South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 18, 1971 Page: 1 of 4
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VOL. 1 NO. 11 — PRICE 10 CENTS__ _____________ PORT ARANSAS ON MUSTANG ISLAND
NOVEMBER 18, 1971
FISHING -
INSIDE and OUT
A few northers stacking up
did a lot toward keeping the
water pretty rough for about a
week, but didn’t help in lower-
ing the water temperature much.
There have been a few good days
for trout; pompano are scat-
tered, and redfish are pretty
hard to find, even though the
north jetty produced two nice
bull reds last week, one at 28
lbs. and the other 31 lbs. Those
reds are waiting for the water
to get a little cold. Hook and
line fishing with a white worm
or live bait is producing more
flounder than gigging, but this
may all change right after press
time. Snapper fishing, as usual,
is good this time of year, and
the Janice is reporting respect-
able catches. The bright spot in
fishing is the croaker. They seem
to be getting bigger and bigger,
and everyone is catching them.
You don’t catch just one croaker
these days. For the sign watch-
ers, a good sign was the mon-
strous school of mullet that went
out the pass the other day. It
stretched out over about a quar-
ter mile, and so thick you could
practically walk on it.
BOAT OVERTURNS
IN CHANNEL
A 16 foot fiberglass boat over
turned in the Ship Channel be-
tween the jetties on Nov. 4. The
occupants, Mr. and Mrs. James
C. Hartman, Jr. of Wellington,
Texas, were both safe after
spending a short time in the
water. Mr. Hartman swam to
the jetty, and Mrs. Hartman
was recovered from the water
by the men on the 40 foot cutter
from the Port Aransas Coast
Guard Station.
The boat was anchored in the
channel, with the anchor line
tied to a stern cleat, and cap-
sized on the wake of a passing
shrimp boat. Anchoring in this
manner is an unsafe practice at
any time, and especially when
there is any swell on the water.
The boat, recovered and
righted by the Coast Guard, was
towed into port.
AREA WATER
EXCHANGE STUDIED
A group of about 25 geolo-
gists, hydrologists, and engi-
neers spent three days last week
on a round-the-clock water sam-
pling project for the Texas Wa-
ter Development Board. Men
from the United States Geologi-
cal Survey, the Texas Water
Development Board, the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department,
and Frank Masch and Associ-
ates, consulting engineers, co-
operated in collecting a large
amount of data on tidal ex-
change through various passes
and salinity measurements.
The purpose of the sampling
is to help refine computer models
of water exchange and salinity
changes that have been devel-
oped for the system of bays and
estuaries on the Texas Coast.
The overall purpose of the Wa-
ter Development Board’s project
is to determine the effects that
various water inputs associated,
with current and proposed water
management projects have on
! these bay systems.
The area of study was the
Aransas Bay-Corpus Christi Bay
system. There was concentrated
sampling around North Pass, the
Aransas Pass, Corpus Christi
Passes, the Copano Bay outlet,
and the Intracoastal Canal open-
ing to Corpus Christi Bay.
The computer modeling of the
bay and estuary system of the
Texas coast is an effort by the
Water Development Board to
better understand the possible
effects of various proposals in
the Texas Water Plan, an over-
all water management plan for
Texas.
NOTE FROM BEACH
. What potential and Earth
shaking bomb blast causes me
to sadly wonder just how long
our Mother Earth will survive
Man’s plunder, squander and
blunder, and will Man gradually
’destroy all the Creator gave us?
B. L. Beach
2501 Taylor
Wichita Falls, Tx.
Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson, regent of the University of Texas, is welcomed aboard the University’s
research vessel, Longhorn, by Capt. Jack Shanklin, and deckhand Don Gutsch. Following her are
I)r. Stephen Spurr, University president; Dr. Peter Flawn, vice president for academic affairs;
and Marine Institute director, Dr. Carl Oppenheimer. Mrs. Johnson was on an inspection tour of
the facilities at the U. T. Marine Science Institute at Port Aransas.
Hey Buddy, You Got A Redfish?
Austin — That grey-uniformed officer you’re likely to see on
one of the Gulf Coast fishing piers this winter won’t be a pan-
handler begging for fish.
But he will be asking fishermen for loan of adult “bull reds”
hauled out of the briny deep.
These are biologists and game management officers of the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and they need live adult
redfish during the winter spawning period for artificial propaga-
tion experiments.
The fish will be placed in tanks until time to strip them of
eggs and milt. Hopefully, the resulting fry will survive and be
used in the department’s redfish research program.
Each fisherman’s fish can then be returned to him, unless it
was an outright donation.
Large redfish are known along the coast as “bull reds,” but
biologists point out that most of them would be more accurately
called “sow reds” or “cow reds;” since most of the large specimens
are females.
The redfish is a saltwater species which is under scrutiny
because of its ability to live and grow rapidly in freshwater lakes
— even though it probably cannot spawn in freshwater. It could
prove valuable as both a sport fish and as a predator fish for the
virtually uncontrolled populations of shad in Texas lakes.
Getting the tiny fry acclimated to freshwater condition in
the hatcheries is the'difficult part, biologists say. Many thousands,
even millions, of fertilized eggs will be needed to overcome prob-
lems in this process.
And that is where the angler can make a contribution to
the state’s future fishing.
LADY BIRD VIEWS
MARINE INSTITUTE
Mrs. Lyndon Johnson visited
Port Aransas on November 10
to tour the facilities at the Uni-
versity of Texas Marine Science
Institute. The former First Lady
was named a regent of the Uni-
versity of Texas last February
and the Institute tour was part
of her planned inspection of the
University system. University
interest in Marine Science is in-
creasing, and the Institute is
about to begin a $3 million ex-
pansion program to enlarge its
research and teaching facilities
in Port Aransas.
Dr. Carl Oppenheimer, direc-
tor of the Marine Science In-
stitute, led Mrs. Johnson; Dr.
Stephen Spurr, U.T. president;
and Dr. Peter Flawn, vice presi-
dent for academic affairs,
through the laboratories and ex-
perimental pond area, and the
research boats, including the
new 80 foot vessel, Longhorn.
During her half-day stay in
Port Aransas, Mrs. Johnson was
also treated to a boat ride to
view the Institute from the
Ship Channel, and was guest at
a luncheon at the White Marlin
Restaurant.
BACK IN THE OLD
“Read the following and be
convinced that Port Aransas is
the town which is now destined
by man as well as by nature to
become a deep water port of the
first magnitude.” Thus begins
a booklet entitled “Statement of
Facts Concerning Port Aransas”
published in 1911. The text ap-
pears to be somewhat overexag-
gerated for P.R. purposes, but
then the folks back then can
hardly be blamed. The building
of the Pass, essential to the de-
velopment of the area, was a
struggle. Work, commenced in
1874, was not near completion at
the time of this publication and
additional funding was sorely
necessary. They needed people,
they needed income; the town
wanted to grow. Nevertheless,
60 years and one completed pass
later, it is interesting to note
what the early residents thought
was so unique about their island.
From the book . . .
“The climate at Port Aransas
cannot be excelled. No rainy sea-
DAYS ... by si
son in winter, as in California.
No sunstroke or oppressive heat
in summer, but good, enjoy-
able weather the year round,
with air as pure and bracing as
can be, coming direct from the
water.
What are known as the “Trade
Winds” start up in March and
continue until December, tem-
pering the hot days of summer
to a marked degree, making
work or pastime a pleasure in-
stead of a burden. Another im-
portant factor where rest or
health is a consideration, is the
fact that we are not troubled
with rr.osquitoes — salt water
does not breed them.
Nature has provided Mustang
Island with as fine a beach on
the Gulf side as can be found.
For the surl bather, hours al-
most seem like minutes while
battling with the incoming
waves, or sitting on the sandy
beach while cool and refreshing
breezes from off the Gulf impart
new life and new vigor to every
ZANNA REEDER
nerve and muscle. The best and
most lasting medicine, with a
world of pleasure thrown in, can
be found in surf bathing.
Here, at Port Aransas, is
found pure well water for cook-
ing and drinking, in unfailing
quantities. Many people praise it
as being superior to water found
on the mainland — no malaria
or fever. This is one of the places
were vou can regain your
health.”
If you have heard tell of the
rumor that Port Aransas was
once one of the greatest spots in
the world for tarpon fishing;
“A complete record of all tar-
pons caught on rod and reels of
all sizes for eight seasons past.”
Season of 1903 . . . 987 tarpons
Season of 1904 . . . 658 tarpons
Season of 1905 . . . 1537 tarpons
Season of *1906 . . . 1573 tarpons
Season of 1907 . . . 1305 tarpons
Season of 1908 . . . 701 tarpons
Season of 1909 . . . 722 tarpons
Season of 1910 . . . 808 tarpons
. . . And that’s no rumor!
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Frishman, Steven & Reeder, Suzanna. South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 18, 1971, newspaper, November 18, 1971; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623788/m1/1/?q=+date%3A1945-1972: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.