Time to go snapper fishing

[Bill D.]

In the upper gulf the average size of red snapper is at a level I have not seen in many years. In fact I never thought I would see this again. It's been that way since the oil spill 2 years ago. Most people credit the closure right after the spill for allowing the fish stock to recover from many years of over fishing. Alabama has lots of public reefs that are holding large numbers of fish. Many of these reefs are in reach of the small boats. Use large live baits and you'll catch your 2 fish limit in the large to extra-large size. While you're catching the snapper don't forget to lay a light tackle flat line out and enjoy fighting a few big kings. Go get 'em!

 

[rduhon]

Going out of Cocodrie this Saturday and out of Grand Isle next weekend.

The fisheries council that was in charge of doing research on Snapper population and size was looking at the Snapper at the commercial docks, instead of going out and doing research in the GOM.
The commercial market is driven by the smaller Snapper, due to the size of fillets in demand by the market.
So the commercial fishing boats were throwing back all of the big ones, the breeders, and keeping the commercially sellable ones.
The recreational fishermen for the past 5 years have been saying how many and how big the Snapper are in the GOM, but it fell on deaf ears.
Now the national fishieries council is finding out how many Snapper there are, and how many big ones there are, but it takes years for them
to recommend a change in limits and sizes.
I think it is all Bush's fault.

 

[jmas]

Had 3 Hunting Buddy,s visiting from Alabama this past weekend. My son and I took them out Snapper fishing Sat. night. Caught our limit of good size Yellow Tail.
The Snapper fishing seems to be good this year here in S. Fla.
Anchored in 50 ft. Lots of Chum. Small jigs with silver sides. Ocean was very calm, almost glassy.
Freinds went back to Alabama today, Happy bunch,took home lots of fish.

 

[rduhon]

We went out last weekend out of Cocodrie and caught 18 Red Snapper, 3 Mangrove and 1 Ling.
We CPR'd 3 AJ's, since the season closed when the Red Snapper season opened.