Commercial fishing for speckled trout set to close in Mississippi
 

http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/Public-Af...s/10-49-JG.pdf


anyone think this will happen in louisiana as well?

Anything is possible... look at our leader (president)

Why would it matter? all itd do is help out the recreational fisherman a lil. I mean Idk where all these commercially caught trout are sold cuz I only know of 1-2 seafood shops in BR that sells specks and idk of any restaurants in the BR area that I've been to that sell trout on the menu. Either way I don't see a lot of it being sold around here so I don't know what the repercussions would be of closing the season

i didn't even know they commercial fished for specks i thought they were a game fish? can you even commercial fish for a game fish

well yeah.....Haven't had redfish in a restaurant in a while??

i guess so. i just thought they where pond raised or something. oh well Dumb*** moment. So what protection does a game or sport fish have. what is the point of that. Also who catches specks commercially i have never heard of this?

thought it was illegal to sell specks/commercial? wth

From LDWF website:
 

Seatrout, Spotted (Speckled Trout):

Permit: In addition to other commercial fishing licenses a qualified commercial fisherman must have in possession a valid Spotted Seatrout permit to commercially harvest and sell spotted Seatrout. (See License section for qualifying criteria.)

Spotted Seatrout Permit: The commercial fisherman (captain) is required to qualify and purchase a spotted seatrout permit to commercially harvest and sell spotted seatrout. A saltwater guide may not possess a spotted seatrout permit.

Qualifying criteria for Spotted Seatrout Permit are

1) applicant must have possessed a valid saltwater gill net license during two of the years 1993, 1994 or 1995.
2) applicant must provide positive proof, in the form of state and federal income tax returns, including Schedule C of the federal 1040 form, submitted in accordance with procedures established by the commission, that the applicant has derived more than 50 percent of his income earned from the capture and sale of seafood species in at least two of the three years, 1993, 1994 or 1995.


Legal Gear: Spotted seatrout may be taken only by properly licensed and permitted commercial rod-and-reel fishermen. No commercial gear other than commercial rod-and-reel may be used or in possession to take spotted seatrout. All persons on board a vessel commercially fishing for spotted seatrout shall be validly licensed commercial fishermen. Only the spotted trout permit holder may sell spotted seatrout.


Size: 14 inches total minimum total length, with an annual harvest quota of one million pounds.

Seasons/Times: Commercial fishing begins on the second day of January until the last day of July or until the quota is reached, whichever comes first. Spotted seatrout may not be taken commercially during the period from official sunset on Friday through official sunrise on Monday, and there shall be no possession of spotted seatrout in excess of the recreational limit during the period between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. However, a person holding a permit for the commercial taking or possession of spotted seatrout may take or possess an amount not to exceed the legal recreational limit of spotted seatrout between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. during the open season and at any time during the closed season if that person also possesses a basic recreational fishing license and a saltwater fishing license. It is illegal to possess spotted seatrout on a vessel where there is a gill net, strike net, hoop net, trammel net or seine or other commercial gear. No person shall qualify for a charter boat fishing guide license and a spotted seatrout permit during the same licensure period.

so is there alot of people who fish for specks comercially around louisiana. i have never seen or heard of them but i don't live down there either

thats why I posted what I did. I didnt know you could either so I looked it up and sure nuff. but as said earlier can't be too much of it goin on cuz I've never seen it in any restaurants

i have heard of only a few people doing it, and it may just be a way for shrimpers etc to sell some of their by catch, idk. I just thought it was interesting since this is the first time its ever been closed.

that thing he posted up there says you have to catch them by rod and reel. that is probly why know one does it. can't catch enough to pay for your gas

Seems there are just a few grandfathered in that will eventually pass on so its probably not that big of a deal.

Last time you ordered a certain fish from the menu...I bet what you got was something totally different