The arrival of the “start of Fall” has taken very good action to great opportunities around the Tampa Bay area. Species closures have had an excellent impact. Talk around town, many of the anglers would like to see a continuation of the closures and see just how much it helps the fishing for our future. I argue that similar closures should be instituted for other species and “rotated” in the future, including things like blue crabs, stone crabs, cobia and pretty much everything that swims. Giving theme a break has yielded excellent results for the ones that have been closed already. Trout didn’t need to be closed but their numbers have increased and, in my opinion, their size is getting bigger over time. Redfish and snook needed it the worst. While trout spawn year-round, redfish and snook only spawn annually and so while they have had an opportunity to recover, it isn’t as easy with less spawning.    Future management should include more closures but also making rules better. There have been improvements there but others remain. An 18-inch redfish is a waste of a fish. Increase minimum size on redfish to 20 or 21 inches. There are species that don’t require rule manipulation: Silver trout, whiting.  bluefish and mackerel. Your input is crucial. Speak up to the state and be a part of species management. Moving forward, hopefully the action remains strong.
Neil Taylor

Neil Taylor
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