EDITOR’S Notes by CHESTER MOORE, JR. :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief
Waves of Unusual Size
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NEXPECTED OR “ROGUE waves” are one of, if not the most frightening thing an angler or boater can encounter. Waves of dangerous heights catch people offguard each year and unfortunately kill people in Texas and other areas of the Gulf Coast. Texas Fish & Game has learned of a couple of areas in Galveston Bay as well as other locations where large waves from a combination of shipping traffic, currents, and wind sometimes cause dangerous situations. Have you ever encountered one of these “rogue” waves in a bay or channel in Texas? If so email me at chester@chestermoore.com. We would love to hear your story. We want to share a special investigative story in the July/ August issue as well as a series of follow-ups in the Fish & Game report e-newsletter. From what we have uncovered so far, this issue is large, widespread, and has impacted a lot of people along the Texas Gulf Coast. For example, reader Chris Polnick recently shared this harrowing encounter with us. “Across from the dike quite a few years back, a buddy and I were doing some night fishing. We were out at the end of the small jetty. The waters were calm. We were out there a few hours, and I estimated the water line at the time to be at least three feet below the top of the jetty. Suddenly, a wave hit the jetty and the water pulled way back off the rocks and wave number two was enough to splash us,” he said. Polnick said as the water pulled even further back from the second wave, the duo had just enough time to grab what they could before the third wave washed across the top of the jetty, “Luckily for us, we were able to maintain our footing. Much higher and we would have been
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of the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee’s website,” he said. As far as coastal stories go, this is in my opinion on par with the award-winning great whites of the Gulf Coast series of articles we have published. It is deeply interesting. What’s coming in the next issue will be a truly unique look at situations too many anglers find themselves in more frequently than I even thought.
pushed off the jetty for sure. We lost some tackle boxes, a rod, and a few other items. You don’t think much about a life jacket on the jetty, but we came real close to needing one that night!” After posting an article at fishgame.com asking for rogue wave stories, I got an email from David Clark, the Recreational Boater Safety Representative for the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee in the Houston- Galveston area. He is also Chairman of a Working Group that was formed in early 2021 to increase recreational boater awareness of the waves generated by ships transiting the Houston Ship Channel. “We designed signage that will be placed at the boat ramps and other locations around the Galveston Bay Complex. The signs are being manufactured now and installation should begin in May. Currently, 5”x7” cards of the sign graphic are being displayed, along with other boating safety literature, at bait shops, marinas, fishing tackle stores, etc., in the area. The signs will have a QR code that directs people to the Recreational Boater Resources area F I S H
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And a personal encounter with one of these rogue waves in the Sabine system is what inspired a look into the issue. The story hopes to raise awareness and save lives. And it might just send cold shivers down your spine. Some of these stories are pretty intense.
Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com |
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4/11/22 11:06 AM
