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Causeway cleanup
Volunteer anglers pick up what others leave
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Fishing near or around an area overcome by filth is not what one might
But a group of concerned citizens, many avid fishing enthusiasts, said the trash left behind by some of their counterparts needs to be picked up — even if they have to do it themselves.
Some of the best fishing spots found in this part of South Texas have been shut down to the public largely because of the amounts of trash littered.
That includes the old causeway that used to connect South Padre Island with Port Isabel, Holly Beach and a stretch along Texas Highway 100 where development also contributed to putting the popular area for trout and red drum fishing off-limits.
Two of the region’s top fishing holes — around the Gayman Bridge and the Jaime Zapata Memorial boat ramp on Texas Highway 48 — are more often than not so inundated with trash to the point of making state and federal park officials think about making improvements.
Richard Hitchcox, a retired ballistic expert with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said he got the idea for the cleanup effort after being tired of fishing in dirty places.
“I used to fish a lot with my fishing partner,” he said referring to his son. “But now that he is in college I slowed down a bit.”
Nevertheless, Hitchcox created RGV
Fishing Area and Waterway Cleanups five years ago with the purpose of making these places clean of trash.
The most recent cleanup took place March 25 and nearly 130 people signed up and together picked up hundreds of bags filled with trash.
The vast majority of the volunteers were fishing men, women and youngsters of all ages. Among them were five members of the Gomez family, of San Benito.
“We all fish,” Jacqueline Gomez said. “This is one of our favorite spots.”
She said one of their sons caught his first Texas Grand Slam last year, referring to a trio made up of a flounder, a redfish and a speckled trout.
Gomez said their favorite way to fish is from kayaks.
David Cavazos, of Elsa, is a fisherman who belongs to a group called the
