Does anyone cast up shrimp to eat? I had an old girlfriend who's Dad could fill a cooler in an evening. This was many years ago and in Georgia, but I wonder if any of ya'll do that here. Looking for someplace around Corpus/PA.
I would appreciate a PM if you don't want to give up your Honey Hole or if you could point me in the right direction. Also looking for some Blue Crabs.
If I get some, you're definately invited to the Shrimp/Crab boil at my place.
Thanks and see ya on the sand,
Cliff
"SportFisher"
Casting up shrimp for the table
-
SportFisher
- Posts: 457
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 6:39 pm
- Location: Converse, TX
-
Castaway Kay
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2003 9:42 pm
- Location: San Leon, Tx
- Contact:
This is from the Outdoor Annual put out by TPWD. Hope it helps.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publication ... 5_2006.pdf
Shrimp Regulations
• Shrimp may be taken for personal use (bait or food). Shrimp taken for personal use may not be sold.
• A person taking or attempting to take shrimp from salt water for non-commercial purposes is required
to have a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement.
Legal Sport Shrimping Devices:
• Cast Net (See pg. 31 for cast net restrictions)
• Seine (See pg. 32 for seine restrictions)
• Individual Bait-shrimp Trawl (See below)
Individual Bait-shrimp Trawl:
• Only 1 trawl per boat is allowed.
• Must have an individual bait-shrimp trawl tag in one’s possession while trawling (see pg. 26).
• Must not be greater than 20 feet in width between the doors.
• Mesh size must not be smaller than 8-3/4 inches over a consecutive series of 5 stretched meshes.
• Boards must not be larger than 450 square inches each.
Coastal waters (all the salt waters of the state) are divided into the following groups:
1. Outside Water: That part of the Gulf of Mexico extending from the shoreline seaward to nine
nautical miles.
2. Inside Water: All bays, passes, rivers, or other bodies of water landward from the shoreline along the
Gulf of Mexico. In these waters, the tide rises and falls and saltwater shrimp are found or migrate.
Shrimping is not permitted within any natural or man-made pass leading from the inside waters to the
outside waters of the state.
3. Major Bays:
• Sabine Lake north of Cameron Causeway to south of a line marked by the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway (Sabine Neches Canal/Sabine River) between the easternmost tip of Goat Island to the
westernmost tip of Stewts Island
• Trinity Bay southward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in Chambers County
to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point Barrow in Chambers County
• Galveston Bay
• East Bay westward from a line extending from Frozen Point to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Marker 12
46 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 REGULATIONS SUMMARY
• Matagorda Bay westward of a line extending from a location on the mainland (where a line running
immediately northwest [bearing 330 degrees] from Shellfish Marker A intersects the mainland),
thence southeasterly to Shellfish Marker A located near the mainland, thence to Shellfish Marker B
located near the end of Shell Island Reef, thence to the tide gauge located near the Matagorda Peninsula,
and thence southeasterly [bearing 153 degrees] to the Matagorda Peninsula.
• East Matagorda Bay
• Tres Palacios Bay south of a line from Grassey Point to the mouth of Pilkington Bayou
• Espiritu Santo Bay
• Lavaca Bay southward of State Highway 35
• San Antonio Bay southward of a line from McDowell Point to Mosquito Point
• Aransas Bay
• Corpus Christi Bay exclusive of the area bounded by a line extending from the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway at the southwest point of the Dagger Island chain, along Dagger Island to the southeast
tip of Ransom Island, then southeast to the westernmost point of land north of Marker 14 in the
Corpus Christi Ship Channel
• All exclusive of tributary bays, bayous, inlets, lakes and rivers
4. Bait Bays (includes major bays and those listed here):
• Chocolate Bay
• West Bay south and west of Interstate Highway 45 Causeway Bridge and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
inclusive of the area south of a line extending westward from Interstate Highway 45 Causeway Bridge at
Virginia Point, along the southern edge of Tiki Island to the northeastern tip of North Deer Island at
Channel Marker 48
• Trinity Bay northward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in Chambers County
to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point Barrow in Chambers County
• The Old Brazos River lying north of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Brazoria County
• Upper Laguna Madre
• Baffin Bay
• Alazan Bay
• Baroom Bay
• Lower Laguna Madre, including the Brownsville Ship Channel
• The entire Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, exclusive of all tributaries
5. Nursery Areas: (No Shrimping Allowed) Those coastal waters not specifically named above as Major
Bays or Bait Bays are considered Nursery Areas. Includes tributary bays, bayous, inlets, lakes, and rivers
that serve as significant growth and development environments for postlarval and juvenile shrimp. Does
not include outside waters, major bays, or bait bays.
Bait Shrimping (Major Bays and Bait Bays)
Season Hours Limits
Aug. 15–Mar. 31 30 minutes before sunrise • 2 quarts/person
to 30 minutes after sunset • 4 quarts/boat on boats taking shrimp with an
Apr. 1–Aug. 14 30 minutes before sunrise
individual bait shrimp trawl
to 2:00 p.m.
• No count size restrictions
Shrimping for purposes other than Bait (Major Bays only)
Season Hours Limits
Spring Open Season 30 minutes before sunrise • 15 pounds/person/day
May 15–July 15 to 2:00 p.m. • No count size restrictions
Fall Open Season 30 minutes before sunrise • 15 pounds/person/day
Aug. 15–Oct. 31 to 30 minutes after sunset • Must count no more than 50 shrimp/pound
Fall Open Season 30 minutes before sunrise • 15 pounds/person/day
Nov. 1–Nov. 30 to 30 minutes after sunset • No count size restrictions
REGULATIONS SUMMARY Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 47
Shrimping in Outside Waters — Southern Zone
(South of a line from the Corpus Christi Fish Pass [Latitude 27° 40' 34"] to the Mexican Border)
Location Season Hours Limits
Beyond 5 nautical Dec. 1–May 15** Day and Night • 100 pounds/person/day
miles
July 16**–Nov. 30
Inside 5 nautical July 16**–Nov. 30 30 minutes before sunrise • 100 pounds/person/day
miles to 30 minutes after sunset
CLOSED TO NIGHT 30 minutes after sunset to CLOSED TO NIGHT
SHRIMPING 30 minutes before sunrise SHRIMPING
WINTER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
SEASON
Dec. 1–May 15**
Inside 9* SUMMER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
nautical miles SEASON
May 15**–July 15**
*SPECIAL NOTICE: The federal government may close the Exclusive Economic Zone off Texas (9-200 nautical
miles) at the same time Texas waters are closed. For further information call the National Marine Fisheries
Service at (727) 570-5305.
**SPECIAL NOTICE: These dates may be changed by the department providing 72 hours public notice on
new closing dates and 24 hours public notice on new opening dates.
Shrimping in Outside Waters — Northern Zone
(North of a line from the Corpus Christi Fish Pass [Latitude 27° 40' 34"] to the Louisiana Border)
Location Season Hours Limits
Beyond 5 nautical Dec. 1–May 15** Day and Night • 100 pounds/person/day
miles
July 16**–Nov. 30
Inside 5 nautical Feb. 16–May 15** 30 minutes before sunrise • 100 pounds/person/day
miles
July 16**–Nov. 30 to 30 minutes after sunset
CLOSED TO NIGHT 30 minutes after sunset to CLOSED TO NIGHT
SHRIMPING 30 minutes before sunrise SHRIMPING
WINTER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
SEASON
Dec. 1–Feb. 15
Inside 9* SUMMER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
nautical miles SEASON
May 15**–July 15**
*SPECIAL NOTICE: The federal government may close the Exclusive Economic Zone off Texas (9-200 nautical
miles) at the same time Texas waters are closed. For further information call the National Marine Fisheries Service
at (727) 570-5305.
**SPECIAL NOTICE: These dates may be changed by the department providing 72 hours public notice on new
closing dates and 24 hours public notice on new opening dates.
Special County Restrictions
Nueces: It is unlawful for any person to take or attempt to take shrimp with a trawl in the Laguna Madre
north of a line starting on the mainland at the most northeasterly point on the north side of the entrance
to Whiteley Channel then proceeding in a straight line to the north end of Pita Island; then continuing on
a line to the southernmost point on the westerly most spoil island bordering the north side of the
New Humble Channel (commonly referred to as Hap’s Channel); then continuing on a line along the north
edge of the New Humble Channel (commonly referred to as Hap’s Channel) to its junction with the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway; then continuing on a straight line to the Nueces/Kleberg County line marker on
Padre Island.
48 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 REGULATIONS SUMMARY
Crab and Ghost Shrimp Regulations
NOTE: It is unlawful to place, fish, or leave a crab trap or crab trap component in the coastal waters of
the state from Feb. 17-26.
• There are no public salt waters, seasons, or times closed to the taking and retaining of crabs and ghost
shrimp, EXCEPT as provided in this guide.
• It is lawful to take, attempt to take, or possess crabs and ghost shrimp by means, in numbers, and of
sizes ONLY as described below.
• A person taking or attempting to take crabs or ghost shrimp from salt water for non-commercial
purposes is required to have a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement.
Bag, Possession and Length Limits
Species Daily Bag Possession Minimum Length
Blue craba No limit No limit 5 inches (Measured across the widest
point of the body from tip of spine
to tip of spine.) See pg. 39.
Stone crabb No limit No limit 2-1/2 inches claw (Measured from the
(right claw only) tip of claw to first joint behind the
immovable claw.) See pg. 39.
Ghost shrimp 20 20 per person None
a Except that not more than 5% by number, of undersized blue crabs may be possessed for bait purposes only
and must be placed in a separate container.
• May not possess egg-bearing (sponge) crabs.
• May not possess a female crab that has its abdominal apron removed.
b Only the right claw may be retained or possessed. The body of the stone crab must be returned to the water
from which it was taken.
Legal Devices and Restrictions
Crab Line: A baited line with no hook attached.
• No restrictions.
Umbrella Net (sometimes called crab net): A non-metallic mesh net that is suspended horizontally in the
water by multiple lines attached to a rigid frame.
• May be used to take crabs and NONGAME fish only.
• May not have within the frame an area that exceeds 16 square feet.
Folding Panel Traps:
• Only crabs may be taken.
• Overall surface area (including panels) may not exceed 16 square feet.
Crab Traps:
• Only 6 crab traps at a time may be fished for non-commercial purposes.
• May only remove crab traps from the water or remove crabs from crab traps during the period from
30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
• Tag Requirements: Must be used with a valid GEAR TAG (see pg. 30) attached within 6 inches of the
buoy or pier to which the trap is tied.
• Construction and Design Restrictions:
• May not exceed 18 cubic feet.
• Must be equipped with at least 2 escape vents in each crab-retaining chamber and located on the
outside trap walls.
• Escape vents must be at least 2-3/8 inches in diameter.
• Must be marked with a white floating buoy not less than 6 inches in height, 6 inches in length, and
6 inches width, bearing a 2-inch wide center stripe of contrasting color, attached to the crab trap.
• Buoys or floats may not be made of plastic bottle(s) of any color or size.
• Must be equipped with a degradable panel. A trap is considered to have a degradable panel if one
of the following methods is used in construction of the trap:
• the trap lid tie-down strap is secured to the trap at one end by a simple loop of untreated jute
twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #530), sisal twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #390) or
untreated steel wire with a diameter of 20 gauge or smaller. The trap lid must be secured so that
when the twine or wire degrades, the lid will no longer be securely closed; or
• the trap contains at least one sidewall, not including the bottom panel, with a rectangular
opening no smaller in either dimension than 3 inches by 6 inches. Any obstruction placed in this
REGULATIONS SUMMARY Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 49
opening may not be secured in any manner EXCEPT it may be laced, sewn, or otherwise obstructed
by a single length of untreated jute twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #530), sisal twine (comparable
to Lehigh brand #390) or untreated steel wire with a diameter of 20 gauge or smaller knotted
only at each end and not tied or looped more than once around a single mesh bar. When the
twine or wire degrades, the opening in the sidewall of the trap will no longer be obstructed; or
• the obstruction may be loosely hinged at the bottom of the opening by no more than two
untreated steel hog rings and secured at the top of the obstruction in no more than one place by
a single length of untreated jute twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #530), sisal twine (comparable
to Lehigh brand #390) or untreated steel wire with a diameter of 20 gauge or smaller. When
the twine or wire degrades, the obstruction will hinge downward and the opening in the sidewall
of the trap will no longer be obstructed.
• Placement and Location Restrictions:
• May not place a crab trap or portion thereof closer than 100 feet from any other crab trap, EXCEPT
when traps are secured to a pier or dock.
• May not fish a crab trap in public fresh waters.
• May not fish a crab trap within 200 feet of a marked navigable channel in Aransas County; and in
the water area of Aransas Bay within one-half mile of a line from Hail Point on the Lamar Peninsula,
then direct to the eastern end of Goose Island, then along the southern shore of Goose Island, then
along the eastern shoreline of the Live Oak Peninsula past the town of Fulton, past Nine Mile Point,
past the town of Rockport to a point at the east end of Talley Island, including that part of Copano
Bay within 1,000 feet of the causeway between Lamar Peninsula and Live Oak Peninsula.
• May not possess, use, or place more than 3 crab traps in waters north and west of Highway 146
where it crosses the Houston Ship Channel in Harris County.
• May not use or place more than 3 crab traps in public waters of the San Bernard River north of a line
marked by the boat access channel at Bernard Acres.
• It is unlawful to place any type of trap within the area in Cedar Bayou between a department sign
erected where Mesquite Bay flows into Cedar Bayou and the department sign erected near the point
where the pass empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Other Devices:
• Devices legally used for taking of fresh or saltwater fish or shrimp may be used to take crab if operated
in places and at times authorized by a proclamation of the Parks and Wildlife Commission or the Parks
and Wildlife Code.
• See applicable pages in this guide to determine authorized uses, places, and times for other legal devices.
Sand Pumps: A self-contained, hand-held, hand-operated suction device used to remove and capture
Callianassid ghost shrimp.
• May only be manually operated.
• May not be used for commercial purposes.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publication ... 5_2006.pdf
Shrimp Regulations
• Shrimp may be taken for personal use (bait or food). Shrimp taken for personal use may not be sold.
• A person taking or attempting to take shrimp from salt water for non-commercial purposes is required
to have a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement.
Legal Sport Shrimping Devices:
• Cast Net (See pg. 31 for cast net restrictions)
• Seine (See pg. 32 for seine restrictions)
• Individual Bait-shrimp Trawl (See below)
Individual Bait-shrimp Trawl:
• Only 1 trawl per boat is allowed.
• Must have an individual bait-shrimp trawl tag in one’s possession while trawling (see pg. 26).
• Must not be greater than 20 feet in width between the doors.
• Mesh size must not be smaller than 8-3/4 inches over a consecutive series of 5 stretched meshes.
• Boards must not be larger than 450 square inches each.
Coastal waters (all the salt waters of the state) are divided into the following groups:
1. Outside Water: That part of the Gulf of Mexico extending from the shoreline seaward to nine
nautical miles.
2. Inside Water: All bays, passes, rivers, or other bodies of water landward from the shoreline along the
Gulf of Mexico. In these waters, the tide rises and falls and saltwater shrimp are found or migrate.
Shrimping is not permitted within any natural or man-made pass leading from the inside waters to the
outside waters of the state.
3. Major Bays:
• Sabine Lake north of Cameron Causeway to south of a line marked by the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway (Sabine Neches Canal/Sabine River) between the easternmost tip of Goat Island to the
westernmost tip of Stewts Island
• Trinity Bay southward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in Chambers County
to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point Barrow in Chambers County
• Galveston Bay
• East Bay westward from a line extending from Frozen Point to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Marker 12
46 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 REGULATIONS SUMMARY
• Matagorda Bay westward of a line extending from a location on the mainland (where a line running
immediately northwest [bearing 330 degrees] from Shellfish Marker A intersects the mainland),
thence southeasterly to Shellfish Marker A located near the mainland, thence to Shellfish Marker B
located near the end of Shell Island Reef, thence to the tide gauge located near the Matagorda Peninsula,
and thence southeasterly [bearing 153 degrees] to the Matagorda Peninsula.
• East Matagorda Bay
• Tres Palacios Bay south of a line from Grassey Point to the mouth of Pilkington Bayou
• Espiritu Santo Bay
• Lavaca Bay southward of State Highway 35
• San Antonio Bay southward of a line from McDowell Point to Mosquito Point
• Aransas Bay
• Corpus Christi Bay exclusive of the area bounded by a line extending from the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway at the southwest point of the Dagger Island chain, along Dagger Island to the southeast
tip of Ransom Island, then southeast to the westernmost point of land north of Marker 14 in the
Corpus Christi Ship Channel
• All exclusive of tributary bays, bayous, inlets, lakes and rivers
4. Bait Bays (includes major bays and those listed here):
• Chocolate Bay
• West Bay south and west of Interstate Highway 45 Causeway Bridge and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
inclusive of the area south of a line extending westward from Interstate Highway 45 Causeway Bridge at
Virginia Point, along the southern edge of Tiki Island to the northeastern tip of North Deer Island at
Channel Marker 48
• Trinity Bay northward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in Chambers County
to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point Barrow in Chambers County
• The Old Brazos River lying north of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Brazoria County
• Upper Laguna Madre
• Baffin Bay
• Alazan Bay
• Baroom Bay
• Lower Laguna Madre, including the Brownsville Ship Channel
• The entire Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, exclusive of all tributaries
5. Nursery Areas: (No Shrimping Allowed) Those coastal waters not specifically named above as Major
Bays or Bait Bays are considered Nursery Areas. Includes tributary bays, bayous, inlets, lakes, and rivers
that serve as significant growth and development environments for postlarval and juvenile shrimp. Does
not include outside waters, major bays, or bait bays.
Bait Shrimping (Major Bays and Bait Bays)
Season Hours Limits
Aug. 15–Mar. 31 30 minutes before sunrise • 2 quarts/person
to 30 minutes after sunset • 4 quarts/boat on boats taking shrimp with an
Apr. 1–Aug. 14 30 minutes before sunrise
individual bait shrimp trawl
to 2:00 p.m.
• No count size restrictions
Shrimping for purposes other than Bait (Major Bays only)
Season Hours Limits
Spring Open Season 30 minutes before sunrise • 15 pounds/person/day
May 15–July 15 to 2:00 p.m. • No count size restrictions
Fall Open Season 30 minutes before sunrise • 15 pounds/person/day
Aug. 15–Oct. 31 to 30 minutes after sunset • Must count no more than 50 shrimp/pound
Fall Open Season 30 minutes before sunrise • 15 pounds/person/day
Nov. 1–Nov. 30 to 30 minutes after sunset • No count size restrictions
REGULATIONS SUMMARY Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 47
Shrimping in Outside Waters — Southern Zone
(South of a line from the Corpus Christi Fish Pass [Latitude 27° 40' 34"] to the Mexican Border)
Location Season Hours Limits
Beyond 5 nautical Dec. 1–May 15** Day and Night • 100 pounds/person/day
miles
July 16**–Nov. 30
Inside 5 nautical July 16**–Nov. 30 30 minutes before sunrise • 100 pounds/person/day
miles to 30 minutes after sunset
CLOSED TO NIGHT 30 minutes after sunset to CLOSED TO NIGHT
SHRIMPING 30 minutes before sunrise SHRIMPING
WINTER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
SEASON
Dec. 1–May 15**
Inside 9* SUMMER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
nautical miles SEASON
May 15**–July 15**
*SPECIAL NOTICE: The federal government may close the Exclusive Economic Zone off Texas (9-200 nautical
miles) at the same time Texas waters are closed. For further information call the National Marine Fisheries
Service at (727) 570-5305.
**SPECIAL NOTICE: These dates may be changed by the department providing 72 hours public notice on
new closing dates and 24 hours public notice on new opening dates.
Shrimping in Outside Waters — Northern Zone
(North of a line from the Corpus Christi Fish Pass [Latitude 27° 40' 34"] to the Louisiana Border)
Location Season Hours Limits
Beyond 5 nautical Dec. 1–May 15** Day and Night • 100 pounds/person/day
miles
July 16**–Nov. 30
Inside 5 nautical Feb. 16–May 15** 30 minutes before sunrise • 100 pounds/person/day
miles
July 16**–Nov. 30 to 30 minutes after sunset
CLOSED TO NIGHT 30 minutes after sunset to CLOSED TO NIGHT
SHRIMPING 30 minutes before sunrise SHRIMPING
WINTER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
SEASON
Dec. 1–Feb. 15
Inside 9* SUMMER CLOSED Day and Night CLOSED SEASON
nautical miles SEASON
May 15**–July 15**
*SPECIAL NOTICE: The federal government may close the Exclusive Economic Zone off Texas (9-200 nautical
miles) at the same time Texas waters are closed. For further information call the National Marine Fisheries Service
at (727) 570-5305.
**SPECIAL NOTICE: These dates may be changed by the department providing 72 hours public notice on new
closing dates and 24 hours public notice on new opening dates.
Special County Restrictions
Nueces: It is unlawful for any person to take or attempt to take shrimp with a trawl in the Laguna Madre
north of a line starting on the mainland at the most northeasterly point on the north side of the entrance
to Whiteley Channel then proceeding in a straight line to the north end of Pita Island; then continuing on
a line to the southernmost point on the westerly most spoil island bordering the north side of the
New Humble Channel (commonly referred to as Hap’s Channel); then continuing on a line along the north
edge of the New Humble Channel (commonly referred to as Hap’s Channel) to its junction with the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway; then continuing on a straight line to the Nueces/Kleberg County line marker on
Padre Island.
48 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 REGULATIONS SUMMARY
Crab and Ghost Shrimp Regulations
NOTE: It is unlawful to place, fish, or leave a crab trap or crab trap component in the coastal waters of
the state from Feb. 17-26.
• There are no public salt waters, seasons, or times closed to the taking and retaining of crabs and ghost
shrimp, EXCEPT as provided in this guide.
• It is lawful to take, attempt to take, or possess crabs and ghost shrimp by means, in numbers, and of
sizes ONLY as described below.
• A person taking or attempting to take crabs or ghost shrimp from salt water for non-commercial
purposes is required to have a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement.
Bag, Possession and Length Limits
Species Daily Bag Possession Minimum Length
Blue craba No limit No limit 5 inches (Measured across the widest
point of the body from tip of spine
to tip of spine.) See pg. 39.
Stone crabb No limit No limit 2-1/2 inches claw (Measured from the
(right claw only) tip of claw to first joint behind the
immovable claw.) See pg. 39.
Ghost shrimp 20 20 per person None
a Except that not more than 5% by number, of undersized blue crabs may be possessed for bait purposes only
and must be placed in a separate container.
• May not possess egg-bearing (sponge) crabs.
• May not possess a female crab that has its abdominal apron removed.
b Only the right claw may be retained or possessed. The body of the stone crab must be returned to the water
from which it was taken.
Legal Devices and Restrictions
Crab Line: A baited line with no hook attached.
• No restrictions.
Umbrella Net (sometimes called crab net): A non-metallic mesh net that is suspended horizontally in the
water by multiple lines attached to a rigid frame.
• May be used to take crabs and NONGAME fish only.
• May not have within the frame an area that exceeds 16 square feet.
Folding Panel Traps:
• Only crabs may be taken.
• Overall surface area (including panels) may not exceed 16 square feet.
Crab Traps:
• Only 6 crab traps at a time may be fished for non-commercial purposes.
• May only remove crab traps from the water or remove crabs from crab traps during the period from
30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
• Tag Requirements: Must be used with a valid GEAR TAG (see pg. 30) attached within 6 inches of the
buoy or pier to which the trap is tied.
• Construction and Design Restrictions:
• May not exceed 18 cubic feet.
• Must be equipped with at least 2 escape vents in each crab-retaining chamber and located on the
outside trap walls.
• Escape vents must be at least 2-3/8 inches in diameter.
• Must be marked with a white floating buoy not less than 6 inches in height, 6 inches in length, and
6 inches width, bearing a 2-inch wide center stripe of contrasting color, attached to the crab trap.
• Buoys or floats may not be made of plastic bottle(s) of any color or size.
• Must be equipped with a degradable panel. A trap is considered to have a degradable panel if one
of the following methods is used in construction of the trap:
• the trap lid tie-down strap is secured to the trap at one end by a simple loop of untreated jute
twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #530), sisal twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #390) or
untreated steel wire with a diameter of 20 gauge or smaller. The trap lid must be secured so that
when the twine or wire degrades, the lid will no longer be securely closed; or
• the trap contains at least one sidewall, not including the bottom panel, with a rectangular
opening no smaller in either dimension than 3 inches by 6 inches. Any obstruction placed in this
REGULATIONS SUMMARY Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2005-2006 49
opening may not be secured in any manner EXCEPT it may be laced, sewn, or otherwise obstructed
by a single length of untreated jute twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #530), sisal twine (comparable
to Lehigh brand #390) or untreated steel wire with a diameter of 20 gauge or smaller knotted
only at each end and not tied or looped more than once around a single mesh bar. When the
twine or wire degrades, the opening in the sidewall of the trap will no longer be obstructed; or
• the obstruction may be loosely hinged at the bottom of the opening by no more than two
untreated steel hog rings and secured at the top of the obstruction in no more than one place by
a single length of untreated jute twine (comparable to Lehigh brand #530), sisal twine (comparable
to Lehigh brand #390) or untreated steel wire with a diameter of 20 gauge or smaller. When
the twine or wire degrades, the obstruction will hinge downward and the opening in the sidewall
of the trap will no longer be obstructed.
• Placement and Location Restrictions:
• May not place a crab trap or portion thereof closer than 100 feet from any other crab trap, EXCEPT
when traps are secured to a pier or dock.
• May not fish a crab trap in public fresh waters.
• May not fish a crab trap within 200 feet of a marked navigable channel in Aransas County; and in
the water area of Aransas Bay within one-half mile of a line from Hail Point on the Lamar Peninsula,
then direct to the eastern end of Goose Island, then along the southern shore of Goose Island, then
along the eastern shoreline of the Live Oak Peninsula past the town of Fulton, past Nine Mile Point,
past the town of Rockport to a point at the east end of Talley Island, including that part of Copano
Bay within 1,000 feet of the causeway between Lamar Peninsula and Live Oak Peninsula.
• May not possess, use, or place more than 3 crab traps in waters north and west of Highway 146
where it crosses the Houston Ship Channel in Harris County.
• May not use or place more than 3 crab traps in public waters of the San Bernard River north of a line
marked by the boat access channel at Bernard Acres.
• It is unlawful to place any type of trap within the area in Cedar Bayou between a department sign
erected where Mesquite Bay flows into Cedar Bayou and the department sign erected near the point
where the pass empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Other Devices:
• Devices legally used for taking of fresh or saltwater fish or shrimp may be used to take crab if operated
in places and at times authorized by a proclamation of the Parks and Wildlife Commission or the Parks
and Wildlife Code.
• See applicable pages in this guide to determine authorized uses, places, and times for other legal devices.
Sand Pumps: A self-contained, hand-held, hand-operated suction device used to remove and capture
Callianassid ghost shrimp.
• May only be manually operated.
• May not be used for commercial purposes.
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SportFisher
- Posts: 457
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 6:39 pm
- Location: Converse, TX
Thanks
I'll have to sort this one out, might be easier to buy them from the T-Head LOL
See ya on the sand or one of the above with a cast net,
SportFisher
See ya on the sand or one of the above with a cast net,
SportFisher
-
Jolly Roger
- TKF 10,000 Club
- Posts: 11781
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:33 pm
- Location: peeing in the kiddie pool
Shrimp Regulations
• Shrimp may be taken for personal use (bait or food). Shrimp taken for personal use may not be sold.
• A person taking or attempting to take shrimp from salt water for non-commercial purposes is required
to have a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement.
The boundries get a little hard to follow, but many people net shrimp. I know of a few good places around galveston, Sabine Pass and Port Arthur, but not around PA. The surf at times can be packed with shrimp, but not very often. A nylon net will work better for shrimp, and it needs to be heavy. Old stlye cloth nets are the best , but are hard to find. The mono nets that most people use to catch bait will not catch shrimp very good.
Best areas to try are drains into ship channels, ICW, or concrette ditches that drain into the bay. Concrete seems to hold large number of shrimp. Rocks are good to but you must be very careful when chunking nets around them. Good luck, the hardest part is finding a spot to cast net them. Once you find a good area they are easy to catch.
• Shrimp may be taken for personal use (bait or food). Shrimp taken for personal use may not be sold.
• A person taking or attempting to take shrimp from salt water for non-commercial purposes is required
to have a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement.
The boundries get a little hard to follow, but many people net shrimp. I know of a few good places around galveston, Sabine Pass and Port Arthur, but not around PA. The surf at times can be packed with shrimp, but not very often. A nylon net will work better for shrimp, and it needs to be heavy. Old stlye cloth nets are the best , but are hard to find. The mono nets that most people use to catch bait will not catch shrimp very good.
Best areas to try are drains into ship channels, ICW, or concrette ditches that drain into the bay. Concrete seems to hold large number of shrimp. Rocks are good to but you must be very careful when chunking nets around them. Good luck, the hardest part is finding a spot to cast net them. Once you find a good area they are easy to catch.