ALL THE FISH… ONE PLACE

We would like to ask a favor!

Please go to this link

and let the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council know that it is time to move forward with a separate Fishery Management Plan for the Charter Boats.

A separate Fishery Management Plan will secure the non-boat-owning public the ability to access this fishery. Please take the time to fill out this simple form that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has provided in support of a Separate Fisheries Management Plan for the Charter for Hire Industry "

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NOAA Fisheries Service announced a six day extension of recreational red snapper season

Great news, NOAA Fisheries Service announced a six day extension of recreational red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico.  The new closure date will be at 12:01 a.m. local time on July 17, 2012.  The full notice can be viewed at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

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1st Annual Allen “Rookie” Kruse Memorial Tournament

1st Annual Allen “Rookie” Kruse Memorial Tournament
Saturday, June 30th
Call 251-981-7173 for details and registration.

Proceeds will be used to build "Rookie's Ridge" artificial reef.

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Gag Grouper Update:

The recreational harvest of gag grouper will open July 1, 2012 and will remain open through October 31, 2012.

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Red snapper season now open - Amberjack is now closed!

The good news for the day is that red snapper season is now open through July 10, 2012.  The bad news is that amberjack is closed now through July 31, 2012.  We received notice today that the Gulf of Mexico Federal Waters will be closed to vessels fishing for gray triggerfish beginning June 11, 2012 through January 1, 2013.

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Red Snapper Season Opens June 1st

Red snapper season will open June 1st and remain open through July 10th. The bag limit will be 2 - 16" red snapper per person.

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Grouper Fishing Season CLOSING FeB

Shallow-water grouper fishing for the recreational angler will close February 1, 2012 and will remain closed through March 31, 2012 in the Gulf of Mexico.

For more information please visit www.gulfcouncil.org.

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2011 Gag Grouper Fishing Season

The 2011 recreational season for gag grouper will open at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, September 16 and close at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, November 16. The 2011 bag limit will be two (2) gag within the four (4) fish aggregate grouper bag limit. The minimum size for gag is 22-inches total length.

For more information, visit www.gulfcouncil.org.

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To our friends and customers:

May 26, 2011

There has been a rash of negative publicity about the health of our fish stocks. We catch on an average day in excess of 100 vermillion snapper and release an honest 30 to 40 red snapper. Three of our boats have been fishing 5-10 trips per week, and the crew has been examining the fish very closely. We have seen no sign of sores, lesions or fins with malformations.

In my years of fishing I have learned that fish, like people, can have odd skin colorations or wounds from predatory fish. I am sure in the Gulf of Mexico that the fish population, just as with the human population, there are a few sick fish. In years past the discolored fish, fish that have been bitten, cut or scratched, or fish that have a sore were discarded with little thought as to how this occurred.

Now with all eyes on the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill a fish that was once discarded is now photographed with a Smartphone, uploaded to the internet, and seen by the world. I do not think that there are any more diseased fish now than in times past, but with technology today, it now brings these fish into our homes for all to see causing undo and unrealistic thoughts that our fish population is diseased and dying.

If you do not think what I am saying is true, ask anyone who has an aquarium what the first thing that happens when fish get sick, and they will tell you that they stop feeding. If a saltwater fish is feeding, i.e. caught by fishermen, this means that the fish is healthy and acting in a normal manner.

Please do not get caught up in the hype. Use common sense.

Capt. Randy Boggs
SanRoc Cay Marina
27267 Perdido Beach Blvd
Orange Beach, AL 36561

Update: Information on Recreational Fishing Season Openings
Red Snapper, Amberjack, Gag Grouper

May 23, 2011

We posted late last week that recreational red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico would open June 1, 2011 and close at 12:01 a.m. July 19, 2011. As stated this is the shortest season to date and it is in part due to the increasing size of the fish being landed. In a notice we received from the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, it states that “between 2007 and 2010, the average weight of a red snapper landed in the Gulf of Mexico increased from 3.32 to 5.54 pounds per fish.” The notice also expects an increase in average weight during the stock rebuilding and an increase in the number of older, larger fish in the population.

A closure of the recreational harvest of greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico has been established from June 1, 2011 through July 31, 2011. This closure was based on public comment and the fact that June and July are peak harvest months for this species.

We have not received a notice of final rule for a recreational gag grouper season, but there is a proposal to open the recreational season September 16, 2011 through November 15, 2011. Currently the bag limit on gag grouper is two fish of the four fish aggregate per person with a minimum size length of 22-inches overall. It is expected that this bag limit will not change during the 2011 season.

Our fisheries are managed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council that has to adhere to the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This Act requires the rebuild of over fished stocks and a halt to over fishing. Over fished is defined as a population abundance that is too low and over fishing is the rate of removal too high.

More detailed information about the issues above can be found at:
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

Capt. Randy Boggs
SanRoc Cay Marina
27267 Perdido Beach Blvd
Orange Beach, AL 36561

What a beautiful Memorial Day weekend!

May 18, 2011

The Mobile Big Game Fishing Club Memorial Day Tournament's big fish this year was a 704.6 blue marlin. Dolphins in the 40 pound range were common in this tournament, and it was reported that the dolphin and tuna were being caught straight south and to the south and east. Much to my surprise almost every boat that fished the tournament had action. The great catch of tuna and dolphin made for a great tournament and great eating for the anglers. Closer to shore, red snapper abound in many places that you would not normally dream of catching one. Today was the first day of the 2011 red snapper season. On our morning trips, the Wishbone, Gulf Winds and Reel Surprise Charter Fishing Boats each had a limit of fish for all of our anglers and a variety of other snappers and trigger fish to go with them.

Amberjack can be found on a lot of the larger rocks and structures in the Gulf of Mexico, but the season is closed through July 31, 2011. Until then it is all catch and release, and there seems to be quite a large number of them out there.

The vermillion snapper are holding on almost all of the wrecks with the water depths in excess of 100’.

The trolling near shore for Spanish mackerel has been excellent with large catches of fish on all of the charters that I have seen trolling.

Capt: Randy Boggs
Reel Surprise Charters
@ SanRoc Cay Marina
251-981-7173 or
1-800-806-7889
www.sanrocfishing.com

Flooded Mississippi waters and a west tide create unseasonably discolored waters

May 18, 2011

Inshore speckled trout and large flounder are being caught. The bigger speckled trout are being caught on croaker, and the flounder are being caught on Gulp® jigs or live shrimp.
Due to the flood waters flowing down the Mississippi river into the Gulf of Mexico and a west tide, our waters are unseasonably discolored. This has slowed the fishing for both King mackerel and Spanish mackerel. A few Spanish mackerel are still being caught on planers with a spoon.
The red snapper are on every wreck and structure that we have checked and can easily be caught with any type of bait including artificial lures like Gulp® jigs in the 4” to 5” range along with cigar minnows and squid. Vermillion snapper and trigger fish are being caught on the natural bottom in about 120’ of water on cut squid.
A reminder, if you are fishing for vermillion snapper, you need to scale back your tackle size to 2/0 -3/0 circle hook and a 30 lb liter with a piece of cut squid about ½” wide and about 1” long and fish at mid-water depths. Larger baits will attract the red snapper, and once you get the red snapper stirred up it is hard to catch vermillion snapper.
We have good reports from offshore. Keeper amberjack , black fin tuna, and yellow fin tuna are being caught trolling, chunking or jigging around the rigs. The amberjack show a definite preference for live baits. Please remember that amberjack season will close June 1st and will remain closed through July 31st.

Capt: Randy Boggs
251-981-7173 or
1-800-806-7889

2011 WILL BE SHORTEST RED SNAPPER SEASON WE HAVE SEEN...

May 10, 2011

The 2011 Recreational Red Snapper Season opens June 1, 2011 and will close at 12:01 a.m. July 19, 2011. This 48-day season is the shortest season we have ever seen.

Capt: Randy Boggs
251-981-7173 or
1-800-806-7889

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ANOTHER GOOD DAY FISHING!

April 7, 2011

What a great day of fishing we had today! The seas were 2-3 feet as we headed out east of Perdido Pass.
We had several vermillion snapper in the 3 lb range that were caught on cut squid. One lucky customer caught about a 4-5 lb Queen trigger fish. We will have those photos on our website this weekend.
There were reports of King mackerel being caught today as well as 50 lb cobia. A few gag grouper and scamp are beginning to show up.

Capt: Randy Boggs
251-981-7173 or
1-800-806-7889

 

REGULATIONS APP FOR IPHONES

April 1, 2011

The recreational harvest of shallow-water groupers in the Gulf of Mexico federal waters reopened. The harvest of gag grouper remains closed.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council now offers a regulations APP for iPhones and iPads. You may download this App by visiting the App store from your iPhone or iPad, search for “Gulf Council”, and click on the Council logo.

A similar App compatible with other smart phones will hopefully be available in the future

Capt: Randy Boggs
251-981-7173 or
1-800-806-7889

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BEST BAIT TO USE IS…

March 3, 2011

Inshore – The sheepshead have started to bite, and speckled trout can be found in the deeper holes of the bays and rivers. A few red fish are being caught around Perdido Pass and the State park pier.

Offshore – Vermillion snapper are biting in 100’ to 130’ depths on natural bottom. There have been a lot of catch and release red snapper, and few trigger fish are starting to be caught. The best bet for bait is cut squid.

Capt: Randy Boggs
251-981-7173 or
1-800-806-7889

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FEDERAL FISHING WATERS
RE-OPEN

Sep 7, 2010

On September 2, 2010 NOAA reopened 5,130 square miles of Gulf waters stretching from the far eastern coast of Louisiana, through Mississippi, Alabama, and the western Florida panhandle to commercial and recreational fishing. A detailed map can be found by visiting www.noaa.gov.

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RED SNAPPER

Sep 1, 2010

The comment period for a fall red snapper season ended on August 31, 2010. A final ruling will be made September 15, 2010as to whether or not redsnapper season will open at 12:01 a.m. October 1, 2010, to be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, through 12:01 p.m. November 22, 2010, allowing for an additional 24 fishing days.