AMONG ALL OF THE REGULATIONS placed on game fish throughout Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic waters, none have caused more controversy than the rules that oversee our red snapper fishery. Across their wideranging distribution, red snapper stocks were once headed for failure. Today, rigid state and federal regulations have red snapper populations happier and healthier, but the same can’t be said about recreational anglers plying the expansive habitats of these demersal delicacies.
Recreational snapper regulations seem to change as often as the tide and drive anglers mad year after year. After several decades of overfishing, red snapper stocks were officially on the rebound in 2009. While various government and environmental agencies are pleased to see a significant rebound, with spawning biomass nearly tripling from 2005-2012, officials are far from satisfied and their efforts show no signs of letting up.
Meanwhile, anglers throughout the state continue to speak out against the flawed methods these agencies use to record data and their overall failure to take certain key factors into consideration, leading to the misguided management policies we see in place today.
Like most bottom fish, red snapper associate with structure, and various forms of natural and artificial habitat providing relief above the seafloor are essential to their survival. In waters surrounding the state, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, countless structures have been introduced in recent years, from strategically executed man-made reef modules to miscellaneous sunken debris. The introduction of new habitat over the years has been wildly beneficial to red snapper stocks, with flourishing populations present in areas once devoid of life.
Denne historien er fra May-June 2017-utgaven av Florida Sport Fishing.
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Denne historien er fra May-June 2017-utgaven av Florida Sport Fishing.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A Whole Different Animal - Wild Cats that Got the Cream
MOST ANGLERS HAVE STRONG BELIEFS ABOUT WHAT HULL TYPE IS BEST. Running hard in rough water requires a seaworthy platform with the strength and stability to keep you safe, comfortable and dry. Among the different trends that have consequently become evident from the evolution of center consoles, boat builders are cornering a new niche of complex and competitive catamarans harnessing more outboard power than ever before. Breaking the barrier with innovative hull designs and deck layouts, the newest catamarans offer unobstructed fishability while providing increased fuel economy and speed per applied horsepower.
Pulley Ridge 2.0 The Jig Is Up
WE’RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME of the most rewarding bottom fishing north of the equator. If the Sunshine State’s countless reefs, wrecks and ledges aren’t enough to keep you entertained, then you should know about a unique deep-water coral community that exists within a day’s boat ride from Key West. For adventurous anglers lucky enough to have experienced these rich waters, the area has proven to yield a bottom fishing bonanza beyond anyone’s imagination. However, the approach at Pulley Ridge has changed dramatically since we first started exploring the depths nearly a decade ago.
The Lotus Effect - Exploring The Science Of The Shine
THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS inspired by the animal kingdom, with the science of emulating nature known as biomimetics. Evolution has perfected natural designs and environmental approaches over hundreds of millions of years, providing chemists, biologists and engineers with a perfect platform to advance modern materials and manufacturing processes. Learning the way of the lotus leaf has revealed remarkable self-cleaning properties resulting from the unique flora’s ultrahydrophobic surface architecture producing water droplets in nearly perfect spherical shape.
Everglades Enlivened
Ailing Florida Bay Shows Promising Signs of Life
Yellow [Fin] Fever
Amid the Confines of Pristine Natural Habitat, Tuna Aplenty Defines This Pacific Island Hideaway
Reeling In The Magic
Add Big Bass to Your Next Disney Adventure.
Big Sky's The Limit
Carving Turns and Catching Trout in the Land of Lewis and Clark.
Underwater LEDs
MY CENTER CONSOLE WAS RECENTLY OUTFITTED with full spectrum color-changing underwater LEDs and I can’t wait to test them out. I’m aware of their ability to attract forage and predator species to the boat from dusk till dawn, but are high intensity LEDs effective at attracting life during the day? If so, what color shines brightest amid the natural light of the sun?
In-Depth
The Real Deal on Reporting Draft
Three-Pointer
Treble Hook Selection for Specific Applications