TPWD Pulls Seatrout from Fishing Regulation Proposals

AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will not recommend any changes to spotted seatrout regulations this year, citing no biological urgency and split reactions to potential length or bag alternatives during public scoping meetings and in online angler surveys.

Recent declines in relative abundance of spotted seatrout in some of the mid-coast bays led TPWD to open discussions regarding possibly implementing additional conservation measures for other bay systems. “We’re seeing increased spotted seatrout recruitment in many Texas bay systems and our creel surveys are showing fairly high angler satisfaction levels,” said Robin Riechers, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division Director. “We opened the idea up for discussion at public scoping meetings and saw no compelling reason to move forward with a proposal at this time.”

TPWD’s list of proposed changes to fishing regulations for 2011-12 includes the following:

Implement regulations on two impoundments that are soon to be opened to the public, Wheeler Branch (Somervell County) and Lake Kyle (Hays County);
Alter catfish regulations on Kirby Reservoir (Taylor County) and Lake Palestine (Cherokee, Anderson, Henderson, and Smith counties);
Alter bass regulations on Lake Alan Henry (Garza County);
Standardize harvest regulations on waters shared with Louisiana (Toledo Bend Reservoir, Sabine River and Caddo Lake);
Clarify regulations governing the retention of bycatch by captain and crew on licensed commercial shrimp boats;
Correct typographical errors regarding gag grouper and snook.
The proposals will be detailed during a series of public meetings around the state and available for review and comment on TPWD’s website. A final rulemaking by the TPW Commission will be made at its March 30-31 public hearing.

Comments and questions about the proposal may be submitted to Ken Kurzawski (Inland Fisheries) at (512) 389-4591, e-mail: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; Art Morris (Coastal Fisheries) at (361) 825-3356, e-mail: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; or Robert Goodrich (Law Enforcement) at (512) 389-4853, e-mail: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Comments may also be submitted via the department’s website at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]