Can Regulated fish be used as bait ?
John McKroid
Posts: 2,360 Captain
Surely this has been asked before, but having trouble finding it. Can I use a legal yellowtail snapper or Spanish Mackerel as bait in SE Florida ? I am assuming an undersized fish would be illegal to use as bait.
Replies
People probably use them anyway, I almost did last year, had a juvi lane in the bucket with my pins. i noticed it before hand and let him go but if I had used him, i'd have felt bad. Cut him loose and promised i'd be back in June this year for him.
“When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you.”
Certain fish are labelled as reef fish by the state such as Snappers and Groupers, etc.
Cheers.
Now you might run afoul of the "must be landed in whole condition" if you use one as cut bait.
What I previously stated was and is correct.
Are you aware tomtates are considered a "managed species" in the south atlantic? Actually there are way over 50 different species I believe that under the "snapper - grouper" managed complex in the south atlantic. If some "blanket regulation" exists as does for the smaller "reef fish" complex of the GOM federal manged waters .......please do us a great service and point us to it. Yes some individual fish in the complex may have a reg not to use as bait (seabass etc.), but unless you can point me to it, I know of no blanket rule like the one that exists for reef fish in the GOM.
From my understanding it's certain species.
Then there's that rule where you can't use
techniques that catches A type of species
that's not in season. You're not even allowed
to practice catch and release. Definitely A beneficial topic.
GOOD QUESTION ! !
Hi John,
I am not sure if our Law Enforcement Liaison responded to your email as of yet, but each individual regulated species has its own rule, for example Spanish Mackerel: 68B-23.0035(2). Within this rule you will notice it states Fish must be landed in whole Condition. To be exact it reads:
(2) All Spanish mackerel harvested in or from Florida or adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters shall be landed in a whole condition. The possession, while in or on state waters, on any public or private fishing pier, on a bridge or catwalk attached to a bridge from which fishing is allowed, or on any jetty, of a Spanish mackerel that has been deheaded, sliced, divided, filleted, ground, skinned, scaled, or deboned is prohibited. Mere evisceration or “gutting” of Spanish mackerel, or mere removal of gills before landing is not prohibited.
You can acess this rule from our website here: http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/spanish-mackerel/ and the rule 68B-23.0035 here: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=68B-23
Yellowtail Snapper is considered a Reef Fish and therefore fall under the rule: 68B-14.006(4) which also has a Land in Whole Condition Requirement which reads:
(4) Landed in Whole Condition Requirement – Except as provided elsewhere in this rule, all fish harvested from Florida or adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters pursuant to the requirements of this chapter shall be landed in a whole condition. The possession, while in or on state waters, on any public or private fishing pier, on a bridge or catwalk attached to a bridge from which fishing is allowed, or on any jetty, of such fish that have been deheaded, sliced, divided, filleted, ground, skinned, scaled or deboned is prohibited. Mere evisceration or “gutting” of fish, or mere removal of gills from fish, before landing is not prohibited. Preparation of fish for immediate consumption on board the vessel from which the fish were caught is not prohibited.
(5) Landed in Whole Condition Exception – Recreational anglers that lawfully harvest species listed as South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper in Table 4 of Appendix A to 50 C.F.R. §622 (as of June 22, 2016), in waters of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas are exempt from the requirement to land such fish in whole condition under the following conditions:
The rule can be found on our website here: http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/snappers/ and the rule 68B-14.006 here: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=68B-14.
So in these 2 cases, you would not be able to cut them us to use them as bait on the water. Please look up any other species you have concerns about via that webpage above. The rule is at the bottom of each page.
Hope this helps you!
Gina Russo
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
#justsaying
(e) Use of Gulf reef fish as bait prohibited. Gulf reef fish may not be used as bait in any fishery, except that, when purchased from a fish processor, the filleted carcasses and offal of Gulf reef fish may be used as bait in trap fisheries for blue crab, stone crab, deep-water crab, and spiny lobster.