Texas Parks and Wild-life’s annual winter rainbow trout stocking program is under way statewide.
Between now and early March, TPWD will release more than 342,000 hatchery- raised rainbow at dozens of community lakes and ponds, state park waters and 18 Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes.
The cold water fish are stocked on a put-and-take basis. Anglers are encouraged to keep their daily limit of five trout (no minimum size) on most waters, because the fish are unable to survive the warm weather months. The exceptions are special trout management zones on the Guadalupe River downstream of Canyon Lake.
Texas does not require a fishing license for youth under the age of 17, but adults must have a fishing license with a freshwater fishing endorsement. Licenses and endorsement requirements are waived at state park waters.
Rainbow are fairly easy to catch using small spinners, worms, manufactured dough baits and corn kernels. Light tackle with a small diameter line and a small hook are advised.
Dates and locations of upcoming stockings are listed on TPWD’s website.
NO-CULL CRAPPIE AT FORK AND ‘PINES
Crappie fishermen headed to Lake Fork and Lake O’ the Pines between now and February 28 are reminded of a special wintertime “no cull” regulation currently in effect on those two impoundments.
From Dec. 1-Feb. 28, anglers are required to keep every crappie they catch, up to a legal limit of 25 fish, regardless of size. It is illegal to release any crappie on either lake during the threemonth period. Both lakes will return to the statewide 25-fish, 10-inch rule on March 1.
The special regulation was implemented in 1991 to curtail the perceived waste of fish that die from over-inflated air bladders (called barotrauma) as the result of being pulled quickly out of deep water.