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Willee · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:02 pm Post subject: Bob Hall Pier ... 8-30-07

Decided to fish off Bob Hall Pier today to see for my self what all the posting has been about ... and glad I did.

First off let me say the pier was clean as can be expected and the staff there helpful and friendly.
First thing I noticed was that workers were emptying the trash containers.
Second thing was workers modifying the fish cleaning table at the end of the pier. They were installing edges at the back of the cleaning table.
Wasn't that one of the things listed here the other day?
Well ... I am impressed and I take back the things I said in another thread about expressed ideas not getting very far.
From what I seen today I was totally wrong!
The staff and management do seem to be trying to do what they can to provide a safe and pleasant recreational area and it is visible to anyone that cares to go out there and have a look see.

Now for the fishing part ...
Wow ... The water was calm and clear and the Spanish Mackerel were there!
I caught three keeper Mackerel and a few undersized, several Whiting and Croaker, a few Jack fish, and umpteen Perch ... all with one pound of dead shrimp.
Got one nice Pompano on the bottom using Fish Bites bait
and one one undersized Trout on a top water lure.
There were many more Trout swimming around there but they just wouldn't strike anything I had.
Lost my only gold spoon to a break off (need to buy some steel leaders).
Observed many others catching nice Mackerel also.
Saw a nice spotted ray gliding thru the water and a few large reds.
One fella hooked up to a large shark ... at the shallow end of the pier!

Large schools of mullet and shad near the pier.
There were a few people using cast nets but they caused no problems as they respected others and even offered to share some of the bait.

I DO plan on returning this weekend for some more fishing fun.
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Hardhead · Finger Mullet Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 40

Took a look at your site and those are really nice pens, good craftmanship.............Now how about some with Cult Breakaway logo's on them..... I'll take 2. Really though, nice work there.
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Inside every older person is a younger person wondering "What the hell happened?"

Gib · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject:

Willee,

What you witnessed today would not have been the case even 1 month ago. Due to the hard work of everyone from citizens to county employees working together for a common has such been accomplished.

I encourage you to contact Mr. Pettis and tell him the good work being done.

I do not have his number before me at this time, but I have posted it on several other threads.

Happy to hear all of the good news.

Bluffer · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:17 pm Post subject:

Thanks Willee, glad to see its improved...Man you get around, saw you at cosway flats, heard report you at NPJ, now BHP....gotta love the sport!
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rabbit · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 3:56 am Post subject:

Thanks for the report. Nice pens and cues. Very Happy

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The Trash Heap · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 6:21 am Post subject: Quick work

Mr. Pettis was as good as his word at the parks board meeting Thursday about improving the cleaning tables. What I'd suggested in my comments that afternoon was

Bill171 · Finger Mullet Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 13

I thought that it was against the law to filet your catch on the pier. Is that a change ?
Thanks,
Bill

The Trash Heap · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:37 am Post subject: No & No

It never was and isn't now.
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FB PHIL · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 455

When we went over all these fishing rules with the TPW guy, I thought it was stated that NO fillets were permitted on any pier or jetty, plus boats on the water? You can gut fish at BHP, but not fillet them.

The Trash Heap · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:14 am Post subject: Source of the Confusion

It appears the ambiguity in the TPWD regulation was compounded by the FAQ response in the agency's webpage, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/faq/fishboat/fish/#R8 . That reads

The Trash Heap · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:03 am Post subject: Still Digging

Just looked at the 2007-2008 general regs at
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/general_rules/
That reads

FB PHIL · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 455

Hey TH - I think they have that "transporting by boat" provision in to stop people from going to the landcut say and catching a bunch of fish over-night and filleting their catch and brining it home by boat.

I talked to the Game Wardens a couple yrs ago in the parking lot of BHP about filleting Sp. macs(big ones with the fillets bigger than the 14" size minimum and leaving the skin on) and they said it wasn't legal. I said it made no sense and they said "if I didn't like the rules to petition to get them changed". I see no difference than this cleaning practice and guides cleaning their catch on the foot of the fishing pier at Marker 37 or Clems. You could walk right out on those piers and continue fishig also just like at BHP.

The Trash Heap · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject:

I know it makes no sense, FB PHIL, which is why I'm making the effort to make sense of it. I and my friends don't fish off BHP anymore and clean all our fish from down the beach at Billings, so it's not like we have to worry. However, for a while there years ago when we'd find the cleaning station at the ramp at Port A too crowded after fishing from a boat, we'd drive to the CC city pier by the sewer plant in Flour Bluff and clean fish at the table on it.

My assumption is the regulation is so convoluted the game wardens themselves don't know its correct interpretation. That's why I'm asking for an answer from higher up in the TPWD bureaucracy. Then, after posting the diffinitive response here, I'll print it out, complete with the sender's name and bona fides, and carry it with me.
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FB PHIL · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 455

TH - That sounds like a good idea, but I think they're going to say they can't identify what kind of fish or how many you have once they're filleted, which I can see they're point. But like with Smacks filleting the sides off of large fish(with no max limit length)and getting rid of the carcasses at the pier makes sense and with the skin left on to identify the fish. I usually go to the NAS to clean my fish now, which is out of the way.

CastnBlast · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:07 am Post subject:

I'd never clean my fish on ANY fish cleaning station...I'm supprised more people don't get sick. Would you cut up a chicken or fish on your cutting board at home, rinse it off, put it back in the counter (w/o soap/bleach) and use it 6 hours later? Shocked

That's a good way to get food poisoning... Get a wagon, a big icechest and take it on the pier. Clean your fish at home where you can sterilize your cutting surface...Freeze the guts in a bag and throw them out when you have garbage pickup. Yes, it's more work, but barfing your guts out sucks, so I prefer the extra effort. Plus, you don't have to worry about breaking the law and getting a ticket....
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