Fish guide
Sea Catfish (hazard)
Hardhead and gafftopsail catfish.
Not prohibited in Texas; notorious bait thieves around piers and bridges (TPWD).
Showing the fish for Upper Texas coast, Galveston.
Season in Upper Texas
Peak months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
JFMAMJJASOND
Same as hardhead-catfish; Sea Rim lists gafftopsail year-round. (Our inference)
Season by region
| Southwest Florida | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Big Bend | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Panhandle | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Alabama | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Mississippi | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Louisiana | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Upper Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Middle Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Lower Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
Handling
- Venomous, serrated dorsal and pectoral spines
Do not grab it. Pin it with a towel or your foot, unhook with long pliers, or cut the line.
Keep or release
Legal to keep; TPWD says hardheads are not very tasty and hard to clean.
Limits
FishOS has not checked the TX limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you keep a fish.
Sources
- TPWD species profile: hardhead catfish (Official source)
- TPWD Sea Rim State Park fishing tip sheet, PWD LF P4504-055I (1/26), with a surf/marsh season column per species (Official source)
- SC finfish size and catch limits 2026-2027 (eRegulations, linked from SCDNR), last updated Aug 11, 2026 (Official source)