Trout limits were voted on today and the limits are moving to
3 fish daily bag limit 15-20 inches and a tag to keep one over 30.

Just a point of clarification....no tag yet.

Simply 3 fish 15"-20" with one of those that can be retained over 30". This will likely go into effect March.

The tag implementation will be forthcoming at a later time.

So you can catch two fish 15"-20" and one over 30"?
Correct?

Brought to you by the same people trying to convince you CO2 is a pollutant.

I'm good with it as long as once numbers, age and size classes return to normal, that they adjust the regulations once these have had the desired effect.

That won't happen. The commercial fisherman will see to it.

Leggo My Elko said:

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I'm good with it as long as once numbers, age and size classes return to normal, that they adjust the regulations once these have had the desired effect.

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There is no sunset clause. There is no defined desired effect. This is permanent and will not go back.

Did going from 10 to 5 have any desired effect? I'll give you a hint.....the going from 5 to 3 now....

Catch and release coming soon.....

Gunny456 said:

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That won't happen. The commercial fisherman will see to it.

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There's no commercial harvest of speckled trout in Texas.

edited for clarity

Disgraceful

Exactly. That's my point TC.

Yep.

Gunny456 said:

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Exactly. That's my point TC.

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You're going to have to explain it to me like I'm a child then. How do commercial fishermen which can't legally harvest speckled trout impact recreational trout limits/policy?

It was meant as sarcasm guy. That has usually been what's been said in other fisheries regulations of the past.

You can catch 3 fish 15-20" or 2 fish 15-20" and one over 30".

Rules will not take effect until mid to end of March. The one fish over 30 was put into place because comments overwhelmingly supported no daily bag limit of oversized trout. The commission was not able to remove the daily bag limit as part of the motion, so they made it sufficiently high that it's not likely to be used in any meaningful manner. Before the final motion, there was a proposal to set it at 36"

They are publishing in the Texas register the proposed change to a tag system mirroring what is in place for redfish for one over 30" per year and the ability to buy a second tag. That will be discussed at the March meeting and if approved would likely go into effect September 1, but the daily limit would go away much sooner (May?)

Thank you. You answered my question. Great post.

I like the change, but would have kept it to where you could keep one oversized at 25" or over. That was the original proposal but then they changed it to 30" out of no where.

It wasn't out of nowhere. It was discussed at length during the working meeting yesterday and was brought into today set at 28" then it was adjusted again to 30" based on extensive feedback from the public requesting no daily bag limit.

Great move, IMO.

I feel bad for the guides. No chance they drop the price of their trips, nor should they. Fuel, boats, insurance, ....prices on everything has gone up.

But $700-$900 for three dudes to catch three 15.10 inch trout?

Yikes.

TikkaShooter said:

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Great move, IMO.

I feel bad for the guides. No chance they drop the price of their trips, nor should they. Fuel, boats, insurance, ....prices on everything has gone up.

But $700-$900 for three dudes to catch three 15.10 inch trout?

Yikes.

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plus 3 reds
Flounder
Black drum
Sheepshead
Etc

They probably run Evinrudes.

(Suzuki fan boy runs away)

I think they did the 30" trout instead of 25" trout cuz that commissioner crew is big time big time against tournaments. Most of the tournaments have gone to catch, video, and video the release.... or half pound bonus for live weigh in with release. So it really is a non issue.....some are still kill tournaments so they focusing there I guess. They been working on how to limit the tournaments for over a decade.

Will change up the tournaments....Likely making it more expensive entry cuz they will have to manage the live weigh/video/release and all the gear marked for today to prevent cheating etc.

I mean, you can still catch 100. You can only KEEP 3.

Didn't the limit used to be 15?

Yep....then went to 10 to save the trout....
Then 5 to save the trout.....
Then 3 to save the trout....
Catch and release is hanging out around the corner.

Until they focus on the real impactors they just gonna keep kicking the recreational fisherman. But rod and reel is not causing the decline.....nor will it affect the recovery.....as they have proven with their ever tightening limits with no change....

Well y'all better get your poaching in b4 March.

CivilEng08 said:

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It wasn't out of nowhere. It was discussed at length during the working meeting yesterday and was brought into today set at 28" then it was adjusted again to 30" based on extensive feedback from the public requesting no daily bag limit.

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It was pretty much out of nowhere, there was no discussion of 28 or 30 inch in the scoping or public meetings or the online presentation. Bag seine catches are back to levels before the freeze so there is no biological justification for any regulation changes. Does anyone believe these changes will have no economic impact on coastal communities? Because that is what Mr Geeslin claims.

It would break my heart to deep hook a 29" fish and watch it swim away leaving a trail of blood.

nealan said:

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Didn't the limit used to be 15?

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I can remember 20 in the early 80's.

I don't think it will necessarily make entry fees higher as the Bass industry went through the same changes in the 70's - 90's. Most tournaments guarantee a certain payback $$ amount that is rarely covered by entry fees.
Sponsor donations and cost to be sponsors is where that money comes from. It's all about a ROI to sell and promote your product.
In the 70's and 80's the bass tournaments had to go through the same evolution. All becoming catch and release and great emphasis on keeping the fish alive became the paramount goal.
It can cost you thousands of dollars now bringing in a dead fish.
The MLF format of catch, weigh, release immediately is pretty efficient.

ETA: I need to add that I sure would not want to see these things for the rec fishermen. Just talking about tourney's

FWIW this is what CCA supported. Looks like initially TPD had the big fish at 25".

The CCA Texas Executive Board has voted to support the TPWD proposal to reduce the bag limit to a daily possession of 3-fish and to modify the slot limit to a 15-inch 20-inch slot. CCA Texas recommends no allowance for oversized fish to be retained as a part of the 3-fish bag until a tag system for fish 25-inches or greater can be implemented by TPWD.

And I catch way more big (over 20") trout than back then when everyone believed the trout were bigger.

Gunny456 said:

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I don't think it will necessarily make entry fees higher as the Bass industry went through the same changes in the 70's - 90's. Most tournaments guarantee a certain payback $$ amount that is rarely covered by entry fees.
Sponsor donations and cost to be sponsors is where that money comes from. It's all about a ROI to sell and promote your product.
In the 70's and 80's the bass tournaments had to go through the same evolution. All becoming catch and release and great emphasis on keeping the fish alive became the paramount goal.
It can cost you thousands of dollars now bringing in a dead fish.
The MLF format of catch, weigh, release immediately is pretty efficient.

ETA: I need to add that I sure would not want to see these things for the rec fishermen. Just talking about tourney's

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Saltwater tourneys in general are nowhere near the payout of freshwater bass tournaments. Not nearly the sponsorship money because they don't have the national exposure or interest. It's a coastal and often a local thing.

Most Saltwater tourneys keep some of the entry fee to operate the tourney and pay 80% or so...... many are just fundraiser tourneys and pay 60%.... sponsorship money certainly doesn't cover it on the Saltwater side. This is why you see so many optional 100% payback Calcuttas and side pots.

Additionally the Saltwater tourneys usually pay 3 places only and third place may only be free entry into next year's tourneys lolol.

Bass usually pays 10 places or so.... and has a raffle to give away those sponsor items.

They are far far from apples to apples. The catch/video/release or live release Saltwater tourneys will cost much more to operate. So they 80% payout etc could dwindle.

Would make my day if it cut down on some of the wanna be guides and weekend warriors with their $120K go fast bay boats….but it won't.

I'm with ya....and cut out some tourneys....

But like you said it won't. They will shift focus to redfish tourneys. More tower boats and shore burners incoming.