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Poaching has been a problem for years. When you catch your 5 keeper trout, you are done. Go home. And I don't mean go home and stash those 5 and go out and catch another 5. I have heard several people that have camps near the coast brag about catching the limit, hiding them, and going back and catching more. That is just plain wrong, and thins the fish out so folks like us that can't get down there but every once in a while have trouble finding fish and catching good numbers of them.

DixieReb wrote:Poaching has been a problem for years. When you catch your 5 keeper trout, you are done. Go home. And I don't mean go home and stash those 5 and go out and catch another 5. I have heard several people that have camps near the coast brag about catching the limit, hiding them, and going back and catching more. That is just plain wrong, and thins the fish out so folks like us that can't get down there but every once in a while have trouble finding fish and catching good numbers of them.

There is a boat that stays at spring creek that does that with redfish.

As far as poaching trout I know that is a problem but so is illegal mullet netting, trawling inshore and tearing up grass beds as Pafutch mentioned in an earlier post. A while back someone mentioned there was more grass on the surface than on the bottom. In the area I fished recently there was a lot of floating grass and there had been no winds. There was no trout bite. Just wondering?

My understanding is that the floating grass is a result of the older grass shedding and new grass growth, which is why it occurs almost exclusively during the summer months. It's also why you don't see it much with an east wind, but westerlies blow it in. I would think the shrimpers would harm it as well, but don't know much about their activities.

Good info on the grass. Makes me feel better. If this thread doesn't accomplish anything else it is educating everyone on a bunch of things that are happening that are hurting the environment thus the fishing. With all the theories presented, all of which have a bearing on the fishing, it's a wonder there are any trout left at all.

One more though on the lack of trout ,I was talking to a fishing guide at Sanibel today and was telling him about the lack of trout and all the different theories and he brought up a fact that when trout lay their eggs they float but with the amount of fresh water the last 2 years the salinity is down and with the fresh water the eggs sink to the bottom for eveything to eat Add this to amount of trout caught the last few years , Febuary being open now and the improved economy with cheaper gas and more people fishing its got to take a toll on the fish.Plus those who take several limits in a day can only hurt..I would not have a problem with January and Febuary being closed.
Apalachicola is seeing what not never having a closed season on oysters is doing to the harvest there.Its the worst it has ever been

I'm not on here to bash anyone but I know, for a fact, that there is a lot of illegal activities, poaching if you will, that goes on in the entire area. Not just involving fishing but we all know everything envoirmentally is connected. The remoteness of the area helps. The million dollar question is what can be done to improve the Big Bend area in all these reasons posted. Is[/quote]
So you reported your facts to FWC ? What happen ?

I heard that a biologist said that this red weed we are seeing this year acts to repel trout. There has been an unusually large bloom this year.

Yes Gulf Coast, I have in several cases. I make it a point to keep up with fishing regulation for obvious reasons but really don't have time to keep up with netting regs etc. There have been several times I've run across netting activities that I wasn't sure were illegal or not. I've reported those and asked if they were illegal or not but you know law enforcement is. Non committal. I assume they followed up but have no way of knowing. I have a place in the area and know many folks there. Most helpful people I have ever met. I have a lot of friends there. I've gotten a lot of good fishing info from many. They know what goes on down there. When they share something with me I don't go to the FWC for two reasons. One, I would be betraying their trust, two ,I would have to divulge my source, which I would not. You live in the area, do you see much illegal stuff going on? If so, do you report it?

Yes it sure is funny that you fish so little but know so much and I fish so much and know so little ... I'm 46 this year and been here Woodville/Wakulla all my life and in that short time I have learn to believe half of what you hear and none of what you see. The net ban is a great thing for the rec. fisherman...it has been in effect for near 25 yrs. please stop blaming the commercial folks bout your lack of fish. Thanks

Gulf Coast, Where did I indicate that I know so much? And more important where did I indicate you so little? I started this thread to get info from around the area and there has been a bunch of interesting theories expressed and almost all of them do affect the fishing. The fishing has been "different" this year in my area and I was interested in finding out if it was only our luck or was it widespread. Oh, and I haven't blamed anybody. I merely expressed what I have seen and been told by folks who know. I have mixed emotions about people who have their livelihood taken away. I'm sure not down on them. Not sure why I hit a nerve. Maybe because I asked you the same question you ask me.

Poachers aren't commercial folks. Commercial fishermen have rules just like recreational fishermen. I don't believe poachers care about the rules.