Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: May 13, 2013

Stone crab season closes May 16

• The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crab claws in Florida closes on May 16, with the last day of harvest on May 15. This closure occurs each year during the species’ peak spawning season to help protect and sustain Florida’s valuable stone crab resource. Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15.
• Commercially harvested stone crab claws may be possessed and sold during the closed season but only if they have been placed in inventory prior to May 16 by a licensed wholesale or retail dealer.
• Stone crab traps must be removed from the water within five days after the close of the stone crab season unless a special extension is granted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
• Learn more about the stone crab harvest season by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and clicking on “Saltwater” and then either “Recreational Regulations” or “Commercial.”

37th Annual Blue Water Open Dolphin Mania Charity Fishing Tournament

• May 17-18, 2013 - Fort Pierce, Florida
• The 37th Annual Blue Water Open Dolphin Mania Charity Fishing Tournament will be held the weekend of May 18 out of Fort Pierce City Marina. The Treasure Coast-wide dolphin-only tournament is sponsored by Exchange Club of Indian River Foundation. First prize for the largest dolphin weighed in is $5,000, second prize is $2,000, and third prize is $1,000. Five Bounty Booty Winners will receive $400 each. Proceeds benefit local projects for the prevention of child abuse.
• Contact: John Binkley, bluewateropen@gmail.com, 772-532-9375.

ECISMA 4th Annual Everglades Non-Native Fish Round Up

• May 18, 2013 - Miami, Florida
• The Round Up will be a one day event open to all anglers (shore or boat) fishing in the Everglades area. CASH PRIZES will be awarded for largest fish, largest aggregate catch (weight), and will include a junior division. We also will award a “Slam” prize to the angler that catches the greatest number of non-native species.
• Contact: Shea Bruscia, shea_bruscia@partner.nps.gov, 305-252-0347.

Florida Keys Dolphin Championship

May 24-26, 2013 - Florida Keys, Florida

• Registrations and weigh-in's in five locations from Key Largo to Key West. First place prize is guaranted $15,000. Catch the largest dolphin over 55 lbs. and win a $75,000 Sea Hunter Bay Boat. Catch it on a Sea Hunter Boat purchased within 72 months of these dates from an authorized dealer and win $50,000 more. Cash and prizes payed out 30 places. This is an open event. Chareter boats welcome. Angler substitutes are allowed each day before lines in.
• Contact: Jim Sharpe Jr, jimsharpejr@aol.com, 305-395-8712.

FWC scientists discover new bass species

• Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have uncovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Scientists have proposed naming the new species the Choctaw bass and recommended the scientific name ofMicropterus haiaka. They revealed their discovery at a meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society earlier this year.
• FWC scientists first noted a DNA profile that did not belong to any recognized species while testing a bass specimen from the Chipola River in 2007, as part of a broader genetic study of bass.
• “We didn’t set out to find a new species,” said Mike Tringali, who heads the genetics laboratory at the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “It found us.”
• After confirming the initial discovery, scientists searched for the DNA profile in bass caught in nearby rivers to determine the species’ range. They found that the Choctaw bass inhabits coastal river systems in Alabama and along the western Florida panhandle, including the Choctawhatchee River.

Wildlife ‘rescues’ can do more harm than good

• Winter is finally over. Trees and flowers are blossoming, birds are building nests and critters are being born.
• This is also the time of year when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) begins getting calls about “abandoned” animals that folks believe may be in need of rescue. The fact is that rescuing these seemingly abandoned youngsters interferes with the very processes that ensure their survival in the wild.
• After giving birth, adult wildlife must forage to provide food for themselves and their young. This means leaving their newborns for short periods.
• Having some basic knowledge of wildlife and the survival skills animals use can help avoid attempting to rescue animals that don’t need rescuing.
• Common targets of misplaced rescues are baby deer, temporarily left in a safe place while their mother feeds nearby. Many people who find fawns mistakenly assume they have been abandoned when, in reality, their parents are in the process of ensuring the infants’ survival.