I just looked at the new catfish regulations set by the TPWD.
Does anyone have a flow chart that connects all this together to know what lakes are going with what regulations?

https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/re..._medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

With these new reg's I'm going to really miss having the printed manual in the boat.
New things to remember:
No minimum length, can still keep 25, but some lakes 50, only 10 fish can be over 20 inches, but some lakes only 5, other lakes you can only have 1 over 30, other lakes you can have 5 over 30.

Better check out the new regs on lakes you travel to.

Plus #1 on checking out the new regulations on lakes you travel to !

Yes Sir, for wright patman lake it's 25 no limit on the small size with only 10 over 20" for Blue /Channel cat.per day. I like fiddlers for table fair but I don't think I'll keep one much under 12".

Good to know. Thank you for sharing...

I've wondered how many people were going to take advantage of the no minimum length and keep fish under 12 inches?
I guess it would be an easy way to make fish nuggets

For those who fish multiple lakes/reservoirs it could be a chore just to keep up with all the different regs. I thought these changes were supposed to simplify regs from one lake to another?

New rules don't go in effect til Sept.1. The places i fish at and what I fish for
if stay at 25 limit at 12 inches I'm good. Unless Tawakoni and then it's only
7 over 20 inches and of those 7 only 2 can be over 30 inches..changing to
5 and 2 Sept. 1.

I miss the booklet!

I want it in writing, not a screen that can constantly change every time you blink.

Government cant make anything simple.

What's the reason for the rule change ? Does it make for better fishing ? A 20" inch Blue is the best fish you can catch for the table.

Some lakes need the new regulations due to increased fishing pressure!
I know my home lake had the size limit on channel cats raised from 12 to 14" and from 25 per day lowered to 15.
I've witnessed some enormous meat hauls from the lake over the years and it had been steadily dropping off for about the last 6 to 7 years or more.
I think there are other factors other than pressure, but I guess it was time to start somewhere.
What I found strange was the lack of catching undersized fish which to me means there was an interruption of their spawning cycle, and it wasn't just me that had noticed this.
When you hardly ever catch a juvenile catfish something is wrong.

I have found that a 14 pound Blue is the ultimate in fish fry eating. The backstraps are cut to boneless "B"s or "8"s about 1" thick, battered & fried to perfection. Hot, dipped in ice cold Del Monte Ketchup.

The biologist that proposed the current and previous regulations told me the reason for the regulations change was to protect more of the breeding sized fish. With a huge influx of new catfish anglers they are trying to help protect the resource for future generations. By returning more of the breeding sized fish they hope those will grow into mature catfish that reach their full potential. Large mature catfish produce much higher number of offspring . It is their thinking that if you protect the breeding sized fish then their will me more mature fish for the trophy hunters and also more eater fish for the meat haulers.

I hope TPWD continues to manage the population of Blue Cats. I don't want to see Texas go the way of Kentucky and other states that have allowed their fish populations to be decimated. I release almost everything I catch, especially this time of year when they are full of eggs. I hate cleaning an eater size fish when I find eggs in it. I don't know how prolific the blues are. A guide buddy of mine up on Texoma said the biologists surveyed the stripped Bass population there last year and they estimate that over a million fish are harvested annually against an average population of five million. I want to preserve this resource for my grandkids...

I’d be willing to bet the house that if I had a plate of fried 15 lb blue and a plate of 5 lb fried Bluecat you you wouldn’t be able to tell what you were eating if I put a blindfold on you. It is the mindset like yours Lynn that TPWD is trying to overcome by educating the young anglers on the importance of conservation. With all the new anglers entering our sport I think your sending the wrong message by promoting the harvest of big Blues. It’s your opinion and you have every right to it but I disagree with it. I know I always take a beating on here when I bring up catfish conversation but if it helps save some big fish the so be it.