Amelia Island Fishing Articles

One of the things that we all need to be concerned about before we go fishing are the rules and regulations that we must follow when fishing. Regulations, size limits, bag limits are changed occasionally, but with Internet access readily available, it's a bit easier to keep up with what's going on with the Florida fishing rules.

FWC prints a regular "summary" of saltwater regulations, which is basically a list of fish size and bag limits, and a few restrictions relating to certain species. You can find the current copy on the FWC web site. They also print a biyearly newsletter that details any recent changes which can be found at the same web site.

A recent change that goes into effect in 2006 concerns the way we measure the total length of fish. The text can be found here. Not a huge change, but it may make the difference between the fish you keep being "legal" or not, so we all need to be familiar with it.

Some rules are obscure, they aren't printed out in obvious black and white text in the regulations summary. Others are open to interpretation, and you'll get different answers depending on who you ask about particular items. Some are just confusing. I'll cover a few here that I've run into recently.

Treble Hooks - Treble hooks are OK to use on artificial lures, but a number of Florida fish can not be caught using live or dead natural baits with a treble hook. Years ago we all used treble hooks when fishing for trout with live shrimp under a float - we can't do that anymore. If you look closely at FWC's Florida Saltwater Regulations summary, you'll see that Black Drum, Flounder, Permit & Pompano, Red Drum, Sheepshead, Snook, Sea Trout, Trippletail, Weakfish, and a few other fish have a footnote marker (looks like a "T") which refers you to the tiny print at the bottom of the page. The tiny print tells you that these fish can't be caught with live or dead natural bait and a treble hook.

Fishing License For Florida Residents - If you fish from a boat, you need a saltwater license, but if you are a Florida resident who is fishing from land or a structure attached to land, a pier or jetty for example, you don't need a Florida saltwater fishing license. If you are a recreational shrimper you can catch shrimp from land or a structure attached to land, you don't need a saltwater fishing license. But if you are catching blue crabs from land or a structure attached to land, and you visit FWC's web site, it says you DO need a Florida saltwater fishing license. The web site says "A Florida recreational fishing license is required to harvest blue crabs under the recreational fishing regulations"; Link.

That seems a bit confusing, at least to me, because I was standing next to an FWC officer when he told a lady on a pier she did not need a license to dunk chicken tied to a string.

A phone call to FWC clarified the web site: Crabbing is the same as fishing. If you don't need a license for fishing, you don't need one for crabbing. If you do need a license for fishing, you do need one for crabbing. I think the above mentioned FWC web page refers to crabbing from a boat with traps, although it doesn't spell that out very clearly. It clearly will cause some confusion.

Fortunately, there's an easy way for Florida residents who fish in saltwater to solve the license confusion - go buy a license, and then you're covered no matter who interprets the rules. They aren't expensive, and the money is used by FWC to benefit us all.

Slot Sized Fish - Most people, even those who don't fish, know that some fish are "too small" to keep. In Florida, many fish can be "too big" to keep also.

Many of Florida's saltwater fish have not only a minimum size requirement, but they also have a maximum size limit for fish that can be kept. Red Drum, for example must be longer than 18 inches but not longer than 27 inches. To make things even a bit more confusing, some rules allow one fish per day above slot size to be kept. Sea Trout, for example must be longer than 15 inches but not longer than 20 inches; but you can keep one fish per day per person that is over 20 inches. I would recommend you keep a copy of the regulations in your tackle bucket or pick up a Florida Law Stick ruler (make sure it's this years model). If in doubt, toss it back as the fines imposed for an illegal fish are a lot higher than the cost of a fish dinner.

Remember that the 27 inch Red Drum you kept in 2005 (measured to the fork in his tail) will be too long to keep in 2006 after the "pinched tail" measurements go into effect.

Cut Bait - Any of us who've been fishing for a while know that big fish eat little fish. Some fish, like Bluefish, even eat each other. At one time or another we've chopped up a little fish, or hooked him up as a live bait, in the hopes of catching a bigger one. Many times in years gone by I've used a live 9 inch long blue fish for bait to catch a shark or bigger fish. But we can't do that anymore, in order to use a Bluefish for bait, he'd have to be 12 inches long, right? We all know that if we are fishing on the pier we can cut up a Bluefish, if he's over 12 inches long and use him for bait, right? Nope, not right.

I had the occasion to talk to a gentleman who had just been issued a citation by an FWC officer for cutting up a Bluefish to use for bait. He really didn't understand why he got the citation, and he wasn't really happy about it.

Most, if not all, fish in Florida that are considered game fish (have size/bag limits) must remain in a whole condition (not be cleaned or cut up) until they are "landed ashore". Piers and jetties are not considered "landed ashore". You can read a complete article on that subject here.

So how do you make sure you stay legal? Read the rules, and be familiar with them. If you happen to bump into an FWC office, ask him questions. The ones I have talked to are very friendly and helpful. Call your local FWC office and ask questions before you go if you aren't sure about the rules.

Bottom line is simple: You need to know before you go.

Article By Amelia-Island-Fishing.Com Staff