Trout for crab bait?

[Guest]

Going to set out crab traps in Rockport next week and planning to use the remains of filleted trout and reds. Someone told me it is illegal. True?

[npe001]

I heard it was.. doesnt make sense cause you can throw it into the water after you clean them...

[Jaybo31]

Don't think you can use game fish for bait.

[rsquared]

chicken legs work well too

[Jaybo31]

TPWD

It is Unlawful to:

use any game fish or part of a game fish as bait.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/general-rules-regulations/general-fishing-regulations

[Aggiebow88]

Definitions - Fishing
Valid Sep. 1, 2019 through Aug. 31, 2020.
Artificial lure
Any lure (including flies) with hook or hooks attached that is man-made and is used as a bait while fishing.
Bait
Something used to lure any wildlife resource. It is unlawful to use game fish or any part thereof as bait.

[Man]

Its illegal. A lot of people will fillet the skin off so it is not recognizable and use it.

[Quackerbox]

I guess the crabber I saw at the harbor didn't care

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[SabineHunter]

Okay, thank you for the informative quick replies. I will now follow up with the state as to why is this illegal? I mean, the fish are dead, legally caught, retained, and transported with no wasted meat. Since tpw supposedly uses science for their regs, what is the science behind this one?

[El General]

Okay, thank you for the informative quick replies. I will now follow up with the state as to why is this illegal? I mean, the fish are dead, legally caught, retained, and transported with no wasted meat. Since tpw supposedly uses science for their regs, what is the science behind this one?

It is not to prevent use in crab traps. It is to prevent some other type of misuse like catching a trout and cutting it up for cut bait or for catching them and using them as live bait.

My grandfather never used any other type of crab trap bait.

[huntindude]

I know it’s illegal to use for fish bait but I’m pretty sure the reason they save all the remains at the cleaning table in Matagorda are for crabbers


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[glen]

just cast net some mullet

[Man]

Okay, thank you for the informative quick replies. I will now follow up with the state as to why is this illegal? I mean, the fish are dead, legally caught, retained, and transported with no wasted meat. Since tpw supposedly uses science for their regs, what is the science behind this one?

Probably along the same lines as not being able to take/use/harvest an animal you nailed with your car. People will eventually begin to abuse it.

[CaptainDave]

Okay, thank you for the informative quick replies. I will now follow up with the state as to why is this illegal? I mean, the fish are dead, legally caught, retained, and transported with no wasted meat. Since tpw supposedly uses science for their regs, what is the science behind this one?

I'm sure it's to prevent abuse. Game laws can be very confusing, which creates a ton of grey areas. I have no problem with simply having a rule that states game fish can't be used as bait. The intended use of a legal game fish is for consumption, not cut bait.

If you have some freezer burned, old trout filets, I'm sure you could throw them in a crab trap. Technically illegal, but lets be honest. Is a GW going to be able to identify old trout filet that have been in a crab trap for a few hours? probably not.

With that said, if you want cheap and easy crab bait, throw some dead shrimp on the bottom and catch a few hard heads. They work just as good as anything. Oh and it's legal.

[SabineHunter]

just cast net some mullet

Got it. I just think it is crazy to dump pounds of good bait in the trash cans when I can use it to catch crabs. Is it enforced? If not a biological issue, what is it?