Texas Fishing and Hunting Seasons Have Not Been Cancelled




Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order implementing a protocol for "essential services and activities" amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including fishing and hunting in the list. The executive order -- issued March 31 -- reads, in part:

"This executive order does not prohibit people from visiting parks, hunting or fishing so long as the necessary precautions are maintained to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and to minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household."

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials recently have been alerted to numerous posts on social media stating that hunting and fishing seasons for 2020-2021 had been canceled, despite no such order being given by state officials. In a statement, TPWD issued the following message: "There are some 'fake news' articles circulating social media that say the 2020-21 hunting and fishing season has been canceled. This is a hoax and not true. Always confirm TPWD-related issues through our website at tpwd.texas.gov."

While hunting and fishing remain open in the Lone Star State, many points of access to lakes, reservoirs and bays and even Gulf of Mexico beaches, have been shut down. Numerous local governments and agencies have issued their own decrees to close marinas and boat ramps, as well as not allowing fishing from piers and jetties -- places where anglers can congregate.

TPWD urges anglers to check community ordinances and check the status of the location you’re planning to fish before heading out. Also fishermen and hunters are reminded to maintain a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing and follow all guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to TPWD.

The executive order will remain in place through April.




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Lake Fork

Fishing Report from TPWD (May 7)

GOOD. Water Stained; 73 degrees; 0.73 feet below pool. Good early morning bass bite around shad spawn areas and with topwater frogs over grass. Midday to mid afternoon work flukes and yum dingers around grass good1-3 feet. New wave of spawners pulling up this week. Carolina rigs fair in 5-10 feet of water on secondary points. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Black bass are post spawn and the top water bite is on! Frog patterns are working in the shallow vegetation. The crappie are moving shallow, small clousers are producing well. Large bream have moved shallow, wooly buggers are producing good fish. Channel catfish are cruising 2-4 feet biting clousers. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Crappie fishing is settling into the post spawn and summer patterns we should see for the next few months. We are seeing incredible numbers of small black crappie right now loading up on brush piles, lay downs, bridges and docks. The larger black crappie are a little hard to find but you can find some nice groups of them or pick a few out of the smaller fish. The bigger white crappie are beginning to load on the summer pattern trees. We have a tremendous amount of fry covering up a lot of those trees and making it very hard to see those bigger white crappie on forward facing sonar or for them to see your bait. You can find fish in 10-30 feet of water and some may only be 2 feet under the surface or right on the bottom. Minnows and any colored jigs are both producing extremely well. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

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