85vette
Active member
Not many grouper boats left as well. No money in it anymore and not many grouper left.
The state is catering to the sports fishermen these days. That's where the money is (lobbyist)
Not many grouper boats left as well. No money in it anymore and not many grouper left.
Yeah, that's disappointing for sure. The FWC and developers seem to be working together to dismantle the seafood industry in Florida. I've watched the decline since the net ban in 93. Less and less fisherman in the commercial trade than ever before. And I understand that non-commercial rules are in place if you want to use traps. The amount of money it takes to be a commercial fisherman today is prohibitive to most thinking of entering the business. One of the three necessary licenses run $10K and to get the Salt Water Products License you have to buy it from someone who's leaving the business, so that one is what the market will bear. So yeah, commercial crabbing is down, at least in your area. The crabbers sold their homes and properties to developers which seemed to be the plan all along. And to top it off they have to compete with the Chinese markets now. It's a shame for sure. It might be worth it to get a couple of your own traps and go down to Mashes Sands and spend a few hours. Just make sure you're compliant with the FWC rules. Here's an idea though. Go down to RMS Supply in Medart and ask Angie if she knows who to buy crabs from. They always sold boatloads of traps and are still probably the main source in the area. So she would likely know who to go to if Debbie and Ike are not getting what you need. Just a thought, but you can buy a trap or two there also if you're inclined to do so.
Yeah, LOTS of plans for the new house! It's got such character, not often you stumble across one like it! I want to do renovations the RIGHT way. Inside and out. I plan on putting a courtyard in front of the collumned front entrance and I'm wanting to install a rock waterfall feature on the side of the house where the deck is now. I bought a nice Hooker Desk for my office/man cave. I've gotten the electrical box sorted out and redone so I can put power to a pole barn/shop and also run landscape lighting to the water feature and exterior lighting for the courtyard. My wife has plans for renovating all seven bathrooms and we will turn the downstairs bedroom into a recreation room. There's a "closet" that I'm using for all my firearms that will be getting a Murphy door so as to make it a hidden room. We're pretty excited!
The state is catering to the sports fishermen these days. That's where the money is (lobbyist)
1.50" last eve.