Tag Archives: grouper

Offshore Oil Port

Imagine crossing the ferries to Port Aransas and seeing an oil tank farm/VLCC terminal at Harbor Island just waiting for the next Hurricane to break it wide open…

There are many pros and cons when it comes to consumer progress and expansion. Earlier talks of having a large volume oil transfer terminal on Harbor Island raised many red flags, along with the traffic jamming super-tankers they plan to fill/empty there daily. Now there is a proposal on the table to take this oil pump station offshore to some degree, which is a better alternative to a land based solution.

Having spent the last 6 years on the water fishing almost daily and launching out of Port Aransas most of the time, I could easily agree that of all the boat traffic we have out there, this area certainly does not need larger oil tankers making u-turns just outside the harbor’s entrance. The Mono-buoy doesn’t sound like a bad idea compared to the Harbor Island proposed site.

You can comment on this Deep-Port Offshore Mono Buoy project at the following website.

Anything you write in defense of the fish, the sea, and our public resources in order to protect it is welcomed by me. This is one opportunity where the public’s comments actually go on “official record”… Please take the time to send your comments through this portal so our voices may be heard.

https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=MARAD-2018-0114-0003

If you are at a loss for words or are sick of typing, you may copy and paste my letter below, just please edit the signature to personalize it.

“The real Texans who make up this wonderful state and enjoy its wild areas do not want more oil industries in the area of Corpus Christi and far reaching surrounding natural habitats. It is wrong to sacrifice the Public’s wildlife, both land-based and marine, for the sake of economic development. The natural resources of Texas and its marine wildlife are invaluable to the public and that is where our real wealth comes from. Outdoor recreation is vital to the survival and morale of our Coastal populations and its guests (tourists from all 50 states) including the millions of tourists who have made Texas their permanent home. Do not allow any VLCC terminals, regardless of offshore or onshore. A single incident anywhere from any one of these plants, regardless of how small, would devastate the ecology of OUR land immediately and have long term consequences for hundreds of thousands who rely on these natural resources. This risk is not acceptable regardless of the proclaimed economic growth being proposed by this project and others nearby of similar and dependent heavy industries.

Again, the risks associated with this project and all others like it is not accepted. The public is speaking to you! YOU MUST HEAR OUR VOICES. We expect you to protect our lands and seas with the upmost diligence and fortitude.”

Serious and asserted,
Capt Ken Jones
Native Texan
Port Aransas Texas
361-500-2552
[email protected]

Big News Renegade

Two very concerned fly fisherman, Chris Lancaster and myself, made the local Channel 3 news last night~!~!~

Its time to stand for what is right, not just for what is economic. Not one person, or industry professional guarantees that something will not go wrong and a spill of some sort won’t happen. All this place needs is ONE environmental disaster and I will ruin everything for many years… My initial intention of attending this meeting was to rattle the cages… To let them know, the strongest of voices are out there, and we will not be silenced. I am but one man. Recently put, a Renegade. I dont associate with clubs, organizations, memberships or whatever… I find them all to be far too inactive and the social environments tend to breed complacency. Get up and do something, lets attend every meeting they host until this is settled…

Watch the news report here:

The first project would require that they demolish the North Jetty in Port Aransas and move it 1000ft to the north… Bye bye Tarpon. Bye bye, food for any other fish we chase out there on the fly, or with any kind of tackle for that matter…

There is a (industrial) storm a brewing in regards to the fishery we all know and love in and around Port Aransas, Harbor Island and Corpus Christi. IWe the People should simply stand up and frankly tell them “No, But thanks, these projects are not authorized by the public and will not happen”. Otherwise, we will just find ourselves fighting each other, and the industrialists, wasting all our own time and resources and we will have settled for nothing, only to watch them destroy what little paradise remains on the Texas Coast. That’s the downside to industrial compromise. They will make claims that no environmental accidents will happen, but we all now, it is INEVITABLE, if we let them.

One plan is to install a desalination plant on Harbor Island with up to (newest numbers from last night, get ready… 85mil gallons/day of sucking life out of our bays and nearshore fisheries. Additionally the Port of Corpus Christi, who has named themselves as “landlords” want to build a crude oil tank farm and transfer terminal alongside the desalination plant for VLCC (very large crude carriers).

No matter what they say, they cannot guarantee that there wont be a spill, and that their outflow of “diffused” brine water wont kill all the sea grass and all other marine organisms that cant flee the high concentrations of pollution these projects will most certainly cause. I am not convinced, nor shall I be persuaded to compromise. I as a public landowner and tax paying citizen cannot allow ANY amount of risk. And neither should any of you.

Please get on board and try to catch up to the issues at hand, but dont waste alot of your time trying to find answers… The real truths are buried deep in “dirt” as Mr. Strawbridge called it… Which was his reasoning for having the crude oil terminal “on land” because of “dirt”. I literally LOL’ed… History has already proven that heavy industries cannot operate or even build their plants and operations without SEVERE environmental impact.

Check out these other community resources, join where yo can, participate whenever you can, it doesnt matter if you live here or not. If you just come to visit here, we need you to speak up too, because very few people will return to enjoy our beaches bays and fisheries if it all dies from any and all of the seriously negative effects of any one of these 3 projects that the Port of Corpus Christi wants to implement.

Port Aransas Conservancy

UT Marine Science Institute

Keep in mind, there is ALREADY more than enough science and studies to put a stop to all 3 of these projects. We should not argue the numbers but simply tell them, “No, you cannot build that here or there or anywhere”.

And now, listen to this song, or just read the lyrics… It should help keep your feet on the ground while your head explodes trying to comprehend the massive damage that the Port of CC will cause in the very near future (within less than 3 years) if we allow them to begin any of their projects; 1. Deepening and widening of the shipping channel by an additional 20-30ft. 2. Desalination plant on Harbor Island, and 3. Crude Oil Tank Farm/VLCC Tanker transfer station.

https://genius.com/Clutch-big-news-i-lyrics

The fog is rolling in, the tide is high
Diane’s as fat can be, aye Captain aye
The guests seem more than pleased
How is the wine?
We shall be underway on the bye and bye

Ahead one third, ahead two thirds!
Full ahead, flank
And out from the belly of a whale came a prophet
Amen!

Go shoot the moon, the sun, the great divide
I believe there’s a storm a brewing
Nine crows at nine o’clock nigh
Dutchman on the mizzen mast
Six harpies are singing to the lee
I believe she’s going down
I believe we’re gonna die, die, die

Fortune tellers make a killing nowadays
Me oh my!
Howdy Doody’s past the house of Aquarius
Bring me more whisky and rye
Big news from the party boat

Oh sir, do not distress, the food is fine
Oh, but I must confess
I do find the wine a wee bit dry
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rye
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
She’s sunk full fathom, five, five, five

Fortune tellers make a killing nowadays
Me oh my!
Howdy Doody’s past the house of Aquarius
Bring me more whisky and rye
Big news from the party boat

(reversed)
Them bones, them bones, them dry, dry bones
Come down to the locker of Davy Jones

Learn to Fish Eat more Fish

On how the Hastings Bill could throw a wrench in the re-authorization of the Magnuson Stevens Act…

“We have to remember that what really matters is [TOTAL] mortality, which is the sum of all mortality, whether or not fishing-related.” – John McMurray.

red white fly grouper texas coast

Dinner Sized Comb Grouper on the Fly

When I read this, I stopped… grabbed at the stubble on my chin and thought to myself…

“Precisely! This signifies what we should do when factors “outside our jurisdiction” cause a [calculable] negative impact on fish species populations.”

Maybe there is some rough factor in the equations already that account for this, but I bet not everything is taken into account. I’d like to see a list but I am no expert in those things. It seems though the obvious proactive measure would be to reduce quotas across the board in order not disrupt the natural ebbs and flows of a balanced fish population.  Human impact factors are the greatest of all in the list of measurable conditions which negatively effect a fishery. There is endless amounts of data for that! avoiding the use of plastics every moment you have is one example of a counter measure to pollution.

I’ve been known to say, “If you want to eat ( the freshest of) fish, learn to catch it yourself!”

Not only will it taste better than any fish you have ever eaten, the sense of accomplishment when serving your meal will be absolutely amazing.

redfish, fly fishing,

Not dinner to go? Let it go!

My philosophy when fishing for the table is to simply realize that I do not need to take a “limit” of fish. Nor do I need to kill the most fish and the biggest of fish that the law allows. Especially if just because it is allowed.

Compare the amount of fish on your plate at a restaurant to the size of the fish on your plate at home. As a frame of reference, restaurants only serve 6-8oz portions and most of the time its in the 6oz size. A 20.5 inch redfish will feed two people nicely with some rice pilaf and grilled asparagus. That’s full enough for me. Thank you. Maybe on a hungry day I throw in some GMO korn.

On the occasions when I want to take a fish home for dinner, and especially when the fridge is bare except for a few vegetables I routinely don’t catch a keeper. The idea though if you do get into boatloads of fish is that you can carefully select the fish that is appropriately sized for your dinner that night without even risking swamping your boat because you killed limits of fish. Nonetheless, certainly respect the current laws in place. If these laws didn’t exist we wouldn’t have any fish for which to go fishing. This practice also helps reduce waste of fish after it has been taken for the table.

Only taking species which have a stable population is a good practice, and letting go all the ones that are big fish because they produce the largest reproductive biomass and especially those that are currently reproducing. And hell, if you caught tons of fish, after a long exhausting day you might pass out and forget to clean the fish. Doh! The gills should be red when you go to clean them. If the are dead too long or if they get hot too fast, the gill color fades considerably. That is exactly what Granddaddy taught me as a kid. Red gills are a sign that the fish is fresh. Any other color gills was a a waste of that fish’s life. Grandaddy was right. Make sure your fish has gills, then put it to your own taste test!

happy camping redfish texas coast

Vic with his keeper redfish that fed 4 people well.

If you know me, cleaning a tons of fish for a few hours is not my favorite thing to do. When only taking one or two fish for a single meal you will usually have a few cold pieces of fried fish leftover from the night before to snack on for breakfast!! Just dash on a little powdered cayenne pepper and hit the door to go catch some more!

Keeping the hooks sharp
Captain Ken Jones