# Indian river getting a little help



## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

Would love to see it happen!


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## Mako 181 (May 1, 2020)

More Closure = More Poaching


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## MRichardson (May 27, 2010)

I've never seen law enforcement on the goon in my 20 yrs here. Unless you count the NASA helos.


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## RennieRae (Aug 4, 2018)

Drum_Commander said:


> Been in Brevard my whole life. Grew up here and have seen the Indian River get worse and worse over the years. Still catch plenty of reds but the numbers have declined. Just in case anyone hasn’t heard yet, they are proposing making them catch and release only here in the Indian river. I hope they make it happen! Should have been 10 years ago….


I was interested to see when these changes would take affect and this is what I found... "later this year" is not quite as specific as i was hoping.


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## Bubbarjh (May 20, 2021)

It’s a joke in Indian river county I hope they shut it all down catch and release only still great snook fishing but our trout and red numbers are horrible


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## jasonh879 (Aug 5, 2014)

Trout and red numbers have decreased steadily all over the state. A lot of the grass is dead or dying. But catch and release only isn’t going to stop people from catching big bulls at Sebastian and then just dumping them over the rails after holding them out of the water for 10 minutes to get 25 photos


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

Mako 181 said:


> More Closure = More Poaching


I guess by definition, if you’re keeping fish in an area of closure, you’re poaching. Why would you think that poaching will increase? I guess that as previously stated, absence of LEO would be the main reason.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I need to fill my freezer before it takes effect.


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## Mako 181 (May 1, 2020)

The Fin said:


> I guess by definition, if you’re keeping fish in an area of closure, you’re poaching. Why would you think that poaching will increase? I guess that as previously stated, absence of LEO would be the main reason.


A certain amount of people are going to keep reds no matter the law. 
Some in that group will keep any size at any location at any time of the year. 
some that are close to being in that group will now join them I think.
Just my own thoughts.
I think that if the grass is fixed the fish will come back. But the grass fix is years away and we will need some fish left to rebound after the grass is fixed. 
So closure may be the only hope to have some fish left.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

Mako 181 said:


> A certain amount of people are going to keep reds no matter the law.
> Some in that group will keep any size at any location at any time of the year.
> some that are close to being in that group will now join them I think.
> Just my own thoughts.
> ...


Penalties should be far more than a fine! Loss of gear, vessel, and vehicles used in the infractions just “might” deter some?


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## Drum_Commander (Feb 6, 2019)

I would have to disagree about the FWC presence in the area. I have been stopped far less in the goon than the Indian. BUT, going out of PSJ, Kennedy point, haul over I have been checked more times than I can count. The people that still keep redfish in this area either don’t care or haven’t been here long enough to respect what a great fishery we used to have. Making them catch and release here will only help.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Capnredfish said:


> I need to fill my freezer before it takes effect.


Kidding Finn


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

Capnredfish said:


> Kidding Finn


I know!


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## Chumplz (Mar 23, 2021)

I suck at fishing for sure, but I havent caught a redfish asides from big bulls from NSB to Cocoa in months. See a few cruising here and there but I'd love to see catch and release only. Also, I dont personally think redfish is a good eating fish anyways. I dont fish to keep unless I'm diving and spearfishing, but much rather eat a mangrove, sheepshead than reds any day.


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## minchyota (Nov 27, 2018)

MRichardson said:


> I've never seen law enforcement on the goon in my 20 yrs here. Unless you count the NASA helos.


Same, I never see them around.


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## Kevin Booker (May 25, 2016)

Maybe they can figure out a way to clean up the water so the grass can return. I have stopped fishing it because of the decline over the last 15 years.


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## Draftsman (Jul 14, 2020)

I only get out a few times a year now that Im out of town for college, but an area I hit regularly has seen an huge improvement in Seagrass coverage the last year or so. Went from brown low-vis water to looking like your floating above a football field. Big time improvement and a seemingly increased fish presence.
I’m all for whatever they can do to improve the water quality and have volunteered with CCA in the past to help make that happen. If that includes making it catch and release, so be it. I rarely keep fish and that’s not my goal when I head out there anyways. Glad to see it getting attention


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

I fished the Goon/IRL from 91 to mid 2000s. Man you wouldn’t believe the size of trout and reds that used to be in that lush grass back then. I haven’t fished there in nearly 15 years. And it breaks my heart to see it these days.


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## MRichardson (May 27, 2010)

I remember seeing 12" mullet being crashed by atrout my first time there in the 90s. That's my kind of trout. Scary big.


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## altonclark (May 24, 2021)

Agreed it's heart breaking what's going on in the lagoon. has me selling my skiff.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

The Fin said:


> Penalties should be far more than a fine! Loss of gear, vessel, and vehicles used in the infractions just “might” deter some?


Death by firing squad


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## BillNye (Aug 19, 2020)

Mako 181 said:


> A certain amount of people are going to keep reds no matter the law.
> Some in that group will keep any size at any location at any time of the year.
> some that are close to being in that group will now join them I think.
> Just my own thoughts.
> ...


Up in the Northeast there was a moratorium on keeping striper in the 80s when population levels were bottoming out and the population rebounded very quickly. Now striper populations are on the down turn again and many rec fisherman up here are asking for another moratorium on keeping fish. People here look to Florida as an example of a state that actually cares about recreational fishing. Poaching in New England has been awful and there is very little enforcement. A catch and release only policy makes catching poachers easier especially with limited the environmental police that we have here.


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## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

Chumplz said:


> I suck at fishing for sure, but I havent caught a redfish asides from big bulls from NSB to Cocoa in months. See a few cruising here and there but I'd love to see catch and release only. Also, I dont personally think redfish is a good eating fish anyways. I dont fish to keep unless I'm diving and spearfishing, but much rather eat a mangrove, sheepshead than reds any day.


I respectfully disagree redfish is mighty fine eating. I’m all for conservation but I won’t be deluded into thinking redfish don’t taste good lol. Ok back to scheduled programming…..


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