for Red Snapper Hosted by Bob Fowler [email protected] (850) 708-1317

Presented by Ron Barwick Service Manager, Half Hitch [email protected]

marinemax.com treasureislandmarina.net halfhitch.com 1 American Red Snapper Season As of 11 May 2013

In State Waters ( shoreline to 9 miles ) June 1 through July 15, 2013 - 44 Days

In Federal Waters ( beyond 9 miles ) June 1 through June 21, 2013 - 21 Days

Limit of 2 per person 16 inch minimum length

All above information is subject to change

2 MRFSS / MRIP*

• 2013 Red Snapper Quotas – Red Snapper 8.08 million pounds ABC (Acceptable Biological Catch) – Recreational – 49% – Commercial – 51% • Not enough 12-20 year old fish • Heavy fishing in 70’s & 80’s reduced stock

* Marine Recreational Statistics Survey (MRFSS) * Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP)

3 Red Snapper Rebuilding Plan

• 74% Shrimping Reduction of by-catch • Commercial Red Snapper – IFQ () • Commercial Red Snapper 13” size limit to reduce discards

4 State and Federal Waters

• Texas/Florida 9 miles, all other Gulf States 3 miles • Indicated on chart as Natural Resources Border

5 Compliance Kit

Pliers will meet dehooker Required: requirement • Dehooker however; fish • Venting Tool flipper do work Both must be used faster and better.

6 Release Brochure

Venting tools allow air to be removed from fishes air bladder so they will be able to return to the bottom

http://catchandrelease.org/Catch_and_Release_web.pdf

7 Rod Leverage

• Shorter rod increases angler’s leverage, longer Angler leverage rods increases fishes leverage Fish Leverage • Shorter people need shorter rod butts • Rear Butt Length STD 12-16”

8 Conventional vs. Spinning

Spinning reels by nature twist line & have poor leverage

Conventional reels offer greater leverage and better drags

9 2 Speed vs. 1 Speed vs. High Efficiency Gearing

High efficiency gearing allows for best of both worlds – easy cranking like low speed & fast 2 Speed reels give extra retrieval like high speed leverage in low gear to get large fish away from their hole & off the bottom.

10 Fluorocarbon

• Great Leader – High abrasion resistance – Stiffer – Larger Diameter – Same density as water – Carbon fleck stops light transmittal – Has UV inhibitors – last longer in sun

11 Tie vs. Crimp • Best to tie all mono under 80lb • 80lb-125lb can tie or crimp • 150lb & up best to crimp • Remember when crimping, use a mono sleeve & compression style crimper • Barrel sleeve Mono sleeve

• When a Barrel sleeve is crimped only limited contact with the surface of mono. Mono sleeves compress all around mono for more contact and holding power. 12 Hooks

J Hook • Circle Hook Rule – Circle hooks required when using natural bait Circle Hook for Reef Fish • Why Circle Hooks

– More hook-up in jaw Circle hook – Greater survival definition: Generally round possibility in shape & point – Less gut hooked fish 900 to hook shank

13 Circle Hooks

• Required by law when fishing for reef fish • Less gut hook fish • Less release mortality • Offset vs. non-offset • Circle hooks work best for live baits. Remember with circle hooks, don’t jerk, just reel. 90° • To be a legal circle hook, the ------hook point must be 90 degrees to the hook shank.

14 2 Hook vs 1 Hook

3-Way Swivel

Lead

1 oz. of lead per 10’ More with larger lines & stronger currents

15 Weights

Egg leads work great for single hook rigs. They are able to slide to reduce the feel when a fish strikes.

Use torpedo or bank leads below the hooks when fishing with multiple hooks to keep hooks separate and untangled.

16 Catching Bait with ’s

• Generally will bite bare hooks on the fall • Most people don’t use heavy enough weight • Great bait catching places are: • Tide lines for bait schools watch depth recorder • Buoys, C Buoy

17 Dead & Cut Baits

• Squid • Bonita Belley • Northern Mackerel • Best to hook larger bait in the nose so they descend like a torpedo & not spin, twisting around your line • Cutting off the baits tail will also help prevent spinning

18 Live Baits

• Thread Herring • Cigar Minnow • Shrimp • Blue Runner • Squirrel Fish • White Snapper (Pink Pogie) • Pinfish (Choffer)

19 Traditional

Traditional Jigging with lead heads & hook on the bottom are fished by jerking the jig up and letting it fall, most strikes occur on the fall

20 Vertical Jigging

• Different from past jigging in that you keep the jigging moving all the way up the water column • Hooks are at the top, not the bottom and are hanging free • To be effective must use Braided Line with long mono leader • High speed narrow reel prevents crowning of line 21

• Frozen – fine ground chum works best – Add menhaden oil • Dry – most tend to float & larger pieces • Menhaden oil – floats great for surface feeder • Menhaden milk – oil adapted to mix with water great for all water levels

22 Bottom Chumming

Get the chum to the bottom to start feeding faster

23 Depth Recorders &

• Need for DGPS & Color Bottom Machine • Color bottom help to identify harder bottom & fish size • Thru Hull vs. Transom Mount Transducer • Thru Hull will give much better picture • Transom mount has most turbulence

24 Buoy • Buoy gives a point of reference – i.e. stump to know your location and to notice your movement. • Easy way to know current American Bandit speed and direction. • Drift direction is effected by wind, waves and current, know the net effect of all 3 will save time and catch you more fish Suremarker

25 Best Places

• http://www.myfwc.com/conservation/saltwater/artificial-reefs/

• Artificial Reefs – rubble, boats, bridges

• Natural Bottom – coral reefs, lime stone bottom

• Snapper prefer – structure up in water column – Bigger Snapper generally caught 30-60 ft. off the bottom.

26 MEETINGS

Next Meeting Schedule • June 17 - 21, 2013 Gulf Of Mexico • Crowne Plaza Management Council Meeting • 200 E. Gregory Street Schedule 2203 N Lois Avenue, Suite 1100 • Pensacola, FL 32501 Tampa, Florida 33607 USA Toll Free: 888-833-1844 Email: [email protected] gulfcouncil.org http://www.gulfcouncil.org/

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/

27 MEETINGS

Florida Fish and Wildlife • June 11-13, 2013 Conservation Commission Farris Bryant Building • Hilton Garden Inn 620 S. Meridian St. • 3839 Don Emerson Drive Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 (850) 488-4676 • Lakeland, FL 33811

• 1:00pm June 11 Saltwater Regulations • 8:30am June 12 & 13 myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/

28 FISHING NEWLSETTER

Visit www.halfhitch.com select Fishing Club and sign up for the Half Hitch Newsletter.

By registering your email you will stay informed about what's going on in the and receive notification of special buys, seminars and tournament information.

Email Address: ______

www.halfhitch.com

29 Follow us on Facebook

• www.facebook.com/halfhitchtackle

30 How To Measure

Mouth closed, Must pinch tail to get total length

31