Corpusfishing.com

[hercules]

FYI. From Valley News.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - Constant incursions by Mexican poachers onto South Texas waters are devastating the local fishing industry, fishermen said.

Stephen Murphy said illegal fishing nets are crippling the local fishing industry. He makes a living fishing for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.

"They are actually doing better than me, because I have my boats tied up at the dock and have nowhere to sell fish," Murphy said.

"These guys are catching fish in Americans waters," he said.

Murphy said the Mexican poachers sell the fish to restaurants and stores in the Rio Grande Valley.

"I can't even pay rent for the slip (the boat) sits in," Murphy said.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Jeremiah Jacobs said the problem is getting worse. On Wednesday, officers found a gill net with 200 pounds of red snapper.

Jacobs said the Mexican fishermen have a vast area to cast their illicit nets.

"It's very spaced out. The ... most popular time seems to be in the early morning and the evening," Jacobs said.

Jacobs said they need the public's help to find the poachers.

To report poaching, call the Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens at 800-792-4263 or the Coast Guard at 956-364-7440

[ironmanstan]

HMMMM? I used to work on a commercial snapper boat. We used 2 electric reels rigged with 50 hooks each. One on the portside and one starboard. We fished anywhere from 300 ft to 300 fathoms. In my mind I find it hard to see someone sinking a gill net that deep. I guess it can be done. Back then snapper traps were the next thing coming for commercial snappering. We would toal about 3-4000lbs in 3 days of fishing on 2 reels ( but these weren't your average reels) . The fish market would come from Brownsville and buy the fish from us right off the boat. So the law needs to fined out who is selling and who is buying and where, so that they can nail the Mexican fisherman, you ain't going to catch them in the gulf and if we do they just slip back into their waters it's not like they are fishing out of Port Aransas. They are fishing the line near Port Isabel. How many commercial snapper fishermen are there now in South Texas. It's a hard life and hard work. At the time I was freshly married and out of the Navy and was planning on getting a SBA loan and having a 60 ft boat built in Pascagula Miss. With twin cat 3208's at the time. However after working on a friends snapper boat for a couple of months I figured I would be dead from the life by the time I was 40. So I decided on a different carreer. But the money was $$$$ good.
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I LIKE MINE FRIED.

[hercules]

Thanks, Ironman for the response. Sounds like you've lived a hard but great life on the water.