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Shalor · Horse Mullet Joined: 28 Apr 2006 Posts: 180

I agree with Rowsey. We have to do something. I also wish it would have been a smaller slot that did not include those 20 to 23 inch fish. However I guess this is much better than not doing anything. If everyone would remember those images of dead fish we saw back in February and just give these fish a chance to grow. They would recover. I was not around the coast for the 1996 freeze but it sounds like the fish grew really fast. But the fishing pressure was not a fraction of what it is now.

speckled.trout · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 30 Aug 2012 Posts: 1190

You want to get trout stocks back to pre 1983 levels, TP&W need to take the limits to 0 from March thru September. Possession only at current levels for the balance of the year. March thru September are spawning months as some trout may spawn 1-2 times a year. According to all the information I've been told by the trout grues, the trout in the Laguna Madre are resident and are only restocked by themselves. (there are tiderunners as I still believe)
So shut the trout fishery down for 7 months for a couple of years.

ST

Cwentrcek · Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2021 5:01 pm Post subject: Limits

I would be all in for croaker,piggies and pinfish illegal as bait for a while!Seasonal shrimp fishing also!The lagoon needs a break to rebuild.
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kweber · Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2021 7:37 pm Post subject:

when I was larval stage.. dang few inland folks fished the coast... some maybe once a yr... sit along 37 and see all the bayboats on it, now
plus Tx has doubled population in 50yrs..meat haulin; is not sustainiable
14- to 20 and no high-grading..
stop the croaker bait (alot of us would rejoice at a legit croaker run)
3 trout makes my family a decent fry..
add a redfish or two and plenty for 5-6
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BayFly · Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 9:45 am Post subject:

As an artificials only person I'm obviously no fan of croaker use, but does the use of croakers, as bait eliminate them from being competitors with trout and redfish for other bait fish, since they are not allowed to grow very large due to being trapped or seined early in development, thus allow the game fish to develop faster? I can recall as a kid using dead shrimp and a cane pole and catching good sized croaker while my Dad and friends fished for trout and reds, but I'm not sure that is even possible these days?

rodandroll · Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:20 am Post subject:

Seems to me the guides and their clients take the largest number/percentage of fish per capita. One good guide on a full trip probably takes as many fish as 10 or more recreational fishermen on one day. We absolutely need to limit the number of guides. I never understood the notion that a person has a right to make a living from public owned resource. Guides should be regulated just as every other aspect of the fisheries are.
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BayFly · Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:24 pm Post subject:

In thinking more about the pros and cons of the croaker issue, the thought came to mind that perch, be they croaker, menhaden, piggy-perch, or pin-perch, were the fish most effected by the freeze, thus the primary food source for our game fish was killed. That being said, I suggest the TP&WL consider stopping the sale of perch of all kinds until the resource can re-establish. They surely have some ideal how long that would take. However, in the meantime they are restricting the take of the "game fish" and the net result is more fish chasing less perch. I can only guess all of us have seen what happens when one pulls in a seine and most of the by-catch is discarded, dead or alive, mostly dead from being crammed together in the bottom of the net.
I thought I should add, I have no problem with the use of bait, including croaker to catch trout or whatever. I'm just trying to address the results of the freeze and how TP&WL is possibly addressing it incorrectly from my perspective.

roberino · Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2021 7:54 pm Post subject:

I'm all for protecting the resource, but agree a limit allowing retention of smaller fish makes sense. 5 trout 14-23, only 2 over 18, something like that.

The guy who owns Nightstalker Flounder gigging guide service had good insight on them recently raising the size limit on flounder; allowing folks to keep a few smaller fish is good for larger fish and limiting releasing small fish that may die. Let freezer-stocking types load up on smaller fish while discouraging culling and protecting the breeding stock. Lots of bass fisheries and others let you thin out smaller fish wile limiting the larger ones.

But whatever they say, i'll do it.

R.Arnold · Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2021 4:21 pm Post subject:

17-23" again? I cannot understand this, I don't get it. A fat healthy 23" if I had to guess is probably one of the toughest trout in the bay, but we are essentially going to make that size the target species. People will cull fish to keep (3) fish close to 23", it's going to happen. Skin mounts will now be a thing of the past, and that is fine. What about record setting fish? Should be something like they do for drum at 50" for record purposes so at least you could catch a monster trout and keep it alive if you want and weigh it in then release it.

TexasJim · Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2021 5:53 pm Post subject:

If this is true, why isn't there anything on the TPWD website? The only info on this subject is when they extended the 2021 LLM trout limits until Sept. 27th(?).

Been looking there and other places, but nothing. Can someone point me to the info? Thanks, TexasJim
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Salt On the Brain · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:29 am Post subject:

Personally, I would like to see a minimum size of 20 inches on trout.
That will get survival to breeding maturity numbers up.
I always get the argument -but male trout.
I have caught a BUNCH of male trout over 20 inches.
Enough wishing.
Want to make a difference in trout populations?
Kill cormorants.
It is finally legal this year.
10 per day.
Go as often as possible and kill as many as possible.
The overpopulation of cormorants probably has a greater impact on our trout population than any other single factor, and it is the readiest solution available to us.
Cormorants eat 10-40 juvenile finfish per day every winter, and they are here for at least 100 days every winter.
A single cormorant eats a thousand or more baby trout every winter, and also eats the fish they feed on.
The 120-something thousand cormorants we are allowed to kill could save 120-something million trout over a single winter.
Smoke em if you got em!
LF
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BayFly · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:01 pm Post subject:

Salt on the Brain, tell us more about our right to kill cormorants! Is on a permit basis and only on a specified tract of land, as once proposed?

kweber · Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2021 10:19 am Post subject:

Salt On the Brain · Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2021 3:07 pm Post subject:

Not sure what happened.
Texas dragged their feet last year and let Canada and other places beat them to the start, with our season not happening until this year.
Now I see that they have postponed or terminated it again this year.
I guess low trout populations are too valuable as a political football for fisheries and wildlife managers.
Looks like I have some research to do and we will have to be very discreet about it.
Sorry, I do not hunt ducks, so I did not see they switched it up on us.
I will get back when I know more.
LF
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kweber · Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2021 4:36 pm Post subject:

I want 3 18in specks
once in spring and once in fall
maybe one or two more w/ kchick along.. we dont fish salt often
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