Fishing captain: Redfish and snook closure should extend throughout Tampa Bay

If the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was worried about spreading news of the redfish and snook closure, anglers certainly took care of that. Word of the southwest Florida closure quickly spread across social media with anglers hopeful it would make a difference.

“We all felt that the closure should have extended into and throughout Tampa Bay,” said Capt. Jason Prieto, who fishes out of southern Tampa Bay and attended a meeting proposing the closure. “I felt the guys making these decisions really care about the fishery and did what they thought they could get passed.

“I know we all are ticked off and at one time or another have played the blame game. At the end of the day damage is done and we have to move forward and find a fix.”

With Manatee County, specifically the Manatee River, at the edge of the closure zone, it will be interesting to see how anglers and captains approach the current snook and redfish season during closure time. Anglers targeting dinner who normally fish waters such as Sarasota Bay may venture north to Tampa Bay, something Prieto has thought about.

“The common fear in the meeting was that other guides from affected areas will end up here, rightfully so as they need to stay afloat,” Prieto said. “Snook and reds are still open for Tampa Bay. I would like to ask all guides to make a very good effort to catch and release these fish even if they are open. Recreational anglers I would ask the same.”

Many anglers echoed Prieto’s sentiments, feeling that even more ground should be closed.

“I hope they close it for a while, even in the Tampa Bay area,” one Facebook commenter shared. “I’m afraid some of the people saying that the Tampa Bay area is gonna get a lot more pressure are right, so hopefully we’ll shut this area down.”

Another followed up: “They should have closed the whole bay. Terra Ceia, San Miguel, Bishops, the port, Apollo Beach, Fort Desoto, Weedon. With all this pressure the stock will collapse.”

It will be interesting to see how well Sarasota Bay and other areas south of Manatee County rebound. I, like many others, have been wishfully in favor of a redfish closed season to help bring some of that stock back.

There are many more anglers fishing these days than at any point in the past, especially inshore, and that won’t change. A school of slot-sized fish can be wiped out in short time if anglers choose to keep their limits for the dinner table.

“There are plenty of other species for people to eat to give these fish a break,” Prieto closed. “It’s time for the new and old guides to step up. This is not about you or me, it’s about our fishery.”