The private recreational angler red snapper season in federal waters will open May 22 rather than the typical June 1 opening. This change was made to provide a longer window for saltwater anglers to enjoy coastal fishing and include the Memorial Day holiday.
“As always, our goal is to give Texas anglers as many days as possible to fish in federal waters for red snapper while still maintaining our traditional yearlong fishery in Texas state waters,” said Robin Riechers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries Division Director. “State management in recent years has allowed us to have longer seasons and this year we have included the opening before Memorial Day to give that opportunity over the holiday weekend as well.”
Red snapper fishing is open year-round in Texas state waters, and Gulf states have the unique benefit of managing state bag and size limits of the red snapper fishery.
Bag and size limits for federal and state waters will remain unchanged.
Regulations for red snapper in federal waters consist of:
- Two fish per person per day with a 16-inch minimum size limit.
- Red snapper caught in federal waters count as part of the state bag limit of four fish.
- No more than two red snapper per person can be in possession while in federal waters.
Regulations for red snapper in state waters:
- Four fish per person per day with a 15-inch minimum size limit.
- No more than four red snapper per person can be in possession in state waters while fishing.
The TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division will provide public notice of the private recreational season closing date before the state’s allotted catch limit has been reached. TPWD will update all communication platforms, including the Outdoor Annual, news release website and social media accounts, when it determines that closing date.
The federal charter for hire season is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and will still open June 1.
Gulf-wide “DisCARD” Study
TPWD continues to collect the best data possible for managing the state and federal red snapper season in coastal waters. Starting this year, the agency is partnering with Mississippi State University and the four other Gulf state agencies (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi) on a new “disCARD” study to collect information on reef fish caught and released offshore.
This study will rely on saltwater anglers submitting data collected while fishing on cards that TPWD will distribute at certain boat ramps. The “disCARD” project will take place in the Galveston, San Antonio, and Lower Laguna Madre Bay systems for the next 18 months.
This data will be utilized as part of ongoing assessments to help determine the sustainable harvest levels for important species like red snapper.
“The disCARD study represents a new opportunity for anglers to directly help gather more accurate data for better fishery management,” said Hanna Bauer, a Program Coordinator for the DisCARD study and Policy and Education Team lead for TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division. “Fish released by private anglers offshore has been a data gap in Texas and we are excited to begin to fill those gaps with real information.”
2022 DESCEND Act
The 2022 DESCEND Act requires all commercial and recreational anglers to possess a venting tool or a rigged descending device on their boat while fishing for reef fish in federal waters. TPWD also requires all commercial and recreational anglers fishing in state waters to use a venting tool or rigged descending device for reef fish exhibiting signs of barotrauma. Research shows that properly releasing reef fish, such as red snapper, helps reduce mortality.
Texas Hunt & Fish APP
Texas anglers are a crucial aspect of successful fisheries management in Texas and are encouraged to use the Texas Hunt & Fish app (formerly My Texas Hunt Harvest) to log their red snapper catches. Anglers can also use the app to log harvested game species, view harvest history, save photos and share harvests on social media. For more information about the Texas Hunt & Fish App and how to use it, please visit: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/hunt-and-fish-app/
Article source and photo credit: Texas Parks and Wildlife
