Headboat Fishery in the South Atlantic Region
SAFMC Staff
December 2024
1 Introduction
Headboats having been operating in the South Atlantic Region (Florida Keys to North Carolina/Virgina border) since at least 1921, earliest photo submitted in the FISHstory Project (personal communication with Julia Byrd, SAFMC Citizen Science Program Manager), and the offshore fishery had developed along the coast in the 1920s and 1930s. After World War II, the effort in the headboat fishery increased when surplus military vessels were purchased and used as headboats (Fitzpatrick et al. 2017). Although the fishery was operating since the early 1920s, little information is available prior to 1972, when the Southeast Region Headboat Survey (SRHS) started. This paper describes effort and catch in the headboat fishery from 1981 to 2023.
Headboat data were provided by Southeast Region Headboat Survey staff. Additional data were pulled from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) datafiles and analyzed with a customized SAS code provided by NOAA Fisheries staff for MRIP datafile. The estimates derived from MRIP include Monroe County and results in different effort estimates for the South Atlantic Region compared to the MRIP online query. Vessel or headboat trips refers to the number of trips taken by a vessel while angler trips refers to total number of anglers fishing.
Recreational effort (angler trips) in the South Atlantic Region increased in the shore and private/rental mode from 1981 until 2000 (Figure 1.1). Since then, effort in the two major components of the recreational sector stabilized. The charter and headboat components, which constitute 1% to 2% of overall recreational effort, have been variable. Angler trips on charter boats increased from 2010 to 2019. Since 2019, the number of angler trips on charter boats has been bouncing around 900,000 angler trips per year. Headboats had the fewest angler trips per year, ranging between 173,000 and 418,000 during the time period. Angler trips were highest in 2014 and 2015 and have been decreasing since. The number of trips after the Covid-19 pandemic has been higher than the lows that occurred between 2002 and 2007.
Figure 1.1: A. Recreational effort as estimated through Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) and the Southeast Region Headboat Survery (SRHS) from 1981 to 2023. B. Charter boat and Headboat effort components zoomed in for greater detail.
Because most headboats operate in the ocean greater than three miles, MRIP data were filtered to trips that reported fishing in the ocean greater than 3 miles or greater 10 miles for Monroe County to better compare effort. There were fewer angler trips in the ocean on the private recreational vessels (20% of all private recreational trips) and charter boat vessels (54% of all charter trips) (Figure 1.2). In recent years, the percent of angler trips in the ocean decreased for private (19% from 2014 to 2023) and charter (46% from 2014 to 2023) components of the recreational fishery. There were on average 4.4 million angler trips in the private recreational component, 363,000 angler trips in the charter component, and 298,000 angler trips in the headboat component from 2014 to 2023. The headboat component of the recreational fishery had the fewest ocean angler trips in most years and accounted for 6% of the ocean angler trips from 1983 to 2023 (MRIP was fully implemented in 1983).
Figure 1.2: A. Recreational effort in the ocean greater than three miles (or 10 miles for Monroe County) as estimated through Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) and the Southeast Region Headboat Survery (SRHS) from 1981 to 2023. B. Charter boat and Headboat effort zoomed in for greater detail.
2 Vessel and Effort Trends in Southeast Region Headboat Survey
2.1 Number of Vessels Surveyed
The number of vessels active in the South Atlantic portion of the SHRS declined since 1992, when there was 105 vessels (Figure 2.1, Green et al. 2024). The largest decrease in number of vessels over a four-year period occurred from 2000 to 2003, with a drop of 21 vessels. This decrease coincided with a US economic recession.1 From 2004 to 2010, there was an increase in vessel numbers. Since 2010, the number of headboats in the South Atlantic region decreased, reaching its lowest point in 2023. Two potential reasons for the decreased number of vessels could be restrictions on Red Snapper harvest and shortened seasons for Black Sea Bass (in 2010 and 2011); however, most of the decrease occurred south of Cape Canaveral, where Black Sea Bass and Red Snapper are less common (see below).
The number of headboats in the Gulf portion of the SRHS was consistently lower than in the South Atlantic before 2017. However, since 2017, Gulf headboats have outnumbered those in the South Atlantic. Importantly, there has not been an equivalent increase in either region when the other decreases, indicating that boats shifting from one area to the other did not cause the change in vessel number.
Figure 2.1: Number of headboat vessels in the Southeast Region Headboat Survey by area from 1981 to 2023. Data from Green et al. 2024
2.2 Effort
From 1981 to 1992, there was an increasing trend in the number headboat trips and angler trips, which corresponds to an increasing number of vessels in the survey (Figure 2.2). After 1992, the number of headboat trips and angler trips decreased to its lowest level in 2003. Similar to the number of vessels, trips increased after 2003. However, the number of headboat and angler trips increased until 2014, four years after the number of headboats started decreasing. The number of trips remained at its highest levels from 2014 to 2016. Since 2017 (except for 2020 associated with Covid-19), the number of headboat trips (approximately 11,000) and angler trips (between 230,000 and 280,000 trips) remained fairly constant.
Figure 2.2: Number of headboat trips (upper panel) and angler trips (lower panel) reported through the Southeast Region Headboat Survey in the South Atlantic region from 1981 to 2023.
2.3 Regional Effort
Effort was divided into fishing areas north and south of Cape Canaveral due to potential changes in target species and trip types (half day, full day, etc, Fitzpatrick et al. 2017). The number of vessel trips and angler trips were more variable in the area south of Cape Canaveral (Figure 2.3). The area south of Cape Canaveral ranged between 1,625 and 12,190 headboat trips and 34,950 and 253,662 angler trips annually. Meanwhile, in the area north of Cape Canaveral, trips ranged between 3,459 and 5,712 vessel trips and 107,730 and 208,927 angler trips per year.
The lowest number of headboat and angler trips south of Cape Canaveral occurred in 2003. This was followed by a decade of increasing trips. From 2015 to 2017, the number of headboat and angler trips dropped 42% and 46%, respectively. Since 2017, the number of trips remained more stable compared to the previous 10 years.
Trips north of Cape Canaveral decreased in number of headboat and anglers trips since 2011 and 2013, respectively. Although the number of headboat trips in 2023 was higher than number of trips from 1989 to 1991, the number of anglers in 2023 was the lowest on record (excluding 2020 when Covid-19 likely prevented trips). This decrease in angler trips was due to fewer anglers per vessel trip (see below). Fewer anglers per trip would reduce trip revenue for the vessel unless the headboat fee for the angler increased or other costs decreased.
Figure 2.3: Number of South Atlantic headboat trips (upper panel) and angler trips (lower panel) reported through the Southeast Region Headboat Survey seperated into regions north and south of Cape Canaveral from 1981 to 2023.
North of Cape Canaveral most trips were either half day or full day trips prior to 2005 (Figure 2.4). Since, half day trips have been the most common trip type. Although full day trips have been declining since 1990, half day trips have been declining since 2011. Three quarter day trips seemed to replace some of the full day headboat trips beginning in 2011. This resulted in the total number of headboat trips and angler trips remaining fairly steady from 2010 to 2015. After 2015, both headboat and angler trips have been declining.
South of Cape Canaveral, the majority of effort is from half day trips. The number of vessel trips dropped in 1995 to a low in 2003. In 2008, half day effort began to increase to a peak in 2015. Since, effort decreased to effort lower than the effort reported from 1981-1990.
Figure 2.4: Number of South Atlantic headboat trips (left panels) and angler trips (right panels) reported through the Southeast Region Headboat Survey divided into trips north (upper panels) and south (lower panels) of Cape Canerval, FL from 1981 to 2023
In addition to the number of trips declining, the number of anglers on most trip type has been declining (Figure 2.5). In the region north of Cape Canaveral, number of anglers per trip on half day and full day trips (most common trip types) have been declining since the beginning of the survey. Number of anglers on half day trips dropped from over 40 anglers per trip prior to 1990 to less than 30 anglers per trip since 2019. Number of anglers on full day trips also dropped around 10 anglers per trip over the past 40 years. Number of anglers per trip on 3/4 day trips has fluctuated over the time series ranging from a low in 2006 of 14 anglers per trip to a high of 39 anglers per trip. Recently, the number of anglers per trip was between 28 and 30 anglers for all trip types.
Trips south of Cape Canaveral had fewer anglers per trip compared to trips occurring north of Cape Canaveral with most trips having 20 anglers or less (not plotted). On half day trips (most common in the region), the number of anglers per has been decreasing since 2005 (22 anglers in 2005 to 18 anglers in 2023).
Figure 2.5: Average number of anglers per trip type for the north of Cape Canaveral region.
3 Common Species Caught on Headboats
Unlike MRIP, SRHS does not collect information on targeted species. Instead, this analysis used the most common species (total number or total weight) reported in the SRHS by region and decade. Some of the species reported are not managed by the Council.
Black Sea Bass had the highest number of fish caught north of Cape Canaveral in the 1980s (Figure 3.1). Vermilion Snapper had the highest number of fish caught in all other decades. Black Sea Bass dropped through the decades and ranked 5th most in number of fish in the 2020s. Red Porgy had a similar trend where it was ranked 4th most in number of fish in 1980s and the rank decreased every decade afterward. In the 2020s, Red Porgy was not ranked in the top 10 species by number. Tomtate and White Grunt were two other species with rankings in number of fish caught on headboat trips and ranked 5th or higher over the decades. The rank for number of Spottail Pinfish caught increased over the decades and ranked second in the 2020s. Red Snapper was 6th most in number of fish caught in the 1980s and ranked 10th in 2000s.
South of Cape Canaveral, Yellowtail Snapper and White Grunt ranked highest in number of fish caught. Vermilion Snapper decreased from 3rd most fish caught down to 7th most fish caught. Gray Snapper replaced Vermilion Snapper when it increased from 8th most fish caught in the 1980s to 3rd most fish caught in 2020s. Other species commonly ranked in the top ten for number of fish landed were Blue Runner, Lane Snapper, King Mackerel, and Tomtate. Red Snapper were not in the top ten in number of fish landed in this region and Black Sea Bass ranked in the top ten in only one decade.
Figure 3.1: Rank for number of fish caught on headboats reporting fishing north (upper panel) and south (lower panel) of Cape Canaveral.
Vermilion Snapper ranked highest in total weight of fish caught North of Cape Canaveral throughout the decades (Figure 3.2). Jacks were more important species by weight with Greater Amberjack ranking 7th or higher in all decades, Banded Rudderfish have ranked 9th since 2010, Almaco ranked 8th and 4th in the 2010s and 2020s, respectively. Gag ranked as high 4th most in total weight but has not ranked in the top ten for the past two time blocks. Similar to the ranking based on number of fish, the rank for weight fish caught of Black Sea Bass dropped through the decades and ranked 5th most common in the 2020s. Red Porgy had a similar trend where it was ranked 3rd most in terms of weight in 1980 and was not ranked in the top ten in the 2020s.
King Mackerel (prior to 2010s) and Yellowtail Snapper (since 2010s) ranked highest for weight of fish caught South of Cape Canaveral. The rank of King Mackerel weight has decreased from 1st (1980s) to 5th in the latest time block. The rank of White Grunt weight has increased through the decades and White Grunt ranked 9th in weight in the 2020s. The rank of Vermilion Snapper weight has been variable dropping from the 1980s to not ranked in 2010s. In the 2020s, its ranked was 8th, the same rank as the 1980s. There are several pelagic fish (e.g. Dolphin, Little Tunny, King Mackerel) that ranked in the top ten in weight of fish which may indicate different types of trips occurring south of Cape Canaveral.
Figure 3.2: Rank for weight of fish caught on headboats reporting fishing north (upper panel) and south (lower panel) of Cape Canaveral.
Effort was estimated for positive trips (landed or released) for a select group of species. The group of species was selected based on likely area fished (north or south of Cape Canaveral or shallow or deepwater) and type of fishing (trolling or casting vs bottom fishing). North of Cape Canaveral, Black Sea Bass was the most common species on half day and full day trips (Figure 3.3). Positive trips were highest in 1985 and then decreased for both. More recently there has been a sharper decrease in the positive trips. Gag, King Mackerel, and Red Snapper were most common on full day trips and decreased in positive trips throughout the time series. The decreasing trend in positive trips corresponds with the decreasing number of trips in the north of Cape Canaveral region and reduced abundance for some species such as Gag and Black Sea Bass.
South of Cape Canaveral, positive trips of the eight species analyzed were highest for Yellowtail Snapper and King Mackerel. Yellowtail Snapper positive trips spiked in 2015 and have since declined. Similarly, King Mackerel positive trips have decreased since 2015. This decrease in positive trips corresponds with a decrease in the number of headboat trips and anglers trips in the south of Cape Canaveral region.
Figure 3.3: Number of positive angler trips that caught Black Sea Bass, Blueline Tilefish, Dolphin, Gag, King Mackerel, Red Snapper, Spanish Mackerel, and Yellowtail Snapper on headboats by trip type (half day - usually 4 hours, 3/4 day - 6 to 8 hours, full day - 8 to 12 hours, full plus - greater than 12 hours) north (upper panel) and south of Cape Canaveral (lower panel).
4 Catch Per Unit Effort
The top five species in number of fish and weight of fish were further analyzed to better understand the typical number of fish caught on a headboat trip in the most recent five years, 2019 to 2023 (9 fish in both regions due to overlap of species in ranking for number and weight). Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was simply calculated as number of fish kept or caught on a trip divided by the number of anglers for trips since 2019. The numbers were rounded whole numbers with the exception of CPUE less than 1. This was categorized as 0.5 fish per angler (left most group of bars on plots below). Trips that had five or more fish per trip were grouped into a “5+” fish category.
In the region north of Cape Canaveral, Black Sea Bass has a higher number of trips for each year in the CPUE than other species analyzed (Figure 4.1, Figure 4.2). Early in the paper, it was mentioned that Black Sea Bass was fifth highest in terms of number of fish caught north of Cape Canaveral in the 2020s (Figure 3.1) . The reason for this apparent discrepancy is that CPUE is a function of the number of anglers and number of trips. Black Sea Bass had the highest number of trips reporting Black Sea Bass, but fewer Black Sea Bass were kept or caught compared to other species like Vermilion Snapper, Tomtate, White Grunt, and Spottail Pinfish.
Both Black Sea Bass and Vermilion Snapper had a higher number of vessel trips reporting 5 or more fish per angler in total catch while there was not an equal increase in 5 or more fish kept indicating releasing occurred for these species (Black Sea Bass 7 fish bag limit and Vermilion Snapper 5 fish bag limit). The releases may have occurred due to lack of desirability for the species (not likely for these two species) or other regulations such as size limit. Most other species had two or less fish caught per angler per trip and fewer kept per angler per trip.
Figure 4.1: Number of headboat trips north of Cape Canaveral keeping (left panel) or catching (right panel) Black Sea Bass, Spottail Pinfish, Tomtate, Vermilion Snapper, and White Grunt based on catch per unit effort (kept = number of fish by species landed/ number of anglers and total catch = (number of fish by species landed+ released)/ number of anglers).
Figure 4.2: Number of headboat trips north of Cape Canaveral landings (left panel) or catching (right panel) Almaco Jack, Atlantic Sharpnose Shark, Gray Triggerfish, and Greater Amberjack based on catch per unit effort (kept = number of fish by species landed/ number of anglers and total catch = (number of fish by species landed+ released)/ number of anglers).
In the region south of Cape Canaveral, number of trips catching or keeping one or more White Grunt or Yellowtail Snapper was spread more evenly among the catch per angler categories (Figure 4.3, Figure 4.4). Releases occurred for these species as the number kept per angler was higher than the number kept. Catch and landing of other species was typically less than one fish per angler per trip.
Figure 4.3: Number of headboat trips south of Cape Canaveral landing (left panel) or catching (right panel) Gray Snapper, Lane Snapper, Littlehead Porgy, White Grunt, and Yellowtail Snapper based on catch per unit effort (kept = number of fish by species landed/ number of anglers and total catch = (number of fish by species landed+ released)/ number of anglers).
Figure 4.4: Number of headboat trips south of Cape Canaveral landing (left panel) or catching (right panel) Blue Runner, King Mackerel, Little Tunny, and Mutton Snapper based on catch per unit effort (kept = number of fish by species landed/ number of anglers and total catch = (number of fish by species landed+ released)/ number of anglers).
5 Angler Attitudes and Perceptions
As mentioned previously, the number of anglers fishing on headboats has been declining. To attract more anglers, some headboat operators have started offering trips with reduced passenger numbers at a higher cost. This approach aims to appeal to individuals who are seeking to catch more fish or potentially keep a greater quantity of fish during their trip. Additionally, headboat operators on the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel have noted that anglers often want to keep a specific number or type of fish.
There is a growing body of literature exploring angler attitudes and satisfaction related to numerous aspects of the fishing experience, including catch, outdoor experience, consuming fish, catching a trophy, relaxation, and various other attributes (Holland and Ditton 1992, Beardmore et al. 2015, Arostegui et al. 2021, Chiaramonte and Meyer 2022). While limited research has been conducted on the attitudes, motivation, and satisfaction of headboat anglers, a recent study focused on Black Sea Bass conducted on a headboat in South Carolina revealed that the primary factor influencing the trip experience was the ability to catch fish (Weinstock 2018). Although the opportunity to keep fish or increase the bag limit is valued by some anglers, it is not as crucial as the actual act of catching fish. Given the diverse nature of anglers, satisfaction and motivation can vary significantly (Holland and Ditton 1992, Beardmore et al. 2015), the ability to catch and retain fish or even certain types of fish could being a deciding factor for some individuals when considering booking a headboat trip.
6 References
Arostegui MC, Anderson CM, Benedict RF, Dailey C, Fiorenza EA, Jahn AR. 2021. Approaches to regulating recreational fisheries: balancing biology with angler satisfaction. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 31: 573-598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09662-y
Beardmore B, Hunt LM, Haider W, Dorow M, Arlinghaus R. 2015. Effectively managing angler satisfaction in recreational fisheries requires understanding the fish species and the anglers. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 72:500–513
Chiaramonte LV, Meyer KA. 2022. Effect of bag limits on angler harvest, catch rates, and satisfaction at put-and-take community pond fisheries. North Am J Fish Manag 42:1550-1560.
Fitzpatrick EE, Williams EH, Shertzer KW, Siegfried KI, Craig JK, Cheshire RT, Kellison GT, Fitzpatrick KE, Brennan K. 2017. The NMFS Southeast Region Headboat Survey: History, Methodology, and Data Integrity. Mar Fish Rev 79: 1-27. https://doi.org/10.7755/MFR.79.1.1
Holland SM, Ditton RB. 1992. Fishing trip satisfaction: a typology of anglers. North Am J Fish Manag 12:28–33. https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8675(1992)012%3c0028:ftsato%3e2.3.co;2
Weinstock SA. 2018. What are the factors affecting trip satisfaction for the for-hire industry in South Carolina in relation to the Black Sea Bass bag limit. Thesis submitted to the College of Charleston. Charleston, SC.