Often, especially when I am out doing creel surveys, I come across fishermen that want to know why TPWD has a certain bass regulation in place versus some other regulation. Depending on what the fishermen’s motivation is, more often than not the appropriate regulation they feel is needed is the one that will likely impose the least restriction over them compared to other fishermen with different fishing motivations (i.e. harvest, release, tournament, non-tournament, etc.). The goal of any fishery regulation is to ensure long term sustainable quality use of a natural resource. Texas has three general types of bass regulations – minimum length limits, slot length limits, and catch and release only.

Most bass fisheries are regulated with minimum length limits. The current general statewide largemouth bass 14-inch minimum length limit has been in place since 1986. A few lakes in the state have minimum length  limits of 16 inches and 18 inches. Minimum length limits are suited for fisheries where the goal is to increase catch rates and overall yield. Minimum length limits are recommended for bass populations that have low to moderate recruitment (baby bass production) and good growth rates. The purpose of the minimum length limit is to provide protection for the reproductive potential of the population. Largemouth bass generally are sexually mature at about 10 inches, so with the 14-inch minimum length limit most bass will be provided with at least one spawning season before they reach legal size and can be harvested. Most bass in East Texas lakes will reach 14 inches in about three years. The success of a minimum length limit depends on fishing and harvest pressure, with the higher the degree of harvest on the fish to be protected the greater the potential increase in catch rates following a minimum length limit. In other words, if you let smaller fish go you can catch them later on when they are a little bigger. We know from recent studies on Sam Rayburn that about 10% of all legal sized bass die each year from fishing (all fishing, tournament and non-tournament). This is a low to moderate mortality rate and maybe the population does not quite need the amount of protection being provided. However, growth rates are excellent, catch rates of largemouth bass are some of the highest in the state, and the population has an excellent size structure under the current regulations.

A slot limit is a size range in which fish may only be harvested below and above that range. TPWD has managed largemouth bass at select lakes with slot limits since the mid 1980’s. Some notable lakes that have slot limits are Nacogdoches and Fork and both have shown excellent results under their slot limits. Slot limits usually work well in restructuring the size structure of a fish population where there is high recruitment and low to moderate growth rates. Allowing harvest of smaller fish decreases their abundance and competition and improves growth and survival of larger fish. Slot limits also provide protection to those fish within the slot, which are usually quality sized and increases the catch rates of those fish but not harvest. The lakes that we have had the best success with slot limits are those places where recruitment is high due to a lot of vegetation, and fishing and harvest pressure is also high.

Catch-and-release only regulations are usually set in lakes that have been newly renovated and stocked or where there is little recruitment and good growth. Obviously this is a regulation that is imposed when the objective is to leave every fish in the water. The three situations where a catch-and-release only regulation should be used is when high catch rates are the goal, fishing for food is not a priority, and length and bag limits are not adequate to prevent over fishing of the population.

TPWD is constantly monitoring lakes and the fish that live within them. We are full of information, statistics, graphs, etc. Really though at the end of the day all we can do is manage the people that use the resource through length limit regulations. This is why it is imperative that TPWD personnel spend as much time as possible in the field speaking with the people that we represent and serve. More often than not we get our best information during our creel surveys when we are trying to find out how people are using the fisheries and what their success in doing so is. We are always looking at our lakes to see if abundance and size of the fish are changing over time and to see how the habitat is doing. Finally, regularly we need to honestly ask ourselves if the regulations we have in place are the best for the people and best for the resource and be willing to change if necessary.

As always, if you should have any questions concerning this article or have any other fishery questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at 409-384-9572. Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Dan Ashe is a fisheries biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He has worked out of the Jasper, Texas field office since 2005 helping to manage east Texas reservoirs including Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend. Dan has also worked as fisheries biologist in Puerto Rico, California, and Alaska but now calls Texas home.