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Chef Lefty · Last edited by Chef Lefty on Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:45 pm; edited 8 times in total

Meeting time is 7:00 PM on December 13th.

Sorry if this is a repeat....

From Gulf Coast Marine...

There is an attempt underway to designate 15,000 acres of waterway surrounding the JFK Causeway area to a SSA, affecting boaters and fishing in this area. Texas Parks and Wildlife is conducting a study and requesting public input.

If TPW staff gets the go-ahead, they could refine the plan and make a recommendation to establish a State Scientific Area designation, which is required for the department to enforce NEW boating rules and initiate $500 fines (for class C misdemeanor). This new sea grass protection area would run north and south of the JFK Causeway, roughly from Pita Island to Dimmit Island, encompassing the Boathole, Deadman's Hole and the Humble Channel area.

Official public hearings will be completed prior to the March (28th-29th) 2012 TPWC meeting. Public comments will be presented and a decision to approve or reject the proposal would happen at that meeting.

Dont let them take your public water right away! We all need to do our part to keep BIG Government out of our fishing grounds that are enjoyed by all taxpayers. The next meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Holiday Inn on North Padre Island. BE THERE AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

(Sorry for all the edits....had to remove a bunch of quotes in order for the message to post correctly)
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Chef Lefty · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 3:33 pm Post subject:

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ziacatcher · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:14 pm Post subject:

That area is about the only area I fish. Bummer.

topdog15 · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:16 pm Post subject:

Monday's meeting was good, but it's important that the meeting next Tuesday is just as well attended. Everyone get out there and tell them what you think.
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"Ya'll must eat a lot of fish"

rabbit · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 7:04 pm Post subject:

John Wasmuth · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:22 pm Post subject:

What "New boating rules"? Would this be the same thing about using only electric trolling motors like redfish bay? or is it something else?

FoldCatOne · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:38 pm Post subject:

Yes John - No gas motors in any part of the area if the water is so shallow that the motor digs up the grass. This area however is laced with channels, both marked and unmarked. IF they are going to do this and make it an SSA, then we as a group should INSIST that they ADEQUATELY MARK ALL OF THE CHANNELS to prevent any misconception of what is or isn't a channel, thus avoiding either tearing up the grass and/or getting ticketed for doing the same. I hate it when things are left to "THE JUDGEMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT" as to what is or isn't legal.

The real worry is about the "Camels Nose Under The Tent" syndrome where right after the SSA is formed they make the area a LIFA (low impact fishing area) with the ONLY access being boats under paddle, pole, drifting or wading.

With properly marked channels that everyone can learn/know about then having to access the other areas of the SSA by electric motor or drift or pole, or paddle or wading is not so onerous - provided of course the Camel is killed before his nose gets under the tent.

rawlbay · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:55 pm Post subject:

Bluffer · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:14 pm Post subject:

Nice plan, but will they enforce it? Not the case in redfish bay as of yet.

Boater education would work better. Most responsible boaters dont plow seagrass anyway.
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landlocked beachbum · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:39 pm Post subject:

ltorna1 · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 3240

It is a good point, and it will certainly help with scarring near the main channels and people running aground, but the lattice work of prop scars all over east flats and the ones I have seen in north nighthawk bay are not the result of people missing a channel. The nearest deep water from some of these places is a quite a bit away. Some of the scars I have seen go for nearly a mile - that means they knew they were in skinny and kept on going. How about the figure 8 scars near shamrock cove?

From what I have seen in those areas it looks to be just yahoos thinking that their boat is great for skinny water as long as they can keep it moving, regardless of what their prop is doing. If they just looked behind them for once and saw the mud and grass they were tearing up it wouldn't be an issue (that is, if they care). Some guys blow through when they are watching me stand in less than a foot of water.

Let me clear - I don't think scarring in the designated area is bad enough to warrent an SSA (it may be in other areas), but the idea that all of these prop scars happen because of navigation errors is erroneous. Some people are just careless you-know-whats.

Boater education is always a good idea.

rawlbay · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 6:46 am Post subject:

I was thinking more along the lines of making things prohibitively difficult for the SSA proponents.
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Chef Lefty · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 7:59 am Post subject:

How about the government installing a type of tamper proof Black Box that can be installed onto the lower unit of our motors? If you run shallow, it will fill with dirt and grass if the motor runs shallow.

Then, they can station monitoring officers at every boat ramp to analyze the Black Boxes as they return from fishing. If the boxes test positive, they can ticket a first time offender, then confiscate boat, motor, and trailer for second time offenders. Zero tolerance, of course.

There will have to be a lot of over-site committees once the new federal agency is named and is in place. No grandfathering whatsoever. Annual Black Box permit registration, inspections, etc.
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ironmanstan · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 8:37 am Post subject:

I can live with whatever the outcome is. The govt. will and always will continue to do stupid stuff. The other day the govt . decided not to drug test welfare recipiants do to the cost, however they can afford to continue testing it's military and all of it's employees who work for a living. Once again the slackers come out ahead. I have worked for the govt. for 25 years, I have learned that the govt. is a combination 3 ring over spending circus and a maze. I'm just going for the piece of corn at the end of the maze. Thus the old term life is a bit-ch and then you die. Very Happy

A friend of mine just called me an informed me not to take the piece of corn at the end of the maze that it was a setup and if I took it I would forfeit my retirement. See what I mean?
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I LIKE MINE FRIED.

Halffast · Finger Mullet Joined: 20 Oct 2011 Posts: 46