Bass Size Limits Florida – Everglades Bass Fishing Guides

By Matt

Florida Largemouth Bass Limits Everglades Bass Fishing Guides - John "King of the Everglades" Pate practices "CPR" catch, photograph and release.

Everglades bass fishing guide, John Pate doesn’t worry about largemouth bass size limits in Florida. Why? Because he practices “CPR” catch, photograph and release.

And highly recommends fisherman practice methods of safely catching and releasing bass so we don’t have the problems we had not too long ago. Bassmasters makes all the pros release all bas alive and they are penalized if a bass is dead at weigh-in. They have very good reasons for doing this.

But if you would like to know the largemouth bass bag and length limits… here they are…

Special bag and length limits apply to some lakes, rivers and Fish Management Areas. Other fishes considered to be nongame fishes have no bag or possession limits, except as noted in individual Fish Management Area regulations. (Note: Total length is the maximum length of the fish, with the mouth closed and the tail fin pinched together. The best way to obtain this length is to push the fish’s snout up against a vertical surface with the mouth closed and the fish laying along a tape measure, then pinch the tail fin closed and determine the total length. Do NOT pull a flexible tape measure along the curve of the fish. See illustrated instructions.)

Possession limit is two days’ bag limit. It is illegal to transport or possess more than two days’ bag limit of fish per licensed angler without a commercial license. Exceptions are fish legally acquired from aquaculturists (fish farmers) for use in aquaria, for brood stock, pond stocking or properly marked for the market. No native freshwater fish or their eggs may be taken or possessed except as permitted by these rules nor shall anyone wantonly or willfully waste the same.

5 Black bass (largemouth, Suwannee, spotted, and shoal bass, individually or in total), only one of which may be 22 inches or longer in total length. (See Map for zones).

In south Florida: only one bass may be 14 inches in total length or longer. (See Mapfor zones).
South and east of the Suwannee River: black bass less than 14 inches in total length must be released immediately. (See Map for zones).
In the Suwannee River, areas north and west of the Suwannee River, and in any tributary river, creek or stream of the Suwannee River: black bass less than 12 inches in total length must be released immediately. (See Map for zones).

50 Panfish including bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), flier, longear sunfish, mud sunfish, shadow bass, spotted sunfish (stumpknockers), warmouth and redbreast sunfish, individually or in total.

25 Black Crappie (speckled perch).

20 Striped bass, white bass, and sunshine bass (individually or in total), of which only 6 may be 24 inches or longer in total length.

In the Suwannee River, areas north and west of the Suwannee River, and in any tributary, creek or stream of the Suwannee River: the bag limit for striped bass is 3, each of which must be at least 18 inches in total length (20 fish combined bag limit).

2 Butterfly peacock bass, only one of which may be 17 inches or longer in total length.

(NOTE: It is illegal to possess grass carp or alligator gar without a permit.)

	Triploid grass carp (Ctenopharygodon idella) are used for aquatic vegetation control and may not be stocked or harvested without a permit. They grow to over 40 pounds.
	Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) are found only in the panhandle rivers and grow to more than 120 pounds. Their gator like snout is distinct. Due to limited numbers, harvest is restricted.
	The species of sturgeon found in Florida – Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) – are protected both federally and in the state of Florida. No person shall take, possess or sell any sturgeon or parts thereof, or their nests or eggs, except as allowed by specific federal or state permit or authorization. People who inadvertently catch one have to immediately release it alive back to the water.