Each year my website and many anglers around the Texas coast participate in this annual clean up, I can not tell you how many props have been entangled with discarded traps etc, its one reason I carry wire cutters at all times while on any boat.

I will be leading a group that will canvas West Bay, if you are interested please PM me., I am going to try & get with some of the Trinity guys like GigaFowl, myronja etc. to see if they want to lead a group as well in that bay system.

some of the SETX guys, and Triangle Tail Chaser's Club in Sabine will more than likely be getting involved too, good excuse to get out on the water, drive our boats & pick up some trash!

http://www.ccatexas.org/files/2011/02/a ... r-2011.pdf

Texas Parks Wildlife Department Announces Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Operation Set

AUSTIN — Hoping to add to the pile of more than 27,500 derelict crab traps hauled from Texas bays since 2002, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are gearing up for the 10th abandoned crab trap removal effort Feb. 18-27.

During this 10-day period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with traps. Any traps left in a bay will be assumed to be abandoned and considered “litter” under state law, which allows volunteers to legally remove any traps they find. Prior to the 77th Legislature authorizing the abandoned crab trap removal program, only the trap’s owner or a Texas game warden could legally remove a crab trap. Game wardens still collect more than 2,500 illegal traps annually, but many more remain in the water to foul shrimpers’ nets, snag fishermen’s lines, accidently trap fish (called “ghost fishing”) and create an unsightly view.

This year, in celebration of the first decade of the program, two framed original TPWD stamp prints will be given to two lucky volunteers who help out with the program.

TPWD will be facilitating trap drop-off sites at several locations in each major bay system along the coast from 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 19, weather permitting. Additionally, at all sites, dumpsters marked with banners will be available to receive traps for the duration of the closure. Volunteers may help out on Feb. 19 or work at their own pace anytime during the closure, but traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 18 or after Feb. 27.

Last year, volunteers, with the aid of numerous sponsors, removed roughly 1,800 traps.

“The success of this program is a reflection of the keen sense of stewardship anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts have for the marine resources of this great state,” said Art Morris, TPWD program coordinator. “Volunteers have removed more traps from Texas waters than any other state and the results show. The waning number of traps removed each year demonstrates that this volunteer effort has had a big impact.”


The Coastal Conservation Association Texas, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Research Program, and the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Reserve are providing continued support to the crab trap removal program. Numerous other organizations and companies also are volunteering their services.


To participate, volunteers can arrange to pickup free tarps, gloves, trap hooks and additional information at their local TPWD Coastal Fisheries field stations. TPWD requests volunteers’ who remove traps record and submit information about the number they collect as well as any sightings of diamond-backed terrapins.

For more information about the Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program and how you can volunteer, please contact your local TPWD Coastal Fisheries office or Art Morris at the Corpus Christi field station: (361) 825-3356.


TRAP DROP-OFF SITES

Sabine Lake – TPWD coordinator Jerry Mambretti (409) 736-9035

* Pleasure Island Marina Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site


Galveston Bay – TPWD coordinator Bill Balboa (281) 534-0110

* Jones Lake State Ramp (Fat Boys) — Facilitated & trap drop-off site
* TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab-1502 FM 517 E, Dickinson — Trap drop-off site
* Seabrook SH 146 Bridge Public Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site
* Fort Anahuac County Park Boat Ramp — Facilitated & trap drop-off site
* Chocolate Bayou State Boat Ramp- FM 2004 — Facilitated & trap drop-off site
* Pier 30 Bait and Tackle-1617 E. Hwy 332, Freeport — Trap drop-off site


MATAGORDA BAY– TPWD coordinator Leslie Hartman (361) 972-6253

* Mitchell Cut Boat (ICWW) Ramp @ Sargent — Trap drop-off site
* Matagorda Harbor @ Matagorda — Trap drop-off site
* Railroad Park @ Palacios — Trap drop-off site


SAN ANTONIO BAY – TPWD coordinator Norman Boyd (361) 983-4425
* Charlie’s Bait Stand — Facilitated & trap drop-off site
* Port O’Connor TPWD Docks — Facilitated & Trap drop-off site


ARANSAS BAY – TPWD coordinator Karen Meador (361) 729-2328

* Goose Island State Park Boat Ramp — Facilitated & trap drop-off site
* North Cove Harbor Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site


CORPUS CHRISTI BAY – TPWD coordinator Tom Wagner (361) 729-2328

* South Conn Brown Harbor Boat Ramp — Facilitated & trap drop-off site


UPPER LAGUNA MADRE – TPWD coordinator Todd Neahr (361) 825-3353

* Bluff’s Landing Marina — Trap drop-off site
* Kaufer Park Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site


LOWER LAGUNA MADRE – TPWD coordinator Mark Lingo (956) 350-4490

* Adolfe Thomae County Park @ Arroyo City — Trap drop-off site
* Port Mansfield Navigation District Ramp @ Port Mansfield — Trap drop-off site

if you get some of them round white crab ballz i want them please

I'll be participating this year.
Jones Lake and Greens are my backyard. Lots of old traps found during the late season this year when the tide was really low.

Do you have to turn them in???????

Technically they are considered litter, to be counted as removed they must be accepted by a drop off location, you call me and tell me how many you dropped off I keep a tally of those participating, winner receives a $400 fully framed limited edition redfish print by a Houston native wildlife artist Les McDonald.

I dropped off 93

Count me in !


I know of a few still up in the trees from the hurricane - do they count too - LOL

The crab trap cleanup begins this Saturday, if your out on the water pick up any trap you see (Texas only)

This is why they need to be cleaned up:

Running across a shallow bay on step and picked this one up. Almost ended my work day.

You can tell from the pic that it is a fresh trap, still had bait and crabs. But the dam thing had no buoy!!!! There were several sets of traps out there, but this one was by itself.

Photo0198.jpg

Louisiana needs to set up something like this. Most crabbers when the traps are too old to fish anymore just cut the cork and replace it with a new one letting the tide roll it around untill the shrimpers catch them. I've seen us catch 70 old traps in a day, and beleive me a trap thats all broke up isn't easy or safe to try and pull out our nets.

Texas just started this 10 years ago. They are legally declared litter during this 10 day event and all crabbers know to remove their traps from the water prior to this date. Louisiana should get on board with the amount of marsh etc.

Coe - I'll be putting my boat in at Bayou Vista, and using fat boys as my drop off spot.
Might see you out there. I'll have cold adult beverages for after

Myself, Ibtsoom, & Oleader Kayaker posing for a quick shot after unloading all the traps we collected.


To date we have removed 70 traps for this year's event + any other participants that have yet to chime in...

Ibtsoom - 40 traps
Corndog - 20 traps
West End Angler / Oleander Kayaker - 10 traps




Bring the little ones out they are bound to have a blast!









You can see the damage from what an abandon crab trap can do...


Ibtsoom - with a load of traps after Sunday's search

We are up to over 100 traps that have been removed from Texas Bays by those involved in our effort in just over 3 days!!

We ended this years crab trap removing over 1,000 crab traps in West Bay & Trinity Bay. The efforts from the Galveston Bay Foundation focused efforts in the Trinity River area and pulled out some 700 crab traps in one weekend using 8 air boats.

The individual that won the most traps collected last year again won this year with over 100 traps collected by him personally he is the outright winner.

Together with the GBF we have removed over 1,000 crab traps from the Texas Coastal waters. I can not speak as to the numbers around the state but this program is doing a lot of good. This is a big dent in the areas I frequent and am focusing my conservation efforts. I hope LA adopts this policy like Texas did 10 years ago I have seen our bays improve dramatically over the last 5 years.

cool thread Coe, I've never been to the coast... didn't know that was even a problem. Good to see someone is putting forth some effort.