FWC's Fishing in the Know - December 2021

December 2021

In This Issue Commission meeting – December Spot/Atlantic croaker Flounder Snook Right whales   Conservation Tip of the Month If a fish needs to be handled, wet your hands. This reduces the amount of fish slime removed from the fish. Fish slime protects the fish from infection and aids in swimming and reproduction. Fish Rules App Keep 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 James Baker added this redfish to his Catch a Florida Memory Life List while fishing in a flats boat in the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge mangroves in Lee County using a live green back bait.  Submit your photos by emailing them to Saltwater@MyFWC.com. Learn more about our photo guidelines.

Commission meeting – December Marine fisheries items The FWC Commission will listen to public testimony on and discuss several marine fisheries management items at the Dec. 15 and 16 meeting in Destin. Decision making (regulation changes are anticipated to be made on these topics): Diamondback terrapin and blue crab traps: The Commission will consider approving several diamondback terrapin conservation measures, including requiring all recreational blue crab traps to have rigid entrances no larger than 2 x 6 inches at the narrowest point or a 2 x 6-inch bycatch reduction device (BRD) by March 1, 2023. Other changes being considered include prohibiting the collection of diamondback terrapins from the wild and requiring a permit for possession of diamondback terrapins (these two changes, if approved at the December meeting, will go into effect March 1, 2022).  Draft proposal (these items will be brought back to a future meeting for final decision): Dolphinfish: Recreational anglers have expressed concerns about declines in size and abundance in this fishery. The Commission will consider a proposal that, if approved at a future meeting, could reduce the recreational bag limit from 10 to five fish and the private recreational vessel limit from 60 to 30 fish for dolphinfish in Atlantic state waters, and clarify that captain and crew are prohibited from retaining a daily bag and possession limit.  Shrimp: As the third and final phase of a long-term project to update shrimp regulations, the Commission will consider proposed changes to how shrimp are managed in Florida, including increasing recreational access in the Big Bend, allowing commercial food shrimpers to produce the highest quality frozen shrimp, and clarifying and updating regulations. Discussions (no decisions are anticipated on these items): Federal fishery management updates: The Commission will discuss 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] Spot/Atlantic croaker New Atlantic regulations effective Dec. 1 Starting Dec. 1, the following new regulations will take effect for spot and Atlantic croaker in Atlantic state waters from the Florida-Georgia border through Miami-Dade County: a daily recreational bag limit of 50 fish per person for each species and commercial vessel limits of 2,200 lbs. for spot and 1,200 lbs. for Atlantic croaker.  Links for more information: Spot and Atlantic Croaker [MyFWC.com] Flounder Reopens Dec. 1 The recreational harvest of flounder in all state and federal waters will reopen Dec. 1. The minimum size limit for flounder is 14 inches total length with a daily recreational bag limit of five fish per person.  Learn more: Flounder Snook Gulf season closes Dec. 1; Atlantic closes Dec. 15 Recreational snook harvest season closures include: Gulf: Season closes Dec. 1 in all Gulf state and federal waters, including Monroe County and Everglades National Park, and will remain closed through Feb. 28, 2022, reopening to harvest throughout most of the region on March 1, 2022. Snook remains catch-and-release only in all state waters from State Road 64 in Manatee County south through Gordon Pass in Collier County through Aug. 31, 2022.  Atlantic: Season closes Dec. 15 in Atlantic state and federal waters including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, and will remain closed through Jan. 31, 2022, reopening to harvest Feb. 1, 2022. Anglers may continue to catch and release snook during the closed season. Link for more information: Snook [MyFWC.com] Right whales Be on the lookout If you plan to fish or boat off the Atlantic Coast of Florida this winter, please be on the lookout for North Atlantic Right Whales who are calving in our waters from November through April. These endangered species are extremely hard to spot and collisions have caused costly damage to boats, put passengers and crew at risk, and injured and killed right whales. With fewer than 350 left, right whales are one of the world's most endangered large whale species.  Protect your boat and crew by doing the following: Go slow, which may give you time to react.  Post a lookout! Watch for black objects, whitewater, and splashes.  Avoid boating in the dark, when visibility is poor, or in rough seas.  Use the Whale Alert app to know if whales have recently been sighted or reported in your area.  Keep at least 500 yards from right whales (it's the law).  Report whale sightings and collisions immediately to the U.S. Coast Guard on marine VHF Ch. 16 or call 1-877-WHALE-HELP (942-5343). Learn more: Right whales [NOAA.gov] Right whales [MyFWC.com]   STATE SEASON UPDATES December – January State waters are from shore to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf and from shore to 3 nautical miles in the Atlantic.   Dec. 1 – Snook (Gulf) closes Dec. 1 – Flounder opens Dec. 15 – Snook (Atlantic) closes Jan. 1 – Grouper, several species (Atlantic) closes Jan. 1 – Gag (Gulf) closes Jan. 1 – Red grouper (Gulf) opens Jan. 1 – Snappers, several species (Gulf) opens Jan. 1 – Spotted seatrout (Central East) opens Jan. 16-25 – Blue crab trap closure (St. Johns River system)    FWC WANTS YOUR FEEDBACK Share your input on goliath grouper, redfish, trap fisheries, dolphinfish and more. Provide your comments GREAT CATCH! Two pompano at once! Torrea Cross had one lucky day on the water. Congrats Torrea.  EVENTS December – January We will continue to monitor COVID-19 updates and plan events with this consideration in mind. Lionfish Events Calendar Dec. 15-16 – FWC Commission Meeting – Destin Jan. 11 - Goliath grouper virtual workshop Jan. 13 - Goliath grouper virtual workshop SOCIAL SALTWATER Post of the Month Announcing The Florida Fish Art Contest – Catch a Florida Memory Facebook page Do you know a student that likes to draw or paint? The Fish Art Contest is now open to all youth in grades K-12! To enter, each young artist submits an original illustration of a fish, a creative writing submission, and a completed entry form. The creative writing is only required for grades 4-12. The deadline to submit artwork is March 31st, 2022. Learn more SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS Catch a Florida Memory Facebook Lionfish Reef Rangers Facebook FWC Facebook FWC Instagram FWC Saltwater Fishing YouTube FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Facebook ONLINE FISHING RESOURCES Where to Fish Fish Handling Learn to Fish Fish Identification Saltwater Fishing Tips Recreational Regulations On-the-water Etiquette And More!

State Reef Fish Angler Do you fish for reef fish like snapper, grouper or triggerfish from a private recreational vessel off Florida? 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.

Catch a Florida Memory Colby Clark added this yellowtail snapper, caught off St. Lucie 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

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.

Marine Fisheries Staff Highlight Emmy Kyllonen is the assistant to the FWC’s Division of Marine Fisheries Management Director Jessica McCawley. Emmy started working with the agency 8 months ago and spends her time assisting Jessica, scheduling internal and external meetings, tracking division trainings, helping staff with travel arrangements, and helping coordinate documents for Commission meetings and council meetings. She comes from an outdoorsy family who love to take hunting and fishing vacations. She felt this job would be a wonderful opportunity to contribute to wildlife conservation and learn new and interesting things about marine fisheries, as fishing has always been one of her favorite hobbies. “I truly love the fast-paced nature of the job; there is never a dull moment, and there is always something new and exciting happening. It is an honor to be a part of such a hard-working, intelligent and fun-loving group of people.” Emmy is originally from Thomasville, Georgia. She moved to Tallahassee in 2007 to attend Florida State University and earned a B.A. in English – editing, writing and media with a minor in communications in 2012. She visits the Florida Keys every year with her family to do lobster diving and fishing. She also loves to horseback ride. She is married to husband Ethan, and they have a son, Jude, that will be 4 soon. She also has a brindle pit-bull mix named Delia. Have questions for our staff? 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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