New catfish regulations coming for Toledo Bend, Caddo and Sabine
Inland fisheries leaders with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Lou is iana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries recently struck an agreement to alter the daily creel limit on blue and channel catfish on Toledo Bend Reservoir, Caddo Lake and parts of the Sabine River.
Pending approval by the TPW Commission next spring, the new limit will allow anglers to take 50 blues or channels, or a combination of the two, but no more than five fish per day in excess of 30 inches. The current limit, which restricts anglers to no more than five blues or channel cat in excess of 20 inches, will remain in effect through Aug. 31, 2014.
Word of the relaxed length limit is sure to be welcomed by cat fishermen, especially those who enjoy running trot lines, jug lines and noodles on Toledo Bend. According to Charlie Shively, the news couldn’t have come a day too soon.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Shively said. “It (the 20-inch limit) is killing our business. For a lot of fishermen, especially those who only fish once or twice year, it’s just not worth it come here if they are looking to catch a mess of fish to eat. A 20-inch blue cat won’t weigh more than 3 1/2 pounds, but a 30-incher will weigh around 14 pounds. The 30-inch reg should be perfect.”
East Texas anglers take wins
East Texas bass pro Albert Collins won the Bassmaster Weekend Series Southeast Texas Division championship held earlier this month on Sam Rayburn, which earned him a spot to compete in the upcoming BWS Regional Championship on Oct. 4-5 on Lake Ft. Gibson in Wagoner, Okla. Collins, along with other top finishers from the divisional championships, are fishing for a spot to compete in the BWS National Championship on Nov. 6-9 on Old Hickory Lake.
in Tennessee. The winner of that event will qualify for the 2014 Bassmaster Classic in February on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.
Collins, who won the 2013 BWS National Championship, weighed in a two-day total of 43.22 in his most recent win. The Nacogdoches plumber was followed in the standings by Corey Stanley of Orange, Todd Driscoll of Jasper, Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches and Clayton Boulware of Zavalla.
Castledine followed up his BWS Top 5 finish with a win in the Wal-Mart BFL Cowboy Division Super Tournament held on ’Rayburn on Sept. 14-15. His two day total of 41 pounds, 5 ounces earned him $6,126 and 2013 Angler of the Year honors on the popular weekend circuit.
Other Top 5 finishers were Phil Marks of Dallas, Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Randy Sitz of Frisco and Brett Sellers
of Denham Springs, La. Archery Only season under way today; squirrel starts Oct. 1 The 2013 Archery Only season for white-tailed deer and mule deer gets underway statewide today, wh i le squirrel season is set to begin on Oct. 1.
The Archery Only season is open for hunters to use archery gear and crossbows to take deer in any county with a legal deer season. Crossbow hunters are reminded of a special rule in Collin, Grayson, Rockwall and Dallas counties that prohibits the use of crossbows unless the hunter possesses a physician’s statement verifying that he or she has an upper limb disability that makes them incapable of using a compound, recurve or long bow.
Hunters also must adhere to special antler restrictions on buck deer harvested in dozens of east Texas counties. Hunters should consult the 2013-14 Texas Outdoor Annual to learn more about the antler restrictions and where they apply.