The Texas Invasive page says this.

Not trolling, just asking?

�Never transport water, animals, or plants from one waterbody to another -- either intentionally or accidentally! Do not release live fish, including bait, into a new body of water.

if they are dead it is ok. if they are alive you can not take from one lake and use at another.

I think the key word is "live". All the shad I catch are usually dead soon after they are out of the net.

It is two separate sentences, it is my understanding that by live bait them mean minnows and not shad. I mean Zebra Mussel larvae can live on dead shad?

Live bait is anything perch, shad, minnows. if you get them out of a lake you can NOT take to another lake to fish with or release. dead it does not matter.

I was wondering about that, so all the shad that are from WRC going to different lakes are in violation. That's a lot of violations!

is this your interpretation or did somebody tell you this?

I was just wondering.

Just might be my dumb thinkink but if they are on my hook they are not being released

I got an answer from a biologist in Austin...

The shad may be moved as long as they are not in water from the lake of origin. So saying that they have to be dead is wrong if they are dead in the lake water they came from.

Also in all areas where boats can be launched, the regulation requires the draining of live wells, bilges, motors, and any other receptacles or water-intake systems coming into contact with public waters. Live fish cannot be transported in water that comes from the water body where they were caught, personally caught live bait can be used only in the water body where it was caught, and no off-site tournament weigh-ins would be allowed if live fish are being transported in water from a water body in one of the affected counties.

Anglers may transport and use commercially purchased live bait in water provided they have a receipt that identifies the source of the bait. Any live bait purchased from a location on or adjacent to a public water body that is transported in water from that water body could only be used as bait on that same water body.

Movement from one access point to another on the same lake during the same day does not require drainage and there is an exception for governmental activities and emergencies. Marine sanitary systems are not covered by the new regulations.


Another rule prohibits transporting live nongame fish (including shad) that are caught in the Red River downstream of Lake Texoma, Big Cypress Bayou downstream of Lake O� the Pines (including the Texas side of Caddo Lake), and the Sulphur River downstream of Lake Wright Patman. If you take shad for bait in those watersheds, you can use them only in the water where they were caught.

All cleared up good...

Not Quite ALL CLEARED UP!!!! You are Talking like this is Statewide But these Laws say this is for 17 counties?

Rules to Prevent Spread of Zebra Mussels

Updated December 10, 2013: In the state�s ongoing effort to combat the spread of invasive zebra mussels, new rules require that all boats operating on public water in 17 Northeast Texas counties be drained after use.

Persons leaving or approaching public water in the affected counties are required to drain all water from their vessels and on-board receptacles. This applies to all types and sizes of boats whether powered or not, personal watercraft, sailboats, or any other vessel used to travel on public waters.

The rules apply on all public waters in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Jack, Kaufman, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Stephens, Tarrant, Wise, and Young counties. Lakes Belton and Stillhouse Hollow are covered by an emergency rule extending these same water draining requirements to Bell and Coryell counties.

Applicable in all areas where boats can be launched, the regulation requires the draining of live wells, bilges, motors, and any other receptacles or water-intake systems coming into contact with public waters. Live fish cannot be transported in water that comes from the water body where they were caught, personally caught live bait can be used only in the water body where it was caught, and no off-site tournament weigh-ins would be allowed if live fish are being transported in water from a water body in one of the affected counties.

Anglers may transport and use commercially purchased live bait in water provided they have a receipt that identifies the source of the bait. Any live bait purchased from a location on or adjacent to a public water body that is transported in water from that water body could only be used as bait on that same water body.

It was my understanding that this is to be implemented across the state by the end of the year.

Oh well the shad I catch go into icy tap water so I guess I'm good to go! The lake I fish probably has worse things in it than zebra muscle anyway... Some say it's just sewage from Dallas

A lot of odd laws for Texas fishing. Back in VA, we'd just cast nets while launching the boat and have a 5 gallon bucket of shad in a few minutes, then head out for the night. There were no laws against keeping fish either. Sometimes we'd have about 20-30 cats to cut up and fry or freeze. I guess lakes are different?