FLORIDA — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved changes for redfish regulations in state waters following a final rule hearing in July.
The regulation changes, which go into effect Sept. 1, will:
Establish nine redfish management regions
Prohibit captain and crew from retaining a bag limit of redfish when on a for-hire trip
Reduce the off-the-water transport limit from six to four fish per person
Reduce the vessel limit in each of the management regions to be:
Panhandle, Big Bend, Northeast: four fish
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Southwest, Southeast: two fish
Allow only catch-and-release fishing for redfish in the Indian River Lagoon region
Set the bag limit to one fish in the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Southwest, Southeast and Northeast regions
This is a reduction to the bag limit in the Northeast region
FWC officials said the changes to redfish management regions and regulations will better capture regional differences and improve angler satisfaction.
“With this new forward-thinking management approach, we’re trying to do what’s best for this fishery. This agency is committed to working proactively to conserve the redfish fishery in Florida for future generations while balancing stakeholder interests,” said FWC Commissioner Steven Hudson.
For current recreational redfish regulations, tap here.