Two new exemptions from national regulations for blue catfish and canal catfish have been adopted. Livingston Lake and Sam Rayburn Lake will also be added to an existing regulatory category. The blue catfish and canal catfish rules on Livingston and Rayburn will not be changed to a minimum length and limit of 50 fish bags not exceeding five fish over 30 inches. These regulations currently apply in the boundary waters between Texas and Louisiana, including Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, and parts of the Sabine River. Limits the consumption of large numbers of trophy fish in waters where catfish populations are robust, growth is good, and anglers regularly catch large numbers of fish. The rule is not intended to improve catfish populations, but only to protect what is there. This works well for a small number of large tanks, usually in East Texas, where trotting lines, jug lines, and other passive techniques are used to catch large numbers of catfish. Sam Rayburn and Livingston are among the possible candidates. A trotting line is a fishing line with more than five hooks, each end being attached to an apparatus, usually on either side of a lake or river. A casting line is a fishing line with no more than five hooks attached to a fixed device at one end. A pitcher line is a fishing line with no more than five hooks attached to a floating device, such as an empty jug. These devices are licensed as catfish catch methods in most Texas waters.
Trotting lines must not exceed 600 feet and must not have more than 50 hooks on a leash. Blue catfish, canal catfish, and flathead catfish are the most sought-after catfish species in Texas. The flat-headed catfish is easily recognizable by its brown color and flattened head. Blue catfish and canal catfish are similar in appearance, although canal catfish are grey, while blue cats – as the name suggests – tend to be bluish. The canal catfish also has some dark spots on the body, the blue catfish is missing. Blue catfish are the largest, sometimes exceeding 100 pounds, while canal catfish and flathead catfish usually reach 50 pounds. Bull-headed catfish is also found in Texas; These are much smaller, rarely more than 3 pounds, but can be caught in large numbers, especially in spring. “The anglers told us they wanted to protect catfish populations, but they also wanted to catch fish. These are our roadmaps for our assessment of existing regulations,” Kurzawski said.
“The impact of multi-level catch restriction on anglers will be minimal. From our research on fishers` catches, we know that few anglers catch 25 fish, let alone catch more than 10 catfish over 20 inches,” Ken Kurzawski, Information and Regulatory Manager for TPWD`s Inland Fisheries Division, told the commission. This is a friendly debate aimed at narrowing down a long list of daily pocket and length restrictions on blue and canal catfish in Texas waters to a much shorter set of regulations. Tibbs says no formal proposal to change catfish regulations will be submitted to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission until early next year. In the meantime, anglers can provide feedback by contacting their local TPWD fisheries biologist or by contacting them directly at john.tibbs@tpwd.texas.gov. In mid-June, these fishers were invited to participate in a series of online webinars and listen to presentations from TPWD employees on possible changes to the state`s catfish management plan. Anglers had the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback, which TPWD fisheries biologist John Tibbs of Waco called the first step in introducing Texas catfish anglers to new regulations to consider. The new latest exception category is a minimum length of 14 inches and a day bag combined with 15 fish for blue catfish and canal catfish. Canyon Lake is also not included in a list of these places. Texas has some of the most productive freshwater fisheries in the country, and some of the fish the state is known for are catfish.
Appreciated for their table quality and potentially massive size, catfish are regularly sought after by fishermen. You can catch several species of catfish in state waters, but be sure to refresh Texas fishing regulations before you anchor a line in the Lone Star State. “These regulations direct fishing towards smaller, easily interchangeable fish and protect large fish while allowing the harvesting of a large fish. While it is designed to improve blue catfish populations, it will also maintain the quality of canal catfish populations,” Kurzawski said. The first exception applies to 12 tanks with high-quality catfish populations. In the spring, TPWD collected the names and contact information of more than 100 enthusiastic catfish fishermen to form an informal advisory board. The group – made up of guides, trotliners, jugliners, shore anglers, trophy hunters and tournament professionals – was formed to lead discussions and provide constructive feedback to a team of TPWD fisheries biologists who have spent the past two years creating a plan to simplify catfish regulations and make them more biologically relevant. Blue catfish (bottom) and channel catfish (top) are the most commonly caught catfish in Texas and can sometimes be found in mixed schools. The following is a summary of the four catfish regulations TPWD plans to operate, and some examples of special limits that could be applied to handle bluecatfish, canal catfish, their hybrids and subspecies: An all-American edible fish, which also tops the list of freshwater fishermen in the South, is at the center of ongoing discussions between fisheries biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the densely woven Catfish from the state`s Brotherhood of Anglers.
A bag limit is a law imposed on hunters and anglers to limit the number of animals within a particular species or group of species they are allowed to kill and keep. Size restrictions and hunting seasons are sometimes accompanied by harvest restrictions that limit the size of these animals and the time of year when hunters are legally allowed to kill them. Those who violate these or other hunting laws are called poachers. “Most anglers have said they would prefer to catch catfish to eat, and these regulations are designed to do that, while providing some protection for large fish to improve the quality and potential of large fish.” This week`s changes remove the minimum length and a daily limit of 25 fish, combining the two species. However, of the 25 blue or canal catfish that could be caught per day, anglers are not allowed to catch more than 10 fish measuring 20 inches or larger. You must have a valid and up-to-date Texas fishing license to catch catfish anywhere in the state. Licenses are available at bait shops and sports stores throughout the state and can also be purchased on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website. The general idea is to simplify catfish regulations and eliminate unnecessary confusion among anglers, while managing the various catfish fisheries in Texas for optimal quality without hurting anglers who want to foot the bill for a weekend fish frying. TPWD said the current national regulations for blue and canal catfish consist of a minimum length of 12 inches and a daily pocket limit of 25 fish, combining the two species. The catfish season in Texas is open year-round.
You can keep up to 25 blue and channel catfish — in any combination — from Texas waters in one day of fishing; The minimum size for both types is 12 inches. Flathead catfish are limited to five per day, with a minimum size of 18 inches. Bull heads are not regulated. Approved national regulations will remove the minimum size of 12 inches and retain the combined day bag of 25 fish, but with the restriction that no more than 10 of these 25 fish can be 20 inches or more. The amendments will come into force on September 1. The data suggest that this regulation would primarily affect blue catfish anglers. Designed to raise fish over 20 inches, especially those over 30 inches. Applicable to lakes where anglers want to target trophy fish.
Targets fishing on smaller fish while protecting high-quality fish in the range of 20 to 30 inches, resulting in an increase in the number of quality and trophy catfish. Suitable for about 5% to 10% of state tanks. Lake Lewisville and Lake Waco are among the possible candidates. Removes the minimum length restriction and has the potential to increase the number of quality fish in some tanks. Applicable to waters where blue cat or channel populations are abundant in situations where more restrictive regulations are not desirable or appropriate. Suitable for about 80% to 85% of Texas waters. Biologists say eliminating the 12-inch minimum length makes it less likely that novice and occasional anglers will accidentally break the law by keeping fish short. The potential changes would not impact current regulations on flathead catfish, community fishing lakes, or intergovernmental fisheries (Texoma, Toledo Bend, and Caddo) shared with Oklahoma or Louisiana. A tiered trophy bag regime, introduced a few years ago at Lake Tawakoni, one of America`s best catfish lakes, would also be maintained.
TPWD wants to take a more standardized approach to its catfish management strategies by combining regulations for channels and blues where possible and reducing the number of catfish regulations from 11 to four. Topping the list are changes in length and pouch restrictions for blue and river catfish, nationally as well as in some locations. The modifications also include minor changes to the dimensions of the passive gearbox floats.