FWC Report

During the week of Aug. 23 to 29, Officer Hartzog was patrolling the Apalachicola River in Franklin County and after observing a vessel with two individuals on board returning from the bay with fishing gear, conducted a resource and boating safety inspection, during which he observed multiple boating safety violations and the individuals possessed undersized tripletail. The violations were cited accordingly. 

Hartzog, conducting night water patrol on East Bay, observed a vessel with one individual on board flounder gigging. The officer conducted surveillance and observed him come under power on his vessel without navigation lights. The officer, who identified the man as a commercial angler with an extensive history of resource violations, conducted a resource and boating safety inspection which found the angler in possession of 19 flounder, four of them being undersized. The angler also did not possess any current recreational or commercial saltwater license. The violations were cited accordingly. 

Hartzog, while patrolling East Bay, observed a commercial fishing vessel with three individuals on board and gear consistent with net fishing. The officer initiated a stop to conduct a resource inspection, during which the subjects attempted to discard a net overboard. The officer observed the men in possession of a monofilament gill net over 2,000 square feet and three seine nets over 500 square feet, as well as being in possession of a commercial quantity of mullet. All three individuals, identified as commercial anglers with an extensive history of resource violations, were arrested and transported to Franklin County Jail. 

While on patrol during scallop season in Gulf County, Officer Butts observed an individual on a vessel returning to a local boat ramp, who was in possession of over the daily bag limit of bay scallops. The appropriate law enforcement action was taken. 

Officers Gerber, Coker, and Butts were on patrol during alligator season when they discovered several unattended baited wooden pegs, which is a violation. The officers stopped a vessel with two individuals alligator hunting, and they admitted they set the bait. Several other violations were discovered during the inspection and the appropriate law enforcement action was taken. 

Master Officer M. Webb, while on patrol and conducting resource inspections on vessels returning from fishing at a local ramp, observed a vessel with two subjects on board with fishing equipment. An inspection revealed the captain in possession of two oversized spotted seatrout. A citation was issued for more than one spotted seatrout over 19 inches per vessel.