Texas Fishing Forum

Slot limit for Coleto Creek

Posted By: Coastal Bend Bassin

Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/27/20 11:39 PM

Does anyone think a slot limit for Coleto Creek help this lake any? I've been thinking this recently. Just thought I would ask.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 12:42 AM

No. It already has nice fish in it. You just have to know which areas to work and get on their time table. It is fixing to get really good.
Posted By: Rayzor

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by Donald Harper
No. It already has nice fish in it. You just have to know which areas to work and get on their time table. It is fixing to get really good.


Couldn't this be said for just about every lake?
Posted By: BillS2006

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 01:20 PM

I haven't fished Coleto in a cople of years, what's the problem with the bass?
Posted By: grout-scout

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 01:55 PM

From all the tournaments weights I’ve seen posted there, it’s been pretty bad for awhile. I would like to see slot limits for all lakes.
Posted By: BMCD

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 01:59 PM

Lake has plenty of fish, & good size. The issues are really lack of grass, and prolly not generating can make it tough in the winter months.
Posted By: Jimbo

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 05:58 PM

Slot limits are overrated. 2cents
Posted By: JohnF67

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 08:41 PM

Out of idle curiosity, how many LMB actually get harvested? I don't like freshwater fish, never have, so I've never kept a fish to eat. I understand a lot of catfish find their way to the table, as do crappie, but how many bass?
Posted By: BillS2006

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 09:09 PM

Not enough harvested. Slot limits and catch and release creates a lake with a lot of slot fish and a declining food supply.
Posted By: JohnF67

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by BillS2006
Not enough harvested. Slot limits and catch and release creates a lake with a lot of slot fish and a declining food supply.


Thanks, that makes sense...the problem isn't too many bass making their way to the table, it's not enough are making it to the table. More fish, competing for the same amount of food resulting in lots of stunted bass.
Posted By: BillS2006

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/28/20 10:20 PM

I don't think they are stunted, but just can't get that extra feed that grows trophys. Fayette is a good example. Fish are healthy, but just not growing large. Biologists agree that the food base is running low.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/29/20 01:17 AM

It is not about the food sources. There are plenty of that for Bass. It is about all the rough fish that work the shallows during the Spawn and eat the fingerlings. Also those rough fish get there share of bait. Look at Mexico. The netters take all the rough fish out of the lakes. The Bass are the #1 species and they grow to be first class. The average lake in TX. all have rough fish that hold the Bass back. These species will always be there for those to catch that so desire to catch a catfish, carp, gar or buffalo. Sports fish like Whites, hybrids and Stripes fit into this mix also to deplete the Bass population. Bass is not at the top of the FOOD Chain. Until they are at the top nothing can be done to help very much.
Posted By: Jimbo

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/29/20 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Donald Harper
It is not about the food sources. There are plenty of that for Bass. It is about all the rough fish that work the shallows during the Spawn and eat the fingerlings. Also those rough fish get there share of bait. Look at Mexico. The netters take all the rough fish out of the lakes. The Bass are the #1 species and they grow to be first class. The average lake in TX. all have rough fish that hold the Bass back. These species will always be there for those to catch that so desire to catch a catfish, carp, gar or buffalo. Sports fish like Whites, hybrids and Stripes fit into this mix also to deplete the Bass population. Bass is not at the top of the FOOD Chain. Until they are at the top nothing can be done to help very much.


You bring up a valid point, but gill netting in Mexico is what they do, and gill nets don't discriminate, but yet their lakes are teeming with big trophy bass and in good numbers.
I'm sure they throw most of the bass back when they are caught, since it's their tourism dollar draw, but many are not, from what I've witnessed fishing the Mexico side of Falcon lake.
Falcon continually produces large numbers of bass, and trophy bass as well.
Every lake I've fished that have slot limits have slowly died as trophy bass lakes, but I'm sure there are other factors as well.
Can anyone name a lake with slot limits that continues to produce trophy bass year in and year out?
Usually slot limits are implemented because the TPWD biologist determine that the lake has a problem, and it's in an attempt to give the lake a boost, which isn't an ideal situation.
And why I say slot limits are overrated! JMHO!

I'll leave my opinion of the share-a-lunker program topic for another day!
roflmao
Posted By: TomRom

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/29/20 01:36 PM

Well there are people like me that like to catch fish and yes I practice catch and release. Tournament fishing where they haul the fish around all day does have a significant impact on the fishery. I am not opposed to tournament fishing but Iakes with management plans like Fayette I really appreciate.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/29/20 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by Jimbo
Originally Posted by Donald Harper
It is not about the food sources. There are plenty of that for Bass. It is about all the rough fish that work the shallows during the Spawn and eat the fingerlings. Also those rough fish get there share of bait. Look at Mexico. The netters take all the rough fish out of the lakes. The Bass are the #1 species and they grow to be first class. The average lake in TX. all have rough fish that hold the Bass back. These species will always be there for those to catch that so desire to catch a catfish, carp, gar or buffalo. Sports fish like Whites, hybrids and Stripes fit into this mix also to deplete the Bass population. Bass is not at the top of the FOOD Chain. Until they are at the top nothing can be done to help very much.


You bring up a valid point, but gill netting in Mexico is what they do, and gill nets don't discriminate, but yet their lakes are teeming with big trophy bass and in good numbers.
I'm sure they throw most of the bass back when they are caught, since it's their tourism dollar draw, but many are not, from what I've witnessed fishing the Mexico side of Falcon lake.
Falcon continually produces large numbers of bass, and trophy bass as well.
Every lake I've fished that have slot limits have slowly died as trophy bass lakes, but I'm sure there are other factors as well.
Can anyone name a lake with slot limits that continues to produce trophy bass year in and year out?
Usually slot limits are implemented because the TPWD biologist determine that the lake has a problem, and it's in an attempt to give the lake a boost, which isn't an ideal situation.
And why I say slot limits are overrated! JMHO!

I'll leave my opinion of the share-a-lunker program topic for another day!
roflmao

The Department of Tourism in Mexico controls a lot of what goes on at selected lakes. Just like here many of the rules are different. On some of the Mex. lakes the nets are in for 9 days and out for 9 days; but that changes if bad weather comes in and stops the lively-hood of netting. Bass are a creature of habbit and this keeps them confused and opens a small window of opportunity for 100 fish days. Tilapia farms are set up on many of the lakes and are regulated like the lake we go to; lake Oviachic. The netters are given a supplement to release the Bass and no Bass are purchased by the industry supporting and/or buying from the netters. They are allowed to keep them to feed their family and some sell them to other sources if they have a means of transportation to get out of there. Ha... The guides on Lake Oviachic brings in Bass for the restaurant at Marina Del Ray once per week. The nets are only in the lake daily until April and start back up in Sept..

At Falcon it is All-For-One and one for all. They keep everything and the nets are not very well marked. I for one am still glad they are there because it takes out tons of rough fish; but it only makes a small dent. I truly believe that the fishing on the Mex. side for Big Bass is much better than the U.S. side because of this.
Posted By: Jimbo

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/30/20 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Donald Harper


At Falcon it is All-For-One and one for all. They keep everything and the nets are not very well marked. I for one am still glad they are there because it takes out tons of rough fish; but it only makes a small dent. I truly believe that the fishing on the Mex. side for Big Bass is much better than the U.S. side because of this.


I have to agree!
My DD personal best came from Falcon on the Mexico side of the lake back in the mid 80's when a double digit bass was a very rare happening.
This was back when the Florida/hybrid stockings were just getting underway, and my bass was checked and found to be a pure native species.
Nets not marked was/is common, and we ended up with a ball of net we had to cut away from our lower unit back then and that was a mess.
That lake with the long history of gill netting, and fishing pressure over recent years continues to produce results where people are willing to travel hundreds if not thousands of miles to fish it.
It's fluctuating level, and long periods between drought and abundance of rain can be years, allowing the vegetation to create a new lake when it does come back up several feet, if not all the way full.
Posted By: BMCD

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 01/30/20 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by TomRom
Well there are people like me that like to catch fish and yes I practice catch and release. Tournament fishing where they haul the fish around all day does have a significant impact on the fishery. I am not opposed to tournament fishing but Iakes with management plans like Fayette I really appreciate.


Tournament fishing does not have that big of an impact on fish #s. Mortality via harvest or delayed release is actually healthy for a fishery to some degree.

I do appreciate what Fayette offers, but I'm also glad they don't do this on all lakes.
Posted By: jnjeff

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 02/06/20 01:23 AM

is the plant generating at Coleto Creek now?
Posted By: BillS2006

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 02/06/20 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by jnjeff
is the plant generating at Coleto Creek now?


Doesn't matter. The fish will adapt to the water conditions. The fishermen need to do the same.
Posted By: bigfishwilb

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 02/08/20 01:46 PM

Problem with Coleto is that they killed the grass in the lake which has hurt the fishing terribly.
Posted By: RZ520

Re: Slot limit for Coleto Creek - 03/15/20 12:58 AM

Haven't fished it a while, but was great then. Slots are good but folks don't catch and release enough.
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