![]() waters must be released unharmed immediately, or face federal charges. To report sawfish sightings, call the Sawfish Hotline: 844-4SAWFISH or What to do if you catch a sawfishĪll sawfish caught in U.S. Endangered Species Act since 2003.įor more information about ongoing sawfish research and recovery efforts in Florida, visit FWC Sawfish and the Sawfish Recovery webpage at. Sadly, they have been listed as endangered under the U.S. Over the last 120 years, sawfish populations have declined dramatically. East Coast and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including the waters of the Indian River Lagoon, Charlotte Harbor and the Everglades.īut sawfish become easily entangled in fishing nets used by commercial fishers seeking other targeted species. They are one of five sawfish species worldwide and the only sawfish species found in Florida waters. Historically, the species was found along the U.S. Smalltooth sawfish can grow to about 16 feet long. View Gallery: Sawfish sighting off Canaveral Bounce back To find out more about inshore and offshore fishing adventures, go to. Miley is one of the skippers who works for Fin and Fly Charters, a multi-boat charter fishing business which carries anglers to catches in the Indian River Lagoon or in the Atlantic Ocean out of Cocoa Beach or Port Canaveral. The sawfish was released immediately and was never removed from the water. They inhabit Florida waters, but their population numbers in the wild are a mere fraction of what their numbers were before pioneer families 120 years ago began fishing coastal waters with nets.įor Kevin, Jennifer, Ava and Will Therriault, the encounter was one they will never forget and was the perfect highlight to end a Sunshine State vacation on. The sawfish is actually very closely related to stingrays, not so much sharks, but is sometimes caught using the same methods - by tossing out a large dead bait on the bottom. They also eat crustaceans and other bottom dwelling organisms. The fish uses it by swinging it back and forth to stun small fish and then picks them up off the bottom. They have two dorsal fins and a large powerful tail which doesn't make them fast, but does make them very hard to whip with rod and reel and a thin piece of fishing line in between.īut their telltale mark of distinction is that saw - called a rostrum by marine biologists - which protrudes off the end of their face like a 4-5 foot long hedge trimmer. ![]() The fish are genuinely strange looking - they have long, heavy bodies built for lying on the bottom of the sea, lagoon, estuary or bay. Sawfish catches in Florida are about as unusual as skunk ape sightings. "Oh my God, it's a sawfish! You guys, this fish is super rare!" he exclaimed. As one of the anglers began to reel it in, they all knew they were going to be in for a long battle.Ībout 20 minutes into the tug of war, angler Kevin Therriault was gaining ground and convinced the unknown sea monster to make its way to the surface. ![]() ![]() But it didn't make that telltale first run the way a shark does. Miley set the hook to make sure their catch wouldn't come unbuttoned before reeling it all the way in to the boat. It picked up the bait slowly and was steadily ticking line off the big reel. They had already caught and released a nice blacknosed shark, but this bite seemed different. ![]()
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