Local fishers looking to earn some extra cash are in luck: the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced they'll be offering rewards for those willing to catch and turn in cobia this month.
In a Facebook post, FWC said they'll throw in a $50 bounty for every fish brought to biologists all of September.
Researchers are aiming to sample the harvested cobias' reproductive organs to determine if and where they spawn along Florida's coasts.
Those wanting to participate can arrange for a biologist to meet them by calling one of the following numbers:
- 561-510-5620: Southeast Florida (Fort Lauderdale-Sebastion)
- 727-220-7108: Southwest Florida (Naples-St. Petersburg)
- 727-685-7354: Northwest Florida (St. Petersburg-Pensacola)
FWC added that fish must be whole or "filleted carcass with organs intact on ice."
If you accidentally catch a tagged cobia, take a picture of the tag and report the tag number, fork length, date and general location to FWC before returning it to the water. The data for tagged cobia is being collected for a three-year project to understand the reproductive habits off Florida's coasts.
For more information on the project, click here.
