Dec
6
Deflating Needle
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Starting January 1st, 2009 all fishing vessels, recreational and commercial, will be required to carry a deflating needle or device. This is used to vent the swim bladder on reef fish that are pulled up off the bottom very quickly. Common signs of an inflated swim bladder are usually noticed by it coming out of the fish’s mouth. All you have to do is insert the needle into the stomach area. This requires a little bit of fish anatomy 101. Generally, most deflating devices will come with directions on where to insert the needle. The reason this became required by FEDERAL LAW is because many fish were dying because of ignorant or poorly equipped anglers. Many people felt bad and did not want to waste the fish and would keep under sized reef fish and end up getting caught with them and being fined for it. Fish and Game can fine you per fish, resulting in some pretty steep fines, even possibly ending up in court as a misdemeanor. Misdemeanors, in the State of Florida, are punishable by $1000 in fines and/or 1 year in prison, depending on the severity. Generally speaking, you usually end up with some fines.
The deflating devices can be obtained easily at your local tackle shop. They range from rigging needles (your cheapest) to spring loaded devices (most expensive). Rigging needles would be good for the seasoned angler that knows the proper area to vent on a fish. The spring loaded device would be good for the novice angler that has no clue what they are doing. Remember these will be required by FEDERAL LAW on all fishing vessels, commercial and recreational, starting January 1st, 2009.
Nov
30
Q&A POST
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Since I have been getting some questions in my comments I have decided to collect them all and answer them in one post.
Q: spear fishing sounds like fun and very challenging also to get close enough. If u shoot it and it swims away does it take the gun with it? how do u get track it?
A: Spear fishing is a fun and exciting sport. It requires skill and patience. When you shoot a fish with a pole spear(a pole with a spear tip on one end and a rubber band on the other.) it will stick inside the fish and if its big enough, it can swim away with the spear. generally these types of spears are used on small snapper and fish under 40 inches. anything bigger than that is going to give you a wild ride.
Part 2.. Spear guns have a small reel with super strong yet thin line on it. when you spear a big fish the line plays out so the fish can swim off and tire itself out. look on www.youtube.com for videos displaying this technique. i like the youtube user named Ptsearch. he is based out of Palm Beach County.
Q: Is it the same for alligators to? I have had them in my backyard and they are scary looking creatures. I saw someone kill one and at that second, became upset that they killed it. I found out that people also eat the tail.
A: Alligators are a very protected and managed species. You are allowed to hunt gators Once a year with a permit. It allows you to take 2 gators. There is much more than just the tail to eat on a gator, there are the jowels aka the meat around the neck. that is supposed to be the most prized meat on a gator. Theres the ribs, just like pork and beef ribs except gator sized, and a couple other cuts that are very good to eat.
Feel free to ask anyother questions. I will come back and answer them at this blog post.
Nov
24
Croc Killer Caught
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Down on University of Miami’s campus one of their campus crocs was found behaded and its tail cut off in late october. Campus officials felt outraged and betrayed that such an evil crime could happen to one of their campus crocs.
Croc-killer Suspect Captured
Decapitation of a well-known American crocodile on the University of Miami campus caused uproar from locals.
A 16-year-old was arrested in connection to the butchering of a state-endangered and federally threatened American crocodile that lived on the University of Miami campus.
The arrest came as a result of several anonymous tips and weeks of investigation from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and University of Miami Police. The suspect, John Michael Herndon, told investigators where to find the head of the crocodile. The Miami-Dade Police Department dive team later retrieved it from a lake near the campus.
Faculty, students, local businesses and wildlife groups were angered by the killing of the nearly 10-foot crocodile. Several groups donated money toward a reward leading to an arrest: CompUSA contributed $5,000, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust contributed $2,500, and Miami-Dade Crimestoppers contributed $1,000.
“It is really disturbing that this person and his friends could come onto our campus and viciously kill this crocodile, which presented a threat to no one,” said Chief David Rivero of the University of Miami Police Department.
University police charged Herndon with killing an endangered or threatened species, felony cruelty to animals, trespassing on school property, possession of burglary tools, grand theft (the value of the crocodile), contributing to the delinquency of a minor, unlawful possession of communication devices in the commission of a crime, criminal solicitation and criminal conspiracy.
Other arrests in connection with this case may be forthcoming.
Nov
24
Basic regulations
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This is a brief summary of regulations governing the taking of saltwater species in Florida for personal use. It is not intended, or designed to provide specific information on commercial harvesting of these species. The failure to include complete laws, rules, and regulations in this summary does not relieve persons from abiding by those laws, rules or regulations. State waters extend to 3 nautical miles on the Atlantic and 9 nautical miles on the Gulf. Federal rules apply beyond state waters. For species that do not have an established bag limit, more than 100 pounds or 2 fish per person, per day (whichever is greater), is considered commercial quantities. A saltwater products license and commercial vessel registration is required to harvest commercial quantities of unregulated species.
* Fishing regulations change periodically. We do our best to keep up, but for the most current regulations it is best to visit the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commision site at http://myfwc.com/marine/lines.htm
What you Must Know Before You Go
Saltwater licenses are sold at all county tax collectors’ offices ans at many bait-and-tackle shops. Licenses may also be obtained over the telephone by dialing toll free, 1-888-347-4356. For those with Internet access, licenses are now available at MyFWC.com/Marine. An additional fee is charged for these services. For any additional information not contained in this publication, please call your local county tax collector’s office.
Florida Residents
When applying for a saltwater fishing license, you are considered to be a Florida Resident if you are:
– Any person who has resided in Florida for six continuous months prior to applying for a resident license and who claims Florida as their primary residence.
– Any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who is stationed in this state.
– Gold Sportsman’s License (One-Year License includes Hunting, Saltwater Fishing and Freshwater Fishing Licenses; and Type I Wildlife Management Area, Archery, Muzzleloading Gun, Turkey and Florida Waterfowl, Snook, Crawfish Permits)… $83.50. Florida residents may buy a lifetime saltwater fishing license or a lifetime sportsman license. Holders of lifetime saltwater fishing licenses may fish in saltwater for life and will pay no additional fees. The lifetime license includes the taking of snook or crawfish – which would otherwise require a separate fee. A lifetime sportsman license allows holders to fish in freshwater or saltwater and to hunt in Florida. Both of these licenses require holders to obey fishing or hunting laws in effect at any given time.
You Do Not Need a License If You Are:
– A child under 16 years of age.
– A Florida resident saltwater fishing for recreational purposes from land or a structure fixed to the land–a pier, bridge, dock, floating dock, jetty or similar structure.
– Fishing from a for-hire vessel–guide, charter, party boat–that has a valid vessel license.
– A holder of a valid saltwater products license.
– A Florida resident–65 years old or older and you possess either a Resident Senior Citizen Hunting and Fishing Certificate or proof of age and residency.
– A Florida resident who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, who is not stationed in this state, while on leave for 30 days or less, upon submission of orders. This does not include family members.
– Any person who has been accepted as a client for development services by the Department of Children and Family Services, provided the department furnishes proof thereof.
– A nonresident fishing for recreational purposes from a pier that has a valid pier saltwater fishing license.
– Fishing from a boat that has a valid recreational vessel saltwater fishing license.
– A Florida resident who is fishing for mullet in freshwater–with a valid Florida freshwater license.
– A Florida resident fishing for saltwater fish in freshwater from land or from a structure fixed to the land.
– A Florida resident certified as totally and permanently disabled, who possesses a Florida Resident Disabled Person Hunting and Fishing Certificate. Applicants need to provide a certification of total and permanent disability from the United Stases Armed Forces, Railroad Retirement Board, Florida Worker’s Compensation or the United States Veterans Administration. Alternatively, current documentation for the Social Security Administration for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Supplemental Security Disability Income (SSDI) benefits also will be accepted.
Courtesy: http://www.floridasportsman.com/regs/
Nov
17
GOT FISH?
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Earlier this year I got into spear fishing and free diving. It is an amazing sport and I recommend all that are physically fit(and like fishing) try it out. Just like with any other fishing though there are regulations that walk hand in hand with normal fishing. ALL FISH LENGTH REQUIREMENTS STAY THE SAME!!!! Be careful spearing fish under water that you may think are close to the required length and then turn out not to be. It is not often that a fish can actually survive being shot by a spear.
SNOOK MUST NOT BE SPEARED!!! They are a protected species and it is illegal to spear them. I watched two individuals at the Juno Pier this summer get arrested for spearing snook underneath the pier and then try and get away. They broke several laws that they were cited for. First was spearing snook, another was spear fishing within 300ft of a public swimming beach/permanent structure(aka the Juno Pier). You must be 300ft away due to public safety and your own. You do not want to be swimming around in the water near a fishing pier when theres a hundred people fishing off of it. You run the risk of being hooked or even worse, being bit by a shark. Piers draw in hundreds of sharks due to the amount of bait being used and the fish being caught off it. Not to mention individuals, such as myself, that like to shark fish.
So simply put, check your local laws before engaging in recreational hunting or fishing or you might end up in some serious trouble.
Heres a quick link to check ALL STATE LAWS: href=”http://www.floridaconservation.org/”
Nov
10
Florida Fishing Regs
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I was reading about mesh size on reef fish catch off southeastern FloridaThe effects of fish trap mesh size on reef fish catch off southeastern Florida.
This goes along with the Gill Net Ban that was put into effect back in the 1990’s. Gill nets and long line fishing were outlawed here in Florida due to the massive damage they were causing and the unnecessary bycatch that was occurring. Mammals such as dolphins and manatees were being caught in these nets and drowning. Long lines were banned due to the large number of sharks they would kill every year. Sharks (all but nurse sharks) have to maintain a forward motion to keep water passing over their gills to keep the flow of oxygen or they will die.
Gill nets were causing so much damage that they were deemed a felony crime. Punishable by up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. The only gill nets that are legal now are those used for research and ones that have a much larger mesh size than their predecessors. Gill nets were used for Spanish Mackeral, Mullet, Pompano and many other highly sought after game fish.
To this day, Florida Fish and Game officers still catch people with these harmful nets. Many of these people will set their nets late, late at night so they remain hidden under darkness. Fish and Game officers would use such tactics as night vision goggles and infared scopes to see these offenders at night. Thankfully many of these law breakers are caught and punished in court. Most cases end up with lots of community service and severe fines that deter most criminals from repeat action.
Oct
4
fish measuring update
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Length Measurement FAQ’s
Saltwater finfish size limits are expressed in Total Length and Fork Length
Clarification was approved for the definition of Total Length at the December 2005 Commission meeting. The rule is effective July 1, 2006.
Why did we make this change?
Previously, FWC rules did not consistently state how to obtain total length, leaving this measurement open to interpretation by anglers and law enforcement officers. This modification should provide ease of measurement for anglers and ease of enforcement of size limits. Anglers have also asked for consistency between marine fish and freshwater fish measurements as well as with the federal definition for total length. Better compliance with our regulations should result because visiting anglers from nearby states are currently instructed to measure total length by squeezing the tail in their home states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina. Thus, this method is already familiar to them, and this could foster compliance with our regulations by out-of-state anglers. Also, many Florida saltwater anglers had already been measuring total length with a pinched tail, thus for these people there will be no change in method.
What species will be affected by the change?
Only species that are currently measured as total length will be affected. Species measured as fork length will not be affected.
Why did we change gray triggerfish to fork length?
Federal rules currently state that gray triggerfish should be measured as total length. However, their definition of total length specifies that tail filaments should be excluded, which is essentially a fork length measurement. Anglers often include the tail filaments in the measurement of total length for gray triggerfish, which is allowing them to harvest fish that are below the intended 12-inch size limit. Changing the measurement of gray triggerfish to fork length will also allow gray triggerfish to be measured similarly to hogfish, which are currently measured as fork length and have similar tail filament types.
How do I measure fish that have ragged-edge type tail filaments, such as scamp, yellowmouth grouper, or black sea bass?
For fish that have “ragged-edge” type filaments, these “pieces” of the tail should be included in the measurement of total length, which is implied by stating that the fish be measured to the “farthest tip of the tail” in the definition for total length.
Is there a change to sheepshead measurement?
Sheepshead and flounder are included in the same rule (68B-48, Florida Administrative Code). This rule lists a size limit of 12 inches total length for sheepshead and flounder. However, “length” was previously defined as “from the most forward point of the head to the rear center edge of the tail”. This was a total length measure for flounder since they have a convex tail, but this was a fork length measurement for sheepshead since they have a slightly forked tail. However, the rule stated that sheepshead should be measured as total length. This inconsistency was part of the reason we needed to modify our rules. Thus, under the new definition sheepshead should be measured as total length with a squeezed tail.
What effect will this clarification have on fish stocks?
For species (measured as total length) with a flat or rounded tail (red drum, spotted seatrout, and tripletail) there will be little change since minimal length is gained by squeezing the tail on those species. For species with a concave or “forked” tail (measured as total length) the new interpretation will only have a small impact, but the overall effect on the stock will be negligable. Also, the new interpretation will only affect anglers who had been interpreting total length to mean total length-relaxed (unsqueezed tail).
What effect will this clarification have on snook stocks?
If you were not squeezing the tail before, there is approximately a 0.77 inch difference between a relaxed tail and a squeezed tail. However, because of the variation in size-at-age, squeezing the tail will have a small effect on the overall snook stock. Due to public concern about the status of snook stocks, the FWC voted at its June 2006 Commission meeting to shift the snook slot from 26 - 34 inches to 27 - 34 inches in order to negate any potential negative effects on snook stocks. This shift will result in a 22% harvest reduction on the Gulf coast and a 12% reduction on the Atlantic coast according to the most recent snook stock assessment. The change is predicted to result in an increase in spawning potential ratio (SPR) by 7% on the Gulf coast and 5% on the Atlantic coast.
Should you pinch the tail at both ends of the slot for fish that have a slot limit?
Yes
Does this change apply to freshwater fish also?
The Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management measures all regulated fish using a total length measurement with a squeezed tail.
History of Finfish Measurement in Florida
The State of Florida has wrestled with how to measure saltwater finfish since 1925. In 1925 the Legislature first enacted length measurements for marine finfish. Many different methods have been used over the years (1925-1973) including: tip of nose to fork of tail, tip of nose to tip of tail, tip of nose to end of tail, and tip of nose to rear center edge of tail. At any one time, one or all of these definitions were used. In the late 1980s both a total length and a fork length size limit were listed in rule for some species. By the mid 1990s, only one measure was chosen for most species primarily based on the way federal regulations specified how the species should be measured.
Why Aren’t all Fish Measured by a Single Method?
At the present time most of the regulated species in Florida are measured by either a total length or fork length method. The method chosen depends on the shape of the tail and primarily on the consistency with federal regulations. Consistency with federal regulations is very important for the enforcement of state and federal size limits.
Courtesy of www.myfwc.com