# Is it me?



## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

Is it me or do you think something has really changed in the surf especially in the past 3 years?

The fish do not appear to be nearly as abundant. It doesn't mean you can't get into them but overall it is way down from 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

I cannot recall seeing those endless rafts of mullet nowhere nearly as often as I once did.

And that goes for other types of bait also. 

Maybe it's just me. Viewpoints and comments?


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## AirForceJack (Oct 3, 2011)

Goose Lover said:


> Is it me or do you think something has really changed in the surf especially in the past 3 years?
> 
> The fish do not appear to be nearly as abundant. It doesn't mean you can't get into them but overall it is way down from 10, 20 and 30 years ago.
> 
> ...


Read a book called "Plugger" and it will really make you see things different. 
:cheers:

I hear you though!


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

I have it. Read it more than once.

Make me see things in a different way how?

All through the 80's and 90's and 200's the wade fishing in the surf has been excellent. 

Each year was different but overall you couldn't ask for much more.

After the big freezes in 83 and 89/90 it slowed down but then came back quickly.

It is the last three years that have really seen a big drop in the number of trout, bait and so forth.

That's my observation but I know my overall catch has declined because I kept informal records. 

Curious if others share this view.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

Bhlaaa your just getting old and have not adjusted..they want croks now..have you not heard???


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## Surf Rodder (Jun 28, 2013)

It's been a while since we've had a good tropical depression/hurricane to flush out the back bays and estuaries. And, YES, I too recall the huge mats of mullet; told a friend visiting from out of state about them the other day and also wondered why I haven't seen such in a long time. 

I've kept surf fishing records for 30 years now. It's typical to read "6 to7 heavy runs on my surf rods," etc. and then to note what I'd landed. Moved to Seattle in 1990 and was there 11 years anxious for the good LORD to bring me back to Texas. From my return to Houston to this day, I have only one or two entries of multiple hook-ups, and more than just a large fish or two. Must be global cooling.... :fish:


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## Alwaysinshorts (Jun 14, 2012)

I agree with you. I've fished the galveston/Surfside beaches for the past 30 years, much of that off of the beach. When I was younger it was getting to the beach before sun raise for specks and then staying the weekend and catching large sharks. 

I could always remember large schools of mullet everywhere. The past 2 or 3 years I see those schools bit not as abundantly as before. In years past I could wade out make one cast and fill up a cooler for weeks worth of bait, I regularly have to cast for bait every time I go out. 

There have definitely been a drop in bait. I think the best indicator comes from your average fisherman. If you look on the various sites like this one it is misleading sometimes. You have guys that know how to fish and where to fish, so they post pictures of their great trip and tell you about the other fish they caught. Them every once in a while you see a guy post that he sucks and can't catch a cold. Those are the guys we should be observing, they are the ones that when fish numbers goes down find it harder to catch fish. The guy that has a honey hole or specific methods of fishing will always catch fish it's the normal guy that gets lucky. 

In the past 10 years I've fished the Freeport jetties 10 to 15 times, I probably only caught fish there 2 or 3 of those times. In the 80's I would fish there and throw fish back because they weren't big enough, not that they were undersized but I knew I could catch bigger so they just were let go. For those of you that remember fishing there back then, one of the big nuance fish that were always mixed in with speck were ribbon fish, you couldn't not catch them. Now if someone catches them it is a rarity not the norm anymore

Just my observation.


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Goose Lover said:


> Is it me or do you think something has really changed in the surf especially in the past 3 years?
> 
> The fish do not appear to be nearly as abundant. It doesn't mean you can't get into them but overall it is way down from 10, 20 and 30 years ago.
> 
> ...


Veru true sadly


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## shutout (Mar 2, 2014)

Because of the foul conditions this year I have fished the surf very little this year. Last year I fished the surf hard in May & June and had more bad days than good days. There were many days where the conditions (water color, wave size & tides) were near perfect and I was still skunked. As far as I know, all these TPW Surveys that say the bays are in great shape as for as the trout population goes are in fact limited to the bays. I have always heard that the trout in the surf are a separate population from those in the bays (as opposed to being specs that leave the bays for the surf for the summer). If that is the case it could be that for what ever reason the bay populations are doing well but the surf populations have been diminished.


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## spiwonka (Jan 29, 2009)

Last year, was out best year for catching surf trout! Wife wife and i caught and released in a few hours about 47 keeper sized trout. Made several trips tearing them up, had one bad trip, where the water stayed sandy and killed the snot sharks and bull reds! Week of august 22 was a epic three day trip! It was unreal. We usually never hit the surf till after the 4th, or when we get theses huge high pressure systems sit on the gulf. Have not stepped in the surf this year yet. I fish the surf like i crappie fish, hit several places fast and furious. Most places we catch trout didn't have any bait working last year, but the trout where there in force.


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## spiwonka (Jan 29, 2009)

Sorry, after i posted this, my wife talked me into going! Got to the surf at noon! Wife and i with 20 keeper trout for a nice fish fry next weekend!

Beach conditions, lots of fresh weed, but manageable with the clear water!


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

That's where they're all going! To spiwonka's fish fryer!! How dare you know how, where and what to catch fish and then keep your legal limit. I bet your wife and you have an actual licenses and bag/haul away y'all's trash when done too. Types like YOU are the problem. We need 5 now!!


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## ten toes (Mar 13, 2010)

I agree with you too, Goose. I agree that I hardly EVER see those big rafts of mullet in the surf and the trout just don't seem as abundant at all. Also, what ever happened to the hermit crabs? This year, as I was walking to the shore from a wade in SLP, a woman asked me where she could find some hermit crabs to show her kids. I didn't have an answer for her cuz I haven't seen one in several years now in the Surfside area.


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## agonzales1981 (Jun 12, 2008)

I was at surfside friday morning and I kid you not I was surrounded by boiling water...mullet everywhere. I've only hit the surf once this summer and I caught fish so I'm happy...lol


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

Alwaysinshorts said:


> I agree with you. I've fished the galveston/Surfside beaches for the past 30 years, much of that off of the beach. When I was younger it was getting to the beach before sun raise for specks and then staying the weekend and catching large sharks.
> 
> I could always remember large schools of mullet everywhere. The past 2 or 3 years I see those schools bit not as abundantly as before. In years past I could wade out make one cast and fill up a cooler for weeks worth of bait, I regularly have to cast for bait every time I go out.
> 
> ...


Hey, Hey, Hey......I was on a bad run for a few days. I'm back, caught some nice trout this morning(using specific methods.....)....after working all night.....


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## spiwonka (Jan 29, 2009)

sotexhookset said:


> That's where they're all going! To spiwonka's fish fryer!! How dare you know how, where and what to catch fish and then keep your legal limit. I bet your wife and you have an actual licenses and bag/haul away y'all's trash when done too. Types like YOU are the problem. We need 5 now!!


We don't fish long enough to make any trash Sotexhookset! Get it stright lol. It was nice out there today.


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## seabo (Jun 29, 2006)

BretE said:


> Hey, Hey, Hey......I was on a bad run for a few days. I'm back, caught some nice trout this morning(using specific methods.....)....after working all night.....


 something something ,shrimp?


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

seabo said:


> something something ,shrimp?


Norton sand eels....3/8 Norton or knotty hooker jig head.....Cha Ching

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

I have also been fishing the surf for 30 plus years. Now that you mention it, I don't see the big rafts of mullet either, but It could be that I am just missing it. 

Over the years, I have seen things like this happen in cycles. They come and go and come back again.

Not saying that it isn't from over-fishing, which is more likely east of the Mississippi - just saying lets be careful of thinking it's that. It doesn't mean there are less of them. They may just be in some other pattern for some odd reason. Maybe it's the El Nino cycle, which greatly rearranges the coastal ecosystem more than we realize.


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## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

I'm convinced it's just the weather patterns. And not from some AGW hogwash. But just the wind has not been 'right' for an extended period of time over the last few years. Once the pattern shifts back, it will be like it was 5+ years ago when I was catching good solid trout every time I waded the shorelines.

Fished Follett's on Friday and we managed 12-15 trout on topwaters, but they were all under 17 inches. There was loads of mullet in the dookie brown water. Plenty of trout too. We just never got any big ones to eat.

Once it gets back to a predominantly southeast blow, all will be right in the world. My .02.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

^^^^^agree 100%!


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

Today is Ringo Starr's birthday


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## pickn'fish (Jun 1, 2004)

troy merrill said:


> Once it gets back to a predominantly southeast blow, all will be right in the world. My .02.


 Lost "sweet SE" for several years now... Heard Charlie P. and Mickey talk about it several weeks back. Capt. Benny said 3 years now with South wind on yesterday's show. I think it is easily twice that long, maybe longer...
And a South wind BLOWS... S 5-10? Heh, add those numbers together.

Last year mullet were late and this year shrimp were because of water temperatures. Recent runoff has dumped a bunch of shrimp out of the marsh into the bays and surf...

Lived in the surf last year... it was most disappointing despite good water most of May & June for me.

2-3 years ago in late Aug. early Sept. there were immense trains of mullet migrating out along the beach. Trouble was, there weren't any trout beneath them...

Lot of variables; cold winters, late springs, oil spills/enviro and extended DROUGHT... which affects the ENTIRE food chain.

In some years there is a hypoxic area off Galveston... 
Last week Tx.A&M launched gliders to monitor the northern Gulf "dead zone".

Then, there is the typical cycling up & down,which is a big factor. 
Don't think anyone has an answer...

But, the surf fishing for 2014 just took a turn in the right direction recently...


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## pickn'fish (Jun 1, 2004)

pickn'fish said:


> But, the surf fishing for 2014 just took a turn in the right direction recently...


Cannot seem to post pics off phone...


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## pickn'fish (Jun 1, 2004)

Gave away one over 20" & couple more missing from my limit by 8:30. Just fish, mostly 16-18" good eating size, released one over 22" and catch released dozen or more.
Water was 2' clarity or better and no tide helped instead of hindered...
DOA in natural was go to hatch match but any shrimptail worked best, along with plugs, spoons & soft plastics and tops.
Mostly subsurface lures under working birds.

We knew the table was set, just needed the weather...

Never thought I'd say it, "Come on Dog Days of summer!"... lol


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## AirForceJack (Oct 3, 2011)

Goose Lover said:


> I have it. Read it more than once.
> 
> Make me see things in a different way how?
> 
> ...


I was just agreeing with you and The book just backed up your story about the drops in bait and fish when reading his point of view.. When i take my boat out i dont have a fish finder or a depth finder if im in a new place i take it easy, but i LOOK around when i fish.. i look for slicks, birds working, bait jumping or "THE Smell of WATERMELON" anything ive learned over the years about fish and water movement that says somethings here, now i catch alot of flack about this saying i need to get with the times and it would help with fishing, i just havent really felt like i needed all the "gadgets" or had a want for them haha but to each is own.:cheers:

I just enjoy what i call "Simple Fishing"


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

I'm with you Air Force Jack

If I remember correctly there was a photo in Rudy Griggar's book of a lure he created out of a toothbrush. 

Fish are still fish.


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

spiwonka said:


> We don't fish long enough to make any trash Sotexhookset! Get it stright lol. It was nice out there today.


Hey spiwonka, it was sarcasm rolled into a compliment. Ha! Have some cabbage in return for the red beans and rice you gave me. Lol

Edit- couldn't green you cause I guess I already did on your original post. Whoa. Lol. Tks for mas dojo again.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Goose Lover, I am not disagreeing with you at all. I may be totally missing it. I am just presenting another view. 

Personally for myself, I catch more fish now than I did back then, but that could be because I finally learned how to fish. LOL! I have also read "The Plugger", but I am not sure you can compare on how fish will feed back then as compared to how they feed now. Or how bait will behave or will be as compared to now. I am sure fish and their prey will act totally differently in a crowded bay system compared to one that hasn't been touched before. I think they will actually get smarter....Hence, as our bays have become more crowded over time, the fishes behavior adapts and adjusts....They are smart! Heck, there have been times I could have been holding up a stringer like Rudy's if the limits allowed me to catch more. I also read that book with one eye opened. You have to remember that fisherman are known for stretching the truth! LOL! I am not accusing Rudy Grigar of that at all, but it does make me wonder when I hear the stories of sinking boats cause they were so full of fish. Not saying it didn't happen. But I know how even the best fisherman will stretch it a bit. 

The reason why I am a little defensive is because I remember hearing and reading the articles and stories when I was young about how things have changed. They did nothing but left me feeling hopeless. It's like why bother going fishing anymore. Regardless of everything I heard back then, there are tons more redfish now, I have seen the fishing populations rebound from the freezes, It seems there are more big trout caught than there were in the 90's or a few years before.........It would be interesting to see the size of the big trout winners for the STAR and the Marburger's tournament in the past years leading up till now, which I think we will see patterns - maybe not. Plus, there are odd fish caught here that you never heard of before - A couple of snook caught from 61st street groin and Surfside Jetty just as an example.

Along with some things we don't see much of anymore, there are some things we see more of. I feel we do need to be good stewards and not ignore certain issues, and at the same time I feel our future of fishing is very promising. 

I am not sure if this is an opinion of mine as much as it is simply another way of seeing it.


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

My original post wasn't that all of the fish in the surf have disappeared or that you can't have some excellent days.

But from my perspective it's much different. Many of the places I have fished for 30 plus years just don't produce the number of fish as they once did. 

I have always enjoyed fishing the surf and I will keep going. I just enjoy it a little more when I'm hanging a lot of fish.

I read today that Pink Floyd will be releasing a new album. First one they have released since 1994.


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## pickn'fish (Jun 1, 2004)

Didn't mean to hijack your thread with my report. I did try to address the topic... Last year was dismal with a late start not helping. Recent years have been mostly down but my best single day for quality fish was only a couple years ago. Fished the surf for nearly 30 years. It may have faded somewhat and access has been restricted, too. Could drive on the beach looking for signs years ago...
I met Rudy and bought/read his book. Gives one an idea of the bounty that once existed. Mickey Eastman and crew about sank their boats or couldn't get on plane back decades ago... some of those stringers may have been anomalies generated by weather events. But, Capt. Mike Williams said not long ago that a 7 lb. fish TODAY is equivalent to an 8 back several years ago. I have a couple books by AC Becker. He had I believe 4 double-digit trout. He gave warnings of future challenges...
I think drought may play a large part in present and future issues. 
But, I think this year will be better than last...
We have a good trout fishery but the numbers of big fish, IMO, cannot compare.
When Bradford and Pilgrims entered Cape Cod it was said that the codfish hindered their navigation. 
I remember reading about snook once being taken out of Galveston. Back when it was heavily vegetated, etc. Grass provides structure AND warmth evidently. There should be a record somewhere...
green tides n' black dots...


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

30 years ago there was a lot of gill netting going on and commercial fishermen had almost wiped out the redfish. Fishing was not better back 30 years ago, maybe better 50-60years ago. But for sure not 30 years ago, that was in the 80s, some of the worst times for Texas bays due to freezes, commercial fishermen and other factors. 


I guess when some fishermen can not catch fish, they try to blame any and everything.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I've had good results on the few outings I've had this year. Hardly any throwbacks. Weed is worse than ever. Wind was stronger this year and went longer into the summer. Plenty of finger mullet and menhaden in surf Sunday. I'd say the fish on average this year have been a little bigger than in previous years. I fish mostly Surfside and Bryan beaches.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

My 11 year old and tag teamed this 24" sow Sunday evening from the pay beach near stahlman park at Surfside. We caught nine ( I made the cast, worked the skitterwalk, and he reeled them in) and nothing was under 16". We only kept two for dinner.


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## shooterstx (Dec 20, 2011)

Fished with 'The Plugger' once at the Chandeluers back about 1975; day befor we went out he said 'The fish are Wall-to-Wall, ice cream conditions'. Left the dock at Hopedale on the MRGO at 4am the next morning in 20-25 Kt. SW winds. As we left the jetties into Chandeluer Sound about an hour later into 4-5 ft. swells, Grigger says 'water's just right' and, between bounces from wave to wave, had to agree the water color was not bad. It was just that everything else was awfull. Then, further out, it got worse. Grigger says: 'we're gonna kill 'em'. I'm thinking: what -the fish? or us? Spent most of 3 days holding the walls of his shack so they didn't blow off. Considered offering $500 for a ride back in, but figured it would really PO the the old crank and he had the only boat. Caught enough fish to keep us barely alive. Befor and since, I was so fortunate to enjoy many, many incredibly good trips to the Islands with lots of stories: giant stringer loads of big trout & reds, an encounter with real pirates, a blown head gasket on a single engine boat, etc. But few trips out there generate the memories of 'fishing' with the Plugger.


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## JustSlabs (Jun 19, 2005)

I've fished the surf once this year. I was down by SLP sometime in early June. There was a raft of mullet in the 2nd gut as far as you could see down the beach. I fished that spot for a couple hours and there were rafts of big mullet going by the whole time....and I didn't even get a bite.


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