Space Coast fishing: Snapper, pompano and snook are on the catch list - Florida Today

Happy leap day (if you're reading this on Feb. 29, the day it publishes) which is good for anglers because it means we all have an extra day to fish. That's especially good because there are several bites that are going off this week.

But first, we have one surprise harvest closure anglers must take note of: golden tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close March 1 through the end of 2024. Open date is now Jan. 1, 2025. Harvest is closing, according to federal fishery managers, because annual catch limits for recreational fishers in 2024 have been met.

However, anglers fishing for snook, pompano, bluefish, snapper and tripletail have plenty to be happy about since those fisheries seem to be producing nicely lately.

A big lane snapper came aboard Feb. 26, 2024 for an angler on Fired Up charters out of Port Canaveral.

Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:

  • Golden tilefish: Harvest closes March 1, 2024. Harvest closed based on annual catch limit set by NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service. Season re-opens Jan. 1, 2025..
  • Snook: Harvest opens Feb. 1 along Florida's Atlantic Coast. Bag limit: One snook per day per angler. Size limit: No shorter than 28 inches and no longer than 32 inches. License: Anglers must have a valid Florida saltwater fishing license and $10 snook stamp. Check regulations for more at MyFWC.com.
  • Spotted seatrout: Harvest re-opened Jan. 1. Central East region regulations — Bag limit: 2 per harvester, zero captain and crew bag limit when on a for-hire trip. Slot limit: More than 15 inches and less than 19 inches total length. May possess one over 19 inches per vessel or, if fishing from shore, one over 19 inches per person, included in the bag limit. Harvest closed Nov. 1-Dec. 31.
  • Grouper: Harvest closed Jan. 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest re-opens May 1.
  • Hogfish: Harvest re-opens May 1.
  • Blueline tilefish: Harvest re-opens May 1.
  • Cobia: Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length. No closed season.
  • Redfish: Harvest of redfish has been banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon since Sept. 1, 2022. FWC will reevaluate in the future.
  • Dolphin: Bag limit is 5 fish per day per angler. Vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in limit. Regulations in state waters began May 1, 2022.
  • Lobster: Harvest will close March 31. No egg bearers, 3-inch minimum carapace length. Lobster stamp required. Sport season (mini-season) will be July 24-25, 2024.
  • Alligator: Hunt season opened Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.
  • Flounder: Size limit: 14 inches. Bag limit: 5 fish per person. Harvest closed Oct. 15-Nov. 30.
  • Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.

For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.

Mosquito Lagoon

After a weak front moves through Friday, look for sight fishing opportunities to return over the weekend. Redfish, black drum, snook and speckled trout can be found working down shorelines or schooled up offshore of islands. Sometimes fish will be seen tailing in the seagrass beds that have returned.

Offshore

Snapper have been on the reefs in 70-90 feet of water. Anglers are catching lane snapper up to 4 pounds and mangrove snapper up to 5 pounds using squid and cut grunts as bait. Occasional cobia have been seen wandering the zone in 20 to 40 feet of water. Sharks and kingfish can be caught in the same area. Tripletail can be caught using shrimp on the buoy line out of the port.

Surf

There have been a good number of pompano in the surf along with catches of whiting, bluefish to 15 pounds and Spanish mackerel. Cast 60 to 75 yards. Rod spacing seems to help with getting more bites. Try the Fishbites electric chicken crab and powerlime crab if sand fleas are not available.

Sebastian Inlet

The north jetty is back fully open to anglers again. The spring time threadfin herring have re-appeared in solid amounts for the first time in years. That has energized the bite for bluefish, Spanish mackerel and snook. The water temperature is still a little on the cool side. Use gold spoons or diamond jigs for the blues and macks. Use live herring for snook and a few redfish.

Indian River Lagoon

The lagoon action has been steady. Redfish can be caught in the area near Sykes Creek on 3-inch long jerk baits, artificial shrimp and live shrimp. Pitch to the mangrove shorelines and look for moving fish when sight fishing allows. Speckled trout will be in 2-4 feet of water on grass flats. Around the end of docks is a good place to fish for sheepshead and black drum with live shrimp or shrimp on jigs.

Shoot, bear:Florida's 'Self Defense' against bears bill passes another hurdle

Smoke on the water:Smoky grounds in North Brevard will soon mean less leaky sewage pipes

Freshwater

This is a good week to try your hand at fly fishing on the Little Econlockhatchee River. Flows are decent and there may be a small hatch taking place. Flies can catch bluegill, shellcracker, bass and even maybe a bowfin. Fish the bottom with natural bait for catfish.

Ed Killer is an outdoors writer for USA Today Network Florida. Email him your fishing reports and photos to ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re
Read more