No-fishing zones have been a hot topic of conversation on these pages over the years.

    Beginning with President Bill Clinton’s executive order that created millions of acres of no-fishing areas in the Pacific to the recent push to shut down fishing at the Flower Gardens out of Galveston, we have never kept our eye off this story.

    Government-enforced no fishing zones are a terrible idea and anyone who supports them obviously thinks our illustrious leaders are also doing a good job managing health care, trade and our borders.

In other words, they are delusional.

    The truth is no-fishing zones are already here; they just do not have the fancy title.

    I along with thousand of other anglers have to deal with a 120,000 plus acre no fishing zone every year on Sabine Lake as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) shuts down fishing in the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Oct. 15-March 15.

    The very best fishing opportunities in my entire region are off limits for five months and for no good reason.

    I have heard excuses ranging from waterfowl management to a lack of funding for wardens but the reality is we paid for the land, pay for its management and cannot utilize it during some of the best fishing times.

    The huge Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) has an open season for April 15-Oct. 15 knocking back angling opportunities for half a calendar year. In the Laguna Atascosca NWR fishing is allowed only in Adolph Thomae, Jr. Park.

    When you take into account the impending shutdown of Rollover Pass, the restriction of beach access all along the coast, the huge loss of piers and the Texas City Dike from Hurricane Ike we have huge no-fishing zones already in place and restricting anglers.

    No-fishing zones are no-fishing zones whether they are given that title or are simply fishable areas anglers cannot fish. The reason you have not heard much about these default no fishing zones is because they affect mainly low to middle-income bank fishermen.

    The official no-fishing zones that some are rightfully afraid will come to the Gulf affect rich, influential guys fishing for dolphin, wahoo, marlin and other species most anglers will never catch. For some sad reason, those who fish for reds, specks and flounder from the bank or simply like to crab do not get the same kind of concerns placed over their fishing holes.

    I have nothing against rich, influential guys. In fact, I would really like to be the rich part of that equation but it is time we all see what is really happening with fishing access and do something about it.

     We have all made a lot of fuss over red snapper but that fishery only represents a tiny minority of Texas anglers. I agree things are messed up with their management but we have no fishing zones creeping up everywhere and I have not heard a peep.

    Have you?

    Last year during one of the flounder regulation scoping meetings, a couple of commercial anglers suggested we prohibit fishing around the passes during the fall run. In other words, create a no-fishing zone.

    I along with others spoke against the idea and TPWD wisely shot it down but you heard it here first, official no-fishing zones have been brought to the table here in Texas.

    The truth is they do not scare me nearly as much as the low-key ones.

    We can easily get the angling community riled up over something with “No Fishing” in its title. However, while we were sleeping hundreds of thousands of acres were taken away from anglers. It is time to do something about it.

Chester Moore, Jr. is The News Outdoors Editor. To contact Chester Moore, e-mail him at cmoore@fishgame.com. You can hear him on the radio Fridays from 6-7 p.m. on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI or online at www.klvi.com.)