CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildife Department has issued a no commercial and recreational flounder fishing edict on the coast until Dec. 14.
This is the first year the Texas Parks and Wildlife approved the closure to help boost the population numbers of fish in the water to spawn during their annual migration time.
Local fisherman in the Coastal Bend say they aren’t upset about the closure.
“You can gig all year long," fisherman Eric Kuhn said. "I don't think that one month is really going to affect anybody on really anything. It's better for the fish, too."
Others add it will help boost the area's ecology.
“There’s obviously a reason they are doing this," fisherman Cullen Bishop said. "To keep everything ... the wildlife ecosystem in check."
Mick Linares, marina manager at Bluff's Landing Marina, said the flounder are moving out into the Gulf to breed and Texas Parks and Wildlife is trying to protect the species.
“What they’re trying to do is help them have the best chance they can to get out to the gulf so that they can have future generations so we can have more fishing in the future," said Linares.
In a statement released from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, it said the public meetings began in 2019 to change the flounder regulations after data showed a long-term decline in population numbers of the species.
One contributing factor for the decline includes recent warm winters. Linares said the big freeze had a huge impact in the fishing community as well.
“People don’t understand that when we have a major fish kill like that, it takes years for it to recover so Texas Parks and Wildlife they have to step in and they have to protect the fish for us all right," Linares said. "If we don’t protect them now then we won’t have anything to catch in the future."
So what can you catch in the meantime here in the Coastal Bend?
“I would say target another species," Linares said. "We have very healthy black drum population here in the Coastal Bend."
“Find some other fish to catch, redfish, trout, there’s plenty more just find another one you like and have fun with it," said Kuhn.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, anglers may resume fishing for flounder on Dec. 15.
For more more questions about the commercial and recreational flounder fishing visit Texas Parks & Wildlife.
