Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21
POINT ISABEL
FISH CATCH IS
IND In TEXAS
Fish Formerly Shipped
out by Beat to all Paris
Of State; Haul Increas-
ing Yearly

Although the Rio G ande Valley is
just coming into its own as one of the
recognized shipping points Of products
to all parts Of the stale, Point Isabel,
the little city resting s~erenely on a port
that is to be the Valleys new gateway
to further progress, has held sway for
many years as one of the principal ship
ing points in the state for fish.
Back in the good old days" fish went
out from Point Isabel in steamers,
skiffs, ships and schooners to Calves
ton, New Orleans and other ports, and
from these ports was shipped inland.
There was no railroad into the Valley
at that time, and the few ranch houses
of this section were supplied with fish
carried over the almost unbeaten paths
in wagons. The army post, Brownsville
and point on up the Valley received
supplies of fish from Point Isabel, as
they do today.
Pioneers in the fish industry at Point
Isabel were Commodore Louis Cobolini,
whose son, j. G. Cobolini, still operates
the fish business founded by his ia
Their, and JOIN Champion and others,
many Of whom still live at Point Isabel
or in Brownsville.
Railroad Built
After 1872, the year the Rio Grande
Railway was constructed, fish was ship
ped in on this road. For many years, in
fact almost half a century, the princip-
al cargo has been fish and other salt
wa.er products on the trip in to
Brownsville, and ice and provis ons from
Brownsville to Point Isabel to supply
the fishermen there. Now that deep
water is in SIGHT at Point Isabel, and
the Standardization of the Rio Grande
Railway nearing completing, Point Is
abel bids once more to take its place as
a shipping point.
The Importance of TIE gulf wate~s
around Point Isabel in supplying fish
is shown by the fact that a total of
100000 pounds of fish was shipped
from Point Isabel during the fiscal year
ending July l of this year, according
to figures given out by j. G. Burr, aud
itor of the game, fish and oyster COM
mission. This total is practically dou-
BILE the amount that was shipped out the
preceding year, and Point Isabel is sec
ond to Corpus Christi and adjacent
cities in shipments Of fish during the
year.
Closed Season Removed
Several years ago the fishermen at
Point Isabel complained of the closed
season on trout, red fish and other
types of fish, declaring that they could
not make a living during the two
months of the year that the season was
closed, and asserting that the fish did
not breed in the waters Of the Laguna
MoIra Tho ctata panp fish and OYSTER
commission sent an inspector here,
Finlay Simmons, who worked IN the La
guna for several weeks securing speci-
mems of the small fish in the waters of
the Laguna. The result of the inspec-
tion was that the closed season on fish
was abolished, although a certain pro-
tected area was left.
The large increase in the fish caught
during the last year has not been en-
tirely accounted for by fishermen at
Point Isabel, other than the belief that
the supply has noticeably INCREASED.
There are only q few more fishermen
at the Point, while the catch of fish
almost doubled.
Several measures looking toward i'm
provement of conditions in regard to
the fishing industry are being consider
ed al the present time. One Of these IS
the opening Of another pass through the
bar in the Laguna Madre in order to Sc
cure better distribution Of the sweet
water from the Rio G.ande. 1t is point
ed out that the water in the Laguna IS
extremely salty, due to the few rivers
emptying into it, and that more sweet
water is needed for fish.
Protected Areas
The creation of several more protect
cd areas is being considered II order
that the fish will not be distu bed dur
mo breeding season. The trout in par
tirnlar need protection during breeding
season as they spawn in the shallow
waters along tie coast line, while the
red fish is a notable exception to TINS
rule.
The new channel which's be ng dFeg-
ed through the Brazos Santiago pass
will help som in giving more circula-
tio7 to the waters Of the Rio Grande.
The Brazos pass is the first opening
that fish can go though coming up
from the south. and offers them a place
to 90 into the shallow waters and teed.
The fact that the pass at Point lsapel
Is one of the few into the Laguna IS
ore of the reasons for the excellent flsh
ing there. l. may he necessary Tor the
state TO close certain waters from flsh-
ing to enable trout to spawn, as TINS
question is being considered now, and
a biologist probably will come here TO
Investigate before action is taken.