BigBendFishing.Net

This sounds like we won't be able to keep a gag close to shore for a year around here. WTF!

>However, the Commission determined that a April 1, 2012, through June 30, 2012, gag grouper harvest season for Gulf of Mexico state waters offshore of Florida’s Big Bend (Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla, and Franklin counties and including all waters of the Steinhatchee River, Apalachicola Bay and Indian Pass) was warranted. This area of state waters will be closed to recreational gag grouper harvest for the remainder of the year, including the July 1 - Oct. 31 season, and will remain closed until the season opens in 2013.

Ouch

I think what the commission did was move the open season in the Big Bend area. In the Big Bend area the open season is April 1 through June 30. Then it closes. The rest of the Gulf regions are closed until July 1 and close again in Oct. 31 So come April you can catch them until June 30. The season here was just moved, not closed for the year.

leonreno wrote:I think what the commission did was move the open season in the Big Bend area. In the Big Bend area the open season is April 1 through June 30. Then it closes. The rest of the Gulf regions are closed until July 1 and close again in Oct. 31 So come April you can catch them until June 30. The season here was just moved, not closed for the year.

This area of state waters will be closed to recreational gag grouper harvest for the remainder of the year, including the July 1 - Oct. 31 season, and will remain closed until the season opens in 2013.

It just moved the state waters season earlier, but the federal waters are open during the (later) federal season, even if state waters are closed.

So, when we get to the dock, we gonna now have to prove where the fish came from? What a fricckin mess...Makes you wanna just sell the boat and quit fishing.

I gotta find another hobby.

Dubble

Nope, you just tell him that you caught em in fed waters, he has ta prove ya didn't course he can still give ya a ticket and make it a PITA to get it dismissed

They moved the gag grouper season in this area to April 1 thru Jun 30 because the gags are pretty much in deeper waters come July and this area of state waters is pretty shallow. Also, I do believe if you catch gags in federal waters in July, you are fine when you get to shore. The problem arises if you catch gags in federal waters and then stop on your way back in and do some fishing in state waters, then they get ya. So, if you plan on catching gags in federal waters, do your state water fishing first...

They moved the gag grouper season in this area to April 1 thru Jun 30 because the gags are pretty much in deeper waters come July and this area of state waters is pretty shallow. Also, I do believe if you catch gags in federal waters in July, you are fine when you get to shore. The problem arises if you catch gags in federal waters and then stop on your way back in and do some fishing in state waters, then they get ya. So, if you plan on catching gags in federal waters, do your state water fishing first...

Great Balls of Confusion!!!

Gonna need a bigger boat.

It's not the first time we have had different regs for state and federal waters, and some of them a lot of people still don't realize are there already. For example, harvest of red drum is CLOSED in federal waters, while the state bag is two. Also, fed bag on cobia is two per person, one in state waters. Check it out on the websites.

Yes, it is confusing and it might chase some of us away, but heck a lot of guys do migratory bird hunting and that is not exactly simple. I have never figured out how you can reliably identify ducks on the wing so that you will only shoot the right ones, but that is another story.

Luck,

EJ

Well officer, I swear I hung that Cobia in fed waters, but that big ol fish done drug me all the way over into state waters

So...come April 1st, you could go ten miles out and wrangle up two cobes, come in a couple miles and snag two gags.
Pretty soon you're gonna need to carry a lawyer out there as standard equipment.

You best have only ONE Cobia in the boat, if yer stopping ta fish in State waters! And ya best not go into fed waters after catching yer 2 Gags ta fish for a second Cobia!!

wevans wrote:You best have only ONE Cobia in the boat, if yer stopping ta fish in State waters! And ya best not go into fed waters after catching yer 2 Gags ta fish for a second Cobia!!

That's exactly right, Waldon, so the moving around stuff doesn't work out all that well, logistically, esp. given the price of fuel. In April, I expect to fish in federal waters for red grouper, then come into state waters for gag. If I get lucky and catch a cobia I will keep one. All that makes a bunch of fish, anyway, but I do want some gags more than anything else. Red grouper are fun to catch, not so easy to clean compared to gag, and the meat is inferior to gag. Nevertheless, I will keep them happily if they are of legal size and the season is open.

Luck and I will see you out there on April 1 (if the weather cooperates),

EJ