tx freshwater hunting

[knobber]

anything legal to shoot in Texas' rather clear freshwater lakes? I did some snorkeling at Rayburn last weekend and would have loved to have "sighted in" my new (and yet-unused!) gun on a couple of largemouth. But I'm told it's possible only carp are allowed to be shot. Any others?

[ouachita]

Come on up to Arkansas. In season we can shoot cats, bass, walleye, etc... I see a lot of divers from Louisiana and quite a few Texas plates at Ouachita. If you need any info pm me.

Good luck
Steve

[Wet Spot]

I would love info on the lake. We dive dirty fresh water in South Louisiana but would like to dive a dam at 100+ft & nab one of those big cats.

Thanks,
Stan Smith
Helldivers

[KJNDIVER]

For what its worth, I wrote LA Wildlife and Fisheries earlier this year to ask about spearing regulations on Toledo Bend, I recieved what I was looking for but with the added remark that to be sure I was on the LA side of the river bed as I was instructed that TX did not allow spearing on their side. Maybe this was only for Toledo Bend, I dont know. But it doenst look promising.

[donmoore]

I copied and pasted this from TPWD web site so the format might look a little funny, but basically any non-game fish is legal, fresh or salt water, to shoot.

Its a no no "to take fish with a hand operated device held underwater except that a spear or speargun may be used to take NONGAME fish.”

"Game Fish (includes hybrids or subspecies of fish on this list):
· Bass: Largemouth, smallmouth
· Marlin: blue, white
· Snook smallmouth, spotted,
· Pickerel
· Spearfish, longbill striped, white, yellow
· Red drum
· Swordfish, broadbill
· Catfish: blue, channel, flathead
· Sailfish
· Tarpon
· Cobia
· Sauger
· Trout: brown, rainbow
· Crappie: black, white
· Seatrout, spotted
· Wahoo
· Mackerel: king, Spanish
· Sharks
· Walleye"

[ouachita]

What kind of vis do you have in those lakes in Texas and La, anyway? Our vis in Lake Ouachita on Sat was 3-5', mostly 3'.

[JAL1639]

It depends on the time of year and how many people are in the water. The best vis lake I have been in is Lake Travis, near Austin. I have dove there when vis is 20ft, the worst I have seen there is about 6-8ft. Lake whitney has a lower vis on average. I would LOVE to spear in Travis, mad cats and HUGE crappie.
Jeremy