Thoughts On This Redfish Slot Change Idea?
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Salt Strong Podcast
Hey Salt Strong Nation,
Fishing isn’t what it used to be.
More development.
More pressure.
Declining water quality.
And it’s all happening at the same time.
So when I came across this idea…
I honestly didn’t know what to think.
I don’t have the answer.
But I do think it’s worth talking about.
In this discussion, we break down a proposed redfish slot change that could impact how we fish moving forward.
Watch below to take a look and comment where you stand on it.
Key Takeaways
- Habitat loss, development, and water quality are all impacting fisheries
- Fishing pressure has increased significantly over the years
- The current redfish slot has remained largely unchanged for decades
- One proposed idea is narrowing the slot
- Seasonal closures during spawning periods were also discussed
- Fisheries have shown they can rebound when given time and protection
- Any changes would impact anglers in different ways
👉 You can check out the petition mentioned in the video here: www.morefishflorida.com
Final Thoughts
There’s no clear answer here.
That’s why we wanted to bring this up.
Not to say what’s right or wrong…
But to open up the conversation.
Curious to hear your thoughts.
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
I am 76 years old. Have fished salt and fresh water fished. I lived on the Chesapeake bay when stripers(rockfish were abundant. The commercial harvest and lack of enforcement decimated the population. As I am rarely checked from enforcement from Florida up to the Carolina’s coast. When over the limit occurs, the fines are not a deterrent. Do we have data on commercial quotas.
Redfish
SC Recently passed legislation to change the Red slot from 15-23 to 18-25 AND only 1 per person (was 2) and 2 per boat daily. Just needs to happen
I believe this slot limit should be imposed upon commercial and charters but not upon recreational anglers as there is no current data to support such a move toward the recreational fisherman. At only one per day – in the slot- and given most fishermen are weekend anglers, the limitations are strict enough already.
The redfish has come way back from the 70’s when there were less anglers and extensive commercial depletion. To fix this current problem (if it exists) make redfish (and all drums) just like snook – illegal to sell commercially – and watch the population of reds go up in future years just like the Net Ban helped.
I am all about limits and sustainability! That said, there are many regulations that impact the recreational angle more so than the commercial guys…in my opinion.
To the issue at hand; the current Gulf red fish limit is 1 fish per licensed angler per day between 18” and 27”. I believe an amendment to the slot limit is an angler’s duty for sustainability of any species. A suggestion is 20” to 25” per person (1 per).
Looking at a hypothetical scenario; assume Mom, Dad and two kids go fishing. Regardless of the reg being used (actual or my suggested regs above), the family can keep 4 Reds. Perhaps as anglers we should also consider an aggregated bag limit for the boat of 3 fish, as well. Taking the above scenario a step further, if that was a charter, the Captain can add a fish count as well (now 5 fish). So a boat bag limit begins to make sense when considering sustainability.
The above scenario does not contemplate other fish which the family (or angler) can target. When speaking to bag limits or restrictions, we tend to forget about the other species that can be targeted as well…trout, snook, flounder, sheepshead, etc.
To close, as anglers, we have a responsibility to stewardship and sustainability. What I suggested above is how I fish. I enjoy putting meat on the table, but only enough for my family for the night. We must think of what we leave “our” future.
Cheers
Another point I’d like to make is after you buy a boat fill it with gas most anglers are therefore the sport. I can go to the fish market and get fish a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a boat and going out of my own. I’m all for limiting net volume. I also think if more people understand what’s going on that they would change on their own.
I guess my question is how many people love Fishing without having to take fish home. I personally only take fish that I feel will not survive. My question is how much these changes would affect the guides. I have gone out with guides and mainly have catch and release.
I catch and release probably 9 out of 10 times I fish, so I don’t feel that my opinion on slot changes will be very popular.
I think licensed professional guides do not need any more regulations that will negatively impact their business. Make changes to the Rec guys (like me), don’t hurt the guys trying to make a living a living on the water.
Well I don’t really know about how the fishing is on your side or part of the state meaning gulf coast and south fl versus where I live in northeast florida but here in northeast florida our redfish stocks are doing fine in fact since I first began inshore saltwater fishing back 23 years ago march of 03 to be specific I actually see more fish now then I did back then and while yes we do get alot of fishing pressure here I don’t think its as much as the gulf coast does also I don’t believe as many anglers keep there catch as much as they used to not including me because I love fresh fish plus the fact here in northeast florida we don’t have red tides to really worry about and I really haven’t seen a massive fish die off since I began inshore saltwater fishing unlike where you guys are that have had a number of red tide related fish kills that had the fwc litterally male it mandatory catch and release only that never happens here so yea maybe in your areas of the gulf coast and south Florida some laws should be changed but not here our redfish stocks are doing quite well and we have plenty of breeder sized female fish as well as slot sized ones anyways that’s my opinion and like you said everyone has them but unlike some people I don’t base my opinions on what I feel but what I have seen and experienced and whi I e im not on the water as much as a guide or you guys that literally make there living fishing I get plenty of time on the water and these observations I have experienced is from over 20 years of fishing so im not just some newbie that doesn’t understand anyways that’s my views and im sticking to it until something drastic happens to change my mind thanks for your view points on this subject and all you do🤔
As a sporadic fisherman that does not have the joy of living near the coast, I would not mind lowering the slot even if it means lowering the bag limit. When I have a chance to fish and I catch a 15″-16″ red, I get happy but have to release it. That size would be good to eat. I don’t catch many that are 20″s during the few days I get to the coast but have pulled in more than a few bull reds. Texas is 3 between 20-28 which means that you can’t lower the bag limit much more. With that being said, since I work for a school district, I would always make a trip to the coast in November to try to catch flounder only to realize now that they have closed the flounder fisheries lately during that time. I liked when they at least would limit it to two. We all know that we see the individuals that will keep undersized and such but the amount that do that may not be as great as we thing. I just don’t want to risk the fine so I don’t even though I have traveled 6 hrs to fish.