Short Reds

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Red Dawg
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Short Reds

Post by Red Dawg »

We fished one of our normal areas in Panacea this past Sunday. Both of us caught multiple reds, but all were shorts. Any particular reason for the abundance of shorts all of a sudden? Thanks.
Steve Stinson
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Re: Short Reds

Post by Steve Stinson »

We've been noticing the same thing. Fished Carrabelle at the NFGFC tournament and Spring Warrior this past Saturday and got the same results you did.
spoton
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Re: Short Reds

Post by spoton »

Same thing I found last time I fished creek mouths at Econfina. My buds and I hit a couple of keepers at the first creek we fished out of the channel and then all the shorts we wanted but no keepers for the next two days. Bodes well for next year, I guess.
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Short Reds

Post by onefishtwofish »

Seems like my bunch does that a lot in February. We got on them good one day and with every fish we would say "this one is a keeper, defintely fighting better" and then it would be 17". We chased the school around as not much else was happening that day. We wore them out and they wore us out.

I think the better ones will be there soon.
Ducks, turkeys, flats fishing. Who has time for golf?
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roadtrip
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Re: Short Reds

Post by roadtrip »

same thing in Ochock Bay Saturday. 20+ Reds for 2 keepers, 2 - 8" trout :smt011
keeper trout around Panacea / O-Bay are almost non existent for me lately
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Allnighter
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Re: Short Reds

Post by Allnighter »

That's what happens when you increase the limit just to appease people. The reds were making a steady comeback with the single fish limit. Then they bumped it up to two trying to drawing attention away from the miss handled offshore regs. So with it now at 2 there are two things happening. First is the obvious one and that is people are keeping two. Second is that with the increase in the limit more people are targeting them. Having fished and kept records of my catches for over a decade in this area and can easily see the change. When you go out with 4 people on a boat and sit in a good spot all day with live shrimp and cutbait you will eventually end up with 8 reds dead in a cooler. Then the next weekend and the next and the next. All of a sudden they seen to be getting smaller and fewer. You think it must be the tide or the moon or the barometric pressure? Nope its because they aren't there anymore.

I am by no means bashing people for keeping fish. On occasion I keep some too for my grandfather or for a tournament. What I don't do is turn every trip into a meat trip. So keep fishing and enjoying the water just let some go every now and then.
Jhults11
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Re: Short Reds

Post by Jhults11 »

I catch an exponentially larger amount of short redfish during the winter months vs the warmer months. I can take a look at historical information I have from the past 15 years or so and tell you I catch 8/1 shorts to keepers during the winter months. During the spring and summer, that ratio narrows to 2/1 or 1/1 shorts to keepers. Some warmer days in the summer, we won't catch a single short. In regards to the raw numbers of redfish landed in my boat this winter, in 4 trips we've caught 92 shorts and 14 keepers. That ratio breaks down to 6.5/1 shorts to keepers. Give it a month or two fellas, I'm sure the warmer weather will increase those redfish sizes :thumbup: .
"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it's not the fish they are after." -Henry David Thoreau
flatsbroke22
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Re: Short Reds

Post by flatsbroke22 »

Been a lot of keepers caught around Keaton lately. Caught two Sat. myself and saw a few more that I spooked off oyster bars as I trolled by.
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leonreno
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Re: Short Reds

Post by leonreno »

Don't know 100% but I believe this time of year sees the larger reds congregate off shore, maybe for spawning.
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Allnighter
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Re: Short Reds

Post by Allnighter »

Redfish spawn in the late summer and fall months throughout there range. Also they don't spawn offshore they spawn in shallow water on an incoming tide. This is so that their eggs are pushed into the safety of the estuaries. That being said the slot sized fish are not mature enough to spawn. This is the reason the slot is set up like it is. Once they reach the 28+ range they are mature enough to spawn. The reason there is a minimum limit is because people would keep 12" reds, if you don't believe me ask a game warden.

The reason you are probably seeing smaller fish during the now late winter months is because people have been wearing them out in holes all winter. This time of year on the right weather and tide they stack up in holes to stay warm and are very easy to target. There for the smaller ones are the only ones left. The reason youre seeing more slot fish later in the year is because they are growing. That's not to say that there aren't fish coming from offshore but that is only a small fraction. The redfish has an excellent grown rate that is 3/4"-1" a month in the right conditions. During the winter their metabolism is very slow but when the water warms up that they start feeding heavy they grow into the slot. So if you do the math an 18" red should be though the slot in 9 month to a year. "Let the little ones go and there will be more big ones" is what my grandfather always told me.
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Swampcreek
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Re: Short Reds

Post by Swampcreek »

Well I can assure ya, I'm not one to keep the limit. I can barely catch one.
silverking
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Re: Short Reds

Post by silverking »

Allnighter wrote:That's what happens when you increase the limit just to appease people. The reds were making a steady comeback with the single fish limit. Then they bumped it up to two trying to drawing attention away from the miss handled offshore regs. So with it now at 2 there are two things happening. First is the obvious one and that is people are keeping two. Second is that with the increase in the limit more people are targeting them. Having fished and kept records of my catches for over a decade in this area and can easily see the change. When you go out with 4 people on a boat and sit in a good spot all day with live shrimp and cutbait you will eventually end up with 8 reds dead in a cooler. Then the next weekend and the next and the next. All of a sudden they seen to be getting smaller and fewer. You think it must be the tide or the moon or the barometric pressure? Nope its because they aren't there anymore.

I am by no means bashing people for keeping fish. On occasion I keep some too for my grandfather or for a tournament. What I don't do is turn every trip into a meat trip. So keep fishing and enjoying the water just let some go every now and then.
There are slot and even some big fish around in the winter months. But I agree with your assessment, Allnighter. There were a handful of us, including Coastal Conservation Association Florida, who argued before the FWC that the one-fish limit was working fine, with a fish for the table for those who wanted to keep one and a quality fishery for all. The commissioners from the Big Bend and Northeast Florida were the ones pushing for the change and they won out. Unfortunately, it now appears our worse fears are becoming a reality.
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luceror
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Re: Short Reds

Post by luceror »

From my observations. Reds tend to congregate by size classes.the bigger ones will show bk up. If a two fish limit is hurting population. Then we hv a bigger problem. All these reports of "shorts being caught" is a sign of a healthy population.
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Ted in Tallahassee
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Re: Short Reds

Post by Ted in Tallahassee »

I think this is a very complex issue. I agree with the poster above that if going from a one fish limit to a two fish limit for sport fishermen is dramatically impacting the redfish populations, then there is a much bigger problem.

Some factors that in my mind would dramatically affect numbers of any fish much more than a sport fishing limit increase include a loss of their food source, loss of breeding and juvenile nursing areas, pollution, habitat destruction (e.g. loss or grasses), salinity disruptions, general weather patterns, widespread disease, red tide, and commercial fishery limits.

That said, if certain holes near highly trafficked areas are getting hit hard every week, sure, there'll likely be less fish there, but I think others from nearby areas will eventually come in and fill the void.
JIm Smith
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Re: Short Reds

Post by JIm Smith »

been thinking about this since the conversation started, I believe that I would like to see us go back to the month of feb. be a catch and release month on trout and maybe even redfish.
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