BigBendFishing.Net

I'll be at at least one of the two days of the upcoming FWC commission meeting in Gainesville.
Wondering what you guys would say to the commissioners if you were there?
What are your big issues / hot buttons?

Close trout season in February....January too

Gulf Coast, did someone hijack your account?

Wish they would eliminate the one trout over 20 inches allotment. The big sow trout could then do their thing and anglers could still keep the good-eating slot size, sans worms.

Game fish status (no sale) for cobia would go a long way towards restoring that fishery to its former glory, too.

silverking wrote:Gulf Coast, did someone hijack your account?

Wish they would eliminate the one trout over 20 inches allotment. The big sow trout could then do their thing and anglers could still keep the good-eating slot size, sans worms.

Game fish status (no sale) for cobia would go a long way towards restoring that fishery to its former glory, too.

What sk said.... I’d also like to ask if there could be a way to do fish limits, say red snapper, with a tag system. You can catch your allotted fish any time( minus spawning months) so folks aren’t tempted to go out in bad conditions because the season is so short. I’d just be curious if it’s possible, I’m sure I’m not the first to think of it. Thanks Bman

LOL, same ol me You and I both know trout are taken advantage of this time of year. I would like it to be my decision to keep or release (for tournaments) the over slot.

Either proposal would give trout some much-needed relief.

Gulf Coast wrote:Close trout season in February....January too

I'm with you on that one.

Close trout in Jan & Feb and increase the red snapper season at least a month, the amount of days available is ridiculous-I tried to go several times this past year only to be blown out by weather.

General comment for all fish under pressure:

Block out less time period, and reduce count, or increase/decrease slot as needed.

wacissaguy wrote:Close trout in Jan & Feb and increase the red snapper season at least a month, the amount of days available is ridiculous-I tried to go several times this past year only to be blown out by weather.

Wasn’t it about a month this year? I think I went 4 weekends in a row

close the trout season for Feb. and Jan.
when you do have a limit of fish you can not fish anymore for the fish

Probably more political and way above the FWC but I'd like to see a reciprocal recreational fishing license agreement for Atlantic and Gulf waters between Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

I'm with ya all on closing the trout season in jan and feb too them big trout are getting hammered right now in our area.i"ve been keeping a few of the slots to eat and releasing my over 20" until tournament time gets here.

Every year it seems like people bring up that too many trout are caught in the winter in the rivers and that the trout season should be shut down. Sure, a lot of fish are caught, but it seems that the fishery is still sustainable. If the fishery wasn't sustainable, the solution is to change the slot size and the limit, not to shut the season down during the winter. I would bet that 3 or 4 times as many trout are caught during the month of April or October than are during January or February. As for the comment about a rule where you can fish if you have a limit: that is silly and unenforceable. Anyone with a limit could just say they are targeting another species and keep fishing.

Regarding stopping fishing when you have a limit of fish...
That’s the rule for rainbow trout in Georgia.
After getting my rainbow trout I switched over to fishing for bream and perch.
Had a long conversation with the game warden before he let me go on my way