Town Dock - Bait

01/05/2016

This is an extremely important development as it takes control of the red snapper fishery out of federal hands. It increases state waters to 9 miles in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and will ultimately lead to increases in both quota and length of season, for the recreational sector.

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES, DATED JAN. 5

Alabama State Waters Extended to 9 Miles for Reef Fish Management

The Congressional Omnibus Appropriations bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Obama on December 18, 2015, includes a provision to extend Alabama’s state waters from 3 miles to 9 miles. The bill includes additional provisions that attempt to address the ongoing Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery mismanagement that has resulted in abbreviated nine and 10-day seasons for private sector recreational anglers the last two years. The red snapper provisions in the bill were authored by Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

Through its Marine Resources Division, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has worked diligently over the last several years with the Alabama congressional delegation and the Alabama State Legislature to enact legislation to improve red snapper management and increase angler access to this valuable fishery resource.

“Red snapper is the most economically important fishery for coastal Alabama. The extension of our state waters from 3 to 9 miles and the third-party stock assessment for red snapper that includes information from artificial reefs should go a long way in changing the dynamic of red snapper management and should lead to more days of fishing opportunities for Alabama anglers,” said Conservation Commissioner N. Gunter Guy, Jr. “Alabama has the best artificial reef system and the best red snapper fishery in the country. I appreciate Senator Shelby’s stalwart efforts on this, and I appreciate the continued work of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Division in keeping this vital issue in the forefront both in Alabama and in Washington.”

Orange Beach is known as the “Red Snapper Capital of the World” due to the importance of that one fishery to the charter fleet and tourism industry. Every additional day that that fishery is open for harvest means millions of dollars to the economies of Mobile and Baldwin counties. The need for improved red snapper management dominates the fishery discussions in Alabama because a vibrant and accessible red snapper fishery means so much to its coast.

“I would like to thank Senator Shelby for his leadership on this issue and his support of the Department of Conservation’s efforts to provide Alabama anglers with additional days to fish for red snapper and other reef fish in Gulf waters off our coast through state management of these fisheries. The provisions in this bill are a good first step toward fixing the broken red snapper management,” said Marine Resources Division Director Chris Blankenship. “We will continue to work with Senator Shelby and Congressman Bradley Byrne to make further reforms that would give the Gulf States more control of the management of the reef fish fishery.

The State of Alabama continues to work with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries to improve the data collection for the landings of red snapper. Implemented in 2014, Alabama’s Snapper Check program is providing timely information on the red snapper landed in Alabama. In mid-December 2015, representatives of the Marine Resources Division met with NOAA Fisheries scientists and their consultants in Mobile to compare and calibrate the landings of red snapper from Alabama’s system and the federal Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) landings system. Future MRIP transitions were also addressed in the bill.

“The federal government’s continued mismanagement of the red snapper fishery has placed unnecessary barriers in the way of Alabama’s fishermen,” said Senator Shelby. “As we all know, the best conservationists are oftentimes the ones who depend on this fishery the most – charter and recreational anglers.

“That is why I have pushed for commonsense reforms in this year’s omnibus to ensure that the red snapper stocks are properly counted, that there is more local involvement in the process, and that Alabama’s state boundary lines are equitable with other states by expanding them from 3 to 9 miles,” added Senator Shelby. “I believe that these reforms are big wins for fishermen across the Gulf, and I am hopeful that it will lead to a longer, more robust red snapper season.”

Senator Shelby’s provisions affecting Red Snapper:

Fishery Boundaries: Includes bill language that extends Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana state seaward fishery boundaries from 3 miles out to 9 miles for these states to regulate red snapper and other reef fish. Currently, just Texas and Florida have boundaries out to 9 miles, and this provision makes the state fishery lines in the Gulf equitable.

Red Snapper Tagging Study: Provides up to $5 million for NOAA’s National Sea Grant College program to support external research and development through its network of academic institutions for a red snapper tagging study in the Gulf of Mexico.

Red Snapper Stock Assessment: Provides $5 million for independent, non-NOAA stock assessments for Gulf reef fish including red snapper. Directs NOAA to count fish on artificial reefs and offshore energy exploration infrastructure, incorporate those counts into future stock assessments and management decisions for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico.

Red Snapper Allowable Catch: Urges NOAA to provide an increased allocation of Gulf red snapper to private recreational anglers should the total allowable catch of red snapper increase above a certain threshold. This would help provide relief for recreational anglers who have been especially impacted by NOAA’s misguided regulations.

Red Snapper and the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP): Provides no funding for the full transition to the new MRIP implementation plan until NOAA fixes the stock assessment process as directed under the bill’s red snapper section. MRIP is a controversial program for estimating recreational fishery catches.

10/14/2015

Stone crab season opens Oct. 15 in state, federal waters
Florida’s recreational and commercial stone crab claw harvest season opens Oct. 15 in state and federal waters. To ensure this valuable resource is available for generations to come, take care when removing crab claws, and follow all protective management guidelines for stone crab harvest.

To be harvested, stone crab claws must be at least 2¾ inches in length when measured from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable portion of the claw (see illustration) and increase the likelihood of survival of the released crab.

Claws may not be taken from egg-bearing stone crabs. Egg-bearing females are identifiable by the orange or brown egg mass, also known as a “sponge,” which is visible on the underside of the crab when it is picked up or turned over.

Recreational harvesters can use up to five stone crab traps per person. Stone crabs may not be harvested with any device that can puncture, crush or injure a crab’s body. Examples of devices that can cause this kind of damage include spears and hooks. Recreational and commercial traps may be baited and placed in the water 10 days prior to the opening of the season but may not be pulled from the water for harvest purposes until Oct. 15. Traps that are not being fished should be removed from the water to avoid ghost fishing, a process in which marine species get caught in the trap for extended periods of time and are not harvested.

Harvesters are encouraged to take only one claw, even if both claws are of legal size, so that the released crab will be better able to defend itself from predators. A crab that is returned to the water with one claw intact will be able to obtain more food in a shorter amount of time and therefore regrow its claw faster. There is a recreational daily bag limit of 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.

The season will be open through May 15, 2016, closing May 16.

Stone crab regulations are the same in state and federal waters.

For more information on harvesting stone crabs for recreation, as well as commercial stone crab regulations and licensing information, go online to MyFWC.com/Fishing (click on “Saltwater”).

09/08/2015

By Andrew Marshall - Town Dock Fresh Fish Department;

We left in the dark in a hard northeast wind, nothing more fun than getting beaten up in the dark in a 28 ft boat. Get out to the tuna grounds in 3-5s. Spent the first hour catching bluefish and could only find 8-10 lbers. Knowing full well that big tuna will eat a 10 lber we loaded our live well with two 30” angry bluefish who were pi**ed about their new digs. We set up on the anchor and put one bluefish out on a kite and one bluefish down at 140 ft. About 11:30 at the tide change, we started marking some big fish. I said we’re about to go off here, next thing you know a 130 starts screaming. It ate the 10 lb bluefish on the bottom. It wasn’t real impressed with us and went straight to the surface and peeled 200 yards off a Shimano Tiagra 130 with 45 lbs of drag. We got the boat into reverse and started chasing him down. I said probably a 300 lb class fish because I was manhandling him. After 1 hr we had him to swivel 20 ft away but had to take a harpoon shot over the leader which I wasn’t comfortable with. We swung the boat around in crystal clear water and realized that it was an 800-1000 lb class fish. At the point the fish tired of our shenanigans and made a run to the bottom where he promptly parked himself for the next 45 minutes. After 1 hr and 45 minutes on the rod, I was toast and had to turn over the duties to my old man who had him to the boat in 15 minutes. First set of berating. One missed dart shot and some more berating from my father, I threw a second shot with the force of a thousand gods and button holed him.

107” 813 lbs round. 607 dressed. Got it with my dad who’s previous largest was 650 in 1982. The student has now become the teacher. The teacher continues to laugh.

On auction this morning in Japan.

08/19/2015

New ballyhoo season starts in the Keys in about 30 days but it generally takes another few weeks for things to get rolling. For all commercial and recreational tuna fishermen from New England to South Carolina that need stock over the next 45-60 days; We have limited quantities of just a few hundred cases of large (solid 9 inch) 15/6 packs. Big baits, big fish!

07/24/2015

Town Dock brand ribbonfish are available in central and north Florida, south Georgia, the Carolinas and on the Texas coastline for on-going kingfish tournaments. Contact us for availability for the August, September and October tournaments.

06/12/2015

Mackerel is in stock and ready to ship. Available in pallet increments at Rich's Cold Storage (Taunton, MA.) we now have 1/22 pound 250-350 gram seine caught mackerel from the north of Spain. Texture is firm, fat content is high and eye balls are white. 22 pound blocks are shrink wrapped inside of the master cases. Call us to book. Pricing is competitive.

06/02/2015

Domestic sardine shortages are expected; Since the BP oil spill in April of 2010, sardine landings in the Gulf of Mexico have fallen dramatically. With only a few weeks remaining in this year's catching season (and virtually nothing caught so far), it is becoming quite obvious that this fishery is in serious trouble. Fortunately, we are the largest importer of high quality sardines and current inventory levels should hold throughout the summer months even though demand will be high.

05/13/2015

CIGAR MINNOW sales are heating up as the red snapper season approaches. Florida opens in Gulf waters on Saturday May 23. For those unfamiliar with cigar minnows, they are a great bottom fishing bait, also know as scad or muroaji and used predominantly by the Japanese yellowfin and bigeye tuna long-line fleets. In addition to our distributor in the Panhandle, we also have availability of 5 pound boxes and 22 pound flats in New England, Texas and the Carolinas.

04/27/2015