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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants your input on future management of the redfish fishery. FWC is hosting several in-person and one virtual public workshop on this topic. Share your input by attending this workshops.

Oct. 14: 6:00 P.M.
Tallahassee: FWC Bryant Building, 620 South Meridian Street

I'll be up there.

sent from the Ketchup Packet

So what was discussed ?

Hey everyone, I went last night and there were half-dozen members of the public present. The meeting kicked off shortly after 6pm and wrapped by 715pm. The attendees were comprised of recreational, business (BPS), captain/guide, and CCA.

The meeting was an open forum discussion led by a brief presentation on how Redfish are managed in the State of Florida.

The presentation (18 slide deck) was about data reporting, management methodology, future management approach, general health, and important focuses for anglers on fishery health. No specifics on what WILL/COULD happen in future, more on the historical and how's of today, as well as common themes from feedback received thus far from the public hosted workshops throughout the state.

Majority of comments last night from the public present:
> Do not increase limit, keep at 1 only.
> Decrease slot range, specifically raising the minimum size.
> Remove Captain/Crew/For Hire limit
> Reduce boat limit
> Increase cost/fees for Out-Of-State licenses/Guides
> Increased data collection methods, beyond just escapement metrics
> More focus on Water Quality and those impacts
> Reduce opportunity for emergency long-term closures through more frequent stock and water assessments
> Greater advocacy campaigns on catch/release
> More accessible culling permits for tournaments to help encourage healthy release
> Requests for marketing type campaigns for the diverse angler types (shore, kayak, boat, etc)

This was not a meeting on legislative actions or what is going to happen, but an opportunity for the public to provide input on how they/we feel redfish should be managed in the State of Florida that FWC will provide to the Commission later this year (December, likely). There are 13 live meetings this fall, with the next on the 18th in PC, Viera, and St Pete. There's also a live webinar on the 19th of this month.
( MyFWC.com/fishing/saltwater/rulemaking/workshops ).

As always, you can submit comments to MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments

sent from the Ketchup Packet

Thanks for the overview of what was discussed.

Thank you Chris for the excellent report. I personally agree with most if not all of the discussion points. There are more boats and more fishermen on the water than ever before and we have to be careful that we don't love our resources to death.

Most of you may not remember the local fishery prior to the Gillnet ban. Redfish were a novelty catch usually only in the fall and winter. You may also not remember what the fishing was like in the years just after the ban when there was no open season on Reds. It was glorious, schools of Reds everywhere. A big school at the Rock Garden and another at Grey Mare that stayed there all year. Sightfishing Reds all along the shoreline.

Most folks have no idea how bad it was at one point, and how great it was at one point, and how barely acceptable it is now.

Thanks for sharing FWC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

rockyg wrote: ↑October 15th, 2021, 12:50 pm Thank you Chris for the excellent report. I personally agree with most if not all of the discussion points. There are more boats and more fishermen on the water than ever before and we have to be careful that we don't love our resources to death.

Most of you may not remember the local fishery prior to the Gillnet ban. Redfish were a novelty catch usually only in the fall and winter. You may also not remember what the fishing was like in the years just after the ban when there was no open season on Reds. It was glorious, schools of Reds everywhere. A big school at the Rock Garden and another at Grey Mare that stayed there all year. Sightfishing Reds all along the shoreline.

Most folks have no idea how bad it was at one point, and how great it was at one point, and how barely acceptable it is now.

Do you know if there is fish population data by species for our area? I'd love to see how it all charts out year by year but maybe that does not exist.

So I snapped a pic of the printout from the deck and attached them here.

The first is assessment of stock, in which I question the sample size.

The second actually reports out to 2019, but is poorly labeled to show term of data (I questioned this in the meeting but they confirmed that it was actually through 2019.

The thing about charts is that without the raw data you can make them look how you want them to be presented.

See attached.

sent from the Ketchup Packet

FishWithChris wrote: ↑October 16th, 2021, 9:03 pm So I snapped a pic of the printout from the deck and attached them here.

The first is assessment of stock, in which I question the sample size.

The second actually reports out to 2019, but is poorly labeled to show term of data (I questioned this in the meeting but they confirmed that it was actually through 2019.

The thing about charts is that without the raw data you can make them look how you want them to be presented.

See attached.

sent from the Ketchup Packet

Thank you! I have no real clue but sense Redfish stocks are not as good as the graphs indicate either that or my fishing skills have gotten even worse.

Why do captains always lose there limits.

cleanlivin wrote: ↑October 21st, 2021, 7:25 am Why do captains always lose there limits.

Because public perception is that a guide/captain gives his catch to the client. Is this perception wrong?

I guide part time and do give my catch to the customers sometimes but other times i keep them for myself and my family.

cleanlivin wrote: ↑October 21st, 2021, 7:25 am Why do captains always lose there limits.

I believe you answered your own question