Fish Texas – September 2020

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Rods lined up at the beach, Fish Texas header

In This Issue:


Angling on the Edge of Summer

Men in kayaks

Temperatures have started dropping in Texas, but summer is not quite ready to leave. Take advantage of the last of our warm weather to hook some of these popular fish in their end-of-the-season hangouts. 

Largemouth bass  

Striped Bass 

Redfish

Get tips for reeling them in and more information on locations in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story, Angling the Dog Days

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Your Need-to-Know for the 2020-21 Season

man surf fishing with rainbow in clouds

1) This fishing season has some new regulations, including:

  • Flounder – minimum length is now 15".

2) When you buy your fishing license online, you can use your emailed receipt, or the record of it found in the Outdoor Annual app, to fish right away for any legal fish – except red drum over 28", which requires a tag.

3) The Outdoor Annual is your go-to source for all fishing regulations. There is not a printed version of the Outdoor Annual for the 2020-2021 season due to economic impacts of the pandemic. Access the Outdoor Annual by using the Outdoor Annual mobile app or by visiting OutdoorAnnual.com, where you can also download a copy 

4) Entries are now being accepted for an opportunity to harvest one alligator gar over 48 inches from a section of the Trinity River. Enter by 9/30 and check our press release for more information.

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Celebrate National Hunting & Fishing Day

Thank You Anglers message

Sept. 26 is National Hunting and Fishing Day. To mark the moment, we offer a hearty "Thank you!" to all Lone Star State anglers, we appreciate you and the impact you make on conservation. A special Texas-sized "Thank you!" also goes to anyone who has ever helped someone else learn to fish – you're a vital link in the long chain of our fishing tradition. 

On Sept. 26, join us in celebrating by taking a person new to the sport fishing. For tips on getting children engaged in the fun of fishing, watch our short video, Fishing With Kids

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12 Current Crappie Hot Spots

Crappie's sweet, white meat makes it a popular spring fish. But now is also a good time to fish for crappie, and we've found 12 hot spots where you can try your luck.

Brian Van Zee, Inland Fisheries Regional Director, tells us, “These lakes stood out as providing consistently strong crappie fishing right now." They include:

Check our press release for lake details and the list of all 12 lakes

Watch our video, The Crappie Guys, to learn the finer points of fishing for crappie. Then go catch your limit!

crappie backlit, video link

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Cooking Crappie and More Fish Recipes

fried crappie, with video link

Sharing your catch with family and friends can be very rewarding. Watch our video, Crappie Cooking, for 2 ways to cook what many say is the best tasting panfish out there. Then check out Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine's new Locavore section, a first-of-its-kind collection of fishing and hunting stories, and the recipes that go with them.

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Our River Names Reflect Texas' Hispanic Heritage

man and daughter fishing on Blanco River

Did you know that many names of our Texas rivers are rooted in Spanish, a language spoken by early explorers and settlers? Here are some river names that may surprise you with their meanings: 

  • Pedernales = flints
  • Nueces = nuts
  • Lavaca = the cow
  • Comal = pan for cooking tortillas
  • Concho = shell, due to its mussels
  • Blanco = white, due to its limestone bed
  • Brazos = arms, from its early name, Los Brazos de Dios, the arms of God

Read the magazine blog post, Hispanic Heritage Month – Our Rivers, to discover more about the stories behind these river names and others.

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Your Part in Preserving Our Coastal Resources

Mike Morales holding redfish, video link

Tens of thousands of people boat and fish in our coastal waters. Boating activity, along with natural forces, has caused destruction of the seagrass that provides fish habitat, and that habitat provides us with some of the best coastal fishing in the nation. 

It's vital you avoid damaging marshes while boating – harming seagrass is illegal. Watch our short video,  Lift, Drift, Pole or Troll, to see how you can avoid damaging seagrass when boating on coastal flats. 

Flatsworthy is a non-profit group of anglers, guides and boaters focused on conservation. One of their goals is to slow the tide on coastal habitat degradation, while encouraging safe, legal and more civil behavior on the water. Watch their video, FlatsWorthy - Protecting the Resource to find out how you can do your part to help protect our coastline.  

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New Bass Tracking Study

Happy boy caught a largemouth bass

Reports show that Texas anglers aren’t catching as many bass as they have in the past, despite healthy fish populations. So we've launched a study that tracks the habits of largemouth bass to try and figure out why this is happening.

We'll use radio transmitters implanted in 50 fish to track their habits in Toledo Bend and Lake Fork. Researchers predict it will take up to 2.5 years to complete the study. Find out more in the press release, TPWD Launches Innovative Bass Tracking Study.

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Your Input Wanted – Catfish Regulation Changes

We'd like your feedback on potential new harvest regulations for blue and channel catfish, before we propose any changes to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at the January 20, 2021 meeting.

Our goal is to adjust and simplify catfish rules. Read our press release and watch the video webinar to learn more. Direct your questions and comments to biologist John Tibbs, john.tibbs@tpwd.texas.gov

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Messages from Outdoor Annual advertisers:

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