Anecdotal evidence fuels anger over short red snapper federal season

In the past year, many west central Florida anglers have caught American red snapper shallower than any point in recent history.

Divers just to the north of Bradenton have reported the tasty bottom dwellers have consistently appeared as shallow as 35 feet.

I’ve seen it as well. While targeting hogfish during the cooler months, it was common for each angler to catch and release a potential two-per person limit of 3- to 8-pound red snapper in 55 feet of water. A little deeper — in about 65-feet — we caught and released about 25 one morning before having to move on — there was little else biting.

For years, I believed catching a limit of red snapper meant running out at least 35 miles, to waters deeper than 110 feet. If you wanted larger fish, bigger than 10-pounds, you needed to run even deeper to about 150 feet. A 20-plus-pound red snapper on the west coast of Florida was seldom seen.

With years of strict regulations, the red snapper population seems to be exploding. At some point with so many anglers reporting more red snapper than they’ve ever seen, a loosening of restrictions seemed like the next step. Perhaps, but not this year.

Earlier this week, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council announced the shortest red snapper season to date. The federal season will be three days, June 1-3. A minuscule 72 hours. The state of Florida is allowing 78 days for the nine-mile restricted state red snapper season.

The resulting backlash among anglers has been intense. Social media seemed a venting ground for many — and the Gulf Council page was a prime target. It was hard to find a positive response in favor of the short season in the nearly 900-comments and almost 2,000 shares from the Facebook announcement posting.

“Higher prices on fishing licenses, boat registrations, open/close seasons, min/max lengths, min/max bag limits and on and on,” posted Rick, an angler from Plant City. “It's almost to the point that I need to consult my lawyer before I can go fishing so he can explain everything first,”

Michelle, an angler from Palm City, made her thoughts on the 3-day season known: “You got to be kidding me! This is a joke right? I guess y'all are pissed at the state for giving us longer days so you are showing them. This insanity has to stop! There is no shortage of Red Snapper!”

While recreational anglers are given three fishing days, for-hire captained vessels will receive 49. Commercial boats with permits and quotas are able to keep red snapper at any point during the year — a 365-day season. This discrepancy is a hot point for many recreational anglers.

Capt. Dylan Hubbard said anglers need to group together, not drift apart.

“Due to this ‘sector separation’ we now have three seasons for federal water red snapper fishery in the Gulf,” Hubbard said.

“This is not any anglers fault, and is totally unacceptable. The goal of this is to divide and conquer anglers, by getting you to blame us and the commercial sector if the recreational anglers feel annoyed and hate toward for-hire and commercial (fishing operations) because they have more days.”

The approach of the council and the way they have dispersed their message has pitted like-minded anglers against each other, when we should be coming together to question the reason behind the disagreeable seasons to begin with. That reason?

Many call it bad science, mismanagement or too much oversight.

Either way, 2017 will not be remembered for Gulf anglers finally getting their wish of a longer red snapper season.

This story was originally published May 6, 2017 at 8:25 PM with the headline "Anecdotal evidence fuels anger over short red snapper federal season."