Shrinkflation, Spotted Seatrout and You
I guess everybody has heard about “shrinkflation” by now.
The President has been famously touting the injustices of it by noting the recent change in the air-to-chip ratio of a bag of potato chips as a means by which corporate fat cats keep the commoners at bay while they, themselves, continue to live high on the hog.
More politics – blah, blah freaking blah.
I know I said I was going to stay away from politics, but ‘tis the season and I can’t help myself - especially now that I found out shrinkflation affects more than just a bag of Lays.
Indeed, I was shocked and dismayed to find out my former employer, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), would be shorting a bag of a different sort.
The TPWD calendar runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 each year. When the current Outdoor Annual went into effect on Sept. 1, 2023, spotted seatrout regulations allowed for a daily bag limit of five fish within a 15–25-inch slot limit.
One fish over 25 inches could be retained as part of the daily bag limit. BUT – as of March 26, 2024, all that has changed.
Now, only three fish within a 15–20-inch slot limit may be retained as part of the daily bag limit and one fish over 30 inches may be included as part of said limit. The possession limit remains twice the daily bag.
Follow me for a minute or two… You know, there’s been a hubbub about the price of bluefin tuna for some time now. According to a January 7, 2024, New York Post article, a bluefin tuna weighing more than 500 pounds sold for $800,000 – that’s roughly $1600 per pound. Sheesh!
I was in Port Mansfield one windy evening a while back and stopped in at the marina on the north side of the harbor to get a few items for the fishing trip I planned the next day.
While walking by the boat ramp on my way inside, I saw a man backing a brand-new pickup truck down the ramp to trailer a brand-new boat another man was driving towards the trailer.
I was struck by the amount of cash whichever one of those guys owned that rig had in it - probably close to $200,000.
The trailering of the boat didn’t go well. In between the forward and backward revs of the motor, I could hear those guys cursing each other. I shook my head and went inside the store.
After about 10 minutes of procuring whatever what-nots I needed for the following day, I walked out. Those guys still hadn’t gotten that boat on the trailer.
Man – I felt bad for those guys then, but I REALLY feel bad for them now.
Let’s play with some numbers, shall we? We won’t count the truck. We’ve got a $100,000 boat we got to put gas in – we’ll say $100 for that.
Also: Super combo license for two - $136.00.
Refreshments, food, lotions and salves - $75.00 Bait and ice - $40.00. You get the point. We’re still not in bluefin tuna territory, but the recent shrinkflation in the seatrout size and bag limit is significant for some.
All joking aside, I realize that this is done for the sake of conservation for future generations and all that happy stuff. I can’t say I’m against it.
BUT - I also can’t say that I don’t miss the days when a guy could take his family out on a pier somewhere, catch a few fish – maybe a few golden croakers (that’s another story) or even a 24-inch spotted seatrout - that he could batter up and chunk in some oil later on.
Those days were priceless.
Jon Brauchle spent 29 years as a game warden.
