TPWD Scoping New Speck Regulations
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is seeking public input on the proposed rules changing bag and size limits for spotted seatrout on the middle and lower Texas coast. The proposed rules would reduce the spotted seatrout bag limit to 3 fish and restrict the allowable size to 17-23 inches for two years. The goal of this rule is to leave more spawning fish in the water for two spawning seasons in order to help the populations recover quickly from the 2021 winter storm. These regulation changes would only affect Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, Aransas Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, and the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre systems.
The public is encouraged to provide comment on the proposed regulation changes. Opportunities to provide comments for or against these proposals include:
- Public hearings: TPWD Coastal Fisheries staff will be hosting several public hearings on the coast to receive input from stakeholders and constituents concerning the proposed regulation changes.
- Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. at the Natural Resources Center (Room 1003), Corpus Christi, TX 78412
- Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Port Isabel Event and Cultural Center, 309 Railroad Street, Port Isabel, TX 78578
- Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Aquarium at Rockport Harbor Education Center, 706 Navigation Circle, Rockport, TX 78382
- Thursday, Jan.13 from 6 p.m. -8 p.m. at the USDA Bauer Building, 186 Henry Barber Way, Port Lavaca, TX 77979
- Online: Official public comments of the changes can be provided on the TPWD public comment page until Jan. 26.
- Phone or Email: The Coastal Fisheries Division at 512-389-8575 or cfish@tpwd.texas.gov
- Zoom Webinar: TPWD Coastal Fisheries staff will present proposed fishing regulation changes and answer questions in an online webinar on Jan. 10 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. The webinar will also be posted on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will vote on the adoption of these rules during the January 2022 Commission Meeting.
25 Comments
Fully agree on new trout regulations
If your going to limit these areas . . . Heck might as well do all of the Texas Coast…
Coastwide change would be disastrous for the Sabine area!
All Texas anglers have to do is drive across the causeway and launch in Louisiana.
The limit there is 12″/15. The parking lot at the La. causeway was full most days this summer.
Moving the limit to 5 has already hurt us enough!
Was heavily abused in the LLM last time…was honor system…no enforcement…
Dont need this in Matagorda Bay at all. Plenty of trout. The freeze didn’t do anything here. BUT if they leave it at 5 here everyone will hammer us here so might as well just make it state wide for 2 years.
I’d like to think about a way to let the big aggressive males go free. If you think about it every other breeding program for any species requires a geneticly superior male or males to breed the geneticly superior females. I’m js.
well y’all screwed us in the lower laguna with the reds so why not the trout.
Might as well shut it down. I will not spend guide fee or fish with a 3 fish limit. 5 is bad enough.
I think that may be an unsaid objective. Fewer people will be willing to pay $800 for a trip to only catch a few fish and so that will ultimately reduce the number of fishing guides.
Remember when you could catch 10 trout in south Texas? Then they reduced it to 5, now it is 5 everywhere. Can you see where this is going?
Don’t forget also only a minimum…no maximum
The large trout are females that have an enormous amount of eggs as well as great genetics. I think TPWD should mandate catch and release trout over 21 or 22 inches for a two year period and evaluate results. You are assured that females are released.
The fish hatcheries should produce more trout and release in the back bay and not in the inter coastal where Tug boats can make sea gull food from them. There has to be a better way to give these young fish a chance of serving. Leave limits as they are.
I think this is s great idea. Put limits on much of the coast and just push anyone willing to drive a little further into Galveston Bay. Guides will want to. Fishermen from interior counties that cannot get to the coast often will flood an entire Bay system that is still in long-term recovery from years of drought, flood, channel dredging, and oyster depopulation. At the same time public access to the Bay system has decreased and the number of fishermen has greatly increased over the years. Seabrook and Kemah ramps do not exist anymore. This is just a recipe for a self-created depletion of resources in Galveston Bay…and then what? New regs to address the slaughter to address the situation that happens here? I am not saying there is or is not an issue on other parts of the coast but a blind man can see what these regs to do to population movement around G Bay.
I’m all for it if you really think it will work
Why not do like the redfish…allow 1 per year over the legal limit…with a tag
3 fish aday will probably cause less people fishing which in the long run will hurt the retail fishing industry gear bait guides boat sells etc and we wouldn’t need as many game wardens. I heard rumors the guides pushed for the 5 fish limit, if the limit goes to 3, I would believe most fishermen will not pay the price for a guide.
What are you guys thinking. I lived in Louisiana before Katrina and moved to Houston and I find it is a waste of money to purchase a fishing license ,the expenses to own a boat, pay for storage ,purchase bait, Ice, gas then go and catch 3 fish.
Shame on you Texas.
What everyone is missing is that you can catch as many as you want. You can only keep a limit.
If you have a boat or you hire a Guide, there is a lot less expensive way to eat fish.
Enjoy the great Outdoors the good Lord has given us. Fishing is a great Sport.
One of my best days on the Water. My wife and I took a Challenge person and his Able body helper fishing and we caught 128 Trout in 3 hours and did not keep one. That’s right! We release them all. What fun!
I drive down from Oklahoma to fish 2 days a year to fish with my friends and am happy to take fresh fillets home! The amount of money that I spend locally far out covers the cost of a few fish. You are going to kill small businesses and related occupations by reducing the already limits on other fish.
I think they should change the slot limit from 15″-25″ down to 14″-20″ and keep the limit at 5 fish. Most of your larger trout are females and your 14″ trout are males. We need more females in the bay system to help replenish the stock. If you fish live bait and hook a trout deep you are going to most likely kill it. This way more people will still enjoy the outdoors. Guides still be able to support their families and bait stands will stay in business.
I like your suggestion the best.. it totally makes sense
It’s sad but most of the fish that are hooked deep and will die are undersized. No matter if your using live bait or artificial. Treble hocks are the worst.
It breaks my heart to have to put an undersized fish back knowing it’s going to die.
Outlaw croaker as bait and let them become a game fish. Move the slot down to 14 to 18 inches and keep the limit at 5. My brother and I fished L reef, Cali hole, Ransom, and Dagger on Monday the 27th. We caught fat keeper trout at every spot. Our estimate was 40 to 45 keepers between 16 and 24 inches. We caught a total of 150 to 175 trout from 8am to 2pm. We used shrimp and arti’s. No deep hook sets and released every fish. Be smart and let the smaller fish be the prize because they are what most folks catch and kill the most. Keep the big males and females out of the slot and let the little guys go home to the grill.
Welcome to the new Russia…
Oh wait… you don’t even need a fishing license in Russia and you can keep what you want.
Good thing is, Louisiana isn’t very far and they aren’t retarded with fishery limits.