| (a) The possession limit applies to all aquatic animal
life in the possession of or stored by any person, but does not apply
to aquatic animal life that has been lawfully obtained and for which
a person possesses an invoice or sales ticket showing the name and
address of the seller or person from whom the aquatic animal life
was obtained, the amount of aquatic animal life by number and species,
date of the sale, and any other information required on a sales ticket
or invoice.
(b) There are no bag, possession, or length limits
on game fish, non-game fish, or shellfish, except as otherwise provided
in this subchapter.
(1) Possession limits are twice the daily bag limit
on game fish, non-game fish, and shellfish, except as provided in
this subchapter.
(2) For flounder, the possession limit is the daily
bag limit.
(3) The bag limit for a guided fishing party is equal
to the total number of persons in the boat licensed to fish or otherwise
exempt from holding a license minus each fishing guide and fishing
guide deckhand multiplied by the bag limit for each species harvested.
(4) The statewide daily bag and length limits for commercial
fishing shall be as follows.
(A) Amberjack, greater.
(i) Daily bag limit: 1.
(ii) Minimum length: 34 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: No limit.
(B) Catfish.
(i) channel and blue (including hybrids and subspecies).
The provisions of subclauses (I) - (III) of this clause apply on all
waters for which an exception is not provided under subclause (IV)
of this clause.
(I) Daily bag limit: 25 (in any combination).
(II) Minimum length limit: 14 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(IV) Exceptions.
(-a-) Lakes Caddo (Harrison and Marion counties), Livingston
(Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker counties), Sam Rayburn (Angelina,
Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, and San Augustine counties), and Toledo
Bend (Newton Sabine, and Shelby counties), and the Sabine River (Newton
and Orange counties) from Toledo Bend dam to the I.H. 10 bridge.
(-1-) 50 (in any combination).
(-2-) No more than five catfish 30 inches or greater
in length may be retained each day.
(-b-) Any lake lying totally within a state park and
community fishing lakes: 5 (in any combination).
(-c-) Counties where sale and purchase of catfish taken
from public fresh water is allowed under the provisions of Parks and
Wildlife Code, §66.111(b)(5): 25 (in any combination).
(ii) Gaffstopsail.
(I) No daily bag limit.
(II) Minimum length limit: 14 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(C) Cobia.
(i) Daily bag limit: 1.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 40 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(D) Drum, black.
(i) Daily bag limit: None.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 14 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: 30 inches.
(E) Flounder: all species (including hybrids and subspecies).
(i) Daily bag limit: 30. Possession limit is equal
to the daily bag limit.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 15 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(iv) During November, lawful means are restricted to
pole-and-line only and the bag and possession limit for flounder is
two. For the first 14 days in December, the bag and possession limit
is two, and flounder may be taken by any legal means. On September
1, 2021, the provisions of this clause cease effect.
(v) Beginning September 1, 2021, the season for flounder
is closed from November 1 through December 14 every year.
(F) Gar, alligator.
(i) Daily bag limit:
(I) On Falcon International Reservoir: 5.
(II) Remainder of the state: 1.
(ii) No minimum length limit.
(iii) No maximum length limit except that on the Trinity
River and all tributary waters from the I-30 bridge in Dallas County
downstream through Anderson, Ellis, Freestone, Henderson, Houston,
Kaufman, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Navarro, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity,
and Walker counties to the I-10 bridge in Chambers County, including
the East Fork of the Trinity River and all tributaries upstream to
the Lake Ray Hubbard dam, the maximum length limit is 48 inches.
(iv) During May, no person shall take alligator gar
from, or possess alligator gar while on, the Red River (including
Lake Texoma) and all tributaries that drain directly or indirectly
to the Red River on the Texas/Oklahoma boundary in Cooke, Grayson,
Fannin, Lamar, Red River, and Bowie counties.
(v) any person who takes an alligator gar in the public
waters of this state other than Falcon International Reservoir shall
report the harvest via the department's website or mobile application
within 24 hours of take.
(vi) Between one half-hour after sunset and one half-hour
before sunrise, any lawful means other than lawful archery equipment
and crossbow may be used to take an alligator gar in the portion of
the Trinity River described in subsection (d)(1)(L)(ii) of this section.
In the portion of the Trinity River described in §57.981(d)(1)(L)(ii)
of this title (relating to Bag, Possession and Length Limits), no
person may take an alligator gar by means of lawful archery equipment
or crossbow between one half-hour after sunset and one half-hour before
sunrise, or possess an alligator gar taken by means of lawful archery
equipment or crossbow between one half-hour after sunset and one half-hour
before sunrise.
(G) Grouper.
(i) Black.
(I) Daily bag limit: 4.
(II) Minimum length limit: 24 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(ii) Gag.
(I) Daily bag limit: 2.
(II) Minimum length limit: 24 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(iii) Goliath. The take of Goliath grouper is prohibited.
(iv) Nassau. The take of Nassau grouper is prohibited.
(H) Mackerel.
(i) King.
(I) Daily bag limit: 3.
(II) Minimum length limit: 27 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(ii) Spanish.
(I) Daily bag limit: 15.
(II) Minimum length limit: 14 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(I) Mullet: all species (including hybrids, and subspecies).
(i) No daily bag limit.
(ii) No minimum length limit.
(iii) From October through January, no mullet more
than 12 inches in length may be taken from public waters or possessed
on board a vessel.
(J) Shark: all species (including hybrids and subspecies).
(i) all species other than the species listed in clauses
(ii) - (iv) of this subparagraph:
(I) Daily bag limit: 1.
(II) Minimum length limit: 64 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(ii) Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, and bonnethead:
(I) Daily bag limit: 1.
(II) Minimum length limit: 24 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(iii) great, scalloped, and smooth hammerhead:
(I) Daily bag limit: 1.
(II) Minimum length limit: 99 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(iv) The take of the following species of sharks from
the waters of this state is prohibited and they may not be possessed
on board a vessel at any time:
(I) Atlantic angel;
(II) Basking;
(III) Bigeye sand tiger;
(IV) Bigeye sixgill;
(V) Bigeye thresher;
(VI) Bignose;
(VII) Caribbean reef;
(VIII) Caribbean sharpnose;
(IX) Dusky;
(X) Galapagos;
(XI) Longfin mako;
(XII) Narrowtooth;
(XIII) Night;
(XIV) Sandbar;
(XV) Sand tiger;
(XVI) Sevengill;
(XVII) Shortfin mako;
(XVIII) Silky;
(XIX) Sixgill;
Cont'd... |
