FWC Staff Thrown Under The Bus

Needless to say, I was a bit surprised when I saw the final FWC Commission’s decision to change the Redfish rules to one fish per angler in the NE Florida Region. For months FWC staff have been reporting and promoting and disseminating that their recommendation for NE Florida would be to keep the two fish per angler, but change the boat limit down to four, from eight. Also slated to change was to remove Captains from counting in the “take”.

I've had no issue with these proposed changes and, truth be told, I have no issue with even a one fish per angler and dropping the boat limit down to four, and removing the captains as counting.  In past comments I’ve stated just that. What I do have a problem with is that FWC Staff studied this over the last couple of years, began taking input a year ago, kicking off with a day-long Redfish Summit down in Ocala, hosted numerous regional workshops, and then made their recommendations to the Commissioners based on the data and science and that year long input. When the final decision was made at the Commission meeting in Jacksonville in July, after a number of passionate testimonies from anglers at the final meeting, four of the commissioners (the other three were absent), threw all of that year long effort out the window and while they were at it, threw the FWC Staff under the bus.

Has anyone in the last two years not heard the term, “Trust the Science”?  I don’t know how many researchers and scientists and data crunchers that the FWC employ but I have to assume that they all put their heads together studying the data. Then we all went thru what turned out to be a charade of the Redfish Summit, then a multitude of regional presentations and workshops, and on-line request for input from we “Stakeholders”. They had a full year of input from those stakeholders across the region.  And finally, FWC Staff settled on and published the recommendations that they were going to present to the Commissioners. At the July Commission meeting FWC Staff made these recommendations for NE Florida:

• Keep the bag limit of 2 fish per angler
• Reduce the off-the-water transport limit from 6 to 4 fish per person 
• Prohibit Captain and crew from retaining a bag limit of redfish when on a for-hire trip

All good right?

Nope, this is where it got hinky. 

FWC Staff made the above recommendation. Then the Commission took more public input (you can click here and see the entire meeting, but if you go to 1:11:56 you can see where the presentation is made with following public comment that begins around 1:24:45) 

There were 21 speakers on the subject, most advocating to drop that bag limit from 2 to 1 in the NE Region. Some were very passionate in their speeches and evidently convincing enough to sway the commissioners. If you get a chance, listen to the speeches. Even though one advocate made his case and stresses that “these are the facts”, when it comes to the regulations, shouldn’t we be making decisions based on the data and the research? There were a couple of tournament anglers who were having trouble catching Redfish in their tournament. Did they just have a bad day?  One speaker mentioned making the 1-fish rule across the board so it would be easier for law enforcement. Why then the multiple Regions?  Another suggested it was “sick” to kill ANY Redfish. Another mentioned “listen to Stakeholders”.  I guess he meant only the ones at that July meeting – not the hundreds who provided input during the year-long charade. 

Shortly after the Commissioners took public comment, the  Commissioner representing NE Florida, Sonya Rood proposed an amendment to change the FWC recommendation and move the bag limit down to 1 fish person.  I’d give a shaky thumbs up to Chairman Rodney Barreto for at least mentioning that FWC Staff had made recommendations……but…but…ok…..let’s vote on it with  Ms. Rood’s amendment and BAM! FWC Staff recommendation thrown out the window (and it slowly rolled under the bus).

The new rules will go into effect September 1, 2022:

• 1 fish per angler
• 4 fish per boat
• 4 fish while in transient
• Captains don’t count in the “take”

The FWC supposedly plans to take data, do research and study the Redfish population over the coming year and annually make their recommendations. There was some talk about including other species – Seatrout, Flounder and Snook in the new studies.

My questions are these:

• If the FWC Staff wants our input, and we give it, does it really matter?
• Are Commissioners going to “follow the science” and staff recommendations or be swayed by passionate speakers at the final meeting?
•  If FWC Staff publishes their findings and recommendations and present them right up to that final meeting, do you ever trust the Commissioners to follow those recommendations?
• Do you not have to be present at that final meeting for it to actually count? 
• Can you trust them?

REWARD:  To the first person who watches the entire FWC July Meeting video, I’ll pay .25 per time anyone mentions or says the word “Stakeholder(s)”!

Some Slick Water Fishing At Amelia Island

 It's that time of year that when we launch the sun is just coming up over the horizon and boy was it pretty today! And the water was slick as a lake! I had met David Snyder and his fishing buddy Brad Baudek out at Goffinsville Park and after a short run down the Nassau River we set up at a large outflow on the last hour of an outgoing tide. The duo of anglers were tossing jigs and live shrimp and just as a I thought, Peck-Peck-Peck, the baitstealers were getting us one after the other. But they persevered as we worked an exposed shell bank and had a "double" hookup. Brad brought to the boat a keeper sized Flounder while David landed a feisty Redfish.

We moved up the bank, fished another stretch, dueled with a couple of Ladyfish and moved on. But not before putting out a minnow trap and cast netting a good couple of dozen finger Mullet.  After running thru Horsehead we fished the entry to Jackstaff and right off David caught another Redfish then Brad put another keeper sized Flounder in the net. I was beginning to wonder if I had a "Redfish" guy and a "Flounder" guy!  

Our next stop, after running back thru Horsehead, was down at Broward Island, fishing the first of an incoming tide. The first cast produced another feisty Redfish, but that was it. We moved down the island and picked up another Redfish, fishing the jigs deep.

The final spot was up at Pumpkin Hill, drifting floats over a shell bottom. Brad hooked up when his float disappeared and landed a Redfish while David went up to a corner and caught a hungry Seatrout.  We had some nice weather (you can feel the Fall coming early in the morning) and had some good action here and there so as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Recipe of The Month: Redfish on the Halfshell

This recipe comes from one of my angler guests, William Blalock. His dad showed me pictures of the end product and it looked so good I had to track William down and get his recipe! 

2 large or 4 small red fish fillets on the half shell (skin left on one side)

Marinade:

1/4 cup- Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup- extra virgin olive oil

1/4-1/2 -teaspoon- cayenne pepper (to your likeness 🔥)

1/4 tsp - dried thyme

1 Tbsp - paprika

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 - sweet onion

1 - lemon

2 - whole garlic cloves

1 - bunch - parsley (approx. 1 TBS)

1/2- stick (unsalted/diced)- butter

- Lay red fish fillets in a bowl/ dish flesh side up.

- Pour marinade ingredients over the fillets, rub in

well, and set aside.

- Thin slice the onion, garlic, and half of a lemon.

- Squeeze the reserved half a lemon over the fish.

- Lay the thin sliced onion and garlic over the fish

and allow the fillets to marinade for 30 minutes.

- Preheat your grill to medium heat, and place the

fillets on the grill flesh side down, reserving the

sliced onions and garlic. (We sear ours on the

blackstone, then transfer to the Green egg).

- After the flesh side has nice color and grill

marks, turn the fillets flesh side up, and add the

reserved onion and garlic slices from earlier.

- Once fish has been cooking for a total of about 20 minutes, place a cast iron
sauce pan on the grill.

- Add in butter. Once it is half way melted, remove the pan from the grill and add parsley. Stir.

- Season sauce with sea salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon.

- Remove the red fish from the grill and pour sauce over the top.  Garnish the top of the fillets with thin sliced lemon, and enjoy!

* this is adapted from The BBQ

Big Fish Thursday at Amelia Island

 

I wrapped my week up today fishing with John Raker and Kenny King, meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early, with the sun just coming up over Amelia Island. We made a short run up the Nassau and set up fishing a point of grass with float rigs and live shrimp on a high and incoming tide...and we had action for about 2 hours! This duo of anglers caught Seatrout and Jacks and Ladyfish and feisty Redfish while big Tarpon busted mullet out in the river behind us!

After moving down a bit Kenny had made an excellent cast up into a "bay" and when his float slowly went under he tightened the line and let the circle hook set and Fish On!  This was the big fish Kenny had been waiting for and he made the most of it, playing it perfectly and eventually landing a nice 22.5" Slot Sized Redfish!  We moved back around the corner and caught more Jacks, Mangrove Snapper and Seatrout, a few of which were of keeper size. 

As the tide hit the top we made a run over to Seymore's Pointe where we picked up another big Mangrove, then we ran back up the river where the tide had started back out. It was getting to be mid day, the sun was getting hot and even though we were at the right spot at the right tide I had reservations that we'd get any more good bites. Boy was I wrong. I didn't even have time to settle in before John had hooked up his drag was ripping! He played it patiently and brought to the net another 22.5" Redfish. But we weren't finished. Just a few drifts later, BAM! Big Fish On! This fish took off, heading north and for a second we thought "shark", but it turned and made for the bank and we knew it was another big Red. John fought it valiantly and eventually landed a big Oversized 28" Redfish, boy what a fish!

Still not finished!  We picked up the biggest Trout of the day, this one measured at 19" and was a great way to wrap up a good day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

A Big One!

 

The Poon boys met me down at Sawpit Creek this morning for a half day of fishing the back waters of Amelia Island. Derek and his sons Zach and Tyler and I ran up the intercoastal, passed a huge flock of Rosette Spoonbills, dipped into Jackstaff and split of into a smaller creek just as the high tide began to move out. We were set up with mud minnows strung up under float rigs.  Zach  tangled with a couple of Ladyfish, and that was it.

After running thru Horsehead we headed down to Twin Creeks and fished the outgoing tide there, and again tangled with some Ladyfish. Our next stop was over at Back River, fishing a point of grass and here all three anglers got on the board. Tyler went long off the bow with a fine cast and hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish. Zach followed that up with one of  his own.

 We trolled forward and the drifted back to the point. Derek had made a good cast. let his float drift down alongside a submerged shell bed and then his float slowly went under. I saw Derek smoothly take his slack up, lift his rod, and set the circle hook and Fish On!  I was thinking "another feisty Rat Redfish" but then that rod bent over and the drag began to sing and BIG Fish On!  And boy was it a battle! Derek couldn't have played it any better though and after a few good rolls, a few good drag ripping runs, Derek brought to the boat a nice Overisized 28.5" Redfish. 

After fishing there for a bit, we ran down to Spanish Drop and worked that bank where this trio of Anglers caught a few more Redfish, a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper, and, more Ladyfish. We finished the day out at a dock at Seymore's Pointe where they added a couple of more keeper Mangroves, then we headed back, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Dodged a Storm

 When I meet Bob Blalock out at Goffinsville Park we were checking the weather radar because we could
see some ugly thunderstorms out over the ocean, and sure enough, they were creeping our way. So we left the dock, crossed the river, and fished a stretch of flooded shell bed with float rigs and mud minnows. It wasn't long before Bob was putting some small but feisty Redfish in the boat. Those storms were getting closer and wouldn't you know it, Bob hooked up with a bigger fish - one that pulled some drag and, Fish On!  Bob played it patiently, saw it roll up a couple of times, then brought it to the net - a slot sized Redfish. (all fish caught today were released). But it was beginning to sprinkle, the air turned cooler, and there were some flashes lighting the sky so we turned and ran!

After a thirty minute break back at Goffinsville, we went back to fishing, hitting the same spot, now with
oysters showing, and again caught a handful of feisty Redfish and a couple of Jack Crevalle. Our next stop was down at Spanish Drop where we worked up thru a large drainage, then along some shell beds with only some minor nibbles. But when we reached a corner where I knew there was a "bar" sticking out, Bob got busy again catching Redfish and Jacks. 

We hit a couple of more corners of shell beds, then ran to "Dara's Flounder Hole" in hopes to bump her fish from Bragging Rights, but it was to no avail. Bob did catch and land some nice sized Mangrove Snapper so as we headed back, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Granddads Anglers

 I wrapped my week up fishing out of Goffinsville Park this morning where I met Wayne Flanders and two of his adult grandsons, Jacob and Joshua. We made a short run, over to the back river and set up along side some exposed oyster beds on a tide that had been going out for 4-5 hours. As we worked the bank we could see all kinds of bait fish moving about, and once in a while, a bigger fish busting that bait. It didn't take long before all three anglers were getting bites. We had started off with live shrimp and were getting picked on every cast so we switched to some mud minnows and this did the trick. They caught small but feisty Redfish, a couple of Seatrout, and a couple of Catfish. We also had a couple of "big" takes- fish that ripped some drag, but unfortunately they came unplugged.

Our next stop was down the Nassau, fishing the last of an outgoing tide, working thru a large drainage. We caught a small Flounder there and when we got to the far end of a shell bank, it was feisty Redfish on almost every cast. Wayne figured it out and found that there was a submerged shell "reef" that came out from the shore and the fish were laying on the back side of it. We fished that stretch up and back for a good while, catching fish. Before we left we tossed the cast net and got a dozen or so nice finger mullet to replenish our bait. 

Both Joshua and Jacob were making excellent casts all day and it payed off.  We fished some dock pilings and picked up a couple of keeper sized Mangroves then ran down to Broward Island to fish the first of an incoming tide. To no avail. Not a real bites.  After running back to Nassauville, we fished a small drainage with jigs and everything else we had!  This trio of anglers added a good handful of keeper sized Mangroves and Jacob wrapped things up with a keeper sized 18" Flounder. As we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Nice Flounder and Big Trout

 

I fished north today, meeting Sam Dworetzky and his fiancée Ashlee and her parents Bonnie and Phil up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park. We ran north and west and up to the Jolley River, turned into the current of a tide that had just started in, and started fishing back to the point with jigs an drive Shrimp. We found out pretty quick that the "baitstealers" were out in full force! The girls got off to a quick start though and caught a good handful of Croaker, a small Seatrout, and a good handful of small but feisty Redfish.

Just as we reached the point and were about to move on, Sam had gone forward with a cast, felt a good hard bump, and set the hook, and, Fish On!  Same brought it expertly to the net and landed a nice keeper sized 17" Seatrout.

We ran further up the Jolley, just past Snook Creek, turned again in to the
current, and worked back thru the creek mouth. Things were slow for just a but then we had a real good flurry of fish bites - small Redfish, Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish, then Phil, taking up a spot on the stern, had a "thump". He patiently brought it to the net and landed a keeper sized Flounder.  Then Sam went up to the creek mouth -I was watching the cast- and the minute it hit the water, BAM! A good bite and Fish On!  Sam played it perfectly and after a good battle brought a big 19" Seatrout to the net.

After running back down the Jolley and around to the outside of Tyger we set up at a big drainage and worked that bank for about 100 yards. Bonnie landed a small Flounder, Sam battled a big 4' Bonnethead Shark, then Phil "the Flounder guy" had another strange bite. He hooked it up and slowly reeled to the boat (where it went crazy) and landed another, even bigger, keeper sized Flounder.

Our final stop was around in Bell River, now drifting float rigs where Sam, Ashlee and Bonnie all caught some hungry Seatrout. The sun was up, it was getting hot, but as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Family Day

I fished south again today with the Dees family, Josh and Jen and their two kids Benny and Karlynn. We
ran up the intercoastal to Jackstaff and fished a stretch of bank at almost dead low, pitching jigs and live shrimp. The "baitstealers" were out in full force and made it a challenge, but this family was up to the task. Benny hooked up and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle and Jen caught a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper.

We ran thru Horsehead and around to Spanish Drop on the Nassau and fished a stretch of shell beds on the first of an incoming tide. I was expecting fish but we fished a good 30 yards with no real bites. But when the fish started biting, boy did they start! All four family members were catching fish with Jen leading the charge, catching one feisty Redfish after another. They also had Jacks, Ladyfish, and a couple of small Flounder.

After moving back up the Nassau we worked another shell bank. The numbers weren't there but Jen did hook and catch a keeper sized Flounder. Our next stop was over between some docks at Nassauville. Again, things started slow but when the Mangrove Snapper started biting we were hooking regularly. Benny and Karlynn took turns netting fish, mom "coached us up" and Josh filled the box with the Mangrove Snapper. We went thru all our bait then called it a day and as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

Shotgun Start

 

After a weekend break I was back at it today, meeting down at Sawpit Creek Jason Palosaari, his son David, brother in law Patrick Tighe, and father in law Mike Tighe. We ran up the intercoastal, turned into the Nassau, and after a short run  pulled up at Spanish Drop and began fishing some exposed shell beds on the first of an incoming tide. I think the first "demo" cast I bombed, but the second one, as I handed it off to David, Fish On! And that's how it went for the first 45 minutes or so! David worked that fish in nicely - a feisty "Rat" Red, then all the anglers were fishing and catching fish. Mike hooked up and landed a feisty Red, then Jason hooked up and landed a feisty Red, then David had a strong bite - this was a bigger fish! He and his dad fought it patiently, battled it from bow to stern, and eventually landed a nice Slot sized Redfish. We continued to work that stretch and when I saw young David make a cast that landed out deep I was thinking, "not going to get much there", but boy was a I wrong! In just a short time David hooked up and, Fish On!  This fish was even bigger and again took him and his dad to the stern where they valiantly battled the fish and after a few strong runs, they brought to the net a 26 3/4" Tournament sized Redfish (all fish caught today were released). Boy what a fish!

Patrick had been at the stern this whole time steadfastly casting a fly rod, switching between flies every dozen or so casts. He was taking up the rear but finally he had a hookup, played it perfectly, and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle on the fly.  We fished on up to a large drainage where Mike caught and landed  hungry Flounder.

Our next stop was at some docks at Seymore's Pointe with jigs rods, to no avail, then fished the rocks at Nassauville with float rigs, again to no avail, then we moved down to some more docks and went back to the jigs. That did the trick. Mike, "the flounder guy" hooked up and landed a 17" Flounder and a then a Mangrove Snapper and Jason added an ugly Toadfish to the catch.

After making the run down to Pumpkin Hill we drifted float rigs along a flooding marsh line. The first stretch didn't pan out but the second stretch had Jason catching a big Jack Crevalle and David wrapping things up with two Catfish catches. The sun was up, we had caught a good variety of fish, so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.