About Saltwater Fishing

Teach a Kid to Fish

2010-02-09T11:30:14Z

My kids all grew up fishing. I learned from my Dad how to start them out and what to do to get them hooked, so to speak. You see, he had done the same thing for me, and his uncle before him for even him. The kids all love to fish today, although, not unlike most of us, work and family situations prevent fishing as such as they would like... Read more...

Teach a Kid to Fish originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 11:30:14.

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NO FISHING!

2010-02-06T04:08:11Z

Sometimes we get caught up in our own backyard so much that we miss the rest of the world. I harp on the fishing closures - but it seems I only harp on those affecting me personally. Grouper, red snapper and vermilion snapper are closed in the Gulf and in the Southeast Atlantic, and that affects me personally. What I failed to see is that black sea bass, a bottom fishing staple among mid and north Atlantic states, was closed this past October for 180 days because of "overfishing".

The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and a number of other organizations like United Boatmen have planned a march on Washington DC, to protest the fishing closures that have been based on science that is what we all believe questionable at best.

If you are in the area make plans to be there. If you can afford to come - plan a trip and be there on February 24 as recreational and commercial fishermen join hands in an effort to make Washington aware of the situation.

All of this is blamed on the Magnuson-Stevens Act that requires that actions be taken to stop overfishing for any species of fish within one year. What they powers that be fail to read is the rest of the story - the act also requires that they take into account the effects of any of their actions on people and industries that depend on fishing. So far, they have failed miserably at addressing that side of the equation.

NO FISHING! originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 at 04:08:11.

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Flying Teeth

2010-02-03T05:11:45Z

We speared two more snapper, and as we swam up and toward the boat, the cudas began streaking through the area faster than any fish I ever saw. I use the term silver streak, because that is exactly what they looked like! Fearing the worst with this behavior, we quickly got out of the water and into the boat. Read more...

Flying Teeth originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 05:11:45.

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Making Custom Rods

2010-02-01T07:19:30Z

Everyone has seen them. Those hand wrapped beauties in the rod holders just begging to be handled. A snakeskin butt wrap glistens in the sun. Custom made rods: who wouldn't give just about anything to have one. Maybe the cold weather will allow us to stay home and build one!Read more...

Making Custom Rods originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 07:19:30.

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Greenhead Below

2010-01-30T10:50:07Z

Offshore on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, seabass are schooling for the spawn. Huge schools of these fine eating fish can be found on artificial reefs and natural bottom in water from 60 to over 100 feet in depth... Read more...

Greenhead Below originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 10:50:07.

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An End to Fishing as We Know it - Is it In Sight?

2010-01-23T17:56:28Z

I was reading my National Fisherman, a commercial fishing oriented magazine today and the article on Red Snapper hit me right between the eyes. All my efforts have been looking at the red snapper debate from a recreational point of view. This article looked from a commercial fishing perspective.

If the rules being put in place are held up, it could mean that red snapper fishing on the U.S. Southeastern Atlantic coast could be stopped for as many as 35 years - yes that is 35 years.

Right now, the season is closed for red snapper and for all shallow water grouper in the Southeastern Atlantic Federal waters. But, this is just an interim rule while the Southeastern Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) decides on a permanent ruling for these species. Some of the options they are discussing include a deep water closure - from 240 feet on out - to all bottom fishing and/or a complete closure of all bottom fishing for specified areas of water from North Carolina to the Florida Keys.

I am no scientist, nor am I a fisheries biologist. But, I am a fisherman, and it pains me to think that the possibility that I will be prohibited from fishing in the future is very real. The "final" solution, once the population of these species are "sustainable is to have something called allocations. These would say rather than a bag limit on a particular species, you would be allowed to keep x number of fish, regardless of size or species. The bad part about this is that not everyone will get an allocation. There will only be so many to go around, and not every fisherman will get one. That's the way it was presented to me.

So - what can you do? Contact your state and federal Representatives and Senators and let them know in no uncertain terms that you are not happy with (1) the way the NOAA and the SAFMC are handling the fishery, and (2) that the Magneson Stevens Act is bad legislation at a very bad time. Act now before they really do start taking away our fishing rights!

An End to Fishing as We Know it - Is it In Sight? originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 17:56:28.

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Cold Weather Devistates Florida's Fish Population

2010-01-20T06:08:12Z

The two weeks of Arctic cold that gripped Florida and the southeastern US did a lot of damage to fish and marine populations. Several hundred sea turtles, stunned and floating because of the sudden temperature drops were rescued, revived and then released after the water warmed. Thousands of dead fish, including snook, tarpon and bonefish could be seen all along the Florida coast, as far north as the Georgia border.

Two weeks of brutal cold - for Florida that is - had temperatures into the teens for twelve straight nights and freezing temperatures for 12 to 14 hours each day for two weeks. Only in the aftermath has the devastation to marine life become apparent.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) has closed snook season until September 1, and tarpon and bonefish until March 31, 2010. Catch and release fishing is still ok, but anglers should be aware of the need to protect these fish.

Although no official count has been made, the cold surely affected the manatee population as well, which could lead to even more strict boating regulations in manatee areas.

Couple this event with the recent and soon to be closures of grouper and snapper, and Florida anglers will be doing what anglers do up north - winterizing their boats and waiting until warm weather to fish. With offshore bottom fishing effectively closed, the inshore waters could get awfully crowded and you may see some real deals soon on bigger offshore boats in Florida.

To quote a friend from a favorite boating blog:

So it appears that the only legal fish now are grunions, which must be caught by hand only during a high tide of a full moon, and bonnet-head sharks, which must be caught with your teeth, and may be kept only on every third left Friday before 4:30 a.m.

Have they outlawed underwater hunting of bears yet?

Cold Weather Devistates Florida's Fish Population originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 06:08:12.

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LORAN-C Will be Terminated In February

2010-01-16T18:31:36Z

It's official. From the United States Coast Guard web page - LORAN-C will be terminated on February 8, 2010. It has been decided that the system was not needed "after certification from the Commandant of the Coast Guard that it was not needed for maritime navigation and from the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security that it is not needed as a backup for GPS."

Unfortunately no one certified that it was still used by many fishermen to locate wrecks, and reefs. I wonder how many of you still use LORAN-C and how the shut down will afect you...

LORAN-C Will be Terminated In February originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Saturday, January 16th, 2010 at 18:31:36.

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Grouper Season to Close for Three Months

2010-01-15T14:29:25Z

Florida has implemented a season closure on all "shallow water" grouper. These include gag, black grouper, red grouper, scamp, red hind, rock hind, coney, graysby, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth grouper, and tiger grouper in Florida Atlantic waters (within 3 nautical miles of the shore) and all of Monroe County. The season will be closed starting January 19 and run through April 30 at this point. Options to leave the season closed longer are still being talked about.

This closure coincides with the federally mandated closure for the same species in South Atlantic Federal waters which run from North Carolina to the Florida Keys.

Charter and party boat captains stand to loose a lot of money with this closure, Groupers are a mainstay of party boats this time of year. The residual effect on tackle and bait shops will also be felt as people will simply stay home and not fish.

All fo this is a result of the Magneson Stevens Act which was revamped in 2007 and requires that programs be in place to stop overfishing for specific species of fish in teh next year.

If you are a serious fisherman, you need to read the act and see how invasive and overbearing it is in relation to your personal rights. This could be the very beginning of the end of fishing as we know it. And the tree huggers and PETA are quietly grinning as we sit and wait for the season to open again.

Grouper Season to Close for Three Months originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 14:29:25.

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Lubrication Can Mean the Difference

2010-01-12T08:18:12Z

The beginning of a new year is always when I spend time cleaning tackle. That means lubricating my reels as well. I found a product that lubricates as good or better than any i have tried. It's not sold in tackle shops, but it really makes a difference on my equipment.

Lubrication Can Mean the Difference originally appeared on About.com Saltwater Fishing on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 08:18:12.

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