# Bad News for POC/Seadrift - there is a freeze kill



## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

Preliminary reports I've gotten this morning for the POC/Seadrift area is that there is indeed a kill, but the fish are not floating yet.

Talked with someone who did a brief outing this morning to some winter holes and they said they saw fish "laying on their sides on the bottom" on some sand flats. They did not catch anything, but "snagged" a couple of fish while bottom bouncing and the fish brought up dead/stunned (no gill movement). This was in 8'-10' of water.

Water tempeture in Seadrift Harbor (protected) was 37 deg. Water off ICW flats, Shoalwater was "close to freezing" and was 34 deg in Pringle.

This is very preliminary, and they were only out 2 hours - too cold and windy - but are planning to go out again on Sunday afternoon. I will have more info then. They said they saw a barge in the ICW and it "looked like it was moving", but were not close enough to confirm - but they said they don't remember seeing it when they left.

Are barges supposed to stop movement in these conditions?

I can tell this from experience though - if the water temps go below 40 deg it's not good, especially with wind to keep the water mixed up.


Sorry guys, wish I had good news - but I am worried it doesn't look good.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

Terrible news.


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## pelochas (Jun 15, 2005)

that is bad news and we still have tonite and tommorow night before it gets any better..i hope it doesnt but it may get worse


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## netboy (Dec 12, 2006)

I just got back from a duck hunt around Aransas Pass and drove to the edge of the Shrimp boat channel. There were lots of dead fish on the bank, but most were hardheads and few mullet in the mix. Didn't see any trout or redfish, so lets keep our fingers crossed.


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## bobbyoshay (Nov 29, 2008)

not good news at all! thanks for the post and keep us updated!


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*Clarification...*

...the fish they saw laying on their sides were mostly mullet, with a few sheephead/drum - no trout or redfish. Water is mostly murky so only a couple places could they see bottom.

They "snagged" two trout about 18"-20" out of a canal in the POC area off the ICW.

I know this is not much information, and I don't want to start a panic. It should be expected that these temps WILL kill a few fish. The question is the extent.

The good news is that - as far as they could tell - flats were largely devoid of fish.

The two worrisome points for me from this report are :

(a) Stunned fish in that depth of water
(b) Barge traffic is continuing


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

I fished upper West galveston Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday and while the water was cold (47*), the main reefs and deeper flats were pretty much devoid of fish. Hopefully, they moved ahead of the weather.


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## gater (May 25, 2004)

*W Mark*

I foul hooked a mullet in West bay Wednesday and it came in just like a stick. It was alive but not kicking, when I dropped it overboard it went straight to the bottom like a brick, it never even tried to swim.

Now the reds on the other hand are like on roids which is normal for cold water. They are very strong and active! Gater


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

gater said:


> I foul hooked a mullet in West bay Wednesday and it came in just like a stick. It was alive but not kicking, when I dropped it overboard it went straight to the bottom like a brick, it never even tried to swim.
> 
> Now the reds on the other hand are like on roids which is normal for cold water. They are very strong and active! Gater


I hear you on the reds. I caught 3 slot reds that stomped my lure but the trout were nowhere to be found. I have no memory of the 1989 freeze but how low did the Galveston water temps get that time around? It's my understanding that the 1983 freeze was much worse than 1989 for the POC area.


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

Wading Mark said:


> I fished upper West galveston Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday and while the water was cold (47*), the main reefs and deeper flats were pretty much devoid of fish. Hopefully, they moved ahead of the weather.


Hopefully. A lot of the upper West fish can make it to OB. What concerns me is where they go in Upper G Bay, Trinity, and East. I don't know of deep enough water except channels. If the trout hunker down in there on a slack tide, I'm concerned about what happens when the current starts moving. I'm also concerned that a lot of fish in West will try to make it in the cove guts, and the temp may get too low in there, if it isn't already. I'm no expert, and I hope I'm wrong...


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## glennkoks (Jun 24, 2009)

At 12:40 it is only 32 in Galveston so we will have at least 24 more hrs of freezing temperatures. If it happened in Seadrift it will probably happen tonight or early in the morning around Galveston.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

Estimated low temp "air" for Sargent tonight is 23 tonight and 27 for Saturday night. So it will be colder tonight than last night. Not good news for the fishes. (although I would love a selective hardhead kill)


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*My thoughts...*

..not to be a purveyor of doom, but having fished the coast from Rockport to POC strongly for over 30 years, I've noticed a few things.

First, the freezes of 83 and 89 were very bad, but were "quick onset" events. Just like the xmas snow of '84. When you have a front that comes in quickly, it can catch many more fish shallow - as we all know and it's been said many times already.

Also, I have noticed that when the fronts have precipitation - the effect is worsened. Dumping cold rain water than is already 10-20 deg cooler than the bay, or worse yet - snow - drops the temps much quicker, and much colder. This is why we have some kills even when the conditions are not as severe - like the snow of 2004.

People focus on the 83 and 89 freezes as bad but only look at the temps. If I remember correctly, the temps were very bad - and they came on quickly - but there was little precipitation - or it could have been much, much worse.

The good news is that trout and redfish naturally occur in these climes and have genetics to deal with their environment. Extremes cause issues for sure, but I know that stunned fish also can revive. I once picked up a trout that was freeze-stunned in 89, put it in the box - and it actually "came back to life" after a while. Go figure.

Another factor is wind. Both the 83 and 89 events came in with wind, but afterwards it was virtually dead calm for a couple of days. The air warmed up pretty quick. And cloud cover kept a lot of heat in - clear skies at night really pummet the temps.

A slower moving front, that dips temps down for days - coupled with wind that mixes up the stratified water - can be very bad. Add precipitation and you can have a major event.

Fish will move deeper, but I can tell you this with absolutely certainly. In the POC/Seadrift area, the "deep holes" aren't that deep anymore. The army hole used to be very deep in the back end (10'+, and in some areas close 20') - but now the whole back end is little more than 6'. Same is true for a lot of the deeper canals. Heck, "drum hole" doesn't even exist anymore, completely filled in. There are just a LOT fewer deep spots to hide from - especially those that are protected from wind churn action.

The deepest spots I know of the POC/Seadrift area are Saluria Bayou/Mitchell's Cut, with spots 30' or more. And Steamboat pass, with depth's well over 20'. The oil field cuts are filled in, South pass is very shallow, as well as the pump station guts. In addition, these areas have strong currents - which wintering fish tend to stay away from. The current brings in cold water, offering little protection in freeze events. That's why - historically - fishing in Saluria as a winter hole was never as good as Army Hole, where there was no current.

IMO, the only spots to hide from the cold in POC/Seadrift are Bauer's cuts - maybe the new canals of Costa Grande (never been in those, but might be a hot spot), Barge Canal, the Lavaca River, and the Jetties. Historically, I have never caught winter trout on the reefs in ESB or SAB when it has gotten this cold.

Redfish will still be found cruising outside shorelines, but I can promise you that most of the trout will completely vacate ESB. In SAB, other than the river and VBC, will empty of trout too. Most of WMB will empty, except up by the rivers.

Once it gets this cold, fishing will nosedive - fish kill or not. I really believe that many of the trout vacate the bay system - despite what the biologists say (the fact is, they've never done studies in these extreme temps, so they are guessing too!), go to the surf or nearshore structure. After this type of cold, I have often caught trout 8-10 miles offshore.

The fish will first show back up on the mid-bay reefs, and slowly stage to shorelines and shallow come late Feb and March.

Now here's the good news. If we DON'T get a massive kill, there is going to be an incredible spring in some areas. Here's what happens....

When the trout congregate in the winter holes - be it rivers, jetties, offshore, etc. They tend to "size group" more. In every year in my logs where in the Spring I have found SCHOOLS OF BIG TROUT - it has ALWAYS been after a severe winter event. ALWAYS.

Secondly, in late January or February on calm days - the surf can hold some VERY big trout. VERY, VERY big trout. It seems crazy to fish shallow in the surf in Jan/Feb, but if you do this year - you might just hook a MONSTER.


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## Pocboy (Aug 12, 2004)

John, what's with the barges in this kind of weather? Is there a concern they will stir up the fish that are deep in the intercoastal?


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

If fish are dying and barges are still using the ICW, people need to call the CCA office in Houston. They will know who to talk to, to stop the barge traffic. Sounds like it's that time...


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## rlw (May 21, 2004)

Pocboy said:


> John, what's with the barges in this kind of weather? Is there a concern they will stir up the fish that are deep in the intercoastal?


Not so much the fish as stirring up the water and not letting it stratify.


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## ROBOWADER (May 22, 2004)

*CCA???????*



Trouthappy said:


> If fish are dying and barges are still using the ICW, people need to call the CCA office in Houston. They will know who to talk to, to stop the barge traffic. Sounds like it's that time...


If they are breaking the law call the Coast Guard......fark CCA, they wont do anything anyway!


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

Here you go Pocboy:

*Confusion over freeze closures* 
There appears to be some confusion over possible area closures by TPWD during/following a freeze event. The biggest factor with cold-event kills is the speed in which the temperatures drop - fast, and fish become cold stunned and can't move ahead of it; slow, and they will. Their proximity to deep water also plays a role. If fish are a long ways from a ship channel or ICWW then they can get caught with a fast approaching cold front.

In addition to killing game fish in shallow bay waters, a hard freeze can also cause surviving fish to congregate in a few deeper areas where they become sluggish and more prone to capture. The high mortality that a severe freeze can cause may deplete fish stocks for years so the protection of surviving fish during the few days when they are most vulnerable to capture is very important. This is why the TPW Commission in 2004 granted the authority to the Executive Director to close affected areas until the freeze event is over.

There are a limited number of locations that have been identified that would be affected in such a closure and would be limited to only those ecosystems where temperature criteria were met. The complete list of locations can be found at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/freeze/.

Staff will be monitoring weather forecasts and water temperatures along the Texas coast for the next several days in case such an action is warranted.

*Lance* *Robinson
*TPWD Coastal Fisheries
Dickinson Marine Laboratory


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## chicken (Mar 21, 2005)

John,

Great post on your thoughts, thanks for sharing as I appreciate the knowledge you gave us all.


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## saltyfeet (Mar 19, 2009)

ok maybee I just don't see it, but nowhere can i find anything about closeing barge traffic in the ICWW. it only talks about closeing fishing in selected areas


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## pelochas (Jun 15, 2005)

John you must think like a fish. Great post. :fish:


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## KingTut (May 19, 2005)

JohnHumbert said:


> ...the fish they saw laying on their sides were mostly mullet, with a few sheephead/drum - no trout or redfish. Water is mostly murky so only a couple places could they see bottom.
> 
> They "snagged" two trout about 18"-20" out of a canal in the POC area off the ICW.
> 
> ...


Help me understand the concern about barge traffic still moving........


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## Mike in Friendswood (May 21, 2004)

In the absence of barge traffic the water stratifies, with the colder water on top and the warmer, more insulated water near the bottom. The barge traffic stirs up the water and makes it all the same temp with no real insulating effect offered by the deeper water.

Unfortunately, if my memory serves me correctly, there was a move to shut down barge traffic in a freeze event, but the authority was never given to actually make it the law.

Mike


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## KingTut (May 19, 2005)

Mike in Friendswood said:


> In the absence of barge traffic the water stratifies, with the colder water on top and the warmer, more insulated water near the bottom. The barge traffic stirs up the water and makes it all the same temp with no real insulating effect offered by the deeper water.
> 
> Unfortunately, if my memory serves me correctly, there was a move to shut down barge traffic in a freeze event, but the authority was never given to actually make it the law.
> 
> Mike


Thanks!


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## LanceR (May 21, 2004)

*ICWW and barge traffic*

TPWD has no authority to close the ICWW. A few years ago when a freeze resulted in the closing of the identified deepwater holes along the Texas coast, barge companies voluntarily closed the ICWW for 24 hours to maintain the stratification within the channel thus providing a refuge for fish. Kudos to the companies that did this as I'm sure it affected commerce associated with these transportation industries.

Lance Robinson
TPWD Coastal Fisheries
Dickinson Marine Laboratory


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## sanleonjohn (Mar 16, 2009)

Brine Jake said:


> Hopefully. A lot of the upper West fish can make it to OB. What concerns me is where they go in Upper G Bay, Trinity, and East. I don't know of deep enough water except channels. If the trout hunker down in there on a slack tide, I'm concerned about what happens when the current starts moving. I'm also concerned that a lot of fish in West will try to make it in the cove guts, and the temp may get too low in there, if it isn't already. I'm no expert, and I hope I'm wrong...


 UGB channels have numerous canals and yaht basins attached to them where fish can escape to on hard tide, which is what they do. We are lucky on that one as there is little tide movement scheduled for tonight. With winds lightening up, water should be trying to come back in tomm. That will help offset strong outgoing scheduled for tomm morning I am hopeful that deep water in these places wiil not fall below 40. I agree that most WB fish not in OB are probably toast.


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## WestEndAngler (Jan 30, 2007)

I'll be out tomorrow morning at 4AM til 11AM on the water in West Bay. I'll post pictures and a report. I'm going to run from Causeway to Chocolate and look for any signs but I think with the front and slow moving arctic air the fish have gone deep already and we've hopefully averted in sort of fish kill.


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## sanleonjohn (Mar 16, 2009)

*4am*



WestEndAngler said:


> I'll be out tomorrow morning at 4AM til 11AM on the water in West Bay. I'll post pictures and a report. I'm going to run from Causeway to Chocolate and look for any signs but I think with the front and slow moving arctic air the fish have gone deep already and we've hopefully averted in sort of fish kill.


 Going out tomm. from 4-11am! Better you than me. We will appreciate the report.


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## capt henry (Apr 15, 2005)

*Port O'Connor as of 09:00 PM CST 01/08/2010

Primary Water Level: 0.6 ft below Mean Sea Level 
Wind Speed: 18.8 mph (gusting to 22.6 mph) 
Wind Direction: 352.0 degfromN (N) 
Water Temperature: 35.6 degF *


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

sanleonjohn said:


> UGB channels have numerous canals and yaht basins attached to them where fish can escape to on hard tide, which is what they do. We are lucky on that one as there is little tide movement scheduled for tonight. With winds lightening up, water should be trying to come back in tomm. That will help offset strong outgoing scheduled for tomm morning I am hopeful that deep water in these places wiil not fall below 40. I agree that most WB fish not in OB are probably toast.


Thanks SLJ. If I had thought about it a minute, I could have saved you the trouble. I hardly ever fish the west shore of UGB. If I get that far north, I'm over in TBay.

I was also thinking that the gulf provides shelter for East Bay trout. I know after the 89 freeze, I got reports of the rigs holding trout. We never see jetty trout runs ahead of a freeze, but they do gang up near Rollover. Maybe some get out that way.


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## krusty0001 (Nov 3, 2006)

It looks like the temp drops in 1983 and 1989 were more severe, so keep you fingers crossed. Lets hope it heats up quick. Data from wunderground.com


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

krusty0001 said:


> It looks like the temp drops in 1983 and 1989 were more severe, so keep you fingers crossed. Lets hope it heats up quick. Data from wunderground.com


This makes me feel much better. These graphs show that the 83 & 89 freezes came more unexpectedly. The gradual temperature drop this year hopefully gave the fish forewarning & they were able to safely seek deeper water.


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## Redfishon (Nov 10, 2005)

Dont know if I would listen to Krusty.. I heard he used to sniff glue in school and the makers too..LOL


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## TimW Texas (Apr 15, 2009)

Gee I hope all is well. I was talking to a guy out of North Carolina yesterday and he had indicated that there had been a good fish kill 4.000 lb.http://carolinacoastonline.com/articles/2010/01/08/news-times/sports/doc4b477055bf48b776271113.prt. Hate to hear that kinda news Fl.http://www.panhandleparade.com/index.php/mbb/article/cold_waters_freeze_fish/mbb7720705/
Port Arthur 
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist Lance Robinson said the chance is there but a kill on the level of those catastrophic events that killed upwards of 10 million fish apiece is not likely.
"I suspect there could be some localized fish kills in some back marshes with the onset of this winter front. However, since it's already been pretty cool leading up to this latest front this should have already started to move fish toward deeper water where temperatures are more moderate," Robinson said.
"The biggest problem with cold kills is the speed in which the temperatures drop fast, and fish become cold stunned and can't move ahead of it. Their proximity to deep water also plays a role. If fish are a long ways from a ship channel they can get caught with a fast approaching cold front," he added.
Robinson said for speckled trout, water below 45 degree becomes lethal while redfish are hardier and can take temperatures down to the mid 30s. Flounder (most of which are in the Gulf right now) can handle waters down to the lower 40s.
"In addition to killing game fish in shallow bay waters, a hard freeze can also cause surviving fish to congregate in a few deeper areas where they become sluggish or "cold stunned" and prone to capture," Robinson said.
The high mortality that a freeze can cause may deplete fish stocks for years so the protection of surviving fish during the few days when they are most vulnerable to capture is very important.
"This is why the TPWD Commission granted authority to the Executive Director in 2004 to close affected areas until the freeze event is over. We will be monitoring weather
forecasts and water temperatures along the Texas coast for the next few days in case such an action is warranted," Robinson said.
We will be monitoring our local waterways and report any fish kill events.


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## railbird (Jan 2, 2009)

*water temps*

poc jettys 32 degrees
port lavaca 38 degrees
sea drift 36.7 degrees

worst in texas as far as i can tell, here are some from down south

copano bay 40.8
rockport 48.1
ingleside 49.8
bird island 41.2
baffin bay 40.6
port mansfield 40.6
south padre 38.1

eagle point 36.3
morgan point 43.2
freport uscgs 48.3

none of this looks good right now time for prayers.

chuck


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## Rippin_drag (Sep 2, 2008)

chuck, what website you finding those on?


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## railbird (Jan 2, 2009)

*best realtime site i've found*

http://lighthouse.tamucc.edu/TCOON/HomePagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch_private?v=NPgYgVpCTsU&sharing_token=-W9xXWNv5GQGIF7XC-It9g

It give graphs of almost everything in the data query section. All realtime info, and back as far as you want. It updates every 20 minutes or so.


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## capt henry (Apr 15, 2005)

*Port O'Connor as of 08:00 AM CST 01/09/2010

Primary Water Level: 1.3 ft below Mean Sea Level 
Wind Speed: 15.2 mph (gusting to 17.4 mph) 
Wind Direction: 22.0 degfromN (NNE) 
Water Temperature: 32.2 degF *


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## railbird (Jan 2, 2009)

*update 13 minutes ago*



railbird said:


> poc jettys 32 degrees
> port lavaca 38 degrees
> sea drift 36.7 degrees
> 
> ...


poc jettys 34.5 degrees
port lavaca 37.4 degrees
sea drift 37.6 degrees

worst in texas as far as i can tell, here are some from down south

copano bay 40.8
rockport 48.2
ingleside 48.9
bird island 41.2
baffin bay 40.1
port mansfield 40.5
south padre 34.5

eagle point 36.1
morgan point 43.3
freport uscgs 47.3

none of this looks good right now time for prayers.


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## capt henry (Apr 15, 2005)

at 2:30 this morning i had 22* at 7:30 i had 24* and it is now26*


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## 100% Texan (Jan 30, 2005)

capt henry said:


> at 2:30 this morning i had 22* at 7:30 i had 24* and it is now26*


Keep them temps headed in the right direction Capt.Henry hopefully it just got mullet and shad I hope the trout left last week lol


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

And tonight will bring more freezing temps.
How long can deep water hold at survival temps?


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## bafazan (May 6, 2009)

As JohnHumbert stated in his post about Big Trout schooling together after a very cold winter. I don't know how many of you remember the freeze we had here on Baffin in early Jan. 1996 not a big long lasting freeze but a freeze none the less. I was working the San Antonio boat show back then and remember leaving early the last day of the show because the overpasses were freezing over. It got down to 24 degrees here in Riviera. Just about a month later is when Wallace broke the record here on Baffin and that was a big school of BIG TROUT they were on that day. BIG TROUT normally travel as loners or up to 3 or 4 in a school, but when we get a very cold winter like this one, these big fish will be forced to move to the deep parts of the bay all together. They will hang together for a while until the time is right for them to go their seperate ways again. That is what we have shaping up for this year again. We also had a fish kill that year in the graveyard and some in landcut. It did hurt the population of fish but things were different back then. After the 89 freeze and for several years after the were not a lot of people fishing here on Baffin, myself and another guide, we worked together back then and still do but wont mention his name without his permission, were the only two guides that were based out of Riviera back then,( ahh the good old days.) There were not that many average everyday anglers back then either. Less people targeting the fish the population can rebound quicker. Things are different nowdays everywhere as we all know. When Wallace broke the record it put Riviera on the map, " The Backdoor to Baffin", and it's been open ever since. So lets hope we don't get a kill here as it may take more time to recover. As for the BIG TROUT, this should be the year barring any BIG kill for a chance at catching some BIG TROUT. The barge traffic issue, a barge did go through the landcut in 96 and I am not saying that it is the sole reason for fish dying there but one of the longtime locals was running through the cut that day and came up behind it and said that fish were being churned to the top. The Guides Association out of Corpus back in 90's and I got this info from the president of the association at the time made an agreement with the barge companies that if there was a chance of fish being killed due to barge traffic that they would ( voluntarily ) halt barge traffic. I have not been out on the water since the front, maybe I will go tommorrow and see if we have any type of kill, I am really only concerned about the land cut and if I do go and see anything I will let you know. I wish I could be at the boat show to meet some of you but I am taking some people out fishing this week, they are from way up north, the wind energy people putting up the windmills on Kenedy Ranch, they think it is still like spring dowm here. I do however have several days still open in Feb, March and April for artificial anglers for the BIG TROUT HUNT.
Good Fishing to all
Les


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## Mike in Friendswood (May 21, 2004)

*The 1989 freeze was in December*

It was cold in the early part of the year, but the big freeze was in December. I know becasue it was 70 degrees two days before I got married and in the teens after I got hitched. The term "hell freezes over" comes to mind.



krusty0001 said:


> It looks like the temp drops in 1983 and 1989 were more severe, so keep you fingers crossed. Lets hope it heats up quick. Data from wunderground.com


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## glennkoks (Jun 24, 2009)

There were two freezes with fish kills in 1989. One smaller one if Feb. and one much worse one in dec. The one in december was much worse and coastwide.


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## bayouboy (Feb 5, 2006)

The back lakes of west bay in Galveston had ice covering them this morning. I thought it was wet mud until I got closer. Not good


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## crazycowboy (Dec 7, 2009)

my buddies hunted this morning down close to freeport and they were breaking ice in the bay and when they left ice was all over the dekes.... they said there were plenty of died fish but most looked to be mullet or smaller bait fish. they didn't see any reds or trout..


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## ronrob (Jul 30, 2004)

*dead fish*

Really won't realize the numbers of dead gamefish until they float. If there is ice on the surface, there are plenty of dead trout. Hope it is not bad as '89. It took about 3 years for fishing to get good again in some areas.


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## WestEndAngler (Jan 30, 2007)

West Bay is fine. Jones lake had iced over all protected areas in upper bays had ice. I ran from Jones to Chocolate and saw no dead fish. I didn't run up Diversionary this AM but another report w/ photos showed mullet laying on the banks.

http://www.fishwestend.com/forum/showthread.php?p=51909#post51909

I saw no dead fish in Meacoms, Greens (not the back, didn't run there) Karankawa or ICW, all cuts into West Bay showed no signs of ice (Greens / Karankawa) nor any fish floating or on bank.

It was cold this AM turned into a mud fest instead of a duck hunt had frozen decoys ice sheets dragging them away from blind. I'll post up a report and pictures later.


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## krusty0001 (Nov 3, 2006)

Mike in Friendswood said:


> It was cold in the early part of the year, but the big freeze was in December. I know becasue it was 70 degrees two days before I got married and in the teens after I got hitched. The term "hell freezes over" comes to mind.


I would definately remember that date too! I wasnt sure of the exact freeze day so I picked the lowest temps from the graph. (note: the December 1989 graph was cutoff.)


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## railbird (Jan 2, 2009)

*Realtime water temps* *as of 10 minutes ago*
poc jettys 42.1 degrees
port lavaca 47.3 degrees
sea drift 46.4 degrees
copano bay 43.2
rockport 48.2
ingleside 50
bird island 43.5
baffin bay 42.6
south end off landcut 40.6
south padre 49.5

galvaston area

eagle point 41
morgan point 46.2
freport uscgs 52.5

chuck


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## railbird (Jan 2, 2009)

*good news I guess*

Water temps in POC/seadrift area 3-5 degrees higher than this time yesterday.

chuck


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## gater (May 25, 2004)

*Railbird*

Those temps from down south are pretty much what the upper coast was before the front, avg mid to upper 40's. Though the shallow water down there could pose some problems it doesn'r look like the temps stayed below the 44 deg mark for much more than 24 hours and they are on the rebound with one more not as cold night to go. I don't think there will be much of an issue on the upper coast and hope the same for down south.

Not sure about the lower coast, but the back lakes on the upper coast are usually pretty scarce with fish this time of the year. There are lots Reds and some bait in there but normally not too many Trout or Flounder plus there is deep water close by in most places.

Gater


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## shallowist (May 28, 2009)

We look to be doing just fine in the overall G Bay area. I'm sure that there may be some stubborn fish that didn't see the news and got caught with the pant down, but from all the accounts, most bailed from the shallow water. As for UGB, there's plenty of deep water channels, other than the ICW. The general depths up here are much like Trinity and average over 8 feet, with plenty of 10 foot spots and some that exceed that. I think the lowest bouy reading so far was around 36 degrees this morning, and with the daytime heating today we will gain a few precious degrees before the sun sets again. 

Thanks to all of the above, for very informative posts. I certainly concur that the coldest winters bring together the bigest schools of trout. The remainder of the winter should hold a continuation of one of the best winters I can remember for GBay. Fish C&R and we could see the run continue well into the summer. If we repeat what happened in 96 I'm truly excited. Popped some monster stringers all the way into summer that year, and followed up with my first over 8 pounds.


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## fowlwaters (Jun 14, 2006)

Just talked to a buddy in POC and said lots of big trout are dead.


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## EricG (May 28, 2004)

Recieved news from a local guide in poc/seadrift. Lots of big trout dead.


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## das71198 (Aug 12, 2005)

That is not what I wanted to hear.....I was really hoping that we would not lose any trout or reds...I wonder if the limits are going to change after this???


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## RedFisch (Jan 15, 2009)

I have not heard of any closures on the ICW for barge traffic. If it gets too bad they will stop traffic for a certain period of time. There is not a lot of barge traffic anyway when there is high winds. If there are too many major delays in barge traffic, indusrtry wide, this can cause gas prices to go up, among that other things. If I hear of a closure I will post.


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## kemaflats1979 (Aug 23, 2009)

Wow this is not good news!! Plenty of ice in Seabrook. The water temp was in the mid 40's... Wonder what the fishing is going to be like in the spring???
Kema


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## flounderdaddy (Aug 2, 2009)

Water temperature in the Lavaca River today varied from 41 to 44 degrees.


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## Mike in Friendswood (May 21, 2004)

Per Lance Robinson with TPWD, they cannot close the ICW to barge traffic, it is voluntary only.



RedFisch said:


> I have not heard of any closures on the ICW for barge traffic. If it gets too bad they will stop traffic for a certain period of time. There is not a lot of barge traffic anyway when there is high winds. If there are too many major delays in barge traffic, indusrtry wide, this can cause gas prices to go up, among that other things. If I hear of a closure I will post.


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## krusty0001 (Nov 3, 2006)

I found this article written Dec26 1989 about the POC freeze kill. At the time it was written, Jimmy Crouch/Guide was hopeful the fish made it to deeper water since there had already been cold fronts ahead of this one. He was was hopeful, but wrong. Kinda sounds like us. I'm thinking we are gonna be seeing lot of dead fish very soon.


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

*Fish kill reports*

I have begun receiving reports from several who cruised Matagorda Island lakes this morning and the news is not good. Hundreds of dead trout are beginning to show in Pringle and Contee, lots of big ones. Reports from Power Lake are similar.


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## mcw (Jun 8, 2004)

I would expect the trout limit to drop to 5 permanently after this.


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

mcw said:


> I would expect the trout limit to drop to 5 permanently after this.


It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if the limit dropped to 5 mcw. 
You might want to lay off those expectations. :mpd:

Thanks for all the reports!


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## mcw (Jun 8, 2004)

I've liked the idea for a long time. Just saying that this unfortunate event strengthens our case. I think they lowered the limit to where it is now after a freeze, if I remember right.


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

Well, it ain't looking too real good in POC-Seadrift. I'm receiving more reports of lots of fish floating or lying on the bottom not floating yet. The full effect may not be seen for several days and we have another cold night coming. Water temp in SAB is currently 41.7F, up from yesterday's lowest reading of 39.2F but we're still not out of the woods by a long shot. Long range forecast on weather underground says we will get back up to 40s at night and low 60s daytime but it will be slow coming.


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

Everett, just curious, why are these big fish that they are finding in the back lakes, and not a bunch of smaller fish? Why did the larger fish stay and not high tail it for deeper water? Any idea?


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

Deke - I wish I knew the answer. The same thing happened in the Christmas '04 freeze, we lost a bunch of fish in Pringle. It seems every body of water has resident fish that just hang there until they die when the chill comes. One theory I came up with was current related but there is likely no way to prove it. The openings to these lakes are quite small compared to the volume of water in the lake itself. Unless it might come a monster of a tide event, there is probably too little current for the fish to follow, so they just hunker down. Just a guess from a guy wishing they were all still swimming.


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

That is as good an explanation as any. But what really has me confused is why it is the larger fish? Maybe due to what you said, being older they are just more accustomed to staying there, or just plain stubborn.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Here's a skimpy report from a POC resident this Sunday afternoon...

I just came in and there was a message from Capt. Surovik that there were fish floating in the area shallow lakes, and the game wardens said it was OK to go and get them.....He said he was going to put his flounder boat in the water and go get some.....
I called him on his cell but no answer. If I hear more I'll drop you a note....


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## Pocboy (Aug 12, 2004)

Those fish might have been dead for three days so I don't think I'd be taking any to eat.


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