Merab-Michal Favorite
BRADENTON – Two fishing tournaments, the 2013 Fishing Classic in Stuart Florida and the Clay Roberts Memorial Inshore Slam Fishing Tournament in Jacksonville, will take place over the weekend. Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be good next week. However if conditions aren’t good for tarpon in the gulf, there should be good action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds and big trout in shallow water early in the day. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW near passes should also be a good option.
Fishing Updates
Fishing Updates
2013 Fishing Classic
- June 14-15 - Stuart, Florida
- Fathers Day Weekend - Stuart Sailfish Club INVITES NON-MEMBERS to join the combined 42nd Annual Small Boat & 28th Annual Lady Angler tournament. C&R for Sailfish and fish Cobia, Dolphin, Kingfish & Wahoo. Awards in Mens, Ladies, Junior, Top Small Boat based on total points. Benefits SSC Scholarship Fund. Captains Meeting 14th, Fishing & Awards Banquet 15th.
- Contact: Tish Gelineau, Sailfish@StuartSailfishClub.com, 772-286-9373.
Clay Roberts Memorial Inshore Slam Fishing Tournament
- June 15, 2013 - Jacksonville, Florida
- The 6th Annual Clay Roberts Memorial Inshore Slam Fishing Tournament will be held at Beach Marine located at 2315 Beach Boulevard at the Intracoastal Waterway. Clay’s Tournament was created to bring families and friends together, spending time on the water, while sustaining the memory of Clay in our community. Over $10,000 in prizes will be awarded. All proceeds go to the Clay Roberts Memorial Scholarship Fund. So far, five students have benefited from Clay’s Scholarship.
- Contact: Gary Roberts, jaguargar@gmail.com, 904-384-0775.
Gulf recreational red snapper season begins June 1
- The 2013 Gulf of Mexico recreational red snapper season begins June 1 in state and federal waters.
- This year’s state season is 44 days long and will be open through July 14 with the first day of the closure being July 15. The federal season off Florida will be 26 days long.
- The state season was approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at its April 17 meeting in Tallahassee. State waters are from shore to 9 nautical miles in Gulf waters; federal waters extend beyond that line to 200 nautical miles.
- State and federal regulations require all commercial fishers and recreational anglers fishing for any reef fish species in the Gulf of Mexico to use circle hooks, venting tools and dehooking devices. In Gulf state and federal waters, the minimum size limit is 16 inches total length and the bag limit is two fish per person, per day, within a 10-fish snapper aggregate limit.
- While the yearly quota for how many pounds of red snapper can be harvested has increased in recent years, the federal season length has gotten shorter over the past few years because of more fishing effort and larger fish, according to federal fishery managers.
- The FWC Commission chose to go inconsistent with the 2013 federal season based on reports that the upcoming federal stock assessment would likely show red snapper populations are doing better than previously thought and reports from anglers that the fishery is improving.
- More information about red snapper fishing is available online at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and then “Gulf Red Snapper.”
Gulf amberjack closes in state and federal waters
- The recreational harvest of greater amberjack in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters closes June 1. Greater amberjack will reopen for harvest in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters Aug. 1.
- State waters in the Atlantic extend from shore to 3 nautical miles and in the Gulf from shore to 9 nautical miles.
- Seasonal harvest closures protect Florida’s valuable greater amberjack populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.
- Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater” and “Recreational Regulations.”
Atlantic snook to close in state and federal waters
- The recreational harvest of snook in Atlantic state and federal waters closes June 1.
- Snook will reopen for harvest in Atlantic federal, state and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, on Sept. 1. Snook remains closed for harvest in Gulf of Mexico state waters, including Everglades National Park and Monroe County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will decide at its June meeting in Lakeland whether to allow the Gulf snook harvest to reopen Sept. 1.
- State waters in the Atlantic extend from shore to 3 nautical miles and in the Gulf from shore to 9 nautical miles.
- Seasonal harvest closures protect Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.
- Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater” and “Recreational Regulations.”
Fishing Forecast
High pressure ridging across the waters from the Atlantic will shift south through Thursday. A weakening cold front will then settle into northern Florida and dissipate Friday. High pressure will return for the weekend. Winds and seas are expected stay below headline criteria.
Thursday
West winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2013/06/13Thu05:20 a.m.1.5H
2013/06/13Thu10:00 a.m.1.15L
2013/06/13Thu03:33 p.m.2.19H
2013/06/13Thu11:40 p.m.0.07L
Friday
West winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms. Friday night will bring southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2013/06/14Fri05:55 a.m.1.6H
2013/06/14Fri11:11 a.m.1.11L
2013/06/14Fri04:27 p.m.2.0H
Saturday
West winds around 10 knots then becoming northwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms. Saturday night will bring north winds around 5 knots then becoming northeast around 10 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2013/06/15Sat12:20 a.m.0.2L
2013/06/15Sat06:32 a.m.1.71H
2013/06/15Sat12:30 p.m.1.03L
2013/06/15Sat05:31 p.m.1.78H
Sunday
Northeast winds around 10 knots then becoming northwest around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms. Sunday night will bring northeast winds around 10 knots then becoming east after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/06/16Sun01:01 a.m.0.36L
2013/06/16Sun07:11 a.m.1.84H
2013/06/16Sun01:54 p.m.0.88L
2013/06/16Sun06:52 p.m.1.58H
Solunar Forecast