| (a) In fresh water only, it is unlawful to fish with
more than 100 hooks on all devices combined.
(b) Game and non-game fish may be taken only by pole
and line in or on:
(1) community fishing lakes;
(2) sections of rivers lying totally within the boundaries
of state parks;
(3) any dock, pier, jetty, or other manmade structure
within a state park;
(4) the following lakes:
(A) Abilene (Abilene State Park in Taylor County);
(B) Cleburne (Cleburne State Park in Johnson County);
(C) Elm (Brazos Bend State Park in Fort Bend County);
(D) Fort Parker (Fort Parker State Park in Limestone
County);
(E) Mineral Wells (Mineral Wells State Park in Parker
County);
(F) Pilant (Brazos Bend State Park in Fort Bend County);
(G) Purtis Creek (Purtis Creek State Park in Henderson
and Van Zandt counties);
(H) Raven (Huntsville State Park in Walker County);
(I) Sheldon (Sheldon Lake State Park in Harris County);
(J) Tucker (Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in Palo
Pinto and Stephens counties); and
(K) Deputy Darren Goforth Park Lake (Harris County);
(5) Brushy Creek (Williamson County) from the Brushy
Creek Reservoir dam downstream to the Williamson/Milam county line;
(6) Canyon Lake Project #6 (Lubbock County);
(7) Lake Pflugerville (Travis County);
(8) North Concho River (Tom Green County) from O.C.
Fisher Dam to Bell Street Dam;
(9) South Concho River (Tom Green County) from Lone
Wolf Dam to Bell Street Dam; and
(10) Wheeler Branch (Somervell County).
(c) No person may employ more than two pole-and-line
devices at the same time on:
(1) any dock, pier, jetty, or other manmade structure
within a state park;
(2) community fishing lakes and the following lakes:
(A) Abilene (Abilene State Park in Taylor County);
(B) Cleburne (Cleburne State Park in Johnson County);
(C) Elm (Brazos Bend State Park in Fort Bend County);
(D) Fort Parker (Fort Parker State Park in Limestone
County);
(E) Mineral Wells (Mineral Wells State Park in Parker
County);
(F) Pilant (Brazos Bend State Park in Fort Bend County);
(G) Raven (Huntsville State Park in Walker County);
(H) Sheldon (Sheldon Lake State Park in Harris County);
(I) Tucker (Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in Palo
Pinto and Stephens counties); and
(J) Deputy Darren Goforth Park Lake (Harris County);
(3) Brushy Creek (Williamson County) from the Brushy
Creek Reservoir dam downstream to the Williamson/Milam county line;
(4) Canyon Lake Project #6 (Lubbock County);
(5) North Concho River (Tom Green County) from O. C.
Fisher Dam to Bell Street Dam; and
(6) South Concho River (Tom Green County) from Lone
Wolf Dam to Bell Street Dam.
(d) It is unlawful to take, attempt to take, or possess
fish caught in public waters of this state by any device, means, or
method other than as authorized in this subchapter.
(e) In salt water only, it is unlawful to fish with
any device that is marked with a buoy made of a plastic bottle(s)
of any color or size.
(f) Aquatic life (except threatened and endangered
species) not addressed in this subchapter may be taken only by hand
or with the devices defined as lawful for taking fish, crabs, oysters,
or shrimp in places and at times as provided by the Parks and Wildlife
Code and regulations adopted by the Parks and Wildlife Commission.
(g) Device restrictions. Devices legally used for taking
fresh or saltwater fish or shrimp may be used to take crab as authorized
by this subchapter.
(1) Cast net. It is unlawful to use a cast net exceeding
14 feet in diameter.
(A) Only non-game fish may be taken with a cast net.
(B) In salt water, non-game fish may be taken for bait
purposes only.
(2) Crab line. It is unlawful to fish a crab line for
commercial purposes that is not marked with a floating white buoy
not less than six inches in height, six inches in length and six inches
in width bearing the commercial crab fisherman's license plate number
in letters of a contrasting color at least two inches high attached
to the end fixtures.
(3) Crab trap. It is unlawful to:
(A) fish for commercial purposes under authority of
a commercial crab fisherman's license with more than 200 crab traps
at one time;
(B) fish for commercial purposes under authority of
a commercial finfish fisherman's license with more than 20 crab traps
at one time;
(C) fish for non-commercial purposes with more than
six crab traps at one time;
(D) fish a crab trap in the fresh waters of this state;
(E) fish a crab trap that:
(i) exceeds 18 cubic feet in volume;
(ii) is not equipped with at least two escape vents
(minimum 2-3/8 inches inside diameter) in each crab-retaining chamber,
and located on the outside trap walls of each chamber; and
(iii) is not equipped with a degradable panel. A trap
shall be considered to have a degradable panel if one of the following
methods is used in construction of the trap:
(I) the trap lid tie-down strap is secured to the trap
by a loop of untreated jute twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #530)
or sisal twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #390). The trap lid must
be secured so that when the twine degrades, the lid will no longer
be securely closed; or
(II) the trap lid tie-down strap is secured to the
trap by a loop of untreated steel wire with a diameter of no larger
than 20 gauge. The trap lid must be secured so that when the wire
degrades, the lid will no longer be securely closed; or
(III) the trap contains at least one sidewall, not
including the bottom panel, with a rectangular opening no smaller
than 3 inches by 6 inches. Any obstruction placed in this opening
may not be secured in any manner except:
(-a-) it may be laced, sewn, or otherwise obstructed
by a single length of untreated jute twine (comparable to Lehigh brand
#530) or sisal twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #390) knotted only
at each end and not tied or looped more than once around a single
mesh bar. When the twine degrades, the opening in the sidewall of
the trap will no longer be obstructed; or
(-b-) it may be laced, sewn, or otherwise obstructed
by a single length of untreated steel wire with a diameter of no larger
than 20 gauge. When the wire degrades, the opening in the sidewall
of the trap will no longer be obstructed; or
(-c-) the obstruction may be loosely hinged at the
bottom of the opening by no more than two untreated steel hog rings
and secured at the top of the obstruction in no more than one place
by a single length of untreated jute twine (comparable to Lehigh brand
#530), sisal twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #390), or by a single
length of untreated steel wire with a diameter of no larger than 20
gauge. When the twine or wire degrades, the obstruction will hinge
downward and the opening in the sidewall of the trap will no longer
be obstructed;
(F) fish a crab trap for commercial purposes under
authority of a commercial crab fisherman's license:
(i) that is not marked with a floating white buoy not
less than six inches in height, six inches in length, and six inches
in width attached to the crab trap;
(ii) that is not marked with a white buoy bearing the
commercial crab fisherman's license plate number in letters of a contrasting
color at least two inches high attached to the crab trap;
(iii) that is marked with a buoy bearing a commercial
crab fisherman's license plate number other than the commercial crab
fisherman's license plate number displayed on the crab fishing boat;
(G) fish a crab trap for commercial purposes under
authority of a commercial finfish fisherman's license:
(i) that is not marked with a floating white buoy not
less than six inches in height, six inches in length, and six inches
in width attached to the crab trap;
(ii) that is not marked with a white buoy bearing the
letter 'F' and the commercial finfish fisherman's license plate number
in letters of a contrasting color at least two inches high attached
to the crab trap;
Cont'd... |
