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Snapper Season Opener Shows Pent-Up Demand

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Brian Rowe, left, and Jason Smith show off an opening weekend red snapper as Smith's son, Charlie, looks on. Photo by Daniel Rowe

By DAVID RAINER, 黑料天堂

While the second weekend of the private recreational red snapper season in 黑料天堂 saw near perfect conditions, the opening weekend proved why state management of the red snapper is so important to ensure maximum access to this treasured fishery.

Pent-up demand from a variety of reasons, including the COVID-19 restrictions, placed the May 22 opening day of snapper season in record territory.

鈥淥n opening day, that was the most people I鈥檝e ever seen on a Friday,鈥 said 黑料天堂 Marine Resources Director Scott Bannon. 鈥淓ven though the weather was a little rougher, the harvest was almost the same as the 2018 numbers. People were just glad to have the opportunity to get out. They were tired of being at home. They felt this was a safe and enjoyable outdoor activity. And we agree.

鈥淲hen I got to Dauphin Island at 8 o鈥檆lock on opening day, the trailers parked alongside the road were already backed up 7/10ths of a mile from the ramp (Billy Goat Hole). Saturday was another busy day. With the winds picking up Sunday and Monday, the activity was down a good bit.鈥

The 2018 and 2019 seasons were conducted under an EFP (exempted fishing permit) to allow state management and significantly increased the number of days private recreational anglers were allowed to catch red snapper over recent years.

With the approval of regional management beginning in 2020 for the five states on the Gulf of Mexico, each state sets its season, bag and size limits under certain parameters.

Because 黑料天堂 closely monitors the red snapper harvest through its Red Snapper Reporting System, Snapper Check, Marine Resources can adjust the seasons to allow anglers to catch as many fish as possible while staying within the state鈥檚 quota. 黑料天堂鈥檚 private recreational season is set to run each Friday through Monday with a closing date tentatively set for July 19. The closing date may be adjusted to ensure the state鈥檚 quota of 1,122,662 pounds is met but not exceeded. Snapper Check numbers indicated 176,782 pounds of red snapper were harvested opening weekend.

Bannon and Chris Blankenship, the Commissioner of the 黑料天堂, ventured out on opening weekend with old friends Brian and Daniel Rowe and crew and came back with a box full of red snapper.

鈥淚 had some concerns that the seas were going to be a little choppy,鈥 Bannon said. 鈥淲e had been talking to some boats that were struggling, so they stayed close and came back pretty early.

鈥淚n the afternoon, the wind died down. The bite was not hard and fast, but we caught big fish. We only caught a few undersized fish that had to go back. We caught everything from just over legal (16 inches total length) to a few just over 20 pounds. It was a real good trip.鈥

From a management perspective, Bannon said that鈥檚 what marine scientists like to see on a reef, a variety of sizes of snapper. He also said some of the relatively small reefs held good-sized fish.

On opening day, Bannon said the anglers used a variety of baits to target the red snapper and definitely saw a preference.

鈥淭hey seemed to like the whole pogeys (menhaden) better than cigar minnows on that day,鈥 he said. 鈥淧eople caught a lot of big fish that opening weekend, which generally happens in a season. People reported catching legal-size fish relatively quick. They didn鈥檛 have to throw many undersized fish back.鈥

Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship holds a big red snapper, which was a common catch on opening weekend. Photo by Brian Rowe

By the time the seas got rough on that opening weekend, Bannon could see how the state management of the season was paying dividends.

鈥淭hat Monday of opening weekend, we only had a handful of reports through Snapper Check,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think that was honest. People really paid attention to the weather and didn鈥檛 put themselves in harm鈥檚 way. People now realize it鈥檚 about the pounds caught and there will be more opportunities to catch snapper later. Of course, that all goes back to the reporting through Snapper Check and getting accurate numbers.鈥

One thing Bannon did on that opening Friday was to check to see if anglers had the Snapper Check app loaded on their smartphones.

鈥淚, along with other Division employees, helped the ones that didn鈥檛 have it get the app loaded on their phones,鈥 he said.

Bannon also discovered that many people are still unaware of the Reef Fish Endorsement that went into effect for the 2020 season. Anglers who catch any fish that are considered a reef fish species are required to purchase the $10 endorsement.

Visit for a list of fish species the endorsement covers.

鈥淣obody seemed overly concerned the endorsement was in place, but they were unaware they needed it,鈥 Bannon said. 鈥淪ome people purchased it on the Outdoor 黑料天堂 app while they were launching the boat.鈥

The reef fish endorsement provides a source of funding to continue to maintain the research and monitoring for populations in 黑料天堂鈥檚 artificial reef zones that is required to continue state management of the red snapper fishery.

鈥淲e had been using federal funds,鈥 Bannon said. 鈥淲e needed a source of funds to continue that work. Also, other than Snapper Check, we didn鈥檛 have way to determine how many people are participating in the reef fish fishery. The endorsement helps us to determine the effort.鈥

Bannon pointed out that if you鈥檙e fishing for saltwater species on the Causeway and you don鈥檛 catch reef fish, you don鈥檛 need to purchase the Reef Fish Endorsement.

鈥淏ut if you鈥檙e participating in the fishery offshore, these funds help us pay for Snapper Check and the monitoring through Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the University of South 黑料天堂,鈥 he said. 鈥淣ow that we do have state management, we are obligated to manage the fishery to the best of our ability. The endorsement helps provide funds to do that.鈥

Because the reef fishing endorsement is new, Bannon said Marine Resources Enforcement will issue warnings right now. On opening weekend, 11 warnings were issued for no reef endorsements.

鈥淥ur Enforcement staff wrote 12 citations for not reporting their snapper harvests,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e only had one over-the-limit case. We had no undersized fish citations and only one over-the-limit of all the people that were checked on opening weekend. I consider that a successful weekend. And people used good judgement for the smaller boats to not go on Sunday and Monday.

鈥淚 am a little concerned that our (Snapper Check) reporting is down just a little bit. That is the driving force of our management goal to give people the most opportunities to catch red snapper.鈥

Meanwhile, the charter-for-hire season opened Monday for a straight 62-day run through August 1, 2020. The charter boat section is still under federal management.

鈥淎 couple of different charter captains I鈥檝e spoken with said bookings are up,鈥 Bannon said.

 Bannon is excited that it appears the red snapper season will be successful now that restrictions on 黑料天堂鈥檚 beaches have been lifted.

鈥満诹咸焯 is definitely a fishing destination,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e talked to folks who used to go to Destin to go fishing until they discovered 黑料天堂. Now they make plans to go charter fishing in 黑料天堂.鈥

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Marine Resources Director Scott Bannon holds up an average-size red snapper that was hooked opening weekend. Photo by Brian Rowe