Recreational & Commercial Anglers Declare War!

Why not join us over at The Online Fisherman dot com, as we are going to war against NOAA, the EDF, Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and any other ABC unit of our Federal Government that wishes to stick its nose where is does not belong; on the end of my fish hook while I'm out either angling for a living or taking my son fishing! What they are doing is not only illegal but based on false to old to make it up as you go along data. We are banning together all over the country. Call your friends and fellow Captains because no matter our differences on the water or as neighbors, color, creed or religion, we must have solidarity against this bunch of Bushwhackers! Together, in numbers, as Americans, indivisible as one, united in cause and we will win! Fish for one, Fish for ALL! JOIN US!

President Obama is LOST, help him find his way...

Be Saved by the Online Fisherman or be LOST under the UN!

If you are looking to help save angling as we know it now and would like to get involved in helping spread the word of Anti-Catch Shares & Sector Separation, it would be appreciated, as after the Oceans are contained by the UN under LOST and President Obama's signage of said Bill (to which we and a hand full of Senators are trying to stop), the inshore of the inshore is next in their sights, along with all out flowing rivers into the oceans and public lands adjacent to them in the form of angling restrictions to which have never before been seen in this country before. An example would be angling for your favorite fish anywhere, USA.

The Political Sandbox: Sarah Palin; No match to Gary Anderson, a Tea Party Letter

The Political Sandbox: Sarah Palin; No match to Gary Anderson, a Tea Party Letter

GMFMC , An Alphabet of B.S. “NO FISHING ALLOWED!”

Have you seen the latest B.S. On SPECIAL FISH?

It's Your Money, why are you letting them play with it?

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to Convene its Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene its Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee December 13-15, 2010, in Tampa, Florida. Every attempt will be made to broadcast the meeting over the Internet.
The Committee will meet to review several issues related to development of the generic annual catch limit/accountability measures amendment. These issues include a review of the latest version of the draft acceptable biological catch control rule, as well as a discussion on the use of judgment calls and mean catch to define the overfishing limit when setting acceptable biological catch for *data poor* species.

The Committee will also review the use of in-season accountability measures and proposed revisions to species groupings to be used in setting annual catch limits. Finally, the Committee will develop recommendations for acceptable biological catch and potential overfishing limits **for all stocks **in the generic annual catch limit/accountability measures amendment.
The meeting will be held at the Gulf Council office, 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, in Tampa, Florida. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am Monday, concluding no later than 3:00 pm Wednesday. Copies of the agenda and other related materials may be obtained by calling 813-348-1630 or by visiting the Council’s ftp site at ftp.gulfcouncil.org.
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Trish Kennedy at the Council office at least five working days prior to the meeting.
Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come before the committee, in accordance with the M-SFCMA, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Panel action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans designed to manage fishery resources in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

*data poor* means best guess?

**for all stocks ** means anything with fins by or near a reef and all pelics.

Generic; another make it up as we go along and spend my tax dollars!

Pier Fishing At Venice Florida, Catching Shark

 

Out on the Boards with Sharky's Sharks

As water temperatures have been on the drop, with the passage of each new weekly cold front, so to has been the bite of a variety of fish. Those magic temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees bring in the Kings as the run their migratory dash up or down our beaches, depending on the time of year it is and to this migratory run are to those who would dine upon them; sharks, big sharks! Fall has transitioned into winter and to has the water temperature, moving earlier in the week to the upper sixties. This is usually the end or near the end of catching big Kings from out on the boards of the Venice City Pier, at Sharky's. At 68 degrees, the water has a bit of a chill to it, but to some species it is a holiday tune where our local visiting Bulls move onto the beaches and as the bait starts to become more scarce to none at all, birthing on the beaches of Venice will begin.

The really big female Bull Sharks generally do not show up to deliver pups until around Christmas in Venice, Florida but this year seems to be off to a really odd start. Last years extremely cold killing waters or the vast reaches of the oil as it was everywhere and then, poof; it was no where? What ever the reasons, a big female bull shark was caught on the 13^th of this month, the day the water hit 68 degrees but too, were flounder, Spanish and yes, their big brothers the Kingfish or King Mackerel. 

As the temperatures rose today, so did the water temperature and thus at 70 degrees, who knows what tomorrow will bring as again an approaching cold front will skirt through the area and like a roller coaster the bite will turn it on to turn it off as the baits move in and off the beaches. Hopefully it will be a mild winter and the shark fishing will only improve as the months go by with January/February being the best in bite at night when angling for jaws of the deep. “From dusk till dawn, the feed is on” if your into shark fishing. Apparently, this shark on Saturday did not know of this old saying, as she took a bite while the beaches were full of swimming baits and people too. Enjoy this video from Florida Fishing Deep Sea .com as Mel Larsen and Rob were having fishing fun...

Fishing with Gary Anderson before the Storm

Spanish mackerel, little tunny and a few kingfish, mixed in with trout,sail cats, Rat reds, Snook Pompano, Black Tips and sandbar shark rounded out the day prior to the front approaching, depending on where you were fishing from. We elected to run, north of Cattlemen' s and then a side trip up Venice way with the Snapper into the Alley up through Bird Island and back to Rattlesnake Island, with a retirement out on the boards of that infamous pier called Sharky's on the Pier. Trout fishing was “insane,” as the season came to a close and where the season closed the bite did not. Redfish to flounder are everywhere from just inside the inlet to along the beaches to throughout the bays on rat movement. Snook too seem to be everywhere as this front approaches, maybe they know something we no not; like come the weekend with Burr cold temperatures, they may be hiding down deep in the channels to holes throughout the ICW and open waterways! Edwin even managed a small Gag in the channel, which means they too are on the move to their favorite haunts through the bays to passes. According to reports from the Legacy in Venice the grouper bite just offshore is hotter than ever and has he got some Jim dandy spots for eager clients wanting to dip in a line in also hooking it up with a few Pelagic action too.

STRAWS + Hook = Spanish Mackerel

They like Shakes too!

What’s in Your Tackle Box?

McDonald's is the place to be but it’s not for the burgers! I’ve got a Mac attack on my mind and I need some straws.  Their shakes may be the best in town but it’s the straws that are totally awesome.  The next time you’re in there, order a couple of extra shakes and keep the straws; you’re going to need them to satisfy your Big Mac attack.

The Macs were talking about are Spanish mackerel and with them comes their cousins the King Mackerel, following right on their heels.  Spanish mackerel or just Spanish are commonly caught here in Florida and here in Venice.  For a real tongue twister; they can be found offshore, inshore and near shore.  Spanish love clear water and their eyesight are very good. I rarely catch any with metal leaders although I do use them when tackling the sharp teeth of a Cuda.