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FRESHWATER REGULATIONS
Methods of Taking Freshwater Fish
Game fish
and nongame fish
may be taken with pole and line or rod and reel. There is no limit on the number
of rods an angler may use.
Freshwater fish may not be taken by use of any free-floating, unattached device,
or by use of firearms, explosives, electricity, spear gun, poison or other
chemicals. The taking of fish by underwater swimming or diving is prohibited. It
is unlawful to sell, offer for sale or transport out of the state any freshwater
game fish unless specifically permitted by the FWC, except that licensed anglers
may transport two days bag limit of legally harvested game fish.
It is illegal to possess any freshwater fish along with gear that cannot legally
be used to take freshwater fish, including gear types listed above and below for
taking nongame fish or bait. An exception is game fish may be possessed together
with cast nets having a stretched mesh size not greater than 1 inch; minnow dip
nets not more than 4 feet in diameter; minnow seines having a stretched mesh
size not greater than 1 inch, a length not more than 20 feet and a depth not
more than 4 feet; and minnow traps not more than 24 inches in length and 12
inches in diameter, with a funnel entrance not more than 1 inch in spread.
It is illegal to fillet or remove the head or tail fin of black bass, striped
bass, white bass, Sunshine bass (striped bass x white bass hybrid), peacock
bass, black crappie and panfish (where special black crappie or panfish size or
bag limits are in effect) until after you have completed fishing for the day.
Nongame
fish may be taken:
By bush hook, setline or trotline baited with cut bait or other substance; but
not including live game fish or any part of any game fish; bush hooks, setlines
or trotlines (limited to 25 hooks total) are permitted for taking nongame fish
for personal use, but only in those areas where trotlines may be lawfully used
in accordance with the Wildlife Code of the State of Florida. Refer to the Commercial
Freshwater Fisheries Rules and Regulations Summary.
By manually operated spears, gigs, snatch hooks, crossbows or bows during
daylight hours except on the Jim Woodruff Dam spillway, in Dade County canals
south of C-4 and east of L-31N or L-31W, and at the spillways of the Eureka and
Rodman dams. Nongame fish may be taken at night using gigs or bow and arrow.
By cast nets in the Southwest Region (except in certain waters adjoining
Saddle Creek Fish Management Area, and certain Fish Management Areas); Northeast
Region, (except for Duval, Indian River, and Nassau counties; certain St. Johns
River Water Management District areas of Lake County; and certain Fish
Management Areas) in Citrus and Hernando counties (North Central Region) and
Glades County (South Region).
Using a bow and light at night. Night bowfishing tournaments do not require a
permit in the Northwest Region.
By netting and impounding at night from Sept. 1 to May 1 in specified waters
in northwest Florida. Nets used to take nongame fish in these specified waters
must be less than 100 feet in length, have a minimum 3-inch stretched mesh and
shall be continuously attended to ensure immediate release of any trapped game
fish; contact the Northwest Region office for details.
GAME AND NONGAME
FRESHWATER FISH
Game Fishblack bass, black crappie, bluegill, redear
sunfish, warmouth, redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish, flier, mud sunfish,
longear sunfish, shadow bass, peacock bass, white bass, striped bass and
sunshine bass.
Nongame Fishbowfin, common carp, catfish,
pickerel, eels, gar, threadfin shad, gizzard shad, shiners, tilapia (Nile
perch), killifish, suckers, topminnows and fishes not listed as freshwater game
fish and not taken for sport.
PROHIBITED GEAR FOR TAKING MARINE SPECIES IN FRESH WATER
Use of any hand or mechanically propelled, single or multi-pronged spear or
lance, barbed or barbless, to harvest or attempt to harvest any marine species
while diving in freshwater is prohibited.
Spearfishing for mullet in freshwater is prohibited. (Note: spearfishing
involves the user being at or below the surface of the
water (meaning swimming). Gigging from a boat or shore is allowed, as is snatch
hooking and bow fishing.)
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