By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Making News
License-Free Weekend Fishing in Salt waters
This weekend is shaping up as a good time to get out and fish. First, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will not require anglers to possess a saltwater fishing license on Saturday and Sunday. It is also the first weekend of red snapper season in the gulf (two per person per day). There will be another license-free saltwater fishing weekend June 18-19 to coincide with Father's Day.
REgulationS
Scallop season extended this year
Bay scallop season will begin June 25, a week earlier than usual, and will end Sept. 25, two weeks later than usual. It is legal to gather scallops north of the Pasco-Hernando county line to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County. It is against the law to possess bay scallops on the water outside open harvest areas. It is also illegal to land scallops outside open harvest areas. Scallop hunters may keep up to 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or 1 pint of scallop meat each day during the open season. Recreational scallopers cannot possess more than 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or a half-gallon of meat aboard any boat. You may catch bay scallops only by hand or with a landing or dip net. They cannot be sold for commercial purposes. For complete regulations, visit MyFWC.com.
Things to do
Tonight-Saturday: Johnny Ferlita Memorial Fishing Tournament (inshore species). Captains meeting, 6:30 tonight, Bay Club at Westshore Yacht Club (6001 Westshore Blvd.) in Tampa. Information: (813) 269-0955.
Saturday: Reef Monitoring Inc. is coordinating a cleanup of Dunedin Reef from 8 a.m. to noon. Interested boat owners and divers can preregister at Mac's Scuba in Clearwater and should meet at Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater. Cost: $10 covers administrative costs, lunch, T-shirt and free tank of air. Information: www.reefmoni toring.org or (727) 259-7404.
Rodney Page, Times staff writer
Solunar table
AM PM major minor major minor
6/3 6:15 12:00 6:50 12:35
6/4 7:15 1:05 7:45 1:30
6/5 8:10 2:00 8:40 2:25
6/6 9:05 2:55 9:35 3:20
6/7 10:00 3:50 10:30 4:15
6/8 10:55 4:45 11:25 5:10
6/9 11:45 5:35 0 6:00