31 Tex. Admin. Code § 58.163 – Shrimping in Inside Waters--Commercial Bay Shrimping

(a) General rules.
1. (1) Open waters--commercial bay shrimp boats may shrimp only in major bays.
2. (2) It is unlawful for any person:
  1. (A) aboard a vessel licensed as a commercial bay shrimp boat to off-load, transfer, sell, or barter any amount of live or dead shrimp to a person aboard another vessel; or
  2. (B) aboard a vessel to off-load, transfer, purchase or barter from a person aboard a vessel licensed as a commercial bay shrimp boat any amount of live or dead shrimp.
(b) Spring open season.
1. (1) The spring open season extends from May 15 through July 15 in major bays only.
2. (2) Legal shrimping hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
3. (3) Bag and possession limits: No more than 800 pounds of whole shrimp per day may be taken or possessed on board.
4. (4) Size limits: Shrimp of any size may be retained when caught lawfully during spring open season in inside waters
5. (5) Net restrictions.
  1. (A) Try nets.
    1. (i) A trawl used as a try net may not exceed 21 feet in total width.
    2. (ii) Try net trawl doors or boards may not exceed 450 square inches each.
    3. (iii) A beam trawl used as a try net may not exceed ten feet in width.
  2. (B) Main trawl:
    1. (i) must have doors at least three feet long as measured along the door centerline from leading tip to the trailing edge of the door; and
    2. (ii) must not exceed any of the following dimensions, as measured along an uninterrupted corkline from leading tip of door to leading tip of door including any and all add-on devices or attachments to the corkline:
      Attached Graphic
  3. (C) A beam trawl used as a main trawl may not exceed 25 feet in total width.
  4. (D) Mesh size may not be less than 6 1/2 inches in length between the two most widely separated knots in any consecutive series of five stretched meshes after the trawl has been used.
(c) Fall open season.
1. (1) The fall open season extends from August 15 through November 30 in major bays only.
2. (2) Legal shrimping hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
3. (3) Bag and possession limits are not restricted.
4. (4) Size limits:
  1. (A) From August 15 through October 31, the legal shrimp count is 50 heads on per pound.
  2. (B) From November 1 through November 30 there are no count or size requirements.
5. (5) Net restrictions.
  1. (A) Try nets.
    1. (i) A trawl used as a try net may not exceed 21 feet in total width.
    2. (ii) Try net trawl doors or boards may not exceed 450 square inches each.
    3. (iii) A beam trawl used as a try net may not exceed ten feet in width.
  2. (B) Main trawl may not exceed 95 feet in total width.
  3. (C) Mesh size in the main trawl: mesh size may not be less than 8-3/4 inches in length between the two most widely separated knots in any consecutive series of five stretched meshes after the trawl has been used, EXCEPT from November 1 through November 30, mesh size may not be less than 6-1/2 inches in length between the two most widely separated knots in any consecutive series of five stretched meshes after the trawl has been used.
(d) Winter open season.
1. (1) The winter open season extends from February 1 through April 15 in major bays only south of the Colorado River.
2. (2) Legal shrimping hours: 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
3. (3) Bag and possession limits are not restricted.
4. (4) Size limits: Shrimp of any size may be retained when caught lawfully during winter open season in inside waters.
5. (5) Net restrictions.
  1. (A) Try nets.
    1. (i) A trawl used as a try net may not exceed 21 feet in total width.
    2. (ii) Try net trawl doors or boards may not exceed 450 square inches each.
    3. (iii) A beam trawl used as a try net may not exceed ten feet in width.
  2. (B) Main trawl:
    1. (i) must have doors at least three feet long as measured along the door centerline from leading tip to the trailing edge of the door; and
    2. (ii) must not exceed any of the following dimensions, as measured along an uninterrupted corkline from leading tip of door to leading tip of door including any and all add-on devices or attachments to the corkline:
      Attached Graphic
  3. (C) A beam trawl used as a main trawl may not exceed 25 feet in total width.
  4. (D) Mesh size may not be less than 6 1/2 inches in length between the two most widely separated knots in any consecutive series of five stretched meshes after the trawl has been placed in use

Source Note:The provisions of this §58.163 adopted to be effective October 3, 1996, 21 TexReg 9176; amended to be effective October 10, 2000, 25 TexReg 10157; amended to be effective January 2, 2002, 26 TexReg 11004; amended to be effective May 14, 2015, 40 TexReg 2573.