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Old 09-20-2016, 01:47 PM   #1
kwyoungspear
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Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved new recreational and commercial regulations for hogfish.

The South Atlantic Council, which has jurisdiction from the Keys to North Carolina, agreed this week to reduce the bag limit for hogfish caught off South Florida from five fish per day to one fish per day and increasing the size limit from 12 to 16 inches.

The council approved for the first time recreational season for hogfish that would run from May through October. Currently, the fishery is open year-round.

Also, the council approved a 25-pound trip limit for commercial fishermen, staff said. Currently, there is no commercial limit.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may vote on the same regulations when it meets Nov. 16-17 in St. Petersburg, Florida, according to FWC spokeswoman Amanda Nalley.

The FWC board could vote on “consistency” rules adopting the same rules as the South Atlantic or it could vote on similar draft regulations in November and then final rules at a later date, Nalley said.

The new hogfish regulations come after federal fishery managers closed down the recreational fishery early last year because they ruled that the hogfish stock off South Florida was being overfished.

Thoughts???
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Old 09-20-2016, 01:48 PM   #2
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

http://keysnews.com/node/77591
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Old 09-20-2016, 08:31 PM   #3
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

Sucks for commercial.

Recreational will benefit in a few years with bigger hogs.

Closed season makes no sense.


If they do the same on the Gulf coast, they're idiots. Our hogs are healthy. Maybe a 14' limit, 5/person/day.
We will see...
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Old 09-21-2016, 08:15 AM   #4
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

I would be good with a 14-16" limit and 2 fish bag in the gulf. While off of NPR they may be everywhere, up north from Hudson it is slim pickings on hogs I would pull the trigger on and especially at a 14" limit. There is a couple of reasons that I can speculate on with one being the red tide a couple of years ago. The other reasons will be cured with a raising of the minimum size.
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Old 09-21-2016, 09:59 PM   #5
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

They should notch it up over years... Going from 12 to 16 in the keys will basically shut it down... They should gradually increase the size.
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Old 09-21-2016, 10:00 PM   #6
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

Also, they are going to 17" minimum limit in GA-NC which is more than reasonable. 2 per person there.
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Old 09-22-2016, 05:29 AM   #7
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

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Originally Posted by kmoose View Post
I would be good with a 14-16" limit and 2 fish bag in the gulf. While off of NPR they may be everywhere, up north from Hudson it is slim pickings on hogs I would pull the trigger on and especially at a 14" limit. There is a couple of reasons that I can speculate on with one being the red tide a couple of years ago. The other reasons will be cured with a raising of the minimum size.
I dove Monday off NPR and honest to god that was the most Hogfish I've ever seen to date. Every rock was holding 3-5 hogs. Most 12+ inches. We hit our limit after 2 dives. I thought it was peculiar. It was almost like they were congregating, holding a board meeting or something. My guess is they were breeding.

For the gulf coast I'd be fine with keeping the min. size at 12 and reducing the bag limit to 3. Of course we'll be accepting whatever they do. I just don't think we need the same regs on this side of the state.

On Monday, the spots we hit in 50 ft. were all loaded with hogs, mangos, gags and a bunch of big red snapper. Yes, tons of 16-20" red snapper hanging around on the ledges.
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Old 09-23-2016, 03:03 PM   #8
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

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Originally Posted by CuzzA View Post
I dove Monday off NPR and honest to god that was the most Hogfish I've ever seen to date. Every rock was holding 3-5 hogs. Most 12+ inches. We hit our limit after 2 dives. I thought it was peculiar. It was almost like they were congregating, holding a board meeting or something. My guess is they were breeding.

For the gulf coast I'd be fine with keeping the min. size at 12 and reducing the bag limit to 3. Of course we'll be accepting whatever they do. I just don't think we need the same regs on this side of the state.

On Monday, the spots we hit in 50 ft. were all loaded with hogs, mangos, gags and a bunch of big red snapper. Yes, tons of 16-20" red snapper hanging around on the ledges.
He speaks the truth - I was in the water at similar spots just a half mile away while he was up top - tons of hogs, big mangos, ARS, gags, etc. I've not seen this many legal hogs in 2 years.

I can see the argument both ways for lower limit or higher size. Problem is, as me and my dive buddies have noticed this year, is that we are SO used to fish being a certain size that if you change it drastically, even 2 inches, there will be a lot of now-short fish shot by people, both experienced and inexperienced. I know I've been a red-headed c*&t hair over legal on most of my gags this year, but I could have SWORN while underwater they were well over 24".
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Old 10-14-2016, 07:55 AM   #9
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

when I started diving in 87 here off Sarasota, we never saw ANY hogfish. I bet I didin't shoot 5 in ten years. Now there everywhere. How can we go from, no fish with no limit (that I remember) to hogfish everywhere, oh my god, we have to regulate them. How about a 30 day jewfish eradication. Free fish sandwiches for everyone.
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Old 10-14-2016, 04:19 PM   #10
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

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when I started diving in 87 here off Sarasota, we never saw ANY hogfish. I bet I didin't shoot 5 in ten years. Now there everywhere. How can we go from, no fish with no limit (that I remember) to hogfish everywhere, oh my god, we have to regulate them. How about a 30 day jewfish eradication. Free fish sandwiches for everyone.
You don't dive in the keys. There is no question that there is "growth overfishing" down there.

Moving the size limit UP is the RIGHT answer... But it should have been done YEARS ago at a gradual pace.
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Old 01-30-2017, 05:43 PM   #11
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

Ah I should have seen this, just posted a similiar question so size went up and closure is in Federal waters, correct
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:14 AM   #12
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Re: Feds approve new Hogfish regulations

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Ah I should have seen this, just posted a similiar question so size went up and closure is in Federal waters, correct
Size went up to 16" in the south Atlantic and the bag limit was lowered, and they made a hog fish season which runs May-October. In the Gulf the size was raised to 14" but I believe the bag limit is the same, at least in state waters. The closure in Federal waters (south Atlantic) was put in place because the annual quota was reached, but is now open again as it is a new year. None of the new regulations are in place yet. They should be sometime in "early spring 2017"
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