Spearfishing for TX non-game fish (aka: carp)

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Posted by Greg

Scuba Forum > Underwater Hunting

#51878	Spearfishing for TX non-game fish (aka: carp) Greg - 7/07/2014 6:31 AM View Member Topics Category: Underwater Hunting Replies: 3
	Has anyone gone spearfishing in Texas lakes or rivers? You’re only supposed to spear "non-game" fish...and carp seem to be the only one on the list that I’ve ever seen in our local fresh water. So do you spearfish carp for the fun of it, and to remove them from the water because they destroy the habitat for other fish? Has anyone eaten carp? I watched a video on how to fillet carp to get at the good bits and it seemed like more trouble than its worth.

#748

gemiller - 7/07/2014 3:46 PM

I have yet to have any variation of carp that taste good. In PA the irony is this: spearfishing is illegal, but you can take a bow and arrow and shoot fish all day. Either way, i’d see it as good sport and something I would be doing right here in PA if it were legal. It would be awesome in PA if it was legal for catfish because then at least there’s good food!

#103	txscubasteve - 7/08/2014 8:23 AM as far as i know, you can spear any "junk" fish, like carp, tilapia, and some catfish.

#51878

Greg - 7/08/2014 11:56 AM

Texas defines "non-game" fish as: All species not listed as game fish except endangered and threatened fish.

So any fish that is not on the game fish list...or considered endangered/threatened...is eligible for spear fishing.

Here is the list of game fish in Texas that you can NOT spear:

Bass: Guadalupe, largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, striped, white, yellow
Catfish: blue, channel, flathead
Cobia
Crappie: black, white
Mackerel: king, Spanish
Marlin: blue, white
Pickerel
Red drum
Sailfish
Sauger
Seatrout, spotted
Sharks
Snook
Spearfish, longbill
Swordfish, broadbill
Tarpon
Tripletail
Trout: brown, rainbow
Wahoo
Walleye

Here is a list of "non-game" fish in Texas that you can spear:

Bowfin