 Mallory Herzog with a mangrove snapper catch.
Submit your photos by emailing them to Saltwater@MyFWC.com.
Hogfish
Action: State waters remain open to harvest; FWC to discuss matching federal
consistency closure at Sept. meeting; new hogfish regulations took effect Aug.
24
Information: The recreational hogfish season in all
federal waters south of Cape Sable in the Gulf and up the Atlantic coast closed
Aug. 24. State waters across Florida (shore to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf and
shore to 3 nautical miles in the Atlantic) remain open to harvest.
The FWC will
consider matching the early federal recreational season closure at the Sept. 27-28
FWC meeting in Okeechobee.
Several other
management changes went into effect across the state starting Aug. 24,
including size and bag limit changes.
Links for more information:
Hogfish [MyFWC.com]
Commission Meeting – Okeechobee
Marine Fisheries items to be discussed Sept. 28
Information: The FWC Commission will
listen to public testimony on and discuss the following marine fisheries
management items at the Sept. 28 meeting in Okeechobee.
Potential regulation changes (final decisions on these
topics will likely be made at this meeting):
- Hogfish (as part of the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council discussion): Commission will discuss closing the
recreational harvest of hogfish in all state waters south of Cape Sable in the
Gulf, through the Keys and up the Atlantic coast. Federal waters off this area
closed to recreational harvest Aug. 24.
- Cobia: The Commission will discuss several
proposed changes cobia management. Draft rule changes approved at the July
Commission meeting included defining all state waters north of the
Monroe-Collier county line as Gulf state waters for the purpose of cobia
management, reducing the commercial trip limit from two to one fish per person
per day in Gulf state waters, reducing the recreational and commercial vessel
limit to two per vessel per day in Gulf state waters and increasing the minimum
size limit for Gulf state waters.
Discussions:
- Spotted seatrout: The Commission will discuss
the future management of this species after reviewing the recent results of the
2017 stock assessment and stakeholder input received through public workshops,
online commenting and more.
- Federal fishery management updates
Links for more information:
Agenda [MyFWC.com]
News
Releases [MyFWC.com]
Red Snapper – Gulf
Action: Recreational red snapper comes to a close after Labor Day weekend
Information: The state recreational and federal private recreational red
snapper seasons will close for the year on Sept. 5, with the last weekend of
harvest being open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day Sept. 1-4.
Links for more information:
Snapper [MyFWC.com]
Gray Triggerfish – Gulf
Action: Recreational season begins Sept. 1
Information: The recreational gray triggerfish season in Gulf state waters will
be open Sept. 1-4, 9-10, and Oct. 7, 8, 14 and 15. Gray triggerfish remain
closed to harvest in Gulf federal waters through Dec. 31, 2017.
Links for more information:
Triggerfish [MyFWC.com]
Bay Scallops – Gulf County
Action: Gulf County season remains postponed
Information: The bay scallop season in state waters from the Mexico Beach Canal
in Bay County through the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island in Franklin
County has been postponed until further notice. This postponement is a
precautionary measure due to a naturally occurring algal bloom that affects
shellfish and can cause health effects in humans that consume contaminated
shellfish, oysters, or clams. FWC continues to monitor water quality and
samples in the Gulf County region.
All areas outside of the Gulf County region are not affected by
the algal bloom.
The MyFWC.com website will be updated as changes occur.
Links for more information:
Scallops
[MyFWC.com]
Bay Scallops – Season
Action: Closures coming Sept. 10 and Sept. 24
Information: On Sept. 10, all state waters from the Fenholloway River to the
Suwannee River will close to bay scallop harvest.
On Sept. 24, all state waters from the westernmost point of St.
Vincent Island through the Fenholloway River, and from the Suwannee River
through the Hernando-Pasco county line, will close to bay scallop harvest.
Links for more information:
Scallops
[MyFWC.com]
Spotted Seatrout Virtual Workshop
Action: Share your
input on the future of spotted seatrout management online by attending an on-demand virtual workshop.
Information: This
online workshop includes the same content as what was given in 12 in-person
workshops that were held across the state in July and August.
Learn more about the recent stock assessment and share your
comments on the management of this species.
Links for more information:
Workshops [MyFWC.com]
Goliath Grouper Workshops
Action: Share your input on
goliath grouper management
Information: FWC hosted
several in-person workshops in July and August and will host several more in
October to gather public input on goliath grouper management, including the
possibility of a limited harvest in Florida state waters.
An on-demand virtual workshop for this
species is also available online and can be found by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing
and clicking “Saltwater Fishing,” “Public Comments/Workshops” and “Workshops.”
Upcoming workshops
will be from 5 to 8 p.m. local time (unless otherwise specified) at the
following dates and locations (see link below for details including
event addresses):
- Oct. 9: Jacksonville
- Oct. 10: Titusville
- Oct. 11: Stuart
- Oct. 12: Davie
- Oct. 16: Pinellas Park
- Oct. 17: Port Charlotte
- Oct. 18: Naples
- Oct. 25: Tallahassee (6-9 p.m. ET)
Links for more information:
Workshops [MyFWC.com]
Snook
Action: Atlantic and Gulf seasons open Sept. 1
Information: A snook permit as well as a recreational saltwater
license is required unless the angler is exempt from license requirements.
Snagging snook is prohibited and gear is limited to hook-and-line only.
The daily bag limit is one-fish per person.
In the Atlantic, snook must be not less than 28 inches and
not more than 32 inches total length, which is measured from the most forward
point of the head with the mouth closed to the farthest tip of the tail with
the tail compressed or squeezed while the fish is lying on its side. In the
Gulf, they must be not less than 28 inches and not more than 33 inches total
length.
It is illegal to buy or sell snook.
The FWC encourages anglers to
use moderation when determining whether or not to take a snook home. When
releasing a snook, proper handling methods can help ensure your fish’s survival
and the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn
more about catch-and-release
and the best way to handle a fish, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on
“Saltwater Fishing,” then “Recreational Regulations” and “Fish Handling.”
Links for more information:
Snook [MyFWC.com]
Gag Grouper
Action: Fall season opens in Gulf
4-county region
Information: The
Gulf of Mexico gag grouper recreational season in state waters off Franklin, Wakulla,
Jefferson and Taylor counties will open for harvest Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.
This is a new fall season and is in addition to the April 1
through June 30 season in this area.
All other Gulf state and federal waters are open June 1
through Dec. 31.
The minimum size limit for gag grouper in these waters is 24
inches total length and the daily bag limit is two fish per harvester within
the four grouper aggregate limit.
Links for more information:
Grouper [MyFWC.com]
2017 Lionfish Challenge
Action: Program ends Sept. 4; winners
announced Sept. 9
Information: Join
the FWC, Reef Monitoring and NOAA Fisheries Sept. 9 at the Lionfish Safari in
St. Petersburg to honor the 2017 winners of the Lionfish Challenge. Awards
include a custom-made Fish Bone Design trophy and an Engel 85 cooler that will
be presented to winners at 4 p.m. Sept. 9 at the North Straub Park, 400 Bay
Shore Dr. NE.
The four-month lionfish removal incentive program ends Sept.
4.
The recreational and commercial harvesters who check in the
most lionfish will be crowned Florida’s recreational Lionfish King or Queen and
Commercial Champion, respectively. Results of the Challenge, including the
winners and harvest totals, will be posted online after the Lionfish Safari.
Links for more information:
Lionfish Challenge [MyFWC.com]
FWC needs your feedback
Information: FWC
is collecting feedback on several fisheries issues including shrimp, flounder,
and trap fisheries.
Provide comments on these or other fisheries online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.
Link for more information:
Saltwater Comments [MyFWC.com]
Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs
Catch a Florida Memory today
These three programs encourage ethical angling while earning
rewards for your efforts.
- Saltwater Fish Life List: A list of 71 different
species. Can you catch them all?
- Saltwater Reel Big Fish: Recognition for
extraordinarily-sized catches.
- Saltwater Grand Slams: Earn rewards for catching
three different specified species in a 24-hour period.
Link for more information:
CatchaFloridaMemory.com
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