Bonefish and Tarpon Trust | Bonefish on the Brain

Conservation — 2 Comments
13
May 14

What if you catch a tagged fish

You are out fishing in Eluthera/Abaco/Grand Bahama/Cuba/Andros and you hook up on a bonefish. After the customary display of the backing, you get land that fish, finding a thin piece of plastic sticking up out of the back of the fish just behind the dorsal fin.

You have recaptured a fish which has previously been caught and tagged by researchers. So… what now?

You have two options.

1) Record length, date, location, clip off the tag and send it all in to the good folks at BTT.

2) The other option, which is preferred, is recording the same information as above, but also the tag number. Then the fish is released with the tag still in. While the odds are slim, it provides the chance that the fish can be recaptured again (it has happened a few times). The collected information is mailed or emailed to BTT.

See? Easy.

Nice bone, tagged and ready to go. Photo by Cameron Miller.

Conservation — 4 Comments
25
Feb 14

If you love bonefish…

If you love


: South Andros Bonefish. Photo by Andrew Bennett

then

Locations — No Comments
19
Dec 13

The decline of the Key bonefish

My one Florida Bonefish

An article by Bill Horn, via BTT, via The Angling Report.

Things are not going swimmingly for bonefish in the Keys. The numbers are down in the place where bonefish became a species to pursue. It’s a bit chilling.

I heard these stories when we were down in Florida last summer. I heard plenty of stories about how bones were getting harder to find and how redfish, more and more often, were the fish you found on the bonefish flats.

The article is a good read and a must-read if you live in, or plan to visit, Florida.

Veteran Keys guides and anglers saw a direct connection to bonefish, too. When the C-111 Canal was opened in south Dade County to dry up adjacent lands for farming and to divert water away from Taylor Slough (inside ENP) and Florida Bay, Jimmie Albright predicted trouble for upper Keys bonies, and he was right.

Join the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

Conservation — No Comments
26
Oct 13

When it comes to the flats…

There is one organization you need to tip your hat to, more than any other. That is the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. This is the time they are looking to wrap up their membership drive for the year. Be a responsible angler and become a member.

Grand Prize Membership Drawing

Conservation — No Comments
07
Sep 13

George Hommell Jr. passes

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust

ANGLING LEGEND GEORGE HOMMELL JR. PASSES

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of George Hommell Jr., one of the founding members of BTT. George will be remembered as one of the pioneers of fly fishing in the Florida Keys as well as one of the early champions of fishing conservation, and leaves behind an indelible mark on the fishing world. George moved to the Keys in 1945, at a time when fly fishing was in its very early days and began fishing by himself, eventually becoming a full-time guide. George is credited with refining the techniques for poling for bonefish, was one of the first people to trailer his boat around to find fish, and also developed a number of important shrimp fly patterns, including the Hommell Evil Eye. George guided president George H.W. Bush and was fishing buddies with baseball legend Ted Williams, helping him initiate the infamous Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament in 1964.

George had many fishing successes, but is perhaps best known for what he did off the water. In 1967, George, along with fishing clients Carl Navarre and Billy Pate, founded World Wide Sportsman, a shop that was one of the first of its kind and remains one of the great landmarks in the Florida Keys. World Wide Sportsman made saltwater fly fishing more accessible and helped to grow the sport, and was also responsible for a number of innovations including the Billy Pate Reel, which changed the saltwater fly fishing world forever. In 1997, they sold the store to Bass Pro Shops, and that new shop remains a Keys landmark today. Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris decided to keep the name World Wide Sportsman in part because of his tremendous respect for George. While his health permitted, George still came to the shop almost every day at the crack of dawn to greet customers.

In the 1970s, George became one of the early proponents of fishing conservation. In the early days of saltwater fly fishing, guides killed most of their catch. By the 1970s, Keys guides started to notice that catch numbers were declining, and as part of the Islamorada Fishing Guides Association, George became one of the first proponents of catch and release fishing. He promoted tarpon and bonefish protection and Everglades Restoration through World Wide Sportsman, promoted awareness about the importance of seagrass preservation, and under his leadership, Bayside Marina became the first certified “green” marina in the Keys. In 2002, George was named one of NOAA’s environmental heroes in recognition of his numerous contributions to conservation causes.

In one of his most significant conservation initiatives, George was a Founding Director of Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (then Bonefish and Tarpon Unlimited) in 1998, whose mission is committed to sustaining and enhancing the flats fishing for future generations. BTT Chairman Tom Davidson noted that George being an enthusiastic supporter of BTT was vital to the organization’s success. He will be dearly missed by BTT and the greater fly fishing community, and will always be remembered for his incredible contributions to the sport of fly fishing and his deep commitment to conservation of his beloved fishery.

In his memory, BTT has set up the George Hommell Jr. Florida Keys Habitat Fund, which will be used to support BTT’s efforts to bring back the golden years by bringing Keys flats habitats back to health. Donations to the fund can be made online here, by mail to 24 Dockside Lane PMB 83 Key Largo, FL 33035, or by phone at 321-674-7758.

Conservation — No Comments
24
Jul 13

News from BTT

Two bits of news from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. First… the good news.

An 11 pound bonefish was tagged in Grand Bahama. Pretty cool.

A total of 102 fish were captured, three of which had been previously tagged. Included in the 99 newly tagged individuals was a whopping 67.2 cm (26.5 in) fish estimated at 11 pounds – the second largest bonefish tagged to date in The Bahamas! In addition to bonefish, several juvenile and adult lemon sharks and bonnethead sharks were also tagged along the northern shore of the island with the assistance of guides from H2O Bonefishing, Freeport.

The 26.5 inch fish tagged and released by Flats researchers. Note the white tag near the fishes’ dorsal fin, containing an individual number and contact information for reporting when, where, and who recaptures this fish.

Yup… damn fine fish.

Now… the less awesome news.

There’s a huge algae bloom in Biscayne Bay. There haven’t been any noticeable fish kills yet, but algae blooms are almost certainly not awesome for bonefish or their habitat.

Bob Branham, a top fishing guide who has spent more than 30 years poling fly-fishing clients across Biscayne Bay’s shallows, said he’s never seen the bay as foul as the patches he crossed inside of Elliott Key last weekend. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/19/v-fullstory/3508412/big-algae-bloom-fouls-biscayne.html#storylink=cpy

Conservation — 4 Comments
14
Jun 13

Well done Florida

FWC UNANIMOUSLY VOTES TO MAKE BONEFISH AND TARPON CATCH AND RELEASE IN FLORIDA!

We are pleased to inform you that at their Wednesday meeting in Lakeland, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), unanimously approved new regulations to make tarpon and bonefish catch-and-release-only fisheries, making Florida the first State to do so. The deliberations by Commission members were brief and entirely supportive. Commissioner Brian Yablonski said, “this is the most significant thing we can do for tarpon.” Following their favorable ruling, Chairman Kenneth Wright added, “there will be a chapter written in a book about what this commission did today.”

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust is pleased with the outcome, which not only protects tarpon in Florida waters, but extends catch and release regulations into federal waters off of Florida. BTT also sends heartfelt thanks to members and supporters who made sure their voices were heard throughout this process. Your support made a huge difference, and several commissioners praised the thoughtful and informed letters they received from Bonefish and Tarpon Trust supporters leading up to the meeting. “It took teamwork on many levels to get these new regulations enacted,” said BTT Chairman Tom Davidson, “and we are very thankful for the Commissioners’ forward-thinking actions. These new regulations have brightened the future for Florida’s bonefish and tarpon fisheries.”

The newly adopted regulations include the following provisions:

Eliminating all harvest of tarpon with the exception of the harvest or possession of a single tarpon when in pursuit of an IGFA record and in conjunction with a tarpon tag.
Keeping the tarpon tag price at $50 per tag but limiting them to one tag per person, per year.
Modifying the tarpon tag program, including reporting requirements and shifting the start and end date for when the tarpon tag is valid.
Requiring that tarpon remain in the water and are released near the site of capture.
Discontinuing the bonefish tournament exemption permit that allows tournament anglers to temporarily possess bonefish for transport to a tournament scale (this brings the state in line with similar rules in the National Parks in the Keys).

Thank you to everyone who supported BTT’s efforts and took the time to make phone calls or write letters to the commissioners. Your support and actions helped make these regulations a reality.

Conservation — No Comments
27
Apr 13

Some (small) tarpon action

A little video of Dr. Adams in action.

[vimeo clip_id=”64689957″]

All the other stuff — 5 Comments
26
Apr 13

My new theory on permit

I saw that Joe Gonzalez (Joe did an interview here a while back) recently caught a permit in Biscayne Bay that had been caught two times already.

Third time for this fish… that we know of.

On yesterday’s outing, to our surprise ,we caught the same previously tagged permit we had caught 6 days earlier about a mile away. Bonefish Tarpon Trust Costa Del Mar Project Permit reward tag # 07019. So we know this guy has been caught 3 times already. Looks like program is on its way acquiring relevant knowledge. Please continue to support BTT on their efforts to protect & enhance our fisheries.

From this data* I have come to an earth shattering conclusion about permit.

Here it is. The small number permit caught each year are actually the SAME permit over and over again.

Permit are picky way beyond a fault. The damn things are nearly impossible to catch and they have driven plenty of anglers out of their minds as they empty their bank accounts and shun work and family obligations in search of the permit pull. Permit are notorious for their fickle moods and ability to ruin your day and/or life.

Still, every once in a while someone actually catches one. That gives us all hope it can be done and so we go out and look for the damn things buoyed by the knowledge that someone else has done it, therefore it must be do-able.

However, what you don’t know is there are only a small number of permit dumb enough to be fooled and only those specific permit eat flies. There is just a small sliver of the overall permit population who are so gullible they eat flies no other self-respecting permit would even follow.

In my estimation** there are only about 20 permit in the world eating flies and they fall victim time and time again.

So, the next time you cast a fly at a permit and it doesn’t eat… no worries, that must not have been one of the permit that actually eats flies. See… it isn’t your fault at all.

This little guy is one of the dumb ones. It surely has been caught dozens more times in Belize since 2010.

***

—

* – OK, my “data” is just the fact that Joe posted the picture of a tagged fish that had been caught twice before. I don’t have any other solid “numbers” or “proof” or “anything” to back that up. Sometimes you have to go with your gut.

** – I should tell you that in college I only had to take one math class and it was “Studies in Modern Mathematics.” We read books and kept journals and talked about math, but we didn’t have to DO any math. It was awesome and I got an A.

*** – I wish I didn’t have to say this, but I do. No… I’m not serious about the theory.

Conservation — 2 Comments
22
Mar 13

FL Bonefish and Tarpon Regs – Action Requested

Support BTT

From the totally awesome Dr. Adams today…

A side note… you should have received this if you are a BTT member and if you aren’t…well, you should be.

Dear Bjorn (that’s me),

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering new regulations for tarpon and bonefish that will improve bonefish and tarpon conservation. We like the new draft rules, and would like your feedback. If you also like the new draft rules, contact the FWC Commissioners to express your support for the proposed new regulations. Proposed regulation change workshops are scheduled for early April, please view the list of dates and times, in addition to the scheduled meetings for public input FWC has also scheduled a webinar and conference call for those unable to attend a meeting.

The draft regulations would make bonefish and tarpon catch and release only. The Commission will discuss these draft regulations at their meeting on April 17-18, in Tallahassee.

At present, bonefish are catch and release only except for an exemption for tournaments that allows for retention of bonefish in a live-well for transport to a weigh-in station. The new draft regulations would remove that exemption, meaning that all bonefish would have to be released at the site of capture (temporarily possessing a fish for weighing, photography, scientific sampling would be OK).

At present, up to two tarpon can be harvested per day if an angler possesses a Tarpon Tag (cost = $50). The new draft regulations would make tarpon entirely catch and release, with the exception of harvesting a fish for an IGFA World Record. Tarpon could be temporarily possessed for photographs, measuring, scientific sampling, and must be released at the site of capture. In the future, the cost of the harvest tag might be increased to help pay for tarpon research and to deter illicit use of the tag.

Tarpon and Bonefish – The proposed draft rule amendments would make tarpon and bonefish catch-and-release-only species in recognition of the fact that their economic and fishing value as fishes caught and released greatly exceeds their value as food fish. In order to accomplish this, the allowance for a tarpon bag limit would be eliminated and replaced with an allowance for possession of a single tarpon in conjunction with a tarpon tag for the purpose of pursuing an International Game Fish Association (IGFA) record. The existing bonefish tournament exemption that allows registered tournament anglers to possess a bonefish for the purposes of transporting it to the tournament scale would also be eliminated.

Tarpon

1. 68B-32.001 Purpose and Intent (NEW) – The proposed draft rule amendment would create a new subsection in order to convey the intent to manage tarpon as a catch-and-release-only fishery with allowable harvest and possession limited to possession in pursuit of an IGFA record.

2. 68B-32.003 Tarpon Tags: Required for Possession; Report; Annual Issuance; Taxidermy; Limitation on Number of Tags Issued Annually; Limitation on Number of Tags Issued to Professional Fishing Guides – The proposed draft rule amendment would limit the use of tarpon tags to tarpon harvested or possessed in pursuit of an IGFA record. The draft rule amendment would also address possible changes to the tarpon tag program, such as changes to the reporting requirements.

3. 68B-32.004 Bag Limit and Gear Restriction – The proposed draft rule amendment would eliminate the two tarpon bag limit and require that all tarpon be released immediately free, alive and unharmed. Allowable possession of a tarpon within or without Florida waters, or elsewhere in the state, would be limited to anglers with the properly affixed tarpon tag who possess a tarpon in pursuit of an IGFA record. Harvest or possession of tarpon in pursuit of an IGFA record would be limited to one tarpon per angler per day. The draft rule amendment would also create a vessel limit of one tarpon per vessel and limit the allowable gears when targeting tarpon to hook and line only. In addition, the proposed draft rule amendment would state the intent to allow for temporary possession of tarpon for purposes of photography or scientific sampling.

4. 68B-32.006 Sale Prohibited, Transport Regulated – The draft rule amendment would reduce the number of tarpon a person is allowed to transport or ship from two tarpon to one.

5. 68B-32 –The draft rule amendment would reorganize and reformat the tarpon rule chapter to conform to the style developed for Division 68B, FAC, during the marine fisheries rule cleanup process.

Bonefish

1. 68B-34.001 Purpose and Intent (NEW) – The draft rule amendment would create a new intent subsection in order to convey that bonefish will be managed as a catch-and-release-only fishery.

2. 68B-34.002 Definitions – The definition of “Organized Tournament” would be removed from the bonefish rules.

3. 68B-34.004 Temporary Possession of Bonefish – The reference to the exception to the possession restrictions for bonefish for tournament purposes would be removed.

4. 68B-34.005 Bonefish Tournaments, Exceptions – This rule would be removed in order to eliminate the tournament exception to the catch-and-release-only bonefish regulations.

5. 68B-34 – The draft rule amendment would reorganize and reformat the bonefish rule chapter to conform to the style developed for Division 68B, F.A.C., during the marine fisheries rule cleanup process.

Let the FWC Commissioners know you support the proposed new regulations, please send them an email today. If you have any questions about the draft regulations or would like to provide comments to Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, please email us at info@bonefishtarpontrust.org.

Tight Lines,
Aaron Adams, Ph.D.

Operations Director

Bonefish on the Brain Bonefish and all that relates (maybe a bit about tarpon too).

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