TPWD makes historic flounder stocking
In what I can only describe as a dream come true for myself and many others, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) led by the crew at Sea Center Texas made the first TPWD flounder stocking in history. Releasing 750 fingerlings into Old River Bayou which connects to the extreme northern end of Sabine Lake, they made a huge symbolic step toward flounder recovery, doing for flounder what was done for redfish nearly 30 years ago.
This small but profound stocking speaks volumes about TPWD's future goals which include large flounder stockings along the coast and taking this beleaguered fishery to levels most have never seen in their lifetime. This will happen in conjunction with the new regulations that take effect this fall. I will be writing at length about this for everyone from the Port Arthur News and Orange Leader newspapers and of course Texas Fish & Game and CCA's Currents, so I will not do a full news report here. Instead I have chosen to share with you with photos and cutlines of what happened Thursday. All photos are copyright Gerald Burleigh.
Shane Bonnot of Sea Center Texas (left) and Sea Center Manger David Abrego carry an ice chest full of flounder fingerlings to the water's edge at Old River Bayou on the north end of Sabine Lake nearby the historic Bailey's Fish Camp site. TPWD Sabine Lake ecosystem leader Jerry Mambretti (far left) wisely selected this site that leads into a vast marsh. The Good Lord blessed the release with a steady incoming tide and a beautiful day.
David Abrego checks salinity levels at the release site. 
Now to the real stars of the show, the little flounder which are at this stage perfect miniatures of adults. Notice the calico looking one on the left. This fish has not finished getting its dark pigments. This should not take long as it adjusts to the murky mud bottom in Old River Bayou.
I had the amazing honor of releasing the very first flounder and must admit it was an emotional moment. This has been a dream of mine for many, many years and to see the collaboration of TPWD, CCA and private citizens come together in such a powerful moment is a memory I will carry with me the rest of my life. It took many dedicated people to make this happen.
Can you find the flounder? (Hint: Look to the right of the big white shell) This is the first ever flounder stocked into Sabine Lake as it hit the bottom and did what flounder do. Cool, huh?
Shane Bonnot releases a bunch of the little flounder into the Sabine ecosystem. In a symbolic gesture many of the TPWD workers and anglers who helped in this project got to release fish. TPWD's Jerry Mambretti named his flounder "Saddle Blanket" and predicted it would be a new state record.
What do you think of this stocking? Comment away.
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Chester Moore flounder stocking flounder conservation flounder revolution flounder replica program Texas flounder stocking
What an honor for you and a great day for the future of all fishermen
Reply to this
Chester,
you are, wiether you want to or not, living the dream of many of us. Your life and what you do with it concerning all things coastal Texas is exactly the kind of things I dreamed of doing as a little boy. You sir are The "Rock Star" of the fishing community.
A huge congratulations on the success of the first brood release and may this become so successful that TP&W will some day give us back our 10 fish bag and 20 fish Possesion limits.
I hope to meet and greet someday and the tab is on me for a job well done.
Bring Ted with you for the drinks!
Reply to this
What an amazing accoplishment!
How cool will it be in 10 years seeing our kids catch something we had a part in.
Chester, great job .... and look foward to more pictures of releases further down the coast.
Reply to this
That would be awesome Bryan. Thank you for all of your hard work. I look forward to being there with you when they put the first ones in Galveston Bay.
Reply to this
I've been fortunate to live my whole life here and swam , fished and played in old river cove many years ago. Some of my fondest memories was when my dad would come home from work on Friday and we would go down to Robs and launch our infamous old 13'(Morphew) wooden boat and head out across the lake to Berwick Island also known by some as Garrisons ridge where we spent many weekends fishing and camping. Rob would always tell my dad "Blackie, you and that boy better be careful," and in the next sentence would say come on in, Sue has some fresh coffee and I got some live shrimp. Man, those were the days! The Baileys were personal friends of my family. We lived next door to Johnny and Carolyn(Bailey)Montagne in pear ridge where I grew up. Spent many a day on that old house boat that Johnny had in the cove. he kept it where Freds place was. I think its great that TPW is doing the flounder stocking but I am also concerned about the number of people that I say on Lake st last week that have no idea about size and limits,
I personally stopped and asked one couple if they had caught anything, they couldn't reply because they couldn't speak a word of english. Probably didn't have a license or a passport for that matter. Now I think its very important that Enforcement does their job and check these folks that probably have illegal fish and crabs and no license. You can stock all the trout and flounder possible but it won't matter if we can't control illegal fishing. This is just my opinion, but I'm sure most folks who reads this will agree. Thanks again
cedric fontenot
a concerned citizen
Reply to this
Congratulations on the release of the little flounders. Hope this program continues to grow and has great success.
Reply to this
Just like to congratulate my colleagues up the coast for a job well done. Keep up the great work!!
Reply to this