Slim they DO HAVE to have flooded vegetation , the eggs ARE NOT FREE floating as the fish rubs up against flooded vegetation this and the males bumping her with their heads causes her to lay the eggs , which IMEDIATELY stick to the grass/trees . The problem that everyone is not looking at is 42,000 was a TOTAL POPULATION of which only maybe 5% are fish over 100 lbs which are your best egg producing females
Actually its a lot further stretch of river than you think with all the bends and turns in the river , I WILL BE at the meeting as I think a closure during spawning is not a viable option
I have also asked P&W about restitution on alligator gar , if a 160-180 " whitetail is worth $10,000 what is a 150 lb + alligator gar that is 40 to 65 yrs old "depending on genetics" worth . The reason I say depending on genetics is some fish will never grow over 100 lbs others will keep growing all of their lives , if you have a 200 lb female and a 100 lb male" pretty rare" those genetics will produce giant fish , small males not so big

Just want to point out that the date these were shot doesn't matter. Wasting fish was just as illegal then as it is now.

Prohibited Acts

Also see Possession and Transport of Exotic Species

Tournament Fraud

It is illegal to enter fish in a saltwater or freshwater fishing tournament that have had the length or weight altered, were taken unlawfully, or are fraudulently misrepresented.

It is a violation to:
�Take, kill, or disturb sea turtles or sea turtle eggs;
�Take, kill, or disturb any endangered or threatened species (paddlefish, shovel-nosed sturgeon, smalltooth sawfish and others);
�Take or kill diamondback terrapin, sawfish of any species, porpoises, dolphins (mammals), or whales;
�Place any game fish into public waters, other than the body of water where the fish was caught, without a valid permit issued by TPWD. This includes fish caught by pole and line. For permit information, please call 1-800-792-1112 (menu 4) or 1-512-389-4444.
�Use any vessel to harry, herd or drive fish including, but not limited to, operating any vessel in a repeated circular course, for the purpose of or resulting in the concentration of fish for the purpose of taking or attempting to take fish.

Tagging Fish

It is unlawful to release into the public waters of this state a fish with a device or substance implanted or attached that is designed, constructed or adapted to produce an audible, visual or electronic signal used to monitor, track, follow, or in any manner aid in the location of the released fish. It is legal to place an identification tag on the exterior of a fish and release this fish back into public waters. Caution is advised as use of these tags can damage fish.

Waste of fish

It is unlawful to leave edible fish or bait fish taken from the public waters of the state to die without the intent to retain the fish for consumption or bait.

Bow Fishing Regulations



Page ContentsFishing License
Legal Equipment
What to Catch
Where to Fish



Hunting and fishing regulations are addressed in the Texas Administrative Code. This page summarizes regulations that apply to bow fishing.

Fishing License

A freshwater, saltwater, or all-water license package is required to bow fish in Texas public waters. No additional stamp or license is required.

You don�t need a fishing license if you are:
�Under 17 years of age
�A Texas resident born before January 1, 1931

A hunting license is required to take turtles and frogs. You may elect to purchase a Combination or Super Combo license, which covers both fishing and hunting. For information on license fees and packages, see Licenses.

Legal Equipment

Fish may be taken with longbow, recurved bow, compound bow, or crossbow.

What to Catch

Bows are legal for taking non-game fishes such as gar, buffalo, mullet and sheepshead. A bow may be used to take any species of fish that is:
�NOT listed as a game fish on the definitions page and
�NOT listed as an endangered or threatened species

No minimum lengths or daily bag limits apply to non-game fishes in fresh water, except:
�For alligator gar, there is a limit of one (1) per day. On portions of Lake Texoma, harvest of alligator gar is prohibited during the spawning season in May.
�For Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, there is a daily limit of one (1) trophy-sized common carp, defined as a carp measuring 33 inches or more. No limits apply to smaller carp.

Limits exist on some non-game fishes in salt water. See saltwater limits.

Any fish that is edible or can be used for bait (includes all gar species, common carp and buffalo) may not be released back into the water after being taken with lawful archery equipment.

That's all you got? Wanton waste of game laws? Look again at the law. These are classified as ROUGH FISH. Not GAME fish. As long as they were properly disposed of, those guys are good to go. But if your really concerned they broke the law, then by all means, call the authorities and report them. GW will tell ya the same as me......after he quits laughing at you.

NEXT.....