Is there a limit for how many catfish I can bring home in Texas? Also… what bait works in Texas?

Texas is a great place for catfishing, and by national standards, they are pretty lenient. Unfortunately, there is a limit, but it’s not too bad! The statewide limit in Texas is 25 channel cats or blue cats per day. It doesn’t matter how many of each, as long as the total for both channels and blues does not exceed 25. They also have to be at least 12 inches long. This is because of spawning. If people take too many little ones, they won’t have a chance to make more. I guess they figure that a 12-inch channel or blue cat has already laid whatever eggs it was going to. There is no maximum for length (that’s the good news!). For flatheads, it’s different. You can only take up to 5 flatheads in one day. These must be at least 18 inches long, and there is no maximum. This is for the same reasons as above. There is no Texas state limit for gafftopsail catfish. These are the statewide regulations for Texas, but some areas have their own limits. For example, at Texoma, there is a 15 catfish daily limit, for any kind of catfish. You also have to release anything over 10 pounds. If you go fishing in Texas, you’ll want to make sure you know the limits for whatever area you’re fishing in. Some areas also make you get a local license, in addition to the Texas fishing license that is required. These can usually be purchased cheaply at a tackle shop or Wal-mart.

Tags: fishing for channel catfish, catfish fishing guide, catfish hand fishing, texas catfish fishing, catfish noodling