It's not long till September 1st!!!

(Important stuff is red)

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission today approved a number of proposed changes to freshwater fishing regulations, including the state’s first measure aimed at protecting alligator gar. The prehistoric-looking predators can live as long as 75 years and are the largest freshwater fishes in Texas.

The statewide regulation on alligator gar will change Sept. 1, 2009, from no length or daily bag limit to a one fish per day bag limit. The bag will apply to both recreational and commercial fishing.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries Division Director Phil Durocher told commissioners that Texas has the best remaining alligator gar populations in the country.

"We have a window of opportunity to sustain populations by limiting harvest to one alligator gar per day. It’s a good first step toward managing gar into the future," Durocher said.

While research on the fish, which can grow to more than 250 pounds, is still in its early stages in Texas, biologists know that alligator gar are very long-lived animals and take a long time to reach sexual maturity, with females attaining an age of 12 years and a length of about 60 inches before spawning for the first time.

Alligator gars also apparently require very specific spawning conditions, including flooded terrestrial vegetation or seasonally flooded backwaters.

Current research being conducted by fisheries biologists in Texas includes investigations into size structure and year class strength in a mark-recapture study; a seasonal movement and habitat study on radio-tagged fish; and research that looks a the genetics of alligator gar populations as well as contaminants that may be present in the fish.

Public comment on the alligator gar proposal was 167 comments against the department’s recommendation and 233 comments in favor of the regulation, with the majority of concerns raised by bow and commercial fishermen.

Blue Catfish — Lake Lewisville (Denton County), Lake Richland Chambers (Navarro and Freestone Counties), and Lake Waco (McLennan County)

Harvest regulations for blue catfish on these reservoirs currently consist of the statewide limits (12-inch minimum length limit and 25 fish daily bag limit). Changes approved by the commission consist of a 25 fish daily bag limit with a 30 to 45-inch slot length limit, and harvest of only one blue catfish over 45 inches would be allowed. No harvest of blue catfish between 30 and 45 inches will be allowed.
Largemouth Bass — Lake Ray Roberts (Cooke, Denton, and Grayson Counties)

The commission approved changes will make Lake Ray Roberts consistent with the statewide limits for largemouth bass (14-inch minimum length limit and five fish daily bag limit).

Lake Texoma — Cooke and Grayson Counties

Alligator gar -The commission approved a harvest closure in May to protect spawning adults in a portion of the lake that is within the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and a portion of the lake upstream of the U.S. Highway 377 bridge to the Interstate Highway 35 bridge.

Blue and channel catfish — The commission changed harvest regulations for blue channel catfish from a 15 per day bag limit to a 15 per day bag limit of which only one blue catfish 30 inches or greater may be harvested per day.

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On the Net:

More information about alligator gar: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/nonpwdpubs/media/gar_status_073108.pdf (PDF 122.6 KB)

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Good. Now the next step should be name the A.gar a gamefish. I believe any fish that grow to be 250lb deserves to be a gamefish.

Woooo Hooo!!! Come on September 1st!!

Wow, that's neither a lot of opinions nor a big difference in the totals. I'm glad I took the time to leave a comment. Every "vote" really does count!

Thats awesome news! Now if we could just get some similar statewide regulations on carp and buffs.

Yeah there should be.The only fish I think deserve to be called trash are invasives that are damaging the habitat not ones that are all ready here and well established in the ecosystem.

I read that when the common carp was introduced to the US it was a prized food fish that's stocks were guarded and fenced.Funny how times change.

im glad there finally doing something for the gar, but the bfers still think there above the law and wont follow those regs, heck they dont even follow the one already set now.

Well Chris hopefully these new regs will get the GWs out looking for the violators.

i hope so.

No need to start bashing anyone lol. Just stick to discussin' the new regs!

Yes sir.

good stuff j.b

This is really great to see. Now to get a bag limit on big carp and buffalo. One fish per day over 20 inches maybe?

that would be great

that would be good but does anyone on here keep carp for food or is everyone just catch for the fight itself.

some of us here will take a small carp/buff, but mostly catch and release. ill give away fish to a family if its under 10 lbs.

There are a number of the Carp Brigade that eat carp I believe. I hope they feel free to chime in. I have kept fish for others though I personally do not enjoy the taste. Catfish, bass and sunfish, including "black bass" are more to my tastes. I probably just don't know how to cook em. I think more anglers should keep small fish to help control the populations and give fish a chance to grow to trophy size in more waters. The "slot" on black bass has been very effective in increasing the size of bass without really effecting the numbers drastically. I think with Carp and Buffalo it would be just as effective.

All the small ones I catch will be coming home to be catfish bait.

J.B. go hit Granbury for me.. we gotta start weeding out the little guys so I can find the big boys! Those 5lb carp and buffs are perfect for the big kitties cut or whole.

I would not want to try and and cast a whole 5lb carp/buff.

I was trying to picture that, too!

Kayak it out.

I think thats normally boated out on trot lines... But it would be fun to try.

Oh, he trot lines? He said "cast" it out. so I thought he was R&R fishing.

No , I am R&R fishing.

chop em up!! but please take all the little ones outta granbury for me. and i do mean all 3 million of em.