# New reefs coming to upper Texas coast



## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/b...f-in-Texas-coastal-waters-to-grow-6453996.php

TPWD just awarded the largest artificial reef project ever to Callan Marine recently - 800 pyramids to go into the Vancouver site and 1,600 pyramids to go into a new 160 acre site between Sargent and Matagorda. All 2,400 reefs will be in Texas state waters so Texas recreational fishermen can fish them 365 days/year with 4 fish red snapper daily bag limits!

I am proud to be associated with this project.

The article said that each reef weighs 1,000 pounds - they actually weigh closer to 6,000 pounds each.

"Current plans are for a concrete pyramid - 10 feet wide and 8 feet tall - with small holes for fish, large holes for turtles and a rough, chunky limestone coating for other creatures to attach themselves."A very large consideration is the critters - the critters that will live in and on top of them," Dearing said. "They're the whole point of installing them."

"When we create this reef site, it will have impacts beyond the next hundred years," Shively said.


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## jaime1982 (Aug 25, 2009)

Great news!!


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## Empty Pockets CC (Feb 18, 2009)

Great job Tom! That's a step in the right direction! 


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## moodymarlin (Apr 16, 2012)

Congratulations Tom. Good for the environment, good for our fisheries, good for our future!


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## king_bullet (Mar 20, 2013)

That's great. 

Does anyone know if there is any plans to use the concrete slabs they are currently pulling off the Copano Causeway in Rockport for anything?


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

great news, thanks for the hard work Tom


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

Good to hear...Tom, check your inbox!


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## MikeS2942 (Mar 5, 2010)

Tons of great news


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## CostaDelTejas (Jul 6, 2009)

Awesome.


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## AirbornXpress (Sep 27, 2006)

Thanks Tom and TPW
Great news


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## Load&Go (Jul 16, 2004)

Thanks Tom


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Awesome!! 


.


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## WestEnd1 (Jul 26, 2012)

Great news and thanks for all the efforts Tom!!


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

I told y'all good news is coming up....there are more reefs in the works, including a big one out of Galveston, and the permit for POC should be coming up here pretty quick....

I had heard that you were working with Joey and crew at Callan, Tom....I was glad to hear you're going to be involved....good stuff!!! 
snookered


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## GetAway (Apr 5, 2010)

This is indeed great news! I was offshore last week at one of the nearshore reefs and was blown away by the life out there. Saw Cobia, caught a Dorado, saw a bait ball get demolished by Pelagics that looked like missles in the water. The triggers, spade fish and snappers followed our bait to the surface. This was my first offshore trip as captain in my 20 foot Pioneer. Keep up the great work Hilton! Also we kept 1 ea. Dorado, and 5 ea. spades everything else was CPR. Keep up the great work Tom, me and my children thank you!


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## C. Moore (Nov 15, 2004)

That is greats new Tom! Thanks for all your efforts.


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## CLVL (Aug 17, 2005)

Great news! Thanks Tom.


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## SARGENTTX (Aug 8, 2007)

Tom Hilton is one of a kind ! Glad he is on our side !


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## ML56 (Dec 30, 2008)

Matagorda has been permitted and sitting on back burner for a while now, glad to see it become a reality.-Mike


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## sylvan (Dec 26, 2007)

Thank you !


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## deckmate (Dec 29, 2009)

*X2^*



GetAway said:


> This is indeed great news! I was offshore last week at one of the nearshore reefs and was blown away by the life out there. Saw Cobia, caught a Dorado, saw a bait ball get demolished by Pelagics that looked like missles in the water. The triggers, spade fish and snappers followed our bait to the surface. This was my first offshore trip as captain in my 20 foot Pioneer. Keep up the great work Hilton! Also we kept 1 ea. Dorado, and 5 ea. spades everything else was CPR. Keep up the great work Tom, me and my children thank you!


Our children's children will be the beneficiaries of this effort. Thanks and don't stop.


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## donf (Aug 8, 2005)

Tom, 
Well done!
You a reaching snapper God Like Status.


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## dlbpjb (Oct 9, 2009)

Awesome news!


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## coastman (Apr 18, 2013)

Great news! Thanks for all your efforts Mr. Hilton.


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

Awesomeness!!!!!


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## TOM WEBER (Aug 14, 2005)

Great News!!!!!Keep us in the loop. Thanks for what you do Tom. TW


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## RobATX (Apr 5, 2011)

Excellent news. Thank you for your efforts!


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## Slow Boat (Jun 12, 2011)

Best possible news! Keep Texas fish in Texas water.


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## planohog (Nov 1, 2006)

thanks to all , that works to get this type thing accomplished. 
Regards


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

and i thought he mean sabine ..
maybe in the works?


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## Thecfive (Jul 8, 2012)

Some of the most fun my family has had fishing has been at Vancouver. Thanks Tom, your work is appreciated!


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

outstanding !.....the ball does roll


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## ftw66 (Dec 27, 2012)

*Sabine*

Are there any in the works for Sabine Pass?


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Nothing but mud bottom off Sabine, in state waters. They do have sand banks a little further offshore, but not sure they would support heavy concrete.


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## Red Tuna (May 19, 2007)

Great news. Thank you Tom!


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Indeed good news. I can remember living near Swansboro, N. Carolina, which is a coastal town, seeing a lot of barges with various sizes of tires bound together. These tires were to be dropped off in the ocean to make artificial reefs. I do not recall anyone here in the surrounding counties/cities ever doing something like this. For those people that are in the tire business and NEED a place to dispose of used tires...I suggest you look into this. Then again, using tires may be illegal here, I don't know...$.02


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## ftw66 (Dec 27, 2012)

Trouthappy said:


> Nothing but mud bottom off Sabine, in state waters. They do have sand banks a little further offshore, but not sure they would support heavy concrete.


6 more years till my daughter graduates, my boat and my RV goes straight to the Keys! I'll visit Texas to work an occasional turnaround. ðŸ˜ŽðŸ˜ŽðŸ˜Ž


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## texcajun (Feb 22, 2009)

Do some research on the use of tires as artificial reefs. Turns out they weren't such a good idea. They don't actually attract any of the critters that like to attach themselves to the structure. They've been found to just take up space on the sea floor and eventually just wind up as garbage. Tires are no longer used offshore for reef structures.



V-Bottom said:


> Indeed good news. I can remember living near Swansboro, N. Carolina, which is a coastal town, seeing a lot of barges with various sizes of tires bound together. These tires were to be dropped off in the ocean to make artificial reefs. I do not recall anyone here in the surrounding counties/cities ever doing something like this. For those people that are in the tire business and NEED a place to dispose of used tires...I suggest you look into this. Then again, using tires may be illegal here, I don't know...$.02


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## Gap (Jun 4, 2004)

Great news! Thanks Tom and to all for staying in this and helping push it across the goal line. I thought I had read that the Vancouver site was too muddy, or shallow to hold snapper?


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

ftw66 said:


> Are there any in the works for Sabine Pass?


Yes


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

tngbmt said:


> and i thought he mean sabine ..
> maybe in the works?


 yes, and also a close nearshore reef is also being scoped...
snookered


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## lbuoys (Apr 9, 2008)

Any info on the general locations for Galveston and Freeport sites?


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## hillbilly deluxe (Jun 7, 2007)

any word of any kind of reef coming to south texas corpus christi or port A


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

The Vancouver site has been expanded to 160 acres off of Freeport (10 miles south of the jetties). The Sargent/Matagorda site is a new 160 acre site in BA-439 block in state waters.

The Galveston site is in between the jetties and San Luis Pass in state waters.

TPWD just deployed 470 pyramids and the MV Kinta off of Port A (last year).


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## Gold Nuggett (Sep 29, 2010)

Thank you TOM & TP&W.
Now let us see if the International waters issue can be brought under State
P & W Jurisdiction.

BRT


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

soon as we get state control we need 160 acres a little farther out at the Buccaneer GA-288 site...70'(minimum for snapper) ...equal distance from Surfside or Galveston ...where most of the rec fishermen can get to on allowable days......


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## lbuoys (Apr 9, 2008)

Thank you Tom for all you do.


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## Capt. Overkill (Jun 21, 2013)

Thanks again Tom and TPWD!

You can already see the location of the future Matagorda reef on this map:

http://tpwd.texas.gov/gis/ris/artificialreefs/

Look like an ideal spot!


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## WildCard07 (Jul 15, 2012)

Looking forward to it Tom. Thanks for all you do.


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## Charlie in TX (May 4, 2012)

Does anyone know the status? Have they started sinking concrete yet?


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## pomakai (Jun 7, 2012)

So awesome. Thank you for your hard work.


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

Charlie in TX said:


> Does anyone know the status? Have they started sinking concrete yet?


Should be deploying by early-mid spring.

Thanks,
Tom


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## jewfish (Feb 16, 2005)

Tom,
I have been at several meetings where I have heard your comments and positive input for projects that are pro-recreational fisherman.
Just want to say if it was not for people like you that dont give up and hold their ground, issues as important as reefing would probably not happen.
As stated before, Our children's children will be the beneficiaries of yours and others efforts.
Thanks Mike


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Sabine reefs have been cleared, the material for the reefs is on the yard. Should start happening not to long from now.


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## Charlie in TX (May 4, 2012)

jewfish said:


> Tom,
> I have been at several meetings where I have heard your comments and positive input for projects that are pro-recreational fisherman.
> Just want to say if it was not for people like you that dont give up and hold their ground, issues as important as reefing would probably not happen.
> As stated before, Our children's children will be the beneficiaries of yours and others efforts.
> Thanks Mike


Well said by you and others. I first met Tom at a _Rigs to Reef_ meeting at TSU. He is always there fighting for us. I hope you are making a good living from it.


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## hilton (Jan 28, 2008)

Charlie in TX said:


> Well said by you and others. I first met Tom at a _Rigs to Reef_ meeting at TSU. He is always there fighting for us. I hope you are making a good living from it.


Hi Charlie,
Thanks for the support, but no, fighting the fight is not a paid position - it comes from the heart.
All the best,
Tom


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## stingray stomper (May 20, 2011)

You the man uncle tom!!!


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