The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) moved Nov. 16 to prohibit the harvest of tiger sharks and three species of hammerheads from state waters in an effort to further
protect these top predators that rely on Florida waters to survive. The action was taken during the first day of the Commission’s two-day meeting in Key Largo.

“Sometimes the appropriate measures of conservation are the problems we avoid, not the problems we have to fix,” said Commissioner Brian Yablonski.

While on a charter with Capt Larry McGuire Show Me The Fish Charters, operating out of the Bradenton Beach Marina, Shirley Orr and Dr. Janet Razze, both of Holmes Beach, FL caught Red and Gag Grouper, and even caught and released a 100 lb Goliath Grouper [Jewfish] offshore of Anna Maria Island.

Hi, everyone and welcome to sunny southwest Florida. I’m Mel the Guide at Gulf Coast Kayak in a little town called Matlacha. I would first like to thank all the readers and kayakers who have been out with us throughout the summer. As you well know it was a hot one. We did get out early and beat the heat and saw a lot of birds, dolphin, turtles, stingrays, and a lot of jumping mullet. The fishing was good even with us having a ban on Snook. We saw some nice Reds, Trout, and Snapper caught.

Now that the extreme heat has left us it’s time to get on the water full time and do some major kayaking. I ride a motorcycle to work every day, about 30 miles there and 30 back, and the mornings have been nice and crisp. The trip home in the afternoon is really nice as it starts to warm up by midday.