BRADENTON – This weekend is the Tampa Boatshow! According to our contributing captain, Rick Grasset, tarpon and bonefish will become catch and release only for the first time. If you can dodge the afternoon thunderstorms, you can still target tarpon are also a good option around bridges at night and juveniles in creeks, canals and basins. Beat the heat by catch and release snook fishing before daylight in the ICW and then look for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, tripletail and more in Sarasota Bay.
Tarpon, bonefish become catch-and-release only on Sept. 1
▪ Tarpon tags will be limited to one per person, per year except for properly licensed charter boat captains and fishing guides.
▪ Transport or shipment of tarpon becomes limited to one fish per person.
▪ There will be a one-fish-per-vessel limit for tarpon.
▪ Gear used for tarpon will be limited to hook-and-line only.
▪ Multiple hooks in conjunction with live or dead natural bait cannot be used to target or harvest tarpon, or to target bonefish.
▪ People will be allowed to temporarily possess a tarpon for photography, measurement of length and girth and scientific sampling, with the stipulation that tarpon more than 40 inches must remain in the water.
▪ Tarpon regulations will extend into federal waters.
▪ The bonefish tournament exemption permit is eliminated. This exemption allowed tournament anglers with the proper permit to temporarily possess bonefish for transport to a tournament scale.
To learn more about tarpon and bonefish, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater” and “Recreational Regulations.”
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Fishing Forecast
High pressure will reside across northern Florida and the northern Gulf waters into early next week. This results in easterly flow but with a sea breeze near the coast each afternoon.
Thursday
East winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Thursday night will bring east winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms.
2013/09/05 Thu 01:19 a.m. 1.96 H
2013/09/05 Thu 07:30 a.m. 0.82 L
2013/09/05 Thu 01:19 p.m. 2.4 H
2013/09/05 Thu 08:13 p.m. 0.67 L
Friday
East winds around 5 knots then becoming northeast in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Friday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/09/06 Fri 01:35 a.m. 2.08 H
2013/09/06 Fri 08:08 a.m. 0.67 L
2013/09/06 Fri 01:57 p.m. 2.33 H
2013/09/06 Fri 08:37 p.m. 0.78 L
Saturday
Northeast winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning, then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Saturday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/09/07 Sat 01:55 a.m. 2.22 H
2013/09/07 Sat 08:49 a.m. 0.54 L
2013/09/07 Sat 02:39 p.m. 2.23 H
2013/09/07 Sat 09:02 p.m. 0.91 L
Sunday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Sunday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/09/08 Sun 02:21 a.m. 2.35 H
2013/09/08 Sun 09:34 a.m. 0.45 L
2013/09/08 Sun 03:25 p.m. 2.09 H
Solunar Forecast