FWC expands fishing opportunities for black sea bass in Atlantic

FWC expands fishing opportunities for black sea bass in Atlantic

At the September meeting in St. Augustine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) expanded recreational fishing opportunities for black sea bass caught in Atlantic state waters and approved several other management changes.

Recreational anglers will soon be able to take seven black sea bass per person, per day. The bag limit is currently five.

The Commission also approved a management change requiring the buoy line attached to a commercial black sea bass trap fished or possessed in or on Atlantic state waters to meet federal seasonal marking requirements.

These management measures are similar to recently approved and pending changes for Atlantic federal waters. The bag limit change went into effect on Aug. 12 in Atlantic federal waters.

The effective date for changes to state waters is yet to be determined. A press release will be issued and the FWC website will be updated before these changes go into effect.

To learn more about black sea bass, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Black Sea Bass.”