Comparison of 5.1-cm stretched mesh gill net catches in two Texas bays

Small (less than or equal to 398 mm total length) spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) were caught on submerged reefs in Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays using multifilament 5.1-cm stretched mesh gill nets during January-April 1977. No significant differences were found in mean lengths or catch rates for spotted seatrout between the two bay systems. Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) catch rates and silver perch (Bairdiella chrysoura) mean lengths differed significantly between Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays; all other species catch rates and mean lengths were similar. Use of 5.1-cm webbing in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) monitoring program could provide information on sizes of fishes not presently caught in TPWD gill nets; initiation of an offshore gill net sampling program is not recommended at this time because of budget and manpower constraints.