St Marks trout thrashing

[onefishtwofish]

A closure in February will not improve the survival rate of the shorts being turned loose. Am I missing something? Do y'all just mean less people will target them? Closing the whole winter would not hurt my feelings, but 99-100 trips I am not keeping anyway. There just needs to be a balance.

When I was a kid, we fished a power plant discharge. If you think they stack in these rivers, you should see how they stacked in that water. Your bait could literally not hit the bottom!

[Apalachee Inshore]

A closure in February will not improve the survival rate of the shorts being turned loose. Am I missing something? Do y'all just mean less people will target them? Closing the whole winter would not hurt my feelings, but 99-100 trips I am not keeping anyway. There just needs to be a balance.

When I was a kid, we fished a power plant discharge. If you think they stack in these rivers, you should see how they stacked in that water. Your bait could literally not hit the bottom!

A February closer would not help the survival rate of released fish(why would it?), which I don’t think is a huge issue if done properly, what it would do is weed out all the people that come out of the woodwork in their 12 foot jonboats just to fill their cooler. The meat fishermen that Don’t fish any other time of year when you have to work for them.

[jsaunders]

A closure in February will not improve the survival rate of the shorts being turned loose. Am I missing something? Do y'all just mean less people will target them? Closing the whole winter would not hurt my feelings, but 99-100 trips I am not keeping anyway. There just needs to be a balance.

When I was a kid, we fished a power plant discharge. If you think they stack in these rivers, you should see how they stacked in that water. Your bait could literally not hit the bottom!

Yes, I have to believe not being able to keep trout will lead to less fisherman pressuring them.

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[flatsbroke22]

I personally don't think closing down during the winter months is going to help the trout population. First of all why February? The fish have been in the creeks since December. Ok so you close during all the winter months. All those fish that would have been caught will now be out on the flats come spring time. So the fishing will be on fire out there just like it would be in the creeks. So the same amount of fish will be taken out of the equation at the end of the year. All it takes is a few saying the bite is on fire and the word will spread like wildfire and everyone including there jon boats will be out there. If you want everyone to have to have $50k boats and "work" for their fish just open the season from July to September.

[jsaunders]

I personally don't think closing down during the winter months is going to help the trout population. First of all why February? The fish have been in the creeks since December. Ok so you close during all the winter months. All those fish that would have been caught will now be out on the flats come spring time. So the fishing will be on fire out there just like it would be in the creeks. So the same amount of fish will be taken out of the equation at the end of the year. All it takes is a few saying the bite is on fire and the word will spread like wildfire and everyone including there jon boats will be out there. If you want everyone to have to have $50k boats and "work" for their fish just open the season from July to September.

If you remove 3 months of keeping trout out of 12 months, there's no way the same amount of fish will be taken as if you could keep them 12 out of 12, particularly, when those 3 months are what most consider to be the easiest to target trout and catch a limit. Yes, hopefully there will be more trout on the flats come springtime. At that point, they are much more spread out and will be more of a challenge to catch in higher quantities. I see plenty of people in July-September in 14ft johnboats fishing deeper water for trout right next to the guys in their $50,0000 Pathfinders...

[Apalachee Inshore]

I personally don't think closing down during the winter months is going to help the trout population. First of all why February? The fish have been in the creeks since December. Ok so you close during all the winter months. All those fish that would have been caught will now be out on the flats come spring time. So the fishing will be on fire out there just like it would be in the creeks. So the same amount of fish will be taken out of the equation at the end of the year. All it takes is a few saying the bite is on fire and the word will spread like wildfire and everyone including there jon boats will be out there. If you want everyone to have to have $50k boats and "work" for their fish just open the season from July to September.

I fished year round out of a $1000 jon boat for a lot of years. It not about money it’s about fishing for the love of it vs fishing to fill up your freezer. I’m around, I hear the talk of people making double trips and see the same boat anchored back in the river in the afternoon that was loading up when I got there. I’m not a strictly catch and release guy I like to eat Fish as much as anyone but come one let’s respect the resource just a little. And I’m not directing this at you Bobby I’m just frustrated in general with some of the stuff I’ve seen and heard lately. If everyone would just operate in moderation and use a little common sense there would be zero talk of any kind of season closer.

[flatsbroke22]

This is my thinking. Y'all say that more fish are caught during the winter months than any other time. No way! Think about how many people are fishing that time of year. I know it seems like a lot but it's because they are all bunched up in one place. At aucilla Sunday there were only 14 trucks in the parking lot at 8:30. Bet there were a few at Econfina but I'm sure Keaton was empty. I know it can get swamped though. Take it forward to spring time and all those ramps will be full. The thing about it is there are fewer people going to fish in the 30's and 40's than they do in the 80's. How many women and children do you see fishing in January? You say well they are double dipping. Probably true for some but I bet more of that goes on during the spring than winter. It would be a lot easier to get away with it since the number of boaters are more. Also take in account the number of people during spring and fall that have the entire family on board including four or five kids. Guess who's taking 7-8 limits home every trip legally!

I love the fact that I can go down to the river and catch a mess of fish in a short amount of time and get back home and do other things. That's if it goes that way, it has not for me this year and I'm fine with that. Why does it matter if you can catch a limit in short order or it takes all day. A limit is a limit.

[Apalachee Inshore]

I see you points and I don’t know what the answer is or if there even is one. I’m not really a proponent of a closer but I could stomach a February closer if someone who knows more than me said it would be beneficial. This time of year everyone who goes with me wants to catch redfish anyway and if they can catch a few trout that is just gravy.

BTW I think you are giving Johnny Familyman at lot of credit going out and catching a family full limits every time. It’s just not easy to do. Lol

[fishforfun]

I must say that I have enjoyed the response / dialog to my post.

I did a little google search and may have answered my question about the survival of released fish. Properly handled, the estimated mortality is 10% average for speckled trout, probably even better in the winter.

Interestingly, large hook, even treble hook artificial, does better than small hook live bait that result in deep gut hookups.

This is from a pretty detailed study in Texas ~ 2006.

I will list the link: https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... t_in_Texas

I agree a common sense approach and respect of the resource will be the key. Some objective studies would also be useful. Education with forums such as this will enlighten and encourage proper handling of fish and avoid waste. We will undoubtedly continue to see increasing pressure as more people seek recreational fishing in our area. We must seek and accept a reasonable balance.
FFF

[relicshunter]

I can't find it now that I am looking to reference it but I thought the release survival rate was much lower then your 10% from Texas that you found. It was in the paper from the trout meetings, I just have to find it.
A very disturbing thing I got from the meetings was that the charter captains are filling their quota on every trip (and yes they may go out twice in one day) then giving those fish to their customers to make it a good day, happy customers! I've seen pictures in Woods n Water of what looks like just that problem. The two peoples take plus 5 extra in the picture ( from the guide?) Of the three charter captains at the meeting two of them said they did that! A few other people in the room said" you know that's illegal?" The FWC officers confirmed it to them and there was little response from the captains. This I am sure it will continue so that their customers have a good trip. One other captain in the room knew it was illegal. One of the offenders was very put off about the thought that he shouldn't do that and it would reduce his customer return sales. Oh I am sorry but your customers are transporting over the limit of fish when they drive home. And that's a heavy burden on the resources.

That's the one thing that should be eliminated! Guides go out many days a week and catch their limit each day. One of the people in the room calculated the amount of trout that would be caught by guides in year assuming their are 200 guides in this gulf coast area. It was a crazy number like 400,000 trout just for the guides take. Do something about that, stop the captains from taking a quota and a lot less fish will go. Of course the loop hole is the captain will have the first mate catch them. It would need to be no boat quota, just the paying customers.

[Apalachee Inshore]

Fact check per FWC website.

Additional restrictions on charter boat captain and crew and for-hire guides on a keeping their limit of fish under their own valid recreational saltwater fishing licenses are species specific. Currently, for most species of saltwater fish, with the exception of snook, grouper and red snapper in federal waters, all persons aboard a charter vessel can keep a legal limit of fish if the paying passengers fish under the vessel license and the crew fish under their own valid licenses. For-hire guides may also keep a legal limit of fish while on duty with the exception of snook, grouper and red snapper in federal waters.

[Salty Gator]

I can't find it now that I am looking to reference it but I thought the release survival rate was much higher then your 10% from Texas that you found. It was in the paper from the trout meetings, I just have to find it.
A very disturbing thing I got from the meetings was that the charter captains are filling their quota on every trip (and yes they may go out twice in one day) then giving those fish to their customers to make it a good day, happy customers! I've seen pictures in Woods n Water of what looks like just that problem. The two peoples take plus 5 extra in the picture ( from the guide?) Of the three charter captains at the meeting two of them said they did that! A few other people in the room said" you know that's illegal?" The FWC officers confirmed it to them and there was little response from the captains. This I am sure it will continue so that their customers have a good trip. One other captain in the room knew it was illegal. One of the offenders was very put off about the thought that he shouldn't do that and it would reduce his customer return sales. Oh I am sorry but your customers are transporting over the limit of fish when they drive home. And that's a heavy burden on the resources.

That's the one thing that should be eliminated! Guides go out many days a week and catch their limit each day. One of the people in the room calculated the amount of trout that would be caught by guides in year assuming their are 200 guides in this gulf coast area. It was a crazy number like 400,000 trout just for the guides take. Do something about that, stop the captains from taking a quota and a lot less fish will go. Of course the loop hole is the captain will have the first mate catch them. It would need to be no boat quota, just the paying customers.

He said the mortality rate was 10%. That means 10% die and the “survival rate” would be 90%

[Salty Gator]

Fact check per FWC website.

Additional restrictions on charter boat captain and crew and for-hire guides on a keeping their limit of fish under their own valid recreational saltwater fishing licenses are species specific. Currently, for most species of saltwater fish, with the exception of snook, grouper and red snapper in federal waters, all persons aboard a charter vessel can keep a legal limit of fish if the paying passengers fish under the vessel license and the crew fish under their own valid licenses. For-hire guides may also keep a legal limit of fish while on duty with the exception of snook, grouper and red snapper in federal waters.

Yes , but it doesn’t say anything about the guide giving his fish to the clients.
It would be nice if guides explained to their customers about good conservation tactics and didn’t box every fish possible to try to make them happier

[Apalachee Inshore]

Nm

[relicshunter]

I can't find it now that I am looking to reference it but I thought the release survival rate was much higher then your 10% from Texas that you found. It was in the paper from the trout meetings, I just have to find it.

He said the mortality rate was 10%. That means 10% die and the “survival rate” would be 90%

I understand what 10% mortality means, But I believe the recent data at the trout meetings had it a fair bit higher then that.
I'll try again to find it.