(a) It is unlawful while fishing on public waters to have in possession crabs or ghost shrimp in excess of the daily bag limit as established for those waters.
(b) There are no bag, possession, or size limits on crabs or ghost shrimp except as provided in this subchapter.
(c) It is unlawful to:
  (1) possess egg-bearing (sponge) crabs or stone crabs;
  (2) possess blue crabs less than five inches in width (measured across the widest point of the body from tip of spine to tip of spine) except that not more than 5.0%, by number, of undersized crabs may be possessed for bait purposes only, if placed in a separate container at the time of taking;
  (3) remove or possess the left claw from a stone crab (each retained claw must be at least 2-1/2 inches long as measured from the tip of the immovable claw to the first joint behind the claw);
  (4) fail to return immediately a stone crab to the waters where caught;
  (5) buy or sell a female crab that has its abdominal apron detached; or
  (6) possess more than 20 ghost shrimp (Callichiris islagrande) per person.
(d) It is unlawful to place, fish, or leave a crab trap or crab trap component in the coastal waters of the state from the third Friday in February for 10 consecutive days.
(e) There are no places closed for the taking of crabs except as provided in this subchapter.

Source Note: The provisions of this §57.982 adopted to be effective June 27, 2010, 35 TexReg 5564; amended to be effective September 1, 2013, 38 TexReg 3790