# LL Dam Stripers-hybrid how many?



## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Question - Checking the Texas parks and Wildlife pamplet 2011-2012, I see on page 37 you are allowed 5 stripers/hybrids 18" Min Legal limit (MLL). Reviewing exceptions to state fresh water Regs, Trinity river ( Polk/San Jac County) the exceptions are *S&W4*, Ctfsh6 and Shad1. page 39. Looking at page 40, S&W4 states - For the Trinity river from LL dam to FM 3278 Bridge , striped bass MLL=18" and daily bag =2.

To clarify - All other S&W 1, 3, 6 mention Striped bass and Hybrids.

I take this to mean you are allowed 2 striped bass 18" or larger. and you are allowed to posses a total of 5 which would mean 2 striped bass and 3 hybrids all 18" or larger.

Am I correct?


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

NO !!! :headknock


----------



## Danny O (Apr 14, 2010)

Karl, I actually see your point in the way that it is worded, but good luck explaining that one to the GW. I'd stick with 2 striper/hybrid.


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I started typing this same question 2 days ago and stopped. I would play it safe until talking to an actual GW, but I think they are trying to protect true stripers, not hybrids.


----------



## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Since the LL Dam is where they get their stripers for stock they don't want the hybrids. Futher evidence is not hybrid stocking in lake Livingston. Protect the Hybrids not stripers- enough said!

Great one - what is your say?

Not feeling well since thursday guys and hadn't fished in three weeks - driving me nutts! I was hoping to go this weekend but not gonna happen.


----------



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Call 936 327 6810 (Polk county sheriff office) ask to speak to Ryan Hall Polk County Game Warden.
I am positive he will say two in aggregate. The restricted limit is to protect the striper brood fish stock. 
I would guess that the TP&W folks don't trust we fishermen to be able to identify a hybrid from a striper.
I know that one of the San Jacinto GWs told me that he writes numerous tickets every year for small hybrids and stripers in with folks white bass. They just did not notice what they had.
Some one pointed out that you can retain but not keep more than two if you want to pay the per fish "fee."


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

It may be that since hybrids have never been stocked knowingly in Liv by TP&W, the reg. didn't specifically include them in that statement.....but my understanding 2 hybrids/stripers is the catch limit and possesion for below the dam. 

The last time the stripers/hybrids were going good, I often would get two below the dam early and then fish the lake keeping three more for a limit of 5. The reverse, i.e. catching 3 on the lake then going below the dam to catch 2 more there seemed to be asking for a ticket, even though in my understanding you didn't break any law. Better safe that sorry


----------



## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I understand the small stripers and hybrids for white bass. I am sure I would not mistake a striper for a white but a hybrid you might as well write the ticket. If I were a man with unlimited money, I would keep 5 they way the book is written.

I don't plan to keep (5) anytime soon. If I am checked I will ask and argue the point since I always have a pamplet in the boat. 

Thanks for responding!


----------



## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

To clarify my last post 12 inch striper vs 12 inch Hybrid. Very hard to tell the 12" or smaller hybrid from a white bass. I would guess very few GW can tell the difference either. I can tell a striper but a 12" hybrid - maybe not! Get your ticket book out if you can tell


----------



## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

If you are fishing below the bridge it is 5 stripers or hybrids, but I guess you would have to explain that to the GW at the boat launch.


----------



## Kevin70 (May 24, 2010)

If you read either the TPWD website or the pamphlet, it clearly only indicates a limit of 2 Striped Bass between the Lake Livingston Dam and the FM 3278 Bridge. It does NOT put any special restrictions on Hybrid Bass. You could keep a combination of 5 Striped Bass and Hybrids and you are fine as long as no more than 2 Striped Bass came from Below the Dam.

I imagine that is what TPWD meant the restrictions to be, but if not, they is what they their words mean. If a GW gave you a ticket for keeping 2 Striped Bass and 3 Hybrids from below the Dam, I would fight it and take them to court. No way they could win. It isn't even ambiguous.


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Kevin70 said:


> If you read either the TPWD website or the pamphlet, it clearly only indicates a limit of 2 Striped Bass between the Lake Livingston Dam and the FM 3278 Bridge. It does NOT put any special restrictions on Hybrid Bass. You could keep a combination of 5 Striped Bass and Hybrids and you are fine as long as no more than 2 Striped Bass came from Below the Dam.
> 
> I imagine that is what TPWD meant the restrictions to be, but if not, they is what they their words mean. If a GW gave you a ticket for keeping 2 Striped Bass and 3 Hybrids from below the Dam, I would fight it and take them to court. No way they could win. It isn't even ambiguous.


I read the english language the same way you do, and agree with you to an extent, lol. A few years back I received a ticket for 45 in a 40. But, the area was clearly marked 45. That means I received the ticket for doing 45 in a 45. It took 3 trips to the court house, 2 of which were full days spent. Don't mistakenly believe that court is for justice; it is for revenue. I don't want to take the space here to write why I wrote the previous sentence.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

There are those who post here that know someone who has been fined for that reason and some lost more than $.


----------



## longhorn daddy (Nov 10, 2009)

FISHROADIE said:


> If you are fishing below the bridge it is 5 stripers or hybrids, but I guess you would have to explain that to the GW at the boat launch.


 they can always check the footage from the camera at the dam to see if you have been fishing at the dam or on the other side of the bridge.


----------



## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

A good deal of my job is arguing over specifications with Bechtel, Flour and other engineering sorts. I am confident I could win this argument with them anytime. However, the GW and Judges sometimes don't play fair. It's whatever they think then a ticket. I don't have the time or money to fight it. I do plan to ask the GW if I am ever checked at the Dam or Lake Livingston.

Anyway! What am I worried about. Unlike Loy, I never catch more than 1-2 stripers at the dam anyway


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Karl you do make a good deckhand and allow us to catch another limit of fish when you go with us. :biggrin: Now if you could just not whine so much when you pull in my anchors !!!! :rotfl: Karl you are always welcome to fish with me.

Matt


----------



## ranger374v (Dec 23, 2010)

U fish to eat not to sell so two is good enough


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Trying to test the limit of the law on this one is not a good idea in my opinion. Like ranger374v said two is plenty. Especially the ones in the river now. There seems to be a a lot of big fish in the river now, more than usual IMO They are in great shape and can stand to be caught and released in the cool hyper O2 water.
So you can cull through them and catch two good size fish when they are biting and you can reach them.


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Gofish2day said:


> I don't have the time or money to fight it.


My point exactly! I beat the ticket mentioned above, but did I win?


----------



## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Good Point on the two fish. I sometimes catch hybrids in Conroe and only keep two. They are stocked and don't reproduce. Same with the stripers, we need as many of the big ones to reproduce as possible. The smaller fish are better eating.

Myself, I like the 11-12 inch whitebass over the rest.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I will be looking for a good population of speckled perch to fish for this spring below the dam, now we can keep 25 of those beauties!


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I read the Parks and wildlife fishing regs and I think that is a typo. In the past it did read striped/hybrid bass min=18 bag limit=2 i. i see where they have separated by it's self in the "from the Livingston dam to the bridge" thing, in the past it was designated with an * and the exception said bag limit 2 in combination striped/hybrid.
So i stand corrected and will ask the game warden when i see him next.


----------



## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

That is definately how it reads. Also there is another S&W that states both hybrid and striped so they do clarify both. Better be on your game though to make sure the fish is a hybrid.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I released some big hybrids on the last two successful trips I made there but would again. With the stripers/hybrids it's all about the fight, although they are excellent eating fish. I get plenty to eat when it is not okay to release them in the warmer months. 
Now is the time to go for your biggest striper ever and keep it or get a replica because now is when they show up and they do so to try and breed. If they can breed, awesome, though I chances are slim they do, if the TPWD gets them. great! They can keep the striper program going for the state. 
I did not know until talking to Sunbeam the other day all of the fry from l;ast year died but a few thousand that they put in Livingston. That is hard blow to the striper fishing and program for a couple of years to come.
Speakingof stripers, they are gone from the lake.
Gone to below the dam where they will be fun to catch and maybe really come back to their old size and numbers they once had there.
The great lake fishing for them, I think it's over for a while. Only Meadowlark could be sadder about it. I love chasing, jigging, casting to those lake stripers.

However experience tells me that the fishing for adult stipers will drop off sharply. 
I hope I am wrong, there have been more adult stripers in the last 3 years than I can ever remember in the lake proper.
We have been been blessed the last four years of not having gully washing discharges very often or when the stripers, especially those 12 to 17" juvenile fish, were close to the gates and vulnerable to following the current down into the river. 
For those who don't know striped bass especially young ones follow that river current as part of their old breeding cycle.
The fish we fish for were once fish who lived their adult life in the saltwater and juvenile life in fresh. 
The adult fish would run up the river each year during yearly spring floods and spawn, their spawn would make their way back to the salt water as they grew, anadromous fish.
For most of the time I have fished the lake proper and not mostly below the dam(12 years) the last year was the best for numbers of adult striped bass. 
Then the year before that, and the year before that. 
Three phenomenal years running. I'm glad I got to be there and fish it, and I hope there were so many striper a bunch washed through and still left us a pile of them lake.
I hope.
So I just I intend catch them and and release them personally, of course Iwill let clients keep two, unless I can top my personal best while fishing for fun.
Maybe TPW can get some good brood fish.


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

JUST THE MESSENGER !!!! I talked to a local Game Warden on Lake Livingston and he also works below the dam. He said the limit below the dam to 3278 bridge is 2 stripers and or hybrids. Total of 2 fish allowed wether it is 1 striper and 1 hybrid or 2 hybrids or 2 stripers. They will ticket you for 3 or more fish. I know someone mentioned fighting this in court but it will cost you a lot. I have seen in the past where people give the GW a hard time over a ticket and they end up confiscating there fishin equipment and boat. Just thought I would pass this along.

Matt


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Well, that solves it. I think they should word the regulation better to prevent confusion.

WBF


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

They should word it better but I was also told they consider a hybrid to be a striper when it comes to regulations on Livingston and below the dam. Yes I know a hybrid is a cross and not a true striper.


----------



## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Well its seems mighty fishy with the way this is written and the first day they shut the gates down enough to fish and they are camped out at the ramp checkin everybody inside and out. They need to get this corrected somehow. But i look at it this way if your on the lake a hybrid is part of your limit of 5 so same goes anywhere as in below the dam the limit is two stripers and its sub-species.


----------



## Kevin70 (May 24, 2010)

Mattsfishin said:


> JUST THE MESSENGER !!!! I talked to a local Game Warden on Lake Livingston and he also works below the dam. He said the limit below the dam to 3278 bridge is 2 stripers and or hybrids. Total of 2 fish allowed wether it is 1 striper and 1 hybrid or 2 hybrids or 2 stripers. They will ticket you for 3 or more fish. I know someone mentioned fighting this in court but it will cost you a lot. I have seen in the past where people give the GW a hard time over a ticket and they end up confiscating there fishin equipment and boat. Just thought I would pass this along.
> 
> Matt


If "hard time over a ticket" means bringing up a valid objection to a ticket and not verbally or physically abusing the GW, confiscating fishing equipment and a boat seems like extreme abuse of power. Truly disappointing if a a GW would do such a thing.

If TPWD intends people to only keep 2 stripers/hybrids below the dam, they should reword their regulations as that is NOT the way the regulation is written today. It isn't just a case of it could be worded better. It is worded incorrectly. If a GW gives a ticket for this, they are giving a ticket for a regulation that isn't documented.

I doubt it will personally affect me. I've caught stripers below the dam, but not hybrids (though they are apparently there from other people's reports).


----------

