Hear about the new cobia size?

[relicshunter]

FWC is pretty close to changing the cobia size from 33" to 38". I agree with the commercial and quantity changes but I don't agree with the size change. I told them what I thought through the survey but I am pretty used used to my thoughts not making a difference. I think it;s great that they have grouper workshops in the evening but I just can't make the commission meetings during the day and no where local.

[Apalachee Inshore]

Yeah that'll make it a bit tougher for the inshore guys to harvest one. I haven't landed one that was 33" this year but I haven't been targeting them either. If the FWC feels this is a change that needs to be made I can support it, although it seems to me there hasn't been a huge shortage of cobia this year.

[FishWithChris]

• Increasing the minimum size limit in Gulf state waters from 33 to 38 inches fork length.
• Making the recreational and commercial bag limits in Gulf state waters the same by reducing the commercial trip limit from two to one fish per person.
• Reducing the recreational and commercial vessel limit in Gulf state waters from six to two per vessel per day.

I'm fine with all of the bag/boat limit changes... but I wonder the science behind the change from 33-38. That's a pretty hefty difference!

It looks like it will come back in front of the Commission for final Public Hearing in September.

[silverking]

All for the changes as it will reduce the pressure on fish around wrecks in SW Florida and along the Panhandle beaches. If more breeders are left alone, there will be more fish in the stock and more of them will filter into the shallower waters. I've seen 50-60 pound fish around markers, floats that were easily within reach of small boats.

Many of these fish swim through on their migration west and loop back through our waters again in late fall. They get absolutely hammered as they make their way along the Panhandle beach troughs.

[big bend gyrene]

... I wonder the science behind the change from 33-38. That's a pretty hefty difference!

It'll be a huge game changer for the number of folks able to keep a cobia in the Big Bend region, that I can promise you.

Could kick myself for not having saved data on fish actually kept versus tagged, but still think the data I've recorded in the past 5 years or so speaks volumes to how challenging the change will be in our area.

Here's a bar chart visual of my data. Mentally paint in a standard bell shape curve over that data and you've got the vast majority of fish falling between 20" to 35" or so. Think it pretty clearly shows 38" is the exception and not the norm.

Here's another chart I pulled off the web worth reviewing... average cobia weight chart by length. I actually think it runs a hair on the light side compared to the data I've captured, but regardless 38" fish are going to weigh around 25 pounds versus fish at 33" fork length coming in around the 15 to 16 pound range. While not having kept data for fish I put on ice, I can say that the majority have fallen in the 16 to 22 pounds range, and with only 3 or 4 fish coming in over 30 pounds, and a single fish pulled over the gunnels weighing more than 40 pounds.

ChartCobia (2).jpg (149.73 KiB) Viewed 4509 times

While I appreciate what Silverking is saying is absolutely true, I'll just add that migration studies point to a few different migration paths with some data pointing to a north to south / deep to shallow / winter to summer migration for our big bend waters, thus one of the reasons we catch cobia all summer long versus just during a fleeting migration period. To date I've had reports of two fish I tagged being recaptured and a year later both were recaught within the big bend bowl / had not made massive east to west migrations. I've never found much variation in being able to fairly easily catch cobes in our area unlike reports from Panama City area of perceived drops in numbers. Hate to see our fishery get harshly restricted due to conditions hundreds of miles away from us with a set of fish that don't necessarily even mix much with our fishery.

All the above said, if statewide changes are completely unavoidable I sure would be a bigger fan of a smaller and / or incremental change with the length going to 35" or 36" for a year or two before changing again, giving fish released in the changing slot size time to grow a bit with the changes.

[Apalachee Inshore]

Great post BBG. Thank you for posting, I didn't know that about the deep to shallow migration.

[woopty]

I'm down with letting the fish get big enough to breed massive amounts of quality offspring...
Even if it means less keepers in the areas I fish...

[big bend gyrene]

Great post BBG. Thank you for posting, I didn't know that about the deep to shallow migration.

After getting my couple of recapture hits back with a full year passed but fish in the same general vicinity, I asked tagging coordinator Read Hendon if it was surprising and he said it wasn't due to a subset of data they've seen that speaks to inshore / offshore movements as well as the more widely recognized path that takes fish east to west in the gulf.

The Gulf Coast Research lab page actually shows a graphic that reflects it.

http://gcrl.usm.edu/fisheries_center/co ... ements.php

And while the topic is fish being tagged in Mississippi, this article also speaks to the phenomenon.

http://www.ms-sportsman.com/details.php?id=2223

Finally, lest I come across as some guy advocating slaying as many cobia as possible, QUITE the opposite. EAGERLY have tagged and released as many as possible because I love doing what little part I can in unlocking the mysteries behind cobia behaviors and patterns. Like Silverking and Woopty I'm ALL for using science to maintain a healthy fishery... BUT, and sorry just can't help but throw the BUT in there...

I'm also greatly concerned with sentiments and politics taking yet another species largely off the recreational fisherman's plate. Can't help but be a skeptic after witnessing the way the red snapper fiasco evolved with time, not to mention seeing how whacko political pressures killed a fairly responsible bear season that was actually originally ADVOCATED by FWC.

[big bend gyrene]

On the bag / boat limit note, I should add I find those changes reasonable / don't personally have ANY issue with them.

[relicshunter]

I am happy with the bag and boat limits, and I think that will help quite a bit to increase the numbers. I don't go offshore and have yet to catch a legal cobia. So I think change the bag and boat and maybe bump the size a couple inches. Maybe try less and see how it works out instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water, as they say. If you feel the same or not let your commissioners know before the write in int stone.

[leonreno]

The biggest problem I believe that the FWC and Feds face (and cause) in changing recreational and Commercial rules on one species is that it will inversely effect other species. In other words, increase regulations on grouper and cause snapper pressure to increase, increase regulations on snapper increase pressure on amberjack or cobia. It goes on. Sometimes they get it right such as trout, king and Spanish mackerel and redfish. But the consequences of changing and limiting one fish will increase pressure on other fish.

[SHOWBOAT]

The biggest problem I believe that the FWC and Feds face (and cause) in changing recreational and Commercial rules on one species is that it will inversely effect other species. In other words, increase regulations on grouper and cause snapper pressure to increase, increase regulations on snapper increase pressure on amberjack or cobia. It goes on. Sometimes they get it right such as trout, king and Spanish mackerel and redfish. But the consequences of changing and limiting one fish will increase pressure on other fish.

Don't believe it is at all that scientific. How do you change the size requirement by 15% in one year? Were cobia grossly mismanaged previously? Does anyone really know the size of the most productive breeders? Would a slot make more sense? Unless they show some sound data I'm going to guess this is a total stab in the dark...

[big bend gyrene]

Don't believe it is at all that scientific. How do you change the size requirement by 15% in one year? Were cobia grossly mismanaged previously? Does anyone really know the size of the most productive breeders? Would a slot make more sense? Unless they show some sound data I'm going to guess this is a total stab in the dark...

I''ll let Silverking correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure the fishery in the Destin / Panama City area is driving the bulk of the discussion.

Above said, this article had points that struck me as being all over the place... 2013 assessment showed no concern... it's believed weather patterns influence migratory traffic through Destin area... some feel numbers are down while others think up... and most interesting to me, the actual age of assured maturity is around 40 inches.

One thing mentioned in the article is that a slot limit of 33" to 45" might be most useful so that the largest fish are protected - that I can understand better than a limit that basically ONLY allows keeping breeder sized fish.

http://www.thedestinlog.com/sports/2017 ... ia-fishery

[EddieJoe]

• Increasing the minimum size limit in Gulf state waters from 33 to 38 inches fork length.
• Making the recreational and commercial bag limits in Gulf state waters the same by reducing the commercial trip limit from two to one fish per person.
• Reducing the recreational and commercial vessel limit in Gulf state waters from six to two per vessel per day.

I'm fine with all of the bag/boat limit changes... but I wonder the science behind the change from 33-38. That's a pretty hefty difference!

It looks like it will come back in front of the Commission for final Public Hearing in September.

I'm with you. Realize that "science" might tell us accurately that harvest needs to be trimmed, but it is the allocation that matters, and that is pure politics. If the science says there has been an overharvest, it is because the FWC and the feds provided an overly generous allocation to the usual suspects, which doesn't include average angler.

Bag/boat changes are fine, especially because for most of us catching a cobia is not something that happens on many trips. I rarely target them, but when I do we might catch one, and rarely two. I might catch a couple in a season on my boat, no more. But changing the size so much at one time means that I probably wont be keeping any at all. As usual, the FWC is overly influenced by guides and the guide boat industry, second only to commercial interests. If cobia are needing extra protection, fine, close the commercial fishery first, then limit guide boats to the same limits as everyone else. The stupid boat limit of six fish was an obvious guide boat Destin six pack slaughter the cobia sell out. Not unusual decision for the FWC, or the Gulf Council. Sector separation on snapper, same deal. Screw the average angler that catches a few fish a year, maybe, in order to keep the commercial/guide boat game at the expense of the individual angler that might keep a few fish a year.

Amberjack and triggers nearly identical. If it is offshore or migratory and commands a big price at the restaurant, trust the FWC and the feds to do a major giveaway to commercials first, guides next.

EJ

[silverking]

My philosophy is always to err on the side of the resource. I have personally testified a couple times before the FWC that cobia should be game fish only (No sale). But that fell on deaf ears. That said, I fully realize politics is involved in the process (as with virtually anything in life). The increase in size does seem like a big jump. Like others have pointed out, I'd let the commissioners know your feelings before the FINAL public hearing in September and try to attend that if possible.

The Destin/Pensacola charter boats are hammering the stocks and under the current regs will keep six legal fish for a six-pack charter.When the run is on, private boats are out there in force as well. It's a boat parade, literally. I've seen stepladders strapped to center consoles to gain better height advantage for spotting cruising fish. But they aren't the only offenders. Big fishery for cobes in SW Florida where they hang around the wrecks and up along the East Coast around Canaveral. Lot of effort following rays/turtles there. So this new rule does have statewide implications.