GCC to again participate in Tripletail Classic

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Catch Cormier

In 2020, the Eastern Shore Fly Fishers of Alabama hosted a first of its kind fly fishing only tournament in the Mobile Bay area and surrounding waters. The tournament format was Catch-Tag-Photo-Release (CTPR) targeting the Atlantic Tripletail only. Participants used dart tagging kits and the Fishing Chaos app to log and submit their catches.

The tournament was a joint project with the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab. The purpose was to tag and release a significant quantity of fish for research. The funds raised also went to ESFF and GCRL conservation and educational outreach programs.

The popularity and success of the event has exploded since that first year. In fact, there is a limit for registration of teams participating and that limit is usually reached many months before the tournament is held. In 2022, the Eastern Shore club was awarded the Gulf Coast Council’s “Conservation Excellence Award” for their efforts in promoting tripletail research.

The 5th annual Tripletail Classic will take place on Saturday, July 29, 2024. Location will once again be the Weeks Bay Reserve Tonsmeire Resource Center in Fairhope, AL. And while registration for the tournament itself is already full, there is much more to this event than the fishing. Sponsors and conservation organizations will also be on hand during the day leading up to the awards banquet that evening.

The FFI Gulf Coast Council will again be participating in the “Conservation Causeway” at the Tripletail Classic. The Causeway was created as an outreach opportunity for organizations from south Alabama and the Gulf region with an environmental stewardship mission to connect with the recreational fishing and boating community in the area. With over 150 folks in attendance, this is a great opportunity to share our involvement in conservation issues.

For more on the Tripletail Classic, go to www.easternshoreflyfishers.com/tripletail-classic.

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Free Fishing Days this weekend

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Catch Cormier

Each year, wildlife agencies in each state designate “Free Fishing Days” for the public to fish recreationally in public waters without a fishing license. These events are part of National Fishing and Boating Week, a celebration of the importance of recreational boating and fishing in America.

Free fishing days are a perfect opportunity to try out fishing for the first time. Or, if you’re willing to travel, to partake of fishing in another state without having to purchase a license. Some states may have certain restrictions. For example, you might be able to fish freshwater for free, but still have to buy a saltwater permit or trout permit. So please check before making plans.

Here are the free fishing days in Gulf Coast Council states:
– Alabama – Sat., June 8th (fresh, salt)
– Florida – Sat-Sun, June 8-9 (fresh), Sept 7, Nov. 30 (salt)
– Louisiana – Sat-Sun, June 8-9 (fresh, salt)
– Mississippi – Sat-Sun, June 1-2 (fresh)

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June 30th deadline for GCC Awards

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Catch Cormier

Since 2007, the Gulf Coast Council has annually recognized individuals and clubs for their accomplishments in education, conservation, service and other areas that promote the goals and ideals of our organization. FFI members and member clubs are encouraged to submit nominations. Deadline is June 30th.

Nominations can be submitted either online or by nomination letter. Qualifications for the nominee should be stated using instances of promoting the sport or conservation.  Being specific helps insure the nominee gets strong consideration. For example:

“I think Joe is the best fly caster there is. He finished first in our club’s casting contest. He also taught a few folks how to cast.”

Much better:

“This year, Joe became an FFI Certified Casting Instructor, taught two workshops, and gave presentations at the Meridian Fly Club and the Mississippi Outdoors Expo”.

Except for Friend of the Council, nominees must be FFI members affiliated with the Gulf Coast Council. Most awards are for contributions of the past 12 to 18 months, except for fly tying. The Fly Tying Excellence Award is now a lifetime achievement award.

In cases where more than one well qualified nominee exists, preference will be given to a nominee not previously recognized. In some cases, we may end up giving up to two persons/entities the award (co-honorees). Please list all accomplishments as in some cases, the nominee could qualify for an alternative award.

Again, deadline is June 30th. Honors are announced sometime late July to August time frame. Honorees will receive a commerative mug with their name and award (as shown in photo).

For more info, including a complete list of GCC Awards, their qualifications, past winners, and links to the nomination forms, go to the GCC Awards page – CLICK HERE.

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Remembering Syd Smith

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Catch Cormier

On April 26th, the Gulf Coast Council – and the world of flycasting – lost one of its greatest advocates.  Dr. Sydney Smith of Gulfport, a former Casting Director for the GCC, passed away at age 82.   A former neurologist, Army veteran, and native of Jackson, MS, he retired from medicine in 2011.

An FFI Master Certified Casting Instructor,  Syd conducted casting workshops at various club events and at GCC events.  He also contributed articles to “The Loop”, the official publication of the Fly Fishers International Casting Program.  In addition, Syd made beautiful bamboo fly rods the likes of which few could compare.  He was also a skilled fly tier, and graciously donated his beautiful flies to flyfishing events.

Syd was a gentleman of many talents beyond our sport.   He enjoyed singing in the choir and playing the guitar.  His specialization was folk music, and he even composed several original songs.  He also authored a book on the subject.  And in the Fall, Syd could be found alongside his best friend in a duck blind waiting for the winged wonders to come from the sky.

He is survived by his wife, Jordan, and son, Zachary.

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2024 Gulf Coast Classic one to remember!

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Catch Cormier

Building on the success of last year’s event, our 2024 Classic proved even better. In terms of attendance and monies raised, it will go down as the 3rd most successful festival / conclave in the 18 year history of the GCC.

But those are the measurables. In terms of the mission of our organization – education, community, and conservation – it may have been the best we’ve ever had.   So far, all of the attendees, presenters, exhibitors and tiers at this year’s event have expressed a desire to return next year!

The pinnacle of the celebration came Saturday evening at the showing of the Fly Fishing Film Tour. Two separate films featured GCC members who were on hand to address the audience. Capt. Danielle Davidson – our GCC 2022 Fly Angler of the Year – was featured in “Triple Trouble”. The pursuit of tripletail on fly and efforts to learn more about, and conserve, this unique species. Also, Capt. Gabrielle Barnes was featured in “Line in the Sand”. Gabby and her husband and many other Andros residents trying to save their delicate ecosystem – and world class fishery – from attempts to mine large parts of the island.

You never know what may happen at a GCC film showing… we even had a birthday celebration with Danielle bringing out cake and cupcakes for her husband Nobles birthday. The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” and enjoyed delicious cake!

We couldn’t have done it without the help of some GREAT sponsors, donors, exhibitors, fly tiers, instructors, and crew of volunteers! The Classic website will be updated shortly with photos and some info that we had missing due to last minute changes. We’ll continue to show the 2024 information – especially our Sponsors and Donors – for the next several months. We’ll transition the website to the 2025 Classic early this Fall and begin registrations on January 1st.

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GCC raffling off Costa Rica Adventure Trip

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Catch Cormier

The FFI Gulf Coast Council is raffling off a five-day adventure trip to beautiful Costa Rica, donated by 4 Corners Costa Rica.   Anyone can purchase a ticket online until all online tickets are sold.  A reserve number of tickets will be sold at the FFI Gulf Coast Classic on May 3-4, 2024, in-person only.  The drawing will be held at the Classic on Saturday, May 4th.  Winner does NOT need to be present to win.

Anyone can participate in the drawing.  You do -NOT- need to be an FFI member or a member of the Gulf Coast Council to purchase tickets or win.

For complete details of the raffle, go to the RAFFLE page in the menu above.  Or click on the 2024 RAFFLE button on the sidebar.  Thank you to 4 Corners Costa Rica, and best of luck to all!

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LWF Commission opts for 4-fish limit

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Catch Cormier

Today the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries Commission (LWFC) amended a Notice of Intent (NOI) for new redfish regulations, increasing the daily and possession limit from 3 fish to 4 fish. The proposed slot size of 18″ to 27″, with no overslots, remains the same. This change will add 11 more years for the Spawing Potential Ration (SPR) recovery to reach the Conservation Standard.

Comments were evenly divided between the 3-fish and 4-fish proponents. Two new members both voted for 4-fish while the retired members they replaced had both voted in support of 3-fish. CCA Louisiana has been spearheading efforts to get a 4-fish regulation in place, while the FFI Gulf Coast Council, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, American Saltwater Guides Association and other groups supported the 3-fish limit.

A one-time public hearing will be held on April 29th.  If no further changes are made, this proposed regulation could go into effect either July or August.

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Louisiana proposed redfish regs under attack!

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Catch Cormier

Back in December, the FFI Gulf Coast Council and its allies won a key battle in the year-long effort to establish new regulations for redfish in Louisiana. LDWF biologists have assessed that red drum numbers are in decline due to a number of causes, including wetlands loss and a doubling of the number of anglers since current regulations were established 35 years ago. A change in regulations is necessary to restore both Escapement Rate and Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) back to the conservation standard for the species.

At their December meeting, the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries Commission amended their Notice of Intent (NOI) to match a proposal originally put forth by the FFI Gulf Coast Council – a 3 fish daily limit, 18 – 27 inch slot limit, with no fish allowed over the slot. The NOI was days away from being adopted into law.

One “conservation” group – along with their bowfishing allies – have continued to push for a four fish limit. Now, the Commission is looking to revisit the NOI once again at their March 7th meeting. The chart below shows exactly why a 4 fish limit is unacceptable and attempts to change the current NOI must be stopped.

Proposed regulations for Louisiana redfish

That group is not denying that they would like to build a hatchery for the purpose of stocking red drum in Louisiana waters. This despite much evidence that hatchery-raised redfish contribute less than 2 percent to recruitment of spawning stock.

What can you do?

  • Contact Commission members below and ask them to retain the current NOI.
  • Contact your state legislator and let them know you support the 3-fish NOI.
  • If possible, attend the March 7th Commission meeting in Baton Rouge and speak out!

In crafting your email…

Be kind and courteous. Please point out one or more of the following. Do it in your own “voice”, i.e., PLEASE DO NOT copy and paste what is below.

  • Point out that since the current regs were set 35 years ago, we’ve had a vast increase in fishing pressure (doubled the number of anglers), a large amount of wetlands loss, and a decrease in the redfish forage base (mainly menhaden).
  • That any angler reports of increased small reds in the marsh are good news, but the real problem is the number of fish making it to maturity. It takes 4-5 years, during which they have to avoid more threats now than ever before. At least 30 percent must escape or our stocks will continue to decline.
  • That any rumor of building a hatchery must be tempered with the actual outcomes. It may provide more fish to catch, but not more fish to spawn. Of the 19 million redfish fingerlings that Texas stocks, only 1.8 percent reach maturity.

Again, if you can make the Commission hearing on March 7th, PLEASE DO SO. Meetings are held at LDWF headquarters, 2000 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge, LA, beginning at 9:30 a.m..

If you can attend, please sign up prior to the meeting start to speak on the topic. Instructions are given when you signup.

Members of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission
https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/commission

LA House Natural Resources Committee
https://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/NaturalResources

We greatly appreciate your efforts. It’s sad that we and our allies have had to fight so hard and so long against a group of fellow sport anglers just to do the right thing for the resource.

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