Bonefish in TEXAS waters???!!!

**boatmanjohn** · #1 08-15-2009, 09:28 PM

Anybody ever caught them around here? I pulled in 2 juveniles in our net today. They were about 4-5 inches long in Aransas Bay. I saved them in a ziplock bag in the freezer and I'll post some pics eventually. They looked like every picture I've ever seen of a Bonefish. I know they have rarely been caught around here, like one every 20 years or so, but juveniles? It would seem they have spawned where they aren't supposed to be!

Until I get the Bonefish pics up, here's some just for fun!

**luna nueva** · #2 08-15-2009, 10:23 PM

Wow! really want to see the pics. Man if we had bonefish around here...

**Rebelsharker** · #3 08-16-2009, 04:08 AM

Awesome!

**CavassoCruisin** · #4 08-16-2009, 08:56 AM

Somebody caught one off Bob Hall Pier a couple years ago.

**knowphish** · #5 08-16-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luna nueva

Wow! really want to see the pics. Man if we had bonefish around here...

There wouldn't be ANY need to go to Florida!!!!!!!

**boatmanjohn** · #6 08-16-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CavassoCruisin

Somebody caught one off Bob Hall Pier a couple years ago.

I heard about that one, and only one other... My uncle caught one off the breakwater in Rockport Harbor at least 20 years ago or more. Those are the only 2 I have heard of being around here. So watch out....we might be getting more! Global warming isn't all bad!

**Bruce J** · #7 08-16-2009, 02:40 PM

My sons were sure they saw one over the white sands in the Lower Laguna Madre a few weeks ago. They've each caught lots of bonefish, so they know what they look like. Still can't be certain that's what they saw, but they think so.

**boatmanjohn** · #8 08-18-2009, 07:18 PM

Ok, here are the photos everybody wanted to see! I took them to the Rockport Marine Lab and verified their identity. They said what I already learned...Bonefish are rare, but not unheard of, in Texas. They said that they will travel north from Mexico when the water is right. Still seems unusual to me that their would be 2 juveniles, together, that made it all the way up. Actually, it seems even more bizzare that they are almost an inch different in length suggesting they are not "kin" and might not have traveled together. I dunno. I'm just an armchair naturalist. I'll probably be sending these little guys to A&M in Austin via my Marine Biologist uncle. He said they may be interested. The guys at the marine lab were not enthusiastic enough and didn't ask or they might have stayed there. Oh well. I'm still pretty stoked about my "discovery"!