Steinhatchee hit hard by Hermine

/

10,000 enjoy 8th annual Fiddler Crab Festival→

/
Happy faces–and fiddler crab headdresses–were the order of the day at Steinhatchee’s three-day Fiddler Crab Festival. 

Happy faces–and fiddler crab headdresses–were the order of the day at Steinhatchee’s three-day Fiddler Crab Festival. 

From perrynewspapers.com:

As many as 10,000 people enjoyed the 8th annual Steinhatchee Fiddler Crab Festival last weekend in Steinhatchee. Festival goers enjoyed great weather and three days of food, music, arts and crafts and fun.

Steinhatchee River Chamber of Commerce President Jim Hunt said more than 5,000 entry arm bands were sold before they ran out.

4 Counties Open Gag Grouper Recreational Harvest on April 1

/
fishing-boat.jpg

From WCTV Eyewitness News:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- State waters off the coast of Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties will soon open to recreational harvest of gag grouper.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says that the regional gag grouper recreational harvest season will run from April 1 to June 30.

This includes all waters of the Apalachicola Bay and Indian Pass, including those in gulf county, and all waters of the Steinhatchee River, including Dixie County.

FWC says gag grouper caught in state Gulf waters (from shore to 9 nautical miles out) off the four counties can be landed on the Gulf County side of Indian Pass and the Dixie County side of the Steinhatchee River, but may not be taken ashore in other areas that are closed to harvest.

To see maps of these areas, go to MyFWC.com/Fishing and select “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Gulf Grouper.”

In the remainder of Gulf of Mexico state waters, anglers will be able to keep gag grouper from July 1 through Dec. 3, with the season closing Dec. 4. State waters off Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties will not be open during the July-through-December season. Monroe County state waters follow Atlantic grouper rules.

The season in all federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico also opens July 1 but closes Dec. 3, with the last day of harvest being Dec. 2.

In the Gulf, the gag grouper recreational harvest minimum size limit is 22 inches total length and the bag limit is two gag grouper per person.

Recreational anglers targeting groupers in the Gulf may harvest no more than four grouper per person per day (within this four-fish limit, anglers may keep only two gag grouper).

To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Gulf Grouper.”

3 people rescued west of Steinhatchee after boat sinks

/

From U.S. Coast Guard News:

COAST GUARD RESCUES 3 PEOPLE AFTER BOAT SINKS 23 MILES WEST OF STEINHATCHEE RIVER, FLA.
The crew from an HC-130 Hercules rescued 3 men after their 27ft fishing boat sank 23 mi W of Steinhatchee River, FL

The crew from an HC-130 Hercules rescued 3 men after their 27ft fishing boat sank 23 mi W of Steinhatchee River, FL

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Three people were rescued from the water by a Coast Guard aircrew after their 27-foot fishing boat sank 23 miles west of Steinhatchee River, Florida, Tuesday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a call from a man stating that his boat was flooding and would soon be underwater. He stated that all three people were wearing life jackets.
A C-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida, was diverted, arrived on-scene and located the three people, in life jackets, clinging to the overturned boat. The aircrew dropped a life raft for the people to stay in until further assistance arrived. 
A 27-foot Utility Boat – Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Yankeetown, Florida, and a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater were also launched. The Jahawk arrived on scene, hoisted all three people and transported them to the air station.
"Proper communications and lifejackets are imperative when operating on the water," said Lt. Micheal Persun, a command duty officer at the sector. "It is only because of their VHF radio that the Coast Guard was made aware of this incident. Wearing lifejackets and staying with the overturned vessel like the Coast Guard recommends was also key to the quick rescue of these boaters."

This is how the news broke on twitter: