# new rules on flounder gigging



## spot remover

I keep hearing an ugly rumor that we will possibly be forced to give up gigging or limited to just one fish in the near future is this true and does any one have ant facts about this?


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## jawbreaker

Isaw something in FL Sportsman about a proposal of going from a 12'' to a 14'' size and a 5 fish limit instead of a 10 fish, they are also talking about closing the season in Nov. During the spawn


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## saltfisher1

They are tightening the noosearent they?


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## Midnight Rider

> *jawbreaker (7/6/2009)*Isaw something in FL Sportsman about a proposal of going from a 12'' to a 14'' size and a 5 fish limit instead of a 10 fish, they are also talking about closing the season in Nov. During the spawn


 I could live with these proposals.5 is enough to feed a family.


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## angus_cow_doctor

I bet they will next limit you to one testicle per man. I can see it now. Can't let anyone have more than one!


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## 60hertz

Maybe the marine biologist (Karon) on here will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong, but I somewhere, somehow I was under the impression that male adult Flounder only get from 12" to 14" so by kicking up the size limit won't we just be getting the females? 



Why aren't scientists more involved in these matters?


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## saltfisher1

What kind of limits are they changing for the commercial guy?


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## Hopin4aboat

You know the answer to that NONE they never do. Thats taxable catch uncle sam gets his chunk of commercial catch less fish means less money...


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## gig head

That about right I get in to a new way of fishing and they will go and change the way we have to fish( man has been fishing for thousands of years and they have to tell us how to fish ) us sport fisherman are just out having some fun and picking up some food!!!!!!!!!


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## Flounder9.75

Don't let them do it. It willonly get worst.


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## spot remover

I see plenty flounder everytime I go out Ihave let countless fish that measured 12-13" goI do not believe this would be because of a shortage of fish.Thanks for the comments.


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## captwesrozier

spot remover...actually a fishery in trouble would show an over abundance of one size of fish. a healthy fishery would show good quantities of small fish medium fish and large fish.



if you are seeing lots of small fish with few medium and large fish you may have a fishery in trouble.



i think we kill way to many fish. i think a five fish creel limit with a 12 inch minimum pinched tail or fork. you could have certain fish such as red fish only be allowed 1 in your creel with a minimum 18 inches.



example...you could have 3 specks 1 red fish and 2 flounder.



now some people say leave the little ones and wait until they are bigger. actually that would be killing the best egg layers which in the end would cause more harm. example...we have a 15 inch minimum for specks with a 20 inch maximum. there are plenty of males to each female speck. males grow up to 15 inches with an occasional male growing up into the 24 inch range. now we are allowed 5 specks...as you can see we are keeping the egg layers and throwing back the sperm producers...no eggs we need no sperm.



if you are going to let anything go it should be the larger of the species or the fish that are living in their middle of their life cycle. younger fish will die from being eaten by other fish as well as drastic weather changes or disease and older fish...on the last cycle of their life will die from spawning and if caught by hook and line may contribute greatly to their death.



so i say gig five flounder per person and if you need more put more people on your boat!



tight lines and great fishing adventures!


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## saltfisher1

What university came up with that load?


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## kingling

> <SPAN id=_ctl1_ctlTopic_ctlPanelBar_ctlTopicsRepeater__ctl6_lblFullMessage>Maybe the marine biologist (Karon) on here will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong, but I somewhere, somehow I was under the impression that male adult Flounder only get from 12" to 14" so by kicking up the size limit won't we just be getting the females?


almost all of the fish in the bay are females

the males stay out offshore and wait for the females to come the the wrecks during november/december


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## spot remover

A good fisherman never tells all that he sees! I see plentyof all sizes,but everyone has there own opinion. I disagree with you on yours, there are plenty fish out there for everyone to gig. You are not going to do any good placing limits on one state and the state next to you doesn't, especially when you can share the same water.


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## captwesrozier

spot remover...you are right...there are plenty of flounder in our bays. alabama had no bag limit and no size limit until a couple of years ago. now they have a 10 fish bag limit with a 12 inch size limit.



they saw the fishery going down and had to stop the trend...only time will tell.



would you agree that if your fishery was made up of mostly small fish your fishery maybe in trouble? that was all i was pointing out.



as for what i think a creel should be...i know this if we do not allow at least 40% of the flounder fishery to spawn every year...the fishery will remain level or start to decline. if it remains level and say red tide comes through you have a major problem. if the fishery is in decline less fish will hatch which will result in further decline of the fishery.



the question you have to ask yourself is it important to gig as many flounder in one trip or take a smaller catch and enjoy the food you bring to your table and leave plenty to spawn and increase the fishery so your children's children can go out a gig a flounder in the future.



when would you think a fishery is in trouble and tighter regulations should be imposed? should we base it on what you catch as an individual or see as an individual?



i am very curious with your answer?



now i myself still think killing five fish of any kind is plenty enough for one person a day. having three to four anglers on a boat would result in 15 to 20 fish killed. this would produce about 7 lbs of pure fish which would feed 14 people.



tight lines and great fishing adventures!


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## saltfisher1

Tighter restriction on recreational fishers dont fix the problem....Tighter regs on the commercial guy does...You cant tell me that a few hundred weekend fishermen will deplete the flounder population in the panhandle of Florida....Most of them wont even gig or catch any.


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## cobe killer

when shrimpers drag the bays they will kill thousands of baby flounder in one night with one boat. more than ALL the giggers and hook and line fishermen in ala. and fl. combined for a whole season. if you want too stop the useless killing of flounder in the bays... stop the shrimp nets. i've seen how much they kill with my own eyes and it's not just flounder.:hoppingmad

not disagreeing with you capt'n wes just stating the fact that there would be no reason for the rec. fishermen to be restricted even further if management would look at the real problem.


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## spot remover

I agree with cobe killer it seems the answer is always blame the little guy. You said 40% of the flounder only make it to spawn is that a fact or not. I personally think that some people want to make it were it is not worth me going and fishing anymore, and if i did it would be just as easy to pay someone to take me.I see way more flounder than bait every time I go fishing. Does that mean that we need to impose more rules on the bait now????


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## 2112

HA!

You guys are in for a ride. I seen this happen and even attended scope meetings put on by Tx parks & Wildlife. They are going to provide you with all kinds of statistics and ask you what you're opinions are but in the end they will do what they want to do.

Fact is down here, I have seen more and larger flounder than ever.

Flounder populations seem to go up and down in cycles, even the offshore temps during the breeding season determines the vast majority of what sex the brood will become. 

There krill surveys are seriously flawed but big brother will do exactly what he wants.

Our 5 fish bag takes effect Sept 1st. No gigging at all in Nov and and 2 fish per man by rod and reel in Nov.

In the end they will pit the rec's againts the commercials and everyone will have a bad feeling in there mouth.:banghead

I say stop the bay trawlers and commercials because I can catch my own shrimp and flounder without hitting a restraunt or seafood market but thats just me and everyone is intittled to they're own opinion.


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## captwesrozier

guys...it is coming whether you want it or not...i make my living on the water and everyday they are taking away from me my right to fish. maybe now you flounder giggers will stand up with the snapper anglers and support them...then they can support you.



you see nobody wants to help or support until it is in your back yard...well it is in your back yard now...do you think the snapper anglers should stand up and help you out?



where were you guys when the flounder issue was brought up this past year in destin? hmmm...maybe you were hoping the snapper anglers were there fighting your battle...hmmm you see you sit around fat and happy gigging your flounders and doing nothing to ensure your fishery for tomorrow and now somebody is going to take it away from you.



tight lines and great fishing adventures!


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## angus_cow_doctor

I'll tell you what Ithink is coming. Not that I want it, but I think it is coming.

I believe we are approaching a time when we will be forced to pay an excise tax on all the fish we catch. I.E., go fishing (with appropriate license) and catch X number of fish. Then you would enter various tax collector entities and pay for your "catch". It is the forsee-able end to the current debacle.


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## angus_cow_doctor

Just look at the current proposals for unified REQUIRED health care. They are talking about imposing fines on anyone without health care. Indigent people will be 100% subsidized.

People who actually have a job and are not on welfare will have to foot their own bill, and then pay taxes on any amount reimbursed by their employer. The only thing that rewards is people refusing to work. Being an immigrant to Mexico is looking better and better.

Welcome to the United Socialist States of America (USSA).


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## saltfisher1

It seems when Florida imposes new strict laws or taxes on the people Alabama will follow suit in a matter of a couple of years so folks across the line better be ready soon.


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## bama1

This has been talked about before in Alabamawhen the new gillnet laws were up for vote. At that time there was only a size limit flounder, then some jackass had to gig over 400 and put a picture of his calim to fame in the paper. That is when too much pressure from non fishing tree hugging liberals forced a limit of 10. Now there is no telling what is going to happen because their going to hire more people to enforce the laws and then they will have to raise the license tax to pay for the new people.

Then the new people will have to think of a new regulation to justify their jobs. 

This goes for inshore, offshore, gigging or even trying to teach your five year son how to throw a 3' bait net.


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## Flounder9.75

> *bama1 (7/9/2009)*This has been talked about before in Alabamawhen the new gillnet laws were up for vote. At that time there was only a size limit flounder, then some jackass had to gig over 400 and put a picture of his calim to fame in the paper. That is when too much pressure from non fishing tree hugging liberals forced a limit of 10. Now there is no telling what is going to happen because their going to hire more people to enforce the laws and then they will have to raise the license tax to pay for the new people.
> 
> Then the new people will have to think of a new regulation to justify their jobs.
> 
> This goes for inshore, offshore, gigging or even trying to teach your five year son how to throw a 3' bait net.




I think that about somes it up. Plus thier might have been a few jealous people that don't know how to find a fish so they didn't want the ones who could to get to keep any.


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## saltfisher1

Back in the 80's it was nothing to gig 50 flounder in 2 hrs with the right weather...not sure about now..I have not been in awhile.....I did go flounder track hunting 2 years ago and the flounder tracks were everywhere....Looks like theyre doing good.


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