Alligator Gar Harvest Authorization drawing opens Thursday. Here’s how to apply
.png "The drawing system allows anglers a chance at catching the “fish of a lifetime” while meeting conservation goals")
The annual Alligator Gar Harvest Authorization drawing application process will open Thursday, giving anglers a chance to catch one alligator gar from a section of the Trinity River.
The Alligator Gar Harvest Authorization drawing will allow selected anglers holding a valid fishing license a chance to catch one alligator gar over 48 inches from the I-30 bridge in Dallas downstream to the I-10 bridge in Chambers County. This includes Lake Livingston and the East Fork of the Trinity River upstream to the dam at Lake Ray Hubbard.
The drawing will run from Thursday through Sept. 30 with up to 150 winners announced by Oct. 15.
Harvest authorization runs through Aug. 31, 2023.
Authorized anglers can use any legal means to catch alligator gar. A list of acceptable devices and restrictions can be found on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.
“This segment of the Trinity River has become one of the most popular destinations in the world to catch a large alligator gar, but concerns have been raised about the potential for overharvest and its risks to fishing quality,” Craig Bonds, Inland Fisheries Director at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said in a statement.
The drawing system allows anglers a chance at catching the “fish of a lifetime” while meeting conservation goals, he said.
Drawing applications can be submitted on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.
All alligator gar harvested, whether using the authorization or not, must be reported online or using the My Texas Hunt Harvest mobile app within 24 hours.
“By gathering data on alligator gar harvest through the My Texas Hunt Harvest app and online, our fisheries management team gains a better understanding of this species’ distribution, sizes, and numbers and can use that information to help manage for quality fishing in the future,” Bonds said in a statement.
