FWC's Fishing in the Know - September 2021

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New In This Issue Redfish Summit 2021 Commission meeting – August Tampa Bay Snook Bay scallops Gag grouper Blueline tilefish 2021 Lionfish Challenge New online games   Conservation Tip of the Month Bringing an exhausted fish out of the water is like asking a triathlon winner to jump back in the water and hold their breath---they both need oxygen to recover! Keep a fish in the water when possible. Fish Rules App Stay up-to-date with the latest Florida fishing regulations by downloading the Fish Rules app on your smart device.  Learn more at http://www.fishrulesapp.com

Ethical Angler of the Month Jarvis Williams, right, with his personal best Florida pompano which qualified him for an Honorable Mention Catch a Florida Memory Reel Big Fish. Submit your photos by emailing them to Saltwater@MyFWC.com. Learn more about our photo guidelines.

Redfish Summit 2021 In case you missed it The first ever Redfish Summit, held in Ocala in late August, was a success. If you missed the day-long discussion on redfish biology and management in Florida, you can watch most of the event online at TheFloridaChannel.org. Learn more at MyFWC.com/Redfish2021. FWC staff are also hosting several Redfish Workshops in October.  Links for more information:  Workshops [MyFWC.com] Commission meeting – August Marine fisheries items The FWC Commission listened to public testimony on and discussed several marine fisheries management items at the Aug. 4-5 meeting in Bonita Springs. The next Commission meeting is scheduled for Oct. 6-7 in St. Augustine. Item moved to a future meeting: Atlantic coast: spot and Atlantic croaker: This item was moved to the October Commission meeting and will include the creations of new species-specific regulations for spot and Atlantic croaker in state waters from the Florida-Georgia border through Miami-Dade County. Proposed changes include establishing a daily recreational bag limit of 50 fish per person for each species and establishing commercial vessel limits of 2,200 lbs. for spot and 1,200 lbs. for Atlantic croaker.  Discussions (no regulation changes were made on these items): Coral reef disease response and restoration efforts: FWC staff summarized the status of the ongoing Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in Florida. Federal fishery management updates: The Commission discussed outcomes of recent meetings of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Links for more information: Agenda [MyFWC.com] Tampa Bay Snook, redfish and spotted seatrout catch-and-release Snook, redfish and spotted seatrout are catch-and-release in Tampa Bay through Oct. 11 (date was recently pushed back so Commissioners could discuss at October meeting) due to recent impacts from red tide. This includes all waters in Manatee County north of State Road 64, Hillsborough County, and Pinellas County. The Braden River and all tributaries of the Manatee River are also included, but not Palma Sola Bay or the Anclote River.  Snook remains catch-and-release from Sarasota Bay through Gordon Pass in Collier County until Aug. 31, 2022.  Links for more information: News release [MyFWC.com] Snook Gulf and Atlantic season opens Sept. 1 in most waters Snook opened to recreational harvest Sept. 1 in most Gulf and all Atlantic state waters. Snook remains catch-and-release only in state waters from State Road 64 in Manatee County south through Gordon Pass in Collier County through Aug. 31, 2022. Snook is also currently catch-and-release through Oct. 11 in Tampa Bay, including all waters of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties and north of State Road 64 in Manatee County.   When releasing a snook, proper handling methods can help ensure your fish’s survival and the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about catch-and-release and the best way to handle a fish, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click “Fish Handling.” Links for more information: Snook [MyFWC.com] Bay scallops September season closures Bay scallops will be closed to harvest in the following areas starting on the following dates: Sept. 7 – Fenholloway through Suwannee rivers Sept. 25 – Gulf County through northwest Taylor County and Levy through Hernando counties Links for more information: Scallops [MyFWC.com]   STATE SEASON UPDATES September - October State waters are from shore to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf and from shore to 3 nautical miles in the Atlantic.   Sept. 1 – Snook (Gulf) opens (catch-and-release only in Tampa Bay through Oct. 11, and from State Road 64 in Manatee County south through Gordon Pass in Collier County through Aug. 31, 2022.) Sept. 1 - Snook (Atlantic) opens Sept. 1 – Gag grouper (Franklin-Taylor) opens Sept. 1 – Blueline tilefish (Atlantic) closes Sept. 7 – Bay scallops (SW Taylor/Dixie) closes Sept. 25 – Bay scallops (Gulf, Franklin-NW Taylor & Levy-Hernando counties) closes Oct. 15 – Stone crab opens Oct. 15 – Flounder closes FWC WANTS YOUR FEEDBACK Share your input on goliath grouper, trap fisheries, dolphinfish and more. Provide your comments GREAT CATCH! Charlie Brendel with a nice spotted seatrout caught on a family fishing trip off of Dunedin. EVENTS September - October We will continue to monitor COVID-19 updates and plan events with this consideration in mind. Lionfish Events Calendar Sept. 13-17 – SAFMC meeting – Virtual Oct. 6-7 – Commission meeting – St. Augustine Oct. 11-17 – MarineQuest – Virtual Oct. 12 – Redfish Workshops – Crystal River, Fort Pierce and Jacksonville Oct. 13 – Redfish Workshops – Steinhatchee, Naples, New Smyrna Oct. 14 – Redfish Workshops – Tallahassee, Port Charlotte, St. Augustine Oct. 18 – Redfish Workshops – Panama City, Viera, St. Petersburg Oct. 19 – Redfish Workshops – Pensacola, online webinar  Oct. 25-28 – GMFMC meeting – Orange Beach, Alabama   SOCIAL SALTWATER From the Catch a Florida Memory Facebook page: Fishing her way into our Life List 10-Fish Club! Check out a few of Coral’s latest catches that have landed her in our 10-Fish Club. This cool kid looks to be having a blast landing her snook and hardhead catfish.   Welcome to the club, Coral! #CatchAFloridaMemory #LifeList #FishOn #TightLines SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS Catch a Florida Memory Facebook Lionfish Reef Rangers Facebook FWC Facebook FWC Instagram FWC Saltwater Fishing YouTube ONLINE FISHING RESOURCES Where to Fish Fish Handling Learn to Fish Fish Identification Saltwater Fishing Tips Recreational Regulations On-the-water Etiquette And More!

Gag grouper Season opens from Franklin-Taylor counties The Gulf of Mexico gag grouper recreational season in state waters off Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties will be open for harvest Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. All other Gulf state and federal waters are open June 1 through Dec. 31. If you are fishing for gag grouper from a private recreational vessel, you are required to sign up as a State Reef Fish Angler. Learn more at MyFWC.com/SRFS. Links for more information: Grouper [MyFWC.com] Blueline tilefish Atlantic season closed Sept. 1 Blueline tilefish closed for recreational harvest in Atlantic state waters (including Monroe County) Sept. 1, with the last day of harvest being Aug. 31. This season will reopen May 1, 2022.  Links for more information: Tilefish [MyFWC.com] 2021 Lionfish Challenge Only a few more days to turn in your fish The last day to turn in fish to the 2021 Lionfish Challenge is Sept. 6. More than 14,000 lionfish have already been turned in! The Lionfish Challenge rewards lionfish harvesters with prizes for submitting lionfish. Participants who remove the most lionfish in the recreational and commercial categories through Labor Day (Sept. 6) will be crowned the 2021 Recreational Lionfish King/Queen and the Commercial Champion. Register today or learn more about the program at FWCReefRangers.com. New online games Check out Gone Fishin' saltwater digital interactive games Just in time for the new school year, the FWC has partnered with Pubbly, a digital education company, to launch five interactive games that engage and educate students of all ages on marine fisheries conservation. Jump in today at FloridaFishing.Pubbly.com. State Reef Fish Angler Do you fish for reef fish like snapper, grouper or triggerfish from a private recreational vessel off Florida's Atlantic or Gulf coasts? Then you are a State Reef Fish Angler. Sign up for this annual, no cost, required designation even if you are normally exempt from purchasing a fishing license at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or learn more at MyFWC.com/SRFS.

Florida Coral Crew If you want healthy, beautiful coral reefs and would like more information about Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease and what the FWC and partners are doing to help, join the Crew and sign up today: FLCoralCrew.com. And while you’re out enjoying the water this summer, remember these tips:  Avoid touching corals while diving. Don’t anchor near corals. Clean diving gear between dive sites. Use environmentally friendly sunscreens.

Catch a Florida Memory Liam Grant added this gag grouper caught off of Hernando County to his Catch a Florida Memory Saltwater Life List. Submit saltwater catches and earn rewards Have you caught a Florida memory? Submit photos of your saltwater catches to earn rewards for various achievements while targeting a diversity of species and reducing fishing pressure on the most commonly sought-after catches. Saltwater Fish Life List: Can you catch all 70 species? Saltwater Reel Big Fish: Recognition for extraordinary-sized catches. Saltwater Grand Slams: Earn rewards for catching three specific fish in 24 hours. Join the Triple Threat Club and earn even more prizes (including a long sleeve performance fishing shirt and more) by participating in all three programs. Anglers must qualify for each of the three programs to be eligible. FWC also manages the Florida Saltwater Fishing Records program. Link for more information: CatchaFloridaMemory.com Marine Fisheries Staff Highlight Marine Fisheries staffer Thomas Vatter has worked with the Division's outreach and education section for 3 years. His focus areas include running education programs like Kids' Fishing Clinics and the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program. Vatter was born and raised in Navarre, Florida. He studied at Florida State University where he has an undergraduate degree in biology and a masters in aquatic environmental science. He also performed in the FSU circus. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking around Tallahassee, he’s an avid swimmer, and likes to paint. He recently helped create the Gone Fishin’ saltwater digital interactive games with digital education company Pubbly. For more information on DMFM’s outreach and education programs checkout our webpage or email Marine@MyFWC.com

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Do you buy fishing gear? Fuel up your boat? Purchase a fishing license? Every time you do, you improve fishing opportunities through the federal Sport Fish Restoration program (SFR). Learn more about how you contribute and programs SFR supports at MyFWC.com/SFR.

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