TPWD Holding Flounder Meetings Tonight!
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AUSTIN- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is seeking public input on potential changes to the recreational and commercial flounder fishery for the 2020-2021 license year.
TPWD is considering a wide variety of tools for helping manage flounder populations. The Coastal Fisheries Division’s resource monitoring data shows a long-term population decline for flounder. Although there were substantial changes made to flounder regulations in 2009 and 2014, these regulations only yielded small short term improvements.
Overall, there is a long-term decline in both recreational and commercial landings. Therefore, tools like a decrease in the bag limit, an increase in the minimum size limit, area closures, time closures, and gear restrictions are being considered.
Scoping meetings are being held on the coast for the public to attend to voice their opinions and ask questions. If you are unable to attend, please send your feedback to cfish@tpwd.texas.gov.
15 Comments
Make flounder a sportfishing. Stop gigging.
Limit the commercial pressure by designating areas off limits, and potentially rotate the areas over time. Might need to close certain dates for commercial flounder too. I dont think recreational anglers picking up a few per trip is doing the damage when they are limited on the number and size of fish.
They dont pursue them on a daily grind like commercial boats that can catch tons of them and will go day and night hauling in fish of all size.
I agree whole heartedly. It has to be the commercial fishing that is depleting the resource. It’s been 10 years since I’ve caught more that 2 on a trip.
Personally we have caught more flounder on rod and reel than the last 4.5yrs I have been guiding. I think the issue really reflects on the lack of data recieved due too inaccuracy. People dont “commonly ” target flounder because it’s too difficult. Therefore the only ones entered in the survey are a select few. Speaking of “Surveys ” they are conducted from 8-4 (operating hours). The vast majority of flounder are harvested at night.
Gill nets are placed shoreline to 600ft out. Nets size range from 3″- 6″ at the furthest. Flounder typically travel within 200′ of the shoreline therefore the size of nets on the shoreline are inadequate for the capture of flounder. Commercial fisherman under 200 I believe aren’t aren’t really doing it anymore because frankly it isn’t as profitable as it used to be $3/lb X 30 fish averaging 3lbs most are keeping the fish for personal consumption so no dats is being recorded for that either unless they are taken to the fish house.
FISHING GUIDES: the number of guides vs recreational fisherman. Recreational fisherman out number guides to the point guides numbers aren’t even a factor in the surveys. ( Stated by TPWD Survey)
In my opinion it boils down to a lack of “Proper” data. If they are wanting accurate numbers they should be getting the data from when the species is PRIMARILY being taken NIGHT
I agree it isn’t the local fishing people doing the damage to our fish population. You’ve already cut back on the number of spotted trout we can keep, now you want to do the same on flounder too? You need to cut back on guides and commercial fishers. All your doing is keep punishing the everyday fishing people by raising the price of our license and cutting back on our limits, the everyday fisherman has no chance. So cut “way back” on your guide license along with the commercial boats and restrict the areas which they are allowed to fish in. If you do this, you may see an increase on what fish we do have, but if you let this continue your fish will dwindle along with your everyday fishermen.
I am in total agreement. I have been fishing weekly for many years and have experienced a severe decline of our fishing resources. Stop commercial harvesting of flounder, reduce the number of guides and/or implement further restrictions on guided trips. In many cases, the guides are the ones catching the boat limit and many times the client only wants a photo or throws them into the freezer never to eat.
will be at college of mainland tonight…encouraged by tpwd making much needed effort while we still have chance to help flounder…not sure answer but anything would help.
Stop gigging and increase minimum size to 16 inches
Pretty simple answer. Make flounder a sport-fish and no more commercial fishing. And stop gigging of flounder. Any other questions for the fishermen of Texas? But I’m sure you government guys and gals already have the plan done you are just pretending to let the average joe fishermen have some input.
Too many redfish !! When I clean my reds in June , July and August they are FULL of baby flounder.
Its not uncommon to find 10+ inside of each fish. Caught one this year that had 17 in it stacked up like quarters.
Maybe quit putting reds in the bay by the thousands.
Lot of different opinions. Too many guides, too much commercial take and now Redfish are the culprit. All theories, no hard facts because those studies take years. Gulf Flounder have been on the decline for a while now, this is not something new.
I let big trout and redfish go because they are breeders. Maybe we should start giving Flounder over 20″ the same consideration. Im guilty as anyone for stringing flounder because they taste so damn good but then again so do trout and reds. If you are so inclined to read the link below most of the fish we catch in the bays are females and they have a life span of about 7 years.
Here is some light reading that answers a few of the basic questions https://gcrl.usm.edu/public/fish/flounder.php
Let TPWD do its job. Personally Im going to an empty stringer of maybe keep on for the table if I can eat it fresh. Y’all do what you think is right.
Most of you young people don’t understand the Fisheries I work with Parks and Wildlife is a tick 3 MBA I’ll just for the last 40 years the information that is given and they’re using this bogus it’s not true if you put a bunch of redfish by the millions they eat every other species they can if you look at the size three male flounder per one female and the males don’t get no larger than 14″ to 15″ in it’s not the gigging commercial and the guides it’s a lack of mentality from the regular fisherman that think it’s everything only for the recreational fishermen we make a living in the outdoors
Capt.Rod..what????
so what did you do for parks and wildlife?? clean toilets?? why did you not bring these concerns to your lead biologist? 40 years you just sat back and let the department go down the pot?? i think your the problem..paycheck priority man..thanks for nothing…
what effect does commercial bay shrimping have on young flounder?
my guess – Alot