Photo by Nate Steiner
Red Snapper Season Ramps Up Gulfwide
By CAM Staff
With state waters now extending out to 9 miles for all the Gulf states, red snapper anglers in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi will have a little more room to work with during snapper seasons in state waters this year.
Florida and Texas state waters already extended out to 9 miles. With federal legislation passed in December, state waters for the three interior Gulf states were extended from 3 to 9 miles. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has issued a statement indicating the short duration of the nine-day federal season is due, in part, to a projected increased catch in state waters. The federal recreational red snapper will run June 1-9. There is a two fish per person daily bag limit for red snapper in federal waters and a 16-inch minimum total length limit.
In Alabama state waters, the recreational red snapper season opened May 27 and will continue through July 31. Anglers in Alabama waters are required to report their red snapper harvest through Snapper Check via a smartphone app under “Outdoor Alabama” in the iTunes or Google Play app stores, online at www.outdooralabama.com or by phone at 1-844-REDSNAP. Paper forms are also available at select coastal public boat launches.
In Mississippi state waters, harvest of red snapper opened May 27 and will continue through Sept. 5. Louisiana’s state waters are open year-round, until further notice, for harvest of red snapper. Anglers fishing for red snapper and certain other species must be in possession of a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit available at rolp.wlf.la.gov.
In Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, the daily bag limit for red snapper is two fish per person, with a 16-inch total length minimum size limit.
Red snapper harvest in Texas is open year-round, with a daily bag limit of four fish in state waters. The minimum length limit in Texas is 15 inches.
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