Any real chance catching a gag in State waters off Taylor co

[CarolinaJim]

Just looking at charts and it seems pretty plain bottom off of Taylor county. I'd like to put out of Keaton and catch a gag, anybody got any advice. I'm not asking for your favorite #'s here, more looking for info on how to fish them and what to fish with?


Regards,
Jim

[Seachaser]

Yes!

[mjsigns]

Make sure Gags are in season, even catching and releasing constitutes "possession" (ask any FWC officer). ... http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recr ... g-grouper/

[CarolinaJim]

Thanks, Seachaser. I think what I'm going to do is troll while I scan with SI and 2d sonar looking for rocky and live bottom.

mj, this is why I asked.
The recreational harvest season for gag grouper in most Gulf state waters (within nine miles from shore) will start July 1 and end Dec. 3. This season does not apply to state waters off of Monroe County because Monroe County follows Atlantic rules for gag grouper. It also does not apply to state waters off of Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla and Franklin counties, including all waters of the Steinhatchee River, Apalachicola Bay and Indian Pass. This area of state waters will be open April 1 through June 30 and will be closed to recreational gag grouper harvest for the remainder of the year, including the July 1 through Dec. 3 season.

Regards,
Jim

[EddieJoe]

Make sure Gags are in season, even catching and releasing constitutes "possession" (ask any FWC officer). ... http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recr ... g-grouper/

Not exactly.
Gags must be in season to be "possessed" or landed, but catch and release does not constitute possession. If they bite and you bring them to the boat, release them at once without unnecessary harm. That isn't possession, or any catch and release fishing of an otherwise out of season or undersized fish would be illegal, and it isn't, unless you do something different. Ever catch an undersized trout or redfish or a red snapper when the season was closed? Did you release them? That isn't possession.

EJ

[mjsigns]

Gags must be in season to be "possessed" or landed, but catch and release does not constitute possession. If they bite and you bring them to the boat, release them at once without unnecessary harm. That isn't possession, or any catch and release fishing of an otherwise out of season or undersized fish would be illegal, and it isn't, unless you do something different. Ever catch an undersized trout or redfish or a red snapper when the season was closed? Did you release them? That isn't possession.

If it is obvious you are not targeting the species that you are releasing, that would not constitute pursuit and possession. I may be wrong on this but it is better to be safe than sorry. The law itself is vague and may be enforced at the liberty of FWC (Some if these FWC officers are fanatical). Just my .02.

[RCS]

Unless there are specific regulations that apply to grouper, my understanding was that possession=keeping. As long as you release them, you can specifically target grouper just as you can bull reds, Jewfish, tarpon, snook, etc...all of which are either protected or have specific regulations/seasons that apply to them.

[EddieJoe]

Unless there are specific regulations that apply to grouper, my understanding was that possession=keeping. As long as you release them, you can specifically target grouper just as you can bull reds, Jewfish, tarpon, snook, etc...all of which are either protected or have specific regulations/seasons that apply to them.

That's correct. Many anglers target tarpon and snook (or bull reds, which are never "in season") and either do not have a tarpon tag (necessary to "possess" or harvest tarpon) or a snook during closed season for release. I have done both many times, on some occasions as an employee of the state doing snook tagging. It isn't illegal unless you "reduce them to possession", which normally means placing them in the boat to stay (and usually the cooler) after taking them off the hook. Quick photos are O.K. if it does not result in likely harm to the fish. Some protected species like goliath grouper have specific instructions from the regulatory agencies not to take them out of the water because they are so big that doing so is likely to cause them harm (frankly, hauling a big tarpon across the deck or a big goliath over the transom for a picture doesn't make sense, anyway). Normally, carefully and promptly releasing a fish that shouldn't be possessed is not a problem.

As a matter of fact, I have NEVER had a marine LEO approach me while I am actually reeling a fish into the boat, so they rarely would ever get to see what we do about releasing the fish unharmed, anyway. If you have a gag on the deck or in the cooler when they board the boat then if gags are out of season or not of legal size then you would have a potential problem, IMO. Geez, these days on a typical offshore trip I release many undersized or out of season fish, like grouper or snapper, and even sometimes AJ, on a regular basis. If that was illegal I couldn't fish offshore at all. Inshore the same is true for little trout.

EJ