Federal fishery managers announced last week that a new size and bag limits will be implemented in the Atlantic Ocean for one of the Florida Keys most sought after eating fish — mutton snapper — starting next month. The new recreational and commercial regulations for federal waters of the Atlantic Ocean will go into effect … Read more
Sponsored by The Monroe County Tourist Development Council, 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, Florida 33040. Winning a Florida Keys Angling Vacation could be as simple as following the Florida Keys Facebook page and entering the #FishFLKeys trip giveaway, part of a four-month social media program that launched Monday. The program spotlights the Keys’ recreational … Read more
Less than halfway through Florida’s lucrative stone crab season, traps are drying up, dealing another blow to a fishing industry still recovering from a beating delivered by a brutal Hurricane Irma. Everybody’s feeling it,” said Walter Flores, owner of the Golden Rule Seafood in Palmetto Bay, which has been selling and serving stone crabs since … Read more
Monroe County resident Paul Hein, a law enforcement officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), has received the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Award for Marine Conservation. Investigator Hein was honored at the December FWC Commission meeting in Gainesville for his exemplary performance conserving marine resources and ensuring public safety through enforcement of state Boating … Read more
Research provided by the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust in conjunction with local guides in the Florida Keys has provided state biologists with information suggesting that the May through July closed season for harvesting spawning permit may not be long enough. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2011 created a Special Permit Zone — state … Read more
Hogfish recreational season harvest will close in state waters off Florida’s Atlantic and southern Gulf coasts Nov. 1. This closure includes all state waters south of Cape Sable, which is on the Gulf side of Florida, and up the Atlantic coast. The management boundary line is 25 degrees 9 minutes north latitude (a line due … Read more
The last text from Islamorada before Hurricane Irma plowed into the Keys was about fishing. “Look forward to a visit after things get back to normal. Bonefish are making a comeback,” wrote Richard Stanczyk, proprietor of Bud N’ Mary’s Marina for the past 40 years. Fishing is always a central topic in Islamorada, with its well-earned reputation as … Read more
Hurricane Irma has had a major impact on Florida’s largest commercial fishery, displacing and damaging tens of thousands of spiny lobster traps in the Florida Keys. Florida Sea Grant is helping Florida Keys lobstermen by quickly locating the traps lost during Hurricane Irma — a move that will help an industry worth $150 million in … Read more
An award-winning “Ladies Lets Go Fishing!” weekend university provides a girls’ getaway Friday through Sunday, Oct. 20-22, where female anglers can learn techniques from prominent fishing captains in the Florida Keys’ sport fishing capital of Islamorada. More than 8,000 graduates to date have learned to become anglers or polished their angling skills as well as … Read more
Commercial fishermen may be able to catch more of the profitable fish they want with Marine Reserves than without them, according to a study in the journal PNAS led by the University of California, Davis. Marine reserves are a subset of Marine Protected Areas. Some MPAs allow fishing, but marine reserves are areas of the ocean closed … Read more
The FWC approved several management changes to hogfish. These changes will go into effect in on Aug. 24, 2017. Approved changes include: A new state management boundary between the Keys/east Florida and Gulf stocks will be at 25 degrees 9 minutes north latitude (a line due west of Cape Sable, which is on the Gulf … Read more
While the flats are usually a quiet place, the sharks of Big Pine Key make their presence known with loud drag screams and high jumping. Welcome to Sportsman’s Adventures — Florida’s most popular fishing show. Join South Florida fishing guide and tournament professional Capt. Rick Murphy as he shares his knowledge gained from a … Read more
Spiny lobster season is gearing up, and it is not just for divers. Harvesting by Lobster Bully Netting at night with the use of bully nets and lights is legal and fun, and is popular in the Florida Keys and portions of Miami-Dade County. From FWC. How to Bully Net for Lobster Join us as … Read more
An organization focused on conserving and restoring bonefish, tarpon and permit populations through research and education has brought on a new leader to oversee its local efforts on the island chain. Last month, Ross Boucek, a Naples native, was hired as the Florida Keys initiative manager for the non-profit Bonefish & Tarpon Trust based in … Read more
Gov. Rick Scott has signed a watered-down bill initially proposed to stop the shark finning trade in Florida. The bill, signed Tuesday 5/23/17, does increase penalties for shark finning and codifies a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rule prohibiting this practice, but does not go as far as shark conservation groups wanted. The original … Read more
Several commercial and recreational changes to king mackerel management in Florida state and federal waters will take effect May 11. These changes are consistent with federal regulation changes that are effective the same day. Approved changes include: Setting the Gulf/Atlantic state waters management boundary line, which used to shift from the west coast during the … Read more
Grouper meat cooks up very firm, with big flakes and holds its moisture better than many other fish. Since Grouper is a leaner fish you might need to baste it when broiling or baking it. Two pf the favorite ways to cook Grouper is grilling or frying it. You can also poach, steam, bake, broil … Read more
Snook season will close to all harvest in Gulf state, federal and inland waters, including all of Monroe County and Everglades National Park, starting May 1, 2017. Seasonal harvest closures conserve Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future. Snook is open to harvest in Atlantic state, federal and … Read more
Anglers grouper fishing in Florida state and federal waters of the Atlantic, including state waters off Monroe County – Florida Keys, will be able to take home some of their catch starting May 1, when the season for several species reopens to recreational and commercial harvest. The following species will reopen to harvest May 1: … Read more
Acoustic telemetry is used to measure impacts of catch-and-release fishing on goliath grouper and to determine behavior patterns of this federally protected species. Background Goliath grouper (Serranidae: Epinephelus itajara) occur in tropical and subtropical waters from the west coast of Africa to the east coast of Florida, south to Brazil, and throughout the Gulf of … Read more
