# Nice report from the pier



## Downtime2 (Sep 27, 2007)

Just curious...

FWC Report

Officer Keith Clark checked an individual fishing from Pensacola Beach Pier and found the subject in possession of undersize king mackerel. A notice to appear citation was issued.
Two individuals fishing nearby were found in possession of eleven king mackerel. Both were issued notices toappear.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

bet they were hardtail fishermen.


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

> *John B. (7/10/2009)*bet they were hardtail fishermen.




What would give you that idea??:banghead


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## kingling (Apr 10, 2008)

they were 

i watched him get busted


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## Fishermon (Oct 19, 2007)

about time...



and what about all the selling and buying there as well...I was amazed at how many kings were sold on the spot...seen guys catching their limit and called it a day, but some may have a commercial licesense I guess,,and who buys these fish for the most part?. Correct.! So if you buy three kings and put them in your cooler next to your hard tails and udersized macks..then LEO shows up....what happens there I wonder...."Officer that guy there sold it to me" "who"?


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Dang.


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## chummingthesailor (Oct 3, 2007)

I was told froma "Haa-tail"that they are from Georgia and yes they were buying some of them.Also a veryhefty fine $$$$$$$$$$$ thatI was told. Shit happens.


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## tom1s (Oct 4, 2007)

iv sold some people that you mention jacks...can i get a ticket without having a commercial license?


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## tom1s (Oct 4, 2007)

ohhh and i dont mind if they crack down, im about tired of being crossed by an out of control sabiki with 5 hardtails on it attached to a 9' white rod with 100 pound braid :banghead:banghead it relay does make it no fun


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## Pigsdaddy (Jun 13, 2009)

I had four different people try to buy fish from us last night. They also claimed to be from Atlanta. We finally had to run a few of them off early this morning for begging for bait. We also told them that the next time they tangled us we were cutting their lines. I hate to be a jerk, but dang that was getting old. I live near Evergreen, so I guess I will try the Gulf Shores pier when it opens. Maybe it will be different. I have never fished it. I have not been to Navarre in about five years. Are they working on that pier, or is it just sitting?


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## Pinksnappertrapper (Dec 7, 2007)

Who buys kings? How much do they buy them for? Would they buy other fish like aj?


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Pinksnappercatcher (7/12/2009)*Who buys kings? How much do they buy them for? Would they buy other fish like aj?


asians, $2/lb on average, A.J.???---more than likely.... DON'T GET CAUGHT!

i would love to set up an undecover sting operation out there and get all those people arrested... it's BS that you can't even catch a king mackerel without being bombbarded by asians saying 'you sell, how much for king?':banghead:banghead:banghead


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## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

ur damn right.. im ready for it 

i dont eat kings but i damn sure cook em 4 my great grandma.. she loves em


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## roofordie (Sep 24, 2008)

you dont eat em??!!!! Ever tried smoking one?? Mmmmm, couldnt get better


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## robertyb (Oct 15, 2007)

> *Pigsdaddy (7/12/2009)* I have not been to Navarre in about five years. Are they working on that pier, or is it just sitting?


The new pier is being built now. Pilings are starting to go in the water and they are finishing each section as they go out.


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## konz (Oct 1, 2007)

DAMN! Those are going to be some damn expensive Kings!


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## FishAddict (Feb 2, 2009)

Yeah, aint't it great?:clap


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## daqq (Jun 3, 2008)

Typed up from another forum. Sorry about the ridiculous disclaimer, I'm just trying to protect #1...



Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this post, the original poster of these texts, "Daqq," is not licenced to practice, interpret, or enforce law in the State of Florida, and makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability of the texts contained herein. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly and completely at your own risk. These texts have not been evaluated, nor confirmed, to be in complete and unabridged agreeance of the laws of the State of Florida or any other jurisdiction, by any person or entity licensed to practice, interpret, or enforce law in the State of Florida or any other jurisdiction. Evaluation and comfirmation of these texts' complete and unabridged agreeance with the laws of the State of Florida shall be the duty of the individual. These texts may not be replicated, reposted, copied, transferred, or printed without the inclusion of this Disclaimer. By continuing to read this post past this point, you have acknowledged that you have read and agree with this entire Disclaimer in its entirety, and that you also do agree to release any and all liability, without limitation, from the original poster, "Daqq," arising from the use or misuse of these texts.



In other words, my interpretation of the law may not be correct, and following such interpretation is at your own risk. Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or contact an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida.



So here goes...



From 68B-12.002 Definitions:

(4) "Harvest," used in reference to activities of a person or a boat, means catching a king mackerel in or from the water by any means, then reducing the fish to possession. A king mackerel that is caught but immediately returned to the water free, alive and unharmed is not harvested.



From 68B-12.004 Bag Limits:

(1) Except as provided in Rule 68B-12.0046, F.A.C., each person harvesting king mackerel from the Gulf-Atlantic fishery shall be subject to a bag limit of two fish per person, per day, unless and until the bag limit is reduced to one fish per person, per day pursuant to Rule 68B-12.0045(2), F.A.C.

(2) Except as provided in Rule 68B-12.0046, F.A.C., no person shall possess while in, on, or above the waters of the Gulf-Atlantic fishery or on any dock, pier, bridge, beach, or other fishing site adjacent to such waters, more than the applicable bag limit for king mackerel specified in subsection (1) of this rule.



Bag Limit refers to actual possession of the fish. Not having the fish in your possession does not interfere with an imposed bag limit. While you can be cited harvesting the fish at the moment you already have your daily bag limit, if you have ensured you've only kept a maximum of the daily limit minus one, you should be fine. Harvesting the fish creates possession, but giving the fish away releases possession. 



However, one interesting note is that harvesting fish with the intent of selling is considered commercial, and you can be cited for such if you do not have a commercial license. So those who catch fish and then sell them, you could possibly get in trouble for this.



So what it boils down to is, there is no limit on harvesting of king mackerel (although some species do specifically limit the number you may harvest, king mackerel only have a daily bag limit according to the rule text, which specifically relates to possession). However, from my understanding, you may only give away fish to other properly licensed harvesters (which should include anyone who has purchased a fishing pass for the pier). In doing so, they may not exceed their bag limit by taking a fish, be it by catching or receiving from another party). If you currently have 2 kings in your possession and you catch a third, you are technically breaking the law, even if you intended to give the fish away. However, you may be able to argue the case that you intended to release the fish unharmed (if you didn't gaff it). Selling the kings you catch is probably considered commercial fishing, so do it at your own risk.


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## roofordie (Sep 24, 2008)

greeat post daqq. I NEVER would have had the patience to go through some mch to prvide useful information for my fellow anglers. BRAVO


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## daqq (Jun 3, 2008)

I plan on becoming an LEO, possibly sheriff or fish & game, so its kinda interesting to me.


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## jdub (Jul 11, 2009)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't kings contain a lot of mercury? I heard kids and women shouldn't eat them at all. Anyone wanna chime in?


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## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

ive been told that u shouldnt eat any kind of mackeral more than once evry 2 weeks due to the higher levels of mercury


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## jaceboat (May 5, 2008)

> *BigBrandon89 (7/25/2009)*ive been told that u shouldnt eat any kind of mackeral more than once evry 2 weeks due to the higher levels of mercury




im goin be dead by the end of the day. 



but people are getting out of hand with that "you keep? you sell?" crap. i caught a 19lb tuesday and before i could walk off the pier i was probably asked 10 times. one of them was dylan though so that doesnt count :banghead


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## roofordie (Sep 24, 2008)

> *jaceboat (7/25/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *BigBrandon89 (7/25/2009)*ive been told that u shouldnt eat any kind of mackeral more than once evry 2 weeks due to the higher levels of mercury
> ...


Yes, the same goes for sharks. And because of the mercury levels Pregnant women and small children should avoid eating them :nonono( though I believe minuscule amounts are safe from them. Not worth chancing though)


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## fred (Dec 28, 2008)

ANY long-lived slow-growing predatory fish is going to have higher levels of mercury. <U>The larger the fish and slower the growth, the higher the levels of mercury.</U> Large red snapper were found to have high levels in a study by the Mobile Press-Register a few years back (they won awards for that series, maybe even a Pulitzer). Dolphin (dorado, mahi-mahi) have lower levels because they grow so fast and do not live long.

Also the higher the fat content of the fish the higher the mercury levels because that's where the mercury concentrates (skin is fatty on a mackeral).

Canned tuna has less mercury than steaks because generally smaller tuna are canned and larger ones cut into steaks.

Mercury has always been present in fish (volcanoes are a prime natural source) but it isproposed that levels have doubled in the last century due to coal-fired electric generators and offshore oil drilling (snapper caught near rigs have higher levels in the Press-Register series). Considering the amounts of fish the Japanese eat I doubt that most of us will eat enough fish tocause acute symptoms.

No one knows what a safe level is, but some small level is essential to human health just like most other toxic metals (selenium and lead will kill you pretty fast, but you have to have some for your body to function).

Here is a pretty useless chart from the FDA. Useless because unless one knows the details of location of harvest and size distribution the data is pretty near meaningless except for the general trends of the size/growth factor and feeding habit factor.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm

Basically, the mercury levels trend this way (size/growth)because the body does not eliminate it very fast (remember, the body needs some and it has beenhard to come by for millions of years). The longer the fish lives and the more little fish it eats, the more mercury it ingests sothe mercurybuilds up.

A big old smokerwill have several times the concentration of mercury of a snake.


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

> *jaceboat (7/25/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *BigBrandon89 (7/25/2009)*ive been told that u shouldnt eat any kind of mackeral more than once evry 2 weeks due to the higher levels of mercury
> ...




Ah Ha...Shutup....That was funny..


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## Sam Roberts (Oct 22, 2007)

*Throw them the book!*


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

> *alum maverick (7/26/2009)**Throw them the book!*




They wouldnt be able to read it...Unless it was in Vietnamese..


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

i watched a guy sell a king on the pierone day for "enough money to buy a new lure".. just so happens he is on this post complaining about people selling fish on the pier.. hmmm


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## SemperFi-sh (Apr 26, 2008)

opcorn


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