of 19I?3, and the largest catches per vmit of effort vrere inado in that 

 area. Most of tho fishing uas dono in depths of lii to 17 fathoms from 

 Fi'eopoi't to Sabine. Some fishing was dono in 19 fathons southeast of 

 Frooport, and some bottopi vms reported in deeper water. One of the big 

 disadvantages of this area is the great distance from shore; consequently, 

 there is veiy little v/intor fishing in tho area. 



The bottom types off Sabine are described as follo;rss 



1, Beach to 8 fathoms. Sand, mud and some shell, but tho 

 bottom is clear and suitable for trawling except for 

 Sabine Banlc, a rocl-cy area* 



2« Eight to 18 fathoms. Shell, mostly prickly conchs, 

 Mm* ex fulv escena and Stroi iibus alatwi. 



3. Kighteon to 20 fathoms. I'fud bottom (some trawling can 

 be done hero but it is 6 to 9 hours riinning time from 

 Sabine), 



U. Twenty fathoms and beyond. Too many mud lumps for trawl- 

 ing. Fishermen have lost nets in 27 fathoms off Sabine, 

 where bottom looked clear on the depth recorder but the 

 nets sank into the soft mud. 



Hildobriind calls the largest single ai'ea of trawlable bottom 

 for broxm shrimp the "Texas" ground. This fishing ground extends from 

 the Colorado Rivor to Sobreo Bank about 30 miles north of Port Isabel, 

 Although the entire region from 12 to 50 fathoms is suitable for trawl- 

 ing, it has been divided into two parts wJ.th the 28 fathom contour as 

 the dividing line because this contour marks the seaward limit of the 

 most profitable fishing,, (see figure 1-9) 



Bettj^eon 12 and 2^ fathoms on the Texas grounds there is an 

 estimated 2,700,000 acres suitable for trawling. The bottom type is pre- 

 dominantly mud, and only a few snapper banks and wrecks hinder trawling. 

 Possibly tho most extensive area of bad bottom is in the 17-1/2 -to 20- 

 fathom zone off Pass Gavallo. At its northeastern edge tho mud bottom 

 is replaced by shell and the fishery is relatively unproductive in thia 

 region. The southern edge is highly irregular and narrow belts of trawl- 

 able bottom link it vrith tho "2ii«lO" grounds to the south. Snapper banks 

 and shell occur along the south edge of the Texas grounds. 



As previously mentioned, the present seavrard limit is prescribed 

 by the productivity of the grounds, i,e., the trawrlable bottom beyond 29 

 fathoms produces loss shrimp par hour of trawling than the inshore grounds. 

 Nevertheless, there is some trawling in 29 to 50 fathoms, but the ai'ea is 

 not vjoll knovm to most Texas fishermen, and gear is lost because of the 

 ignorance of trawling hazards. There are a number of snapper banks in thia 

 district, notably the ones in Ul fathoms off Aransas Pass* Although the 

 extent of trawlable bottom is undoubtedly large, no estiinates of the area 

 involved were iiiade because little is known about the bottom. 



29 



