Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass at Lake Moss are currently managed under the statewide 14-inch minimum length limit. There is no length limit for spotted bass, and the daily bag limit for all bass species combined is 5 fish/day. TPWD is considering changing the harvest regulation from the current 14-inch minimum length limit to NO minimum length limit for any species of bass (Smallmouth, Spotted, & Largemouth). The daily bag limit of 5 fish/day would remain unchanged.

Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) surveys have shown that Lake Moss contains an over-abundance of bass smaller than 12 inches. Bass longer than 12 inches are less common and underweight, suggesting limited forage. Growth of Largemouth Bass to the current legal size (14 inches) in Lake Moss requires more time compared to other populations in North Central Texas lakes.

No minimum length limit would allow harvest of all bass (Smallmouth, Spotted, & Largemouth) regardless of length. This regulation would be implemented by TPWD in an effort to increase harvest of the abundant population of small bass (less than 12 inches) to allow more prey to be available for the slow-growing bass over 12 inches. For the regulation to be effective, anglers would have to be willing to harvest some bass less than 12 inches so competition for prey would be reduced.

We are asking for public input on possible solutions to the Lake Moss bass problems. Please provide us your input by completing a short survey.

Follow the link: http://bit.do/LakeMossBass

For more information or a printed copy of this survey, please contact John Moczygemba at john.moczygemba@tpwd.texas.gov, 903-786-2389 or P.O.Box 1446, Pottsboro, Texas 75076.

Thank you for participating in our short survey. Feedback from anglers like you is very important.

This is as simple as culling in a stock tank but on a much larger scale. I would be very supportive of this being implemented on Moss Lake.

I often wonder if Bass fisherman aren't "over doing" it with catch-and-release. Gotta keep a few every now and then to manage the thing in some of these smaller fisheries. I'm def in favor of it.

I thought that's what slot limits were for. The problem is for a slot limit to really be effective, anglers need to keep the fish on the small end of the slot. That helps remove those small fish and gives fish in the slot the ability to grow. I say moss needs a 14-18 or 14-22 slot limit. But of course I'm no biologist... Just my 2 cents.

Dink city over there, it the slot was 14-22 every tournament would be won with less than 5 lbs not very many bass over 22" in there anymore. I like the idea of harvesting the smaller bass to allow for more forage.

WHO? is going to harvest these little fish??? not very many people keep them to eat them anymore, you would have to do like Squaw with Tilapia and force people to keep all fish under a certain length then you would have to have someone to enforce it. It only sounds good on paper, shock the damn fish up and remove them and the problem should start to turn around. This discussion is always lame because the public does not eat bass as much as back in the day. On top of all of that who wants to pay such a high ramp permit fee for that little lake. Good luck

What he said.

Hell I'm goin tomorrow. Looks like I'll be keeping some dinks for fish sticks boys lol.
Plenty of big fish still in there. Caught a toad this summer she was probably 23 in. But had a huge head and skinny body so maybe takin the dinks out is a good idea.

If I brought fish home, I couldn't do it like I used to do with panfish - due to the fact that we are required to drain the boat as we exit a lake. What's someone going to do with 5 little fish? OK, so you have someone with you, now you get a whopping TEN little fishies. Gonna have a fish fry for the neighborhood?

I agree that most people still won't take any fish from the lake. For the few fishermen that would do so, a limit of 5 isn't going to amount to any real impact. Knowing that the fish that will be kept will be caught by a very limited group of anglers, I'd suggest doing what I see another state doing when they need small fish removed - make that limit ~30 so you can get some impact! Make it 30 under 14 inch, and no more than 5 over 14 inch. Then those few anglers who will keep fish can do enough to make a difference.

Shock them up and remove them

Lots of landowners up and down 82 with water
That could use some more fish in them.
(Like me!)

Drought and low water killed most of fish in our
Water

I think there are a bunch of spots in there, take all of them you can, I don't think there is a size or a limit for them.

Yea the 5 fish limit won't make a dent and y'all are right 5 tiny bass is pointless to try to clean, plus having to drain lake water at lake is an issue. The shocking idea is great. Also the ability to keep like 25 bass under 14 isn't bad, but if a guy only catches a few, chances are they are going to put them back. The fees are too high for that lake and also they'd need a fish cleaning station for guys to clean fish since they have to drain the water. I think TP&W should shock the fish and remove a bunch of small ones.

Fees to high? $30 for a year pass..