Alright, SO we all know that you are not allowed to spear a snook. And we also know that the Snook have a season which is currently not in for anglers to keep the fish if it is taken by a pole.

So my questioning is why is a spearfisherman not allowed to to harvest these fish when they are so retardedly abundent? I can undertstand a season for them and a bag limit. But why is it so limited?

because h/l fisherman have more pull in with the lawmakers than spearfishers.

its kindda like red drum, permit and seatrout

they are such a valuable sport fish....and i guess they don't think that spearfishing is sport enough to allow it as a legal means to collect them.



another possibility is that since they are also seen in freshwater, and it is illegal to spear in FW in florida, they want to make the "enforcement of the regulations" easier.
who knows

Bottom line is that when the restrictions were proposed against spearfishermen no one stood up and said anything. You can thank the FRA for being your voice now. I feel that if it can be taken with a hook and line then we should have the right to shoot it, period.

I grew up fishing for snook out on the old Skyway before it was torn down to the what are the fishing piers today. I absolutely LOVE snook, one of the best eating fish in Florida IMO.

Edited to preserve spearos rights.

I'm not sure, but it may also have something to do with how easy it would be to slaughter them. I mean, I've been diving south of Sebastian serveral times this month, and big schools of Snook are everywhere on the reefs, and you can just swim right up to them and literally touch them with your spear if you wanted to.

I've wondered the same thing though because if they were legal to spear, I could have easily come home with a limit everytime. Of course, if it was legal, I probably wouldn't be seeing them like I have the past few trips.

One per day per angler, that should apply across the board.

One per day per angler, that should apply across the board.

:iagree:

You can swim right up to them because they're not being hunted. Bill Mac can attest to this. He use to hunt them before it was illegal. That statement you made is just the sort of stuff that keeps us from ever getting that law repealed too.

That statement you made is just the sort of stuff that keeps us from ever getting that law repealed too.

Sorry, didn't mean to jeopordize our common goals. I'd love to be able to shoot them too. I'll take it back if you think it's detramental.

doesnt really matter, The law will never be passes cause too many people are butt hurt about Spearfisherman possibly hsving sn upper hand on them. When all it takes is a simple purchase of spearing gear and they could do it too!

But enough about fisherman vs. spearman....

Other than the fact that Snook are retarded tame. Any othe reason why they are protect from us?

Other than the fact that Snook are retarded tame.

:slap: ...again...they are only tame acting because they're not being hunted.

I've been diving the Gulf for more than 20 years.......and had a shot at a snook maybe 5 times.

Thats because I'm usually offshore.

The rationale behind banning spearing for them was that in the winter when it gets cold they are lethargic and stay near docks. Gigging is not allowed either.

I still believe that policies could be enacted that protected those fish but gave Diver's a fair chance to catch one......but its not the next battle I'd expend effort on.

:slap: ...again...they are only tame acting because they're not being hunted.I've seen snook here in a high pressure area. When the snook saw me change direction and swim towards him it took off in a flash like the best of them. I can see these fish being hard to spear when they get used to being hunted.

Im sure they would eventually become hard to spear once hunting them was allowed. But from my experience diving at the Skyway they are more tame than any fish there. I swam down on 5 of them, all within legal keeping size when the season is in. And they was in no hurry to get out of my way. I could have leterally poked them with my spear head if I wanted too.

And I guess with the winter time in mind hunting them would seem a little unfair. The colder weather does take an ill effect on them and they become "less active" per say. they dont bite as much from the fisherman, and they just really lay around all day. So this is when a spearfisherman could slay a mess of them within a small time frame.

"The rationale behind banning spearing for them was that in the winter when it gets cold they are lethargic and stay near docks. Gigging is not allowed either."

and other fish dont??

if its a fishing pier its illegal to spear under it anyway
and if its freshwater its illegal as well

snook that i've seen on wrecks and the reef from key west to miami, 70ft to 130ft, from summer, fall and winter......all show the same behavior. a general awareness of divers, but not a fear of them.

i have also wittnessed a school of about 12 large snook abandon the wreck of the Busch off big pine as soon as divers hit the water. they knew to move off, and you could tell...it was nearly 100ft of vis so i watched them from the surface.

alot of other fish...that are legal to spear....are just as un-affraid of divers. yellowtail, mangos, and gags all do everything shy of swim on to your shaft.

alot of other fish...that are legal to spear....are just as un-affraid of divers. yellowtail, mangos, and gags all do everything shy of swim on to your shaft.
Let us not forget hogfish!

The colder weather does take an ill effect on them and they become "less active" per say.
less active per say? I've literally leaned over in the water and picked them up with my hands in February.

Let us not forget hogfish!


less active per say? I've literally leaned over in the water and picked them up with my hands in February.

ok, so maybe I was giving them a little credit...

In the early days, 20's through the 40's, the snook was considered a trash fish known locally as "soapfish" because of the taste of cooking them with the skin on. You used to be able to walk along the St. Pete Pier and the approach and pier would be littered with them. Then someone got the idea to skin them prior to cooking and the work got out how good they really were. Because of this the snook was fished year round and when they became lethargic in the winter, they would be harvested by dip net or landing net, thereby greatly decreasing the population. I grew up learning to gig them from the bridges and sea walls. In the late 50's they were declared a game fish and harvesting them fell under the same laws as tarpon, bill fish, and other species which could only landed by hook and line. Since that time I don't believe anyone or any group has actively petitioned to have the status of the fish changed.

Charlie

In the early days, 20's through the 40's, the snook was considered a trash fish known locally as "soapfish" because of the taste of cooking them with the skin on. You used to be able to walk along the St. Pete Pier and the approach and pier would be littered with them. Then someone got the idea to skin them prior to cooking and the work got out how good they really were. Because of this the snook was fished year round and when they became lethargic in the winter, they would be harvested by dip net or landing net, thereby greatly decreasing the population. I grew up learning to gig them from the bridges and sea walls. In the late 50's they were declared a game fish and harvesting them fell under the same laws as tarpon, bill fish, and other species which could only landed by hook and line. Since that time I don't believe anyone or any group has actively petitioned to have the status of the fish changed.

Charlie

Wow, Thanks for the history.

alot of other fish...that are legal to spear....are just as un-affraid of divers. yellowtail, mangos, and gags all do everything shy of swim on to your shaft.
I have always found yellowtail to be one of the harder fish to approach and spear. They come willingly to the chum but seeing hordes of them is no guarantee you can get close enough to shoot one. Mangroves can at times be one of the easiest fish to shoot BUT there are those out there (the large ones when not in spawn mode) that are true experts at keeping divers frustrated. In the spots where we shoot big ones here the grovers are unapproachable on scuba.....one stream of bubbles and the whole school will dissapear like a fart in the wind.

I also agree with Emil. Perhaps it is easier to shoot some of these fish on Scuba where you can just be sitting there and certain fish just come and congregate around you after a period of time.

Regarding Yellowtail snapper, we had this discussion amongst some very experienced freedivers this past week and we all agreed that they are one of the more difficult fish to land. GR had an interesting way to approach them and we have found that even when they are in a chumming frenzy, they are still very skittish and always seem to stay just outside shooting range. I believe Yellowtail snappers are perhaps just below Mahogany snappers on level of difficulty to land. Of course, I say this from a freediving perspective.

Here's one of the larger ones I have ever landed. I took it this past weekend and I think I was the only diver that had one within range. Just for perspective the grouper was a bit over 28".

in my experience, mangos and yellowtaill are not hard to approach....but due to relative small size and quick irratic movements...they are hard as hell to hit and collect.

yellowtail never seem to be affraid, they willingly come close to you, but are often swimming pretty fast and are very hard to line up.

same with mangos...

but neither of them are hard to shoot due to them being "weary"

Is yellowtail the Rabirubia? If so I have some fond memories of hunting them in Cuba and they were not easy, never gave me a close shot. Here I never see them in a size worth shooting, the one's I like are of a size close to the one Rolo is holding. Many times one of those was the only fish I came home with but it was enough for a nice dinner.

I finally saw yellowtail that size off of a beach dive a few days ago - they came right up behind me. By the time I turned and aimed, they were just out of reach.

I was surprised because all I have ever seen were the smaller ones - and even they stay out of reach. This 'school' of larger ones was only 5 fish close to the top of the water column.

Thanks for that other name, Easy - it helped me look them up on this site: http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/ComNames/CommonNameSearchSpeciesList.cfm?CommonName=Rabirub ia

Looks like Ocyurus chrysurus is what we're seeing, but i'd love to see a Lutjanus inermis (Golden Snapper), too - wonder if they ever sneak up here, or if they only stay in Mexico?

My goal is to get an edible sized yellowtail this year... but it's gonna be tough to do.

Has anyone ever tried carrying a small chum bag along during the dive to lure them in closer? I'm sure folks have, but doesn't hurt to ask.

Of course, you might attract something youd rather not attract :eek:

I can assure you you will attract something you don't want to attract... not every time, but yeah...

Edit: Actually, now that I think about it BeerBatter, I really wouldn't mind trying the technique out when you come down to the Ft. Lauderdale area - You drag the chum bag, and I'll stay behind, and off to the side, of you, oh, about 20 feet... I promise to shot anything bigger than 12 inches that you happen to attract :D

That's a neat site Dave.

Beerbatter, if you want to do that just scale and gut your fish as soon as you spear them. You'll get visitors if there are any around.

BeerBatter, I really wouldn't mind trying the technique out when you come down to the Ft. Lauderdale area - You drag the chum bag, and I'll stay behind, and off to the side, of you, oh, about 20 feet...

:D Great! I new I'd make some good friends here on this forum that are looking out after me :D I get to do the dirty work.

Actually, I'd love to come visit you guys down in Lauderdale and do some shootin. I haven't been there since my spring break days way back. Man I remember some great times there, and others I think I'd rather forget :absolut::absolut:

Spear, Had that happen to me already just from the blood from spear penetration. Had a giant Sting Ray creep up on me when I wasn't looking last time, and the time before that had a large Goliath sneak up on me. Both startled me because I was looking down trying to bag fish. You definately have to look up every now and then when unslinging fish cause you never know whats looking over your shoulder. In any case, I may have to try what your suggesting. Besides all the nasty critters that are liable to come in, it wouldn't be rare to get a Grouper or Snapper comin in to investiage either.

And also agree; great site Dave. Got it bookmarked.

Just nail you some pin fish and threadfin's, they will swim right to the end of your gun and you can get like 3-4 at a time. Them just use them as chum, scale and gut them up to make a nice tasty cloud then swim away from where the cloud is and wait for a few to see what happens.

here lately I have noticed that shorediving you can scrape off barnacles on the colums around where im diving to attrach larger sheepshead. just make a chum of barnacles and watch where they land on the bottom. it wont be long before you have bigger game coming in close for a easy snack.

Just nail you some pin fish and threadfin's, they will swim right to the end of your gun and you can get like 3-4 at a time. Them just use them as chum, scale and gut them up to make a nice tasty cloud then swim away from where the cloud is and wait for a few to see what happens.



I've only done it twice - once it did attact fish, but nothing I'd shoot, and the other attracted fewer fish, but we did get one heck of a big nurse shark that swam directly over our little trap, sucked it all up and kept on going.

That was one of those "uh oh" moments until we saw through the murk to identify it as a nurse shark. :pray:

I asked the fisheris folks in Tallahassee the same question recently regarding triple tail and this is the response I received:

"The first regulations for triple tail were implemented on January 1, 1996. In this initial regualtion only hook and line gear was allowed for triple tail. In 1996-1997 the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) lumped many finfish species together in order to examine many rules as a group. One of the topics that was examined was which species should anglers be allowed to spear. There were varying opinions on the different species and the MFC decided to allow or disallow spearing based on the best use of the resource in terms of overall benefits to the state. After considering public testimony, the MFC determined that tripletail is primarily a gamefish species of high value to the angling community, and that no spearing be allowed for tripletail. Because of its value it was preserved for the hook and line fishermen."

I don't agree with this ruling on triple tail and really do not see a problem with someone jumping overboard in the Gulf Stream off the Keys and taking a few around the floating debris. But, that is the rational behind the ruling. Don

Thanks for the info. Interesting how they consider it. What if they are in Federal waters? I only ask because I have never bothered to look up the law and have seen snook outside of the 9 mile line.