Charters around Homosassa and Crystal River want anglers to understand how to enjoy the majestic Nature Coast responsibly
When you first visit Florida’s Nature Coast region around Homosassa, you may be thinking how it’s such an unspoiled and seemingly endless wilderness of fish, turtles, birds, seagrass and coastal wetlands. It’s easy to forget how this area and other places along the Gulf coast are still vulnerable to a variety of risks.
If you’re fishing for redfish, snook, tarpon, snapper or a variety of other fish species that live in these waters, you have an additional responsibility to ensuring the resource is available for future visitors, and generations, to enjoy.
Fortunately, this responsibility is easy and doesn’t require a big commitment or much extra effort on your part. It mainly requires you to be respectful of the place you’re visiting and fishing and mindful of your actions.
Below are a few items fishing charters, local residents and fellow anglers want visitors to keep in mind when fishing the inshore areas around Homosassa.
1. Keep all trash in the boat and dispose properly – There’s nothing worse than trucking along the bays and inlets of Homosassa and the Nature Coast only to find trash along the shore. Soda/beer cans, food wrappers, cigarette butts, you name it. While it may not seem like a big issue, this trash is not only an eye-sore, it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. A sea turtle for example can mistake a plastic grocery bag for food, or a fish can be poisoned from a cigarette butt. If you’re out on a fishing charter, the captain should provide a way to dispose of your trash properly on the boat.
Regardless, you should take everything you brought with you back home and dispose of any waste in the right way.
2. Do NOT throw fishing line into the water – Although related to #1, monofilament fishing line is important enough to warrant its own section. Fishing line that’s disposed of improperly can wreak all kinds of havoc on the flats ecosystem. Turtles and birds can become tangled, and possibly even paralyzed, while fish can ingest the line and get sick. Do your part by not throwing any unused line into the water. Keep it in the boat and dispose of it at a collection center at the ramp if you see one. Otherwise, cut it up and throw it away when you get back to shore.
3. Observe all fishing regulations and bag limits – Limits for how many fish one individual can take in a day helps ensure fish stocks stay at a healthy level. Populations of grouper, snapper, snook, tarpon and a variety of other species have taken a beating because of excessive commercial and recreational harvesting. Establishing bag limits has helped replenish these stocks, but maintaining healthy numbers is a constant challenge. Your fishing charter captain in Homosassa or any other spot in Florida should have a solid understanding of this principal, and take proper steps to ensure everyone on-board is following the rules. Saltwater regulations for state waters are handled by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. You can visit the FWC’s website here and download a handy chart and guide.
If you don’t plan on eating your catch, we strongly urge you throw them back so they can continue spawning and maintaining strong numbers.
4. If practicing catch & release, take special care you don’t stress the fish too much – While it’s good to release some of your catch back into the wild, doing it carelessly will defeat the purpose. The first way to avoid stressing a fish too much is to use a barbless circle hook, which in fact is required if you’re fishing for snapper, grouper, porgy or other “reef” species. Circle hooks are made to hook into the top of the fish’s mouth so you can easily retrieve it. You should also try your best to not exhaust the fish too much when reeling it in.
When you get it to the boat, handle the fish as little as possible. You should ideally never take the fish out the water, but if you do, don’t hold it vertically, as this can damage their lips, mouth and internal organs. Try and support the fish in a natural, horizontal orientation. Also, you shouldn’t wipe off the slime coating the fish – this coating helps protect them from disease and other risks.
5. If you accidentally hook a bird, don’t just cut the line – If a bird flies away with a hook and line in its body, it can become tangled in a tree. This can injure or possibly even kill the bird. It certainly isn’t your intention to hook a bird, but if you do, you should NOT try and shake the bird off your hook. Reel it in slowly and grasp the bird just behind its head and eyes and fold his wings against his body. Throw a rag over the bird’s head to help keep it calm while you remove the hook and any line. If the bird is too tangled, swallowed the hook or is otherwise severely injured, contact a local wildlife rescue or the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission district office at (386) 758-0525.
Proper stewardship of the bays, creeks and inlets around Homosassa and Crystal River is the responsibility of every angler, be they a lifelong resident of the area or just someone passing through.
Responsible fishing charter captains around Homosassa and across Florida will certainly be there to help ensure you properly release a fish or otherwise observe all applicable rules and regulations.
Again, things like not throwing your trash overboard or not taking too many fish are simple, common sense measures you can take to ensure you leave the area better than you found it.
If you’re interested in venturing out into the waters of Homosassa and the Nature Coast region, Southern Slam Outfitters provide an easy, safe and responsible way for you to take in the sights of this majestic place and experience the thrill of snagging a redfish, trout or snook. Click here to see our current rates or contact Capt. Carey Gibson to learn more or schedule a trip today!
When you first visit Florida’s Nature Coast region around Homosassa, you may be thinking how it’s such an unspoiled and seemingly endless wilderness of fish, turtles, birds, seagrass and coastal wetlands. It’s easy to forget how this area and other places along the Gulf coast are still vulnerable to a variety of risks.
If you’re fishing for redfish, snook, tarpon, snapper or a variety of other fish species that live in these waters, you have an additional responsibility to ensuring the resource is available for future visitors, and generations, to enjoy.
Fortunately, this responsibility is easy and doesn’t require a big commitment or much extra effort on your part. It mainly requires you to be respectful of the place you’re visiting and fishing and mindful of your actions.
Below are a few items fishing charters, local residents and fellow anglers want visitors to keep in mind when fishing the inshore areas around Homosassa.
1. Keep all trash in the boat and dispose properly – There’s nothing worse than trucking along the bays and inlets of Homosassa and the Nature Coast only to find trash along the shore. Soda/beer cans, food wrappers, cigarette butts, you name it. While it may not seem like a big issue, this trash is not only an eye-sore, it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. A sea turtle for example can mistake a plastic grocery bag for food, or a fish can be poisoned from a cigarette butt. If you’re out on a fishing charter, the captain should provide a way to dispose of your trash properly on the boat.
Regardless, you should take everything you brought with you back home and dispose of any waste in the right way.
2. Do NOT throw fishing line into the water – Although related to #1, monofilament fishing line is important enough to warrant its own section. Fishing line that’s disposed of improperly can wreak all kinds of havoc on the flats ecosystem. Turtles and birds can become tangled, and possibly even paralyzed, while fish can ingest the line and get sick. Do your part by not throwing any unused line into the water. Keep it in the boat and dispose of it at a collection center at the ramp if you see one. Otherwise, cut it up and throw it away when you get back to shore.
3. Observe all fishing regulations and bag limits – Limits for how many fish one individual can take in a day helps ensure fish stocks stay at a healthy level. Populations of grouper, snapper, snook, tarpon and a variety of other species have taken a beating because of excessive commercial and recreational harvesting. Establishing bag limits has helped replenish these stocks, but maintaining healthy numbers is a constant challenge. Your fishing charter captain in Homosassa or any other spot in Florida should have a solid understanding of this principal, and take proper steps to ensure everyone on-board is following the rules. Saltwater regulations for state waters are handled by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. You can visit the FWC’s website here and download a handy chart and guide.
If you don’t plan on eating your catch, we strongly urge you throw them back so they can continue spawning and maintaining strong numbers.
4. If practicing catch & release, take special care you don’t stress the fish too much – While it’s good to release some of your catch back into the wild, doing it carelessly will defeat the purpose. The first way to avoid stressing a fish too much is to use a barbless circle hook, which in fact is required if you’re fishing for snapper, grouper, porgy or other “reef” species. Circle hooks are made to hook into the top of the fish’s mouth so you can easily retrieve it. You should also try your best to not exhaust the fish too much when reeling it in.
When you get it to the boat, handle the fish as little as possible. You should ideally never take the fish out the water, but if you do, don’t hold it vertically, as this can damage their lips, mouth and internal organs. Try and support the fish in a natural, horizontal orientation. Also, you shouldn’t wipe off the slime coating the fish – this coating helps protect them from disease and other risks.
5. If you accidentally hook a bird, don’t just cut the line – If a bird flies away with a hook and line in its body, it can become tangled in a tree. This can injure or possibly even kill the bird. It certainly isn’t your intention to hook a bird, but if you do, you should NOT try and shake the bird off your hook. Reel it in slowly and grasp the bird just behind its head and eyes and fold his wings against his body. Throw a rag over the bird’s head to help keep it calm while you remove the hook and any line. If the bird is too tangled, swallowed the hook or is otherwise severely injured, contact a local wildlife rescue or the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission district office at (386) 758-0525.
Proper stewardship of the bays, creeks and inlets around Homosassa and Crystal River is the responsibility of every angler, be they a lifelong resident of the area or just someone passing through.
Responsible fishing charter captains around Homosassa and across Florida will certainly be there to help ensure you properly release a fish or otherwise observe all applicable rules and regulations.
Again, things like not throwing your trash overboard or not taking too many fish are simple, common sense measures you can take to ensure you leave the area better than you found it.
If you’re interested in venturing out into the waters of Homosassa and the Nature Coast region, Southern Slam Outfitters provide an easy, safe and responsible way for you to take in the sights of this majestic place and experience the thrill of snagging a redfish, trout or snook. Click here to see our current rates or contact Capt. Carey Gibson to learn more or schedule a trip today!
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