by John Jefferson

Last week, I reported that a large American eel had washed up on Mustang Island near Port Aransas. I’ve trudged much of the island and found a lot of dead sea life — but no big fish. Nor even a note in a bottle.

But a few Texas newspapers recently carried a compelling photo and story about Jace Turner, director of the Mission-Aransas Reserve at U.T. Marine Science Institute in Pt. A., finding what was said to be an endangered American eel dead on the beach.

I contacted Mr. Turner and used the image of him and his dead eel. He estimated it as between four and five feet long and weighing about six pounds. He left it where had found it after taking pictures.

I also contacted the TPWD office in Rockport, hoping to catch Mark Fisher, their Marine Science Director. Fisher was unavailable and his assistant emailed me that they didn’t think it was an American eel, nor was it endangered. I had completed the column when I received her message but added to the photo caption that some didn’t think it was an American eel.

On Monday, last week, Fisher returned my call. He said American eels usually don’t get that big in the Gulf and confirmed that it wasn’t on the Endangered list. He said it was probably a king snake eel. I had written that my reference book said snake eels didn’t inhabit the western Gulf. We compared the copyright dates of my book and Fisher’s and his had a later date. His more recent edition didn’t negate the presence of snake eels in the Gulf. I stand corrected.

It now appears that TPWD and U.T. agree it was a king snake eel. They can be aggressive to humans.

Lake O.H. Ivie continues to be the hottest largemouth bass lake in America! Bass anglers watch the first three months of the year — Legacy Class period of the Toyota ShareLunker program for 13-pound or better bass. It closes March 31.

This year, Ivie produced the first 13-pounder on January 15. A Legacy ShareLunker from Lake Nacogdoches scored the second one before Ivie rampaged SIX in a row! One from Lake Alan Henry logged in before Ivie landed two more prior to February 17 press time. One of those weighed 17.03-pounds! As I wrapped up this column, the West Texas lake near San Angelo had produced NINE. With the Legacy season just two days over halfway to closing, it looks like Ivie will make it three consecutive seasons with at least twelve Sharelunkers in each!

I called Lynn Wright, regional fisheries biologist in San Angelo, about Ivie’s future. He pointed to the dramatic 35-foot rise in the lake in 2018. It flooded shoreline vegetation, practically creating a new lake.

Will these Wonder Years last? Probably not. Ivie is slowly receding. All good things end. Wright said Ivie loses about five feet per year as drought persists.

But for now, Ivie reigns … even if the clouds don’t.

JJ