BigBendFishing.Net

Guys,

I was browsing the Florda Sportsman magazine website today and for giggles looked up the 2005 regulations.
Much to my dismay Red Grouper are all of a sudden to a bag limit of 2 per person. Anyone know why for this change from 5?
Other question it says that any fishing in Salt Water from land or a land fixed dock or pier you're not required to have a saltwater fishing liscense. My question is why have I been carded twice out at the St. George Island old bridge then, it is VERY obviously fixed to land. I have my liscense so it doesn't bother me, but could they have been fradulently trying to fine people?

Drayno

I hope you didn't test that red grouper limit this past fall

They changed the regs some time around early fall I think. They say that us recreational fisherman are catchin too many. THEY obviously did NOT go fishin with me

Drayno, I to have been "carded" on the SGI bridge, but they only asked for my drivers license for proof of residency. You don't need a saltwater license, "ONLY" if you are a Florida resident fishing from land or pier. If you are out of state then you "WILL" have to have a license. I hope that they didn't ask for a fishing license after they established that you were a Florida resident. If so, then it was probably a rookie. I have met several of them through the years that didn't know the regulations that they were trying to enforce.
Fish Masterson

For some reason the powers that be figured that Red Grouper was being overfished, even though alot of the time your catchin reds. So the almighty changed the limit, so two reds 3 gags for the 5.

drayno-
The bag limit on red grouper was discussed here sometime back in July when the rule took effect. http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpbb/vie ... ght=#25749
A change in Fishing regualtions won't just "slip-by" this group. ........

Masterson.....Amen on the fact "rookie" game wardens don't know what they are trying to enforce. Been the victim more than once to ignorance.

The last time I was out fishing on a big boat was in June so I took the captains word for it. He's pretty anal so I'm sure that he was right one the money. We were measuring all grouper at the largest legal limit for grouper. Now we were 40+ miles off-shore in the gulf, is that Federal water? I'm not sure where the line is, in the other thread it said that the federal waters started at 9 miles. How does a FWC person on shore know if you caught your grouper 8 miles out or 80? That's taking a lot into faith that you'll tell the truth and they'll believe you. Hmmm these regulations are getting hairy.
When I got carded on SGI pier I showed him my fishing license, but I think he just said, "you got your license." Well there's a tricky way to answer that. I make the Florida Drivers Licesnses for the state so I have one of those. Interesting about the rookie's never really thought about if I'm having trouble remembering all the regs that a rookie would be confused too. Man I need to get on the water, when will the cold end!!!!

Drayno

It seems the rules chang almost every July. Here is a cut and past from the FWC website that inshort tells the red grouper rule ...

Grouper– Red - min size 20" - 2 per person per day-Gulf

You can stay current on the altwater regs at the FWC site:
http://marinefisheries.org/lines.htm

It's my understanding that both the Federal abd State rules are in agreement.
bag limit of 5 gags, of those only two can be reds. The reds only need to be 20", but the gags need to be a minumum of 23".

mjsigns wrote:It's my understanding that both the Federal abd State rules are in agreement.
bag limit of 5 gags, of those only two can be reds. The reds only need to be 20", but the gags need to be a minumum of 23".

Hmmm, the "Fishing Lines" you just linked to say the Gulf size limit for Gags/Black is 22 inches. 24 inches if you are in the Atlantic or Monroe county. I checked back to Jan 03 and that has not changed. Could not find 23 inches anywhere.

Yep....22 for blacks and 20 for reds

http://myfwc.com/marine/Regulations/Regschart2005.pdf

I thought the red grouper went to 22 inches.....

Blue Dolphin wrote:I thought the red grouper went to 22 inches.....

The link above come straight from the FWC site and is called 2005 Regs...it says 20" for a red grouper, they dropped to only 2 per person with an aggregate of 5 (2 reds and 3 others)

My head hurts