414 liEPOKT OF COMMiattlOI^EK OF FISH AND FI«11EIIIES. 



The oyster industry. — The area of the natural oyster reefs in Cori)us 

 Cliristi Hay, at present known to the lislieijiien, is estimated at 13 

 square miles. The beds are loeated principally near the shore between 

 the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Kailroad brids:e and Ingleside 

 Cove. A lew small reefs lie directly otf the i)iers at Corjms Christi, 

 and about halfway between Corpus Ohristi and the mouth of Oso Creek 

 there are others. At the entrance of Oso Creek into the bay and 

 around Shamrock Point a few oysters have been obtained. But the 

 two last-mentioned reefs are somewhat distant from the city and the 

 water is deep and frequently rough, so that they are rarely fished on. 



On account of the great de])th of water in Corpus Christi Bay, the 

 condition of only such grounds as are located in the shoal waters near 

 t\iQ shore are known to the fishermen. There seems to be no reason to 

 doubt that many oyster reefs at present unknown exist in the deeper 

 waters of this bay, as well as in the other bays along the coast. 



Freciuently spring freshets occur on the Nueces Eiver, and the great 

 quantities of fresh water emptied into the bay destroy many oysters. 

 Occasionally these freshets bring down quantities of sand and mud, 

 which cover the oyster beds and prove very destructive. 



In 181)0 the number of men engaged in oystering from Corpus Christi 

 Bay was 40. They used 13 sailboats, valued at $0,100, and skills and 

 tongs to the value of $390. The catch of oysters amounted to 65,400 

 bushels, for which the fishermen received $18,350. 



Prior to the season of 1890-91 no instruments other than tongs liad 

 been used for taking oysters in Corpus Christi Bay. During that sea- 

 son, however, a small dredge was used on the schooner G. Highland, 

 1(>.3(; tons measurement. This was the first attempt to utilize dredges 

 in the taking of oysters in this State. The work done was completely 

 satisfactory, and doubtless many more dredges would have been 

 employed during the following season had not the State legislature 

 l)rohibited their further use. 



Fish and oyster markets. — There were two wholesale dealers at Corpus 

 Christi in 1890, who handled nearly all the fish and oysters taken by 

 the Cori)us Christi fishermen; also many oysters obtained from Mata- 

 gorda and Aransas bays. 



LAGUNA MADKP] AND THE LOWER UK) GRANDE. 



0[K.'ning directly into Ccn-pus Christi Bay, and extending southward 

 a distance of 120 miles to Boca Chica, lies Laguna Madre, so called 

 because of the nunu'rous smaller lagoons or shallow bays exteiuling 

 inhind that are tributary to it. Laguna Madre is from 2 to 13 miles 

 wide, and covers an area of about 811 square miles. It is very shallow, 

 averaging but little over 2 feet in depth, and in many places thegrouiul 

 is (|uite bare at low tide. It is not navigable except in limited areas. 



On account of the saltness of the water, few fish arefi)und in Laguna 

 Madre, except at the extreme h)wer end near Point Isabel, where the 



