New Fishing Regulations in the Works for Florida Gulf Red Snapper Fishermen

The Florida Wildlife Commission has some radical new rule changes for Gulf of Mexico recreational anglers. The first change is gear requirements for bottom fishermen in the Gulf. Every angler will have to use non-stainless steel circle hooks, have an approved hook de-gorger and a venting tool on board while fishing.

The circles hook deal may lead to a little frustration for anglers since one size doesn't fit all. Thin wire circles are effective for a wide variety of fish and fish sizes. They tend to get straighten out at about 30 to 50 pounds of pressure and do tend to break at times. The mid-size wire circles are stronger, but the gap tolerance is a bit more critical. A 2/0 or 3/0 thin wire circle will work for most snapper but may be too light for grouper over thirty pounds. A 5/0 or 6/0 medium wire circle will handle most grouper, but is a bit heavy for most snapper baits. So every angler will need to have a fairly good variety of pretty pricy hooks.

The hook de-gorger or hook remover is more of a pain because you should have at least two on your boat incase you lose one over board. Per the FWC new red snapper regulations this is the description of the hook remover, "At least one dehooking device is required as well and must be used to remove hooks embedded in Gulf reef fish with minimum damage. The dehooking device must be constructed to allow the hook to be secured and the barb shielded without re-engaging during the removal process. It must be blunt and all edges rounded, and it must be of a size appropriate to secure the range of hook sizes and styles used in the Gulf reef fish fishery." Source: myfwc.com Hopefully the FWC won't get too carried away with the barb shielding part since you will be removing circle hooks.