Umbrella Nets Considered Traps?

rkersh409 · January 20, 2014, 08:01:29 PM

The kids were asking the other day to go do some crabbing. So I started reading the rules and regs for Texas. I read where each licensed person can have 6 traps, but are Umbrella Nets considered traps? I saw some at Academy for a couple bucks and was thinking about setting them down the banks with a float and run them while fishing. I would pick them up before leaving. Would I need a gear tag for this as well or would this be legal?

BJ1fish · January 22, 2014, 06:06:44 AM

No Traps in Texas are what others call pots. There is no limit on crab nets. Personally I would rather use a line with a chicken neck and a scoop net when crabbing from the bank. Nets work better from a pier or boat.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/shellfish-regulations/crab-and-ghost-shrimp-legal-devices-and-restrictions

rkersh409 · January 22, 2014, 06:41:03 PM

So because umbrella/ring nets are not considered traps I can place them in fresh water without float or gear tag?

According to TPWD it says traps are to be used in salt water only. So I would think the salt water locks/dam on the Trinity River (Wallisville) would be the boundary?

CraigFos · January 22, 2014, 07:35:56 PM

I'm not sure where the Trinity River (Wallisville), but if they are south of I10 they would be considered saltwater.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/general-rules-regulations/freshwater-saltwater-boundaries

Freshwater/Saltwater Boundary

All public waters east and south of the following boundary are considered salt water:

FM Road 2004 to the junction of Interstate Hwy. 45 between Dickinson and La Marque, thence northwestward along Interstate Hwy. 45 to the junction of Interstate Hwy. 610 in Houston, thence east and northward along Interstate Hwy. 610 to the junction of Interstate Hwy. 10 in Houston, thence eastward along Interstate Hwy. 10 to the junction of State Hwy. 73 in Winnie, thence eastward along State Hwy. 73 to the junction of U.S. Hwy. 287 in Port Arthur, thence northwestward along U.S. Hwy. 287 to the junction of Interstate Hwy. 10 in Beaumont, thence eastward along Interstate Hwy. 10 to the Louisiana State Line.

The following public waters are not considered salt water:

waters of Spindletop Bayou inland from the concrete dam at Russels Landing on Spindletop Bayou in Jefferson County;

north of the dam on Lake Anahuac in Chambers County;

the waters of Taylor Bayou and Big Hill Bayou inland from the saltwater locks on Taylor Bayou in Jefferson County;

Galveston County Reservoir on State Hwy. 146 and Galveston State Park Ponds #1 through #7 in Galveston County;

Lakeview City Park Lake, West Guth Park Pond and Waldron Park Pond in Nueces County;

Lake Burke-Crenshaw and Lake Nassau in Harris County;

Fort Brown Resaca, Resaca de la Guerra, Resaca de la Palma, Resaca de los Cuates, Resaca de los Fresnos, Resaca Rancho Viejo and Town Resaca in Cameron County; and
Little Chocolate Bayou Park Ponds #1 and #2 in Port Lavaca in Calhoun County.

pafree · January 22, 2014, 11:47:35 PM

Quote from: CraigFos on January 22, 2014, 07:35:56 PM
I'm not sure where the Trinity River (Wallisville), but if they are south of I10 they would be considered saltwater.

The following public waters are not considered salt water:

north of the dam on Lake Anahuac in Chambers County;

the Trinity River Island Recreation Area is where the wallisville dam/lock is and it feeds Lake Anahuac (if i read right). my confusion and question is the regs say that you can not crab north of Lake Anahuac dam. is that north of the dam into lake Anahuac or north up the trinity river where the Lake Anahuac drains back into the river?

i called the Chambers county GW today but she was busy so i will give her another call tomorrow to help with my questions.

https://www.twdb.texas.gov/mapping/doc/maps/plates/trinity/existing/anahuac.pdf

pafree · January 23, 2014, 08:29:09 PM

i called the chambers county game warden with a list of questions. she knew that if they were tied to shoreline then you could use as many ring and folding traps as you want but she would check on if they were out in the channel then they would need the 6 inch float and game tag as described in the regs. NO crabbing in lake Anahuac. she was going to check on if crabbing the channels below the wallisville project was really legal even though both her and i have seen box traps with floats, how many ring net and folding traps could be used at a time out in open water and if crab trotlines were legal.

with the interesting questions, she asked if was from around here. i told her i had been learning new crabbing ideals from this forum was just making sure would be legal if i tried some of them.

rkersh409 · January 23, 2014, 11:21:40 PM

Quote from: pafree on January 23, 2014, 08:29:09 PMNO crabbing in lake Anahuac.

Thanks for getting with the GW. No crabbing in Lake Anahuac because its fresh water or no traps in fresh water? If this is true then you can't crab (even just string and neck) in any fresh water?

According to CraigFos post its pretty much anything south of I-10 in the Anahuac area. That would include the small portion of Trinity river from I-10 bridge to the Wallisville Dam and everything south. Except Turtle Bayou and lake Anahuac which are fresh water.

I keep reading the Texas regs over and over and I don't see where you can't crab in fresh water? Like at the Trinity river in Liberty, which is way north of the salt water boundary. Where I have seen lots of people crabbing. Am I missing it some where?

pafree · January 24, 2014, 01:16:59 AM

Quote from: rkersh409 on January 23, 2014, 11:21:40 PM

I keep reading the Texas regs over and over and I don't see where you can't crab in fresh water? Like at the Trinity river in Liberty, which is way north of the salt water boundary. Where I have seen lots of people crabbing. Am I missing it some where?

i am no lawyer but you seem correct. the south of I-10 thing seems to deal more with crab traps/pots. it does say you have to have a saltwater stamp/license to catch crabs. i PM'd you the liberty county GW's numbers to you to give them a call. it would be curious to see what they say.

pafree · February 20, 2014, 12:08:21 PM

got a call back today from the chambers county game warden and she said you are allowed as many ring net, umbrella nets and folding traps (a trap/net that a crab can crawl in and back out without getting trapped) as you want and they must be marked with a bouy as described in the manual with a gear tag if not tied to land. crab trotlines are legal. only allow 6 box traps/pots per person with license with saltwater stamp. anything south of I-10 excluded Lake Anahuac is legal to crab in.