# FWC votes unanimously in favor of non-compliance, 44 day snapper season



## Capt Adam Peeples (Feb 13, 2013)

At the meeting this morning the FWC commissioners  voted unanimously to go non-compliant and have a 44 day snapper season beginning on June 1.  They also left it open for a longer season depending on the stock assessment set to come out in the next couple weeks.  Big step in the right direction for Florida!


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## grouper throat (Feb 13, 2013)

Wow, go FWC..


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## biggabuck (Feb 13, 2013)

how many fish still 2?


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## Capt Adam Peeples (Feb 13, 2013)

FWC News Release

http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2013/february/13/red-snapper/



Commission proposes 2013 Gulf recreational red snapper season in state waters

News Release
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Media contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-410-4943

(Back to Commission meeting news)
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proposed a 44-day recreational red snapper season for Gulf of Mexico state waters at its meeting Feb. 13 in Orlando.
This season would start June 1 and end July 14. The proposed 2013 season is inconsistent with the current proposed federal season, which is currently expected to be about 27 days but may be shortened once state seasons in all Gulf state waters are finalized.
The Commission will make a final decision on this season at the April Commission meeting in Tallahassee.
While the federal limit for how many pounds of red snapper can be caught has increased, the season length has gotten shorter because of more fishing effort and larger fish, according to federal fishery managers.
After listening to public comment, the Commission chose to go inconsistent based on reports that the upcoming federal stock assessment would likely show red snapper populations are doing better than previously thought and reports from anglers that the fishery is improving and preference is to have a longer season.
The Commission also gave direction to FWC staff to look further into other long-term management options for red snapper.
For more on the proposal that was given to the Commission, visit MyFWC.com/Commission


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## Capt Adam Peeples (Feb 13, 2013)

This is a good thing for both recreational anglers and charters like me who do not have a federal reef fish permit because we can take advantage of the long season.  Federal reef permit holders likely will not be able to fish red snapper at all this year so not so great for them.


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## GASeminole (Feb 13, 2013)

Definitely moving in the right direction


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## XTREME HUNTER (Feb 13, 2013)

I'm speechless, right when I thought there was no hope.  Awesome


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## pottydoc (Feb 13, 2013)

About time FWC grew some ....! That makes us, Lousiana, and Texas that have told the feds to tap grit into their posterior orface.


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## MudDucker (Feb 14, 2013)

Move in the right direction, but not enough.  They are having short seasons in spite of the scientific data that fish stocks are way up.  Obummer and his boys want to shut down anything that might make money in the Gulf!


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## Capt Adam Peeples (Feb 14, 2013)

MudDucker said:


> Move in the right direction, but not enough.  They are having short seasons in spite of the scientific data that fish stocks are way up.  Obummer and his boys want to shut down anything that might make money in the Gulf!



They put it on the table for the possibility of extending the season once the new stock assessment is released in the next couple weeks.  It will be interesting to see how Crabtree responds, I am sure he will shut down Federal waters off non-compliant states to red snapper fishing but I wonder what other shenanigans he will try to pull.


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## Wild Turkey (Feb 14, 2013)

Roy Crabapple is a crook in the harshest sense of the word.
He's so ignorant and arrogant that words cant describe it.


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## biggabuck (Feb 14, 2013)

I also heard gags will be open July 1  looks like we will have a chance to keep gags and snapper on the same trip for about 2 weeks. looks like a june and july trip this year


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## saltwatercowboy (Feb 14, 2013)

Now if we could keep one in the atlantic for goodness sakes.


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## Mechanicaldawg (Feb 15, 2013)

Sanity is breaking out all over!


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## Parker Phoenix (Feb 15, 2013)

Now if we could just get Komrad Crabtree to see the light, he is on a power trip, he will get his one day.....


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## Mechanicaldawg (Feb 15, 2013)

Parker Phoenix said:


> Now if we could just get Komrad Crabtree to see the light, he is on a power trip, he will get his one day.....



Put the bong down and move away.......


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## Bryannecker (Feb 15, 2013)

At a meeting held on Jekyll Island by the SAFMC, a few years back, Dr. Crabtree addressed the audience and encouraged us all to contact our congressmen to see if we could get them to add additional funding for research and data collection so that the "best
available science" could be updated and they would not have to make a computer program guess as to the bio-mass of red snapper.

That plea was for bigger government to manage and control our lives even more, even though it may fool some in the angling community into thinking that really care about the average recreational angler.  All they really care about it keeping their jobs!

I will be shocked if the Georgia DNR/CRD has the guts to stand up to the feds and be in non-compliance as Florida has chosen to do.
Capt. Jimmy


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## captbrian (Feb 15, 2013)

Mechanicaldawg said:


> Sanity is breaking out all over!



I'm sittin' on ready, rockin' on go!


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## Mechanicaldawg (Feb 15, 2013)

captbrian said:


> I'm sittin' on ready, rockin' on go!



It ain't goin' ta be long!

We're going to burn some fuel this year! Looks like now with FWC's help it's going to sideways rather than up and down though!


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## captbrian (Feb 15, 2013)

It'll be fish where we normally do and grab the snapper off a junk pile to the east inshore


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## asc (Feb 17, 2013)

Capt Adam Peeples said:


> This is a good thing for both recreational anglers and charters like me who do not have a federal reef fish permit because we can take advantage of the long season.  Federal reef permit holders likely will not be able to fish red snapper at all this year so not so great for them.


They can fish in state waters along side you,


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## Capt Adam Peeples (Feb 17, 2013)

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asc said:


> They can fish in state waters along side you,



That would make sense but federal permit holders are required to adhere to the federal seasons.  If federal season is closed federal reef fish permit holders can't fish state season in state waters.  Hopefully they can get an amendment before the season starts but it doesn't look good


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## Slayer (Feb 19, 2013)

already booked a 10 trip to Mexico Beach,,,canal side with a boat slip .....June 1st cant get here soon enuff   !!!!!!


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## Bryannecker (Feb 19, 2013)

It is a shame that we cannot catch any R/S here in Georgia but for a few days in September or so it seems.


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## Parker Phoenix (Feb 19, 2013)

Mechanicaldawg said:


> Put the bong down and move away.......



Didn't mean to crack your plaster Jeff, I don't like the man, and there are a whole bunch of us who feel the same way, and btw, I haven't owned a bong in years....


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## Mechanicaldawg (Feb 19, 2013)

Parker Phoenix said:


> Didn't mean to crack your plaster Jeff, I don't like the man, and there are a whole bunch of us who feel the same way, and btw, I haven't owned a bong in years....



You understand that I agree with you! You'd have to be high-high to think he is going to come around start thinking straight.


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## asc (Feb 22, 2013)

Capt Adam Peeples said:


> ```
> 
> ```
> 
> That would make sense but federal permit holders are required to adhere to the federal seasons.  If federal season is closed federal reef fish permit holders can't fish state season in state waters.  Hopefully they can get an amendment before the season starts but it doesn't look good


Permit is aligned to a certain vessel, captains with smaller vessels with no permits attached will be able to fish in state waters.


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## Capt Adam Peeples (Feb 22, 2013)

asc said:


> Permit is aligned to a certain vessel, captains with smaller vessels with no permits attached will be able to fish in state waters.



Exactly


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## asc (Feb 24, 2013)

Talking to a former member of the GOMFC yesterday and the statement was made that if Al. follows Fl on a state season for RS then the feds may shut federal waters down to 0 days.Probably wouldn't bother the panhandle guys but would be bad for folks from Horseshoe south.


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## Ga. Swamper (Feb 24, 2013)

I'm sorry but I don't see the excitement in the big bend area, state waters in June or July. I found most of my fish 40 mile offshore in the summer. Closest one probably 14 mi worth fishing for grunts.
This out of Steinahatchee or Keaton. I have not been down there except for scallop season in 3 years, maybe they have adapted to warmer shallower water. The rise of gas and short season plus 1 or 2 fish limits not worth it no more. We would come 3 to 4 weeks(not weekends) a year just to fish offshore. Thats over, has to hurt the business big and small down there, as I'm sure thats the story for many a fisherman from out of the area. I hope the scallops show back up. I dove allot of numbers out there, most have been a big fish kill I didn't hear about because there where lots grouper and the snapper, saw more of those every year. We live 50 mi. from the Atlantic but we love the Gulf. I guess its a good thing for some and high 5's for the state of Fl. I sure there are those that can load the boat 10 mi out in June or July in those waters.


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## d-a (Feb 24, 2013)

asc said:


> Talking to a former member of the GOMFC yesterday and the statement was made that if Al. follows Fl on a state season for RS then the feds may shut federal waters down to 0 days.Probably wouldn't bother the panhandle guys but would be bad for folks from Horseshoe south.




Yea, but the gulf council already stated after La went non compliant and before Fla went that the season would only be 12 days. I believe thats a major contribution to Fla going non compliant. The only thing that doesn't make sense is origionally the vote to give emergency powers to Crabtree to close the federal waters was voted down. Then asked for a revote after lunch in which two of the Fla seats (on the GC )changed there votes for in favor of the emergency powers. Theses are people appointed by our state elected officials. 

We may loose a season or two of snapper fishing but its a push in the right direction to getting some sort of better management of a mismanaged fishery that the gulf council states is in the first stages of recovery. 

d-a


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## Capt Adam Peeples (Feb 24, 2013)

d-a said:


> We may loose a season or two of snapper fishing but its a push in the right direction to getting some sort of better management of a mismanaged fishery that the gulf council states is in the first stages of recovery.
> 
> d-a



That is right on, I know several Federal reef permit holders down here who actually were instrumental in the push for Florida's non-compliance.  This is a little change now that will hopefully make a bigger change in the future.

Ga. Swamper, I don't know the depth of water over there in the bend but we catch 20+ pound fish in 50' of water all the time, my best spots are less than 2 miles from the beach.  Heck, some of the boys in Pensacola can catch a limit in Pensacola bay on any given day.  They are thick everywhere!


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## trubluau (Feb 25, 2013)

Capt Adam Peeples said:


> That is right on, I know several Federal reef permit holders down here who actually were instrumental in the push for Florida's non-compliance.  This is a little change now that will hopefully make a bigger change in the future.
> 
> Ga. Swamper, I don't know the depth of water over there in the bend but we catch 20+ pound fish in 50' of water all the time, my best spots are less than 2 miles from the beach.  Heck, some of the boys in Pensacola can catch a limit in Pensacola bay on any given day.  They are thick everywhere!



I fish out of Keaton a lot and Ga Swamper is right. This will not help the big bend area. We have to go out 30-45 miles to find snapper in 50-60' water. Now I do agree that this is a step in the right direction but in reality, this is not good news "right now" for the big bend area if this forces federals hand into closing down federal waters. I personally think they can throw all their "scientific data" out the window b/c their numbers are way off. We have seen more snapper they last 5 years than we have seen in a long time.


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## asc (Feb 25, 2013)

50' off Crystal River is aprox 35-45 miles, well beyond the 9nm natural resource boundary.

While this is good for the folks in the panhandle it is at the expense of the rest of Fl's west coast fishermen.


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## asc (Feb 25, 2013)

Capt Adam, are you aware of these workshops? They are for recs and commercials if you are accepted.

CCA has been silent on this, course they got their butt handed to them on the sport/gamefish arguement and Chester Brewer admitted that he was unaware of CCA's support of the sport/gamefish designation for Tarpon, bonefish, and permit.


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## grouper throat (Feb 25, 2013)

Ga. Swamper said:


> I'm sorry but I don't see the excitement in the big bend area, state waters in June or July. I found most of my fish 40 mile offshore in the summer. Closest one probably 14 mi worth fishing for grunts.
> This out of Steinahatchee or Keaton. I have not been down there except for scallop season in 3 years, maybe they have adapted to warmer shallower water. The rise of gas and short season plus 1 or 2 fish limits not worth it no more. We would come 3 to 4 weeks(not weekends) a year just to fish offshore. Thats over, has to hurt the business big and small down there, as I'm sure thats the story for many a fisherman from out of the area. I hope the scallops show back up. I dove allot of numbers out there, most have been a big fish kill I didn't hear about because there where lots grouper and the snapper, saw more of those every year. We live 50 mi. from the Atlantic but we love the Gulf. I guess its a good thing for some and high 5's for the state of Fl. I sure there are those that can load the boat 10 mi out in June or July in those waters.



I think even the most experienced bottom fishermen would be hard pressed to find red snapper within state waters here. It's tough enough to pull a legal gag or two within state waters and not really worth it IMO unless you want to keep some borderline legal grouper with a few decent keepers.

The best bet is to drag your boat over to carabelle or apalach to find them in state waters


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## Bryannecker (Feb 26, 2013)

This past year the fresh water from rain in the Steinhatchie basin was responsible for a large number of fresh water catfish off the beaches on the flats.  I made two trips down there and found that to be the case.  The water was a tannic color and I understand that the scallops were found only in deeper waters.  This February we are experiencing more rain and the situation may be even worse with respect to rain fall.  

But due to closures, limits, gas prices and all the general economic conditions, the law of diminishing returns is taking hold, so it worth the cost and effort to continue.  Many have decided, "no it is not!" 

 I believe that may be the ultimate goal of our governmental regulators and not to rebuild the fish stocks that they claim are depleted from so-called "overfishing."  They are using the argument to beg for more funding to do more research into the bio-mass so that they can assess the actual numbers and then do a re-evaluation.  That will only grow more and more government, layer after layer and prove nothing since that particular determination cannot ever be made.  In the meantime, they assume that there is real overfishing so that they can assume command and control to over regulate and "err on the side of caution" as they have admitted.  

Unfortunately, there is a group of anglers who buy into this faulty premise and accept it at face value. Then,  they engage in infighting and personal attacks on one another much to the glee of the regulators.  They are a divided bunch and that is just what the regulators want.  But, that seems to be the general state of the Republic.
Capt. Jimmy


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## d-a (Feb 26, 2013)

Bryannecker said:


> This past year the fresh water from rain in the Steinhatchie basin was responsible for a large number of fresh water catfish off the beaches on the flats.  I made two trips down there and found that to be the case.  The water was a tannic color and I understand that the scallops were found only in deeper waters.  This February we are experiencing more rain and the situation may be even worse with respect to rain fall.
> 
> But due to closures, limits, gas prices and all the general economic conditions, the law of diminishing returns is taking hold, so it worth the cost and effort to continue.  Many have decided, "no it is not!"
> 
> ...



Until they start counting the Red snapper on Artificial reefs/rigs/wrecks and any other man made structure in the gulf then it will always be a struggle for a correct assessment. Presently only fish found on Natural bottom is counted.

d-a


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## Bryannecker (Feb 26, 2013)

d-a said:


> Until they start counting the Red snapper on Artificial reefs/rigs/wrecks and any other man made structure in the gulf then it will always be a struggle for a correct assessment. Presently only fish found on Natural bottom is counted.
> 
> d-a


AGREED!
So, we can look forward to really long term closures!


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## d-a (Feb 26, 2013)

grouper throat said:


> I think even the most experienced bottom fishermen would be hard pressed to find red snapper within state waters here. It's tough enough to pull a legal gag or two within state waters and not really worth it IMO unless you want to keep some borderline legal grouper with a few decent keepers.
> 
> The best bet is to drag your boat over to carabelle or apalach to find them in state waters



If your dragging the boat west for state water red snapper, you shouldn't stop till Mexico beach. 

d-a


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## d-a (Feb 26, 2013)

Bryannecker said:


> AGREED!
> So, we can look forward to really long term closures!



At this point, anything is a possibility, however we know that the current way is not the best way. 

d-a


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