JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

INTRODUCTION
Introduction
This free publication is provided as a guide
to Florida fishing laws and regulations. The
Florida Wildlife Code is the final authority on
fishing laws (www.FLrules.org). The Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC) strives to ensure information in this
booklet is accurate but assumes no liability
for typographical errors that may occur in this
publication. Contact the FWC if you have questions
not adequately covered in this booklet;
see contact list and map below. This publication
is valid only from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.
Major changes
■ A new rule prohibits taking of fish or wildlife
with firearms on 38 fish management areas
(FMAs), rather than completely prohibiting
firearms on those areas.
■ The following lakes associated with the Fish
Orlando! project have been removed from
the fish management area system: lakes
Lorna Doone (Orange County); Richmond
(Orange County); Kirkman Pond (Orange
County); and Lake Dot (Seminole County).
The rule also prohibits possession and use of
cast nets in lakes Ivanhoe (Orange County)
and Santiago (Orange County), which
remain part of the Fish Orlando! project.
■ The dates Joe Budd Pond FMA (Gadsden
County) are open to public fishing will be established
by executive order to allow changes
to be tailored to changing conditions
related to fish camp dates and classroom
activities at Joe Budd Aquatic Education
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
620 South Meridian Street
Farris Bryant Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
(850) 488-4676
(800) 955-8771 TDD
Commissioners
Rodney Barreto, Chairman, Miami
Brian S. Yablonski,
Vice Chairman, Tallahassee
Kathy Barco, Jacksonville
Ronald M. Bergeron, Ft. Lauderdale
Richard A. Corbett, Tampa
David K. Meehan, St. Petersburg
Dwight Stephenson, Delray Beach
Kenneth W. Wright, Winter Park
Staff
Ken Haddad, Executive Director
Nick Wiley, Assistant Executive Director
Center. For 2008, Joe Budd Pond will be
closed to fishing, except as authorized by
permit for Commission-sanctioned events.
Open to fishing during daylight hours on
July 4, 2008 and Saturdays and Sundays
from July 5th through August 31, and Labor
Day (Monday, September 1) 2008, as specified
by order of the Executive Director.
■ At Tenoroc FMA (Polk County), visitors
may check in and out at additional designated
entry points and permitted alligator
hunters are exempt from the requirement
to enter at designated entry points. The
rule also renamed lakes East Pasture and
West Pasture to Pine Lakes and increased
angling opportunities in these two lakes
to include licensed anglers when accompanied
by a child under 16 years old.
Other changes at Tenoroc include limiting
discharge of firearms to the firing range
or at FWC-sponsored events and requiring
dogs to be leashed, except as authorized
by FWC.
■ Another rule change redefined species
that may be taken with a dip net, cast net
(1-inch maximum stretched mesh), trap or
minnow seine for use as bait. Those species
are golden shiners of any size and other
freshwater nongame fish (including catfish)
less than 8 inches total length, unless
specifically prohibited. This replaces lessspecific
language that previously referred
to minnows of nongame fish.
FWC regional offices
Northwest Region
3911 Highway 2321
Panama City, FL 32409-1658
(850) 265-3676
North Central Region
3377 East U.S. Highway 90
Lake City, FL 32055-8795
(386) 758-0525
Northeast Region
1239 Southwest 10th Street
Ocala, FL 34471-0323
(352) 732-1225
Southwest Region
3900 Drane Field Road
Lakeland, FL 33811-1299
(863) 648-3200
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South Region
8535 Northlake Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33412-3303
(561) 625-5122
■ Nongame freshwater fish may be taken
with cast nets of any mesh size in the South
and Northeast regions, in Citrus County,
and in most of the Southwest Region. The
exception is that possession or use of cast
nets in waters adjoining Saddle Creek FMA
(in Polk County) is prohibited. This rule
removes the size limit on cast nets in the
South Region.
■ A new rule requires fishing gear such as
hoop nets, wire traps, slat baskets, trotlines,
bush hooks and setlines to be clearly and
legibly marked with the fisherman’s name
and address. This enables better enforcement
and removal of abandoned gear or
improperly positioned gear, such as gear
that is in too shallow water, which would
create a navigation hazard.
■ The black bass length regulation on Lake
Okeechobee is now an 18-inch or greater
minimum length limit. Also, a new rule
establishes a 10-inch or greater minimum
length for black crappie on the lake. Bag
limits remain unchanged.
■ In addition, the boundary definition for
Lake Okeechobee now includes that portion
of the C-41-A Canal from the intersection
of the C-38 Canal upstream to the S-84
structure.
■ The black bass regulation on Lake Trafford
was changed and specifies that all bass
must be 18 inches or greater in total length
and only one bass may be 22 inches or
greater in total length.
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4 2008-2009 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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