Fishing

A federal judge in Brownsville has ruled in favor of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in a joint lawsuit brought by the agencies challenging an emergency regulation enacted by the National Marine Fisheries Service over red snapper seasons. The ruling means...

Noodling has been around for centuries, but in Texas – where it didn’t become legal until 2011 – biologists are still fishing for answers. “Handfishing” or “grappling,” the act of wading into shallow areas in rivers and lakes and using hands and feet to probe holes where catfish have taken...

NOAA Fisheries has announced a final rule for Gulf of Mexico red snapper, which sets quotas for commercial and recreational harvest. The red snapper quota will increase from 8.08 million pounds to 8.46 million pounds whole weight for 2013 seasons, with recreational anglers getting 4.145 million pounds, 49 percent of the...

It’s National Safe Boating Week, which means there’s no better time to brush up on the intricacies of Texas’ rules and regulations — and why they’re in place. With that in mind, here’s a glimpse at common boating safety questions. What are Texas’ boater education requirements? Anyone born on or after Sept....

ARANSAS BAY -- The top fishfinders in the world don't come with built-in GPS. Nor do they offer crystal-clear displays or boatloads of programmable options. In this dog-eat-dog ecosystem, one of the best ways to entice scaly delight to the end of your line is to follow the food chain,...

The putrid stench mingled with the breeze as it slowly crept from its damp hiding spot in the plastic jar. As the devilish concoction steadily radiated an abominable wave of aroma in every nook and cranny, this angler slowly inhaled — through his mouth — and thanked his lucky...

Texas bass fishing is way ahead of the pack. And you can thank biologists and even Mother Nature for helping our state harbor the best largemouth angling in the country. Bassmaster Magazine recently released its list of the best 100 U.S. bass lakes and Texas again led the way with nine...

Donnie O'Neal, an avid bass angler from Pflugerville, has a big fish tale that's almost too hard to believe. Good thing he had a picture to prove it. O'Neal was fishing on lunker largemouth hot spot Lake Austin on April 28, hoping to find a 13-pound bass to enter into the...

The red snapper debate has Texas and other Gulf states seeing red over what they view as federal intrusion on a recreational fishery that adds millions of dollars to local economies. And the argument has gotten legal. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries...

The angling world is full of monsters waiting to pounce on unsuspecting victims. The good part is, the victims don't know and don't care if they get sucked down a big mouth. They're plastic. Finding a good fishing hole is usually not too hard. Finding the right technique to get the...