What are some coastal things you want to learn more about?

Hey all,

I write for a local scientific magazine and was wondering what some topics/issues you would like to read about are? Seeking inspiration for future articles. Would appreciate any ideas :]

Lily

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You could do a whole article on the life that depends on an oyster reef. All the little mud crabs, the fish like blennies, the birds like American oyster catchers.

Sargassum is another interesting topic. Shake a clump and see all the critters that fall out.

I like articles about the less sought after fish like pompano, croaker, whiting, Spanish Mackerel, anything but the big three.

Fly fishing the saltwater is another one that would be potentially interesting. People are doing more of this around coastal Texas and there’s plenty on the outside possibly thinking about trying the fly gear out in the salt.

Where and how to catch flounder in summer around Galveston. They used to everywhere but can not locate now Shrimpers tore up old reefs in bay and most of the grass areas are gone.

i agree with the oyster thing, but would concentrate on the over harvest of West Galveston Bay by open oystering and the effect it has on the sport fishing. i live on the bay and have seen a decrease in the trout and redfish catch since the bay was opened up to the public for oyster harvest. the south shore line of West Bay from Confederate Reef to Sea Isle has been just about wiped out. where we used to stumble around in shell while wading, is now mud. i have seen 35-40 oyster boats circling out there at one time and they're from Tx, La and Fl.

Practical fishing trips for the beginning saltwater angler. So many times I've been out on Horace Caldwell Pier and seen people that clearly had no clue how to catch anything but hardheads. Their tackle, gear, and baits are all terribly mismatched and ineffective. How about an article that will help the 3-day a year angler, the parent, or the enthusiastic newbie. Simple, straightforward, proven techniques. You'd be shocked by how many people who can't rig a popping cork or Carolina rig.

I hear discussion about the length limits for specks. It would be interesting to read a scientific perspective on the approximate length species can reproduce, that length difference between males and females, how many spawns can happen before they are legal catch, is the current length limit encouraging a population that has an imbalance between the number of males vs females, what is a healthy ratio between males and females, a progressive scale showing the number of spawns and eggs laid over the life of the fish based on length....I know way to broad for a specific research but any of that information would be interesting to me.

Maybe an overview of the life cycles of the various sport and bait fish. When do they spawn? Where do they spawn? etc...

An article on some of the less common things you might catch. Stargazers and guitar fish are a couple that come to mind.

I would like to hear about how the hurricanes last year affected the fishing in hard hit areas like Rockport in Texas and Flamingo, Everglades, Florida. Heard there were new cuts carved out in areas, are fishermen finding their old go to places void of fish? Loss of grass? Mass migration of fish to new areas?

Wade fishing vs. boat fishing.

Which is more effective per $1 spent.

Come on over to Rockport and let's visit, I'll give you some good info on some other "stuff" too.