Commission approves 70-day recreational red snapper season in Gulf state waters

          The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a 70-day recreational red snapper season for Gulf state waters at the April 16 meeting in Tallahassee. Red snapper is a popular species that has a strong economic impact for many coastal communities throughout Florida.

          The 2015 season will start the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 23) and run through July 12, resume for all of Labor Day weekend (Sept. 5-7) and finish with Saturdays and Sundays throughout the rest of September and all of October, with the last day of harvest being Sunday, Nov. 1.

          The 2015 Gulf federal waters recreational red snapper season has not been set yet and will be announced later this spring by NOAA Fisheries.

          For more information, visit MyFWC.com/About and click on “The Commission” and “Commission Meetings.” For information on Gulf red snapper, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Gulf Snapper.”

Here's something of interest: The Englewood Open, a spearfish tournament targeting Lionfish, Hogfish, Amberjack, Barracuda, Snapper and Grouper will be held at the Cape Haze Marina on Sept. 20th! This is a great opportunity for an individual or team! It's nice to see new tournaments in our area, and especially ones that feature a wide variety of fish that swim in our area waters! 

Take a look at their website for further details: http://englewoodopen.com/

If you're in need of a Charter Captain to take you and your team offshore, don't hesitate to give us a call! 

The recreational harvest season for Florida’s premier game fish, snook, opens Sept. 1 statewide. Unique to the region, snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World.

While the fishery is already more than 90 percent catch-and-release, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to continue to use moderation when determining whether or not to take a snook home. Gulf snook populations were negatively impacted by a 2010 cold kill. Gulf snook numbers currently exceed FWC management goals but are still rebuilding to pre-cold-kill levels, which is one of the reasons why it is important to handle fish with care in this region and use moderation when determining whether or not to harvest one.

When releasing a snook, proper handling methods can help ensure 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” then “Recreational Regulations.”

Regular season closures are designed to help protect the species during vulnerable times such as cold weather and spawning. Snook are closed to harvest Dec. 1 through the end of February and May 1 through Aug. 31 in Gulf state and federal waters, including Monroe County and Everglades National Park. In Atlantic state and federal waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, snook is closed Dec. 15 through Jan. 31 and June 1 through Aug. 31.

Management measures such as the one-fish-per-person, per-day bag limit, annual closed seasons and size limits will help continue rebuilding snook populations on both coasts.

Minimum and maximum size limits help protect juvenile and older breeding fish within the population. 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.

A snook permit as well as a recreational saltwater license is required unless the angler is exempt from having a license. Snook may be targeted or harvested with hook and line gear only. Snagging is prohibited.

It is illegal to buy or sell snook.

Anglers can report their catch on the Snook & Gamefish Foundation’s website atSnookFoundation.org by clicking on the Angler Action link. Researchers also ask anglers who harvest the fish to save their filleted carcasses and provide them to the FWC by dropping them off at aparticipating bait and tackle store. For the county-by-county list, go to MyFWC.com/Research and click on “Saltwater,” then “Snook” (under “Saltwater Fish”) and “Snook Anglers Asked to Help with Research.”  

These carcasses provide biological data, including the size, age, maturity and sex of the catch. This information is important to the FWC in completing stock assessments on species such as snook. If you see a snook fishery violation, please call the Wildlife Alert Program at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing” and “Recreational Regulations” for more information on snook.

The strength, stamina and fighting ability of a “silver king” make tarpon one of Florida’s most popular game fish. Experience the thrill! The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants people to reel one in to the side of their boat and help us with the Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study.

Tarpon DNA helps scientists learn more about the fish’s rich life history, from its anatomy to its catch history. Each year, willing anglers supply the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute with DNA “fingerprint” data from tarpon and then release them to jump and challenge anglers another day. The FWRI especially needs DNA samples from fish larger than 30 inches hooked in northeast and northwest Florida.

“While we have a significant amount of information about tarpon in the southern portion of the state, we need more information about this fish in the north,” said FWC researcher Kathy Guindon. “As a result, for the remainder of this year we are shifting the emphasis of the Florida Guides Association-FWC Spirit of Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge to waters from Brevard County and Pasco County north.”

Participants in the challenge have until mid-January 2015 to submit their samples. Winners will be announced later that month.

This study, ongoing since 2005, relies on data collected by anglers who submit samples and information about their catches using a free, easy-to-use tarpon DNA sampling kit. Volunteer anglers have submitted more than 19,600 samples to date. To obtain a DNA sampling kit, please call 800-367-4461 or email TarponGenetics@MyFWC.com. The FWRI collected 3,386 DNA samples from anglers last year, and staffers look forward to another productive year and hope to learn a lot more about this important marine fish.

“We owe the success of this project to the volunteer anglers who have contributed samples and to those who have supported us in their businesses and through outreach efforts. We look forward to receiving northern samples, as data from those areas will be critical in evaluating the full range of statewide movement patterns,” said Guindon.

To learn more about tarpon and the Tarpon Genetics Recapture Study, visit MyFWC.com/Research and select “Saltwater” then “Tarpon.”

BGFGA Captain Matt Coleman and his wife Kristie Coleman are again working hard to host the 2nd Annual Mack Attack Charity Fishing Event. This tournament, held on Saturday, April 12th at 9am, will again benefit the Bit of Hope Ranch and Horse Rescue.

Entry fee is $250 for a two person team, $500 for a four person team. The entry fee is considered a tax deductible donation. A fresh fish lunch of the day's catch will be served after the event. Tournament Tshirts are provided to all team members. Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

This is a wonderful community event focusing on our incredible fishery here in the Englewood/Boca Grande area. Additionally, the tournament benefits a wonderful cause, the Bit of Hope Ranch. This organization rescues abused and neglected horses and gives them a second chance at life. More importantly, the organization also assists children who also need a second chance. The group matches children with physical and/or emotional needs with the horses so that the children can learn responsibility, respect, and trust while build emotional and community ties. Capt. Coleman & Krisite believe strongly in this cause and have dedicated the past few years to building this tournament to further the organization.

We hope you will join us for this fun event! A maximum of 60 anglers, abiding by the FWC catch limit rules that ensure sustainable fishing practice, will leave from Whidden's Marina on Boca Grande at 9am Saturday morning. There are no set fishing boundaries for this tournament, so fishing may take place in area waters including Charlotte Harbor, Boca Grande Pass, or Gulf of Mexico. For a complete list of rules, please see linked documents.

If you would like to participate in this charity tournament, or would like to sponsor the event, please contact Kristie Coleman at 941-270-3022 or kris.machel@gmail.com.

FLYER & REGISTRATION FORM – CLICK HERE

Today, Governor Rick Scott and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced a saltwater license-free fishing day for September 1. On this day, Florida residents and visitors can experience Florida’s unique saltwater fishing opportunities first hand without being required to have a recreational saltwater fishing license. 

Governor Scott said, “The license-free fishing day on September 1is a great way for families to enjoy Florida’s incredible saltwater fishing opportunities during the Labor Day holiday. Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World and this license-free weekend is a great opportunity to introduce friends and family who may have never experienced Florida saltwater fishing to enjoy the Sunshine States’ bountiful waters and historic fishing communities.”

License-free fishing days, including freshwater days, were held earlier this year on April 13 and June 8 for freshwater and June 1 for saltwater. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will consider adding four additional license-free fishing days to the calendar at the Sept. 5 meeting in Pensacola. If approved, there will be two more saltwater and two more freshwater license-free fishing days before the end of 2013. All other regulations still apply.

An annual license for residents can be purchased at 1-888-FISH-Florida or at License.MyFWC.com. All fishing license fees are used to support Florida fish and wildlife conservation and help attain additional funding for Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration projects.

All bag limits, seasons and size restrictions apply on these dates. For fishing tips, locations and rules, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing.

We just developed a couple new designs for our apparel line! These bright and colorful designs depict our mighty Boca Grande tarpon. Printed directly onto the garment, the image is features crisp detailing and still retains the soft texture of the garment (unlike the paint-like texture of screen printing). We offer a wide range of garments and styles – v-neck, scoop neck, crew neck, even hoodies and sweatshirts! Please supply us with the size, gender, and type of shirt you'd like, and we will gladly print it up for you! Tshirt prices begin at $30. Give us a call at 941-405-3474 or email info@gulfcoastcharterbrokers.com

Fish on!

Gray triggerfish and greater amberjack will open for recreational harvest in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters Aug. 1. The commercial harvest of gray triggerfish will also reopen Aug. 1 in Gulf state and federal waters.

The gray triggerfish season closed on June 10 this year, when new management measures went into effect. In future years, it will close June 1 in state and federal waters. Recreational harvest of greater amberjack also closes June 1 in state and federal waters.

When the gray triggerfish season reopens, new bag and trip limits will also be in effect in Gulf state and federal waters. The recreational bag limit will be two fish per person, per day, and the commercial limit will be 12 fish per trip.

Gray triggerfish have a unique spawning behavior that makes them vulnerable during the peak spawning season, usually during June and July. Male triggerfish coax females to nesting areas, where they all care for and guard their eggs after spawning. Closing gray triggerfish during their peak spawning time and implementing a recreational bag limit and a commercial trip limit should help rebuild the gray triggerfish population.

The minimum size limit for gray triggerfish in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters is 14 inches fork length, which is measured from the tip of the fish’s closed mouth to the center of the fork in the tail. The minimum size limit in Atlantic state waters is 12 inches fork length.

The minimum size limit for recreationally caught greater amberjack in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters is 30 inches fork length. In Atlantic state waters, the recreational size limit is 28 inches fork length. Recreational anglers may take one greater amberjack per person, per day.

Reef-fish gear rules apply when fishing for gray triggerfish and greater amberjack. In all Gulf waters, this means anglers must use circle hooks, and have a dehooking device and a venting tool on their vessel.

Using these tools will help increase a fish’s chance of survival if it is caught and returned to the water.

State waters in the Gulf extend from shore to 9 nautical miles and in the Atlantic from shore to 3 nautical miles; federal waters extend from those boundaries to about 200 miles from shore.

Learn more about saltwater fishing by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and clicking on “Saltwater.”