The Supreme Court has ruled that recording public officials doing their duty is a right. Unfortunately, many LEOs don’t believe in the Supreme Court’s decision.
I'm a Florida fisherman too. I would never tell you that you couldn't release a snakehead back into the wild. However, if you do catch one, you probably should destroy it. Along with Pacu, Clown featherbacks, Asian carp or piranha. There really are a bunch of invasive species in our waterways.
Since people from all over will watch this, here's the official position when fishing in Ontario Canada: "If you catch one, you must destroy it right away so it can’t reproduce or spread. Don’t return it to the water." Part of the Ontario Anglers Action Plan on Invasive Species. So it will change depending on locale. Happy fishing, folks :)
@@NobleKorhedronany species that’s invasive meaning it was introduced in that ecosystem by humans and therefor is slowly choking the life out of it. Some are less harmful than others and some like lion fish are basically a nuke for native ecosystems. Up to you to inform yourself on which fish are native and which are not and should be removed. Asian carps for example, are also a nuke for fresh water ecosystem and by their name you may figure they don’t belong in Northern America or anywhere around there.
people need to learn the same with flora, and how bad it is to have suburbs full of non native flora, 80% of the native fauna will leave aswell cos they need their native flora. humans come in, destroy kilometres of native bushland, then build houses and the people fill their yards with exotic species... say by to your insect and nectar eating birds, thats like all your song birds, all youll have left is pidgeons lol
I know in my state, if you catch a snakehead, you are required to kill it and inform the game wardens about where you caught it. Under no circumstances are you to release it back into the water
Hey Grant, so i actually did a ride along with an FWC officer a while back when i was working towards a career with them. Essentially you are correct, it is illegal to release any animal into the wild that was previously kept in captivity, however, when talking about invasive fish specifically, in the state of Florida, you CAN release any catch including invasive species into the SAME BODY of wster they were caught in. It is definitely frowned upon, as the FWC prefers that they are destroyed when caught (kept for food, used as fertilizer, or otherwise dispatched appropriately). The officer i did my ride along with said that you shouldnt be ticketed for releasing them back tk where they were caught but you would most definitely get funny looks 😅. Also, you can not leave with any invasive species alive if you deecide to keep them. They must be dispatched if being kept. Ethicalky i really believe its up to you whether you release them or not, although personally, ny preference is to destroy any invasives i catch. Living in tampa i fished a few public parks and lakes that bad a tremendous amount of common plecos, oscars, myans, and tilapia, i always dispatched them humanely and if i didnt eat them i used them as ferterlizer or fed them to my pets.
@@comfortablynumb9342 😅 definitely not a hard process! I used to freeze, then grind them, then add them to my compost heap. Wasn't the most pleasant smelling thing but then again compost never smells very good. My oleander, trumpet Vines, and rose bushes loved it!
I finally got my wife to watch an episode with me…she’s convinced you’re just a guy that makes up names for fish “bullseye snake head clown knife Donald Duck fish”
Enjoy watching the channel and all the fishing info, but invasive species are definitely a problem throughout Florida. As an avid fishermen, outdoorsman, and diver Florida resident I’ve seen it first hand. We gotta try and do our part when we can to keep Florida beautiful for the future
When im down there fishing, i carry a 5 gallon bucket with me and just throw any invasive species i catch in the bucket. When im done fishing, i donate the fish to whoever wants/needs them. The last time i fished lake jackson i donated over a dozen snakeheads to a local restaurant. My bro in law will mostly use any invasives he catches as fertilizer for his raised garden beds. He chops them up and either puts them directly into the beds, or adds them to his compost piles for future use.
Every guide I've gone with in Florida always tells me how hard it is to catch peacocks on artificial lures. Yet here it is. Always used lip-hooked shiners. Oh now I hear him say he's using shiners. Just looks like a lure.
"It's frowned upon". 😂 I 100% agree with what you're saying, though. One guy, harvesting two snakeheads in single session, does absolutely nothing to reduce their population.
@@scottmichael3745 Here in Louisiana it's the Rio Grande Cichlids. Louisiana doesn't allow them to be released when caught, so you find them in banks all the time. We eat them occasionally, but they're not great.
@@danver1971 I got ya. But we gotta at least "try", right? But leaving carcass is illegal here in Florida for obvious reasons. But I do plant them in my garden.
Great video Brant! Some awesome catching going on with lots of variety. You killed it. It’s always good to know the rules and try to inform those who ‘know’ that you can’t release that fish. It’s definitely illegal to throw them on the bank, but you know some of the naysayers do that. Thanks for sharing!!!
Hi, 25 year ornamental aquarium fish veteran here. When people say ‘illegal to release’, they usually are leaving out the ‘from captivity or into another body of water’ part at the end. As others have said, it is currently legal to rerelease that fish into the same body of water it’s caught from, but not a great idea. I get that the problem of invasive species in Florida seems enormous and insurmountable, so why bother with eliminating invasive species when you catch them? But it doesn’t help the problem to throw them back. It’s like littering; throwing your trash into a bin instead of the side of the road doesn’t seem like it does much, but remember that it’s all additive, if everyone is doing it it DOES make a difference. Ultimately large eradication programs will need to be enacted to remove these species from Florida waters, and with the current political climate and what the state government is deciding to spend its time worrying about that may not happen any time soon, so it’s up to us as responsible outdoor enthusiasts to do our parts to help the overall effort. Especially with snakeheads. They are incredibly nasty little bastards that will eat anything and are extremely detrimental to natural waterways.
Speaking of snakeheads, they are absolute killers. They are so aggressive to other aquarium fish that aquarium veterans like you probably avoid them, and only people new to keeping fish buy them. Then they end up tossing them into the local pond because they aren't compatible with the other fish they want to keep, and then they just start dominating all the other species in the pond. I wish people would stop selling them.
It does actually make a difference to not release them back a destroy them because yeah if you look at it from just your perspective doesn’t do much but if every of the hundreds or thousands of people recreationally fishing do it then you will make a dent in their populations and it will help out native fish even if it’s a little bit it’s much better than nothing. Idk about fresh water but in the case of lion fish even if you won’t eradicate them to kill them off will control the population and in addition to teaching native predators like Goliath groupers to eat them will help balance that ecosystem. Lion fish are particularly destructive because they are voracious and reproduce like rabbits which is really really destructive. In their local ecosystem predators keep them in check so the more you feed them to predators the more they will associate it as a prey. Goliath are starting to eat them and sharks too, now in the case of sharks specially tous should be careful how you do it, don’t just feed them but let them steal it because that’s what sharks do. They won’t associate humans with food and bite people all of a sudden they will just keep doing what they’ve been doing which is steal an easy meal from another predator. Just in the case of sharks don’t be a dumb dumb they ain’t puppies.
In typical government fashion, the actual statute (379.231) can be read several ways. The test reads: "It is unlawful to import for sale or use, or to release within this state, any species of the animal kingdom not native to Florida". Nothing about ‘from captivity or into another body of water’. A strict reading would be ""It is unlawful to release within this state ...".
What I heard from what you said is -One MAY release from ones HOOK at the time of catching, but may NOT release from your Baitwell. The one in the baitwell could have been transported to your location from literally ANYWHERE. :) Tight Lines, and keep the videos coming !
Most commonly caught variety of peacock bass in Florida is the butterfly peacock bass. Speckled peacock bass have also been introduced but aren't as prolific as the butterfly variety.
A great video and thank you for trying to clear up confusion on invasive species, but it makes no sense for Florida to permit putting back invasive species........ !!!!
The invasive slam is an unfortunate possibility in Florida. It's sad that so many uninvited critters live there but as long as they do you should definitely enjoy catching them. As a Florida native it might be hard for me to release those fish. But I doubt we can eliminate them. Thanks for checking out the actual laws on the subject.
@@swkelley I agree that bass are boring. The awesome thing about Florida, especially south Florida, is the great saltwater fish. I grew up in Sarasota and rarely bothered with freshwater because I could catch snook and stuff that are not boring.
Brant and Brad, the greatest thing ever is that the bashers and ball busters aren’t who supports yalls channels. We (subscribers) keep it rolling, so our advice is to ignore, spend zero minutes on those folks responses and continue to drop vids that keep you guys happy and allow you to live your dream. This I can guarantee… tthe nah-sayers are punching in at 8, staring at their miserable cubical wall with a cutout of their fantasy dream vacation and hating on freedom and grinders that get it done on their terms. Keep catching jacks in the keys. Keep Crushin Snapper out of the Pensacola cut keep running your bait and tackle shop with Bama beach Bum and Bearded Brad and enjoy your life. Don’t spend another moment worried about those that wish they were in your shoes.
Kill all the snakeheads and bow-fins you want. But you can just as easily catch those on artificial baits if you had any skill. How many largemouth bass do you catch that swallowed those shiners and then when you release them they die. I know it's not illegal but a five-year-old kid can use live bait and catch big bass but when you try to release them there's a good chance that they're going to be mortally injured. So learn some skills there's a reason bass tournaments don't allow live bait
You act like you're a great fisherman while you're fishing with live bait which is generally considered cheating to a skilled fisherman but yet you turn around and release all the snakeheads back into the native bass Waters.
You won't get a ticket for letting a fish go where you caught it anywhere, the laws are vague. It's on the books that you're not allowed to and it's very frowned upon but it's not enforced.
I guess FWC defines "Releasing" as having the fish in your possession, like in a live well, etc, then letting it go somewhere where it doesn't belong. When you "catch and release" it really means "catch and then deciding not to keep it" - so release here has a slightly different meaning. Very confusing, but I think I get it.
You misunderstood or you're repeating it incorrectly. You can release invasive species back into where you caught them or kill them, legally. At no time can you keep any invasive species, or animals or move them, that is illegal.
keeping a cooler with ice next to your live well is easy enough especially in these areas where the truck is 50 ft away. I'd be very surprised if, even if you don't want them to eat, you don't have a neighbor who wouldn't take them. That's not even counting foodbanks, rando family's grilling in the park you drive by, or even just burying them in the garden for your SO's roses.
Here in Wisconsin, carp are SUPER invasive! Sometimes, I'll take a can of corn, and fish specifically for them. Then, I hit them on the head with a heavy object that I bring with, and kill them. The one downside: Turtles also like corn, and don't like being on a hook! They get ornery! Lol
Honestly, those bass at the end there look like a hybrid between a largemouth and a peacock. You may have some cross breeding in that small like.. great video!
hey brant! i live in miami and i really want to fish where you are in this video. can you tell me the exact location where this is so i can check it out?
It depends on what you're in, in some states it is illegal to release snake heads. There are also states forbid you to release live bait into the lake you're fishing. Some states, I believe Montana is one of them that doesn't allow you to bring live bait in from another state. I think the reason it's illegal to have invasive species in a live well is to reduce the chances of them getting released into a different body of water.
In South Australia (state), it is illegal to throw Carp back into the same body of water. They must be dispatched and can be left on the bank for birds. We still have tons of Carp though. I agree with this regulation as they eat the natives.
It was very clear to me when Brant called FWC, but after reading 250 comments I'm still confused. I always release fish unless I am planning on fish tacos, fillets, fish bites for the little ones., or a fish stew that night. I just want to do the right thing, if I need to dispatch the fish I will. But if I am not going to eat it should I throw it back right where I caught it? I want to protect my fisheries..what is the right move?
I've found this in several state regulations. It is illegal to release fish from your tank, pond, wherever to a body of water it did not come from naturally. But, and here is the stupid part, if you catch an invasive fish, you can return it to the body of water it came from. It is preferred you don't, but not illegal. Disposal is preferred whether eating it or just tossing it in the garbage.
born and raise in Coral Gables, it will be hard to get rid of the invasive species especially the snake heads and Tegu lizards. But I do love catching them and have no problems releasing into the same body of water. BTW Snakeheads are great to eat!
My great nephew about a month ago caught a invasive fish called the Pacu native to south america. Wildlife said to not release back into the water. Caught in Edmond OK.
Six years stationed in the Republic of Panama. Fished Gatun Lake about every two weeks; sargetos; local name due to the three stripes; juvenile peacock bass (cichlid) due not have the orange and yellow markings.
Thanks, Brant! With The Phone Call About The Snake Head Information From The Game Warden, I`m Still A Little Confused About Setting Them Free, But You Tried!
I live in Northern MN.....and we visit the Miami area every spring.....I've really wanted to find a great place to shorefish.....that's not a big fishing pier on the ocean.....would love to catch a peacock bass.....any tips on spots
Maybe get a group of people to fish an area heavy like a tournament and go for the most total fish caught, put them in a take/live well to give out as Gator food? If can get say 25+ fishing the area in video could remove a huge amounts of invasives. Did seem like lots of fun on the C~N~Release.
Here in Tennessee, if you catch an invasive species you have to dispose of it. But we can also use it as cut bait as long as we use it in the same body of water i was caught.
Hey Brant! I’m new to the world of fishing and have a question - when you’re doing a catch and release, how do you make sure the fish doesn’t get injured?
Best way is barbless hooks. Pay attention to your line and don't let them swallow the hook. Unfortunately injuries can still occur. Keep the fish in the water. Don't handle it alot with your hands.
Reminded me of funny story when fish slipped from your hand and flopped down bank into the water. Fishing with my friend Frank from bank he caught a bass and backed up the bank to get it off the hook. Fish slipped and flopped down bank and into water like in your video. About the time fish went into water I heard Frank curse and turned to look, here comes Frank rolling and flopping into the water! Thankfully he was unhurt, just wet.
Bass are invasive here in Maine and they tell you to dispatch them and do NOT put it back into the water and that's what I do. Yeet em into the woods lol. And Brad's "that's a large cock" comment had me lmao!
Look man, I get it. More fish species, less pressure on them, more fish to catch. However, if I were to think about it, here in New Mexico, we're famous for our trout waters. We have a few lakes with invasive Northern Pike. I love catching them and they're a lot of fun, but it ruins it for trout here, which are native. There's probably millions of Northern Pike, but I always kill them and most times cook them, if I catch them. If more people are like you where 'It doesn't make a difference if I do it or not,' then more people are not going to do the right thing. As an angler, I feel like it's my duty, even if it's legal not to, to protect the local species at all costs.
Are you sure you’re not in some guys private pond fishing, it’s like watching someone fishing out of a bucket. What a great day of fishing. Although I’m an advocate of catch and release I agree that Floridas issue with snakeheads you should keep and eat. I’m in Ohio and I have a Koi pond, if I was in Florida I’d have a cichlid pond and just stock it with the fish I caught.
It should be in your local laws where you buy your fishing license, or on the DNR website. I've heard all kind of people making up laws like not being able to use certain scents etc. As long as you're following the written laws, there should be no problem.
Yeah I'm thinking they'd want to hear about where and what was caught. But unless ghey tell you something like: "best to not put it back, just dispatch it and use it as fertilizer or food." It's generally catch and release unless specifically stated otherwise. 'Not buy, raise and release when too big for tank.'