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Additionally, pier fishing is extremely popular along the Texas coast,

a type of fishing limited to a few isolated locations along the

Louisiana coast.

Although sport fishing is an extremely popular recreational activity in coastal Louisiana, offshore saltwater sport fishing is a pursuit enjoyed by a more affluent group because owner

ship of a boat is almost a necessity for the Louisiana saltwater sport

fisherman.

The BSF&W report estimated a catch of 6 pounds per man-day, and this is felt to be underestimated. The average of 19 pounds per activity

day for the Western Gulf is believed to be a more realistic estimate.

Table 17 shows the number of fish caught by saltwater anglers in 1970 in the Western Gulf of Mexico by species and by principal area and method of fishing. According to this table there is a very small difference between the number of fish caught in the open sea as compared with sounds, rivers, and bays. By method of fishing, private or rented boat exceeds all other methods combined.

Pleasure boat registrations for the seven coastal counties of eastern

Texas as of December 31, 1972 are as follows: 1/

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Principal Method of Fishing

Table 17.

NUMBER OF FISH CAUGHT BY SALTWATER ANGLERS IN 1970 IN THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO BY SPECIES AND BY PRINCIPAL AREA AND METHOD OF FISHING.

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Party or Charter

Species Group

Ocean

and Bays

Rented Boat

Boat

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Table 18 shows the saltwater sport fishing effort in the Western Gulf of Mexico by species group, number of fish caught, number of anglers, and estimated weight of catch. According to this table, the spotted sea trout and croakers were sought after by more fishermen and is reflected by the number caught and the total weight. Other popular species included the catfishes, black drum, red drum, flounders, porgies, and sand sea trout. The data for these tables were obtained from the 1970

Saltwater Angling Survey.

These

In recent years, the establishment of artificial reefs has become popular in the Gulf of Mexico. These artificial reefs, made of old car bodies, tires, concrete pipes, ships, rubble, and numerous other materials provide additional surface area of hard substrate on which numerous types of algae and invertebrates species may grow. organisms are available as food for foraging species, which in turn, attract predatory fishes. In addition to the expanded food chain and trophic food level potentials, the artificial reefs serve as refuge, protection, and orientation sites. These new sites by attracting and concentrating fish species improve fishing success.

However,

the population size of fish species are not necessarily increased.

There are several artificial reefs in existence offshore Texas and in

the bays, made of concrete pipe and rubble. One of these is located about 10 miles south of Galveston jetty and others are offshore Freeport and Port Aransas.

Table 18.

SALTWATER SPORTFISHING EFFORT IN THE WESTERN GULF OF
MEXICO ---BY SPECIES, GROUP, NUMBER OF FISH CAUGHT,
NUMBER OF ANGLERS, AND ESTIMATED WEIGHT OF CATCH

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*

**

The Western Gulf includes the area between the mouth of the
Mississippi River and the Mexican border.

The number of anglers is not additive because of duplication of anglers among species groups.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has plans to acquire 12 Liberty ships to use as offshore artificial reefs. Four locations have been tentatively selected, each of which could be a site for establishing a reef by sinking of three stripped-down Liberty ships. The reefs, if established, would be within 30 miles of shore to make them accessible to sport fishermen and divers. However, they will have to be in water at least 80 feet deep in order to allow 50 feet of clearance above the ships which, when stripped, will be about 30 feet high. The site of each reef will be marked by a buoy.

Tentative locations of sites 1 and 2 which are in the proposed sale area have been identified. 1/ Site #1 will be 30 miles from Freeport flashing 4-second whistle buoy at a bearing of 129° true, (or in Galveston Area, blocks 355 and 356). Site #2 will be 22.5 miles from Matagorda Channel whistle buoy at a bearing of 126° true, (or in Brazos Area, block 583).

1/ Personal communication with Bob Vickery, EPA Permits Branch, Enforcement Division, Dallas, Texas, March 8, 1974.

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