The Florida Fishing Experts
Specializing in Florida Bass Fishing on all of the Florida Freshwater Lakes.

FWC Press Release:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) waded through numerous high-profile issues during its meeting in Apalachicola Wednesday and Thursday.

The meeting opened with a presentation of the 2009 Louise Ireland Humphrey Achievement Award to former FWC Law Enforcement Director Julie Jones. In September, Jones was appointed executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Commissioners recognized national-award-winning artist Elam Stoltzfus of Blountstown. The FSU graduate has already won 35 prestigious awards in his brief career as a film producer. He heads up the media company Live Oak Production Group.

In a vote of interest to sportsmen, commissioners gave a thumbs-up to revamping deer hunting zones and dates to align them with the rut – the period of peak deer activity associated with the breeding season.

Commissioners also gave final approval to new rules to clarify regulation of nuisance wildlife and nonnative wildlife. In addition, they approved new hunting and fishing regulations for public lands and created a special two-day, youth spring turkey season for supervised kids, under age 16. The rule package included substantial increases in a variety of hunting opportunities on public land.

In other action during Wednesday’s session, commissioners directed staff to proceed with developing new rules to tighten regulation of reptiles of concern. Proposals include extending amnesty to pet owners who turn over reptiles of concern to licensed individuals and incorporate changes to the required permanent identification of the animals. Chairman Rodney Barreto urged staff to develop the strictest rules possible.

In addition, commissioners directed FWC staff to continue work on a series of rule proposals on captive wildlife regarding Critical Incident/Disaster plans, hobbyists and labeling on wildlife shipments. A draft rule also was approved, updating the process by which counties notify the FWC regarding local zoning and building codes for proposed facilities housing Class I or Class II wildlife.

Commissioners received an update on the fox or coyote enclosure permit process on Wednesday. The report included the results of recent FWC investigations into the operation of enclosures where hunters pursue foxes or coyotes with dogs. Commissioners decided to temporarily prohibit the chasing of foxes and coyotes in enclosures while staff drafts rules guiding such enclosures in Florida.

On Thursday, the meeting began with the Commissioners recognizing retired general counsel Jim Antista. Antista began working as general counsel with the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC) in 1990. He represented the GFC and FWC in a variety of complex legal cases, including such things as litigation involving high-water lines and boundaries between state-owned submerged lands and private lands; drafted legislation to modernize penalties for violating fish and wildlife rules; principally drafted the implementing bill creating the FWC; and more.

Thursday’s agenda included a staff report regarding several technical problems in the FWC’s licensing system. Commissioners directed staff to change the current first-come, first-served selection of participants for quota hunts in favor of a less technology-dependent random selection method for the first phase of the permit-issuance process.

Another staff report focused on an initiative to establish youth conservation centers around the state to offer children opportunities to connect with wildlife and nature through many types of outdoor recreational activities.

Also on Thursday, the Commission approved rules to prohibit all harvest of lemon sharks from Florida waters and extend the expiration date of the moratorium on new spiny lobster commercial dive permits from July 1, 2010 until July 1, 2015. These rules take effect on March 23.

In addition, commissioners proposed a draft rule that would include all species of bonefish found in Florida in the FWC’s bonefish management rules, extend Florida bonefish regulations into adjacent federal waters, and require that bonefish be landed in a whole condition.

Another proposed draft rule would allow all ballyhoo endorsement holders to sell their endorsement to other commercial fishers from July 1 – March 31 each year, limit any one entity from holding more than two ballyhoo endorsements at any one time, prohibit leasing of the endorsement, and allow only one endorsement per saltwater products license and one saltwater products license to be associated with a single endorsement.

The FWC also approved a draft rule to allow oyster harvesters to stow hand tongs on their unmoored vessels from sunset to sunrise so that they can transit to oyster bars before dawn and begin harvesting oysters at sunrise.

Final public hearings will be held in April on the FWC’s proposed draft rules for bonefish, ballyhoo and oysters.

The FWC also proposed a draft rule for weakfish, also known as gray seatrout or yellow-mouth trout, that would apply Florida’s weakfish management rules only in state waters of the St. Marys River in Nassau County, provide that all weakfish-like fish (including weakfish, sand seatrout and their hybrids) would be considered weakfish in this management area, and reduce the daily recreational bag limit for weakfish from four fish to one fish and establish a commercial weakfish harvest limit of 100 pounds per vessel per day or trip (whichever is longer) in the weakfish management area. A final public hearing on the proposed weakfish rule amendments will take place in June.

In other marine fisheries action, the Commission discussed Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean red snapper and other federal fishery management issues.

The next FWC regular meeting will be in the Tallahassee area April 28-29

FWC Press Release:

The new year is a good time to start anew. This is certainly true for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as it begins an era of new leadership in 2010. Ken Haddad, FWC’s executive director since 2002, retired in December after a proud career with the agency.

When he became executive director, the agency was in a state of flux as a result of a constitutional amendment, combining the old Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, the Marine Fisheries Commission and parts of the Department of Environmental Protection into the new FWC. He said he wanted “to see FWC no less than the premier fish and wildlife agency in the country – a progressive and cutting-edge resource management, science and enforcement agency.”

“I want the FWC to be visionary … and to be proactive rather than reactive to resource issues. I want to see a focused, well-managed, and well-funded agency that is a model of efficiency and business for other agencies in the state and nation,” Haddad said.

His diligence and vision helped guide the FWC as it surged forward under Haddad’s leadership. Now it is widely recognized as one of the most progressive agencies in the country. Customer service, continual improvement and staff empowerment were hallmarks of his tenure. He also emphasized stakeholder input and involvement, and helped launch Get Outdoors Florida! (www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.org). Similarly, he was instrumental in bringing about a summit titled “Florida’s Wildlife: On the front line of climate change,” which put the FWC in the forefront among conservation agencies by developing a comprehensive plan of action for Florida to address climate change issues as they relate to the state’s fish and wildlife.

As he moves on, he has left the agency in great hands. Nick Wiley, the former assistant executive director, was appointed by the FWC commissioners as the third executive director of the agency, pending Florida Senate confirmation.

Wiley is passionately dedicated to the conservation of fish and wildlife resources and an energetic advocate for getting youth outdoors and preserving our American heritage as anglers and hunters who live with and understand nature. As a researcher and field biologist, his work was primarily with terrestrial wildlife, but his personal interests include angling. The fishing community will be well-served by his enthusiastic leadership.

The new executive director also clearly understands the importance of the human-dimensions aspects of wildlife management. He has promoted hunting summits to bring in various stakeholders to discuss the future of hunting and incorporated solid research and marketing approaches to meet hunters’ needs. These same issues have been of concern in the fishing arena.

In keeping with the theme of stakeholder input, similar efforts have been ongoing and involve individual freshwater anglers and diverse Florida businesses that derive their livelihood from ensuring that top-quality, safe and sustainable fishing opportunities are available throughout Florida. A series of regional summits led to development of an initial planning document in 2008 titled “The Future of Freshwater Fishing – A Vision for Florida’s Freshwater Resources.” From there, an independent Florida Freshwater Fishing Coalition spun off, which is becoming a more vocal advocate for the conservation needs of our freshwater resources.

So as we change those calendars and start the new year, the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management feels the FWC is well-positioned to continue to ensure that Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. We thank Ken Haddad for his past leadership and look forward to embracing the enthusiasm Nick Wiley has for our fish and wildlife, engaging youth in active nature-based recreation and ensuring that your voice as an angler is heard.

With that in mind, don’t forget we are looking for your ideas pertaining to a Long-Term Management Plan for Black Bass. To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and view the Black Bass Management information in the yellow box. You’ll have the opportunity to complete a survey to provide the FWC with more information about what you think is important to having quality bass fishing in Florida.

Instant licenses are available at MyFWC.com/License or by calling 888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356). Report violators by calling *FWC or #FWC on your cell phone, or 888-404-3922. Visit http://www.myfwc.com/Fishing/ for more Fish Busters’ columns.

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer BASSonline – fishing@bassonline.com
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

Florida Fish Busters’ Bulletin

December 2009
Bob Wattendorf

FWC needs your input on the draft black bass management plan

Black bass are the most popular recreational fishes in the United States, but do you know what they are? In the Sunshine State, black bass include Florida largemouth, shoal, spotted and Suwannee basses. We are fortunate to live in a state known as the Garden of Eden for these feisty sport fish.

Scientists specializing in fish species will tell you they aren’t real bass at all, but rather members of the sunfish family that include crappie and bluegill. But anglers who have tussled with a Florida largemouth bass will insist they are the “reel” basses.

In Florida, black bass annually provide more than 800,000 anglers with nearly 15 million days of healthy outdoor recreation and generate substantially more than a billion dollars in economic impact for Florida. So although the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has always zealously managed these fish to ensure their survival and sustainable use, it is now time to pull together all the loosely connected pieces into one cohesive management plan.

Darrell Scovell, director of the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, announced the framework for such a plan at the first public meeting of the rapidly evolving Florida Freshwater Fishing Coalition (FLFFC.org), in October in Orlando. The FWC’s Black Bass Management Plan will ultimately provide the blueprint to ensure Florida’s recognition as “The Bass Capital of the World,” according to Scovell. The meeting drew representatives from 17 fishery-dependent type organizations, businesses and groups who actively participated in the discussion and commended the FWC for its outreach effort.

Tom Champeau, an FWC fisheries expert and director of the South Region, introduced the concept at the meeting. He emphasized that the prominence of our bass fisheries cannot be taken for granted. Participation in freshwater fishing has been affected by societal changes related to urbanization and changing demographics. Freshwater fishing license sales have shown an overall decline since the 1980s, although sales have stabilized over the past 10 years. Development of land and water resources to support our current and projected population growth threatens lake, river and associated wetland habitats. The uncertain impacts of climate change on freshwater habitats and bass fishing require investigation and adaptive management.

To protect our valuable bass fisheries, the FWC plans to engage more stakeholders through a year-long process to develop a long-term (2010-2030) management plan for Florida bass species. This plan will provide strategies and programs to manage for high quality fisheries and increase opportunities for anglers to pursue trophy Florida bass.

“The FLFFC is ecstatic about being involved at the grass roots level in discussing Florida’s black bass management,” said Todd Kersey, CEO of the FLFFC. “The enthusiasm of the participants shows how important this is and the desire to see all aspects of management – from aquatic vegetation control, to habitat enhancement and stocking, to regulation management and enforcement – included in the plan.”

That is just what the FWC biologists wanted to hear, not only from the FLFFC, but from all of the nearly 1 million anglers who enjoy fishing in Florida for black bass. The plan will include all those aspects and more, but the final product depends on good, solid science, knowledge of local fisheries – including the constraints and opportunities – and what you, the public, want your fisheries resources to be. From creating relaxing, low-pressure aesthetic fisheries where natural scenery is the major draw, to fast-action schooling bass in the small to average size range, to limited-entry trophy bass fisheries, FWC biologists are willing to work with local communities to design a management plan that, with adequate funding and public support, can provide the sustainable fishing opportunities you want.

To see a draft of the plan and the PowerPoint presentation given at the FLFFC meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and select Black Bass Management Plan proposal. You’ll also have the opportunity to fill out a survey to provide the FWC with more information about what you think is important to having quality bass fishing in Florida. Make your voice heard, fill out the survey today.

TURKEY CREEK – Boating and fishing activities at Hillsborough County’s Edward Medard Park will be impacted by low water levels due to a rehabilitation project to refurbish the Medard Park Reservoir.

The boat ramp will close Monday to motorized vessels. The reservoir will remain open to canoes and kayaks until Monday, Nov. 23.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has suspended bag and size limits for largemouth bass, bream, and black crappie caught by pole or rod during this time. Anglers must still adhere to all other sportfish regulations, including those regulation concerning legal methods of take.

After Nov. 23, the reservoir will be closed to all fishing or boating activities because of the low water level. No Trespassing signs will be installed around the top bank of the reservoir and no one will be allowed to enter the reservoir area during construction.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District will refurbish and fortify the Medard Reservoir embankment to protect against erosion. To prepare for the repairs, the district is lowering the level of the reservoir by 12 feet. Construction should begin in January and is expected be complete by May. Boating will resume again after the project is completed and water levels are restored naturally by rainfall.

For more information about the Medard project, call the district’s Operations Department at (800- 423-1476 or (352) 796-7211.

Other amenities at Medard Park such as camping and picnicking will remain open during the project. For information on Hillsborough County Parks call (813) 635-3500 or visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/parks.

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer BASSonline – fishing@bassonline.com
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS

Florida Largemouth Black Bass

10/29/2009 – Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the University of Florida need assistance with a statewide largemouth bass research study. This year-long project is an interactive way for the public to help biologists obtain critical information necessary to manage the largemouth bass fishery for quality and trophy-sized fish.

From this study, biologists hope to learn how frequently bass are caught and harvested. They also hope to learn more about the size range of fish caught.

Beginning this month, biologists are tagging largemouth bass with small, yellow tags along the back of the fish just below the dorsal fin. These tags carry a printed telephone number, e-mail address, tag number and reward value.  Anglers should carefully examine all bass caught in Florida lakes for reward tags, as biologists will tag fish in numerous lakes throughout the state.

Biologists encourage anglers to remove these tags by cutting them as close to the fish as possible and then treat the fish as they would normally. Once anglers remove a tag, they should immediately report it to the FWC Angler Tag Return Hotline at 800-367-4461 or e-mail TagReturn [at] MyFWC [dot] com.

Anglers participating in the study will receive a reward for each largemouth bass tag they return to the FWC. When reporting the tag, anglers should provide the following information:

• the species of fish,
• tag number, fish length,
• date and time of capture,
• name of the lake where the fish was caught, and
• whether the angler kept or released the fish.

Anglers should mail the tags to:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Attn: LMB Tagging Study
601 W. Woodward Ave.
Eustis, FL 32726

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer BASSonline – fishing@bassonline.com
BassOnline.com / 888-829-BASS