Farah Guide Lines

Following our state and federal game laws helps aid in managing game populations. Without it, future fishermen would
suffer because of our greed and we can't let that happen. Those with any questions on the rules and regulations can contact TP&W
on Bear Lane here in Corpus Christi or on the web at www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

Boathole and Sulphur Road Flats are holding small pods
of Black Drum and good numbers of Redfish. I have been
keeping my eyes open for our larger schools of Redfish
with little luck as of late, but with August approaching they
should arrive shortly.

Hope everyone had a great July 4th, even though the weather was less than favorable. Trout fishing, over the past weeks, has
been fair in the extreme northern parts of the upper Laguna Madre. Many of our fish have moved into the Intracoastal Waterway from
adjacent flats and are holding on both the east and west drops of the ICW. These fish seem to be more prevalent on our incoming
tides, so plan your day accordingly. These Trout range in size from 13 to 22 inches with a few scattered Redfish mixed in. The

As far as Baffin goes, it has been inundated with
undersize Trout from the south. Most of these fish are
holding on or near rocks around the mouth of Baffin with
scattered pods of keeper fish mixed in. Many of our large
fish that had been holding in these areas and in the Land
Cut, have pushed into the back of Baffin or south to Port
Mansfield. Nine Mile Hole is still producing Reds. Most of
these fish have been holding close to Padre Island.
Yarborough Pass has probably been the most productive
area in the past months, holding an ample supply of bait
fish and green water. These fish have little reason to
leave.

tag. We must fill out all information on it and then immediately place this tag on the fish. This tag has a small hole on one end,
which allows a fisherman to run monofilament fishing line through it. Then, attach the line and tag to the fish around the tail
section. To make certain that our catches are legal, it is best to use an aluminum measuring board. That is what our local game
wardens will be using to measure your fish. Many ice chests on the market have a measuring board on the lid. These rulers are
not precise and should never be used to measure game fish. There are a few brands of rulers out on the market. I personally use
the Check It Stick. If you're looking to pick one up, it is best to ask the folks at Roy's Bait and Tackle to help you out. Here in Texas,
we pinch the tails of our fish when measuring them, so be careful with those Reds that are close to 28 inches. If it goes over 28" at
all, it needs a tag.

We are nearing one of the only times of the year
when I will target Redfish over our beloved Spotted Sea
Trout of the upper Laguna Madre, mostly due to my
personal infatuation of watching schools of Reds fighting
over my top water. Most of Texas's recreational fishermen
know our saltwater harvest regulation on these fish, but
for those who don't, let's go over it. Our limits and
restrictions have been handed down to us by Texas Parks
and Wildlife. These limits are enforced by our local state
game wardens. Red Drum or "Redfish" have a size limit
or "slot limit" they must meet in order for us to keep them.
This slot is a minimum of 20 inches and a maximum of
28 inches. Our daily bag limit is 3 Redfish per day and our
possession limit is twice our daily bag limit. So, if you fish
2 days in a row you can keep up to 6 Redfish but no more
than that. Here in Texas, we have a special regulation that
enables us to keep one Red Drum over the legal size limit
and it does not count toward our daily bag limit. On our
fishing license, there is a Red Drum tag similar to a deer