Monitoring of coastal finfish resources for sport fish management, October 1979 - September 1980

The seasonal (November-March) catch rates of red drum (Sciaenops ocellata) caught with gill nets declined approximately 50% from 1975-76 through 1977-78 then generally increased through 1979-80 within each bay system, except in East Matagorda Bay and the lower Laguna Madre. Catch rates in East Matagorda Bay have remained constant at about 0.3 fish/h. Catch rates in the lower Laguna Madre have declined since 1975-76 with a slight increase noted from 1978-79 to 1979-80. The highest seasonal mean catch rate (1.4 fish/h) occurred in 1977-78 in the upper Laguna Madre. Seasonal mean total lengths ranged from 371 to 522 mm and apparently decreased as the mean catch rate increased and vice versa. The seasonal catch rates of spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) declined at least 50% within each bay system, except in Matagorda Bay, from 1975-76 through 1979-80. The highest seasonal catch rate of spotted seatrout (1.6 figh/h) occurred in 1975-76 in the lower Laguna Madres. Mean total lengths ranged from 385 to 547 mm. The seasonal catch rates of black drum (Pogonias cromis) generally declined 50% in each bay system, except in San Antonio and Corpus Christi Bays, from 1975-76 to 1979-80. The highest seasonal mean catch rate of black drum (2.3 fish/h) occurred in 1975-76 in the lower Laguna Madre; the lowest catch rates (0.1 fish/h) occurred in 1977-78 and 1978-79 in Corpus Christi Bay. Larger black drum (395-455mm total length) occurred in the upper and lower Laguna Madre than in the other bay systems (304-412 mm). The seasonal catch rates of sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) with gill nets were either too low or too erratic to detect annual patterns or trends. Seasonal catch rates of sheepshead generally remained < or = 0.3 fish/h in all bay systems during 1975-80; the highest catch rate (1.0 fish/h) of sheepshead occurred in the lower Laguna Madre during 1975-76. The seasonal catch rates of Atlantic croaker (Micropogon undulatus) remained < or = 0.1 fish/h in all bay systems from 1975-76 through 1979-80, except in the lower Laguna Madre during 1975-76 when the catch rate was 0.2 fish/h. Seasonal catch rates of southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) remained < or = 0.1 fish/h in all bay systems from 1975-76 through 1979-80. The individual meshes of the gill net were selective for species and size. In each bay system, the 7.6-and 10.2-cm stretched meshes caught primarily red drum and spotted seatrout. Black drum and southern flounder were caught primarily in the 10.2-and 12.7-cm meshes; sheepshead were caught primarily in the 12.7-and 15.2-cm meshes. Atlantic croaker were restricted almost exclusively to the 7.6-cm mesh. Red drum catch rates with trammel nets increased and corresponding mean total lengths decreased within each season in each bay system during fall 1977-spring 1980. The highest catch rates of red drum (7.24 fish/ha) occurred in spring 1980 in Matagorda Bay. Fall catch rates of black drum were generally higher than spring catch rates; spring catch rates of Atlantic croaker were generally higher than fall catch rates. The catch rates and mean total lengths of other species caught with trammel nets varied among seasons and among bay systems. Annual catch rates (1977-80) with bag seines indicated considerable variation in relative abundance among bay systems of juvenile red drum (1.44-70.09 fish/ha), spotted seatrout (0.34-39.41 fish/ha), black drum (0.00-37.04 fish/ha), sheepshead (0.00-15.74 fish/ha), southern flounder (0.00-9.81 fish/ha) and Atlantic croaker (0.69-1086.92 fish/ha). Monthly catch rate patterns were apparent for most species; monthly size patterns were evident for red drum, black drum and Atlantic croaker.