Texas hunters along with fresh and saltwater anglers should make note of several regulation changes made final by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission during its first-ever “virtual” meeting held May 21.
Originally scheduled for late March, the annual regulatory hearing was postponed for nearly two months due to COVID-19 concerns. The delay ultimately resulted in a teleconference meeting, allowing constituents to address commissioners by phone before rulings were made on proposed changes to the 2020-21 Statewide Hunting and Fishing Proclamations.
While most proposals passed as they were presented for public comment earlier this year, the Commission opted for a temporary amendment to a much debated saltwater proposal aimed at altering harvest regulations on flounder.
As proposed, the minimum length limit on the popular flatfish will increase from 14 to 15 inches beginning Sept. 1. The Commission also approved a closure to flounder fishing Nov. 1- Dec. 15, the heart of the fall flounder run. However, the six-week closure will not take effect until 2021, a year-long delay from the date originally proposed by TPWD coastal fisheries staff.
The decisions came after considering more than 1,100 public comments taken online and by phone from recreational anglers, fishing guides and conservation organizations along with letters from two Texas politicians. The move to delay the season closure for a year was based largely on the economic impacts and hardships many fishing guides and bait shops have already experienced due the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Robin Riechers, TPWD’s chief of coastal fisheries.
Citing a continued downward spiral in flounder populations reflected by various sampling methods, TPWD’s coastal fisheries staff proposed the changes in flounder regs as steps towards reversing a negative trend being witnessed in Texas and numerous other coastal states.
Texas recreational anglers are currently allowed to keep five fish, 14 inches daily, while commercial anglers are allowed a 30-fish daily bag and possession limit, except during the period Nov. 1-Dec. 15, when there is a two-fish daily bag and possession limit for both recreational and commercial take. During the month of November, means of take is limited to pole-and-line only.
Experts say raising minimum length limit to 15 inches will allow significantly more female flounder to reach sexual maturity. TPWD fisheries scientist Dakus Geeslin told commissioners females represent most of the flounder harvest each year. He said the increased size limit, combined with a complete season closure, could boost spawning stock biomass up to 58% over one generation of flounder, or about five years.
Not surprisingly, the flounder regs were hot topics during the public comment period earlier this spring. Geeslin told commissioners that 52% of the 1,100-plus respondents supported the proposal, and that more than a quarter of them thought the proposals were too lenient. About 36% opposed the proposal, one-third of them against any closures.
Interestingly, another group opposed the proposals because they weren’t strict enough. Many called for a full season closure Nov. 1-Dec. 31, a ban on flounder gigging and the closure of commercial fishing altogether, Geeslin said.
The biologist also cited letters from State Rep. John Cyrier and State Rep. Mayes Middleton. He said Cyrier supported the proposal but requested an exemption to delay closure until 2021. Middleton expressed concerns about the economic impacts of the closure in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Geeslin said.
TPW Commission Chairman Reed Morian of Houston closed the discussion with instructions for coastal fisheries staff to look into the logistics of a slot limit on flounder and to report back with their findings.
In other saltwater business, commissioners approved new Paddle Craft All-Water Guide License training course requirements and a proposal to strengthen the language of harvest reporting for commercial license holders to ensure that all catches are reported to TPWD, not just what is sold.
FRESHWATER
On the freshwater side, commissioners approved a laundry of proposed regulation changes on largemouth, crappie and catfish for a number of lakes, creeks and rivers, effective Sept. 1. The Commission also followed staff recommendations to leave intact the current five-fish daily bag limit on alligator on Falcon Lake.
• Freshwaters impacted changes include:
• Moss Lake — Place largemouth bass under a 16-inch maximum length limit allowing anglers five fish per day, 16 inches and under. Bass over 16 inches much be released.
• Brushy Creek Lake and Brushy Creek — Reduce the minimum length limit on largemouth bass from 18 to 14 inches for Brushy Creek Lake. On Brushy Creek downstream from the lake to the Williamson/ Milam County line, reduce blue and channel catfish daily bag limit from 25 to five fish, remove the 12-inch minimum length limit and add gear restrictions limiting pole and line anglers to two poles.
• Lake Nasworthy — Replace the current 10- inch, 25-fish daily bag on crappie with a no minimum length limit rule and retain the 25-fish daily bag.
• Lake Texoma — Change from a 12-inch minimum length limit for blue and channel catfish to no minimum length, 15- fish to include one blue cat 30 inches or greater daily. For flathead catfish, change from a 20-inch minimum length limit to no minimum length limit, five fish daily.
• Texas waters of the Red River below Lake Texoma to Shawnee Creek — Remove the minimum length limits for catfish and change the daily bag for blue and channel catfish from 25 to 15 fish.