Fly Fishing - Florida: Bonefish & Tarpon Season NOT "Closed"

Black-Merkin · Location: Florida Keys

Do to the Major fish die off in all parts of Florida and the Keys FWC has placed a close season on Tarpon and Bonefish untill March 31. Some people seem to think that means that you can not fish for them, that is wrong. You can still target them through catch and release only!!!! I don't know a single soul that would kill any of these fish anyways but the press has put out bad info out to the public , info such as Bonfishing and Tarpon fishing is closed in the keys.. That is not the case. Catch and release is still alowed!!!!!
The keys have been hit hard as far as the fish die off. Large numbers of Grouper & Snappers, Tarpon, and Bonefish are dead and now floating in the back country waters. I have only found 1 dead permit, but the number of Tarpon and Bonefish is shocking!!!!

MarshallD · Location: Naples, Fl

Putting out erroneous headlines like "Tarpon Snook and Bonefishing Closed" shows how the sport is misunderstood....All the headlines should have been more carefully worded because there has been huge confusion.

The errors in news headines may have an adverse effect on the guiding undustry here in SWF and the Keys and I saw some posts on FB by people who said they were passing up this area in favor of going to the Carribean or eleswhere.

biscayne · Location: Miami Biscayne Bay

Black-Merkin
I'm so glad that you posted this up; because I was just about too do the same. It's funny how the local media was stating those comments when they didn't even know the facts.
I had a customer email me a link from another saltwater forum that was based on an article from the Miami Herald. Based on this article alone he was already considering cancelling his trip in late March-April.
If this was the case I would be out of business by the end of the month.
Raul

Catch-and-release fishing still allowed for snook, bonefish and tarpon

January 17, 2010
Contact: Lee Schlesinger, 850-487-0554

While the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an executive order on Jan. 15 that temporarily extends closed harvest seasons for snook statewide and establishes temporary statewide closed harvest seasons for bonefish and tarpon, the FWC advises anglers that catch-and-release fishing for these important game fish species is still allowed.

The FWC appreciates angler support for taking conservation measures that will help protect saltwater fish and provide time for the FWC to evaluate the possible impacts to fish populations that may have occurred because of the recent prolonged cold weather in Florida.

The order, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 16, provides that no person may harvest or possess snook in state and federal waters off Florida until September and establishes a temporary prohibition on the harvest and possession of bonefish and tarpon from state and federal waters off Florida through March 31.

The FWC advises anglers that this order prohibits only the harvest or possession of snook, bonefish and tarpon during the closed periods. Anglers may still catch and release these species during these temporary closures, and the FWC encourages everyone to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their survival upon release. Information regarding proper handling and release of fish is available online at http://catchandrelease.org/Catch_and_Release_web.pdf.

More information on the FWC's executive order regarding the snook, bonefish and tarpon temporary harvest closures, and information regarding another FWC executive order issued on Jan. 15, which temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow for the collection and disposal of dead fish killed by cold weather, is available online at MyFWC.com.