While it leaves a lot to be desired as far as recreational harvest and longevity, at least there is a red snapper season for the many saltwater fishermen from the Teche Area who venture offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

For example, anglers were able to weigh in red snapper in the recent 65th annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo at Cypremort Point. That wasn’t the case a year ago during the highly popular fishing rodeo because the recreational harvest of red snapper was closed.

Heck, if you spend the time and money to go offshore in a big boat, or a barge, as one local skipper did that holiday weekend, you should be able to enjoy catching red snapper that are so plentiful in the northwestern part of the Gulf, contrary to what the experts report and base their laughable season on.

There were nice-sized red snapper on the Offshore Division’s leaderboard when the fishing rodeo drew to a close on July 1. The top spot was owned by the 27.5-pound red snapper caught by Michael Duhon. Two 18-pound even red snappers were second and third, respectively.

The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is keeping track of the recreational red snapper harvest. Through July 8, the state agency reports 407,117 pounds of red snapper have been caught, according to LA Creel, or 54 percent of Louisiana’s annual private recreational allocation of 743,000 pounds.

An LDWF spokesman said the current weekends-only season will continue until recreational landings approach or reach Louisiana’s allocation.

State and federal seasons are open concurrently because federal fisheries managers approved LDWF’s application for an Exempted Fishing Permit to manage the private recreational red snapper season in state and federal waters in 2018 and 2019. Participating EFP anglers can fish red snapper in the state territorial seas and adjoining federal waters from shore to 200 nautical miles.

The LDWF asks recreational red snapper fishermen to try out the tool developed to report catches electronically through the ROLP website or app, noting the voluntary reporting helps test that method of harvest data collection.

“Our goal is to continually improve our harvest data collection techniques to ensure our fishery resources are managed precisely and our fishermen have every possible opportunity to go out and catch fish,” the state agency said in a prepared statement.

To get started on electronic reporting, go to wlf.louisiana.gov/snapper-efp-faqs and see question #14.

Perhaps, just perhaps, when this region’s count is submitted accurately and fairly, our red snapper fishermen will get the season they deserve one day.

 

DON SHOOPMANis outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.