Seasons Increased for Red Snapper

[rsimms]

If you've sworn off of booking offshore charters because of the restrictions on keeping red snapper, it might be time to rethink that. After 15 years of reduced seasons, regulators have finally upped the ante on the number of days anglers can put the highly-sought after fish "in the box." Details here: Red Snapper Comeback: Longer Seasons Signal a New Era for Gulf Fishing

 

[mike243]

That's great, have put off going out due to vacation conflicts and short fishing days. Maybe time for another trip.

 

[BuckWild]

Now if they would do something about the sharks. Last summer, fishing with my good friend that lives in Pensacola and has over 70 reefs sunk and marked in the gulf, we lost right at half the red snapper we caught to sharks.

I had a huge Grouper on the line and a shark grabbed it three feet from the boat.

If you catch a small snapper and release it...well it's automatic shark food.

Aggravating to say the least.

 

[spoonie]

Headed down to Pensacola for the opener! Scouted my usual spots a few weeks ago and they were loaded with them. It's a crazy weekend with all the snapper and the recreational boaters for the holiday, if you're not at the boat ramp before daylight don't expect to find a parking spot. I'm glad they made the decision to keep it open past Monday this year, I'll be fishing all the week if the weather is good.

 

[7mm08]

Headed down to Pensacola for the opener! Scouted my usual spots a few weeks ago and they were loaded with them. It's a crazy weekend with all the snapper and the recreational boaters for the holiday, if you're not at the boat ramp before daylight don't expect to find a parking spot. I'm glad they made the decision to keep it open past Monday this year, I'll be fishing all the week if the weather is good.

Or ICE……. Found that out opening day in Apalachiacola one day!!!

 

[TheLBLman]

. . . . . we lost right at half the red snapper we caught to sharks.

The shark population has become crazy, and have to wonder if they're being conditioned to have less fear of humans?

Seems the shark populations in the oceans have become akin to the raptor populations on the mainland. In both cases, over-protected to the point sharks & raptors may be causing more deaths to other protected species than humans?

Just thinking.
In West TN, instead of quail, we now have a hawk on every fence post.
Hunters have almost nothing to do with the near extinction of bobwhite quail.

What's killing more snappers now?
Human fishermen or sharks?

 

[megalomaniac]

Except Florida Atlantic coast red snapper season. They just yanked that away from the recreational fishermen.

 

[Andy S.]

For those in the know, advise me on this quote from the article, as it has been a decade or two since I was on a gulf charter, and do not recall much about the experience, or what species we kept.

"In the Florida Gulf, anglers are allowed to keep two red snapper each per day, a minimum of 16 inches in length. Captains and crew on for-hire vessels may not keep any red snapper."

Is hiring a charter boat required to catch and keep "2 red snapper per day"? I realize consumers catch and keep other fish while out fishing, but will it take 4-8 hours out on a boat to catch 2 red snapper 16"+? Renting a charter seems like a pretty penny for just a little bit of consumable meat. Are you mainly paying for the "experience" and the fish in the cooler is just cherry on top? I realize charter has to pay hourly wages, exorbitant fuel prices, and profit too.

 

[Andy S.]

I was in Venice, LA this week for work and one of the gentlemen with me had just returned from a day on the water charter fishing, with five of his buddies. He said they burned nearly 1,000 gallons of gas with three 400 hp outboards hanging off the back of the boat. Fished a portion of the day and had a good time and had fish in their cooler for the drive home. He told me it cost him $750 for that one day charter, so about $4500 total for the one day trip for all six of them. The part I do not understand is 1,000 gallons of fuel would eat up most of that $4,500, unless the charter owner is getting it in bulk at a reduced rate.

 

[Chapman]

for Louisiana fishermen

Red Snapper Limits Increased for MDW ONLY​

[td] Thanks to state management efforts focused on expanding recreational opportunity and the Governor's push to priortize and provide recreational access, anglers will have the chance to reel in more Red Snapper this weekend! Bag limits have increased to five fish per person per day, Friday, May 22 - Monday, May 25 ONLY. Grab your friends, and hit the water!​ ​

[/td]

 

[MickThompson]

For those in the know, advise me on this quote from the article, as it has been a decade or two since I was on a gulf charter, and do not recall much about the experience, or what species we kept.

"In the Florida Gulf, anglers are allowed to keep two red snapper each per day, a minimum of 16 inches in length. Captains and crew on for-hire vessels may not keep any red snapper."

Is hiring a charter boat required to catch and keep "2 red snapper per day"? I realize consumers catch and keep other fish while out fishing, but will it take 4-8 hours out on a boat to catch 2 red snapper 16"+? Renting a charter seems like a pretty penny for just a little bit of consumable meat. Are you mainly paying for the "experience" and the fish in the cooler is just cherry on top? I realize charter has to pay hourly wages, exorbitant fuel prices, and profit too.

The way I interpret it is the limit is 2 per fisherman. Charter crew aren't allowed to fill their limit as well and give it to the clients.

 

[Andy S.]

The way I interpret it is the limit is 2 per fisherman. Charter crew aren't allowed to fill their limit as well and give it to the clients.

Same here, which makes my point that 2 red snapper per day does not increase the allure for me to run down to the Gulf and charter a boat, for red snapper alone. I do see the benefit/allure/economic impact of the longer season, but not the daily limit. What was it before it was 2 per fisherman? 1 per fisherman per day?

 

[Andy S.]

for Louisiana fishermen

Dang...................the guys I talked to missed this opportunity. They were a little early.

 

[Chapman]

I just got the email on May 21 from the state.

 

[MickThompson]

Same here, which makes my point that 2 red snapper per day does not increase the allure for me to run down to the Gulf and charter a boat, for red snapper alone. I do see the benefit/allure/economic impact of the longer season, but not the daily limit. What was it before it was 2 per fisherman? 1 per fisherman per day?

It's been 2 for as long as I can remember but after everyone gets their 2, you chase other reef fish. I assume it's an expansion of days. Previously it was closed on weekdays a decent portion of the summer IIRC

 

[megalomaniac]

My understanding...The way it works is the aggregate federal gulf limit in pounds is split between the states. Then the states split that between commercial, federal for hire, and recreational.

The fish in state waters (out to 3 nautical miles or occasionally 7 nautical miles) is allocated by the state itself, and again split between commercial, state for hire, and recreational.

To me it is incredibly boring fishing... same for all bottom fishing of all other species.

In the early season, getting your 2 legal snapper takes about 15 minutes. They are almost overpopulated now due to the past 20 years of overregulations. And yet the recreational limit is usually hit and season closed in 3 weeks in MS (MS gets a pittance of the overall allocation compared to AL and LA).

 

[sll]

I got kin that lives in Pensacola so I would at least not have to rent a place. My cousin mainly just shark fishes now.