Captain Favorite's Weekend Fishing Forecast: April 3, 2014

Posted Thursday, June 18, 2015 12:00 am

Merab-Michal Favorite

BRADENTON – Spiny lobster season closed April 1. FWC officials are asking for beachgoers to look for shorebird nests built from sand and shell with chicks that can barely be seen and for them to avoid stepping on them. High pressure will continue to ridge across the Florida Peninsula and into the eastern Gulf of Mexico through the rest of the week. Winds and seas will begin to increase Sunday night as the next cold front approaches.

Fishing Updates

Spiny lobster season closes April 1

The spiny lobster recreational and commercial season closes to harvest in state and federal waters starting April 1 and will reopen Aug. 6. The two-day recreational sport season is the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, which is July 30 and 31 this year.

Beach-nesting shorebirds need peace and quiet to survive

During spring and summer on Florida beaches, shorebirds build nests out of sand and shells and hatch chicks that can barely be seen. So well-camouflaged are the nests, eggs and chicks of shorebirds like the snowy plover that they can easily be stepped on or missed unless people know to watch out for them.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding beachgoers to be on the lookout and avoid disturbing bird nurseries on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida. Among the state’s beach-nesting shorebirds facing conservation challenges are the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer, American oystercatcher and Wilson’s plover.

For-hire captain, crew can retain recreational bag limits of reef fish in Atlantic soon

For-hire captain and crew can retain recreational bag limits of vermilion snapper, groupers and golden tilefish in state waters of the Atlantic (including all of Monroe County for grouper species and golden tilefish) starting March 13. This change means that for-hire captain and crew will be able to retain recreational bag limits of all species of reef fish caught in Atlantic state waters.
This change will make state regulations consistent with Atlantic federal regulations.
Similar changes to federal rules became effective Jan. 27. The federal rule was modified because it was not effectively limiting harvest of vermilion snapper and gag grouper as originally intended and it was causing confusion because captain and crew of for-hire vessels could keep recreational bag limits of some snapper and grouper species, but not others. Additional harvest of these species by captain and crew is expected to be negligible and not negatively impact fish stocks.
To learn more about this change made at the FWC’s February Commission meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.” To learn more about snapper and grouper recreational regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Overview” under the “Reef Fish” header.

Weekend Fishing Forcast

Surface high pressure will dominate through the end of the work week. A weakening frontal boundary approaches from the north during the weekend...but is expected to stall just north of the waters. Another stronger cold front will move toward the region early next week. Winds and seas are expected to remain below headline thresholds through Sunday...but may increase to cautionary levels Sunday night into early next week.

Thursday

Southeast winds around 10 knots becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring southwest winds 5 to 10 knots in the evening then becoming southeast around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2014/04/03 Thu 04:26 a.m. 1.28 H

2014/04/03 Thu 09:12 a.m. 0.85 L

2014/04/03 Thu 02:56 p.m. 2.22 H

2014/04/03 Thu 11:10 p.m. -0.14 L

Friday

South winds around 10 knots becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Friday night will bring southwest winds 5 to 10 knots in the evening then becoming South. Bay and inland waters smooth.

2014/04/04 Fri 05:28 a.m. 1.18 H

2014/04/04 Fri 09:36 a.m. 0.95 L

2014/04/04 Fri 03:33 p.m. 2.15 H

Saturday

South winds around 10 knots becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Saturday night will bring southwest winds 5 to 10 knots in the evening then becoming Southeast. Bay and inland waters smooth.

2014/04/05 Sat 12:05 a.m. -0.06 L

2014/04/05 Sat 06:56 a.m. 1.13 H

2014/04/05 Sat 10:03 a.m. 1.05 L

2014/04/05 Sat 04:15 p.m. 2.04 H

Sunday

South winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Sunday night

will bring south winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2014/04/06 Sun 01:09 a.m. 0.02 L

2014/04/06Sun05:10 p.m.1.89H

Solunar Forecast

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