Posts Tagged ‘florida freeze’

I was wrong. It looks like the FWC will reopen snook on the East Coast of Florida on September 17th. The rest of the state will remain catch and release only.

Atlantic snook harvest season to reopen soon; other areas stay

catch-and-release

I have to say this is a pleasant surprise. After the harsh winter we had and the subsequent fish kills, many anglers (myself included) assumed that the harvest of snook would not resume until next year. With the fall mullet run on the verge of going into full swing, I am excited to get out and bend a rod. Keep an eye out for new pictures and videos coming soon.

I’m not surprised that the FWC has added to the closure of snook season.

On September 2nd, there will be a meeting to discuss the rest of the year regarding the harvesting of snook.

Take a look at the whole press release fro FWC here:

FWC extends emergency snook-fishing closure

My wife and I headed out again after our near catastrophic motor failure last weekend. We hit the water before the sun peaked over the horizon.

The wind was screaming before 6 am, and I knew it was going to be a tough day for fishing. We made an excellent drift through a little cove that has been good to me in the past, but came up with a big goose egg.

We made it a short morning due to the wind and the fact my wife and I had a big date night planned.

While we didn’t get any fish, we did get some nice video footage of sunrise over the Indian River Lagoon. I hope you enjoy!

The recent cold weather has really put a hurting on Florida’s fresh and saltwater populations. The list of fish that were reported being killed around the state is extensive. Tarpon, grouper, snook, mojarro, blue gills, bass, etc. I honestly am a little depressed about the possible long term effects on the fishery.

Most hard hit were the species that reside in tropical climates like snook. These fish thrive in the normally warm waters of South Florida. Unfortunately, so do a lot of critters that don’t belong here. Over the last few years, non-native species have been getting a lot of press. Animals that have escaped or been release by pet owners that could no long take care of them. Things like the armored catfish which are creating a serious problem around the state. Especially, around Lake Okeechobee, where they are undermining the dike.

Armored Catfish

Pythons have become such an issue that the State of Florida has started to license hunters to eradicate them.

Well, as I was reading the newspaper this evening, I was struck by a possible upside of the recent cold weather. Along with the native species that have been damaged by the cold, some of the invasive species have been effected too.

As this article shows, “PSL pacu eclipsed world record“these invaders are not only living, but prospering in our rivers, canals and rivers. One of the most important parts of the article to me is this quote:

Grant Gilmore, Ph.D. a marine biologist, verified the find as a pacu Wednesday. Another measuring about nine inches was also found Wednesday near the same location. Gilmore said some experts have stated that pacu are not breeding in Florida waters. After cutting open the fish Wednesday morning, Gilmore was surprised at what he found.

“It looks like the St. Lucie River is becoming the Amazon of the north,” he said. “She was a gravid female getting ready to spawn. She had two large gonads filled with large eggs.”

Maybe the recent cold spell will help to slow the proliferation of the numerous invasive species. Hopefully a little bright spot.

The FWC wasted no time reacting to the recent cold weather fish kill by closing the Spring snook season. Also protected in this order are bonefish and tarpon.

I am not surprised that the closure was enacted. I am surprised and impressed by the speed that it happened.

The re-opening of snook in September is not written in stone. I suspect the closure may be extended for the rest of the year. Some anglers fear that this maybe the first step to a permanent ban on the harvesting of snook. I sure hope not, but for now, let’s keep our fingers crossed that the worst of the winter is behind us and the water will warm quickly.

For the complete story from the FWC visit this article: FWC responds to widespread cold-weather saltwater fish kills