Scoping: Spotted Seatrout Conservation Measures
Spotted Seatrout Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the status of the trout population along the middle Texas coast?
a. Our gill net surveys indicate a decline in spotted seatrout populations along the middle coast (San Antonio Bay and Aransas Bay in particular) and this decline is reflected in recreational spotted seatrout landings. From the 2004 peak, catch rates of spotted seatrout in our spring gill nets and recreational landings have both decreased about 60 % by 2009 in Aransas Bay, and about 50% in San Antonio Bay. Aransas and San Antonio are showing signs of improvement in 2010, both in angler catches and spring gill nets. West Matagorda Bay declined 40% from 2004-2009, but a large increase in the number of younger fish in 2010 also shows some signs of an improving fishery in the future.
2. Why are they declining?
a. Below average juvenile production is the main cause. The middle coast experienced low recruitment from 2004 to 2008, which resulted in fewer older fish. Fishing is the secondary cause, as spotted seatrout are the most sought after species by both private-boat anglers and guided trips, and more trout are landed than any other species. Fishing reduces the number of trout in the population, and when recruitment is low, as the middle coast recently experienced, it reduces the trout population even lower.
3. Are they overfished?
a. No. Fishing pressure and landings are different for each bay, with some bays higher than others, but spotted seatrout along the entire coast are not overfished. Spotted seatrout are the most sought after species by anglers in Texas inshore waters and we have seen that the parties that land fish in Texas are targeting more or becoming more dependent on spotted seatrout and red drum as an overall proportion of their landings. A reduction in bag limits that would lead to decreased landings and would increase the number of older and larger fish in the population.
4. What is the status of trout along the upper and lower coast?
a. Data from our fisheries-independent monitoring program indicates that spotted seatrout populations on the upper coast are in good shape with a slightly overall increasing trend since 1986 with variation from year to year. The lower coast is a mixed bag with Corpus Christi Bay leveled off, the upper Laguna Madre having an increasing trend and the lower Laguna Madre still showing a decrease.
5. Will a 5-fish bag limit help?
a. A 5-fish bag limit has the potential for some modest gains in spotted seatrout conservation. For one, there could be a leveling off of the recently seen wide fluctuation in annual catch rates. Early results from the lower Laguna Madre (where a 5 fish bag limit was imposed on Sept 1, 2007) may give us some indication of what a 5 fish bag limit might mean to other areas on the coast. In the lower Laguna Madre more anglers are catching and keeping more fish per trip under a 5 fish bag limit than they did under a 10 fish bag limit. It also appears that anglers are targeting larger fish since the 5 fish bag limit went into place. Overall, it appears that larger fish are being landed with more anglers landing more fish per angler. We do not know if these trends will continue.
6. Are croakers an effective bait for trout?
a. Yes, but not for everyone. On average, guided trips using live croakers catch trout at about twice the rate of other baits, but private fishing trips using live croakers catch trout at the same rate as other baits. Croakers are especially effective at catching trout between 16” and 24” compared to other baits.
7. Will TPWD consider making croaker illegal as bait?
a. Croakers as well as other live fish such as pinfish and pigfish are also effective as bait types. Live shrimp still catches more spotted seatrout than any other bait, as they are more widely used. While we certainly can look at bait types and bait type rules, we would prefer to allow individuals the freedom to use bait types that they believe allow them to catch fish
8. Too many females are taken with the current 15” minimum. Can we lower the minimum size to 12”?
a. Lowering the minimum to 12” would result in a greater proportion of males being taken, but the overall result would be an increase in landings for both males and females. Total harvest would increase almost 50%, as smaller fish are more numerous than larger fish, resulting in greater numbers of females taken.
9. Will raising the minimum size to 16” help?
a. Most of the gains from increasing the minimum size to 16” would be lost through release mortality. Anglers will have to release more undersized fish with a 16” minimum. While released fish have a high chance of survival, releasing more fish would result in some increase in overall release mortality.
10. All I catch are undersized fish. What if we just keep the first 5 fish and not have a minimum size?
a. Smaller fish are more numerous than larger fish, so keeping the first 5 fish will result in the take of many undersized and immature fish. The purpose of a minimum size is to ensure that only mature fish are kept, and are allowed to spawn at least once before they can be retained by anglers. Allowing fish to spawn before they can be kept is the best prevention to overfishing.
11. Don’t all released trout die?
a. No. Recent studies in Texas indicate that on average 80 to 90% of caught-and-released spotted seatrout survive. Several factors affect survival of caught -and-released spotted seatrout and include hooking location, time of year, hook type and angler skill level. Trout hooked in the esophagus or gills have much higher mortality than trout hooked in the mouth or externally; trout caught during the spring or summer have higher mortality than trout caught during the fall or winter; and finally, trout handled by novice anglers have higher mortality than trout handled by experienced anglers (James et al., 2007; Stunz and McKee, 2006).
12. Is a change in bag limit expected to be permanent? If not, how long will it last?
a. Not necessarily. If the bag limit were to be reduced, future changes could include increasing the spotted seatrout bag limit to higher levels. Typically, reductions in bag limits usually have positive impacts on the overall population and increases in bag limits usually have a negative impact on the overall population, it is sometimes harder to develop support of increasing limits even if the population as some point can support the increases in landings.
13. What are the size and bag limits in other Gulf states?
a. Louisiana — 12" minimum total length; 25 daily bag limit per person; two days’ bag limit allowed in possession off of the water, not while fishing in a boat. 15 daily per person with no more than 2 over 25" in specified areas. http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/publication/31743-recreational-fishing-regulations/Smaller_Fishing.pdf .
b. Mississippi — 13" minimum total length; 15 daily bag limit per person. http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/regulations/baglimits_recreational.htm
c. Alabama — 14" minimum total length; 10 daily bag limit per person. https://www.outdooralabama.com/images/file/size_creel_limits_11x14.pdf
d. Florida — not less than 15" or more than 20" (statewide) except one fish over 20" per person; daily bag of 4 per harvester per day in South region; daily bag of 5 per harvester per day in NE and NW regions; season is closed in Nov. and Dec. in the South region; season is closed in Feb. in the NE and NW regions. http://www.myfwc.com/docs/RulesRegulations/Saltwater_Regs_2010.pdf
14. Do guides catch most of the trout?
a. Guided trips accounted for 32% of the spotted seatrout landed during the 2009-2010 fishing year.
15. How can I contact TPWD with my opinion?
a. There are several ways that anglers may provide input. See our website at www.tpwd.state.tx.us for an online comments section. Also the public is invited to attend and provide comments at any of the following scoping meetings being held in January – all meetings begin at 7 p.m. :
Additionally if you are unable to attend one of these meeting and would like to provide comments directly to a staff member please contact your local TPWD Coastal Fisheries office or Fisheries Outreach Specialist, Art Morris, Corpus Christi Field Station, phone 361-825-3356, email: art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.us.