Fish Keeping Limit

[texnomad]

The most common error in limit interpretation I see around Texas waters is a person retain more than a limit of fish in a day. That person may give away more than a limit etc. The limit law is that after you harvest your limit you are not allowed to harvest any more fish that day even if you give them away. You are allowed to catch and release all you want after harvesting your limit. Possession is a different facet of the laws and not part of my comment.

[vstrom650]

True enough, but the general approach is that if there are 3 people in the boat with valid licenses, then you can have 3 limits worth of fish in the ice chest. After all, there's no way to tell who actually caught them. But that's probably about as far as the game warden will allow it to go.

[hillbillie]

About 5 years ago I had my wife, two boy's, father in law, and yep! my mother in law on my boat at the middle banks out of Freeport. I had just dropped anchor and was trying to get everyone fishing but my mother in law started catching 4' sharks so everything else stopped. Boy's laughing, Wife and Dad taking pictures, I'm taking sharks of and baiting Her hook. About that time the game warden pull's along side and ask to see my fire extinguisher. Her being so proud of the fact that she was catching fish and especially more than me. She was quick to brag to the warden that all three sharks on the boat where caught by Her I guess the warden could tell who the captain was and looked at me with a grin and said you talk to Her while He ( pointing to my Father in law) shows me your PFD's. We got a picture of Her giving him a big hug and kiss on the cheek just before they pulled away. She told the Warden if he had asked her a question about coupons she would have given him the right answer

This story was for all you guys like me that are on here instead of fishing this morning
Have A Blessed Weekend

[teen yaker]

Do you mean that you can't keep, for example, 10 trout when the limit is 5 but you give away the other 5 when you got home or do you mean once you limit out you can't give any other fish to people next to you fishing. Because I was always under the impression that you can limit out other people next to you.

[texnomad]

You are only allowed to harvest out of the water one limit of fish a day. All others have to be returned to the water.

[teen yaker]

You are only allowed to harvest out of the water one limit of fish a day. All others have to be returned to the water.

Hmm, okay. Do you have a link to where it says that? I respect what your saying and all but it still sounds a bit off to me. I guess the public charters have been breaking to law because when I used to go on them if one person wasn't catching anything and another was, the deck hand would get the fish from the guy catching and limit out other people with them even if the others weren't fishing/catching, in order to limit the boat faster.

[texnomad]

You can try the Texas Parks and Wildlife site or one of the free TPW guide books given out at places that sell licenses or talk to a game warden.

[Kirk B.]

Here's the rules, from the horse's mouth, as it were:
http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdo ... efinitions

Excerpt:
Daily Bag:
Quantity of a species of a wildlife resource, such as fish, that may be taken in one day.

Possession Limit:
The maximum number of fish a person may possess before returning to their residence. Possession limit is twice the daily bag on game and nongame fish, except as provided in this guide, and does not apply to fish in the possession of or stored by a person at their residence.

Here's the deal:
Reality is, the GW, unless he witnesses it, has limited knowledge of where fish come from. If you and your buddy both say he caught the fish, the GW won't question it if everything else checks out. It's a nice little grey area. If there are other violations in evidence, he may not buy it.

Kirk B.

[texnomad]

The game wardens seem to like to sit with their binoculars at Charlies Pasture pier in Port Aransas and count fish caught by folks, especially flounder. One seems to favor Packery north jetty also. Maybe because they have plenty of customers at those places.

[teen yaker]

Here's the rules, from the horse's mouth, as it were:
http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdo ... efinitions

Excerpt:
Daily Bag:
Quantity of a species of a wildlife resource, such as fish, that may be taken in one day.

Possession Limit:
The maximum number of fish a person may possess before returning to their residence. Possession limit is twice the daily bag on game and nongame fish, except as provided in this guide, and does not apply to fish in the possession of or stored by a person at their residence.

Here's the deal:
Reality is, the GW, unless he witnesses it, has limited knowledge of where fish come from. If you and your buddy both say he caught the fish, the GW won't question it if everything else checks out. It's a nice little grey area. If there are other violations in evidence, he may not buy it.

Kirk B.

Awesome, thanks for the links/info.

[Prof. Salt]

If the GW wants to push it, he can issue a citation for you catching over your limit, even if you give it to a friend standing near you. They don't always do this, but if you've ever (even accidentally) been on the wrong side of a TPWD ticket, it is very expensive. My ignorance led to a fine of nearly $500 when someone on the boat tossed a little 11 inch snapper in the cooler, thinking it was a different kind of fish. Nobody fessed up when the warden asked about it, so since I was the host I took the ticket. If a small fish costs that much, you really don't want to take a chance on larger fish! I will never make that mistake again.

[teen yaker]

If the GW wants to push it, he can issue a citation for you catching over your limit, even if you give it to a friend standing near you. They don't always do this, but if you've ever (even accidentally) been on the wrong side of a TPWD ticket, it is very expensive. My ignorance led to a fine of nearly $500 when someone on the boat tossed a little 11 inch snapper in the cooler, thinking it was a different kind of fish. Nobody fessed up when the warden asked about it, so since I was the host I took the ticket. If a small fish costs that much, you really don't want to take a chance on larger fish! I will never make that mistake again.

Yep, I will only keep a lane snapper if it has yellow stripes, others think if it has a black dot, but the small red snapper have them too. I see people get ticketed for red snapper all the time at packery channel.

[Calait]

I my memory is correct, push the game warden enough and you can lose everything which brought you to the area you are fishing, or hunting to include your car and gear. Read and understand all of the rules and their implications while you are in the great outdoors.

[TexasJim]

The TPWD has a lot in Rockport that periodically fills up with all kinds of boats, from flats boats, airboats and even shrimpers and even a trailer with a big net on it. I've always assumed they were confiscated boats. Every so often, the lot empties out. I also assume they go to an auction. Don't be on the wrong side of that deal. Know and follow the rules.

[MobyYack]

anyone know how to get to that auction??

is this it?
http://www.lsoauctions.com/category.cfm ... =765410057" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cliftonio]

Sat in a lawn chair last weekend at LCRA Matagorda and watched the game wardens pull over and board just about every boat coming up the Colorado. Did not see them take any boats away though haha