Well, I bet you thought something happened to me since you all didn't receive a Report for March. Nope, I've just been working every day and after about two weeks at 7 days a week on the water I get so exhausted I have to get plenty of sleep for the next day but I'm not on the water today because of the ENE winds and the 5' Easterly swell we've been experiencing this week. Talk about can't fish the jetties, WOW, it's been rough. Anyway, the winds are supposed to be a lot calmer tomorrow so I'll be back at it again.

NEWS:

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service) is seeking public comment on a proposed rule to withdraw the Atlantic Coast Red Drum Fishery Management Plan implemented under the Magnuson Steven Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and implement the management measures for Atlantic red drum under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act).  The purpose of this proposed action is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of managing Atlantic coast red drum.  The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on April 3, 2008, NOAA Fisheries Service is accepting comments through May 5, 2008.

 

Currently, the red drum fishery off the South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic coastal states is managed under two separate Fishery Management Plans (FMP). The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) manages red drum in federal waters under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) manages red drum in state waters.

 

This proposed action is unrelated to the recent Executive Order designating red drum a game fish species in federal waters of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Through this proposed rule the Council and the Commission seek to withdraw the Council's FMP and establish comparable regulations under the Atlantic Coastal Act. The transfer of management authority is intended to reduce management costs and unnecessary duplication of management efforts. Under the Atlantic Coastal Act, the existing harvest and possession prohibition in federal waters will continue to be enforced by the NOAA Fisheries Service and the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Secretary of Commerce will continue to have regulatory authority over red drum in federal waters.

Request for Comments: They are REQUESTING to be heard from you, the anglers.

Written comments on this proposed rule must be received no later than 5 p.m., Eastern time, on May 5, 2008, in order to be considered by NOAA Fisheries Service.  See the Addresses section for information on where and how to submit comments.

 

Addresses:

Electronic copies of the proposed rule may be obtained from the Federal Register Web site at http://www.gpoacess.gov/fr/index.html. Copies of the Environmental Assessment and and/or the proposed rule may be found on the NOAA Fisheries Service  Web site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov , or obtained from:

NOAA Fisheries Service

Southeast Regional Office

Sustainable Fisheries Division

263 13th Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

 

You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

Electronic Submissions: Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov .  All comments received are part of the public record and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change.  All personal identifying information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible.  Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.  NOAA Fisheries Service will accept anonymous comments.  Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

 

Mail: Kate Michie

NOAA Fisheries Service
Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

Fax: 727-824-5308, Attention: Kate Michie

Please let them hear from you before the deadline. All Anglers need to be heard!

CREEKS:

Redfish are schooled up and that's a good thing except for when you don't see them moving around and then spook them with the boat. They're just holding in locations, sitting still in the mud warming their bellies. I bet we saw 150 reds in  the shallows in probably 6 to 8 different schools the other day when it was slick but the winds have been howling the past few days and you can't spot them. It's so much fun casting to those guys when you see them and then watching them fight in the shallows. A few more flounder are showing up better and better now and spotted trout are doing better but still quite a few small ones compared to keeper-sized ones.

  

RIVER:

Spotted trout doing better now. Some real nice ones around too. Whiting and yellow mouth trout doing better now also. A few black drum still in the river system but it's nothing you can count on. One day you might get 9 and the next day you might get 3 if any at all. That'll all change too in the next couple of weeks too. I've actually seen a few bull redfish still in the river and that's kind of strange for this time of the year. Please revive and release those giant drum that you'll be hanging during the next 2 to 3 weeks or so. They're not good to eat with all those worms/parasites inside them and most importantly, they'll supply our future drum. That's why we really need them alive and spawning more times. Huge sheepshead from 7 to 11 pounds in the river on hard bottom and rocky areas with quartered up blue crabs. They won't be there for long. Get them while you can.

  

JETTIES:

The rage is sheepshead and good, eating-sized black drum. I mentioned this last month but they're hitting real good right now. Large female sheepshead are in to lay their eggs on the sandbars, hard bottoms and deep rock areas around the jetties and up the rivers. These 'heads' are anywhere from 7 to 11 pounds so far. Don't overlook humps on your depth finders and especially areas where your bottom line gets thicker. That means a 'hard bottom'. Regular sized sheepshead from 1 to 6 pounds are biting at the boulders too during this time. Yellow mouth trout and whiting in the sandier areas around the jetties especially just outside the tips of the rocks and check out the speckled trout just around the corner/end of the South jetty. You can float fish live shrimp for these guys just back from the end on the outside. Redfish, some slot-sized and mostly oversized reds at the rocks too. We managed to catch a 59 pound black drum last Friday but there aren't many around this year for some reason.  Ringtails bite better on the outgoing tides and they're very good to eat also. They are a member of the same family as a sheepshead, porgies. People generally overlook these guys but they sure are fun on light tackle and good to eat also. I haven't seen any black margates so far this year.

 

SURF:

Whiting, bluefish, black drum and redfish are all biting in the surf and the Jax., Beach Pier now. Get out there when you can as you gotta get them while the getting is good.

 

You can say what you want about the South but,
you never hear of anyone retiring and moving up North,,,

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