South Sabine

[Red Fish Freak]

Went to South Sabine today , it was nice but hot! Caught 1 nice red and 2 nice specks , bait was good caught plenty of finger mullet . I have a question does anyone know what the law is at the Lousiana jetty,I use to fish the channel side and thought it was legal with a Texas license but have been hearing a lot of talk of Lousiana Game Wardens giving tickets on either side, if anyone knows please let me know.

[bassman]

You need a Louisiana license to fish on that side whether you are on the channel side or gulf side of the jetties.

[643]

I see no differance in the East side of the lake rite UP to the mouths (outside)of the La bayous or the inside of the jetties. Supposably Tx and La have an agreement on ALL the bordering waters, if I were asked (by La wardens) for my lisc while inside the jetties I would NOT show my La lisc >NO WAY, they would get my Tx lisc and if a ticket followed I would for sure contest it EVEN if it would be in a La court, IMO its BS to say the least. I need to make a trip to the TPW office to pay tax on the new sled and will for sure bring this up with the boss warden, seems as IF this IS going on the Texas wardens should wait at the dock on the La side and stop all boats before they trailer and ask for Texas lics although most that put in there are Texas residends with La lisc, landing a La limit, or could do on Toledo Bend as it IS the same thing the La wardens are doing on Sabine>>isn't it?? 

[tvc184]

....................... seems as IF this IS going on the Texas wardens should wait at the dock on the La side and stop all boats before they trailer and ask for Texas lics although most that put in there are Texas residends with La lisc, landing a La limit, or could do on Toledo Bend as it IS the same thing the La wardens are doing on Sabine>>isn't it?? 

No, it is not the same. Texas game wardens have no authority in Louisiana. The Louisiana game wardens have no authority in Texas but when they are issuing citations at the jetties, they are in Louisiana waters. The Texas game wardens at the Lousiana ramp would not be in Texas waters. Second, there would be no proof that the Louisiana fishermen would have ever been in Texas waters. When the Louisiana game wardens issue the citations on the Louisiana side, they have the proof that the person is in their waters since that is where the citation is issued.

If the Louisiana game wardens are violating some rule, then why not deal with the rule? Why have Texas game wardens return the favor by giving citations to otherwise legal Louisiana residents in retaliation? The citizens didn't give the citations.

I have asked about this situation and have been told (not knowing if this is true) that the reciprocal agreement between Louisiana and Texas for boundary waters ends at the points of land. Out in the Gulf, it no longer applies.

[thetragichippy]

My father always used to tell me that the LA game wardens could take your boat and all the property if they caught you breaking laws without a license. Not sure how true it is, but I make sure I'm on the straight and narrow when in Sabine lake.

[tvc184]

I think this is the answer about the fishing offshore question. This is the current Texas Parks and Wildlife Code which is the legal authority for game laws. The law says that Texas and bordering states will enter into agreements on which bordering LAKES and RIVERS can be fished or hunted with either license. Once you go past the final point of land, you are no longer in a lake or river. Hence, the reciprocal agreement is no longer in effect. You have to have a Louisiana or Texas license depending on which side of the ship channel (state line) that you are on.

TITLE 5. WILDLIFE AND PLANT CONSERVATION

SUBTITLE A. HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES

CHAPTER 41. RECIPROCAL HUNTING AND FISHING PRIVILEGES

Sec. 41.003.  RECIPROCAL LICENSE AGREEMENTS: BORDER STATES.  (a)  The director shall negotiate for the commission with the proper representatives of each state having a common border with Texas to allow reciprocal fishing and migratory waterfowl hunting on rivers and lakes on the common boundary between Texas and the border state.

(  An agreement must provide that a resident of the border state who has a sport fishing license or a hunting license issued by the border state may fish or hunt migratory waterfowl on rivers and lakes of the common border, and a Texas resident holding a Texas license is extended equal privileges. A person who holds a nonresident sport fishing license or a nonresident hunting license issued by this state or a border state may be extended the same privileges as those extended a resident license holder under this subsection.

Acts 1975, 64th Leg., p. 1405, ch. 545, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1975. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1256, Sec. 25, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

[643]

Thanks for the clearing that up... Hmmm seems as if the key words are Rivers and Lakes along with final point of land, I guess when asked I better pull my La lisc out. Yrs back you could take a La limit and 'land' in Texas if you had La lisc but recently that has been changed whereas if you 'land' in Tx you better have a Tx limit, its still legal to posses a La limit IF you 'land' on the La side. Tx state waters go 9 Nm from the shore but La's waters only go 3Km out from land, so with this you can NOT keep a Red caught outside La waters (Fed water) this is huge for the offshore fishermen as Tex has a 12 month Snapper season inside state waters BUT not in La waters, but the way things are shaping up with the feds, in order to fish for snapper in the future you will have to have snapper tags, which will be sold till they meet current TAC. Kinda sucks to know CCA is 100% behind this along with the PEW Foundation, I wonder how many tags the PEW will buy that will never get used, which is their #1 agenda>> to keep us as recs off the water..BTW YES I did say CCA is 100% behind this AND the commercial fishermen....

[Red Fish Freak]

Well now i know, it is unbelievable how much confusion there is on this law not only with the younger fisherman but also the fisherman that have many years under there belt. Thanks for clearing this up!  

[tvc184]

I think the misunderstanding is that most fishermen know that we have common boundary waters with Louisiana but not the fine print. That is the print that says the common waters of lakes and rivers. It is like we were 90% right but that 10% (offshore) is the part that has been getting people in trouble.

[PNG Proud]

The confusion also comes from the fact that, yes, several yrs. back, you could fish the TX side of the East jettie, and, in fact, STAND ON the LA jetties, as long as you fished on the TX waters...all with a TX license only.  But, as stated above, the laws were changed, so that now, the reciprical law applies in the "rivers & lakes" and all the way through Sabine (including the channel), up to the point where land stops.  At that point, in the middle of the channel is a imaginary line, and the East side is TOTALLY LA and the West side is TOTALLY TX.  The limits apply to the point where you land (trailer your boat) the fish.  So, even though you may have a LA license, and have fished in LA waters, when you hit the TX docks, you had better have a TX limit (size and creel) otherwise, you are subject to fines.

Now, if this makes you feel any better...

Last week my wife and I were fishing the LA jetties.  It was a scorcher, so we decided to ride around and cool off, so we slowly cruised out to the closest rig on the East side, and we were met there at the same time by a LA warden.  They asked if we had fish, which we did, and asked if he they could board my boat.  I said sure.  He checked our fish ("Nice reds", he said) and our LA license.  When he was through, I was using my trolling motor to get us back to his boat.  His partner copped an attitude and said "STAY OFF THE TROLLING MOTOR''!  O.K., Fine!  Handled it yourself there big boy (I thought to myself.).  As he got closer, his partner, in my boat, reached out and grabbed the rail of his boat, at which point a rolling wave seperated the 2 boats and SPLASH! in the water he goes!  He managed to hang onto the rail, but looked like a cork, bobbing up and down in the water.....gun and all!  I didn't laugh in front of him, but I sure did later, as did his partner.

Thought you'd enjoy that 

[tvc184]

I think that I would have had to laugh at that moment. That's pretty funny.

[PNG Proud]

It wasn't easy,  trust me.

[dme1111]

That is a great story.  I love it.  I got pulled over by the Coast Guard yesterday.  They boarded my boat I thought I had everything i needed.  He said I need to have flares and a card that showed proof of ownership of my boat.  They were very nice I just have never been stopped by them before.

[643]

Sounds like a Kodac moment....

[bullets13]

Sounds like a Kodac moment....

i'd have some more caption contest material.

[thetragichippy]

That is a great story.  I love it.  I got pulled over by the Coast Guard yesterday.  They boarded my boat I thought I had everything i needed.  He said I need to have flares and a card that showed proof of ownership of my boat.  They were very nice I just have never been stopped by them before.

I think the flare thing has to do with what size boat you have and where you are fishing.  I was stopped a couple years ago and was warned about flares because I was fishing Sabine lake and I need them there. If I were fishing Rayburn or Toledo, I do not need them. I still don't have them, guess I need to get some.

[PNG Proud]

On the flare issue,  don't forget that they DO expire, and the Coasties will also check to make sure they are up to date.  However, if they are not more than a yr. past experation, then they are still acceptable, unless you get stopped again in the future, and you haven't updated them.

[dme1111]

I have a 21' bay.... he said I actually need them at the jetties or further out... but then he issued me a written warning for not having them in the Neches by PN park.

[thetragichippy]

I have a 21' bay.... he said I actually need them at the jetties or further out... but then he issued me a written warning for not having them in the Neches by PN park.

yea, I think any body of water you can get to the gulf you are required

[PNG Proud]

Went fishing late yesterday (Fri) in the channel.  Good outgoing tide.  I met up with my brother, who lives in Illinois, but works on a boat out of New Orleans.  I picked him up off of his boat, drove 1/2 mile, and caught 12 really nice specs, and 1 flounder.  Not a bad few hrs.

[PNG Proud]

Went again Sun. eve.  This time the tide wasn't moving outlike before, so we headed to the jetties.  Kinda rough heading out, but worth the trip, as we boxed 23 nice keeper trout and 1 red.  Had a bigger red break off after a 3-4 min. fight.  Also lost several large trout too.

Too bad the sun had to set so fast, or we woulda caught that limit easily.

[tvc184]

I fished off of a dock downtown two nights ago and kept five specks and a 27 ½ inch red.

[643]

Concerning the fishing lisc requirements on the La side of the jetties, I dropped by the TPW office yesterday to see if they knew the requirements for a 83 y/o to fish in La waters. I was hoping to catch the boss who has been a friend of the family for yrs, I was thinking as long as he's been a warden he would know what was required, he was out but 1 of the ladies there gave me a ph# for any game or fish laws in La. I was told "from jetty to jetty the 2 states share a common boundry" along with "all a Tx senior needs is a Texas Seniors lisc to fish ANYWHERE in La". I question the 'point of land' and once again he stated from jetty to jetty, he even asked someone else in the office who had the same response. We will go again today and see if we can catch the boss in the office and get his interpretation along with a Seniors lisc for my dad. BTW heres the ph# 337-491-2588. PNG Proud, I'm wondering what IF you didnt have La lisc as all you were doing IS possessing fish >>NOT fishing, now IF you told them where you caught them its a whole new game. IMO this is no different than comming in from offshore and cutting thru the La cut on the jetty OR getting stopped by ether states warden anywhere in the lake while JUST riding around. I could see a problem if comming in from 'offshore' with a 'Tex state waters' limit of 4 snapper and stopped in La with their 'La waters limit' of 2.Will post up the answers I recieve today IF I get to talk with Rod Ousley....

[tvc184]

Concerning the fishing lisc requirements on the La side of the jetties, I dropped by the TPW office yesterday to see if they knew the requirements for a 83 y/o to fish in La waters. I was hoping to catch the boss who has been a friend of the family for yrs, I was thinking as long as he's been a warden he would know what was required, he was out but 1 of the ladies there gave me a ph# for any game or fish laws in La. I was told "from jetty to jetty the 2 states share a common boundry" along with "all a Tx senior needs is a Texas Seniors lisc to fish ANYWHERE in La". I question the 'point of land' and once again he stated from jetty to jetty, he even asked someone else in the office who had the same response. We will go again today and see if we can catch the boss in the office and get his interpretation along with a Seniors lisc for my dad. BTW heres the ph# 337-491-2588. PNG Proud, I'm wondering what IF you didnt have La lisc as all you were doing IS possessing fish >>NOT fishing, now IF you told them where you caught them its a whole new game. IMO this is no different than comming in from offshore and cutting thru the La cut on the jetty OR getting stopped by ether states warden anywhere in the lake while JUST riding around. I could see a problem if comming in from 'offshore' with a 'Tex state waters' limit of 4 snapper and stopped in La with their 'La waters limit' of 2.Will post up the answers I recieve today IF I get to talk with Rod Ousley....

I am always curious about a person that is giving an answer and then turns to ask someone else if that is correct. You probably get something like, "Yeah, that is what I thought too". Hmmm.........

In Texas (if I remember correctly), if you are 83, you do not need a fishing license. I thought that if a person was born before September 1, 1930 then they are exempt from a license. After that date, if a person is 65 or older they can get a reduced fee exempt license (while turning to someone else and asking, "That is correct right?).

[thetragichippy]

Concerning the fishing lisc requirements on the La side of the jetties, I dropped by the TPW office yesterday to see if they knew the requirements for a 83 y/o to fish in La waters. I was hoping to catch the boss who has been a friend of the family for yrs, I was thinking as long as he's been a warden he would know what was required, he was out but 1 of the ladies there gave me a ph# for any game or fish laws in La. I was told "from jetty to jetty the 2 states share a common boundry" along with "all a Tx senior needs is a Texas Seniors lisc to fish ANYWHERE in La". I question the 'point of land' and once again he stated from jetty to jetty, he even asked someone else in the office who had the same response. We will go again today and see if we can catch the boss in the office and get his interpretation along with a Seniors lisc for my dad. BTW heres the ph# 337-491-2588. PNG Proud, I'm wondering what IF you didnt have La lisc as all you were doing IS possessing fish >>NOT fishing, now IF you told them where you caught them its a whole new game. IMO this is no different than comming in from offshore and cutting thru the La cut on the jetty OR getting stopped by ether states warden anywhere in the lake while JUST riding around. I could see a problem if comming in from 'offshore' with a 'Tex state waters' limit of 4 snapper and stopped in La with their 'La waters limit' of 2.Will post up the answers I recieve today IF I get to talk with Rod Ousley....

I am always curious about a person that is giving an answer and then turns to ask someone else if that is correct. You probably get something like, "Yeah, that is what I thought too". Hmmm.........

In Texas (if I remember correctly), if you are 83, you do not need a fishing license. I thought that if a person was born before September 1, 1930 then they are exempt from a license. After that date, if a person is 65 or older they can get a reduced fee exempt license (while turning to someone else and asking, "That is correct right?).

Resident Fishing Licenses

Required of any resident who fishes in the public waters of Texas.

You do not need a fishing license/package if you:

are under 17 years of age.

were born before Sept. 1, 1930.

certain individuals with developmental disabilities, as defined by Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Sec. 46.002.