Tackle Trade World - May 2023

DBW...
Texas
i n d u s t r y v i e w
Everett Johnson, Editor and Publisher,
Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine
Ask any Texan: “Everything’s
bigger in Texas!” Some will
go so far to add “… and
better, too.”
Texas hubris aside,
Texas is a very large state,
geographically speaking,
with a rapidly expanding
population. According to
the latest from US Census
Bureau, Texas now has more
than 30 million people.
Thanks to its powerful
energy and petro-chemical
sectors, and perhaps the
single greatest reason the
population continues to rise
year over year, the Texas
economy is largely insulated
from economic cycles common
in other US states. There’s an
old saying: ”If you can’t f ind
a job in Texas, you don’t want
one.”
Recreational f ishing
is big in Texas, too. The
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department (TPWD) report
a marked upswing in f ishing
licence sales of all types over
the past decade. Current data
indicates nearly 1.9 million
licensed anglers. Economic
impact of sport f ishing in the
Lone Star State is more than
$7.7 billion, according to
Southwick Associates.
Bass f ishing tops all other
types of f ishing and, thanks
to the conservation efforts of
the bass f ishing community
over recent decades, the
quality of these f isheries is
soaring off the charts. In the
f irst three months of 2023
alone, Texas waters have
delivered more than a dozen
Share-A-Lunker submissions
– angler’s f ish weighing
more than 12lb, kept alive,
and contributed to TPWD’s
hatchery programs with hope
of passing along the superior
genetics of trophy specimens.
Saltwater f ishing is
booming as well. The Texas
coastline is said to be 367
miles in length. But unlike
many coastal states that
have a relatively smooth
coastline, if you look behind
Texas’ nearly endless miles
of barrier islands, the jagged
shorelines of its major bays
and estuaries are longer than
600 miles.
Texas saltwater angling
can be classif ied into three
major categories – inshore,
nearshore, and offshore.
Species targeted across the
three categories range from
billf ish and tuna offshore, to
the most-highly-sought-after
species being seatrout and red
drum inshore, with dozens
more in-between.
Unlike many states, Texas
is unique in the ability
of recreational anglers to
access Gulf beaches, and
year-around surf f ishing
is very popular. Primary
species sought are red and
black drum, tarpon, king
mackerel, Spanish mackerel,
and Florida pompano. Shark
f ishing from the beach is
also very popular. At least
a dozen species are landed
regularly, some weighing
hundreds of pounds, and
shark anglers take great care
to return these f ish to the
ocean unharmed.
Inshore saltwater f ishing
is another year-around
angling pursuit, with
likely a million or more
participants annually.
Texas bays as a whole are
relatively shallow, which
means that wade f ishing is
a very popular way to access
the f isheries. Some anglers
quip that the only reason
they own a boat is to get
where they f ish… and then
jump out. The popularity
of wade f ishing creates a
whole other category of gear
and accessories not nearly as
common in other places.
The specialised type of
f ishing boats commonly seen
plying Texas bays are also
an entity unto themselves. A
product of angler’s desire to
access the hundreds of miles
of shallow lagoons of the
middle and lower portions
of the coast, in pursuit of
spotted seatrout, red drum,
and snook; almost nowhere
but Texas can you f ind crafts
designed to navigate in less
than 2ft depths. As a result,
many Texas anglers own
two boats. One for shallow
flats f ishing and a second
for larger, deeper bays
that also qualify for daytripping
the nearshore Gulf
in calm weather. Which in
itself becomes a signif icant
boost for boat building,
outboard power, and marine
electronics industries. The
tackle industry also benef its
mightily from Texas anglers
who require a wider than
normal range of equipment
and gear necessary in their
varied angling interests.
The bottom line in the
recreational angling industry
is that without f ish we
cannot have an industry…
that’s pretty basic. So, with
the population booming and
licence sales steadily on the
rise, what does the future
hold for Texas anglers and
the f isheries that support the
industry? Fair question.
The answer to that
important question lies
solely within in the realm
of TPWD’s management
plans… and also within the
rapidly evolving sporting
and conservation ethic of
the recreational angling
community.
TPWD is both a role model
and the most forward-thinking
f isheries management agency
in the country. Their work is
copied in many ways; from
f ishing regulations and
interface with constituents,
to stock enhancement (sport
f ish hatcheries and stocking
programs), to habitat creation
and restoration. Texas
anglers are also blessed to
have the support of some of
the nation’s leading f isheries
research programs. The
work accomplished over the
past 50 years by scientists
at the University of Texas
Marine Science Institute
and Texas A&M University
Harte Institute, has helped
tremendously. And let’s not
forget the contributions of
the Coastal Conservation
Association. Without these
combined efforts, Texans
might not have so much to brag
about. With them, the future of
recreational angling in Texas
remains bright.
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