The Tampa Bay Estuary Program has produced a wallet card designed to encourage responsible angling in the bay. The card is available free to upon request, and also will be distributed through many bait and tackle shops in the area.

The “Tampa Bay Ethical Angler Wallet Card” shows illustrations of 12 of the fish species most commonly caught in the bay - including Spanish mackerel, sea trout, snook and sheepshead - with information about bag limits, seasonal closures and other harvest restrictions for each species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted in the development of the card.

The card is printed on a durable latex paper and folds up to the size of a credit card so it can be carried with anglers on the water. The folded card easily fits in a wallet, shirt pocket or tackle box.

In addition to fishing regulations, the wallet card offers tips for ethical angling, and phone numbers to report fisheries violations, fish kills, or fish tags.

“Fishing is one of the most popular recreational activities in the bay and it has really improved as water quality has gotten better and wetlands have been restored,” said Nanette Holland, Public Outreach Coordinator for the Estuary Program. “But with more and more anglers sharing space on the bay, we all need to be sure we’re practicing good conservation techniques, so the great fishing will continue.”