Is my 14 year old (without a license) eligible to catch the same limits of redfish, snapper, trout that I can? What about over sized fish (he doesn't have a tag because he has no license)?
Re: How many fish can 14 year old catch in Texas salt water?
[Re: snagola]
#1309344603/15/1906:23 PM
Although he is not old enough for a license, he is required to obey all state/federal regulations. He is also required to have a redfish tag if he intends to keep an oversized redfish. They are cheap. My daughter got 2 of them last year when we went fishing and she was 15.
Re: How many fish can 14 year old catch in Texas salt water?
[Re: snagola]
#1309401703/16/1904:06 AM
Under 17 does not need a license. And they are allowed the same limits as any license holder.
If you intend to keep an oversize red they will need to buy that tag. I think they are like $2. Must buy it in advance. Any oversize red that you retain must be tagged before you put it on ice.
Just an fyi....you can actually buy two tags per license year. AND the oversize tagged reds do not count against your daily limit. So technically if you catch three slot fish and two oversized with your tags you can keep five redfish that day.
Now you have me looking at the regs. Could've sworn that each person may only keep one tagged over per day.
*edit* well, I learned something new. Looks like you CAN keep two tagged oversize reds in one day!
Last edited by Uncle Zeek; 03/16/1902:06 PM.
"Decency is not news; it is buried in the obituaries --but it is a force stronger than crime" ~ Robert A. Heinlein Artim Law Firm, PLLC Estate planning & tax attorney 2250 Morriss Road, Suite 205, Flower Mound, Texas 75028 972-746-0758 mobile zac@artimlegal.com
Re: How many fish can 14 year old catch in Texas salt water?
[Re: snagola]
#1309480203/17/1912:21 PM
Dont forget about your posesion limit(twice the daily limit) but not for all species. You can keep twice the daily limit of most species in your cooler on the way homeresidence
Re: How many fish can 14 year old catch in Texas salt water?
[Re: Sgrem]
#1309564003/18/1912:35 PM
So technically if you catch three slot fish and two oversized with your tags you can keep five redfish that day.
When did they start allowing anglers to be in possession of two red drum tags at the same time? I know you no longer have to submit the first one to TPWD before you can purchase the bonus red drum tag.
Either way, you only get two tags for the fiscal year (9/1-8/31), so use them wisely. Personally I don't retain an oversize red unless CPR is not an option, so I use my tag as a safety net of sorts.
Last edited by Neumie; 03/18/1901:06 PM.
"Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water." -Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." - Heraclitus
Re: How many fish can 14 year old catch in Texas salt water?
[Re: snagola]
#1309565603/18/1912:56 PM
Yessir i agree. My bait presentation with circle hooks and heavy gear as well as boat side handling is for best care and release of the fish. People love wrestling those brutes. If they want to keep and tag their legal catch i am happy to bag em up for their take home.
Not sure when they changed the mail in vs purchase in advance but you can add a bonus tag to your license anywhere that sells licenses anytime.
If my customers intend to keep them, and we have been catching them strong, i certainly advise they pick up their bonus tag. We can target and catch those bulls year round.
This group got hooked up on these all the same time. That day was a boat rodeo for sure. All of these got tagged.
We also target them on artificials for you guys that want to tackle em.
So, I sent an email through the Connect with Us of the TPWD website regarding the red drum tag and was given this response:
Quote
The fisherman may keep 3 red drum in the slot of 20 - 28 inches and tag one additional red drum over 28 inches for a total of 4 fish. A fisherman may not possess more than one tag at one time thus he or she would not be allowed 5 fish.
(iv) During a license year, one red drum over the stated maximum length limit may be retained when affixed with a properly executed Red Drum Tag, a properly executed Exempt Red Drum Tag or with a properly executed Duplicate Exempt Red Drum Tag and one red drum over the stated maximum length limit may be retained when affixed with a properly executed Bonus Red Drum Tag. Any fish retained under authority of a Red Drum Tag, an Exempt Red Drum Tag, a Duplicate Exempt Red Drum Tag, or a Bonus Red Drum Tag may be retained in addition to the daily bag and possession limit as stated in this section.
Mike Mitchell Assistant Commander Game Warden Law Enforcement Division, Austin Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
He's quoting the Texas Administrative Code Title 31 57.981(c)(5)(G)(iv). IMO, it doesn't clearly state you can not be in possession of both tags at the same time (nor could I find anything within other statues stating you could not be in possession of both tags at the same time), but I'm not really going to question the response as I'm never targeting oversize redfish. Just wanted to pass along the response I received.
"Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water." -Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." - Heraclitus
Re: How many fish can 14 year old catch in Texas salt water?
[Re: snagola]
#1310481203/27/1903:08 PM
We have been checked a dozen times or more with bonus reds. I have seen the offshore party boats get checked dozens of times.
It seems unclear. But the wardens in the field who hand out the Outdoor Annual as a guide to the regulations they will be enforcing go by whats in the Outdoor Annual. As do most guides and fisherman. It doesnt say anything about daily or possession of oversize. As long as it is properly tagged. Here is a screenshot of the reg communicated to the public.
It even uses the verbiage "ANY fish retained under the authority of the red drum tag OR bonus tag doesnt count against daily bag" etc.
Now if they were going to enforce ONE only for a day it would certainly spell that out better. As it reads in the outdoor annual to me clearly says that both can be used anytime. The wardens need to be on the same page.
I agree it is unclear as nowhere within the Outdoor Annual or statutes does it state you can not be in possession of both tags at the same time nor use them on the same day. I'm with you Sgrem, I'm reading it the same way as you.
"Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water." -Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." - Heraclitus
Re: How many fish can 14 year old catch in Texas salt water?
[Re: snagola]
#1311453904/05/1902:42 PM