My Blog
GULF of MEXICO vs. NOAA FISHERIES – COURT UPDATE
GULF of MEXICO vs. NOAA FISHERIES
COURT UPDATE
On February 23, 2023 The Court system set aside a Final Rule for the Southeast For-Hire Program in the Gulf of Mexico. This means ALL For-Hire Federally Permitted Charter Captains in the Gulf of Mexico are NOT REQUIRED to report any logbooks (report fish) or have a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) aboard. This is HUGE for the Gulf of Mexico Charter Captains.
Mid 2020 Captain Allen Walburn filed a Lawsuit against NOAA Fisheries in regards to the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and reporting system. In 2022 NOAA then made it a requirement that all Gulf of Mexico Federally Permitted Charter Vessels obtain a VMS.
This VMS had to be installed by a professional at our own expense, although NOAA did reimburse us for the purchase of the VMS equipment. However, it was still an invasion of our privacy. For a whole year all Charter Captains were required to give our hard worked locations (spots) and what fish we caught and kept.
Friday, February 24th, 2023 it was announced that the lawsuit against NOAA was won by Captain Allen Walburn. Exciting news for us Gulf of Mexico Charter Captains!
Here is the link to the COURT Case and all the Updates: https://nclalegal.org/mexican-gulf-fishing-company-et-al-v-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration-et-al/
On February 27th, 2023 I called NOAA and spoke with the VMS department. I asked what the next steps are for renewing Federal Permits, they advised that the VMS is no longer a requirement to renew Permits.
I waited a couple days and decided to call again and spoke with the Permit department this time. A lady answered and I asked my same question, she stated that we in fact do still need the VMS and Logbook to renew permits. It made me confused and decided to call a third time to the VMS department. I advised I was confused and need clarity, the lady then said the there is no requirement at this time to renew Federal Permits.
The VMS department stated that not everyone has gotten the memo and that she will advise the managers to send out an email advising everyone. She did however confirm again that VMS and Logbook is no longer a requirement for renewing Permits.
What a relief it was to myself that I at least was getting the right answers for my business.
On the morning of March 5th, 2023 I find out there was an article released by the Gulf Council pertaining to this Lawsuit which has a bunch of information for you to read through along with FAQs.
Here is the link to the Gulf Council NOAA Fisheries Court Update:
To summarize all this up, the Gulf of Mexico Federally Permitted For-Fire Charter Captains are NOT REQUIRED to obtain or have installed VMS and it is not a REQUIREMENT to submit LOGBOOKS.
HUGE WIN FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO!!
However, the Atlantic Fisheries still battle with NOAA on their Rules. Send prayers for the Atlantic Fisheries.
THANK YOU TO CAPTAIN ALLEN WALBURN and his TEAM for filing this Lawsuit and WINNING!!!!!
BOOK A FISHING TRIP in the Gulf of Mexico CONTACT US
Angling with Adria Fishing Charters
954-243-3949
LANE SNAPPER CLOSURE 2022
Here we go again!!! Yet another closure for us Charter Captains here in the Gulf of Mexico. Lane Snapper Closure will be closed November 15th, 2022 and will not reopen until January 1st, 2023. That is now two species closed for the remaining of the year which also includes Red Grouper closure. From Charters to personal fishing out Venice, FL I can tell you that the Gulf of Mexico in this area is loaded with Lane Snappers and Red Groupers and that those species are not over fished. It does suck the the fishing Council has no clue about our fishery. There is nothing us Charter Captains can do, we have fought before many times with no success in winning against NOAA. There actually was a few captains who hired an attorney on this matter and well that case is up in the air as of today.
With Lane Snapper Closure for the remaining 2022, I must add there are still other species to target in the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing after Hurricane Ian has been one of the best, the bite has been strong and has actually pushed a lot of other species who are not from this area like Dog Snappers and Yellow Jacks. Those species are considered to be from South Florida, and if you were to ask me I’d say Hurricane Ian helped with pushing those species to this coast.
Species to target. for the remainder of 2022 are:
Mangrove Snappers, Yellowtail Snappers, Gag Grouper, Vermillion Snapper, Scamp Grouper, Blacken Tuna, Cobia, King Fish, Trigger Fish, African Pompano, Black Sea Bass, Flounder (Opens December 1st) and Key West Grunts along with some not mentioned.
I would say that is still plenty of fish to target.
Book a Fishing Charter out of Venice, FL with
Angling with Adria Charters, LLC.
Contact to book 954-243-3949
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Red Grouper Closes 2022
Red Grouper Closes 2022
Here we go again Gulf of Mexico! Red Grouper Closes 2022 for another 4 months again on 12:01am August 30th. Last year in 2021 NOAA announced Red Grouper closing which I have never heard of Red Groupers closing prior to 2021. Of course us Charter Captains all took a little hit on our business for this. NOAA announced that Red Groupers are over fished which in my opinion is non-sense. We catch Red Groupers all the time from big to small, trust me there is plenty. However, Now we just have to take another hit in 2022 and advise all our clients that Red Grouper is Catch and Release only. Of course there is still plenty of fish out there to target from Lane Snappers, Mangrove Snappers, Yellowtail Snappers, Vermillion Snapper, Porgies, Key West Grunts, Scamp Groupers, Blackfin Tuna, African Pompano, Florida Pompano, Cobias also Gag Grouper and they are opened until December 31st, 2022 and thats just to name a few we are likely to catch.
Angling with Adria Fishing Charters Venice, FL can target a bunch more species that are still opened. Here is a couple pics of what is expected to catch for the rest of the year:
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Now that the summer is near over, Fall Season will be a great one for catching fish. The water temperature gets cooler which means fish move in closer inland. Sharks will start to settle down and not be as aggressive when reeling up fish. Another species to look forward to is Tripletail Fish. In October Commercial Carb traps get deployed offshore and Tripletail start to live around those crab trap buoys which allow us to target them from October through early May. As the weather gets warmer the Tripletail move offshore.
Even though Red Grouper is closing we still have so much more species to target and catch for a great meal. All we could do is follow the rules and have fun fishing.
Click the link to learn more information about the Red Grouper Closure and any other regulations: https://gulfcouncil.org/press/2022/noaa-fisheries-announces-recreational-closure-of-red-grouper-harvest-in-federal-waters-of-the-gulf-of-mexico/
Angling with Adria Fishing Charters and Boat Tours Venice, FL
Want to come fishing with me and target some of the species listed above?
CONTACT TO BOOK 954-243-3949
or click the link for my Contact US Page:
FISHING CHARTER & FUEL PRICES
The last couple months Angling with Adria Fishing Charter and Boat Tours has been dealing with fluctuating Fuel prices. Not only has my Fishing Charter business slowed down but the Fuel prices are an all time high here in Florida. In the beginning of the year when I started to see the Fuel price changes I said to myself “oh it won’t get up more than this, I’ll be okay” and announcing on my social media that I was not increasing my Fishing Charter / Boat Tour rates.
this photo was taken April 11th, 2022.
Fast forward a few months to-date May 26th, 2022 where our Fuel Prices have sky rocketed on Non-Ethanol (Boat Fuel) to $5.20 a gallon on land (luckily my boat is on a trailer). Never in the last 2.5 years of running my Fishing Charter business have I paid this high for Fuel. I love my business and what I have to offer, my clientele is the best and what can I say I love putting people on fish. Now pushed to changing something I was against changing for the sake of saving my business. I have had to raise my Fishing Charter rates and hopefully soon I will be able to change them back and be as reasonable as I have been,
On a better note American Red Snapper season is right around the corner opening June 1st, 2022 for Federally Permitted Vessels which I am offering again this season. Also another species that is opening June 1st, 2022 is Gag Groupers. What better way to enjoy summer? Coming aboard and targeting highly regulated species and going for the boat limit!
CONTACT TO BOOK A FISHING CHARTER FOR THE UPCOMING RED SNAPPER / GAG GROUPER SEASON WITH ANGLING WITH ADRIA FISHING CHARTERS AND BOAT TOURS OUT OF VENICE, FL.
CONTACT CAPT. ADRIA – 954-243-3949 TO BOOK
http://www.youtube.com/anglingwithadria
http://www.anglingwithadriacharters.com/contact-us/
Fishing Offshore for the first time in the Gulf of Mexico?
Fishing offshore for the first time in the Gulf of Mexico was the most amazing feeling I could experience as an angler. I grew a passion fairly quickly for offshore fishing. Offshore Fishing like any other style is a learning process. From lines, hooks to knots, tackle to current and tide conditions. Why? Because believe it or not THIS ALL MATTERED!
If you plan on fishing for the first time offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, I recommend to do a little research before heading out, know which depth of water you want to target species and bay different bait from your local tackle store. Knowledge of the depth will determine what rod/reel setup and tackle you need. Stick to my blog post and you will learn all techniques that I use for offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico out of Venice, FL
I come prepared with sinkers from all sizes 1/2 oz to 12 oz. In the Gulf of Mexico there are regulations you need to search regarding what hooks are allowed to catch species.
Please refer to https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/gear-rules/
For hooks I use non-offset circle hooks offshore from 1/0 to 6/0. Depending on what you wish to target you might need bigger size hooks and sinkers, however, in the Gulf of Mexico what is mostly targeted are Groupers and Snappers, with the size hooks I mentioned that will be sufficient to begin fishing offshore.
I recommend to spool whichever reel you desire with Braid Line. If you are targeting Snappers (Mangrove Snappers, Lane Snappers, Yellowtail Snapper, HogFish and Key West Grunts), I use anywhere between 15 LBS to 30 LBS Braid line. Now, you also need to tie a Leader (Shock Leader) line to your main line and I use anywhere between 20 LBS to 50 LBS. Heavier Braid line and Leader line is highly recommended when targeting species like Red Groupers, Gag Groupers, Scamp Groupers, Strawberry Groupers, Red Snappers and other species that have a tougher fight. However, I have caught many species mentioned above on the lightest tackle, which takes a few months to learn and achieve but is very effective. I recommend you follow my fishing channel on YouTube for more tips on how to target species and what tackle to use.
https://www.youtube.com/anglingwithadria
Now for the most important part is to find a good rod and reel setup or two setups that won’t break the bank. I recommend you do some research or ask your local tackle shop for information on rod and reels.
I hope this blog helps you and your new Offshore Fishing Journey. If you need any additional help or have questions please feel free to contact me at 954-243-3949. I am also a Fishing Charter and Boat Tour Captain based out of Venice, Florida and will be able to help you with all your fishing needs.
Want to come offshore and learn from me? Book a Fishing Charter Today! 954-243-3949
Captain Adria Gutierrez – Introduction
My name is Captain Adria Gutierrez. I was born and raised in Miami, Florida where I grew my passion for the water and fishing. My parents would take us to fishing piers, bank fishing, and boat fishing. I grew up just holding a rod and reel not knowing any of its functions just that I knew I was reeling up fish. The majority of my life was fishing at least a couple of times a month.
Angling With Adria Offshore Fishing Charter Venice, Florida, Mexico & (USA)
Throughout the years almost every weekend, I was going to the Keys in Florida and fishing. We fast forward a few more years later to find out not only did I gain a passion for fishing but I was so interested in learning more too finally enjoying and loving going to Bass Pro Shops. I then went on to create my own YouTube Fishing Channel as the passion grew.
From Kayaks to little boats to a Boston Whaler where there I learned how to drive a boat and learn the sonar machine and GPR’S system. I learned so much about inshore fishing I decided to sell that boat as I was ready to take offshore fishing and got a nice Grady White vessel.
I loved it so much that in the year 2020 I started my career as a Licensed United States Coast Guard Captain. Ever since I have been running offshore fishing trips, day boat tours, dolphin tours, eco-tours, and sunset cruises. As far as my YouTube Fishing Channel I am still growing it and you will find different species I catch and different fishing techniques. Join my YouTube journey as I teach you how to catch fish how to clean fish and how to cook fish.
Please subscribe to my YouTube Fishing Channel www.youtube.com/anglingwithadria and grow with me. Thank you for reading my first blog and stay tuned for more information on how to catch fish. Catch you guys later
