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In the 2007 Relay For Life tournament at Keaton, I caught a 23" trout first thing. Knowing who fishes the tournaments around there(relevant to this thread!), I knew that fish wouldn't place so I let it go. Later I caught my 5.37 fish, put it in the cooler, and weighed it. I was fishing alone, but I guess that's what you're supposed to do.

Go to : Spotted Seatrout: Cynoscion nebulosus Florida Regulations: Regulations Northeast zone under Florida State Fishing Regulations and it states:
Northwest Florida
Minimum Size: More than 15 inches and not more than 20 inches - Total length
Daily Bag Limit: 5 per harvester per day (including one greater than 20 inches)
Season: All year - round

Doesn't seem too confusing. This is what each licensed fisherperson is limited to concerning Spotted Seatrout.

I think what I would do in a tourney situation. If I had a 24 in the livewell and hooked a bigger one, I think I'd hand my buddy the rod and let him reel it in. Would that be legal?

charlie tuna wrote:Go to : Spotted Seatrout: Cynoscion nebulosus Florida Regulations: Regulations Northeast zone under Florida State Fishing Regulations and it states:
Northwest Florida
Minimum Size: More than 15 inches and not more than 20 inches - Total length
Daily Bag Limit: 5 per harvester per day (including one greater than 20 inches)
Season: All year - round

Doesn't seem too confusing. This is what each licensed fisherperson is limited to concerning Spotted Seatrout.

Year round?? I thought it was closed in feb??? Maybe I'm just too stupid to interpret the rules correctly.

FWC ended the February closure this year, and handing the rod off is really gray-area-ish. Especially for a couple hundred bucks or so.

Charley Tuna, do you fish with barbless hooks?

CairoTrout wrote:Charley Tuna, do you fish with barbless hooks?

He needs no hook ... he is a fish whisperer. He calls them to the boat and culls them by voice command.

He needs not boat ... he can walk on water.

This is getting old. It is each angler's duty to understand and comply with law. Catching a fish is not harvesting; if it was you would be arrested everytime you caught a regulated (eg. redsnapper) fish during a closed season. Simply not a realistic interpretation of the regs.

If you're close to your limit and have confidence in your ability to catch a nicer fish then release the one caught, then release it. Once it goes on ice, in a well or establishes residence in your boat then you've posessed it.

RTSO adnimisters lie detectors, so I'll assume nobody who was believed they broke a law.

While we can't do lie detectors for $20 Club tournaments, we have developed a good community of participants/friends and it is hard to believe a member of that organization would intentionally cheat in a tournament of these stakes. The purpose of these tournaments are friendly competion, promotion of the sport an education. Lets all get back to fishing now... If you happen to be board, put your money down in the Club tournament and you can see the excitement first hand at weigh in, as well as eat some Paul Gant's BBQ and potentially win a Falcon rod.

SHOWBOAT wrote:If you happen to be board

It's actually spelled "bored"...

Redfin wrote:

SHOWBOAT wrote:If you happen to be board

It's actually spelled "bored"...

Thanks...should have spent less time fishing last weekend and more on my spell checking my post...

Good one SB.

The purpose of the thread wasn't to rehash the rts issue. I was curious to know what you will do if you hook up on a good fish after you already have one in the box. Do you release it? do you hand the rod off? Do you keep it and keep your mouth shut? I understand what the letter of the law says you should do, I was wondering what folks WILL do. That is all. If you are bored w the topic, move on, otherwise, I'd love to know what folks plan on doing if the situation arises. Thanks

Saltygator,
The first dicision was made when you put the first fish in the cooler, hopefully it is of legal size(over 15 inches) and is going to count against your(individual) "DAILY LIMIT". If it is above 20 inches and you put it in the cooler, your done for harvesting any trout over 20 inches for the next 24 hours. Thats what the rule says! Like the saying goes "you can't have your cake and eat it too!".

Thanks, charley. I now understand the law. But still curious if folks plan on following it to the letter. Which I doubt all will. Until I am told I cannot, I will plan on handing the rod off to my partner if I hook a bigger one and he doesn't have one in the box. This only pertains to tourney fishing as I let all trout swim that are over 20 and let most swim between 15-20 unless we are having a fish fry that day. Thanks for the responses

Salty Gator wrote:Thanks, charley. I now understand the law. But still curious if folks plan on following it to the letter. Which I doubt all will. Until I am told I cannot, I will plan on handing the rod off to my partner if I hook a bigger one and he doesn't have one in the box. This only pertains to tourney fishing as I let all trout swim that are over 20 and let most swim between 15-20 unless we are having a fish fry that day. Thanks for the responses

Who does the fish belong to if you're drifting a live bait behind the boat? Let's say it's your buddy's fishing rod & line but your reel & hook?