By KEVIN WADLOW When lobster-resource violations reach the egregious point, Florida Keys prosecutors “will take it very, very seriously,” State Attorney Catherine Vogel cautions. “All those people out there for lobster mini-season next week need to be aware they cannot take undersized lobster, wring tails on the water or spear lobster,” Vogel said Tuesday. “A lobster can … Read more
Lobster season is one of the busiest times in the Florida Keys, as thousands of visitors and residents hit the waters in search of one of their favorite delicacies, the Florida spiny lobster. With smart choices, you can lower your impact on sensitive coral reefs and other natural resources that you are here to enjoy. … Read more
One lazy night a few friends and I made a spontaneous decision to drive to the Florida Keys for some Bridge Fishing. Our quest to cure boredom has since turned into frequent trips in search of tarpon, snapper, grouper and other great fish. What sounded crazy then—to drive about three hours to the Keys for one … Read more
A Miami man reeled in a lobster at Tavernier Creek, leading to a Wednesday case filed by the FWC. Robert R. Harden, 21, was booked on three conservation counts. FWC Officer Chris Mattson was on road patrol at Tavernier Creek at mile marker 91 when he “observed a man fishing in an unorthodox method,” Dube … Read more
Fishing is one of the most accessible outdoor sports. Nearly anyone, no matter age, income level or even fitness ability, can easily participate. And the sport is no longer the boys’ club it was once thought of either. Of the 46 million Americans who fish today, over one third of them are women, according to … Read more
BY KEVIN WADLOW Barracuda are toothy predators. New rules governing their harvest are coming. New commercial and recreational bag limits for barracuda passed a first hearing of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at the board’s Sarasota session. “A pretty broad swath of the recreational-fishing community showed up and everybody was on board … Read more
BY KEVIN WADLOW Commercial fishermen have protested a federal closure to the Atlantic dolphin fishery that’s effective this coming Tuesday for the seafood industry. Recreational anglers can continue catching legal-size dolphin, also known as mahi-mahi, with daily limits of 10 per person, up to 60 per boat. No freshly caught dolphin can be sold … Read more
A father and son from Key Largo are facing charges after illegally catching lobsters near Tom’s Harbor Cut Bridge on Wednesday. Deputy Wilfredo Guerra was looking down from the bridge at about 1:45 p.m. when he noticed the two men as they were spearing, wringing and placing the tails of lobsters into a blue mesh … Read more
Five out of the top 10 fishing destinations are in Florida. Fishing trips and vacations are big business in the U.S. each summer, and this week the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, and its Take Me Fishing campaign, is unveiling the 2015 Top 100 Family-Friendly Places to Fish and Boat. Florida’s Everglades National Park is … Read more
Legendary Key West light-tackle guide captain Ralph Delph retired from charter fishing just about a year ago, but it’s highly unlikely that some up-and-comer will top most of the 70-year-old’s accomplishments. He guided anglers to at least 127 IGFA-certified world records. He landed four giant bluefin tuna over 1,000 pounds (including one weighing 1,154) on … Read more
By Kevin Wadlow Dropping 80 to 100 feet under the ocean surface to start her day’s work, Rachel Lynn Bowman often zeroes in on several invasive lionfish. “It’s a double-edged sword when we see a lot of them,” Bowman said Friday. “I know it’s going to be a good payday. Then I think: What … Read more
By Scott Mackenthun “Bow to the king,” advises fishing guide Rick Stancyk. His advice is a simple reminder that when tarpon jump, you should drop your rod tip and give slack so the hook doesn’t pull out, in effect bowing when the powerful fish pushes through a series of leaps. Stancyk is a second-generation fishing … Read more
A Key West charter boat captain’s change of plea will be heard on April 21 in Plantation Key after a scheduling conflict continued the matter last week. Key West charter Capt. William Osgood Wickers Jr., 42, of Big Coppitt Key, had been scheduled last week, but Judge William Ptomey had to reschedule. Wickers is charged … Read more
Written by Molly Solana on 17 Feb 2015 Six years ago, Eric Billips, the owner of the Islamorada Dive Center in the Florida Keys, speared his initial lionfish. Since then, thousands of the invasive, venomous predators have been killed by him. He has taken life of many invasive, venomous predators as numbers of them exploded … Read more
By Kevin Wadlow New artificial reefs may yet find a place in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary waters, says the chairman of a new sanctuary working group. “I think there is a real appetite out there for properly done artificial reefs,” said Joe Weatherby, a dive captain who spearheaded the sinking of the 524-foot … Read more
Good news last week for mullet, the bigger fish that eat them, and the recreational fishers who catch them both: the Florida Supreme Court upheld netting restrictions adopted by constitutional amendment in 1994. Florida’s high court rejected a petition by the Wakulla Fishermen’s Association to overturn an appeals court ruling affirming a ban on gill … Read more
The shrimp catch for the Key West to Dry Tortugas area for 1954 was about 17.5 million pounds, about the same as 1953 and not far below the 19 million pounds catch made in 1951, the second year of the fishery operation. In recent years, Key West Pink Shrimp landings, almost all of which are … Read more
