# Lots o' specks



## YoungGun (May 13, 2012)

We've been killing some specks this last week in Bayou Texar! Surprised to see how few people are out there fishing (only one other person in a kayak so far). We've yet to have a day with no keepers.


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## OTTE*DA*WORM (Feb 12, 2011)

I am scared to keep anything out of Texar. That is some nasty water. IMO. You will probably find you will most always be the only ones in Texar. Nice catches, though! Once the menhaden get back in there, you will will find me in Texar catching bait! O*D*W


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## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Good to hear with the tournament coming but now I have to think about where I'm going for inshore. Were you near the mouth or up a little?


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## jbs_bama (May 24, 2010)

Those are some nice specks. What were you using to catch them? So, what is the story with Bayou Texar? I've heard the water is dirty, but never heard any stories as to why.


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## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

Trust me your not the only one in there! Maybe just at the times your fishing lol!


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## a (Oct 2, 2007)

OTTE*DA*WORM said:


> I am scared to keep anything out of Texar. That is some nasty water. IMO. You will probably find you will most always be the only ones in Texar. Nice catches, though! Once the menhaden get back in there, you will will find me in Texar catching bait! O*D*W


surely your not putting a cast net in your mouth???


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## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

a said:


> surely your not putting a cast net in your mouth???


I've done it many times and I'm still alive :thumbup:


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

jbs_bama said:


> Those are some nice specks. What were you using to catch them? So, what is the story with Bayou Texar? I've heard the water is dirty, but never heard any stories as to why.


 The story on Texar is that there is a poisonous underground plume of water, toxic shit slowing seeping into the ground water in Texar...there are a few more of these nasty lil underground devils headed towards our water systems in both Santa Rosa and Escambia counties...Google Underground Hazardous waste plumes in the Pensacola News Journal...lots of past stories and test reports on file


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

I don't fish there...


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## jbs_bama (May 24, 2010)

So, there really is something in the water here. Good to know. Thanks for the info barefoot.


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## Bigkidneys (Jul 14, 2011)

Nessie is in there and takes big dumps therefore polluting the Bayou...


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

jbs_bama said:


> So, there really is something in the water here. Good to know. Thanks for the info barefoot.


Can't really say if there's something in the water...but when I had a partial owners interest in a local water filtration company...we had independent testing done...found lots of bad stuff in the city water supply and wells in the area...it's all public knowledge if you want to know.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread...


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## ragsfisher (Oct 7, 2012)

fecal bacteria. from all the septic systems. plus washout off carpenter creek. i wiil catch bait there but nothing for me to eat


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## danieljames84 (May 28, 2009)

barefoot said:


> The story on Texar is that there is a poisonous underground plume of water, toxic shit slowing seeping into the ground water in Texar...there are a few more of these nasty lil underground devils headed towards our water systems in both Santa Rosa and Escambia counties...Google Underground Hazardous waste plumes in the Pensacola News Journal...lots of past stories and test reports on file


I heard about this also in the PNJ. I only catch and release in Bayou Texar.


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

rfh21 said:


> I've done it many times and I'm still alive :thumbup:


Me too. I've spent a ton of time fishing Texar. I've eaten a TON of fish out of there. Specks, reds, flounder, black drum, a striped bass and a hybrid striper...mullet too. I've always heard it was dirty water, but never looked into it. I think I might do a little more research now. You guys are scaring me lol. I will say this though...I'm still kickin and the little black drum I pull out of there in winter taste AWESOME! I'll prolly stop after I read up on it though lol.

So...how many of you won't touch Texar, but eat fish from 3mi? I'd bet any speck or flounder in the area has spent a good amout of time in the bayou water and eaten plenty of the baitfish that pour out with the tide.


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

I would not worry too much about the fish in there. Those fish move around alot and trust me Escambia river is not much cleaner. They have done test to prove it. As long as you don't eat fish all the time you will be fine.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

*Toxic Texar*

Where is the EPA on all this? You would think, with all the people they have on the payroll and all the grief they give for just allowing silt into the system that they would localize the source and work to get rid of it.


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Well, it's a really big issue...people who live in the areas would have to be contacted if they weren't informed by their Realtor (who is supposed to disclose this) and business's, schools, etc. all are effected...easier to do a "study" and disclose that the plumes are there...moving VERY slowly and currently do not pose an immediate threat to human beings.."...paraphrasing...but you get the picture.

Me personally...after testing water in both counties over a few years and the beach areas (BTW are the WORST)...I live and eat fish in Santa Rosa and Blackwater almost exclusively...

So, I'm not a threat to the speck population in Texar...lol


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## blaster (Mar 7, 2013)

Agrico Chemical Co.
The nearby 35-acre Agrico Chemical Co. site is at the intersection of Fairfield Drive and Interstate 110. The fertilizer plant closed in 1975 and was considered cleaned up by the EPA by late 1999, so far as the surface and in terms of preventing new contamination of the groundwater. But the cleanup plan for the existing groundwater pollution — the plume, mixed with the Escambia Treating contamination, extends as far as Bayou Texar — is “natural attenuation,” which means let nature takes its course. That “course” was expected to take 70 years.

The worst pollutants: fluoride, arsenic, lead and radium 226/228.


http://www.pnj.com/article/99999999/NEWS10/90821016/Oversight-3-worst-area-Superfund-sites?nclick_check=1


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## jbs_bama (May 24, 2010)

Seems like the fish in there are well seasoned then. I didn't mean to hijack the thread with my question yesterday. Thanks for all of the information on Bayou Texar. I have never fished in there, but it looks like a good place to catch some nice trout. Anyhow, tight lines everyone!


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## captgoody (Oct 4, 2007)

*Fish*

Hmmmm. I travel over the bridge often heading North and never noticed the park to the left. A couple months ago I ran a 5K there and wandered around and the park is beautiful with free boat ramps, etc. When I asked the folks at the park about this, they said I could launch my yak, etc but recommended that not only do I NOT eat anything from there, but also that I dont swim in the water. Needless to say, that took care of my next 'hot spot."


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## fishboy (Oct 6, 2007)

The good news is the city put an underwater barrier to keep the toxic plume and other nasties from leaving the bayou and entering the bay. This is why it's safe to eat trout, reds and whatever you catch from the 3mile bridge area. 
**Nice fish, I live right around there and love having a reliable trout fishery so close.**


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## tmber8 (Mar 2, 2011)

Caddy Yakker said:


> I would not worry too much about the fish in there. Those fish move around alot and trust me Escambia river is not much cleaner. They have done test to prove it. As long as you don't eat fish all the time you will be fine.


The Escambia River used to be on the countries' top-polluted list, but once the guilty parties were discovered and this point-source pollution was ended during the 70's and 80's the water quality has improved greatly. 

On Texar...great fishing. Perhaps one of the reasons it's so good is that people release fish they catch because they are scared to eat them. Think of it as a "protected fishery" not a "polluted fishery"!


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

fishboy said:


> The good news is the city put an underwater barrier to keep the toxic plume and other nasties from leaving the bayou and entering the bay. This is why it's safe to eat trout, reds and whatever you catch from the 3mile bridge area.
> **Nice fish, I live right around there and love having a reliable trout fishery so close.**


Hmmm...how do you install an underwater barrier that is water proof?
And did you know this plume is several hundred feet under ground?

Our city engineers must be freaking amazing to have that sort of engineering and substrate knowledge to install a water-proof barrier several hundred feet below ground and stop the water based pollutants.... and all w/o even disturbing the surface and informing the inhabitants of the area.

Next time Earth is threatend by metors or something of that nature...call Escambia County Engineering, hell they wouldn't even have to leave the planet to claim a fix was made...just sayin..:whistling:


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

barefoot said:


> Hmmm...how do you install an underwater barrier that is water proof?
> And did you know this plume is several hundred feet under ground?
> 
> Our city engineers must be freaking amazing to have that sort of engineering and substrate knowledge to install a water-proof barrier several hundred feet below ground and stop the water based pollutants.... and all w/o even disturbing the surface and informing the inhabitants of the area.
> ...


Lol yep you got it!


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## fishboy (Oct 6, 2007)

barefoot said:


> Hmmm...how do you install an underwater barrier that is water proof?
> And did you know this plume is several hundred feet under ground?
> 
> Our city engineers must be freaking amazing to have that sort of engineering and substrate knowledge to install a water-proof barrier several hundred feet below ground and stop the water based pollutants.... and all w/o even disturbing the surface and informing the inhabitants of the area.
> ...


Yep that was sarcasm. But seriously the tides come and go, so the water flows from the bayou into the bay, so who is to say that the bayou fish are that much worse for you than any other. Given that our major river system has several industies along its shores, i would imagine there are multiple places you "shouln't eat" fish from. 
On that note, I have never kept a fish from the bayou, but if I keep a red or speck from three mile area, it is still in the back of my mind. 
On a side note there were quite a few fish under the dock lights Saturday night in the bayou.


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## navkingfisher (May 14, 2009)

*texar H2O*

Its a combination of effluent from the houses/yards on surrounding hills around the perimeter to include herbicides, fertilizers, and sewage; compounded by feeder drainage from other areas. To the north is a source of ground water pollution that has an under ground plume moving toward bayou Texar naturally. In '92 I worked for an environmental drilling co. that put in monitoring wells trying to determine severity and drift. Bad stuff. There was a big concern years ago when they redesigned the bridge as to minimize disturbing the soil and silt.


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