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Tighter Snapper Regulations Another Threat To Reef Anglers

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By FRANK SARGEANT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

Reef anglers, already concerned because of a threatened reduction in gag grouper harvest, are likely to see their opportunities further reduced when the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meets Feb. 6-7 in Panama City. On the agenda is a rule that would match state regulations to pending federal rules on red snapper harvest.

The rule would cut the daily limit from four fish per person to two, set a zero bag limit for captains and crew members of charter boats and reduce the open season by about six weeks, with the new season running June 1 to Sept. 30.

Ironically, the changes come at a time when anglers along the central west coast say they are catching more and bigger red snapper than at any time in the last 30 years.

Charter captain Sam Maisano of St. Petersburg said there are many days when he ends up "running away" from red snapper because they take the baits his clients put down long before the grouper he is after can get to them.

"It breaks your heart - we're catching these beautiful snapper, 8 to 10 pounds, sometimes up to 15, and we've got to let them all go," Maisano said. "It wasn't that long ago that it made all the newspapers if you caught even one true red snapper, and now they are one of the most abundant fish out there."

Tribune fishing correspondent Randy Rochelle, also a charter captain, has made similar reports frequently.

"There are days when we catch dozens of red snapper, especially along the gas pipeline; it's by far the best fishing for that species I've seen in all my years fishing out of this area," Rochelle said.

Of course, it's always better to err on the side of conservation when it comes to fishery matters, but bottom anglers must be wondering what they will have left by the time the rule-makers are finished with them.

The snapper regulations are likely to be among the topics at the 7 p.m. reef angler rally Thursday night at Tightlines Tackle, 6924 N. Armenia Ave. in Tampa. The session is primarily directed at likely federal cuts in the gag grouper harvest, but snapper reductions are also part of the overall picture facing bottom fishermen. For more information, visit www.thefra.org.

Another rule that might give some freshwater anglers pause is a proposal to allow only largemouth bass 18 inches or longer to be harvested at Lake Okeechobee. The giant fish factory has long been known for producing amazing numbers of largemouths, but poor water conditions in recent years have impacted the fishery dramatically.

Just as importantly, perhaps, many anglers have begun to value bass more as a catch-and-release species. An 18-inch minimum will in effect make "The Big O" a total release fishery, because it is rare for most anglers to catch a bass that large.

If management efforts can restore water quality and regulations are left in place long-term, the big lake could again become one of the top spots for big bass in the nation.

WADERS FIND OPPORTUNITY: Powerful northeast winds on Monday, combined with a full moon, brought the lowest tides seen in the Tampa Bay area in close to a year. Many areas normally navigable were completely dry, and boaters in some areas found that even marked channels had nowhere near the depth to allow passage.

For a few hardy souls, the extreme low water offered some interesting opportunities. Several flats in the South Shore area all but dried up, trapping an assortment of redfish and sheepshead in the few remaining potholes. Anglers in kayaks and those leaving their powerboats offshore to wade in close - including me - managed to find good action on live shrimp at a time when most anglers stayed home.

The fish were moving slowly, and getting a bite was a matter of putting a whole shrimp on the hook, casting it into the hole and waiting for the scent to spread. This is usually a good venue for catching fish on jerkbaits and swimbaits, but neither was effective for the chilled fish.

With the wind calming and the moon passing toward the first quarter, the pattern is likely to wane in the next day or so, but it might well repeat on the new moon in two weeks, particularly if we get another helpful cold front to provide the needed winds.

OYSTER DOME PROJECT: Tampa Bay Watch will host an oyster dome building project at TBW headquarters, 3000 Pinellas Bayway in Tierra Verde on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The domes are concrete hutches designed as breakwaters and fish shelters; placed along exposed shorelines, they have proven to form the base of the food chain, which eventually leads to more gamefish in area waters. Volunteers are needed for the building project; rarndt@tampabaywatch.org

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