Some Research

I've been working on a story this week about the Florida Wildlife Commission's proposed tarpon regs and the controversy that's been brewing in Boca Grande. There's the locals, then there's the tournament anglers.
For six weeks every summer the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series fishes the waters of Boca Grande, an event that has fractured the community. Many want the PTTS gone. They say the tournament over stays its welcome, takes over the water and roughs up the fish with its gaff-and-drag, weigh-in tactics. The PTTS counters that their anglers are better stewards than many realize and that many of their critics' accusations lack proof. Furthermore, they maintain the PTTS brings revenue and national attention to the community.
I won't go into the details of the FWC regs --- I'll have more on that in The Drake --- but basically the proposed guidelines are moving toward pure catch and release, which means the PTTS may have to change its weigh-in procedure. The PTTS, to its credit, has said it plans to drop the gaff and drag part of the post-catch handling, which many anglers agree is a step in the right direction. However, questions still remain: Will the PTTS go with a photo release? Will the FWC define the 'release' in catch and release?