King Mackerel fishing boundaries change on April 1st

The boundary between the Atlantic and Gulf groups of king mackerel off Florida shifts on April 1st. 

The change also affects daily commercial trip limits.
The area west of the Florida/Alabama state line is considered the Western zone for the Gulf group king mackerel year-round. 

That zone closed February 11, 2011, and will reopen July 1, 2011, with a trip limit of 3,000 pounds.

Beginning April 1st, the boundary between Atlantic and Gulf groups of king mackerel shifts south and west from the Flagler/Volusia County boundary on the Florida east coast to the Monroe/Collier County boundary on the Florida west coast. 

After the boundary shift, fish harvested along the east coast of Florida, including all of Monroe County, are considered to be Atlantic group king mackerel. 

The west coast of Florida is divided into northern and southern zones.

The northern subzone extends to the Florida/Alabama state line and remains the same year-round. 

However, with the April boundary shift, the southern subzone for Gulf group king mackerel is reduced to the area off Collier County. 

Both the northern and southern subzones have a trip limit of 1,250 pounds until 75 percent of the quota is reached. 

After that, the trip limit is reduced to 500 pounds until the end of the fishing season or 100 percent of the quota is met. 

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