What I am proposing is the 1st tag or stamp would be included with your freshwater fishing licenses, no extra charge. If you choose to keep and tag a fish over 30", and then return that tag to TPWD for a 2nd tag, the second tag will cost you $5.

If you choose to not keep any fish over 30" or even just 1 fish over 30" for the entire year, there is no additional cost for you.

Great Idea, I dont know why anyone keeps the big ones anyway.the thrill is catching them. I understand wanting meat for the table, but you dont kill all the adult chickens then wonder why there arent any eggs.

I believe it's a myth that lots of people are keeping big blues. Yes it does happen, but how often? If it were happening at the alarming rate some would have you believe, there wouldnt be the amount of trophy size fish caught that we are seeing.

Evidently you don't understand how the state legislature works. To balance the budget, the legislature redirects funds intended for specific use to the general fund and issues bonds to pay for whatever those funds were intended for. Bonds result in interest that must be paid by taxpayers. As I said, I supported the freshwater stamp, but I will never support anything like it again. Period.

I took the survey. But, I will tell you that limiting small fish take is a mistake....
I fished Squaw Creek for channels many years. It was closed due to the 911 fiasco. When the lake reopened,(AFTER MANY YEARS) I was one of the first to fish it again. The fish were dinky and pathetic. Keepers to eat? Just barely !! Oh, you could catch them as fast as the bait hit the water. But they were in terrible shape. STARVING!!! This year after fisherman and others have harvested thousands of those fish in the past few years, the fish are good size. Best year (sizewise) I have seen in a very long time. Don't kid yourselves, Not harvesting fish will not cure the ills. I've caught blue catfish, and flatties there also. No size at all to them. I have fished Tawokoni in the past, but not recently. Also, for the record... The largemouth bass in Squaw Creek aren't doing much better. A 9 lb fish (one) was the big fish for a tournament held there recently. Pathetic. Especially when that fish bellied up when released after the weigh in. It and quite a few more did the same. I know... I fileted them at the park staffs request. So to say a reduction in keeping fish will better a lake is much too broad of a statement. Each lake has its own balance, I think
Tawakoni's taking very good care of itself. Leave it alone........... Welcome haters .....

I'm not familiar with squaw creek but after some quick research I see the surface area of the lake is 3,272 acres. Add a 0 to the end of that and you are still not as big as Tawakoni. Trying to compare the 2 is like comparing not apples to oranges but more like a comparing a grape to a watermelon.

Of course if you go on a small lake like that for years with no harvest of fish the lake will become out of balance. The situation you describe is an unordinary occurrence. For these special situations TPWD can make special regulations for that body of water to allow additional harvest to get the population back into balance.