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10-25-2018, 06:08 PM | #1 |
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36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
http://gulfcouncil.org/press/2018/gu...ulQHc0zMCzgy3Y
I don't mind a 1 per person limit, and 2 per boat. But 36" minimum? Tough enough in our area to find one that is 33" |
10-25-2018, 07:18 PM | #2 |
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Posts: 291
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
I can’t find one to save my life which means I probably don’t need an increase but also maybe we do need an increase so I see more
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10-25-2018, 08:41 PM | #3 | |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
Quote:
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10-25-2018, 10:50 PM | #4 |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
I don't know. You don't see many these days. I recall catching them all the time hook and line years ago. I've only seen one diving in the past few years and it was with a bull shark. Granted we don't dive wrecks often and aren't chumming in bull sharks, but still. One in a couple hundred dives?
Regs do work. Look at the ARS. We have a season again, one that most believe will be sustainable. Yes it sucked the past several years, but they are breeding like crazy now. Gags and hogs are looking bigger. I see more bigger hogs than I did when I started a few years ago. But I'm open to the possibility I'm wrong and my anecdote isn't the reality. I do know fisheries management strives to allow certain species to reach reproductive age. Makes sense. IIRC, that doesn't happen for Cobia until about 36". Again, not 100% sure on that. Anyway, I don't think it was the Council pushing this. It was anglers. Minimum Size for Gulf Cobia to Increase Gulf of Mexico Fishery Managers Increase Cobia Size Limits to Address Concerns of Anglers Many anglers who fish the northern Gulf of Mexico have expressed concern over a perceived decline in the Gulf cobia population. As a result of that, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has announced plans to modify the commercial and recreational minimum size limit for Gulf cobia in federal waters to a 36-inch fork length. |
10-26-2018, 04:23 AM | #5 |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
Hmmm, will have to do some research. I think the biggest issue with cobia has been the overfishing up in the Panhandle and AL, MS, LA
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10-26-2018, 08:41 AM | #6 | |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
Quote:
Male cobia typically reach sexual maturity by 2 years (generally 2 feet long), while females are sexually mature by 2-3 years (generally 3 feet long). Females grow to be larger than males, and may reach 6 feet and weigh up to 100 pounds. An extended spawning season occurs from late June to mid-August along the Southeastern U.S. and from late summer to early fall in the Gulf. Cobia are broadcast spawners; a single female may spawn many times each season. Cobia make seasonal migrations, wintering in the south and moving north for the summer months. They are drawn to structure to feed and find shelter from predation. Juveniles and adults are often found around live bottom, wrecks, and buoys, as well as flotsam and seaweed mats. Their diet consists primarily of fish and crustaceans. |
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10-26-2018, 12:31 PM | #7 |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
There is no doubt there are far fewer cobia now than there was 10+ years ago. Likely due to the huge increase in fishing pressure as well as a reduced breeding population. You don’t need a college degree to know we need to do something. Been years since I’ve seen one over 40#s. 15 years ago you could get them bigger than that nearly every trip.
As with most all species we hunt the NMF has waited way too long to protect fish Helen Keller could see were in trouble. The fact that anglers had to voice concerns is very telling and I wholeheartedly agree with the proposed actions. If you can barely find a cobia 33” where you used to be able to shoot 48”+...... we have a problem that needs to be addressed.
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10-26-2018, 12:39 PM | #8 | |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
Quote:
Not keeping smaller fish allows them to grow larger, larger fish produce more eggs, and with more eggs you have a higher chance of those fish reaching maturity, and the cycle continues....
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10-26-2018, 02:34 PM | #9 |
Capt. Bob Roemer
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
The panhandle of Florida has seen some monsters showing up in good numbers. I've had several friends say that 60 plus pounders are the norm.
I've recently been on wrecks with numbers of them circling the boat. Do we have as many of them as we did TENs years ago...I think not. But what do we have as many of as we did ten years ago. Enter the human element. Enter the commercial element. Raping of the oceans resources doesn't happen by just the recreational anglers. We are allowed a few fish, maybe just one but the commercial boys are allowed tonnes. Yup, that's fair. I've been in Florida longer than most of you have been alive and I've seen the changes and have shed the tears because of it. And, I've seen the reasons for the changes first hand. Can we change it... No. The voice is not heard or really desired. The politicians with their hands out behind will out shout all of you together. So, we are stuck with what they shell out to us and then try to make us feel good for it.
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10-26-2018, 11:08 PM | #10 | |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
Quote:
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10-27-2018, 03:01 AM | #11 | |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
Quote:
Gags, AJs and ARS are better than they’ve been in years but cobia need some help. Hogs and red grouper really need help where I hunt as they still haven’t fully recovered from the last red tide. It sure is quite a coincidence that the most heavily managed fish are doing great but the less managed species are in trouble and happen to be the least targeted by commercials...... Hmmmmm
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10-27-2018, 08:09 AM | #12 |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
I usually cringe when I hear that they are upping the minimum size or reducing bag limits but this change doesn't bother me. Usually when I see a cobia these days, which isn't often, it's either well under size or well over. I haven't seen one in many years that is in the questionable range so if the change won't really affect my hunting and help the cobia population rebound, then I'm all for it.
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10-28-2018, 05:20 PM | #13 |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
Have seen exactly what moose described in St Pete Clearwater over the last 4 years. Gags, AJs and ARS doing better. Hogs worse. Red grouper way worse. I doubt I’ve seen 5 Cobia of any size in that time period.
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10-29-2018, 10:38 AM | #14 |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
36” is a healthy size, 33” was a juvenile fish imo. Females don’t reach sexual maturity until 36
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10-29-2018, 12:46 PM | #15 |
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Re: 36" Cobia minimum size proposed - thoughts?
The big mature females are targeted by the Billfish fleet early in the season for their tournaments with huge Calcuttas. They are extremely successful using tuna towers and drones to spot them. The winning pots are hundreds of thousands. I personally think the tourneys should go to a release format, length, weight, quantity or whatever. To easy to document today, these guys don't even care about eating them they will be dining on their wagu steak for dinner. They take their outriggers off and mount chairs on the bow with buckets for their bait, $5 eels and are guided by spotters in the tuna towers. Also casters in the tower and once they hookup they pass the rod down
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