[stevenattsu]

I just got off the phone with A biologist with the FWC and like the title says there's big changes coming to this fishery. There will be a new zone created in our area! There will be a reduction in the slot and the removal of the one fish over rule. Also the new implementation of a catch and release only in the month of February! This all goes against what was discussed during there meeting last year where they said trout were doing so well that they might lax the rules. The biologist mention that Florida wants to align and mirror what other states along the gulf are doing with the rules and regulations of several species.

 

[gameaholic]

like louisiana?

 

[stevenattsu]

like louisiana?

Like Alabama. They just made some big changes to

 

[catfever24]

More big government. Might as well sell the boat now or change it over to a happy hour cruiser. That's all a boat will be good for soon.
This is why I now own a pontoon boat.

 

[THE POMPANO KING]

What !!!!!!! They don't need to tighten up on speckled trout any more than they have already. Five fish between 15"-20" with the allowance that one of the five can be an over slot is fine ! Alabama's new rules will be six fish 15"-22" with the allowance that one of your six can be over slot.

 

[60hertz]

What !!!!!!! They don't need to tighten up on speckled trout any more than they have already. Five fish between 15"-20" with the allowance that one of the five can be an over slot is fine ! Alabama's new rules will be six fish 15"-22" with the allowance that one of your six can be over slot.

Here’s what i don’t understand:

99.99% of speckled trout that are larger than 18” are females.

We know this and is easily researchable.

ALL of our inshore fisheries are pressured MORE than EVER.

Why not just limit the slot to 15” - 18”?

Let the ones that are definitely female swim?

 

[stevenattsu]

Here’s what i don’t understand:

99.99% of speckled trout that are larger than 18” are females.

We know this and is easily researchable.

ALL of our inshore fisheries are pressured MORE than EVER.

Why not just limit the slot to 15” - 18”?

Let the ones that are definitely female swim?

He did say 15-19

 

[lobsterman]

You had to know by past experience. When they bring it up for discussion like they did in May. That things are going to change. That is the way it works.

 

[John B.]

So much for inshore tournaments as we know it.... total bullshit. The trout fishery is the best it's been in 25 years.

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[Badbagger]

Time to take up basket weaving as a hobby. Bunch of BS.

 

[pcola4]

They restricted the gulf so much people moved inshore. Inshore restricted so where do we go now? Freshwater fishing is terrible in our area.


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[firefighter14]

They restricted the gulf so much people moved inshore. Inshore restricted so where do we go now? Freshwater fishing is terrible in our area.


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That is exactly what happened, the idiotic government screws us all again with their no thought process rules.

 

[CurDog]

Remove the shrimp boats out of the bays and they could remove the slots and limits in about 2 years on most all the inshore game fish.

 

[Catchemall]

FWC is a laughingstock when it comes to game and fish management but the sad thing is, we're the ones who have to live with their ineptitude. From bears to jewfish and everything in between, they never cease to amaze with incompetence.

 

[Walton County]

FWC is a laughingstock when it comes to game and fish management but the sad thing is, we're the ones who have to live with their ineptitude. From bears to jewfish and everything in between, they never cease to amaze with incompetence.

They certainly have their shortcomings but over all they do a tremendous job. It’s a delicate balance between an ever growing population and a limited resource. There are more politics involved that hem the FWC up on certain issues like bears and jewfish.

Back on topic, is this just something that you “heard” or is there a press briefing posted? Typically when there is a rule change I get an email and I haven’t seen this. Not saying it is not true, just saying I have not seen it.

 

[kingfish501]

Remove the shrimp boats out of the bays and they could remove the slots and limits in about 2 years on most all the inshore game fish.

Tell me how many inshore gamefish you've seen those boats catch. BTW, we only have a couple of shrimp boats left in pensacola. Of those, I've only seen two working recently.

What we DO have is millions of sport fishermen hitting those inshore gamefish in Florida. Most 9f those 8nshore gamefish stay close to structure when they go out in the middle of the bay. The very last thing a shrimp boat wants to do is find that structure with his nets...because that means either torn or destroyed nets..which means days of patching the nets and ripping them...or having new nets built.

 

[CurDog]

Tell me how many inshore gamefish you've seen those boats catch.

Oh I don't know, I consider trout, reds and flounder as a Gamefish. Apparently you have never worked or been on a shrimp boat. They can have 100's of pounds of by-catch during a season, dependent on their time netting. They're juvenile trout (specs/white), flounder, drum, croakers, sheepshead. You name it, they're caught and dumped dead back in as by-catch.

Not to mention the grass beds, the juvenile fish havens, that get decimated from dragging. Give those fish time to grow and the stocks will return.
Send the shrimp boats out into the gulf. Leave the bay sanctuaries be.

 

[kingfish501]

Oh I don't know, I consider trout, reds and flounder as a Gamefish. Apparently you have never worked or been on a shrimp boat. They can have 100's of pounds of by-catch during a season, dependent on their time netting. They're juvenile trout (specs/white), flounder, drum, croakers, sheepshead. You name it, they're caught and dumped dead back in as by-catch.

Not to mention the grass beds, the juvenile fish havens, that get decimated from dragging. Give those fish time to grow and the stocks will return.
Send the shrimp boats out into the gulf. Leave the bay sanctuaries be.

Actually, I was a commercial shrimper, mainly in the Gulf, but some in the bay...and no, juvenile specks are NOT common, nor are flounder, nor sheepshead, nor are black drum and red drum(redfish). Most of the bycatch is spots.

Those juvies are normally in the bayous, hiding from predators.

As far as the grass beds, if those are not the bait boats, call the FWC immediately. I dont know any bay boat shallow enough draft to drag grass beds.

Those boats go months without untying from the dock because the price of diesel doesnt make it worth dragging.

 

[CurDog]

Actually, I was a commercial shrimper,
I dont know any bay boat shallow enough draft to drag grass beds.

It goes to reason now why you're so defensive.

Grass beds are not all inclusive to the shore. There were once many deepwater grass beds in the bays.
But I'm not going to argue the point to you. You have your opinion and I have my personal knowledge and beliefs. And mine are just more factual. Sure, you can add the "if" this and "if" that, and the cause is this/that. But the bottom line still remains, shrimpers kill more in their by-catch than over fishing, in this particular area. just my .02
No need in blooding up your index finger tips for a quippy remark, unless you just want the last reply.

 

[Catchemall]

Actually, I was a commercial shrimper, mainly in the Gulf, but some in the bay...and no, juvenile specks are NOT common, nor are flounder, nor sheepshead, nor are black drum and red drum(redfish). Most of the bycatch is spots.

Those juvies are normally in the bayous, hiding from predators.

As far as the grass beds, if those are not the bait boats, call the FWC immediately. I dont know any bay boat shallow enough draft to drag grass beds.

Those boats go months without untying from the dock because the price of diesel doesnt make it worth dragging.

I've done some shrimping too and the years before fish excluders were mandatory, we caught a lot of flounder in the bays. Not so much anymore. Shrimpers have become an endangered species nowadays, probably a tenth or less what there was twenty years ago.