At last ! Now all the other saltwater anglers will be putting a little back into the resources after all these years of taking from it and not contributing. What I am talking about is a saltwater fishing license being required of shore, dock and bridge anglers. Yes, come August 1st, 2009 they will also be required to have a license. The only thing that kinda gets me is that their license will only be $9.00 where a 'boat-fishing license' is still $17.00 but, at least it's a start.
If the Governor approves this new law then all of the saltwater anglers of the State of Florida will not be required to pay for the new National Federal Saltwater Registry starting January 1, 2010 where all saltwater anglers in the U.S. will have to "register" just to fish in saltwater. That's supposed to cost between $15 & $25 each year. Some people are against a new shore bound license because they say it's just a new tax.
I've always had the opinion that if you enjoy the sport of fishing, a license that only costs $17 for an entire year is well worth it. After all, when you break it down, that's only $1.42 per month and I know people can take home more than that worth of fish not even counting the enjoyment they get while fishing.
Now, I might upset some anglers with my opinion but look at it this way, with more license fees the State of Florida can hire more FWC Officers and with more Officers they can keep a better eye on what's happening with the poaching. The less poaching going on the better the fisheries are going to be for all of us. People who take small illegal fish, (undersized) take oversized fish and take over their bag limit of fish are poachers. Plain and simple. That is the FWC's definition of poaching. All responsible anglers who abide by the laws are affected by the poachers. Smaller fish don't get large enough to even start their breeding and when people take more than their fair share, (over the bag limit) of fish they are taking some of YOUR fish, part of your share. So, let's look at the bright side of this. Our fishery should be better because of this new requirement.
Some exceptions have been made for the new license. If an angler is on food stamps, temporary cash assistance or medicare they will be exempt. Also seniors over 65 and children under 16 do not have to buy a license. Finally, individuals fishing with a simple pole with no line retrieving device, (reel) attached will also be exempt.
Re: Ethanol Waiver
The U.S. boating industry needs your help in PREVENTING THE EPA FROM ALLOWING AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF ETHANOL in gasoline.
Act Now
On March 6, 2009, a new pro-ethanol lobbying organization called Growth Energy aligned with 54 ethanol manufacturers and formally requested that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allow an increase of ethanol blend levels in gasoline to 15 percent (E15). As is required by law, the EPA on April 21 published a Notice for Comment in the Federal Register, beginning a 30-day public comment period that will close May 21, 2009. (This date has been extended to July 20, 2009,)
Failure to stop momentum at this stage will almost certainly cause all engine companies and their suppliers to redesign and re-engineer product lineups at a time when all of us can least afford it.
IMPORTANT FACTS:
Marine engines have not been tested with ethanol blends above E10.
Some marine engines have experienced issues using E10, and additional problems would certainly be anticipated with higher levels of ethanol blends.
Let the data tell the story! Tell the EPA to deny the E15 waiver until adequate testing has been conducted.
TO SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO THE EPA, URGING THEM TO DENY THE E15 WAIVER GO TO THE FORM AT:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=09000064809a3684
YOU CAN IGNORE THE BLOCKS RELATED TO "GOVERNMENT AGENCY" WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE FORM.
Beat them at their own game. Ethanol Advocates are mobilizing forces to submit 20,000 favorable comments to the EPA, requesting that the agency grant a waiver for E15.
There are 18 million boats currently in operation in the U.S., and none of them has been designed, certified, or warranted to run on anything above E10, the current maximum legal blend level. Boaters know that increased ethanol blends will cause performance problems with their boats and engines, increase maintenance costs, potentially pose safety risks and increase air pollution.
And yet, neither the EPA nor any other federal agency has performed a single test regarding the impacts of E15 on marine engines, fuel systems or components. Marine engines and fuel systems are not designed, calibrated or certified to run on anything above 10 percent ethanol. We ask you to support a science-first approach and urge the EPA to deny the ethanol industry's E15 waiver request until independent and comprehensive scientific testing is completed on a full range of marine engines and other products.
Visit the link above to submit your comments to the EPA and to tell them about the negative impact this will have on your boat engine.
I also want to take a moment to thank all of the kind people who donated books for my Hooked On Reading Program for Dinsmore Elementary School. I appreciate you all being concerned enough to help our kids, our future, become better readers and more educated. Here are a couple of photos of the book sale held at the school last month. THANK YOU ALL !!!
CREEKS:
The redfish have been chewing better and better here lately. We've even been catching some nice oversized reds in the creeks up to 32' so far. Please be careful with these fish and revive them as long as it takes for them to survive. There are some nice 15" to 18" black drum here and there in the creeks and they seem to bite better after the tide has been coming in about two hours.
More and more flounder have been showing up but most of them are still on the small size. A few around the 16' to 19" are there. You just have to hunt for them. We've actually been catching the flounder better on live mud minnows so far.
Spotted trout are all over but so many small ones get to your bait first. I like casting hard lures for the larger ones as it seems the larger ones like the lures better than actual bait. My favorite top waters are the Super Spook Jr's in the Redfish color, the Skitterwalk in the Redfish color and MirrOlure's Top Pup in the mullet color. Of course I really like the Bomber Long A's but they aren't top water lures.
JETTIES:
Black drum and a very few sheepshead are being caught out at the rocks. The black drum are still around 20" to 28" and man, do they fight. That's why I call them "jetty grouper". bull redfish are showing back up from offshore with a vengeance. When you get into them they seem to not wait to take a bait. They're on it like they're ready to rumble.
I've seen a few cobia at the tip of the South Jetty on the incoming tides but I personally haven't had one take a bait from me yet. I just haven't had any live pogies or Gulp! Ell Baits when I see them. I'll have to keep some on board when I can get back out there.
I also saw my first tarpon of the season just inside the South jetty about a week ago. It's getting time. They should gather more and more at the rocks and then drift into the creeks in another few weeks.
A few sharks have been bending rods and now, at this time of the year, I'll be looking for some real bent rods with the bull sharks that should be here any day now. You talk about a fight ! I always wonder who's going to tire out first when one of my customers tie into one of these bruisers.
Whiting are showing up good now outside of the rocks in the sand.
RIVER:
Black drum are still around in the river and when you find them you'll also find whiting and sea bass. Some of the sea bass here lately have been up to 14" in the river and that's a strong size. Of course there are loads of undersized ones around too.
Oversized redfish are also in the river ready to give you a run for your money. Please revive these big fish so they can give another angler a fun fight.
Some real nice whiting and yellow mouth trout in the sandier areas of the river. When I mention 'sandier areas', I'm not talking about rock bottoms or mud bottoms. Some of the whiting I've seen here lately are a couple of pounds. Whiting and black drum are being caught from the bridge in Nassau Sound too.
MILL COVE:
Spotted trout are showing up better in the Cove here lately and there has been some real nice ones caught on hard lures. Of course there are still a lot of small ones around but there are more and more larger ones showing up now since we've had a lot of rain South of Jacksonville in the river system. It's flushed a lot of trout from South of downtown back to where we usually catch them. Small schools of jacks have been tearing up the surface of the water and target your redfish either at the grass edges with a Cajun Thunder and a live shrimp at high tides or along the shallows with mud minnows on the lower tides.
SURF:
Whiting and black drum are the main species being caught in the surf now with an occasional pompano being a bonus. There has been 4 kingfish caught on the Jacksonville Beach Pier so far this year so things are looking up for that area of the Beach.
OFFSHORE:
Kingfish, cobia and amberjack are being targeted now closer in and further out you can target dolphin and wahoo. Bottom fishing is doing good for red snapper and beeliners with a few spadefish and some nice sea bass here and there.
You can say what you want about the South but,
you never hear of anyone retiring and moving up North,,,
Captain Vic Tison
Co-Host of WOKV's 'Just Fishing' Radio Show, Saturdays 6:00am to 8:00am
United States Coast Guard Licensed Captain
International Game Fish Assoc. Certified Captain
Regional Director for the Florida Guides Assoc.
Member of the National Assoc. of Charterboat Operators
Member of the American Professional Captain's Association
Sponsor of The Inshore Saltwater Anglers Club
Vic2Fish & Adventures, Inc.
P O Box 28208
Jax., Fl. 32226
904-699-2285
Web Site http://vic2fish.com
Neither Captain Vic nor Vic2Fish & Adventures, Inc. claims any responsibility for any injury or loss of property arising out of any party using these Fishing Reports.
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