Weakfish
Life Cycle: The fish mature at age 1 or 2 and spawn during the spring and summer in nearshore and estuarine waters. Juveniles move from waters of high salinity to waters of lower salinity throughout the summer. Weakfish live as long as 17 years.
Migration: They leave the estuaries by winter for deeper water.Fishing Tips: Anglers catch weakfish with natural or artificial baits by a variety of techniques including bottom fishing and jigging. They commonly use sting silvers and spec rigs. The weakfish have soft mouths. Anglers should keep the line tight, yet not pull too hard because the hook could rip through the lip.
Food Value: Very similar to spotted sea trout. Also needs to be kept cold after catching.
Regulations:
12″ Total Length
Limit 1 fish
Florida State record 10 pounds
The weakfish is very similar to the trout but does not have spots on their tail. The regulation for trout are different than weakfish. Weakfish has only faint speckles on its sides and no spots at all on its tail or fins. The Weakfish Management Zone includes state waters from the Florida-Georgia line to the southernmost tip of Amelia Island, the inland waters of Nassau County and the St. Marys River and its tributaries east of Highway 17, north of State Highway 200A and north of the Shave Bridge on the Amelia River.