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Post by bill jacques on Aug 9, 2014 8:35:59 GMT -5
Grouper fishing at the skyway has been really bad this year. So I decided to go over my notes for the past 7 years. I caught 57 grouper and 13 were keepers. (This year I have yet to catch one.) Most were caught on the outgoing tide within 2.5 hours of the tide change. Bait was thick 80% of the time and the wind was from an easterly direction over 90% of the time, before the sea breeze kicked in. I think the westerly wind that has been happening has effected the grouper fishing this year.
just my 2 cents
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Post by blacktip on Aug 10, 2014 3:51:09 GMT -5
Endgame..... Over fishing 1 side of the pier (gulf side). Hundreds of thousands of foot of mono, braid and wire leader swaying back and forth between tides (stuck on reef). %50 of night time lights are off due to east span closure. Poachers who just don't give a crap. Ignant newbs that know no better and take no time to read up on the regs. and Its the dog days of summer. Seasons are made to benifit fish and not us..... Thanks for your 2 cent bill, and I guess I just gave mine.
Maybe we will get lucky and the cruise ship companies will build their new project and turn the current skyway into a new fishing pier.
Tight lines and hope you have better luck on your next trip.
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Post by SkyJay on Aug 10, 2014 16:06:58 GMT -5
Blacktip hit the nail on the head, with an emphasis on poaching and overfishing.
I think the evolved and increasing Dolphin problem is a factor to.
East side rockpiles are holding fish but not in numbers we've seen in the past.
Too many babies being killed or taken home in coolers.
Skyway Pier has seen its prime and is in steady decline.
Thank God I was there for the good times.
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Post by tears143 on Aug 10, 2014 17:24:23 GMT -5
I know there are a lot of poaching due to not knowing and just plain poaching.
I have seen countless 5" snapper being take... Probably the same thing with the grouper.
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soup
Eager Angler
Posts: 84
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Post by soup on Aug 11, 2014 15:36:56 GMT -5
The last time I fished on the skyway back in May I caught a half dozen grouper under 12 inches. I hadn't caught that many in 2 dozen previous trips combined. I released them all, I was on the north pier about 1/2 way out. At one point I went down to the end of the pier to get more bait. While there I check out some other fisherman, and there were quite a few down there. One guy openly boasted having caught 4 or 5 grouper. I asked him the size and he said he wasn't sure but they were all in his cooler. Thinking he had some nice ones I asked to see, he said sure. He seemed like a nice guy and he was fishing with his wife. When I looked I was surprised to see a bunch of 12 to 16 inch grouper. I asked him if he knew the size limit and he said he didn't think there was one. I said there was and I then asked the people around them and they all just shrugged their shoulders. He then said he wasn't the only one that was keeping them so he figured it was OK.
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TheAshtonB
Eager Angler
Warning
Just go fishing man
Posts: 60 
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Post by TheAshtonB on Aug 11, 2014 20:34:19 GMT -5
Every time I have fished at the skyway, I have witnessed people snag these tiny red/gag groupers and toss them right in their coolers, not enough people observe the bag limits, regulations, and seasons. Its a damn shame but it is too hard to combat the problem now.
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moletrap
Rod Polisher
Spicy Ghost Pepper!
Posts: 116
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Post by moletrap on Aug 12, 2014 4:37:13 GMT -5
I agree with everything said so far. In addition, every time a grouper is eaten by a dolphin while being reeled in -- that has the same effect as those people who are keeping undersized grouper. The result is the same in the end, which is why I hereby put a $25 bounty on the head of any known dolphin that has eaten 5 or more grouper from the skyway fishing area!
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