Red Snapper Fishing

Sea-Squatch

We didn't find the giants either day, but it wasn't hard at all to find the snapper. The ocean was really rough, but doable for us. Because it was so rough, we basically went to one spot, caught our limit, and went in to flounder fish.

For those of y'all that didn't go because of the forecast, here's a video of how it looked on day two...

https://youtu.be/wPafUfcBKJY

Redaction

Nice video, thanks for posting!

dontezuma

Yeah, I bailed on Friday due to the forecast, and a pressing need to work (too rough to justify taking off).  But we got out yesterday.  5 of us went, but only 3 were really after snapper.  We got 3 15 pounders  and a 12 (weigh-ins, courtesy of the FWC).  We totally cheated though. We only got the biggest snappers at each spot because we were spearfishing.    One thing I learned from diving is that _mostly_ the reds are cruising off the structure 10-30 feet, which I found interesting.  I saw a goliath on every site we dropped yesterday as well.  So when you get a hit but get 'rocked up', that's likely what's happened.  Hard to move a 500-pound fish. LOL. 


It looks like mine's much bigger, but they're all about the same size.  Three were within a half pound and one inch of one another.  Filleted those up yesterday and was again reminded of how good that meat looks.  

Yeah, it was super pitchy all day.  3 of my riders got green, but everyone held onto their lunches.  I KINDA wish I'd gone Friday, but we're leaving town for ten days, so I'm good.  

Great to see you guys get after it. 

Sea-Squatch

dontezuma said:

Yeah, I bailed on Friday due to the forecast, and a pressing need to work (too rough to justify taking off).  But we got out yesterday.  5 of us went, but only 3 were really after snapper.  We got 3 15 pounders  and a 12 (weigh-ins, courtesy of the FWC).  We totally cheated though. We only got the biggest snappers at each spot because we were spearfishing.    One thing I learned from diving is that _mostly_ the reds are cruising off the structure 10-30 feet, which I found interesting.  I saw a goliath on every site we dropped yesterday as well.  So when you get a hit but get 'rocked up', that's likely what's happened.  Hard to move a 500-pound fish. LOL. 


It looks like mine's much bigger, but they're all about the same size.  Three were within a half pound and one inch of one another.  Filleted those up yesterday and was again reminded of how good that meat looks.  

Yeah, it was super pitchy all day.  3 of my riders got green, but everyone held onto their lunches.  I KINDA wish I'd gone Friday, but we're leaving town for ten days, so I'm good.  

Great to see you guys get after it. 

Nice job on those...Spearing snappers has got to be pretty fun!

TX21

nice job!

carolinablue2

It’s just sad that the season in the Atlantic is only two days. Nice fish!!! Thanks for reporting all.

windblows

Yeah, it was rough out there in my 22' Blazer Bay but we got our limit both days, plus some lane and mangrove snapper. Two of us fished Friday and three on Saturday. Never did find any big snapper but kept some good eating sized ones. 

BottomBumpin

BUMPY! and still made it happen!  nice work Capt and Thanks for sharing!  and this video is good too!

redbone440

Nice video.  We limited out at 9 mile on 12 - 14 lb red snapper, but Saturday the bite shut down.  I suspect it was because of virtually no current.  We only caught 3 red snapper on Saturday and only one of them was a big snapper - 15.2 lbs.  We had a couple of hook pulls and one break the leader, but from about 10 AM - noon it was DEAD.  Maybe the bite turned on in the afternoon, but we bailed about 1 PM because of the storms we could see on the coast.

3ofakind

Everyone knows the 2 or 3 or 4 day seasons with 1 fish per person is ridiculous.  I believe the 2 fish at 20” was the correct limit, having lived here 25 years there was a consistent increase in both size and numbers of red snapper year over year.  The 20” size limit allows the fish to spawn multiple times which in theory would allow more new fish to enter the population then are being removed, therefore making it a sustainable fishery.    Even if it was reduced to 1 fish per person with the 20” limit that would create more than a sustainable fishery and in my opinion a very  aggressive conversation strategy would be 1 fish at 20” with a closed season similar to grouper but in the warmer months as that is when snapper tend to spawn.  Anyone who has spent any amount of time fishing these waters knows that the red snapper population is not only healthy but flourishing.  The mini seasons are a slap in the face.  Regarding the commercial sector, the recreational sector gets the majority of the overall ACL(allowable catch limit) and the 75lb trip limit is insignificant and is really bycatch.  The majority of boats that have an unlimited snapper/grouper permit are primarily targeting grouper, vermilion, trigger, AJ’s, etc.  Most of these boats are running multiple days per trip and the 75lbs is per trip, not per day.  Not everyone is blessed with their own boat or friends and/or family with boats to catch their own snapper and fish in general.  Commercial fishermen are not the enemy.  The bad science and outrageous regulations that NOAA and SAMFC are enforcing on both sectors of the fishery is the problem.  The question is how do we fix it?  Attend all the meetings, go to the open comment sessions, have experienced captains who have fished these waters 20-50 years almost unilaterally agree we have a healthy and abundant fishery only to be met with unreasonable regulations.  The system is broken, I could go on a rant about special interest groups, environmental terrorists but we’ve gone down that road before.  The snapper fishery has such a dramatic economic impact on the state I would think our politicians would step in n but good luck there too.  I would love to hear suggestions on how we get NOAA and SAMFC to listen and implement reasonable regulations.  I know uniting recreational and commercial is a start, dividing the 2 as enemies is counterproductive.

CaptJ

3ofakind said:

Everyone knows the 2 or 3 or 4 day seasons with 1 fish per person is ridiculous.  I believe the 2 fish at 20” was the correct limit, having lived here 25 years there was a consistent increase in both size and numbers of red snapper year over year.  The 20” size limit allows the fish to spawn multiple times which in theory would allow more new fish to enter the population then are being removed, therefore making it a sustainable fishery.    Even if it was reduced to 1 fish per person with the 20” limit that would create more than a sustainable fishery and in my opinion a very  aggressive conversation strategy would be 1 fish at 20” with a closed season similar to grouper but in the warmer months as that is when snapper tend to spawn.  Anyone who has spent any amount of time fishing these waters knows that the red snapper population is not only healthy but flourishing.  The mini seasons are a slap in the face.  Regarding the commercial sector, the recreational sector gets the majority of the overall ACL(allowable catch limit) and the 75lb trip limit is insignificant and is really bycatch.  The majority of boats that have an unlimited snapper/grouper permit are primarily targeting grouper, vermilion, trigger, AJ’s, etc.  Most of these boats are running multiple days per trip and the 75lbs is per trip, not per day.  Not everyone is blessed with their own boat or friends and/or family with boats to catch their own snapper and fish in general.  Commercial fishermen are not the enemy.  The bad science and outrageous regulations that NOAA and SAMFC are enforcing on both sectors of the fishery is the problem.  The question is how do we fix it?  Attend all the meetings, go to the open comment sessions, have experienced captains who have fished these waters 20-50 years almost unilaterally agree we have a healthy and abundant fishery only to be met with unreasonable regulations.  The system is broken, I could go on a rant about special interest groups, environmental terrorists but we’ve gone down that road before.  The snapper fishery has such a dramatic economic impact on the state I would think our politicians would step in n but good luck there too.  I would love to hear suggestions on how we get NOAA and SAMFC to listen and implement reasonable regulations.  I know uniting recreational and commercial is a start, dividing the 2 as enemies is counterproductive.

Agreed. The season and bag limits are unrealistic based on real time observations. Just because they're not in the same place every day doesn't mean they're not there. There's no fences out there. Further, instead of closed seasons how about a reduced bag limit year round - although it's hard to keep less than one fish.

plumber1969

CaptJ said:

3ofakind said:

Everyone knows the 2 or 3 or 4 day seasons with 1 fish per person is ridiculous.  I believe the 2 fish at 20” was the correct limit, having lived here 25 years there was a consistent increase in both size and numbers of red snapper year over year.  The 20” size limit allows the fish to spawn multiple times which in theory would allow more new fish to enter the population then are being removed, therefore making it a sustainable fishery.    Even if it was reduced to 1 fish per person with the 20” limit that would create more than a sustainable fishery and in my opinion a very  aggressive conversation strategy would be 1 fish at 20” with a closed season similar to grouper but in the warmer months as that is when snapper tend to spawn.  Anyone who has spent any amount of time fishing these waters knows that the red snapper population is not only healthy but flourishing.  The mini seasons are a slap in the face.  Regarding the commercial sector, the recreational sector gets the majority of the overall ACL(allowable catch limit) and the 75lb trip limit is insignificant and is really bycatch.  The majority of boats that have an unlimited snapper/grouper permit are primarily targeting grouper, vermilion, trigger, AJ’s, etc.  Most of these boats are running multiple days per trip and the 75lbs is per trip, not per day.  Not everyone is blessed with their own boat or friends and/or family with boats to catch their own snapper and fish in general.  Commercial fishermen are not the enemy.  The bad science and outrageous regulations that NOAA and SAMFC are enforcing on both sectors of the fishery is the problem.  The question is how do we fix it?  Attend all the meetings, go to the open comment sessions, have experienced captains who have fished these waters 20-50 years almost unilaterally agree we have a healthy and abundant fishery only to be met with unreasonable regulations.  The system is broken, I could go on a rant about special interest groups, environmental terrorists but we’ve gone down that road before.  The snapper fishery has such a dramatic economic impact on the state I would think our politicians would step in n but good luck there too.  I would love to hear suggestions on how we get NOAA and SAMFC to listen and implement reasonable regulations.  I know uniting recreational and commercial is a start, dividing the 2 as enemies is counterproductive.

Agreed. The season and bag limits are unrealistic based on real time observations. Just because they're not in the same place every day doesn't mean they're not there. There's no fences out there. Further, instead of closed seasons how about a reduced bag limit year round - although it's hard to keep less than one fish.

I have to second both of you. I have had days out there and in less than an hour, caught over 50 ARS. My wife and I would go back a week or two later and we'd joke about the numbers we'd catch and get skunked on them. But, the other fish were more plentiful. A longer or year long season with a slot is more common sense approach like other species. I would not be surprised soon if the sheepshead season is closed from February - April because of the spawn. 

bswiv

plumber1969 said:

CaptJ said:

3ofakind said:

Everyone knows the 2 or 3 or 4 day seasons with 1 fish per person is ridiculous.  I believe the 2 fish at 20” was the correct limit, having lived here 25 years there was a consistent increase in both size and numbers of red snapper year over year.  The 20” size limit allows the fish to spawn multiple times which in theory would allow more new fish to enter the population then are being removed, therefore making it a sustainable fishery.    Even if it was reduced to 1 fish per person with the 20” limit that would create more than a sustainable fishery and in my opinion a very  aggressive conversation strategy would be 1 fish at 20” with a closed season similar to grouper but in the warmer months as that is when snapper tend to spawn.  Anyone who has spent any amount of time fishing these waters knows that the red snapper population is not only healthy but flourishing.  The mini seasons are a slap in the face.  Regarding the commercial sector, the recreational sector gets the majority of the overall ACL(allowable catch limit) and the 75lb trip limit is insignificant and is really bycatch.  The majority of boats that have an unlimited snapper/grouper permit are primarily targeting grouper, vermilion, trigger, AJ’s, etc.  Most of these boats are running multiple days per trip and the 75lbs is per trip, not per day.  Not everyone is blessed with their own boat or friends and/or family with boats to catch their own snapper and fish in general.  Commercial fishermen are not the enemy.  The bad science and outrageous regulations that NOAA and SAMFC are enforcing on both sectors of the fishery is the problem.  The question is how do we fix it?  Attend all the meetings, go to the open comment sessions, have experienced captains who have fished these waters 20-50 years almost unilaterally agree we have a healthy and abundant fishery only to be met with unreasonable regulations.  The system is broken, I could go on a rant about special interest groups, environmental terrorists but we’ve gone down that road before.  The snapper fishery has such a dramatic economic impact on the state I would think our politicians would step in n but good luck there too.  I would love to hear suggestions on how we get NOAA and SAMFC to listen and implement reasonable regulations.  I know uniting recreational and commercial is a start, dividing the 2 as enemies is counterproductive.

Agreed. The season and bag limits are unrealistic based on real time observations. Just because they're not in the same place every day doesn't mean they're not there. There's no fences out there. Further, instead of closed seasons how about a reduced bag limit year round - although it's hard to keep less than one fish.

I have to second both of you. I have had days out there and in less than an hour, caught over 50 ARS. My wife and I would go back a week or two later and we'd joke about the numbers we'd catch and get skunked on them. But, the other fish were more plentiful. A longer or year long season with a slot is more common sense approach like other species. I would not be surprised soon if the sheepshead season is closed from February - April because of the spawn. 

How do you feel about the idea of tags as are employed up north for large coastal stripers?

Maybe have 2 available for everyone purchasing a saltwater license, but they cost a few dollars extra to actually get. Use them when you want. And just as with gator tags you're required to return the unused.......and report what you used the ones you used on?

Of course it'd be more complication and regulation, which is a ding against the idea.

osprey11

Dont like tags.   Shouldn't have to give these crooks another dime!   You could go 1 fish per person max 4 per vessel.   Opps   that would make sense.  Never mind.  

osprey11

Just look at the Goliath Tag.    Overpriced and unrealistic for anywhere but south Florida.   FWC money grab  while getting to say they are opening it.    Shame on them.

osprey11

FWC has a habit of money grabs.  They took in a ton of federal dollars to spend their time and resources outside of state waters.    Once again Shame on them!

osprey11

Oh and lets not forget the bear hunters who got lied to and screwed by FWC.   After buying a $300 tag they shut the season on DAY 2.    Not a dime was returned.   Shame!

3ofakind

I think the tag system would be a reasonable solution if the fishery is truly in peril or “overfished “.  I genuinely believe there is bad information/science(ha ha) and NOAA/SAMFC knows it so they try to placate the recreational sector with the mini seasons.  What I did not mention earlier is that these mini seasons can add an unnecessary safety element as everyone (or the majority of boats) try to push the limits in marginal to poor weather to get in the 2 or 3 days of fishing.  Both days this seasonal were marginal at best and I know numerous people that beat themselves, their equipment and boats up for their 1 red snapper.  There are genuine safety elements here especially for smaller boats that are pushing limits.  I would prefer a tag system as opposed to a couple random days with no way of predicting the weather in advance of a 2 day season.  I go back to the fact we have an abundance of red snapper in the south Atlantic.  I have changed my offshore bottom tactics to focus more on grouper, muttons, mangoes, triggers, bees, pinks, etc.  If grouper can be open 8 months a year with a 3 fish aggregate limit with (1) gag or black grouper per person I feel strongly the snapper fishery is in far better shape than grouper and at a minimum should have a similar season if not a year round fishery.  I hate to even say this as I would hate to give any ammunition for NOAA/SAMFC to reduce the grouper limits.  I don’t want to upset anyone who has ill will toward the commercial sector but there is currently a 1,000lb trip limit on gag grouper for the commercial side.  I have several historic “grouper numbers” in 120’-130’ that still hold grouper but we have to dive and spear them as we can’t get a bait through the snapper to get to the grouper anymore, 15-20 years ago we would catch a handful of snapper on these numbers while catching our grouper but now need to weed through 20+ snapper to get to a grouper when fishing hook and line.  We have modified the approach and typically fish 145’+ as there appear to be fewer ARS in the deeper water.  I grew up in the northeast and watched the striper population go to almost nonexistent to the point a full moratorium was implemented to rebuild the stock.  When it reopened in the 90’s it was typically (1) fish at 36”.  I fished New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island regularly.  I believe Conn and RI adopted a (2) fish per person/day limit at 28” minimum and NY retained the (1) fish per person at 36” minimum.  This is very similar to the (2) snapper at 20” allowing the fish to spawn multiple times before being harvested IF they are harvested.  I like the tag system for Goliaths due to their size and believe that fishery has recovered but not to the extent of the ARS, also because Goliaths are particularly susceptible to overfishing, especially by spear fisherman as they do not appear to be line shy or human shy in my experience.  I agree I am not a proponent of handing over additional money for tags to the governing bodies either.  I go back to it should be a year round fishery or at a minimum a significantly extended season but strongly doubt that NOAA/SAMFC will have the courage to admit they were wrong and implement a reasonable season.  I have always wondered why they have targeted Genuines?  Is it because they are pretty?  If you take into account what the people who are on the water consistently report, you will hear the ARS population is in better shape than grouper and on par or in better shape than the rest of the snapper/grouper complex yet the regulations seem to specifically target the Reds.  Thank you for the suggestion Ben, I think it is better than the current system but not necessary due to the health of the population.  I would love to take the “scientists” on a snapper trip and see how their arms feel at the end of the day!  

bswiv

osprey11 said:

Dont like tags.   Shouldn't have to give these crooks another dime!   You could go 1 fish per person max 4 per vessel.   Opps   that would make sense.  Never mind.  

I should have been clearer....... very inexpensive tags, $5 or so just to cover the cost of them and then the cost of the additional recordkeeping.

And do keep in mind, I tend to think, as do almost all here, that a great part of the problem is our not having REAL DATA, and from the recording of the tags we'd get that. And then......maybe......more liberal limits.

I would note this also. I don't bottom fish offshore much anymore but yesterday a friend called to ask if I wanted to go with him out of St. Augustine to try it. He too is a inshore/river type but had a desire to just go play close to the beach and see what happened.

We never got out of sight of land. First stop.......6 red snapper......none big.......1 1/2 to 5 #......but......I'd of gladly put my 2 tags in mine, as would he. We'd of reported what we caught, and where and tonight rather than stirfry with shrimp we castnetted yesterday we'd be having a couple of small snapper off the grill.

Yes.......I feel your frustration. And maybe even more than you realize as I'm old enough to remember when we intentionally kept the small fish because they tasted better, inshore grouper and lanes and tiny reds.....and on and on. All things we toss back today. 

And we could do that because there were not SO MANY PEOPLE........and I'd better stop here.

windblows

For anyone else who has bottom fished for 25+ years, what are your thoughts on the overabundance of red snapper and their impact on other reef species? My observation is that the tighter the restrictions have gotten on snapper, the worse the fishing for grouper, sea bass, amberjack and other snapper species has gotten. And drastically worse. Not sure if it is because of the increased number of those fish being taken as anglers have started targeting them since red snapper are off limits or because the red snapper have essentially out competed the other species. I suspect the latter. I've witnessed it on both coasts as well. 

bswiv

windblows said:

For anyone else who has bottom fished for 25+ years, what are your thoughts on the overabundance of red snapper and their impact on other reef species? My observation is that the tighter the restrictions have gotten on snapper, the worse the fishing for grouper, sea bass, amberjack and other snapper species has gotten. And drastically worse. Not sure if it is because of the increased number of those fish being taken as anglers have started targeting them since red snapper are off limits or because the red snapper have essentially out competed the other species. I suspect the latter. I've witnessed it on both coasts as well. 

Toss in the addition of lionfish to the ecosystem. 

Sea-Squatch

Grouper were in trouble way before the snapper ban. I used to catch plenty of grouper inside 20 miles, but not anymore. I remember local divers talking about a grouper die off, and finding large grouper dead on the local wrecks/reefs. I think there are plenty of seabass, but catching a 13" fish is hard. Also, our sea water temps used to get a lot colder in the winter, and that's when those bigger seabass would show. I feel the abundance of snapper has increased the offshore shark population. Those sharks have learned how, and where to get a free easy meal of hooked/released red snapper. I've never seen so many sharks...

cookin out

Anyone who dives out there can tell you there are MILLIONS of snapper.  Turn around and there are 20 of them following you around.  Grouper, crap, rare to see them inside of 20 miles.