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February 26, 2016
LoneOStar Outdoor News
LSONews.com
FISHING
Rollover Pass one step closer to closure By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News Many fishermen from Houston, Galveston and surrounding areas caught their first fish along the banks of Rollover Pass. Built in 1955, the 200-foot-wide pass on the Bolivar Peninsula connects East Bay and Rollover Bay with the Gulf of Mexico. Tony Hutson fished the pass this week. “This is the best fishing in this area,” he said. “You can come here any day during the year and always catch redfish, seatrout or flounder.” Whether it is nostalgic memories or current success of fishing the pass, both may be a thing of the past, although last-ditch legal efforts are being made in an effort to keep the pass open. On January 19, the Galveston County Commissioners’ Court voted 4-1 to obtain the 15.87-acre property from its owners, the Gulf Coast Rod, Reel and Gun Club, through eminent domain procedures, close Rollover Pass and build a public park and pier to mitigate for the loss of public recreational opportunities. The vote follows a five-year-long fight between Texas’ General Land Office and Rollover Pass owners. Ted Vega, the president of the Gilchrest Community Association, said Galveston County is caught in the middle. “They (the county) don’t want it,” Vega said. “They are doing it for the GLO.” The history of the dispute is complex, but the GLO obtained engineering studies and sought to close the pass due to increased salinity in the bay that may affect species such as oysters, the cost of dredging sand swept through the pass into the Intracoastal Canal, estimated at $500,000-$1 million per year, and erosion on the Bolivar Peninsula beach that studies asserted were contributed to by the pass. Based on the studies, the GLO obtained a permit to close the pass from the Texas Leg-
SENTIMENTAL SPOT: Rollover Pass on the Bolivar Peninsula has been a popular fishing spot for 60 years where many Houston and Galveston area residents landed their first fish. After recent steps by the Texas General Land Office and Galveston County, the pass will likely be closed and replaced by a park and a pier. Opponents vow to continue efforts to keep the pass open. Photo by Erich Schlegel, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
islature in 2008, and a plan for the closure and building the park and pier was later approved by GLO commissioners. However, the GLO does not have the power of eminent domain. Galveston County does, though, and entered into an agreement with the GLO to close the pass and build the park. Fishermen and experts have opinions on both sides of the issue, some believing reduced salinity levels in the bay would improve the system while others, like Vega, disagree. “Flounder are going to have to come to the pass, turn right and go 25 miles to get to the Gulf,” he said. “That’s too much stress.” A lawsuit by the owners in federal court failed to stop the effort to close the pass.
Vega is hoping others will step in. “We still say we can work on the issue,” he said. “It was built 60 years ago, then basically abandoned. Of course it needs maintenance, erosion will occur without maintenance. Salinity monitors could be used and a gate could be built to stop the flow in times of high salinity.” The closure may appear inevitable, with a final offer being sent to the owners by Galveston County, which was responded to with a counteroffer that requires leaving the pass open. If the parties don’t agree, a lawsuit to order the taking of the land is next. The property owners suffered from a lack of support from other groups. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Coastal Conservation Association have not taken a
Magnolia man dies in boat crash Lone Star Outdoor News A Magnolia man died after two boats collided during a Lake Conroe fishing tournament Saturday, according to Montgomery County authorities. Michael Wayne Conaway, 58, died shortly after authorities arrived on scene north of the FM 1097 bridge near the “Scott’s Ridge” Boat Ramp. He was fishing in the Texas Bass Nation Southeast Region tournament. According to witnesses and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, the two boats were headed toward TRAGEDY: A popular bass each other and traveling at about 45 mph. The two boats fisherman, Michael Conmaneuvered to avoid each other and appeared to make away of Magnolia, died the same move at the same time, and the boats collided. after two boats collided The force of the collision left a large gash in the side of on Lake Conroe. Boat Conaway’s boat. photo by Montgomery Medics arrived on scene and tended to Conaway, but County Police Reporter. he was pronounced dead shortly after the crash. Conaway photo by ImRon Gunter, president of Seven Coves Bass Club, knew pulse Fishing Rods. Conaway well and said the area of the crash may have been a factor. “Michael was not only a member of our regional circuit, he was also one of the longest-standing Toyota Texas Bass Classic judges,” he said. “That park (Scott’s Ridge) sits out on somewhat of a peninsula — to get around the area, you have to hug the bank and then go south to get around the channel. There are ‘No Wake’ buoys and then timber so it’s a bottleneck area.” The bass club contributed its side-pot proceeds to Conaway’s family. Conaway also was a member of the Katy Bassmaster Club, and the Michael Conaway Memorial Fund has been established at GoFundMe.com.
stand on the issue. It is the GLO’s approach that disappoints Vega the most, though. “Bush (George P. Bush, GLO chairman) says he wants to protect private property rights along the Red River, but he won’t do the same thing here,” he said. Vega doesn’t believe a park will benefit his community like the pass does, and questions whether the pier fishing will be good once the flow through the pass stops. “Tens of thousands of people come down here every year,” he said. “We aren’t giving up. Where a lot of people caught their first fish, now they are bringing their grandkids. They won’t come to fish a pier, there are piers in Galveston.”
White bass run reaches Colorado Bend Lone Star Outdoor News For fans of Colorado Bend State Park, the anticipation of the white bass run on the Guadalupe River hit a feverish pace this winter, with anglers desperate for the run after years of low water scouting daily to see if the fish are moving. And they are. While Valentine’s Day weekend was unproductive for many, the bite turned on shortly thereafter. Ricky Eliason of Temple had a good day on February 18. “We caught 42 white bass,” he said. “We’re waiting on the females. They are biting on white roadrunner jigs or silver and black speckled river grubs.” Kayak anglers love the river, with easy access and majestic views. Two buddies paddled down the river, trolling Rat-L-Traps. “All of the fish were caught trolling a very slow troll about 20 yards from the bank,” wrote da_karr on TexasKayakFisherman. com. “It was essentially a slow drift. We caught 31 between the two of us, and over half were fat females.” Another angler had better luck in the afternoon hours. “We got in the water about noon and fished until 4:00,” wrote KG68 on the Texas Fishing Forum. “We caught more than 50 and lost count. Our best lure was a 1/8-ounce chartreuse roadrunner jig. The fish were scattered from the shallow rocks to the first corner downstream of the ramp.” The state park’s Facebook page posted a photo of a full stringer of white bass, saying, “They’re back! Looks like we may have some fishing this year.” Fishermen curious about how others are doing need only call the state park number (325) 628-3240 and push “2” for a fishing report. On February 22, the recorded report said “white bass are being caught along the river from the north campground area past the boat ramp area.”