# Is it illegal?



## MississippiMan (Feb 14, 2013)

Is it illegal to fish for sharks off of the Pensacola Beach pier or the Fort Pickens Pier?
Coming down tomorrow and was just curious.


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## Fletch Lives (Dec 12, 2011)

no shark fishing on pcola beach pier, not sure about fort pickens


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## CCC (Sep 3, 2008)

Don't let that hold you up, get a big Bonita and slit it open, tie it around your waist around dusk or just after dark, then swim out past the second sand bar and drop it off, PM me before you go to let me know where to pick up your rig. :whistling:


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Head over to Navarre Pier. They seem to encourage shark fishing there


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## darientc (Aug 12, 2012)

CCC said:


> Don't let that hold you up, get a big Bonita and slit it open, tie it around your waist around dusk or just after dark, then swim out past the second sand bar and drop it off, PM me before you go to let me know where to pick up your rig. :whistling:


Lmao!!! Hilarious


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## J0nesi (Jun 22, 2011)

MississippiMan said:


> Is it illegal to fish for sharks off of the Pensacola Beach pier or the Fort Pickens Pier?
> Coming down tomorrow and was just curious.


 
i've caught sharks at both spots. At P-cola pier they dont want you targeting sharks but if u catch one your suppose to cut your line. Ft. Pickens they dont care, catch what you want.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Feb 15, 2013)

The reason they dont allow it on P'Cola pier is because when the tourists see a 6' shark come out of the same water they were just swimming in they flip out. Last year at Navarre Pier we had a group of teenage tourist girls scared to get back in the water after we had 6 sharks on the deck at the same time and the smallest was about 4'


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## holicori (Dec 26, 2012)

Its not actually illegal... Just frowned upon. I'd say if yiu caught one and people saw... Just throw it in the cooler and call it a day. Its not technically illegal as in you could have legal action taken against you.


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

Pretty sure a highly migratory species permit is required based on below info; would hate for folks to get cited.
http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/highly-migratory-species/
*New regulations*

New regulations are in effect for recreational anglers who target highly migratory species (HMS) in state waters and in federal waters of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Caribbean.
Highly migratory species are

Atlantic tunas (bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, albacore);
sharks;
swordfish and billfish (sailfish, spearfish, and blue and white marlin).
Federal waters extend from 3 to 200 miles on the Atlantic coast and from 9 to 200 miles on the Gulf coast of Florida. Below are the new regulations that affect Florida anglers.
*HMS Angling Permit*

Recreational anglers who target any HMS fish must purchase a federal permit. The permit is issued to the fishing vessel, so it will cover all anglers onboard. Anglers can apply for a permit online at www.nmfspermits.com







or by calling 888-872-8862. This permit is not required for anglers fishing for billfish, swordfish or sharks in state waters.


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted



holicori said:


> Its not actually illegal... Just frowned upon. I'd say if yiu caught one and people saw... Just throw it in the cooler and call it a day. Its not technically illegal as in you could have legal action taken against you.


If you put a shark on the pier no matter how large it is they will ask you to leave the pier. And I'm sure if you refuse to leave then they can get you for trespassing. This is only a problem at Pensacola pier, every time I see a tourist watching someone fight a shark they are amazed and interested in it. Never seen one that freaks out.


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## holicori (Dec 26, 2012)

Yea like I said... Its up to you. If you wanna keep fishing... Cut the line. If you wanna keep the shark... Youll prwtty much have to leave.


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## KnotForReel (Apr 23, 2012)

DAWGONIT said:


> Pretty sure a highly migratory species permit is required based on below info; would hate for folks to get cited.
> http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/highly-migratory-species/
> *New regulations*
> 
> ...




The pier juts out into the Gulf of Mexico 1471 feet so it's not in federal water and the HMS Angling Permit is unnecesary for an angler fishing in state water. However, the Santa Rosa Island Authority long ago decided they didn't want anglers catching sharks off the pier so they made a rule banning shark fishing. It was and is their prerogative and they do reserve the right to remove anyone who doesn't follow the rules...just sayin'


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

KnotForReel said:


> The pier juts out into the Gulf of Mexico 1471 feet so it's not in federal water and the HMS Angling Permit is unnecesary for an angler fishing in state water. However, the Santa Rosa Island Authority long ago decided they didn't want anglers catching sharks off the pier so they made a rule banning shark fishing. It was and is their prerogative and they do reserve the right to remove anyone who doesn't follow the rules...just sayin'


A Tourist can catch a shark & get a pat on the back. Maybe shark fishing should be apart of the Ads for Pensacola Bch.:001_huh: A shark caught off a pier means nothing. I tell every tourist that walks out there's sharks & even show them. Its just stupid to think there are no sharks in the Gulf of Mexico & then not let the tourist know about them.


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## feelin' wright (Oct 7, 2007)

KingCrab said:


> A Tourist can catch a shark & get a pat on the back. Maybe shark fishing should be apart of the Ads for Pensacola Bch.:001_huh: A shark caught off a pier means nothing. I tell every tourist that walks out there's sharks & even show them. Its just stupid to think there are no sharks in the Gulf of Mexico & then not let the tourist know about them.


I don't think they prevent it due to letting tourist know about sharks but more of the close proximity to the most popular beach in the area. Last thing they need is a bunch of people swimming next to a pissed off bull or mako skying around a bunch of swimmers. 

To me this is more of the golden rule. I would not want my daughter swimming around an area that is being actively fished for sharks so I would not shark fish in an area there will be swimmers at. Could not imagine any other father wanting that either.


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## OTTE*DA*WORM (Feb 12, 2011)

feelin' wright said:


> ........ Could not imagine any other father wanting that either.


Unless you have kids like me....:whistling::whistling:


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## fishheadspin (Jun 9, 2008)

Probably not anywhere near as dangerous as swimming around a pier where people are catching bloody mackerel
one after the other! Catch the shark kill it and eat it then no shark to scare moron tourists!!!


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## ARslinger (Nov 7, 2010)

you dont need a pier to catch shark. just a yak, surfboard or something to get the bait out to the first gut in between the sanbars and its game on!! ive caught 6 foot plus sharks 50 yards out many of times right there


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## armyguardus (Feb 1, 2010)

ive been asked to leave almost a dozen times for catching sharks from the pier and if you dont leave the will call the law the one mistake i made is i for got about the no gun law in the state parks so i almost got my but turned inside out by the law


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## gmoney (Oct 3, 2007)

Actually a hooked shark tends to draw a lot of attention from other sharks. I remember back when I actively targeted sharks that waiting on the first bite was the longest, after that the wait between bites got shorter and shorter. After a good 3-4 sharks the water would be full of them and it was only a few seconds before the next one came bit. And this was done without chum, so it wasn't like chum was slowly attracting the sharks, more likely the thrashing from the first hooked shark was detected by other sharks who came by to investigate it...


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