Summer is approaching and as the weather warms and school lets out, it’s the perfect time to take up a new hobby. Need an excuse to get your line wet? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers plenty of opportunities, including License-Free Fishing Days, Kids’ and Women’s Fishing Clinics and Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing! events.
Participating in one of these events is a great way to get involved in the lifetime sport of fishing.
Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Maybe you have friends or children who are always asking you to take them out and show them some things. The FWC offers eight license-free fishing days a year: four saltwater and four freshwater. License-free fishing days are a great way to try your hand at fishing without needing a recreational fishing license. Many also use these days as an opportunity to introduce a friend or a child to fishing (children under 16 are not required to have a license). June is a great month to participate because there are both saltwater (June 7-8) and freshwater (June 14-15) license-free fishing days. Miss those? Sept. 6 and Nov. 29 are also saltwater license-free fishing days.
Want to fish but feel like you need a little instruction? In May, June and July, the FWC is hosting several Kids’ and Women’s Saltwater Fishing Clinics and will be participating in a Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing! event. These events are held in various locations throughout the state and help introduce women and children to saltwater fishing. Learn how to be an ethical angler while gaining necessary angling and safety skills by attending one of these events that are sponsored in part by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration funds.
Learn more about how you can participate in one of these upcoming events by visiting MyFWC.com/Calendar. Events include:
May 10: Women’s Fishing Clinic – Fernandina Beach
May 16-18: Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing! – Treasure Coast
May 31: Kids’ Fishing Clinic – Fernandina Beach
June 7: Women’s Fishing Clinic – St. Petersburg (which is also a saltwater license-free fishing day)
June 28: Kids’ Fishing Clinic – Cape Canaveral
July 19: Kids’ Fishing Clinic – Palm Coast
Don’t forget to record all of your catches on the iAngler phone app or at snookfoundation.org. Share your photos, stories and comments with us at Saltwater@MyFWC.com or visit our Ethical Angler page by going to MyFWC.com/Fishing and selecting “Saltwater” then “Ethical Angler Photo Recognition Program” at the bottom of that page.
“Gone Coastal” is one of many ways that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Division of Marine Fisheries Management is helping recreational anglers understand complex saltwater regulations and learn more about saltwater fishing opportunities and issues in Florida. We are also available to answer questions by phone or email anytime, and we would love the opportunity to share information through in-person presentations with recreational or commercial fishing organizations. To contact the FWC’s Regulatory Outreach subsection, call 850-487-0554 or email Saltwater@MyFWC.com.