4th Of July Clamerica Celebration

The 6th annual CLAMERICA Celebration on Saturday, July 4, will celebrate both Independence Day and the new clam industry in Cedar Key.

Food will be a big part of the event with a wide range of local seafood, from clams to smoked mullet to fried shrimp and more.

Activities will take place at City Park and the beach on 2nd Street:

Parade, 10 a.m.
Children’s bicycle parade and flag-raising ceremony, 10:30 a.m.
Tunz-of-Fun for Kids, including water slides, a bounce house and more, 11 a.m.—5 p.m.
Clam farming and other exhibits, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Clam bag races, clam cook-off and more, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Grand master sand sculptor tips, 12:15 p.m.
Sand’n Shell Sculpturing, 12:30 p.m.
Cedar Key News Kayak Free-for-All competition, 2 p.m. Rentals are available.
Golf Cart parade, 2:30 p.m.
Live music, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fireworks, dusk.
For more information, call (352) 543-5057 or visit www.cedarkey.org/clamerica-home.html. Cedar Key is located west of Gainesville. Follow Archer Road (SR 24) to Cedar Key.

Fishing License Now Required At Pier

Starting on August 1st if you fish from the pier ( aka the big dock), you will need a license. A new law goes into effect requiring a license.

There are some exceptions in the law.
Anyone who pays to fish from a pier will be covered by that pier's license.
No license is required for anyone under the age of 16. Anglers who receive food stamps, temporary cash assistance or Medicaid are not required to have a saltwater shoreline license. And you do not need the saltwater shoreline license if you are a Florida resident fishing in saltwater in your home county using a hand line or pole without a reel.
More information about fishing licenses and regulations are available at MyFWC.com.

Cedar Key Clam Chowder Is King

Congratulations to chef Eric Jungklaus for the winning chowder. On June 6th, contestants from all over the country competed at the 28th annual Great Chowder Cook Off in Newport, R.I. The winner was Tony's Cedar Key Clam Chowder, from the downtown Cedar Key restaurant. Tony's is located at 597 Second Street.

Here is video from the event:

Shoreline Anglers Need To Buy New License

Beginning on August 1st, saltwater anglers who fish from shore or a structure affixed to shore will need to buy a shoreline fishing license unless they have a regular resident saltwater fishing license.

The new license applies only to Florida resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore. Resident anglers may prefer to purchase the regular recreational saltwater license that covers them, no matter where they fish for saltwater species in Florida. Nonresidents will need to purchase a regular nonresident saltwater fishing license.

The new license provides the same exemptions as a regular license, including senior citizens, children, disabled people who meet certain qualifications, active-duty military personnel while home on leave, and anglers who fish from a licensed pier. In addition, the shoreline license requirement includes two new exemptions: anglers drawing food stamps, cash assistance or Medicaid; and anglers fishing in their home counties using cane poles or gear that does not depend on mechanical retrieval.

For more information go to MyFWC.com.

New State and Federal Rules For Gulf Grouper

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently proposed new rules for the recreational and commercial harvest of grouper in Gulf of Mexico state waters to improve the population of gag grouper.

The FWC’s proposed new rules would establish a Feb. 1 through March 31 closed spawning season for all recreational and commercial harvest of shallow-water groupers (gag, black, red, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind) in all Gulf state waters. This proposed two-month closure in Gulf state waters would extend a current one-month commercial closed season for gag, red and black grouper.In addition, the proposed rules would reduce the commercial minimum size limit for Gulf red grouper, and for all importation and sale of red grouper, from 20 inches to 18 inches total length.


New federal recreational regulations took effect in mid-May in federal Gulf of Mexico waters for shallow-water groupers:

• Grouper aggregate bag limit reduced to four grouper per person per day.
• Gag grouper bag limit reduced to two fish per day per person within the four grouper aggregate bag limit.
• Red grouper bag limit increased to two fish per person per day within the four grouper aggregate bag limit.
• The recreational harvest season is closed for all shallow water grouper from Feb. 1 through March 31. Shallow water groupers include gag, red, black, yellowfin, yellowmouth, rock hind, red hind and scamp groupers.

New federal commercial regulations also went into effect:
• Red grouper minimum-size limit reduceds to 18 inches total length.
• Red grouper quota increased to 5.75 million pounds (gutted weight).