TPWD Biologists Propose 3 Trout Limit, Slot Limit For Much Of Coast
In Memory of Aaron Martens
November 9, 2021
Fall Flippin’ For Big Bass
November 16, 2021
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologists have recommended the following special trout regulations.
*Past emergency rule provisions
*3 fish bag limit
*17 to 23-inch slot limit. No fish over 23 inches.
*From Laguna Madre north through East Matagorda Bay.
*Rule to expire on Aug. 31, 2023 and revert back to previous rule.
We thank Shane Bonnot from CCA from sending over this slide from a TPWD presentation and sharing it out on social media. At the time of this writing we have not been able to get a TPWD interview on the issue but are working on one for next week. This will most likely go to public hearings, perhaps in December. We’ll keep you posted.
What are your thoughts?
Comment below.
TF&G Staff
35 Comments
Ok with slot. Not in favor of 3 fish bag limit.
I think 4 Bag Limit slot of 13-22. Does anyone really need to keep trout over 22inches? Take a picture and throw it back. Louisiana has been keeping the size at 12 and 25 for many many years. People tend to keep the smaller trout and the larger wiser ones are left to reproduce.
Just make everything 3… 3 reds, trout, flounder, sheephead and drum. Thats PER DAY PER PERSON. Thats plenty of damn fish. Most people let em freezer burn anyway. The haters just want to puff that chest out and brag. Screw them…. the fishery pressure has changed. There are tons of people fishing now. Plus technology and the ol cell phone to call the fleet in are game changers.
Trout slot should be 14″-24″ with a bag limit of 10. Flounder were not affected by the freeze so there should have not been any changes this year to the flounder regulations. CCA needs to focus more on their hatcheries and expanding the trout, flounder, and even stone crab releases…
Should make the limit 15 to 20 inches and make it for everyone not just a certain area of the state and yes make the limit 3. Then for flounder make the limit 3 instead of 5 and close the season for them all November and all December also make the size for them 15 to 20 inches or 14 to 19 inches. Tgis just makes more sense to me hope yall take it up and put this into effect and give me feedback about my paragraph
I agree completely! That needs to be permanent and coast wide.15 to 20 inches on trout, with a bag limit of 3 per day and a tag for one over 20 per year like the redfish.
They should also ban in state shrimping, they would also help bring back the fish numbers.
I know guides need to make money however when you have 100 guides taking two parties a day of 4 people that’s 160 fish per day per boat that’s 16000 fish per day how can that sustain a fishery
I would like to see a permanent ban on flounder gigging
100 upvotes
Thanks for the support
I am in favor of both the slot limit and the bag limit. I would even be fine with a daily bag limit of 2. I believe it should be a state wide mandate. I remember how long it took to recover from the freeze in 1985 so anything to help the fishery recover faster I am in favor of.
Close all trout for 24 months then set limit as per emergency limit.
Agree on both, limit and slot, but will be tough on guides
All or none
I think it should be state wide! Sounds kike a political gesture to exclude Galveston. I thought the freeze also affected the Louisiana coast as well but I see them still slaughtering 25 fish per person . It doesn’t seem to be slowing down their fishery according to pictures on the guide’s web sites.
I would be interested to hear about this from the Guides point of view. It would be easier and quicker to limit out, thus, putting more pressure on other species like Reds! Since it would be a temporary measure, I think most anglers would go for it, and the Guides would support it as well, as it would benefit all in the long run.
I hadn’t been down to the coast for several years and went down to Pt OcConnor several weeks ago on a Friday during the high winds. It was 25 gusting to 35, but, we went out with Capt. Eddie anyway. I was amazed at how many boats were out there; there were boats everywhere! We didn’t even try for Trout, but, limited out on Reds and were back in by 1 p.m. There is really a lot of pressure on those fish these days! Whatever needs to be done, let’s do it for future generations!!!
“Guides would support it as well, as it would benefit all in the long run.”
I think you might be overestimating most people’s ability to value long-term solutions over short-term gain. Hope I’m wrong.
Leave limits alone. Do something about the 100’s of oyster boats and make croaker a game fish.
This should have been imposed a long time ago right after the freeze. Lower Laguna madre is really bad trout wise as far as I can tell. Haven’t been able to find any trout in my usual spots compared to the last 5-6 years.
Saying we weren’t hit hard is a joke. It really sounds like big players got involved that didn’t want to see SPI tourism dwindle down due to the fishery taking a hit like it did. Port Mansfield trout pop was decimated yet spi is fine? Hmm… nice one Texas.
I agree 100% with the 3 trout limit but think the slot could be moved to 15” to 22”. In my experience the smaller fish tend to be hurt more when hooked. Bleeding trout do not survive so a 15” minimum would take pressure off the larger end of the slot. I would also suggest single, barbless hooks whether fishing with natural or artificial baits.
I fish the POC area and had no trouble finding trout. It was harder finding salt water than finding fish. By my records we had a very good year. We had a major Freeze followed by historical Flooding. Several friends and I spent time on the water after the freeze and the weeks that followed, the biggest concentration of dead trout was in Pringle lake, other than that we saw mostly redfish and drum., as far as game fish go. The fresh water inflow was historic in San Antonio bay, Espiritu Santo, Mesquite, Mission, Carlos, Hynes, Lavaca, and Parts of West Matagorda bay were fresh from March through most of June. I saw more gar in the bay this year than I have ever seen, is TPWD taking this into account. Trout will move away from that fresh water. If you want to look at a change for the next 2 years why not change the size limit to 14 to 18 inches and start harvesting some of the male fish, this would allow for more females to spawn over the next 2 years. Lastly I have noticed a big increase in tournaments I know some have gone to live weigh in and CPR but it adds to the issue. I have full faith in TPWD they have done a good job with the redfish, snapper, and flounder, I just think they need to take the fresh water runoff into account I know it skewed the survey this year.
Quit closing saltwater inlets (rollover pass and such) for development $$$, and shut down bay shrimping that kills all by- catch. the detrimental mandates are always on the recreational fisherman. It’s the every day changes that are not addressed that cause all (99%) of the damage or slow down the recovery. Common sense seems to fade away when $$$ for other areas (real estate/commercial fishing) start barking for more money or resources.
The number of Guides should be controlled just like the oyster and other permits. They are the ones that are putting the most pressure on fish. The second biggest pressure on fish is the public. Since the Plandimic (Covid) more people are not working and fishing more. Oyster harvesting should have better controls. Reefs in East Matagorda Bay have disappeared from the Oyster Boats.
Tournament have grown, there should be limits just like anything else.
If there is a need to cut fish limits, it is time to reduce limits for Guides and Tournaments.
I think it should be 3 fish 17” to 23”. People don’t realize how hard the coast was hit by the freeze.
whatever it takes
We need to lower the size limits. 14-21 inches is a good slot. 3 trout limit seems smart, especially since this is a 2 year program. I also think ALL tournaments that kill fish should be cancelled until our numbers bounce back. There are plenty of ways to have tournaments without the angler bringing the fish to the weigh ins.
Most of the fish I catch are in the 16 inch range. If the size limit is increased, more trout will be unintentionally killed during catch and release. Most of us fish maybe once a month and don’t always limit out. Increased size limit will cause me to stop spending money of fishing ie bait, license, CCA membership etc. Stop the slaughter of the guide business by limiting the number of guides!
I like the following thoughts:
1) Reduce the lower end length to allow for more of the mortally injured fish to be part of the bag limits
2). 3 fish limit seems reasonable (trout)
3). Probably should also lower the Redfish limit to compensate for the increase in pressure on the Reds.
4). Single barb hooks should also help with fish mortality
5). Long range plan to begin to limit guide licensing and bay shrimping….
The new “”Texas Mandatory Fish Kill Law””
17”-23” is absolutely absurd! I may be able to fish once a month due to my job, and I have to play that around wind and weather. I am not guaranteed 5 fish everytime I go out. Even at that we catch many 15-17” eaters. With the slot change thousands upon thousands of fish in the 15-17 range will die because we have to throw them back. Every fish caught has a 50/50 survival rate when released. It will be depressing watching all the dead fish because we can’t keep them. 3 fish limit? So be it, but make the slot from 15”-19”. No fish over 20” if they’re this concerned about it. Why kill the breeders over the 20” margin? Makes no sense! If anything limit the guides. More times than not they know exactly where the fish are because they are pulling from our resources multiple times a day and multiple times a week. My 5 trout (or possibly 3 per month) vs. their 100+ fish per week! Recreational fishermen aren’t the ones hurting anglers. Do something out the guides. Come January 1st 6:00am, have a set number of licenses. Make it first come first serve. Simple as that. Why should I get punished my 1 maybe 2 days a month? I appreciate the very few times I do get my 5 trout limit. Most of the time they are in the 15”-17” range! I am great full for those times, but won’t get too many of this rule
Get ready Texas for more fish to die because they aren’t 17”.
Lastly INCREASE REDFISH TO 5! Maybe even a 18”-28” slot.
Ok with the slot size change but not the bag limit. We fish the Port O’Conner area which was not effected as bad as a lot of areas. We still caught good trout throughout the summer.
I rarely catch a darn thing, and I fish a bit. I’m happy to just take home one eater each time I hit the water.
15-19” trout slot sounds great. 3 trout bag limit sounds good too, with no oversized allowed. Cut back big time on oyster boats, and make croaker a game fish. Drop the limits on flounder too and close their season during spawning. Flounder should be a game fish, no commercial harvest!
Don’t punish guides, they do what they love and it would be awful if that was your living and you could not get a license. With changes in bag limits it would reduce their amount of fish caught as well.
I”m not okay with either changes. The reason I’m not okay with it it because even though they say it will only be for a year, it probably won’t. I have never known TPWD to relax regulations on bags and sizes once they are put into effect. The rules we have now for redfish are archaic and were put in place when there were commercial fishermen netting them. Now they have rebounded and populated to the point where they actually could be detrimental to other fish like trout. Your kids will never know what it’s like to fish the “Flounder Run” in November. We will probably never get to fish for them in November again and some of you are fine with that. I’m not. I don’t live on the coast and I fished the flounder run in November because I have always eaten flounder during the November run. That’s another thing. I’m willing to bet a lot of these people on here that are okay with this don’t even keep the fish they catch anyway. I”m a fish eater. I don’t catch fish just for the fun of it. I keep and eat what I legally catch. I take my parents fish to eat since my dad is too old to fish anymore himself. You want to increase trout populations? Limit guides to one trip per day and how about relaxing the redfish regs to 5 a day and or an 18″-28″ slot.
I’m totally opposed to tight rules on sports fishermen when Guides are killing 80+% of our trout day after day . If the trout populations need some relief then reduce bag limits for guided fishermen .
We outlawed Commercial Trout netters years ago because they were decimating our fish and making a commercial living by selling the publics fishes . I fail to see why guides today are not seen in that same fashion .. They are making a living by selling the public’s fishes with the same effect the netters had ???????
The slot sizes makes little sense to me .. 90% of today’s keepable catches are 15″ to 17″ , now that major part of catches will be returned where half die from handling and the other half are eaten by dolphins who have learned to wait by boats for undersized trout to be thrown over when those smaller trout could fill a limit and the killing stop…20 trout between 15″ and 17″ will be killed by handling before most people box that first 17 1/2″ trout .. We’ve been killing tons of trout for years now by throwing them ” back to death” since the 12″ size was outlawed that could have been utilized in the limits and not wasted ..
17″ to 23″ slot keepers ? Aren’t the bulk of trout breeders actually in that range ? And aren’t the bigger trout the ones that produce the most eggs ? Why not set a slot down low like 13″ to 18″ so the limits removed are the younger less productive trout ?
I’m not sure Matagorda Bays need restricitons if these are based on netting surveys this summer when we know record fresh water pushed the trout out to the Gulf end of the bay. Lavaca Bay was mostly fishless until late summer when the salt water returned and trout numbers seemed normal after that .
Proposals ? Leave rules as is for sport fishermen .. Proposed rules for Guided fishermen only and NO fishing by guides allowed . Reduce oyster boats , and reduce shrimping in the bay with maybe rest periods for the by catch to recover and the silt to stop killing oyster spats .. Perhaps shrimping in the bays on alternate days perhaps to let bottoms settle . Why set limits on sports fishermen on flounder for example when we all know that each hours drag by 30 shrimp boats on Matagorda Bay kill 100 baby flounder on each drag .
My overall proposal is that if the trout population needs a reduced catch to give it two years to reproduce , why have a minimum legal size limit ? No minimum and perhaps some maximum to protect breeders such as 18″ for two years would mean in the long run with people limited to 3 or even 5 fish they will take those small trout as their limit and leave the bigger ones to breed and the inadvertant and foolish rules that mean we must waste that 14 7/8″ trout today who is hooked deeply and bleeding … A need to protect breeders ? Then set a max size for keepers for two years , but I can’t see where catching and returning undersized trout makes sense , killing them while you continue to seek that bigger minumum is harmful to the total numbers .