Captain Favorite's Weekend Fishing Forecast: August 14, 2014

BRADENTON – Weather Underground is predicting light winds over the course of the weekend. Recreational and commercial blue crab traps must be removed from state waters (shore to 3 nautical miles, including intracoastal waterways) from the Georgia-Florida state line through Volusia County Aug. 20 through 29.

Amberjack, gray triggerfish reopen Aug.1 in Gulf state waters

• The recreational harvest of greater amberjack and gray triggerfish in Gulf of Mexico state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles) reopened Aug. 1.
• In Gulf federal waters, greater amberjack also opened Aug. 1, but gray triggerfish will remain closed through Dec. 31.

In both state and federal Gulf waters, greater amberjack must be larger than 30 inches when measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail to be harvested when the season is open. There is a daily bag limit of one fish per person.

• Gray triggerfish must be larger than 14 inches when measured from the lower jaw to the fork of the tail to be taken in state and federal Gulf waters when the season is open. There is a two-fish daily bag limit per person.
• Seasonal harvest closures, as well as size and bag limits, help conserve Florida’s valuable greater amberjack and gray triggerfish populations and improve opportunities in these fisheries for the future.

Fishing Forecast

A frontal boundary over northern Florida will keep the subtropical ridge axis suppressed across South Florida and the Florida Straits through the work week...keeping a general southwesterly flow in place across the waters. The ridge axis will then lift northward into central Florida over the weekend into early next week...resulting in lighter winds across the marine area. Winds and seas are expected to remain below headline thresholds through the forecast period. Primary hazards for mariners will be scattered thunderstorms...dangerous lightning...and localized gusty winds in and around thunderstorms.

Thursday

Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.

2014/08/14Thu03:46 AM2.07H

2014/08/14Thu10:29 AM0.63L

2014/08/14Thu04:15 PM2.08H

2014/08/14Thu10:46 PM0.8L

Friday

Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Friday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.

2014/08/15Fri04:21 AM2.19H

2014/08/15Fri11:35 AM0.6L

2014/08/15Fri05:21 PM1.81H

2014/08/15Fri11:19 PM1.0L

Saturday

Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Numerous thunderstorms in the morning then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Saturday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.

2014/08/16Sat05:02 AM2.27H

2014/08/16Sat12:49 PM0.58L

2014/08/16Sat06:46 PM1.59H

2014/08/16Sat11:53 PM1.17L

Sunday

Southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms. Sunday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.

2014/08/17Sun05:51 AM2.3H

2014/08/17Sun02:11 PM0.55L

2014/08/17Sun08:39 PM1.48H