[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ust days after the so-called “new jig” made its debut in Boca Grande Pass, a Tampa Bay area fishing guide and prominent Professional Tarpon Tournament Series team captain quickly found himself – and his “new jig” – on the wrong side of the law.
James W. Huddleston, 44, of Palm Harbor is scheduled to make a June 3 court appearance in Fort Myers where he’s facing second degree misdemeanor charges, up to six months in jail and a $500 fine if convicted of using illegal gear, according to records provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. His arraignment is set for 8 a.m.
According to the FWC, officers approached Huddleston’s charter boat around 8:50 a.m. in Boca Grande Pass on Thursday, May 15. The officers said an observer in a nearby boat had tipped them off that Huddleston and his clients were using a form of bottom weighted “jig” outlawed as a foul-hooking device last year by the commission.
Officers said they saw “an obvious illegal jig” on a rod being held by one of Huddleston’s three charter clients. “The weight was clearly below the hook,” the officers said.
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