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Captain's Corner

Outdoors news and notes: Gulf gag grouper rules near approval, compass class, lake cleanup

Thursday, January 10, 2013 3:30am

Making news

Approval of GAG Grouper rules near

Gulf anglers will get the final word on the 2013 gag grouper season next month when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meets in Orlando. If approved, gag grouper season would open July 1 in all state waters of the Gulf of Mexico except Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor counties. The state season will close when the federal season closes, but that date will not be determined until this spring. The federal season closes when the annual catch target is met, which will likely be mid November or early December. The proposed final rule would also set the season for gag grouper in Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor counties, including Indian Pass, Apalachicola Bay, and the Steinhatchee River, from April 1 through June 30.

Related News/Archive

Hiking

Read a compass

Remember, hikers, smartphones and GPS units can fail in the field, but a compass will always tell you which direction is north. Learn the basics of map and compass land navigation at a seminar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure (9501 U.S. 19) in Pinellas Park. The cost is $25. Call (727) 576-4169 to reserve a spot in the class.

Conservation

Put shine on lake

The 9th annual Mirror Lake Cleanup needs volunteers from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The city of St. Petersburg will provide trash bags, pickers, trucks, a boat and gloves. The Mirror Lake Lyceum (737 3rd Ave. N) will provide drinks and hot dogs on a first-come, first-serve basis until supplies run out. No registration required.

Looking ahead

RV show to arrive

The 28th annual Florida RV SuperShow will run from Wednesday to Jan. 20 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Admission is $10 for adults; children under 16 are free. The hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Jan. 19 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 20. For information, call (813) 741-0488 or visit frvta.org.

Send outdoors news to Terry Tomalin at ttomalin@tampabay.com or call (727) 893-8808.

Solunar chart

AM PM

Minor Major Minor Major

1/18 10:55 4:45 11:25 5:10

1/19 11:40 5:30 0 5:50

1/20 12:05 6:10 12:20 6:35

1/21 12:50 6:55 1:05 7:20

1/22 1:35 7:40 1:50 8:05

1/23 2:20 8:25 2:35 8:50

1/24 3:05 9:10 3:20 9:35

Tide adjustments

The charts show the rise and fall of tides measured in feet and plots the tides on a one-week timeline. Times and depth may vary depending on weather conditions. You can compute the tides from these adjustments:

North (Anclote River) High Low

Anclote Key (south end) -01:37 -00:47

Bayport +01:13 +01:39

Cedar Key +01:16 +01:03

Crystal River, Florida Power +01:13 +01:33

Hudson, Hudson Creek +00:06 +00:01

Indian Rocks Beach (inside) +00:19 +00:10

North (Anclote River) High Low

Mangrove Point, Crystal Bay +01:34 +01:54

Pithlachascotee River +00:18 +00:52

St. Joseph Sound -00:34 -00:42

Steinhatchee River entrance +01:33 +01:32

Suwannee River entrance +01:22 +01:21

Withlacoochee River entrance +01:23 +01:58

South (The Pier) High Low

Anna Maria, pier -02:10 -02:19

Egmont Key, Egmont channel -02:15 -03:20

Gandy Bridge +00:59 +00:57

Gulfport, Boca Ciega Bay -01:32 -01:05

John's Pass, Boca Ciega Bay -02:14 -02:04

Madeira Beach Causeway -01:32 -01:45

Mullet Key Channel (Skyway) -02:03 -02:01

South (The Pier) High Low

Pass-a-Grille Beach -01:34 -01:30

Pinellas Point -00:22 -00:29

Redfish Point, Manatee River -00:30 -00:14

Safety Harbor +01:32 +01:34

Sarasota Bay -01:38 -00:58

Corey Causeway -01:18 -00:44

Venice Inlet (inside) -02:02 -01:38

Outdoors news and notes: Gulf gag grouper rules near approval, compass class, lake cleanup 01/10/13 [Last modified: Thursday, January 17, 2013 1:02am]

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