By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter
Private anglers will have 63 days starting June 1 to catch red snapper in federal waters off the Texas coast.
Bag and size limits remain unchanged at two per person with a 16-inch minimum length.
The start date and length of season for federal waters was set by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
“This is something new. We’ve been trying it out for the past couple of years, and we finally got approval from the National Marine Fishery Service in 2019 to set all of the red snapper seasons in federal waters going forward,” Julie Hagen, social media specialist for TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division, said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.
Prior to this year, TPWD was working under an exempted fishing permit for two years.
“This will be our third year, and we will have that authority going forward,” Hagen said.
The season length is based on historical landing data, last year’s fishing effort data and the state’s allocation from the 2019 stock assessment.
“The reason that we say a projected 63 days is because even though we do manage the opening and closing of the seasons, we do have an allocated poundage,” Hagen said. “The federal government has given each Gulf state a certain amount of red snapper that they can have.”
The allocation is given in pounds of fish, not number of fish.
“We can’t exceed that total allowable catch. In order to do that, we keep meticulous records throughout the season in federal waters and all of the time in state waters so we can get an estimate of how many pounds of fish have been caught,” Hagen said.
When the state gets close to the limit, TPWD will close the season and announce it on their website.
“We have enough science and statistics using historical landings to project out that we think it’ll take about 63 days,” Hagen said.
Anglers are encouraged to check the TPWD website and the Outdoor Annual app to ensure the season is still opening before fishing.
Federal waters in Texas start past nine nautical miles.
“We are only managing private recreational anglers,” Hagen said. “This means people going out on their own boats, and they can bring friends and anything like that. We do not manage the for-hire sector that includes charter boats, party boats and head boats.”
The for-hire sector is still regulated by the federal government.
In state waters, private anglers can fish year-round.
Bag and size limits remain unchanged at four fish per person with a 15-inch minimum in state waters.
“You’re going to know if it’s a red snapper by that deep rosy red color, and they’re actually going to have a dark fringe around the dorsal and tail fins,” Hagen said.
Anglers are encouraged to report their catches on the iSnapper app.
“We would love help from anglers. It helps us better manage federal and state waters if we have an accurate count,” Hagen said. “You can download the iSnapper app, and it’s on your smartphone, or you can just report your landings through Texas Parks and Wildlife.”
The app will ask how many red snapper were caught, the size and where they were caught.
Anglers must carry a valid Texas fishing license with them when fishing in state and federal waters.