Proposed redfish rule changes include reducing vessel bag limits

FLORIDA — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has approved proposed management regions and regulation changes for redfish in state waters.

The modifications include reducing the vessel bag limit from eight fish to four in the Panhandle, Big Bend, and Northeast regions and two fish in the Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Southwest, and Southeast regions, the FWC said.

According to the FWC, the modification of redfish management regions and regulations, as part of the new management approach, will better capture regional differences and improve angler satisfaction.

According to the FWC, the proposed rule changes would:

• Modify the redfish management regions.
• Prohibit captain and crew from retaining a bag limit when on a for-hire trip.
• Reduce the off-the-water transport limit from six to four fish per person.
• Increase the bag limit for the Big Bend region from one to two fish per person
• Reduce the eight-fish vessel limit in each of the proposed management regions:
  • Panhandle, Big Bend, Northeast: four fish.
  • Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Southwest, Southeast: two fish.
• Allow only catch-and-release fishing for redfish in the Indian River Lagoon region.

The FWC said it will continue to gather input on the proposed rules and will return to the Commission for a Final Rule Hearing later this year.

“With this new management approach, this agency is committed to continuing to work with our partners and stakeholders in finding solutions for redfish” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.

For more information, including the May 2022 Commission meeting presentation, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.”

For current recreational redfish regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Redfish.” This page will be updated with the new regulations when they take effect.