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October 2021

New In This Issue

Commission meeting – October

Redfish workshops

Flounder

Record fish

Stone crab

Tampa Bay

2021 Lionfish Challenge

Florida Friendly Fishing Guide

New interactive games

Ethical Angler of the Month

Chip Costantini and wife Shari caught these redfish off the nature coast area a few years back. "I had a big fish blow up in my Four Horseman popping cork and then swam over and eat my wife’s shrimp. I then got a bite and ended with my significantly under slot fish and my wife got a nice over-slot. Both fish were released in great condition and we laugh about this picture often." - Chip Costantini

Submit your photos by emailing them to Saltwater@MyFWC.com. Learn more about our photo guidelines.

Commission meeting – October Marine fisheries items The FWC Commission will listen to public testimony on and discuss several marine fisheries management items at the Oct. 6-7 meeting in St. Augustine (all marine fisheries items are currently scheduled for Oct. 6). Decision making (regulation changes anticipated to be made on these topics): Atlantic coast: spot and Atlantic croaker (Consent Agenda): The Commission will consider the creation of new species-specific regulations for spot and Atlantic croaker in state waters from the Florida-Georgia border through Miami-Dade County. Proposed changes include establishing a daily recreational bag limit of 50 fish per person for each species and establishing commercial vessel limits of 2,200 lbs. for spot and 1,200 lbs. for Atlantic croaker.  Draft proposal (these items will be brought back to a future meeting for final decision): Goliath grouper: The Commission will consider a draft rule for a limited, highly regulated harvest of goliath grouper. This includes a special harvest opportunity through a lottery draw, as well as area and seasonal closures, size and gear restrictions, and post-harvest requirements. Discussions: Redfish: The Commission will listen to a staff report on the current status and regulations for redfish in Florida. This will include outcomes of the inaugural Redfish Summit (held in August), summary of recent stakeholder comments, next steps for stakeholder engagement, including consideration of a new management approach for this fishery, and a discussion related to the Executive Order (EO) for the Tampa Bay area.  Sharks: The Commission will listen to a review and discussion of topics related to sharks. The presentation will include an overview of FWC’s shark management history, rationale behind current FWC shark regulations, and recommendations for next steps for shark management in state waters. Federal fishery management updates: The Commission will discuss outcomes of recent meetings of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The Commission will also consider early season closures for red grouper, gray triggerfish and other species in Gulf state waters that would be consistent with recent and expected closures in Gulf federal waters. Links for more information: Agenda [MyFWC.com]

Redfish workshops This October The FWC wants your input on future management of the redfish fishery. We are hosting several in-person and one virtual public workshop on this topic. Share your input by attending one of these workshops. Workshops will begin at 6 p.m. local time unless noted Oct. 12:  Crystal River: City Hall, Council Chambers – 123 U.S. Highway 19 Ft. Pierce: St. Lucie County Commission Chambers, Roger Poitras Administration Annex – 2300 Virginia Ave. Jacksonville/Mayport: Mudville Grille – 3105 Beach Blvd.  Oct. 13: Steinhatchee: Community Center – 1013 Riverside Drive Naples: Collier County Facilities Management, Training Room – 3335 Tamiami Trail East New Smyrna Beach: Brannon Center – 105 South Riverside Drive Oct. 14: Tallahassee: FWC Farris Bryant Building – 620 South Meridian Street Port Charlotte: Charlotte County Board of County Commission Chambers – 18500 Murdock Circle St. Augustine: Lightner Museum, West Wing – 75 King Street Oct. 18: Panama City: Gulf Coast State College, Language & Literature Building – 5230 W. U.S. Highway 98 Viera: Brevard County Commission Chambers, Building C – 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way St. Petersburg: Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Karen A. Steidinger Auditorium – 100 Eighth Ave. SE Oct. 19: Pensacola: City Hall, Hagler Mason Room – 222 W. Main Street Webinar: a call-in number available when you are logged into adobe connect. Webinar will begin at 6 p.m. EDT If you can’t attend a workshop, visit MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments and click on “Workshops” to submit comments. A recorded presentation will also be posted on this page in the future. Links for more information:  Workshops [MyFWC.com]

Flounder Season closes Oct. 15 The recreational season for flounder closes to harvest Oct. 15 and will reopen Dec. 1. Learn more:  Flounder [MyFWC.com]

• Whiting (Gulf kingfish): Captain Sidney Little’s 2.8-pound catch beat out the previous record of 2.4-pounds.
• Scamp: Mark John Gibner’s 29.6-pound scamp beat out the previous record of 28.38-pounds set in 2002.
• Schoolmaster: Anthony Mastitski filled the vacant schoolmaster category with a 2.07-pound schoolmaster.

Want to claim a state record? Find a vacant record or beat a current one at CatchaFloridaMemory.com

Tampa Bay

Snook, redfish and spotted seatrout catch-and-release

Snook, redfish and spotted seatrout are catch-and-release in Tampa Bay. This includes all waters in Manatee County north of State Road 64, Hillsborough County, and Pinellas County. The Braden River and all tributaries of the Manatee River are also included, but not Palma Sola Bay or the Anclote River. The Commission will discuss at the Oct. 6-7 meeting in St. Augustine on next steps for this area. 

Links for more information:

News release [MyFWC.com]

STATE SEASON UPDATES

October - November

State waters are from shore to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf and from shore to 3 nautical miles in the Atlantic.  

Oct. 15 – Stone crab opens

Oct. 15 – Flounder closes

Nov. 1 – Hogfish (Atlantic) closes

Nov. 1 – Amberjack (Gulf) closes

Nov. 1 – Spotted seatrout (Central East management area) closes

FWC WANTS YOUR FEEDBACK

Share your input on goliath grouper, redfish, trap fisheries, dolphinfish and more.

Provide your comments

GREAT CATCH!

Brandon Jones earned a Catch a Florida Memory Reel Big Fish Honorable Mention and crossed Spanish mackerel off his Life List when he caught this 25 inch fish off of Monroe County.

EVENTS October - November

We will continue to monitor COVID-19 updates and plan events with this consideration in mind.

Lionfish Events Calendar

Oct. 4 - Gulf Council Cobia Workshop - Destin

Oct. 6-7 – Commission meeting – St. Augustine

Oct. 11-17 – MarineQuest – Virtual

Oct. 12 – Redfish Workshops – Crystal River, Fort Pierce and Jacksonville

Oct. 13 – Redfish Workshops – Steinhatchee, Naples, New Smyrna

Oct. 13 - Gulf Council Cobia Workshop - Madeira Beach

Oct. 14 – Redfish Workshops – Tallahassee, Port Charlotte, St. Augustine

Oct. 18 – Redfish Workshops – Panama City, Viera, St. Petersburg

Oct. 18 - Gulf Council Cobia Workshop - Ft. Myers

Oct. 18 - South Atlantic Council Cobia Workshop - Key West

Oct. 19 – Redfish Workshops – Pensacola, online webinar 

Oct. 19 - Gulf Council Cobia Webinar

Oct. 19 - South Atlantic Council Cobia Workshop - Jupiter

Oct. 20 - South Atlantic Council Cobia Workshop - Cocoa Beach

Oct. 21 - South Atlantic Council Cobia Workshop - Jacksonville

Oct. 25-28 – Gulf Council meeting – Orange Beach, Alabama

Nov. 27 - Saltwater License-free fishing day

SOCIAL SALTWATER

From the MyFWC Facebook page:

Two-for-one Friday! 2️

SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

Catch a Florida Memory Facebook

Lionfish Reef Rangers Facebook

FWC Facebook

FWC Instagram

FWC Saltwater Fishing YouTube

ONLINE FISHING RESOURCES

Where to Fish Fish Handling Learn to Fish Fish Identification Saltwater Fishing Tips Recreational Regulations On-the-water Etiquette And More!

Stone crab Season opens Oct. 15 The recreational and commercial stone crab season opens Oct. 15 and remains open through May 1, closing May 2.  The minimum claw size limit is 2 7/8 inches. All recreational harvesters who are age 16 and older and fish with stone crab traps are required to complete an online, no-cost recreational stone crab trap registration and place their registration number on their traps before using them. Register online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Upon completion, each person will receive unique trap registration numbers that must be included on each trap along with the owner’s full name and address. This information must be legible and must be permanently attached to each trap. As a reminder, all plastic and wood stone crab traps will need to be outfitted with a 2 3/16-inch escape ring before the 2023/2024 season. Link for more information: Stone Crab Information  [MyFWC.com]

2021 Lionfish Challenge And the winners are... Tune in to the Commission meeting on TheFloridaChannel.org Oct. 6 to find out who this year's winners are. The Lionfish Challenge is a summer-long tournament (May 21-Sept. 6) that rewards divers for their lionfish harvests. The tournament is open to everyone, is completely free to enter, and participants can compete from anywhere in the state. Divers receive prizes as they make their way up through the tiers and compete for the title of the Lionfish King/Queen or Commercial Champion. Learn more about the program at FWCReefRangers.com.

Florida Friendly Fishing Guide

Are you an eco-minded fishing guide or angler?

The Florida Friendly Fishing Guide certification recognizes saltwater and freshwater fishing guides who are committed to preserving the future of Florida’s fisheries through sustainable boating and fishing techniques.

Established by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Florida Sea Grant, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the program helps guides provide a richer fishing experience for their clients through their angling expertise and environmental stewardship.

This online certification course covers science-based techniques that minimize the environmental footprint and includes subjects such as best practices for catch and release fishing, seafood safety and handling, an introduction to fisheries management and more.

Participating guides can put the Florida Friendly Fishing Guide logo on their websites and vessels, letting customers know that they adhere to the highest environmental standards. They also receive a welcome gear pack, listing on the Florida Sea Grant website, and social media promotion.

Learn more about how to sign up and take this online course at https://www.flseagrant.org/florida-friendly-fishing-guide-certification/.

For questions including information on scholarships to partially cover the course cost, please email Savanna Barry at Savanna.Barry@UFL.edu.

New interactive games

Check out Gone Fishin' saltwater digital interactive games 

Just in time for the new school year, the FWC has partnered with Pubbly, a digital education company, to launch five interactive games that engage and educate students of all ages on marine fisheries conservation. Jump in today at FloridaFishing.Pubbly.com.

State Reef Fish Angler Do you fish for reef fish like snapper, grouper or triggerfish from a private recreational vessel off Florida's Atlantic or Gulf coasts? Then you are a State Reef Fish Angler. Sign up for this annual, no cost, required designation even if you are normally exempt from purchasing a fishing license at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or learn more at MyFWC.com/SRFS.

Catch a Florida Memory

Miki Ramsey kicked off her Catch a Florida Memory Saltwater Life List with this black sea bass caught on Mother’s Day.

Submit saltwater catches and earn rewards

Have you caught a Florida memory? Submit photos of your saltwater catches to earn rewards for various achievements while targeting a diversity of species and reducing fishing pressure on the most commonly sought-after catches.

• Saltwater Fish Life List: Can you catch all 70 species?
• Saltwater Reel Big Fish: Recognition for extraordinary-sized catches.
• Saltwater Grand Slams: Earn rewards for catching three specific fish in 24 hours.

Join the Triple Threat Club and earn even more prizes (including a long sleeve performance fishing shirt and more) by participating in all three programs. Anglers must qualify for each of the three programs to be eligible.

FWC also manages the Florida Saltwater Fishing Records program.

Link for more information:

CatchaFloridaMemory.com

Marine Fisheries Staff Highlight

With an office in Titusville, Hannah Hart works with stakeholders in the Northeast region of Florida as a regional biologist for the Division of Marine Fisheries Management. As part of the Analysis and Rulemaking team, she also helps with rulemaking. She has been with the Division since 2018 and began working for FWC's Research Institute in 2014. Originally from Chicago, Hannah moved to Florida to go to school. She has an undergraduate degree in marine biology from the Florida Institute of Technology and a master's degree in biology with a focus in coastal ecology studying sharks from the University of North Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys fishing, diving and paddle boarding. For more information on DMFM, visit MyFWC.com or email Marine@MyFWC.com