Before the bait bucket: identify the fish.

The net and the catch are separate checks

TPWD's 2026–27 device rules allow a cast net for nongame fish and other listed aquatic life, and limit its diameter to 14 feet. That is not general permission to keep any fish caught in the mesh.

Identify the catch before treating it as bait. Blue, channel and flathead catfish are listed as game fish in Texas. TPWD prohibits using game fish, or parts of them, as bait. A bucket label such as bait fish is not a species identification.

TPWD: Legal devices and restrictions ↗

The waterbody matters

Transport rules deserve their own check. TPWD identifies special restrictions on live nongame fish taken below Ferrell’s Bridge Dam in Big Cypress Bayou, including Texas waters of Caddo Lake. Those fish may be used as live bait where collected but may not be transported away under the cited rule.

Other live-bait and lake-water restrictions also apply. Read the current rule for the exact waterbody and circumstances before leaving. This summary is not a transport authorization, a commercial bait permit, or advice about selling bait.

TPWD: General fishing and bait regulations ↗

Keep a useful note without exposing a spot

Record the species identification, date, broad waterbody, collection method and rule checked. Keep exact productive locations out of shared photographs and public posts. A broad zone is enough for a learning log.

If you cannot identify a fish or understand a restriction, resolve that question with TPWD before using or moving it. Do not fill the uncertainty with a confident story. Save the official link alongside the question so the next person knows what still needs checking.