The Texas saltwater fishing community is entering uncharted territory when it comes to speckled trout fishing: an overall reduced daily bag limit that spans roughly 400 miles of coastline.
The now-statewide five-fish bag limit — which takes effect beginning Sept. 1, 2019 — is years in the making, mostly due to an increase in fishing pressure on the state’s bays and waterways. Back in 2014, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department enacted a five-fish limit for speckled trout in effect in the Lower Laguna Madre up the coast through the Highway 457 bridge near Sargent. The move was mostly met with positive commentary from fishing guides and the general public, though some outlying opinions suggested an overreach on government authority.
At the time, TPWD offered overwhelming data showing that the reduction in the trout limit along the Middle and Lower Coasts would benefit the overall fishery, which certainly has seen an increase in fishing pressure from both guided and non-guided fishing parties.
The speckled trout remains the game fish of choice for most Texas saltwater anglers due in large part to the fact they are readily available no matter which fishing method you prefer. They can be caught with regularity by anglers fishing both dead bait and live bait, as well as artificial lures from piers and by wading anglers, from kayaks and bay boats, no matter when and where you may be angling.
It also should be noted that multiple conservation and angling groups have backed the five-fish speckled trout measure across the Texas coast. Included in that group is the Coastal Conservation Association. The overall conservation sentiment can best be summed in the CCA Texas opinion on the matter, which details the influx of anglers along the Texas coast that is only going to increase, while fishing stocks remain at the ebb and flow of Mother Nature, stocking efforts and general fishing pressure.
“The CCA Texas Executive Board supports TPWD efforts to manage and conserve the speckled trout fishery for current and future generations. With the Houston area expecting to add roughly 2.2 million people by 2030 and fishing license sales continuing to increase annually, we know this is the right thing to do for the resource. Texas recreational anglers have greatly benefited from decades of coastal fisheries management by TPWD. We boast some of the nation’s best inshore saltwater angling because as recreational anglers we remain engaged in the conservation and protection of our marine resources. That engagement coupled with sound fisheries management by TPWD has proven effective time and time again; This time is no different.”
Continue reading below for more details on the science behind the decision.
UPDATE:Â On March 20, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission approved all proposed changes to saltwater fishing regulations, which are intended to streamline regulations for the entire Texas coast for speckled trout and modify regulations for certain species to be in line with federal rules to reduce confusion among anglers for sharks and cobia (ling).
The following changes to the 2019-20 Statewide Recreational Fishing Proclamation, details of which will be incorporated into this year’s Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual, have been adopted by the Commission:
- Extending the 5 fish bag limit for spotted seatrout to the upper coast, creating a coast-wide 5 fish bag limit.
- Requiring the use of non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing for sharks in state waters, except when fishing with artificial lures.
- Increasing the minimum size limit to 40 inches total length for cobia.
- Closing oyster restoration areas in Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay and Copano Bay for two harvest seasons.
The changes to the 2019-20 Statewide Recreational Fishing regulations take effect Sept. 1.
Speckled trout in Texas are a big deal — literally and figuratively, and especially when it comes to any changes to the regulations associated with catching and keeping them.
A current proposal from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will radically change fishing for specks across the entire coastline, stretching from South Padre Island to the Louisiana border, roughly 400 miles of excellent habitat.
TPWD is currently accepting public comment on extending the five-fish daily bag limit for speckled trout to the Upper Coast, creating a coastwide five-fish limit. That input will be considered before any action by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission at its March 20 public hearing.
The bag limit on specks was lowered from 10 fish a day to five across the Middle Coast and Lower Coast back in 2014. In 2007, the TPWD Commission previously voted to lower the bag and possession limit in the Lower Laguna Madre below Marker 21 in the Landcut to five fish as a result of a downward trend in spawning-age specks, something that ran counter to the increasing populations on the rest of the coast as a whole.
Crabbing along Texas coast geared toward simplicity, fun, food
According to TPWD trout experts, the population figures on specks coastwide remain stable while anglers fishing in the Sabine Lake and Galveston Bay systems on the Upper Coast already bring home five or fewer trout per day on average (roughly 91 percent, according to creel surveys from 2017 private recreational anglers). TPWD data also shows that roughly 87 percent of guided trips result in anglers bringing home five specks or fewer per person per trip.
It also should be noted that among Galveston Bay fishing guides who responded to surveys, about 78 percent either “support” or “strongly support” changing the bag limit in areas where it’s currently 10 to five. The support from Sabine Lake guides was much lower, with about 57 percent of those who responded saying they were “opposed” or “strongly opposed” to the proposal. Sabine Lake, which covers territory in both Texas and Louisiana, has differing bag limits on the Louisiana side. Anglers catching fish there can keep 15 specks per day over 12 inches, with only two being 25 inches or longer.
The current speckled trout fishery in Texas is under a slot limit, with fish between 15 and 25 inches being legal to keep. It should be noted that anglers also may keep one trout over 25 inches per day, which counts as part of the daily bag.
[…] Texas speckled trout limit set to move to five coastwide […]
Great, I am glad to see the bag limit per day lowered. It is more symbolic that substantive. It is very hard to catch five keeper trout in Galveston Bay these days. I also support the zero ban on keeping flounder. Again it is too little too late. This long overdue and should have been done in the early 2000’s. I would be in favor of lowering the bag limit to 3 for specs.
A very simple solution to keeping more trout in the water would be go to artificial only for speckled trout. The second Simple Solution with a very broad ramifications is to make golden croakers a game fish thereby anglers would be taking much fewer fish out of the water and killing many less smaller fish including croakers along with a Croaker possession limit.
Finally start producing more Bait fish light mullet because if you put them out there they will come the game Fish will benefit greatly from this there are fewer mullet and Game fish now than there were in earlier years I can attest to that in the lower Laguna Madre area. You may think I’m crazy suggesting it but just think about feral cats when you closed the dumpster they move on if there’s no Bait fish the fish move on instead of staying where they are and prospering. The five speckled trout rule is fine the way it is with minimum 15in and 1/25 in stick to that are you will be killing many many more smaller Trap by trying to reach the 17-inch limits. I am a 40 year Charter Captain veteran and I live it everyday and see it everyday people cheating and killing smaller fish when they could keep the first five they catch.