A Panacea fisherman faces charges for his hefty grouper and snapper catch. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers Tuesday said Talmadge Tucker faces potential state and/or federal charges related to making false statements to an officer and possession of undersize and out-of-season red and gag grouper and red snapper.

Shortly before 10 a.m. near Ochlockonee Bay, FWC officers conducted an inspection of the TEE’HA MARIE, a 36-foot commercial grouper boat out of the Port of Panacea. Tucker, the captain, at first denied having any snapper or grouper on board. But when told by FWC investigators his catch would be inspected, Tucker admitted he did have illegal fish buried under his catch of legal fish.

FWC investigators seized:
§ Red grouper - 145 undersize, 19 legal size
§ Gag grouper - 15 undersize, 6 legal size
§ Red snapper - 30 undersize, 15 legal size

The total catch came out to about 750 pounds and all fish species were out-of-season. Red, black and gag grouper are closed to commercial harvest in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters from Feb. 15 to March 15 each year to protect these species during an important spawning period. Commercial harvest of red snapper is prohibited in the Gulf of Mexico for approximately 20 days each month to limit the total annual harvest, because regulators believe the species is overfished.