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Below is the latest news related to the Florida Guides Association and other topics related to fishing and boating in the state of Florida. Check back here often to stay up-to-date with the latest. You can support us and our mission to protect the Florida fisheries by becoming a member.
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31 January 2012
Posted in
News
Many freshwater anglers love pursuing
schools of black crappie during the cooler months in Florida.
Non-resident anglers avoiding the deeper chill of the northern states
congregate around some of these premier fisheries every winter to
join Florida’s own fishers who enjoy pursuing and harvesting these
succulent pan fishes.
Crappie are high profile fish with their own professional and amateur enthusiasts. Crappie USA kicked off their 2012 season with an event at Crescent Lake in January. Darrell Van Vactor, President of CrappieUSA, said “The 2.63 pound crappie that won the big fish award on Crescent Lake was definitely a great crappie, in fact after running crappie tournaments all over the state of Florida for over 25 years it is the best single fish ever weighed in, and the winning weight of 14.5 pounds for seven fish was also the best winning weight.” He went on to say “Crescent Lake is truly the best crappie water we have found in your state and your department is evidently doing a great management job there.”
Learn about the 10 best crappie lakes in Florida.
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31 January 2012
Posted in
News
The TWIC program began with Congress passing “The National Maritime Security Act” in 2002. The TSA and Coasties required all Merchant Marine license holders to obtain a TWIC under the guise of “security” for the maritime industry. However, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 exempted mariners on vessels not required to have a “security plan” (generally vessels carrying less than 150 passengers) from the TWIC requirement. That exemption was also in the original Congressional Act that authorized the TWIC, but because the Coasties didn’t know how to identify vessels without “secure areas” and written “security plans” they forced all licensed mariners to get a TWIC by April 15, 2009.
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15 January 2012
Posted in
Fishing Tips
Anglers who get out between cold
fronts inshore can find some pretty awesome fishing here on the
Suncoast. Approaching fronts will keep offshore boats tied to the
dock, and rightly so, because the reality of the situation is that
offshore conditions can get pretty surly. You’ll have to pick your
days with windows of opportunity to get out. For inshore guys like
me, fishing in some of my protected areas can take place most any
time. Find a few protected honey holes out of the wind and the
action can be hot!
Trout fishing reopened in January and for the future, the closure has been eliminated, opening the season for take 12 months out of the year for recreational anglers. Strong management practices for this fish have allowed the additional months of open season without reducing the numbers of fish to the point where it would negatively affect the SPR. Speckled trout are of my client’s favorite fish to catch and keep for dinner.
When water temperatures are cold, these fish generally glue themselves to the bottom. Surface lures lose effectiveness in cold weather with only a few exceptions, and those times are near the tail end of a string of warm, sunny days, usually in the afternoon during the peak of warmth. Chuck a jig out with a long cast using a light braided line like 10-pound Power Pro, and a 15-to 20-pound test stealthy leader like Ande Fluorocarbon or Backcountry co-polymer and you have a good shot at catching dinner. I like the CAL ¼-ounce chartreuse jig head coupled with a CAL #305 night glow or the #309 night glow/ holographic gold rush Shad tail. In the same colors, the DOA Shrimp is a deadly winter lure.
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14 January 2012
Posted in
News
If you enjoy the use of Florida's abundant water resources two new Florida bills may interest you.The House and Senate bills are identical with the same purpose. Their effect would be to privatize tens of thousands of acres of submerged lands in Florida. The two bills are SB 1362, sponsored by Senator Hays and HB 1103 sponsored by Representative Goodson.
Many outdoor related organizations, such as Florida Airboat Association and Audubon of Florida, are very concerned and asking their constituents to strongly oppose the bills.
