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Proposed FWC Seatrout Rule Changes a Terrible Idea

November 11, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to change the seatrout rules, making trout more available to commercial fishermen and increasing the bag limit for recreational anglers. Are they kidding?

An excerpt from an email sent to Stuart Patterson from the Commission:
“The Commission considers the spotted seatrout population in Florida a success story. Over the past twenty years, the regulations in place helped spotted seatrout rebuild from low population levels to abundant and healthy levels. The most recent spotted seatrout stock assessment showed that the stocks are exceeding the Commission’s seatrout management goal. Because of this, the Commission is looking into relaxing both commercial and recreational regulations in order to increase fishing opportunities for fishers in Florida.”

A few comments on this-
-could they please define “abundant and healthy”?
-the Commission’s management goal must be really low.
-how does fewer fish in the water equate to increased fishing opportunities?

I’d like to know where the commission is doing these studies. I certainly don’t see abundant, and I’m out all the time. If you want to see abundant, try visiting Louisiana or Texas. Here in Florida they’re abundant all right- abundant eight inch fish.

Another excerpt-
“One aspect considered is that commercial landings of spotted seatrout in Florida are very small relative to the recreational landings. For example, in 2009, the commercial harvest made up only 2% of the entire spotted seatrout harvest in Florida.”

I would also like to know how the Commission makes this determination. Just who is counting the catch of the fishermen? What makes the Commission think their numbers are accurate?

Even if we grant that the data is accurate, what difference does it make if the commercial catch is only 2 percent of the total landings? If there aren’t enough fish in the water now, taking more out can hardly be expected to improve the fishing.

The proposed regulations will be discussed in a final public hearing at the November Commission meeting. You can see more details about the spotted seatrout recommendations that will be discussed as they are added to the meeting website: http://www.myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/2011/november/16/november-16-17,-2011/.
I hope to see you there.

I think the bag limit ought to be reduced to three and the size limit increased to an 18″ to 22″ slot.

Let the commissioners know what you think of their idea as soon as you can- the meeting is next week!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.

 

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More Stupid Ideas from our Legislators

February 13, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Mr. Bill Gunn of Melbourne sent me this as an email. It’s important enough that it needs to be passed along and responded to by all Florida readers.

Greetings.

Sportsmen have a long history of supporting conservation. States fund fishery and game enforcement, research and conservation through user fees raised by selling licenses. The attached link is an article from Florida Today regarding a Florida State Senator who is proposing that Florida eliminate the requirement for both fresh and saltwater fishing licenses within the state.

Florida fisherman and hunters are a very lucky lot. I lived in Connecticut where license fees go into the general fund. Their legislature is not mandated to earmark those funds toward programs impacting our sport and they skim off user fees for other purposes. But in Florida the funds are dedicated.

Note that Federal Law calls for states to administer Saltwater fishing licenses or the feds will impose a national licence requirement. If this proposal passes we will have no freshwater license and a federal saltwater license. Florida will loose funding for FWC, conservation, research and enforcement.  Please take a moment to read this article and voice your concerns to the State Senator sponsoring the bill. I believe he is misguided.

Stay hooked,

Bill Gunn
President, FFF Florida Council

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110213/COLUMNISTS0308/102130328/1067/SPORTS05/CCA-will-fight-Senator-s-plan-kill-licenses

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Klingons have no sense of humor; eat more mullet

November 21, 2010 by · 4 Comments

Klingons have no sense of humor; eat more mullet

The Report from Spotted Tail 11/21/10

in this issue

Blessed Thanksgiving
Space Shuttle Update
Redo Redfish Rules???
Fishing Report
New Monthly Contest

No news here, Thanksgiving is Thursday. I would like to wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving. Please remember to count all your blessings, even the little ones.

Space Shuttle Update

A couple issues back I wrote that the Shuttle launch had been moved to November 30 and that I was still open that day. I’m still open that day but the shuttle launch date has been moved back again, this time to December 3. I’m open that day too!

I think it’s the Klingons messing with the shuttle. They come in under stealth, loose a few gremlins, and laugh all the way back to the Klingon home world. And some say Klingons have no sense of humor!

he's laughing at NASA all the way home

Anyway, the link to the NASA page where the shuttle information is stored is here: http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html . Loose lips sink ships- don’t let the Klingons know.

Redo Redfish Rules???

While you’re waiting for the turkey to cook, ruminate on this for a minute or two: scientists estimate that fish populations along the eastern coast of North America are two percent of what they were when Columbus arrived. Not only the natives got a raw deal. As good as fishing can sometimes be, the fact is that we fish for remnants, vestiges, of what used to be.

Columbus- catastrophic for the natives; fish haven’t fared too well either

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering increasing (yes you read that right) the bag limit on redfish in north Florida from one to two per person per day. Of all the stupid ideas.

If you have fished in Louisiana or Texas you know how good redfishing can be. It’s certainly not like that anyplace in Florida. The idea of increasing the bag limit and allowing even more of the remnants to be legally killed is almost criminally irresponsible. They ought to change the bag limit- to zero.

Do you want to eat more fish? Eat more mullet! They’re delicious. And speaking relatively, there are a lot of them.

Whether you agree with me or not, let the FL FWCC know how you feel about red drum in Florida. Take a few minutes to fill out their on-line survey here: http://www.surveyroom.com/surveymachine/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88MK695

Fishing, ah yes

Sunday Barry Kingston and his son Nate joined me for a day on the Mosquito Lagoon. I noted at launch that the water had come up some. We started by poling across the flat inside of Tiger Shoal, from the west side to the east side. We did not see a fish. Ouch.

I ran the Mitzi up to where I had done so well kayak fishing the previous week. There were some fish there, nothing like what it had been though. They got three reds while tossing Johnson Minnows.

We soaked cut mullet while we ate lunch and caught a couple of catfish. That was it for the day, as the afternoon’s fishing did not produce a fish.

Nice people, those Kingstons. I hope they come fish here again.

Thursday Marcia Foosaner and I launched kayaks from KARS park, heading north on the Banana River Lagoon. I noted as we launched that the water was high and dirty, and speculated that we would have a tough day.

We paddled north about three miles without seeing a fish. Near the bent over tower that’s up there I saw one fish crashing bait along the shore. I got one good cast at him. He refused, and I didn’t see him again.

Marcia blind cast a gurgler for a while and got a 12″ ladyfish.

We didn’t see a fish going back, either. The kayaks were back on the roof about 2 PM.

The day wasn’t so tough. The weather was great and it was certainly good to see Marcia again. If catching fish was the goal (I’m not sure how important it was for this reporter) the catching certainly could have been better. If the goal was to get out of the office and see something other than a computer screen then the day was a smashing success.

I don’t know why the water is so high right now. It usually is much lower at this time of year. For those who like to sight fish, fishing the lagoons will remain tough until that water drops again.

New Monthly Contest

I have asked for Fly of the Month submissions in the past. Silly me! I know that’s not how it works.

Have a contest, John! Have tyers submit their creations for a prize, and a place on your website for a month! Good idea!

Here are the rules- submit your fly by email, before the end of the current month, to john@spottedtail.com. The submission must have a clear photo of the fly and instructions on how to tie it. Instructions on how to fish it will also be considered in the judging.

The judge’s decision is final. Here’s a hint- the judge likes simplicity.

Winners will receive an autographed copy of a book by world famous outdoor writer John Kumiski, woo-hoo, AND will get to see their fly featured on the Spotted Tail website for a month.

How could it get any better, I ask? A win-win for everybody.

Get those submissions coming!

Please- Embrace simplicity.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- go fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

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