FROM TPW'S PROPOSAL:

Department data for the middle Trinity River indicate that between 1980 and 2010, strong reproductive success occurred in only five years (1980, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 2007). Furthermore, in 21 of the years between 1980 and 2010, reproductive success was nonexistent or weak, and in many of these years, rainfall was low or drought conditions occurred. Because the conditions for spawning do not exist on a regular or cyclical basis, and because spawning occurs in shallow waters where numerous gar can be concentrated in one area, alligator gar are extremely vulnerable to harvest during spawning. To protect alligator gar from excessive harvest during spawning, the proposed new rule would allow the executive director of the department to prohibit the take of alligator in an affected area. he proposed new rule would require the executive director to provide appropriate public notice when an affected area is declared and when lawful fishing for alligator may resume, and would limit the duration of a prohibition to no more than 30 days. The proposed new rule is necessary to manage alligator gar populations and ensure their ability to perpetuate themselves successfully.

Get with James at Falcon Lake Tackle he would love to support this!

I sympathize with James, that lake is hurting. Water levels are way down. There are likely a lot a of gar in that particular lake and they will eat bass if that's all there is. However, falcon and Livingston are big exceptions to the rest of the country where this fish is becoming increasingly rare.

Win, for the record I don't fish for gar or bowhunt them so I really don't have a dog in this fight. But I want you to ponder this question. I do on occasion trotline and at Choke it's not uncommon to catch all species of gar and other fish as well on the trotlines. Say they make a temporary ban or season and I catch a gar on the trotline, what would one do? Those things scare the hell out of me and there's no way I'm taking the hook out of ones mouth. Also say its dead from drowning, do you just let it sink to the bottom?

See, I agree that this is a touchy issue, but it isn't new. I mean, what do you do if you catch an undersized/oversized bass on a trotline and it is dead? If you throw it back, it is technically waste. If you keep it, you are in posession of an illegal fish....The Game Warden could issue a ticket either way.

What do you do if you are running your lines, and you catch a flathead or a blue that is dead, and it puts you one over your limit? Same deal.

If you search on the forums, people have been reprimanded by Wardens for both scenarios. I do think those laws should be stated more clearly. The problem is that if someone is caught with a dead, undersized fish then the Warden has no idea whether it was dead when caught, or if they are just claiming it was.

Personally, if you have no way of removing the hook then I would cut the line. I've caught many fish with hooks in them that were still able to function and feed.





This is just me being smart...But can a fish drown? I heard Troy Landry say that one time on swamp people when they were filming during a big fish kill. I don't know if he was refering to oxygen depletion, or if he really meant that they drown, but it always cracks me up.

Same as r&r, bow, etc. From what I've read, they would be banning a location on the water, so as long as your trot line is not in the banned location I'm guessing you would be ok.

Key word...harvest

Don't think they are even "banning a location". I believe they are just banning harvest.
If you happened to get one and were afraid of messing with the hook, you could just cut the line.

Who the hell is change.org.. Probably some folks that are against every form of hunting and fishing. Naw.. I see that anybody can go on there and start a petition about most anything..

I have not researched the site thoroughly.. And don't intend to.. I see they have 156 supporters for this issue.. Ten Gar hunters and 146 who don't want anything hunted or killed.. You can always find those..

My statements are not scientific.. But quite likely realistic..

That Change.org sounds somehow familliar.. And scarry..

LOL, check this petition out, probably more along the lines of what you are thinking:

http://www.change.org/petitions/texas-pa...it-is-necessary

Yeah, yeah, I see your point on the drown or oxygen depletion. But either way, wether it's a person or a gar if you hold them under water they will be dead. I've always heard the word "drowned" be used to describe that scenerio.

Alligator Gar are in NO WAY RARE or going down in numbers in Texas! Most people just don't know where to or how to find them. This proposal is in no way a good thing for anyone and TPWD hasn't done NEAR enough research on the subject. Heck they can make breeding facilities and simulate the rising water and breed them to stock if they are that worried about them but they won't. This proposal is from a few guys who watched river monsters and think Jeremy wade actually knows anything about the species. What a waste of money and time. And they are talking about COMPLETELY CLOSING off waterways to EVERYONE during their GUESSTIMATED spawn times for 30 day intervals. What a joke

You think this will cost a lot of time and money?




And you think this would be a cheaper alternative?

I think that if they really care about the species they would want to build a stocking facility. They stock catfish and bass and lots of other fish. Why not stock alligator gar? Texas spent TONS of money trying to eradicate them in the 50's so why shouldn't they spend TONS trying to replace them???

And if you think it won't cost LOTS OF MONEY to enforce their proposal your crazy. They will have to make signage for EVERY PUBLIC ACCESS POINT on EVERY RIVER and LAKE and pay someone to install them and take them down when they decide the conditions are conducive to gar spawn and then pay people to regulate and watch for illegal activities during that time. That's a lot of expence in itself not to mention all the temp and water level monitoring stations they would have to build etc.