To all concerned Florida Shark fishermen. As of July 1, 2019 all shark fishermen (& ladies too) must pass a quiz & have a Shark Fishing Permit. Also if you use a steel leader you will need the permit also. The info was just released today. Rudy
Yes more rules and regulations,,,,, :D it only takes one person doing the wrong thing,,,,, ;D
I suppose the other Gulf Coast states will "follow suit", too. The "steel leader" thing will, no doubt> get Florida a bunch of revenue, from fines. Folks , not actually "shark fishing", but using a steelon leader" for protection against "barnacle cut offs" will get checked...and if no "permit', "Bingo" ! We've been checked (twice) while fishing around the gas rigs off Mobile Bay, to see if our hooks are correct (have to be "straight circle") even though we aren't "snapper fishing", we ARE fishing where snappers can be caught. I think most folks try to "follow the rules", IF they are aware of them ! Thanks for posting that, Rudy !
What is the rational for the steel leader permit? If the fish cannot bite the leader off then it will not be swimming around loose with a hook in its mouth.
-steve
I was going over this a little more and reading between the lines. They are saying 4ft. or longer steel leader is a shark leader. So I guess if you are using a steel leader 3' 11"or less you don't have a shark rig. Also casting from shore is not shark fishing but yaking a bait out is. Just get out the BIG spinners. ;D Whoever wrote up these new rules must be a bean counter not looking after the conservation or recreational people. They say the permit is free but they want $5.00 for a hard card. Permit renewable yearly. Lots of loopholes in this new system. By the way you must get a perfect score on the quiz or no permit.
Quote from: RowdyW on June 26, 2019, 03:38:19 PM
To all concerned Florida Shark fishermen. As of July 1, 2019 all shark fishermen (& ladies too) must pass a quiz & have a Shark Fishing Permit. Also if you use a steel leader you will need the permit also. The info was just released today. Rudy
Quick questions. I took the shark fishing course that specifies that 80lb line is the minimum line allowed for shark fishing RIGHT after I bought some 65lb braid for my spinning reel to catch blacktips. is there any way for "the man" to inspect and tell the difference between the two? I mean the diameter of my sufix 832 65lb braid is .015" and 80lb braid is .018".
Quote from: Surf Slayer on June 27, 2019, 01:08:32 AM
Quote from: RowdyW on June 26, 2019, 03:38:19 PM
To all concerned Florida Shark fishermen. As of July 1, 2019 all shark fishermen (& ladies too) must pass a quiz & have a Shark Fishing Permit. Also if you use a steel leader you will need the permit also. The info was just released today. Rudy
Quick questions. I took the shark fishing course that specifies that 80lb line is the minimum line allowed for shark fishing RIGHT after I bought some 65lb braid for my spinning reel to catch blacktips. is there any way for "the man" to inspect and tell the difference between the two? I mean the diameter of my sufix 832 65lb braid is .015" and 80lb braid is .018".
If "the man" has a vendetta against Shark fisherman he can take a sample of your line and have it tested. Doesn't cost him anything but may cost you a lot. Always better to CYA.
I didn't see line size specified in todays release of the rules. The only way for FWC to know what line you are using is to measure it with a micrometer or caliper or test it on a line testing machine. The only mention of tackle is on wire leader length, non offset circle hooks, no ss hooks, and hook opening above a certain width requires a permit. No mention of line test. Did you take the quiz today? FWC just released this today that I know of. Also permit required when using a fighting belt or harness & deploying bait other than casting a hook wider than 1.5 inches at it's widest inside distance.
Quote from: RowdyW on June 27, 2019, 01:25:50 AM
I didn't see line size specified in todays release of the rules. The only way for FWC to know what line you are using is to measure it with a micrometer or caliper or test it on a line testing machine. The only mention of tackle is on wire leader length, non offset circle hooks, no ss hooks, and hook opening above a certain width requires a permit. No mention of line test. Did you take the quiz today? FWC just released this today that I know of.
I took the course yesterday and it said 80lb was the minimum. It was even one of the quiz questions. I had literally ordered my line and then took the course. some luck I have!
I took the quiz today & there was no question about line size.
Quote from: RowdyW on June 27, 2019, 01:45:55 AM
I took the quiz today & there was no question about line size.
strange... maybe the questions vary. I remember them mentioning it in one of the videos. it stood out to me because I had just bought the 65lb line.
Quote from: RowdyW on June 27, 2019, 01:45:55 AM
I took the quiz today & there was no question about line size.
I just checked. It was under module 3.
I think they are suggestions not in the rules. You can't tell what is an appropriate hook till the fish is on then it's to late to change the size of the hook. ;D ;D
Quote from: RowdyW on June 27, 2019, 02:04:51 AM
I think they are suggestions not in the rules. You can't tell what is an appropriate hook till the fish is on then it's to late to change the size of the hook. ;D ;D
Here is the question. That makes sense. I wonder how hard they are going to enforce this. I never have anyone approach me on the beach to even ask for a fishing license.
Of the 3 part question A B or C two of them are inappropriate so you have to pick what's closest to common sense. But it's not in the rules as was posted today. I didn't have that question in my quiz or the short film. I'm not going to get the permit & just keep fishing with a 3'11" or shorter wire leader & a 80 to 200# 8' top shot & spool full of 65# braid. What sharks, I'm Tarpon fishing. ;D ;D
Who decides what questions are on the test ??
I bet it was somebody that never fished for sharks ::)
It's probably a bean counter trying to figure out how much they (FWC) can charge next year.
The agency has no clue and would have had some sort of stakeholders committee to sort stuff out. Stakeholders should have included representative shark-huggers, those who can claim to represent the fishermen, law enforcement, agency biologists to provide background studies/reports/etc, and probably some sort of negotiating/facilitator weasel with a knack for twisting things around to get a compromise position that the stakeholder committee can agree on. Before writing it into the regulations the committee recommendations may, or may not, go through a full public review depending how volatile the issue is. The stakeholders committee are supposed to provide cover for the agency when it comes to that.
-steve
Quote from: RowdyW on June 27, 2019, 02:44:16 AM
Of the 3 part question A B or C two of them are inappropriate so you have to pick what's closest to common sense. But it's not in the rules as was posted today. I didn't have that question in my quiz or the short film. I'm not going to get the permit & just keep fishing with a 3'11" or shorter wire leader & a 80 to 200# 8' top shot & spool full of 65# braid. What sharks, I'm Tarpon fishing. ;D ;D
hahaha that is exactly the excuse i was planning to make
I just completed the course also. It sound like there is going to be a lot of confusion. From what I read you could basically target smaller sharks without having permit as long as you are casting. It stated you have to have permit if using steel cable 4' or longer and/or circle hook 1 1/2" at gap (I think sorry if off on size) and/or transporting bait out other than casting.
Rubbish! ::)
Quote from: sharkman on June 27, 2019, 01:39:29 PM
I just completed the course also. It sound like there is going to be a lot of confusion. From what I read you could basically target smaller sharks without having permit as long as you are casting. It stated you have to have permit if using steel cable 4' or longer and/or circle hook 1 1/2" at gap (I think sorry if off on size) and/or transporting bait out other than casting.
Also sharks can not be dragged out of the water. They must be released in the water unless it's a keeper & you have the permit. I bet a lot of shark fishermen will become Tarpon & 'Cuda fishermen.
What is the reasoning behind the legislation? Is it to protect large sharks? E.g. only have proficient people target them? We have had a similar, very confusing situation in South Africa where catching great whites has been banned and you are not allowed to deliberately target them. It is difficult to understand from the legislation if you immediately have to cut your line if you have one on or if it is ok to remove the hook in the shallows without beaching it. Very confusing as you are allowed to catch other sharks. An angler was actually prosecuted for hauling one out on the rocks with a gaf. Fortunately very few people use gafs and everyone just tails sharks out and barbless circle hooks are the norm and then release them. When shark fishing became popular there were a lot of people that used gafs and inappropriate tackle.
This whole issue started when an older gentle was sitting on the east coast beach and several young boys came out fishing. The boys were having a good time and the man was unaware of what was even going on, another individual came up to him and told him they were shark fishing. The man then made it his crusade to get FWC to have some type of legislation on shark fishing. I watched some of the footage of the mans speech. The original idea was to implement some type of legislation to make sure young kids were supervised. A lot of the local shark fisherman see it as a the beginning of a future ban on land based shark fishing. A good friend of mine who has lived here all his life, states business that thrive on tourism hate shark fishing because fishermen pulling up big sharks are bad for business. I have even meet tourist that the hotel (resort) staff have told them there are no sharks in the water. I think if this doesn't deter enough people the next step they will enforce a fee for the permit like on tarpon or snook.
Quote from: sharkman on June 28, 2019, 10:38:57 AM
This whole issue started when an older gentle was sitting on the east coast beach and several young boys came out fishing. The boys were having a good time and the man was unaware of what was even going on, another individual came up to him and told him they were shark fishing. The man then made it his crusade to get FWC to have some type of legislation on shark fishing. I watched some of the footage of the mans speech. The original idea was to implement some type of legislation to make sure young kids were supervised. A lot of the local shark fisherman see it as a the beginning of a future ban on land based shark fishing. A good friend of mine who has lived here all his life, states business that thrive on tourism hate shark fishing because fishermen pulling up big sharks are bad for business. I have even meet tourist that the hotel (resort) staff have told them there are no sharks in the water. I think if this doesn't deter enough people the next step they will enforce a fee for the permit like on tarpon or snook.
Thanks for this interesting piece of information. I could see that happening. As surf fisherman, I have tourists get pissed at me all the time for fishing on the beach because i am "attracting sharks". It's amazing how many tourists are shocked when I tell them that I am not attracting sharks and that there already are sharks in the water and that they come all the way up the the first trough right off the beach. I'm surprised at how many people dont realize that east central Florida is the shark bite capital of the world. I heard someone once say that when swimming at the beach, you are always within 100 yards of a shark. i dont know if this is true but i believe it.
Please note that i do not fish right in the middle of groups of people. I try to distance my self from people and go to less populated beaches. Some people are just "unpleasant" that go out of their way to tell me off. Just last weekend I decided to go fishing at 5pm. At 6:30pm I had a man who saw me fishing, set his family's stuff up right next to me knowing i was fishing, and then proceeded to get mad at me because i was fishing next to where his kids were swimming. he was concerned i was going to hook them. I told him i was more concerned about him letting his kids swim a dusk at the shark bite capital of the world. He took my advice and made his kids stop swimming when the guy next to me caught a 4' blacktip haha
This is a no win situation.
When I fish, We usually hit the Beach about 7:30. It is getting dusk and the swimmers are out of the water.
I fish into the night with the beach to myself.
I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and pay no mind to this nonsense.
I have witnessed 8 footers cruising through a crowded field of swimmers during the day and no one had a clue.
The part that bothers me most. They cull thousands of Sharks every year for their so called research.
It is all BS!
Here's a must-read article about blacktip aggregations.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150911 (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150911)
Aren't most of the Florida shark bites from blacktips or spinners instead of tigers or bulls? Blacktips of any age act like teenagers.
-steve
This will, no doubt, help "fuel the fire"....one way, OR the other !
https://frontier.yahoo.com/news/massive-13-foot-shark-spotted-161725422.html
We have some big hammers in our neighborhood seasonally. Right now actually. They come here to have their pups and then mate. The big sows are deep in the channels entering the bay and are not often seen by boaters. You know they were here though because there will be hundreds or thousands of baby hammers up in the shallows later. Males are often seen at the surface messing around when the females are here. The story is that the adults are not feeding when they are here because they have other stuff to do.
-steve
Living in Florida, I'm glad to see anything that is in the way of conservation. It's gotten ridiculous down here, anytime Billybob redneck catches a shark they drag it to the beach and post the video on local news or facebook. The Gallioth Groups are the same. There endangered but people can target fish them for catch and release. Personally I use 50-80lb mono, we get the fish up to the boat and try to pop the hook or cut the leader short. I don't need to handle a 6' shark, caught enough in my days.