License-free fishing weekends returns to Florida
By FOX 13 news staff
Published
(FWC Photo by Amanda Nalley)
TAMPA, Fla. - If you’ve never cast a line, or it’s been a while since you did, now’s your chance.
This month, there are two free fishing weekends in Florida. The first is this weekend – June 5 and 6 – for saltwater fishing. Next weekend – June 12 and 13 – is free for freshwater fishing.
However, keep in mind, you’ll still need to follow all the size and limit restrictions.
Rules and regulations
LINK: We had a lot of people last year fishing a shot for the first time, said Amanda Nalley with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. We really hope that a lot of these people will come back and try again. Maybe if you didn’t go over the winter, this is a great opportunity to get back on the water and try it one more time.
The Gulf Recreational Red Snapper Season opens Friday. The 55-day season will be the longest since the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began managing red snapper three years ago.
The Gulf Recreational Red Snapper Season opens Friday. The 55-day season will be the longest since the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began managing red snapper three years ago.
Mote Marine via AP
A Goliath grouper swims at Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida.
Florida may lift its three-decade ban on catching and killing
Goliath groupers.
State fishery managers will discuss possibly reopening Goliath grouper to harvest and interactions between fishermen and sharks in Florida waters on Wednesday, May 12, and also discuss implementing a tag system to harvest spiny lobster in the Florida Keys during the two-day sport season when it meets Thursday, May 13.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will meet virtually all day Wednesday starting at 9 a.m. Information on participating in the meeting can be found at https://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/may-2021/.
State fishery managers will discuss possibly reopening Goliath grouper to harvest and interactions between fishermen and sharks in Florida waters on Wednesday, May 12, and also discuss implementing a tag system to harvest spiny lobster in the Florida Keys during the two-day sport season when it meets Thursday, May 13.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will meet virtually all day Wednesday starting at 9 a.m. Information on participating in the meeting can be found at https://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/may-2021/.
The species has been closed to harvest since 1990, but the FWC last discussed reopening the Goliath grouper fishery in 2018 when it was proposing allocating 100 tags a year for up to four years to fishermen who want to harvest them.