(Boat motor)
>> IT'S SUNRISE ON CHOCOLATE
BAYOU IN WEST GALVESTON BAY....
BRYAN TREADWAY.
>> OH.
>> OH, THAT WAS MONEY
RIGHT THERE!
>> AND ROBERT GOODE FOCUS THEIR
FISHING EFFORTS ON FLOUNDER.
(Wind and waves)
>> CHOCOLATE BAYOU IS AN
EXCELLENT SPOT FOR FLOUNDER,
IT'S REALLY WE HAVE OF THE
SHALLOWEST BAYS IN ALL
THE COAST.
AND REALLY AND TRULY WE HAVE
THE ABSOLUTE BEST PLACE TO FISH
IN THE WORLD RIGHT IN OUR
OWN BACK YARD.
>> I THINK I'VE GOT A HIT!
FISH ON, FISH ON!
>> AND IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG
BEFORE BRYAN CATCHES THE
FIRST FLOUNDER OF THE DAY.
>> I GIVE YOU THE SOUTHERN
FLOUNDER.
LIVE TO BE ABOUT SIX YEARS
OF AGE, THEY CAN GET UP TO
10 POUNDS, THE STATE RECORD'S
13 POUNDS, SO A 20" FLOUNDER
IS CONSIDERED A TROPHY FISH!
(Water splashes)
(Music)
>> THEIR FLATTENED SHAPE
AND UNCANNY ABILITY TO
CHANGE COLORS TO MATCH THEIR
SURROUNDINGS MAKES THE
FLOUNDER NEARLY INVISIBLE.
FOUND THROUGHOUT TEXAS BAYS
AND IN THE GULF WHERE THEY
SPAWN IN WINTER, THEY PREFER
SHALLOW MUD OR SANDY BOTTOMS.
>> THE EDGE OF THE SHORELINE
IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT
YOU WANT TO FISH.
IT'S NOT FLAT, IT'S SIMPLY
CURVY, AND LOTS OF POINTS, LOTS
OF EDGES, DRAINS THAT ARE
COMING OUT OF THE MARSH!
IT'S JUST A PRIME EXAMPLE OF
GREAT GREAT TERRAIN FOR
THE FLOUNDER.
>> THERE'S A FISH!
OH! GOT ONE!
>> THERE HE IS!
>> BAMBINO!
GOT A JUVENILE ABOUT
10, 12 INCHES LONG!
YEAH THEY HAVE EXTREMELY,
EXTREMELY SHARP TEETH,
THAT'S THEIR MAIN WEAPON.
BABY SOUTHERN FLOUNDER!
(Water gurgles)
>> ONCE NIGHT FALLS ON
TEXAS BAYS.
>> YOU SEE ANYTHING COE?
>> NOT RIGHT NOW.
>> FOLKS HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY
OF GOING AFTER FLOUNDER.
COE PARKER AND HIS DAD KELLEY
SHINE THEIR LIGHTS IN
CHRISTMAS BAY.
(Water splashes)
>> OH SHOOT!
>> STEPPED ON EM?
>> STEPPED ON EM.
I MISSED EM, LET ME SEE IF I CAN
FIND ANOTHER ONE REAL QUICK.
I SAW A FEW OVER HERE!
>> WITH LIGHTS AND A LITTLE
LUCK THE PARKERS ARE LOOKING
TO GIG SOME FLOUNDER.
>> THE TOOLS YOU'LL NEED FOR
GIGGING ARE A GOOD GIG TWO
PRONGED PREFERABLY.
I HAVE MINE MARKED OFF WITH
THE LEGAL SIZE LIMIT.
UM YOU HAVE AN UNDERWATER GIG
LIGHT, ALONG WITH A 12-VOLT
DEER FEEDER BATTERY.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL YOU NEED.
>> IT'S GOTTEN CLEARER UP HERE,
BUT IT'S AWFUL SHALLOW TOO!
(Water splashes)
TYPICALLY I DO THIS IN THE
SUMMERTIME, AND SO LATE IN THE
EVENING IT'S NICE AND COOL NOT
WORRIED ABOUT A SUN BURN,
SO IT'S RELAXING, YOU AREN'T
WORKING UP A SWEAT AND IT'S
VERY ENJOYABLE, VERY PEACEFUL!
(Water splashes)
>> AND FOR THE PARKERS, PATIENCE
AND A KEEN EYE PAYS OFF.
>> HURRY, HURRY, HURRY
BEFORE IT GOES!
THICK CLOUDS GONNA GET OVER IT!
GO...
(Gig splashes as it slams water)
>> THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
A GULF FLOUNDER.
>> I KNEW THERE WAS ONE HIDING
OUT HERE SOMEWHERE.
>> YA THERE VERY HARD TO FIND
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE FIRST TIME
GIGGING ASK WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING
FOR AND LITERALLY YOU'RE LOOKING
FOR WHAT WE CALL THE IMPRINT.
IT'S THE OUTLINE OF THE
FLOUNDER.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE A FOOTBALL WITH
A TAIL THAT'S HOW I KIND OF
DESCRIBE IT TO NEW PEOPLE THAT
ARE COMING OUT TO THE SPORT.
>> SAMPLING SURVEYS THROUGHOUT
TEXAS BAYS.
>> GOT A FEW NICE REDS COMING!
>> SHOW THAT THE OTHER TWO
POPULAR SPORT FISH,
SPOTTED SEA TROUT
AND REDFISH ARE DOING
FAIRLY WELL.
>> 493.
>> BUT THOSE SURVEYS DO INDICATE
A DECLINE IN THE NUMBERS OF
SOUTHERN FLOUNDER.
>> PRETTY!
>> WE'VE HAD A SLOW BUT STEADY
DECREASE IN FLOUNDER POPULATION
THROUGHOUT THE COAST OF TEXAS.
THERE'S BEEN WORSE IN SOME BAYS
THAN IT HAS IN OTHERS BUT IT'S
JUST BEEN A SLOW DECLINE.
(Flounder splashes water)
>> DATA SUGGESTS A LOWER NUMBER
OF FEMALES, OVERFISHING,
AND LOSS DUE TO SHRIMP BY CATCH
ARE SOME OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS.
(Trawl dumps catch)
SO NOW COASTAL FISH HATCHERIES
NEWEST CHALLENGE IS TO BOOST THE
SOUTHERN FLOUNDER POPULATION.
>> THE WHOLE POINT OF THE
STOCKING ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM IS
TO BE ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT THE
NATURAL POPULATION WITH FISH.
>> THERE COMES SOME EGGS!
FLOUNDER ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT
FROM REDFISH AND TROUT IT'S A
WHOLE NEW BALLGAME SO WE'RE AT
THE BEGINNING STAGES OF LEARNING
HOW TO CULTURE THIS FISH.
>> ONE OF THE PROBLEMS FOR SHANE
AND THE STOCKING TEAM IS THEY
NEED MORE OF THESE MALE BROODERS
TO FERTILIZE THE FEMALES.
(Boat engine)
>> THEY'RE ALMOST ALWAYS
NEXT TO THESE REEFS.
>> USING NETS THE STOCKING
TEAM IS ON THE LOOKOUT.
>> LITTLE BIT DEEPER HERE!
(Air boat revs)
YOU HAVE SO MANY FACTORS THAT
CAN GO AGAINST YOU, WHETHER
IT'S THE WIND OR A STRONG TIDE,
AND THEN OF COURSE THE
VISIBILITY IS NOT OPTIMAL.
>> I TRY TO LOOK FOR A TRIANGLE,
CAUSE LIKE IT'S, THE EYES
AND THE NOSE THEY KIND OF FORM
LIKE A LITTLE, LITTLE BITTIE
POINT THAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
>> AND IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG
BEFORE THE ACTION HEATS UP....
>> OH!
I'M GONNA GUIDE THE BOAT TO IT.
(Music)
HARD DOWN, THERE YOU GO!
>> DID I GET HIM?
>> I THINK YOU GOT EM!
THAT'S A NICE FISH.
>> I WAS NERVOUS.
I ALWAYS THINK I GOT EM
TILL THEY SWIM OFF!
(Music)
>> YOU BRING THAT LITTLE
FELLA IN HERE!
THAT IS A GOOD SIZE MALE!
GO AHEAD!
GOT HIM!
>> THE TEAM NEEDS SEVERAL
MALES ALIVE AND WELL!
>> WHEN YOU COME OUT HERE
AND CATCH ONE OF THESE GUYS
AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON EM
AND KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA TAKE
THEM BACK TO THE HATCHERY
AND THEY ARE POTENTIALLY GOING
TO PRODUCE THOUSANDS
AND THOUSANDS OF FINGERLINGS
YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN IT,
YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON IT.
SO WERE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE
TO DO THIS AND BE PRODUCTIVE
AT DOING IT!
NICE WORK!
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF
MILT COMING OUT.
IT'S JUST THAT CLOUDY WHITISH
LOOKING SUBSTANCE.
>> WITH MORE BROODERS BACK AT
THE HATCHERY THEY ARE ABLE TO
PRODUCE THOUSANDS OF SMALL
FLOUNDER LARVAE.
(Waves)
AFTER THREE MONTHS IT'S TIME TO
HELP BOOST THE WILD POPULATION
WITH THESE HATCHERY RAISED
FLOUNDER.
>> WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS
RELEASE SOME OF THESE
FINGERLINGS INTO THIS NICE
ESTUARINE HABITAT AND WE'VE GOT
A REALLY GOOD INCOMING TIDE
AND REALLY GOOD SHORELINE WITH
A LOT OF GRASS, A LOT OF COVER
AND PROTECTION FOR THESE FISH.
>> IF WERE ABLE TO STOCK FISH
INTO AREAS THAT ARE NEEDED,
THEN THAT IS JUST ANOTHER
ADDITIONAL TOOL TO HELP
THE POPULATION RECOVER.
>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING!
(Music)
>> I'VE CAUGHT A LOT OF FISH
OVER THE YEAR'S RIGHT HERE!
>> YOU GET HIM!
>> FOR BRYAN AND ROBERT THE
THRILL OF CATCHING FLOUNDER
KEEPS THEM FISHING ALL DAY,
ALL YEAR LONG.
>> WHAT A NICE ONE!
>> AND HOPEFULLY, FOR ALL
ANGLERS, THESE FISH WILL BE
PLENTIFUL AGAIN..
>> THE WAY THEY'RE SHAPED,
THEY'RE REALLY FLAT, AND THEY GO
FROM JUST BEING NOTHING AND THEN
IT'S LIKE A BASS!
I THINK THE FLOUNDER IS ON A
HUGE UPSWING, AND THEY'RE
STARTING TO LET EM GO!
I MEAN THEY LET A TON GO LAST
YEAR IN PLACES THAT NEEDED IT!
YA KNOW IF THEY CAN DO IT
WITH TROUT AND RED FISH THEN
HOPEFULLY THEY CAN DO IT
WITH THE FLOUNDER.