Despite being late in the year, recreational red snapper fishermen still have a long way to go to hook and keep Louisiana’s allocation of the tasty fish from state and federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to private recreational red snapper landing estimates through Oct. 15, Louisiana has harvested 779,480 pounds, or 83.4 percent, of Louisiana’s 2023 annual private recreational allocation of 934,587 pounds.

The weight is based on near real-time landings data collected by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which released the data in a prepared statement Oct. 27. Average weight estimates and the proportions of state and federal charter harvest are updated and reflected in the landing estimates table at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/red-snapper.

If November weather allows, Louisiana’s offshore anglers, including many from across Acadiana, should enjoy some of the best red snapper fishing of the year. And there still are more than 150,000 pounds on the table, so to speak, to be harvested before the quota is reached.

I know the local offshore fishermen have had a very good red snapper season so far, weather and water conditions permitting. Hopefully, the stretch run is just as good or better.

LDWF increased the daily creel limit from three to four red snapper on July 17. But the 16-inch minimum length limit remained in place.

The change, greatly appreciated by recreational fishermen who fish offshore, was made to allow red snapper fishermen to “fully utilize the increased allocation of red snapper” in 2023.

At the urging of the LDWF in 2020, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council delegated red snapper management authority to the state agency to regulate the private recreational and state charter red snapper fishery in federal waters off Louisiana. As a result, LDWF and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has managed the resource effectively while making in-season adjustments to opening and closing dates, size limits and creel limits with input from anglers.

LDWF reminds charter boat captains and crew members they cannot keep a limit of red snapper during a charter trip into state or federal waters. Also, charter boat captains, including those fishing from vessels with a valid federal charter/headboat permit, must have a valid Charter ROLP to possess tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, triggerfish and dolphins in Louisiana waters.

A Charter ROLP covers all paying anglers on a charter trip.

To those who venture out to the rigs and rocks to bring back red snapper, be safe and enjoy the stretch run of the red snapper season.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.