4
2017-2018 Texas Commercial Fishing Guide
• A vessel leaving a public freshwater body
may be transported on a public roadway
without water being drained, provided the
vessel is transported via the most direct
route to another access point located on the
same water body during that same day.
• Marine sanitary systems are not covered by
these regulations.
Following these procedures does not exempt
persons from complying with prohibitions
against transporting exotic aquatic species
that are visible to the unaided eye, such as
adult zebra mussels, which may be attached
to boats or trailers.
CIVIL RESTITUTION
When a Texas Game Warden encounters a
violation of hunting and fishing regulations,
there will be a criminal complaint filed in
either a justice court or a county court. Fines
for such violations are assessed by the presiding judge hearing the case, and commercial
aquatic products harvested in violation of the
law may be confiscated and sold. In addition
to assessed fines that may be associated with
a criminal complaint, violators are also liable
to civil restitution for the loss of or damage
to wildlife resources that have resulted from
the violation. Civil restitution will be assessed
following each violation and each violator will
receive an invoice for this restitution from the
department. Failure to pay the civil recovery
value will result in the department’s refusal to
issue any license, tag or permit in the violator’s name until restitution is made. An individual who hunts or fishes after such a refusal
commits a Class A misdemeanor which is punishable by a fine not less than $500 or more
than $4,000; punishment in jail not to exceed
one year; or both fine and confinement. For
questions concerning civil restitution call
(512) 389-4630.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: A person who seeks
reinstatement of license privileges following
license revocation or denial must apply for
license privilege reinstatement and pay a
$100 application fee.
POSSESSION OF PROHIBITED
FISHING DEVICES
It is UNLAWFUL to possess a device designed
to catch fish or other aquatic life in or on the
public water of this state where the use of
the device is prohibited or are not identified
in this document as legal devices.
In coastal waters, a prohibited device may
be possessed on board a vessel if the vessel is
in port or in a marked channel going directly
to or from an area in this state where the use
of the device is permitted.
Gill nets, trammel nets, strike nets and
seines (other than minnow seines) may not
be possessed within 500 yards of any public
coastal waters.
DEFINITIONS
Aquaculture: The business of producing
and selling cultured species raised in private
facilities.
Aquatic Product: Any live or dead uncooked,
fresh or frozen aquatic animal life.
Artificial Lure: Any lure (including flies) with
hook or hooks attached that is man-made
and is used as a bait while fishing.
Bait: Something used to lure any wildlife
resource. It is UNLAWFUL to use game fish or
any part thereof as bait.
Barrel of Oysters: As defined in Parks and
Wildlife Code, §76.001, a barrel of oysters is
three boxes of oysters in the shell or two
gallons of shucked oysters without shells.
The dimensions of a box are ten inches by
20 inches by 13 1/2 inches. In filling a box for
measurement the oysters may not be piled
more than 2 1/2 inches above the height of
the box at the center.
Bycatch Reduction Device (BRD): A device
installed in the cod end (tail bag) of a shrimp
trawl for the purpose of excluding finfish from
the net. NOTE: BRDs are required in certain
trawls.
Cast Net: A net which can be hand-thrown
or cast to drop over an area.
Charter Vessel: A vessel less than 100 gross
tons that meets the requirements of the U.S.
Coast Guard to carry six or fewer passengers
for hire and that carries a passenger for hire
at any time during the calendar year. A charter vessel with a commercial permit is considered to be operating as a charter vessel
when it carries a passenger who pays a fee
or when there are more than three persons
aboard, including operator and crew.
Circle Hook: A hook originally designed and
manufactured so that the point of the hook is
turned perpendicularly back toward the shank
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2017-2018 Texas Commercial Fishing Guide
• A vessel leaving a public freshwater body
may be transported on a public roadway
without water being drained, provided the
vessel is transported via the most direct
route to another access point located on the
same water body during that same day.
• Marine sanitary systems are not covered by
these regulations.
Following these procedures does not exempt
persons from complying with prohibitions
against transporting exotic aquatic species
that are visible to the unaided eye, such as
adult zebra mussels, which may be attached
to boats or trailers.
CIVIL RESTITUTION
When a Texas Game Warden encounters a
violation of hunting and fishing regulations,
there will be a criminal complaint filed in
either a justice court or a county court. Fines
for such violations are assessed by the presiding judge hearing the case, and commercial
aquatic products harvested in violation of the
law may be confiscated and sold. In addition
to assessed fines that may be associated with
a criminal complaint, violators are also liable
to civil restitution for the loss of or damage
to wildlife resources that have resulted from
the violation. Civil restitution will be assessed
following each violation and each violator will
receive an invoice for this restitution from the
department. Failure to pay the civil recovery
value will result in the department’s refusal to
issue any license, tag or permit in the violator’s name until restitution is made. An individual who hunts or fishes after such a refusal
commits a Class A misdemeanor which is punishable by a fine not less than $500 or more
than $4,000; punishment in jail not to exceed
one year; or both fine and confinement. For
questions concerning civil restitution call
(512) 389-4630.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: A person who seeks
reinstatement of license privileges following
license revocation or denial must apply for
license privilege reinstatement and pay a
$100 application fee.
POSSESSION OF PROHIBITED
FISHING DEVICES
It is UNLAWFUL to possess a device designed
to catch fish or other aquatic life in or on the
public water of this state where the use of
the device is prohibited or are not identified
in this document as legal devices.
In coastal waters, a prohibited device may
be possessed on board a vessel if the vessel is
in port or in a marked channel going directly
to or from an area in this state where the use
of the device is permitted.
Gill nets, trammel nets, strike nets and
seines (other than minnow seines) may not
be possessed within 500 yards of any public
coastal waters.
DEFINITIONS
Aquaculture: The business of producing
and selling cultured species raised in private
facilities.
Aquatic Product: Any live or dead uncooked,
fresh or frozen aquatic animal life.
Artificial Lure: Any lure (including flies) with
hook or hooks attached that is man-made
and is used as a bait while fishing.
Bait: Something used to lure any wildlife
resource. It is UNLAWFUL to use game fish or
any part thereof as bait.
Barrel of Oysters: As defined in Parks and
Wildlife Code, §76.001, a barrel of oysters is
three boxes of oysters in the shell or two
gallons of shucked oysters without shells.
The dimensions of a box are ten inches by
20 inches by 13 1/2 inches. In filling a box for
measurement the oysters may not be piled
more than 2 1/2 inches above the height of
the box at the center.
Bycatch Reduction Device (BRD): A device
installed in the cod end (tail bag) of a shrimp
trawl for the purpose of excluding finfish from
the net. NOTE: BRDs are required in certain
trawls.
Cast Net: A net which can be hand-thrown
or cast to drop over an area.
Charter Vessel: A vessel less than 100 gross
tons that meets the requirements of the U.S.
Coast Guard to carry six or fewer passengers
for hire and that carries a passenger for hire
at any time during the calendar year. A charter vessel with a commercial permit is considered to be operating as a charter vessel
when it carries a passenger who pays a fee
or when there are more than three persons
aboard, including operator and crew.
Circle Hook: A hook originally designed and
manufactured so that the point of the hook is
turned perpendicularly back toward the shank
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