The irony of the situation has to be addressed. For years, Floridians have been clamoring for a longer red snapper season. The voices from anglers across the entire state, catch reports from charter captains, and visuals from scuba divers and underwater cameras have not aligned with the stock assessments and season recommendations we have been given by NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf Council, which regulates the fishery. Finally, after years of arguing, hiring resources, flying or driving miles and miles to have our voices heard, the scales have been tipped in our favor, only to coincide with the highest gas prices we have ever seen.
For the last few seasons, there has been a debate here on the Gulf Coast: Is it worth it to run the distance needed to catch red snapper? Excluding the Panhandle, the rest of us are running anywhere from 50-90 miles to find red snapper. Every year, expenses continue to rise, while what we are able to harvest remains the same or, with some species, declines. Is the juice worth the squeeze?
This was a legitimate debate when the price of fuel was $3- $ 4 per gallon. Looking at current projections, we may be pushing toward $6-$7 a gallon for marine fuel at the pump come red snapper season. The legal catch limit remains the same: 2 fish per person. The bycatch will also not change, which means NO gag grouper or amberjack for the first 92 days, and only 2 quality-sized fish will be caught running this far from shore. This season also coincides with our unpredictable and often strong summer storm season. I don’t know any charter captains, even those with the best up-to-the-minute weather data, who have not been caught in one of these systems that bring 30-knot-and-up winds, sideways rain, and crashing lightning. Just another factor that cannot be ignored when these tasty fish are the target.
Our East Coast friends have it a little different. Their waters drop off much closer to shore, making the run to red snapper grounds significantly shorter. Given the ridiculously short seasons that have had over the years, at most a 2-day season with only 1 fish per person, it may make sense for anglers from the Gulf Coast to head east for their red snapper. This year, they have been granted 39 days in the summer and another 9 in the fall, opening on May 22nd. I do not fish on the East Coast enough to comment on its stock, but many friends who fish those waters assure me their data has not passed the smell test either. Outside the northeast, the hike in fuel costs will not hit them as hard as it does for us on the Gulf side.
Whether you are a charter for hire or a recreational angler heading out on your own boat, we finally have a season that more accurately reflects current fish stocks in the Gulf. At the time of writing this article, recreational and charter for hire will have 140 days opening May 22nd for the recreational season and June 1st for charter for hire. Now we just have to hope something drastic happens to bring the price of fuel down so that when we leave the dock, and we will leave the dock, the cost of the trip won’t be on our minds, taking away from just how much fun these red snapper trips are. 
