Florida Reef Fish

[triumphrick]

Just a heads up, a little something from the National Marine Fisheries Service. It seems effective June 1, any reef species: grouper, snapper, etc. must be fished with using circle hooks. Also, there must be both a hook release device as well as a venting tool on board. The circle hooks cannot be stainless, they want something that will rust away and not last indefinitely. Usually, only fish caught in depts greater that 50' will need to be vented. This allows their bladder to deflate so they can return to depth. The circle hooks must be used in "natural baits" but not required on lures, jigs, etc. Any more info needed can be found on their website...http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/pdfs. Good luck and tight lines.

 

[springhead]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

thanks thats good to know

 

[gcboat]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

Here's the kit:http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_100910____SearchResults

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

Thanks for that gcboat. Jeez..they don't make that too cheap do they!! Used to be when we pulled em over and the bladder is out their mouth we would just slit it a little with our rapala knife tip. Guess that won't work any more, huh??

 

[gcboat]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

Yea Rick -
Used to do the same thing ourselves, but with all of the tree huggers and the like you now have to be a friggin' surgeon to release a fish.
I'll tell you one thing, if I'm out there in some sloppy water and need to let one go I'll be damned if I'm gonna' be messing around with a hypodermic needle trying to find the right spot to jab. Oh. yea - the kits come complete with instructions on the "proper way" to do the job. Really now.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

I've seen that kit in Gander and the price of it blew me away then too.

I have a few hypo's laying around from buying ink jet printer cartridge refill kits a few years back and I put one of them on the boat to make me legal. I don't understand the need to have a box like that with so many needles in it that costs so much. For starters, we're only going to catch at the max 2 fish at a time and I can only get out to about 45' in my boat anyway but I still have to have one on the boat apparently to be legal.

Seeme like a rip to me...

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

Those rules are for the Gulf.Jerry

 

[polar05]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

Back in the day I would use a coat hanger. Dont have any kit on board.
What is the law for the gulf?

Regarding Red Snapper
Tight Lines

 

[noworries79]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

Just bring an ice pick or other needle-like device. Not all fish expose their bladders from their mouth when they are brought up from the depths. If you can't do the deed, you shouldn't be out there in the first place. Man up gcboat

 

[mars bar]

Re: Florida Reef Fish

I think it's a matter of doing what you can If a species is a risk. I went to my pharmacist and ask him for some needles when I did taxidermy, they were cheap. we use them on fish on lake Nippising in Ontario as well on perch on Simcoe and go through the mouth. Some species like Lake Trout and Browns can burp the air out. I also read a article on it that said it didn.t work?