A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Use this area to post inshore fishing reports from the area. Please try to include relevant information such as:
Location, date, time, water conditions, weather conditions, baits, techniques, species caught, etc.
DixieReb wrote:All this makes me think about something-do we really need to load a box with fish, just because they are biting good that day and we can? Some of us fish several days in a row down there and come back with limits all days. If you have 3 or 4 on a boat or have 2-3 boats out fishing, do you really need a limit every day? I say no. Might get some name-calling for that, but that's my thoughts on it. At some point, we all need to be more conservative with the fishes.
Well said Dixie, couldn't agree more
Catholic girl pray for me, you’re my only hope for heaven
Several things might make a difference in the fishing pressure. Social media, like these forums, disperse a ton of great information. Many want to be fishermen see these reports and limits and head to the areas. These are a lot of the 30 boats that can be spotted. I just bet they aren't all catching limits. Second, fishermen tend to report good days but not bad ones. People tend not to take pictures of empty coolers. There are a lot of accomplished fishermen on here. Reading these forums will make a person panic. This spring has been windy with no consistent weather with not a lot of clear water. There have been some good days for us this spring and some bad days. To me the weather has had as much affect this year as anything.
Apalachee Inshore wrote:I'm not completely against lowering the trout limit, but I believe the commercial harvesting needs to be addressed first. Also I don't know of any commercial trout operations locally I just always assumed there were some.
You don't know if there are commercial fishermen, and assume there are commercial trout fisherman in the area. But you feel the commercial harvest should be addressed first? That may something to find out before stating that it should be addressed. There may be there may not be. But I can assure you on any given day on the flats there are too many boats to count trying the get that 3 man limit, along with any rock bass, flounder, bluefish or redfish they can put in the cooler Maybe time to look in the mirror until we know for sure there is a commercial trout operation in the area.
I'm not trying to get in some big argument. I don't have a huge problem catching trout. All I'm saying is I believe trout, like redfish, should be banned from being taking and sold commercially. Especially before we lock down restrictions on recreational fishermen. Just my opinion.
But you admitted you didn't know if there was a commercial fishery. I don't either, but just go to the east flats this Saturday and count the boats. Then multiply that number by 15. Then tell me if the 10 trout in the southern seafood cooler comes close. Btw, I agree that trout should have game fish status ( for god sakes sea bass are game fish), but even then people may have to start not keeping every legal fish they can if they want their kids to enjoy trout flats fishing.
There may not big a huge commercial fishery of of Keaton or St. Marks but go a little to the west in Apalachicola or Carrabelle.
Apalachee Inshore wrote:I'm not completely against lowering the trout limit, but I believe the commercial harvesting needs to be addressed first. Also I don't know of any commercial trout operations locally I just always assumed there were some.
You don't know if there are commercial fishermen, and assume there are commercial trout fisherman in the area. But you feel the commercial harvest should be addressed first? That may something to find out before stating that it should be addressed. There may be there may not be. But I can assure you on any given day on the flats there are too many boats to count trying the get that 3 man limit, along with any rock bass, flounder, bluefish or redfish they can put in the cooler Maybe time to look in the mirror until we know for sure there is a commercial trout operation in the area.
I'm not trying to get in some big argument. I don't have a huge problem catching trout. All I'm saying is I believe trout, like redfish, should be banned from being taking and sold commercially. Especially before we lock down restrictions on recreational fishermen. Just my opinion.
But you admitted you didn't know if there was a commercial fishery. I don't either, but just go to the east flats this Saturday and count the boats. Then multiply that number by 15. Then tell me if the 10 trout in the southern seafood cooler comes close. Btw, I agree that trout should have game fish status ( for god sakes sea bass are game fish), but even then people may have to start not keeping every legal fish they can if they want their kids to enjoy trout flats fishing.
There may not big a huge commercial fishery of of Keaton or St. Marks but go a little to the west in Apalachicola or Carrabelle.
Please share what you know, I have no idea about the commercial trout operations in the area
Catholic girl pray for me, you’re my only hope for heaven
I was speaking with another fisherman and we were talking about the poor fishing season of 2016. (2015 was better) anyways he brought up that fishing has good years and bad years like any other thing (Think FSU football) And maybe we are on a bad streak......
just for my own knowledge, why can't Florida support the number of trout being taken? Louisiana has a limit of 25 per person and a minimum of 12 inches. seems like a limit of such with those regulations would shut down our coast.. are the resources just that much different? again I have no clue but to me it seems that we have more real-estate coast line than Louisiana...
dombern34 wrote:just for my own knowledge, why can't Florida support the number of trout being taken? Louisiana has a limit of 25 per person and a minimum of 12 inches. seems like a limit of such with those regulations would shut down our coast.. are the resources just that much different? again I have no clue but to me it seems that we have more real-estate coast line than Louisiana...
That's easy, way way more habitat. Way way less pressure( fishermen) in Louisiana. There is no meat on a 15" trout. Not enough for one bite on a 12" trout
Catholic girl pray for me, you’re my only hope for heaven
- Snapper season, grouper season, triggerfish season, amberjack season
- Fuel cost for the above mentioned less take, same fuel costs
- above said increases the number of people fishing inshore for the ones capable of fishing offshore are more than capable of financially fishing inshore and which means taking more
- limits - grew up seeing 50 boats in Aucilla river in winter - then it turned into 5 boats from taking too much; saw best redfishing ever in 2004 in Panama City, above mentioned happened, more take less fish, they changed the regulations to one redfish, I watched the fishery improve, they changed the limit to two redfish watched what took 5 years to improve go from great to nothing in one year.
Said it before will say it again - like your bank account - keep taking and not working on putting back - sooner or later you will have nothing.
Why don't we ask FWC to implement things like they do in Tampa - restocking programs...I'd pay more for a license to generate income for restocking program.
Chalk wrote:
Why don't we ask FWC to implement things like they do in Tampa - restocking programs...I'd pay more for a license to generate income for restocking program.
- Snapper season, grouper season, triggerfish season, amberjack season
- Fuel cost for the above mentioned less take, same fuel costs
- above said increases the number of people fishing inshore for the ones capable of fishing offshore are more than capable of financially fishing inshore and which means taking more
- limits - grew up seeing 50 boats in Aucilla river in winter - then it turned into 5 boats from taking too much; saw best redfishing ever in 2004 in Panama City, above mentioned happened, more take less fish, they changed the regulations to one redfish, I watched the fishery improve, they changed the limit to two redfish watched what took 5 years to improve go from great to nothing in one year.
Said it before will say it again - like your bank account - keep taking and not working on putting back - sooner or later you will have nothing.
Why don't we ask FWC to implement things like they do in Tampa - restocking programs...I'd pay more for a license to generate income for restocking program.
I think a new hatchery is in the works for your area, Chalk.
I've fished Steinhatchee area since 2003 and the last three years i'm seeing the same thing. it's harder and harder to come by a limit these days. I recall years when you could limit out in an hour or less. Something's definitely going on. I know it seems there's a tournament every weekend from February to June..
I have never seen so many baby black sea bass as I have the last two years inshore. Could they be eating all the resources or the baby trout? They eat soft baits like they're candy, voracious little things.
If you want to select a culpable fish that may be devouring fry, here it is: catfish. Over the past 20yrs, I'm convinced that these waters are awash in cats. Around St George, for example, a pinfish under a cork likely hooks a cat, not a game fish. The decline in trout stocks is probably multifactorial, but I would add too many cats to the top 10 on the list.
And maybe we are on a bad streak......
