Pensacola Fishing
Sunday morning I met up with Stephan, Christopher, Allen and Aaron at 6am at Navy PT. We headed out to Pensacola Bay in search of fish we were surprised to see lots of birds and bait but no fish chasing them after awhile of searching for Spanish and redfish we switched gears and went to Pensacola pass and on the 1st drop everybody got broke off by bluefish. After a quick rerigging of the rods we made a move and it was a good one we caught redfish for the next 4hrs every drift resulted in a redfish or two… Another great day on the water!!!!!!
Pensacola Fishing
Saturday morning i had the opportunty to take out the Benitez family. We started off catching redfish in Pensacola Pass but they were all a little to big to keep so we changed tactics and headed to some docks to try and pull some slot redfish out and it didn’t take long to start catching more redfish but they were a little too small. We made another move move to a different set of docks and found some decent fish and was a able to put a few flounder in the boat with the redfish.
Dive boat industry files suit
Florida’s dive industry is suing to block a new state policy that could force charter boats to pay for vessel-fishing licenses.
The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association and South Florida dive operator Jeff Torode filed a lawsuit Monday in Leon County circuit court against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The case centers on a commission memo last month that could require charter dive boats to spend hundreds of dollars on licenses if their passengers want to catch spiny lobsters and fish.
Eilene Beard is co-owner of Pensacola’s Scuba Shack and a diving boat. She said Florida diving operators, including the local ones, are trying to “rectify this situation” through the lawsuit.
Boat operators in the past relied on their customers to have their own fishing license when they took them out to spear fish.
Beard said about three years ago, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began citing vessels for not having charter boat fishing licenses and requiring dive boat operators to purchase the license or not allow people to fish on dive trips.
Beard said a license is too expensive for most dive boat operators. It would cost $803.50 annually for a license for her 50-foot boat, that carries 20 divers. A license for smaller boats with six passengers is about $400, she said.
Scuba Shack no longer allows customers to fish. Only two dive boats in town have licenses.
“It’s very upsetting to our customers who can no longer spear fish,” she said.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction, as a “mini” lobster season is scheduled July 27-28. The lawsuit says the state has not required such licenses for at least two decades. It says the new policy “places hundreds of dive charter vessels in the position of either purchasing licenses for their vessels, pursuant to the new interpretation of the law “» or risk receiving a citation if they fail to do so.”
Article from PNJ.com | View Source Here
Tournaments to support Ronald McDonald House
There will be two different fishing tournaments held this weekend where the proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida. Ronald McDonald will be appearing at each event.
In-hospital treatment may last one day, one year or even longer. The Ronald McDonald House provides a comfortable, supportive alternative to costly hotels. It serves as a temporary residence near the four local hospitals and rehab centers that treat children with life-threatening or rare illnesses.
Pensacola
The 2011 Fishing for Families Inshore Slam Tournament, put on by the Gulf Power Transformers Plant Crist Chapter, will be held Saturday at Grand Lagoon Yacht Club.
Participants can register for $100 per boat with two anglers. There’s a $50 fee for each additional fisherman in a boat. Children 12 years old and younger fish for free.
Anglers will be fishing for redfish, speckled trout and flounder. The team bringing in the largest aggregate of the three species will win $1,000. A $500 prize also will be awarded for the largest of each individual species.
A spearfishing division also has been added to the event. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded for snapper, grouper and flounder.
The anglers’ meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The awards presentation will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday following the weigh-in.
For more information, call (850) 429-2282.
Fort Walton
The Big Mac Shoot Out Fishing Tournament will take place at the Fort Walton Beach Elks Lodge No. 1795 on Okaloosa Island.
Anglers can register for $200 per boat at the captain’s dinner on Friday at the Elk’s Lodge. Early registration opens at 4 p.m.
Cash prizes totaling more than $10,000 will be awarded based on 50 boats participating. The largest king mackerel of the tournament will receive a $5,000 prize.
Categories for the tournament are first-, second- and third-place king mackerel; first and second redfish; first wahoo; and first barracuda.
Weigh-in is 3-8 p.m. Saturday and 3-7 p.m. Sunday with awards following at 8 p.m. On Saturday, from 10-11:30 a.m., a free kids cane pole fishing event will take place for anglers 10 and under at the Lodge.
Article from PNJ.com | View Source Here
Snapper Season Nears End
The 2011 red snapper season will close at the end of the day on Monday. NOAA Fisheries Service shortened the season to 48 days this year due to the increase in the size of the fish being landed, even though they increased the total allowable catch (TAC) for the year.
After the catch numbers are tallied, if the TAC has not been reached, they will then consider a fall season, which was given in 2010 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has adopted a rule to keep red snapper season in state waters consistent with the federal regulations for 2011, so that also makes it possible the FWC could allow a fall state waters season.
Other seasons:
The 2011 recreational gag grouper season is currently closed. That season is scheduled to open on Sept. 16 and then close Nov. 15. This rule was put into place to temporarily end overfishing while management options for future harvest and rebuilding of gags are developed and implemented.
Amberjack season will also remain closed until Aug. 1. Projections were made that the 2011 quota would have been reached by late August if no in-season closure was instituted. An in-season amberjack closure was chosen to avoid the early seasonal closure, and allow the season to extend further into the fall than projected.
Article from PNJ.com | View Source Here