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dipnetting in south florida


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#1 Guest_trojannemo_*

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Posted 23 August 2009 - 09:26 PM

hey guys.

i went dipnetting with my club yesterday and had a blast. i've tried it before once and liked it, and now that i've learned from more experienced people how to do it better, i would like to do it more often.
I have a florida freshwater fishing license, as that is all the club said was required for dipnetting.
while hanging out with a group of older people who run the club, i dont think i would get in trouble. but by myself, I would like to know the specifics of the law so I don't get into trouble.

i read the entire florida fishing regulations article from the www.myfwc.com website and still have no idea as to the statutes concerning dipnetting.

in my case i'm talking about a "bait" net type of thing, 16-24" across in the hoop with a long handle, and my interest would be catching gambusia to be used as feeders and any cichlids, shrimp or snails to be kept in an aquarium, the rest being put back after photographing...

is that legal? what else should i know? what should i avoid? any info from south floridians welcome!

thanks.

#2 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 24 August 2009 - 09:59 AM

I see where your question comes from... the regulations are clear about what is a nongame fish (that's what our interested in) and they are clear that you can catch them as bait... and it does mention "dipnets" but that is not the type of dipnet that you are talking about... and this is a common occurrence in state laws.

But your handheld dipnet would certainly be within the size limits of the dipnet and seine mentioned and would seem to fall within those definitions somewhere... If challenged, I would say "my dipnet is only 2 feet square... much smaller than the 4 foot diameter"... and that should be sufficient as long as you are not collecting anything that is considered a game fish.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#3 Guest_PhilipKukulski_*

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Posted 24 August 2009 - 10:20 AM

In many states,like Michigan, the regulations mention
landing nets and dip nets in the same sentence
which leads me to think that by the state's definition of landing net and dip net, landing net and dip net are two different things.

In Michigan, a dip net cannot have walls or sides.

#4 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 24 August 2009 - 11:32 AM

In Michigan, a dip net cannot have walls or sides.


I thought we decided in another thread on time that this a "dip net" as referenced in most state regulations is something totally different from what we think of... and was actualy a type of net that is lowered into the water and then brought up quickly when a fish is over it... kind of like a revers cast net? In this case some of the regulations make a lot more sense (4 foot diamter... no walls or sides...) than they would for a "dip net" in the sense that we are using the word.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#5 Guest_PhilipKukulski_*

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Posted 24 August 2009 - 03:53 PM

I thought we decided in another thread on time that this a "dip net" as referenced in most state regulations is something totally different from what we think of... and was actualy a type of net that is lowered into the water and then brought up quickly when a fish is over it... kind of like a revers cast net? In this case some of the regulations make a lot more sense (4 foot diamter... no walls or sides...) than they would for a "dip net" in the sense that we are using the word.


Michigan: "Dip Nets may not exceed 9 x 9 feet square nor be erected or fished within
100 feet of any dam."

Which I found as an Umbrella Drop Fish Net.

But what matter is what Florida thinks.

#6 Guest_Bob_*

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Posted 25 August 2009 - 08:17 AM

Hi. What's your club? Is it the Gold Coast Aquarium Society? We should compare notes sometimes. I go down there and collect once or twice a year and know a couple of the Gold Coasters. I hope to actually make a meeting sometime.

You're probably legal, but why don't you take a photo of your dipnet, go on the Florida fwc web site, find a contact, send them the photo with a description, and ask them if you're legal. With any luck, you'll get a written e-mail response, which you can print out and bring with you. (Or told to move down to a smaller dipnet.)

You need to be careful, though with what you collect. Florida has some really stupid close-the-barn-door-after-the-horse-got-out kind of laws. Tilapia mariae are everywhere, but it's illegal to posses them. (I guess the state is afraid of their getting introduced somewhere where they're already the most numerous species in the area.) I also read it's illegal to possess Amphilophus urophthalmus. Again, a little too late to worry about it, because they're all over S.F. It's also illegal to possess walking catfish.


hey guys.

i went dipnetting with my club yesterday and had a blast. i've tried it before once and liked it, and now that i've learned from more experienced people how to do it better, i would like to do it more often.
I have a florida freshwater fishing license, as that is all the club said was required for dipnetting.
while hanging out with a group of older people who run the club, i dont think i would get in trouble. but by myself, I would like to know the specifics of the law so I don't get into trouble.

i read the entire florida fishing regulations article from the www.myfwc.com website and still have no idea as to the statutes concerning dipnetting.

in my case i'm talking about a "bait" net type of thing, 16-24" across in the hoop with a long handle, and my interest would be catching gambusia to be used as feeders and any cichlids, shrimp or snails to be kept in an aquarium, the rest being put back after photographing...

is that legal? what else should i know? what should i avoid? any info from south floridians welcome!

thanks.



#7 Guest_trojannemo_*

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Posted 25 August 2009 - 11:22 PM

thanks for the replies guys.

i had considered writing to the FWC but didnt think they'd actually write back...i guess i'll give it a shot!

yes the club I mentioned is gold coast. i've been attending their meetings for the last 4-5 months now and this past saturday was my first dipnetting experience with them in the everglades, and it was a blast. now i'm inspired to learn more about it and do it and hence my wanting information.

i dont have much in the way of "notes" as I've just started dipnetting, but if you say you know a couple of the club members, why dont you try to coincide with one of our trips and we could all meet and collect together?

#8 Guest_Bob_*

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Posted 26 August 2009 - 09:07 AM

Where did you go? Everglades Holiday Park? Lots of cool things there. But last May I didn't get anything worthwhile.

I'll try to coordinate when I go down again. (I only get there about once a year.) Tell Al M. and Marc W. I said "Hi."

thanks for the replies guys.

i had considered writing to the FWC but didnt think they'd actually write back...i guess i'll give it a shot!

yes the club I mentioned is gold coast. i've been attending their meetings for the last 4-5 months now and this past saturday was my first dipnetting experience with them in the everglades, and it was a blast. now i'm inspired to learn more about it and do it and hence my wanting information.

i dont have much in the way of "notes" as I've just started dipnetting, but if you say you know a couple of the club members, why dont you try to coincide with one of our trips and we could all meet and collect together?



#9 Guest_trojannemo_*

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 12:49 AM

We went down to about 3-4 rest areas along Alligator Alley. I can't wait till the next trip, hopefully somewhere else but equally as plentiful!

I've very new to the club and don't know most people outside of the people who run it. I'll ask around for Al M. and Marc W. and see if they
still go to the meetings i guess!

Where did you go? Everglades Holiday Park? Lots of cool things there. But last May I didn't get anything worthwhile.

I'll try to coordinate when I go down again. (I only get there about once a year.) Tell Al M. and Marc W. I said "Hi."



#10 Guest_Bob_*

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 08:14 AM

I've been meaning to go out along Alligator Alley, but never made it out there. Most trips, I go down to Fort Lauderdale, to the South New River Canal, or to Everglades Holiday Park. Last couple of trips, I made it down to Miami and the Everglades. Stopped in at Versaille on Calle Ocho. Really great food. (Don't miss the Lechon Asado. It's marvelous!) Also, near where I stay in Deerfield Beach: Quiet Waters Park, and that little neighborhood Park off Hillsboro Blvd, in Ft. Lauderdale, on the Hillsboro Canal.

What did you get at Alligator Alley?


We went down to about 3-4 rest areas along Alligator Alley. I can't wait till the next trip, hopefully somewhere else but equally as plentiful!

I've very new to the club and don't know most people outside of the people who run it. I'll ask around for Al M. and Marc W. and see if they
still go to the meetings i guess!



#11 Guest_trojannemo_*

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 09:28 PM

i dont know the names of native fish that well, but i'll try:
~20 florida flagfish (jordanella floridae), ~15 bluefin killies (lucania goodei), 1 baby tilapia sp., 5+ crosilus fondulus or something like that (slender body with shiny speckles), about 10 mollies, 1 hi-fin molly male, several mosquito fish (gambusia affinis), about 5 snails, 3 crayfish, over 100 shrimp...and that's not counting what I kept throwing back out! it was a very very good day i would think. nothing too exotic but def. a lot to catch. some of the guys that went with me caught 2 snakes, i caught 2 praying mantis...hehe, a lot of spiders too.

i only kept the flag fish, the killiefish, and the tilapia baby. unfortunately with all the stress of the trip and my inexperience with dealing with natives only 3 of the flag fish survived, but they are doing great now. of the bluefin killies i have 3 males and 2 females that I'm keeping in my planted rainbowfish tank...i'm quite taken with the little guys! and the baby tilapia is in a cichlid tank doing great.

i can't wait to go back, i intend to bring back another 5 bluefin killies for my tank, and any other cichlid species i catch for my parent's tank. the rest will be relased after capture, but i wanna catch them first!

by the way, this was my first time in Alligator Alley, i'm from Hialeah (part of Miami), so everytime I went to the everglades it was in the south. this was my first trip going NORTH to go to the everglades....

I've been meaning to go out along Alligator Alley, but never made it out there. Most trips, I go down to Fort Lauderdale, to the South New River Canal, or to Everglades Holiday Park. Last couple of trips, I made it down to Miami and the Everglades. Stopped in at Versaille on Calle Ocho. Really great food. (Don't miss the Lechon Asado. It's marvelous!) Also, near where I stay in Deerfield Beach: Quiet Waters Park, and that little neighborhood Park off Hillsboro Blvd, in Ft. Lauderdale, on the Hillsboro Canal.

What did you get at Alligator Alley?



#12 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 09:41 PM

I'm jealous, you collected some Fundulus chrysotus, a killifish known as the golden topminnow. They're one of the prettier killifishes.

#13 Guest_PhilipKukulski_*

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 10:26 PM

I'm jealous, you collected some Fundulus chrysotus, a killifish known as the golden topminnow. They're one of the prettier killifishes.


Fundulus chrysotus has been called the Golden-ear Killifish by killi keepers for decades.

" >>Both sexes have a golden bar on the gillplates
>>which is the identifying mark of this species, hence the "golden-ear"
>>killifish. " 1

1 http://fins.actwin.c...1/msg00025.html

#14 Guest_trojannemo_*

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 11:55 PM

I'm jealous, you collected some Fundulus chrysotus, a killifish known as the golden topminnow. They're one of the prettier killifishes.


they were pretty abundant. one of the club organizers kept asking me for the larger ones i caught, so perhaps he keeps them?

for those interested in seeing what we caught that day, here are some pictures i took.

http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_1.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_2.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_3.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_4.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_5.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_6.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_7.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_8.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...ng_082209_9.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...g_082209_10.jpg
http://www.keepitfis...g_082209_11.jpg

and this picture was taken yesterday of one of the male Lucania goodei that i'm keeping:
Posted Image

can't wait to go back...

#15 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 28 August 2009 - 04:51 AM

Nice fish. Low survival rate from your trip is likely due to low oxygen level in the warm weather and overcrowding in your bucket. Survival rate can be improved greatly by either fewer fish per bucket (keep fewer or bring more buckets) and a battery powered airstone (find these pretty cheap in bait shops or sporting goods stores).

#16 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 28 August 2009 - 07:20 AM

Fundulus chrysotus has been called the Golden-ear Killifish by killi keepers for decades.

1 http://fins.actwin.c...1/msg00025.html

Speaking as a killikeeper over the long haul I always liked golden topminnow better as a common name, it doesn't have that ring of a marketing campaign. Or I'll stick to being a latinate dude with the binomial.

#17 Guest_trojannemo_*

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Posted 28 August 2009 - 07:23 AM

Nice fish. Low survival rate from your trip is likely due to low oxygen level in the warm weather and overcrowding in your bucket. Survival rate can be improved greatly by either fewer fish per bucket (keep fewer or bring more buckets) and a battery powered airstone (find these pretty cheap in bait shops or sporting goods stores).


i had an airstone in the bucket. i think it was poor water quality, since the water we picked them up in had a lot of debris in it. def. next time i wont go overboard with what i'm catching. this was my first time and was a little too excited!

#18 Guest_PhilipKukulski_*

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Posted 28 August 2009 - 08:47 AM

see for having the fish live after getting the fish home alive:

Transporting E. okeefenokee

#19 Guest_Bob_*

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Posted 28 August 2009 - 10:12 AM

Wow--those were some of the nicest bluefins I have ever seen. Certainly nicer than the bluefins I have! The cichlid was an A. urophthalmus, a Mayan cichlid. One of their closest relatives is the festae cichlid, also known as a red terror. They may actually be meaner than a red terror, though.

Also, be careful with the Tilapia. Even though they're absolutely everywhere, there's an old law on the books saying you can't transport live T. mariae. I read something recently that there's a law against transporting live urophthalmus, too.

they were pretty abundant. one of the club organizers kept asking me for the larger ones i caught, so perhaps he keeps them?

for those interested in seeing what we caught that day, here are some pictures i took.
can't wait to go back...



#20 Guest_Dustin_*

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Posted 28 August 2009 - 10:19 AM

Looks like you have a marsh killifish, Fundulus confluentus, in there as well. Nice fish.



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