Bird Island Basin Boat Ramp: Gateway to Baffin Bay

Texas has long been known for the big game-fish being caught here for as long as anyone has been keeping record. This is due to the many different types of ecosystems found along the Texas coast that harbor different habitats which, in balance, create a unique world-class fishery we Texans can feel proud of. One of those ecosystems is the hypersaline Upper Laguna Madre (ULM) and its back bays such as Baffin Bay, Alazan Bay, Laguna Salada and Cayo del Grullo which historically have produced many trophy trout, bull reds and black drum or, as we like to call them, "Baffin grouper."

The Upper Laguna Madre can be accessed through 16 public boat ramps. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) routinely monitors these ramps by counting boat trailers and interviewing fishermen. Overall the number of trailers at every boat ramp has increased within the last 20 years. Fishing pressure, a calculation based on the number of people fishing multiplied by the number of hours spent fishing, for private parties (non-guided trips) along the coast has increased and, in the ULM it has tripled since 1991. The most popular boat ramps in the ULM are Bird Island Basin Boat Ramp (BIBBR), Marker 37, Billings, Clem's, Bluff Landing and Kaufer Park. However, data show that BIBBR has been the most popular boat ramp for several years to the point where, in the summer months, if you don't arrive around sunrise you may not find a place to park.

BIBBR is located inside Padre Island National Seashore (PINS), which is the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, and is dominated by tidal flats, mud flats and grasslands. The parking lot has 114 spaces available for vehicles with attached boat trailers of which two are marked for handicapped parking. There are another six parking spaces for vehicles without trailers with two designated for handicapped. This boat ramp has the capacity to launch and retrieve at least four boats simultaneously which improves the flow of traffic during the busy summer days. The popularity of this boat ramp can be attributed to several other reasons.

The area around BIBBR is still very pristine. This area is surrounded by the King and Kenedy ranches to the west and PINS to the east. This part of the Laguna Madre is mostly undeveloped which has contributed to the conservation of many marine resources and different habitats that are utilized by different wildlife and bird species, such as the redhead duck, Aythya Americana. Seventy-five percent of the population of redhead ducks winter in both the Laguna Madre of Texas and Tamaulipas, Mexico. However, some manmade changes have occurred that have changed the dynamics of the Laguna Madre. The dredging of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) has improved circulation between the ULM and the Lower Laguna Madre (LLM) as well as the Gulf of Mexico, and moderated the salinity levels. This has increased the coverage of seagrasses which support a healthy population of redhead ducks and vegetated nursery areas for juvenile fish. Probably the primary reason BIBBR is so popular is that it is a gateway to several excellent fishing spots such as Yarbrough Flats, The Land Cut, Nine-mile Hole and Baffin Bay.

Baffin Bay is a secondary bay to the ULM. It too harbors different types of habitat such as serpulid reefs, beach rock outcrops, seagrasses and bare bay bottom. The salinity is generally higher in Baffin Bay than the rest of the ULM. TPWD gill net data show that greater numbers of trout are caught in Baffin Bay with a greater frequency of these fish being larger (Table 1). Hypersaline environments are commonly associated with low species diversity and low productivity as fewer organisms can tolerate higher salt concentrations, but the ULM is a unique ecosystem with high productivity due to the recycling of seagrasses. Thanks to this dynamic system you never know what might hit your bait. For example, on January 21, 2012 a 23-inch gag grouper was landed at BIBBR. Another unique catch around BIBBR this spring was four grey snapper caught and released from TPWD gill nets.

Angler surveys are another way TPWD monitors fishing activity. Creel data over the last 20 years for BIBBR showed the highest trout and red drum catch rates (Table 2) for the five busiest ramps surrounding the ULM. Unfortunately though, higher catch rates does not automatically mean launching from BIBBR will guarantee fish in the box as there is still some skill, or luck, involved with finding them.

Not all trips leaving the BIBBR are day trips. This is because there are an estimated 200-300 land and floating cabins located from the mouth of Baffin Bay to the southern end of the Land Cut. TPWD data show that 46.7% of all trips greater than 12 hours originate at BIBBR, followed by Marker 37, with a mean trip length of 21.5 hours.

So, if you are heading south to launch at BIBBR there are several things to keep in mind. First, because this is a national park, there are fees both to enter the park and to use the ramp. Primitive restrooms are available. There is no electricity at the fish cleaning station so don't forget your old-fashioned fillet knife. While park rangers continuously patrol the area, it is always a good idea to keep your vehicles locked and your valuables out of sight. The National Park Service has also recently installed a "no motor" zone near the windsurfing beach marked by white buoys with orange stripes to reduce the chances of accidents between boaters and windsurfers. Always be safe and courteous to other anglers, boaters, and other bay users. TPWD will continue using the best available data and scientific tools to monitor fish populations to be able to make sound decisions and adopt measures to ensure appropriate management of our resources for present and future generations.

Table 1. Total numbers of spotted seatrout and numbers of large trout caught in TPWD gill nets during 2007-2011.

Table 2. Recreational angler catches per hour for red drum and spotted seatrout at ULM boat ramps.