It’s important to match your tackle to both the fishing conditions and the size of the fish. For larger tarpon, spinning rods with 5,000 to 10,000 series reels and 50 to 60-pound braided line, along with 60 to 80-pound monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders, are recommended. This gear will help you catch tarpon efficiently and minimize the fight time. Fighting belts or chairs offer extra support, and long-handled dehooking tools make removing hooks easy, which is crucial when predators like sharks are nearby.

Careful handling and quick release are essential for the well-being of tarpon after a catch. Tarpon over 40 inches must remain in the water unless you’re going for a state or world record with a tarpon tag. For smaller tarpon, handle them with wet hands and support them horizontally if they need to be removed from the water. Minimize air exposure and avoid touching their gills or eyes. Use no-touch release techniques, or cut the line close to the hook if it’s deep inside the fish.

Staying informed and practicing these techniques will help protect tarpon populations so they can continue to thrive in Florida. Visit MyFWC.com/Tarpon for more information on tarpon fishing practices and regulations. Following these guidelines ensures that tarpon remain Florida’s iconic “Silver Kings” for future anglers.

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This challenge is not just open to experienced Triple Threat Club members but to all anglers who are part of the Catch a Florida Memory program. Participants can earn entries into the grand prize drawing by achieving recognitions such as a Grand Slam, Reel Big Fish, or reaching milestones within the Life List Clubs, from the 10 Fish Club up to the 70 Fish Club.

To join the ranks of elite anglers and throw your line into the competition, simply register at Catch a Florida Memory. Every qualified recognition you achieve during the contest period increases your chances of winning. Make sure your submissions comply with all contest rules, and prepare for the draw, which will be conducted shortly after September 10th, 2024. The winner will be notified by phone or email. Don’t miss out on making lasting memories on the water—sign up today and participate in the Throwdown for a chance to win these incredible rewards!

Join the Elite Triple Threat Club and Elevate Your Angling Game

Become a celebrated member of the Triple Threat Club by achieving recognition in all three Catch a Florida Memory programs: snag a Saltwater Grand Slam, reel in a Reel Big Fish, and qualify for at least the Saltwater Life List 10-Fish Club. Once you’re in, you’re in for life—membership never expires! Triple Threat Club anglers not only earn a high-performance dry fit shirt but also gain exclusive access to unique Triple Threat opportunities.

For more information on the Triple Threat Throwdown or Triple Threat Club, visit https://catchafloridamemory.com/programs/triple-threat/.

Image credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

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Each participating club will be provided with program curriculum and educational materials to be taught throughout the school year by the club sponsor. The curriculum is comprised of lessons and activities on ethical angling, conservation, Florida’s aquatic habitats, basic fishing gear, and general fishing concepts, and is applicable to both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Additionally, at least one conservation project activity must be completed each school year and is an opportunity for clubs to earn points for a chance to win prizes.

To apply for the grant and register for the School Fishing Club program, interested club sponsors will need to complete a Florida R3 Fishing Grant application, which is funded by the FWC’s Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, Coastal Conservation Association and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. This grant will award up to 50 school fishing clubs or teams $500 each to assist with club expenses, such as gear for participants or the purchase of fishing licenses for students over 16 years old.

The grant program is open to new or existing freshwater and/or saltwater fishing clubs or teams at public, private and charter schools throughout Florida. To be considered for the grant, school fishing clubs or teams must submit a minimum of five student pre-surveys, one conservation project outline and be represented by a school faculty member or parent.

The FWC moved the application period for the program to earlier in the year so each school will receive materials and grant funding sooner. The grant application period is open now until May 17, but grant funding is not required to participate in the School Fishing Club Program. All selected grant applications will be announced Aug. 16.

The deadline for submitting applications is May 17. The application can be found online at MyFWC.com/SFC by scrolling down to “Florida’s R3 Fishing Grant Program.” Applicants can complete the form online or download the application to submit by email. Please email completed applications to R3Fishing@MyFWC.com.

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These regulations, which go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, will:

• Establish nine snook management regions.
• Establish open seasons as well as bag and slot limits for each region, which are detailed below:

Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay

Open season: March – April, September – November

Bag limit: one fish

Slot limit: 28-33 inches

Charlotte Harbor, Southwest

Open season: March – April, October – November

Bag limit: one fish

Slot limit: 28-33 inches

Southeast, Indian River Lagoon, Northeast

Open season: February – May, September – Dec. 14

Bag limit: one fish

Slot limit: 28-32 inches

As part of this new management approach, FWC staff intends to monitor and evaluate these regulations annually. To see the latest snook annual reviews, which provide a summary of the snook fishery status in each management region, visit MyFWC.com/Snook.

“Through innovative management strategies like this, which allow us to be agile in our response to concerns, we are ensuring that Florida’s future generations of anglers will have access to this iconic fishery,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.

For more information, including the October 2023 Commission meeting presentation, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.”

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Major League Fishing, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, in conjunction with the Kissimmee Sports Commission, announced today that the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship, the national championship of college bass fishing, will take place on Lake Toho in Kissimmee, Jan. 9-11, in 2024.

“We are excited to host the Major League Fishing College National Championship for a second year,” said Tyler Weyant, Director of Sports Development for the Kissimmee Sports Commission. “Following the overwhelming success we had last year at Lake Toho, we are eager to invite everyone to join us once again and experience the excitement firsthand. In addition to the incredible action happening on the water, we encourage the competitors, their families and the MLF staff to explore the local shops and restaurants that make Kissimmee truly unique.”

Each day of competition at the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship will feature weigh-ins livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com.

“The 2023 National Championship on Lake Toho was one of the most thrilling finales to a tournament that we have ever had, with the University of Montevallo weighing in a 27-pound limit on the final day to vault to the top of the leaderboard and win the title,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations. “There aren’t many fisheries in the country that can produce over three days like Lake Toho can, and we’re excited to return to Kissimmee to let the best college anglers from across the country battle it out to see who our next national champion will be.”

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship will showcase the top teams from the 2023 College Fishing season competing for a top prize of $43,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat powered by a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000 in cash. The winning team will also advance to the 2024 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros for a shot at winning as much as $235,000. The highest finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship will advance to REDCREST 2025 to compete against the top professional anglers in the sport for a top prize of $300,000.

The second-place club at the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship will receive a Phoenix 518 Pro boat powered by a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The team also advances to the 2024 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros. The third-place finishers at the 2024 National Championship will receive $4,000, and the team advances to the 2024 Toyota Series Championship as co-anglers for a shot at winning a new Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115 HP Mercury. Every team in the top 10 at the 2024 College Fishing National Championship will receive at least $1,000.

Proud sponsors of MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. 

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To register, club sponsors will need to apply for a Florida R3 Fishing Grant, which is funded by the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, Coastal Conservation Association, and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. This grant will award up to 50 school fishing clubs or teams $500 each to assist with club expenses, such as the purchase of fishing licenses or gear for participants. The grant application period is open now until Sept. 15 but grant funding is not required to participate in the School Fishing Club Program.

Each participating club will be provided with program curriculum and educational materials to be taught throughout the school year by the club sponsor. The curriculum is comprised of lessons and activities on ethical angling, conservation, Florida’s aquatic habitats, basic fishing gear, and general fishing concepts, and is applicable to both fresh and saltwater fishing. Additionally, at least one conservation project activity must be completed each school year and is an opportunity for clubs to earn points for a chance to win prizes.

The deadline for submitting applications is Sept. 15. The application can be found online at MyFWC.com/SFC by scrolling down to “Florida’s R3 Fishing Grant Program.” Applicants can complete the form online or download the application to submit by email. Please email completed applications to R3Fishing@MyFWC.com. The 2023-24 School Fishing Club Program is supported by partners including Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Coastal Conservation Association, Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Pure Fishing and the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

The grant program is open to new or existing freshwater and/or saltwater fishing clubs or teams at public, private and charter schools throughout Florida. To be considered for the grant, school fishing clubs or teams must have a minimum of five members and be represented by a school faculty member or parent.

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“My family and I look forward to spiny lobster season every year along with thousands of other Floridians,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chairman Rodney Barreto. “It’s a great time to get out on the water with loved ones. I hope everyone takes care to practice safe boating and make sure to do your part to protect Florida’s coral reefs.”  

Learn more about bag limits, size limits, where to harvest and other regulations at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking on “Recreational Regulations” and “Lobster,” under the “Crabs, Lobster and other Shellfish” tab. If you plan to lobster in the Keys, another great resource is the Monroe County Tourist Development Council website KeysLobsterSeason.com. 

Don’t forget to get your license and spiny lobster permit at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. 

Looking to keep up to date on Florida’s saltwater fishing regulations? Find them on the Fish Rules app. Learn more at FishRulesApp.com or follow Fish Rules at Instagram.com/FishRulesApp or Facebook.com/FishRulesApp. 

If bully netting this season, please keep lights directed toward the water and avoid shining them at houses or people along the shoreline. Please be considerate of others by keeping sound levels low when near shoreline residences. 

Don’t forget to use care around corals and other marine life. The FWC launched the Florida Coral Crew to engage sportsmen and women in the effort to combat Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. Before you go out looking for lobster, you can sign up to join the crew at FLCoralCrew.com. 

Be safe when diving for lobster. Wear a life jacket when underway and do not drink and boat. When lobstering in open water, divers should stay within 300 feet of a properly displayed divers-down flag or device and within 100 feet of a properly displayed divers-down flag or device if near an inlet or navigation channel. Boat operators traveling within 300 feet of a divers-down flag or device in open water or within 100 feet of one on an inlet or navigational channel must slow to idle speed. 

For more information, visit MyFWC.com/Boating/Regulations and click on “Divers-down Warning Devices.” 

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License-free fishing days provide an excellent opportunity for those that don’t have a fishing license yet to experience the fun of fishing. This is a great chance to brings kids out too. Avid anglers, bring a friend and introduce them to the joy of fishing without having to purchase a license.

On this weekend, the fishing license requirement is waived for all recreational anglers, including both residents and non-residents.

Remember, all other rules such as seasons, bag and size limits still apply.

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Launched in 2016, Catch a Florida Memory has received more than 27,500 saltwater fish photo submissions from participants of all experience levels and ranging in ages from 3 years old to 90 years old. Anglers can earn recognition in five different ways:

• Life List – a list of 70 different species of saltwater fish to challenge an angler to catch over their lifetime.
• Reel Big Fish – recognizes anglers for catches that meet or exceed a minimum length for 30 different saltwater species.
• Grand Slams – nine different slams that challenge anglers to catch three specified fish species in a 24-hour period
• Triple Threat Club – anglers are awarded this status when they have caught a Grand Slam, a Reel Big Fish and have qualified for at least the Life List 10-Fish Club.
• Florida Saltwater Fishing Records – state records are for the heaviest marine fishes caught in Florida waters or in federal waters extending directly outward of Florida state line boundaries, and are maintained for 81 species in all-tackle and fly-fishing categories.

This year, the program is expanding to host the very first Triple Threat Throwdown raffle challenge that will reward one lucky angler with a fully outfitted fishing kayak, sponsored by Bonafide and Yakattack, and valued at over $2,000. Learn more about the Triple Threat Throwdown at CatchaFLMemory.com and clicking on “Additional Raffle Details.” 

“Continuing to grow this community of engaged anglers who are passionate about Florida’s saltwater fish and marine ecosystems is vital to our mission of conservation and management,” said Jessica McCawley, Director of Marine Fisheries Management. “Thanks to the support of our incredible partners and the commitment of our Catch a Florida Memory anglers, our program is a success and continues to grow each year.”

Do you want to get in on the action? Participate today by visiting CatchaFloridaMemory.com. See how you and other anglers are doing by following the Catch a Florida Memory Facebook page, Facebook.com/CatchaFLMemory.

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