Texas limits

[evis102]

W's post on STAR winners over the years before and after the limit change is very interesting.

[Feesherman]

Originally Posted by evis102

W's post on STAR winners over the years before and after the limit change is very interesting.

I agree and I find there is some merit to it. It's just like a 5 acre bass pond. If you don't take any fish out, you will have 5 acres of pickles.

[SaltyShaw]

This has been an interesting read . . . . been passing it over but glad i looked at it now. Carry on fellers . . . .

[PReaux]

Shoot, I forgot what this thread started out as . . . I'm goin' to the Gill Net to see if Montauk has posted any new pics of apples . . . LOL

[ckinchen]

My bad guys, I caused this one to get off topic. I will give myself an infraction.

[SaltyShaw]

Originally Posted by ckinchen

My bad guys, I caused this one to get off topic. I will give myself an infraction.

you better . . . .

["W"]

Originally Posted by ckinchen

My bad guys, I caused this one to get off topic. I will give myself an infraction.

yea....give your self two one for trying to be like salty and hijack our Texas limits thread....

[SaltERedneck]

all bets are off!

[jchief]

Some are special in more ways than 1 also

["W"]

Originally Posted by corkyfatboy

I fairly sure that TPWD knows what they are doing. Sure seems to be a lot of armchair quarterbacks here that don't know nearly as much about the Texas trout population as they lead one to believe

I know one thing........If your trout population is that bad off to have a 5 per person creel ...You might as well close it down..

5 is plum stupid when trout multiply by the tens of thousands a year

Texas Problem in RED

[SIZE=3]SPECKLED TROUT FACTS
[SIZE=2]by Jerald Horst
(Revised June 2003)[/SIZE][/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, or as we call it in Louisiana, the speckled trout, is one of the most popular saltwater fish in the state. Besides being popular in many south Louisiana restaurants, it is targeted by more recreational fishermen than any other saltwater fish. In the last 10 years, recreational fishermen have harvested an average of 6,578,061 speckled trout from Louisiana waters annually – this is more than 93% of the combined recreational/commercial harvest. The best year for recreational landings was 2000 with a take of 9,615,942 specks and the poorest year was 1990, the year after the great freeze, with 2,679,167 landings.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Although the commercial catch had been regulated by minimum sizes and gear restrictions, the recreational fishery was unregulated until 1977, when a combined daily limit of 50 was placed on speckled trout and redfish. In 1984 the possession limit was reduced to the daily limit, and a new saltwater fishing license was required. This was followed by a 12-inch minimum size (14- inch commercial) in 1987 and the recreational limit was reduced to 25 in 1988. Speckled trout management and biology remain an area of high public interest. Some of the most commonly asked questions on the subject are answered below.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why do we have a 12-inch minimum size on speckled trout?
A minimum size of 12 inches allows most fish to spawn at least once before reaching harvestable size. All of the males and more than 75% of the females are sexually mature at 12 inches long. The minimum size also increases the overall yield of the fishery. Each year since the regulation went into effect, the average size of recreationally caught specks has been more than 13 inches. Before the minimum size requirement, the average size of recreationally taken specks was as low as 10 inches.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why don’t we have a larger minimum size, such as 14 inches?
Speckled trout have sex-specific growth and survival rates. Males grow slower and don’t grow as large as females. In Louisiana, males do not reach a size of 14 inches until their third or fourth years. Since few specks live beyond age 5, and more than 70% of the total speckled trout population is age 3 or younger, very few males grow to larger sizes. This would result in a loss of recreational opportunity to harvest the males and could possibly cause a shift of harvest pressure to females.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]How many of the undersized, released speckled trout really survive?
The majority of hook-caught speckled trout survive when released. Louisiana conducted a 18-month study ending in 1995 on the survival of released speckled trout. The survival rate depended on the fishing method. Treble hook artificials had a 97% survival rate, single hook artificials were 91%, treble hook with bait had 83%, and single hook with bait was 74%. The overall average survival rate was 82.5%. Research done in 1984 in Texas showed a survival rate of 73%, and a Georgia study, done in 1990, showed a 63.8% rate.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why don’t we close the season during spawning time?
Speckled trout exhibit a protracted spawning season, lasting from April to September. Females ready to spawn have even been recorded in March and October. Closing the season during spawning would result in a 5 to 7 month closure. Also, from a biological perspective, any removal of a female fish from a population has the same impact. Regardless of whether the fish is caught 8 months or 8 days before it spawns, the result is the removal of the fish and all of her future offspring. Since there is little biological advantage to such a measure and since the closure would take place during the months of best fishing weather and most intense recreational activity, the negatives outweigh the possible benefits.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why can’t I catch more big trout?
Aside from the fact that there are many more small trout than large ones, large speckled trout are very specialized creatures. Large trout are not as widely distributed as small trout. The largest trout are taken in the spring, next largest in winter, then fall and summer, out in the Gulf. Large but lesser sized trout are taken near beaches, lesser still in lakes and bays, and the smallest usually in the marsh. Anglers prefer to fish for specks in summer and the second preference is fall. Fishing is most intense in sheltered inside waters. More big trout are caught in spring because they move into shallow beach and bay habitats at that time for their first spawn of the season. The rest of the summer and early fall, the larger trout tend to stay in cooler Gulf waters and only periodically enter beach and bay habitats for subsequent spawns. Many of the large fish winter offshore, with a few wintering in the interior marshes, where they are very sluggish. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Large trout also have very different food habits than school trout. Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As trout become larger, their diet shifts toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullets; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout. The key to catching large trout is to fish where they are and use big baits.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] What is the future of recreational speckled trout fishing?
The future of the fishery depends on two factors: good habitat and good management. If our coastal areas remain unpolluted and coastal erosion is controlled, management will be the key. Very few more speckled trout can be produced from other sources. If the entire commercial speckled trout harvest were divided up equally among Louisiana’s over 400 thousand recreational anglers, each sport fisherman would get less than one fish per person per year. Research has also shown that very few speckled trout appear in shrimp trawl bycatch. This means that gains and losses will be the result of management within the recreational fishery. Management priorities, as set by recreational leadership, will determine whether the fishery is managed for liberal limits and smaller fish or restrictive creel limits and larger fish. [/SIZE]

[duck77777]

Originally Posted by corkyfatboy

I fairly sure that TPWD knows what they are doing. Sure seems to be a lot of armchair quarterbacks here that don't know nearly as much about the Texas trout population as they lead one to believe

I fish sabine lake over 30 times a year and fish other ports along the Texas Coast to there isnt a trout shortage going on. Texas is dead set on having a trophy program for every fish are animal they have. I lived there for many years I know how they roll. And a few people want to compare habbitat from LA to Texas ok look at the size of Big Lake Compared to Galveston bay complex are the Luguna Madre complex they seem alot bigger to me then Big Lake. Texas doesnt have the habbitat bull!!! They dont have the proper mangement.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by duck77777

I fish sabine lake over 30 times a year and fish other ports along the Texas Coast to there isnt a trout shortage going on. Texas is dead set on having a trophy program for every fish are animal they have. I lived there for many years I know how they roll. And a few people want to compare habbitat from LA to Texas ok look at the size of Big Lake Compared to Galveston bay complex are the Luguna Madre complex they seem alot bigger to me then Big Lake. Texas doesnt have the habbitat bull!!! They dont have the proper mangement.

You hit the nail on the head right there with the trophy crap, but the Laguna and Galveston compared to Big Lake - yes it is much bigger, but the estuaries and marsh primarily east of the Atchafalaya is a huge fish nursery. Not knocking on TX, but Louisiana just has more fish-producing habitat than TX. Deer, well that can be debated That will be for October! Bass too, but who cares

[boatdriver]

Originally Posted by duck77777

I fish sabine lake over 30 times a year and fish other ports along the Texas Coast to there isnt a trout shortage going on. Texas is dead set on having a trophy program for every fish are animal they have. I lived there for many years I know how they roll. And a few people want to compare habbitat from LA to Texas ok look at the size of Big Lake Compared to Galveston bay complex are the Luguna Madre complex they seem alot bigger to me then Big Lake. Texas doesnt have the habbitat bull!!! They dont have the proper mangement.

I guarantee you that Laguna Madre or the Galveston bay complex doesn't have near the estuary we have here. It's probably bigger than our lake here, but our estuary is phenomenal. Our interior marshes make up our lake. It provides extensive habitat for multiple species of baitfish and shrimp. Just about every customer I take out is amazed with the bait in our lake. And 70% of our customers are Texas based. We literally have this 20 miles from north to south and 18 to 20 miles east to west. If you would like to see this bait, I'd be glad to show you.

[duck77777]

Originally Posted by boatdriver

I guarantee you that Laguna Madre or the Galveston bay complex doesn't have near the estuary we have here. It's probably bigger than our lake here, but our estuary is phenomenal. Our interior marshes make up our lake. It provides extensive habitat for multiple species of baitfish and shrimp. Just about every customer I take out is amazed with the bait in our lake. And 70% of our customers are Texas based. We literally have this 20 miles from north to south and 18 to 20 miles east to west. If you would like to see this bait, I'd be glad to show you.

Been to big lake no thanks rather go to Grand Isle and catch 25 two pounders in a couple hours and be back at the camp drinking beer