On September 1, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department( TPWD ) begins the application process for an Alligator Gar Harvest Authorization drawing.
Fish are allowed to catch one eel par over 48 ins from a part of the Trinity River thanks to the random drawing.
From Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, anglers holding a valid license-year or year-from-purchase fishing license can use the My Texas Hunt Harvest mobile app or online to enter, either as an individual or as part of a small group. Winners will be notified by Oct. 15, and authorizations will be valid from the date issued through Aug. 31, 2024.
Anglers may consider qualifying alligator par day or night from a part of the Trinity River, including Lake Livingston and the East Fork of that river downstream to the bridge at Lake Ray Hubbard, from the I – 30 bridge in Dallas inland. Anderson, Chambers, Dallas, Ellis, Freestone, Henderson, Houston, Kaufman, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Navarro, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker are a few of the regions that fall under this category.
According to Tim Birdsong, acting TPWD director of Inland Fisheries,” hunting for eel par on the Trinity River is world famous and really a bucket list item for any angler.” ” With this drawing system, we are able to provide 150 fish with the chance to catch the fish of a lifetime while also achieving our asset management objective of protecting this special tool for both the present and future generations.”
Additionally, within 24 hours of produce, all alligator gar harvested from public freshwater and saltwater waterbodies( aside from Falcon International Reservoir ), including those with a crop approval, must be reported online or on the My Texas Hunt Harvest mobile app.
According to Birdsong, gathering information on alligator par yield through the My Texas Hunt Harvest apps and digitally” enhances our understanding of their distribution, sizes, and numbers and helps us maintain the best fishing opportunities into the future.”
A 48-inch maximum length restriction for alligator gar on the Trinity River is still in effect, and it applies from the I – 30 bridge in Dallas downstream to Chambers County’s I-10 bridge upstream to the dam at Lake Ray Hubbard( see above for list of affected counties ). The same portion of the Trinity River is also prohibited from taking or possessing an eel gar using legal archery products or crossbow, unless you have a harvest approval through the drawing system.
Gator par still has a one-fish per-day bag limit, with the exception of Falcon International Reservoir, where the normal bag cap of five fish and the possession limit of ten fish are still in effect.
You may download the My Texas Hunt Harvest app for free from Google Play and the Apple App Store. Explore The Outdoor Annual online for more details on eel par fishing laws.
