophy trout one after another and throwing back those oversized drum n hopes of catching one even bigger than the lst. Think of what you can do to help the particular game fish species that you find so much enjoyment in catching. I suggest instead of keeping the prime breeding stock of trout, try throwing a couple back you might be surprised at the feeling you get when you watch him swim back into those grassy flats. Stock those freezers early with smaller fish to last you through the year and let the big ones fo to replenish the future stock for years to come. Take along a camera for those exceptional fish that you find difficult to release for future reference. After all the smaller the fish the more tender the fillets anyway. Who knows, but your one of those ugly Mark Soissa hats and bring along the video camera. Make some home movies to impress your fishing buddies of you releasing trophy trout one after another. If any year should be the one for these types of fishing expeditions this should be the year.. And if we manage this year right, and practice catch and release religiously, then the next couple of years should be just as rewarding..
Hopefully what I'm suggesting will not be too hard for Texas fishermen to incorporate into their daily fishing routines. Just a few reds , trout or flounder throw back each trip will go a long way into making a big difference on down the line.. Also just abiding by the rules that are already on the books now can also do a lot. Knowing what the size and possession limits are for the species of fish you are after can help tremendously. I know we all have been around enough to have seen boatloads of anglers hauling in oversize drum especially, knowing they were way over the size and possession limits.. For the most part these fish will be making it to those Yahoo's freezers or in the worst case not even be cleaned cause they were too drunk once they got back to the docks.. And though the Fish and Game Department does catch it's fair share of these violators, there will be a few that slip by… That's were it's up to you and me to help those game fish have a fighting chance to get to the bay systems to breed for next years generation.. The type of subtle comments I will leave up to you.. If nothing else getting your boat up to plane while in their fishing hot spot will do in a pinch…
For those anglers not into confrontation or for that matter for those who are, there is something else you can do to help ensure the health of our Texas game fish. Joining the CCA and enter the Star Tournament are two suggestions since the proceeds go to help in the restocking programs and research of Texas Game Fish Species.. And for those of you out there that are not sure what the daily bag limits are check them out below and make those mental notes for your favorites, both size, limits and possessions. Although most Californians may think this El`Nemo weather system sucks for the most part. We Texans should realize it's benefits for some years to come.. While the extra rain as of late has been on the below average for enjoying the great outdoors, it still beats freezing your Cahouna's off during the winter like we normally would be doing this time of year…
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