Do the right thing. When making a choice, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it legal?
• Would it be good if everyone did it?
• Would it make you proud?

Ethical behavior is more than just following fishing regulations. Ethical anglers go beyond what laws require and help others understand and obey the rules. Ethical people use good judgment even when nobody else is watching. They respect property rights, and never go on private lands or waters without permission.

Ethical anglers respect the rights of others who are fishing or using the water. Ethical behavior includes picking up your trash, collecting and properly disposing of any fishing line you find, and never dumping any pollutants, such as gasoline or oil, into the water. The ethical angler values and respects the aquatic environment and all living things in it. Never release live bait fish into the water because this can put unwanted, potentially harmful, species into the water. Carefully handle and release alive all fish you catch but do not intend to keep.

Photo credit: Texas Parks and Wildlife

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Texas Aquatic Science is a cooperative education project sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife, The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University.