Just seven months ago every recreational angler who fishes for speckled trout in Louisiana had to adhere to new length and creel limits established for the species by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

That change, the result of four years of passionate, heated debate, hit home on Nov. 20. A new era of regulations began as the state’s saltwater fishermen, many who were outspoken against the measures proposed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, adapted to the new limits, then waited for the other shoe to drop. It has dropped.

Starting June 20, Louisiana’s sport fishermen will find the bar raised on the minimum length limit for keeper-sized redfish, plus the number of legal redfish in the daily creel lowered. It is the first change to redfish regulations in the state since 1988.

The new size limit stipulates an 18-inch minimum length, up from 16 inches, with a 27-inch maximum total length, and allows four redfish per person, one less redfish than now. Also, keeping a redfish longer than 27 inches is prohibited.

And the new regs also affect charter boat captains, guides, just like the speckled trout rules impacted them. Charter boat captains and crew still can fish on chartered redfish trips “to demonstrate how to catch red drum, but will not be allowed to retain red drum towards any limit on the vessel,” according to a prepared statement released June 7 by the LDWF.

Current regulations for a daily creel limit allow five redfish between 16 and 27 inches with one redfish more than 27 inches long. Those days will be history soon.

Veteran Teche Area saltwater angler Milton Davis, 60, has little or no problem with the pending regulations. He’s targeted redfish with a rod and reel for more than 40 years in and around Vermilion Bay.

“I think it’s a good thing for the future. The past eight years, there hasn’t been much (red)fish. Eight or nine years ago it was still good,” said the Lydia resident who began fishing for redfish at age 16. “When I first started it was crazy back then. You’d go in Cote Blanche, go in Trash Pile, and catch 40-60 fish easy. No limits.”

Davis, an electrician who owns Short Circuit Repair, fishes on his Strickly Bidness, a 24-foot long Nautic Star. He discussed his take on the regulations June 8 several hours after he took a fishing buddy, Alex Dugas, and Dugas’ 7- and 10-year-old daughters, on a bountiful redfish trip along the reefs near South Point, specifically the Turtle Hole.

Soon after spotting six bull reds on the shoreline in the morning, the girls had first shot at them, he said. Then all the anglers started tattooing the redfish and they kept 18 up to 26 ½ inches long. Most of them were 18 to 22 inches long.

“That’s a lot of fish, a lot of filet. We kept a lot of eatin’’ fish – 18-12 (inches). Eighteen-22 is the best-eating redfish,” Davis said from beaucoup experience.

Despite that rewarding trip, which was over by 11:30 a.m., Davis reiterated his belief there are fewer redfish around. State biologists agree after releasing data showing the number of redfish caught in 2021 was the lowest since the late 1980s. Also, their data showed the number of 1-year-old redfish inshore dropped to its lowest level ever.

What triggered implementation of the new regulations?

LDWF biologists reported that despite a 2022 stock assessment showing an abundance of redfish, the numbers are declining at a rate that requires corrective measures. The stock assessment highlighted these points:

· The redfish stock isn’t overfished but overfishing is occurring.

· Overfishing has occurred frequently the past decade at approximately 80 percent.

· The spawning potential ratio, or number of red drum available to spawn relative to the population if they weren’t fished, started a downward trend in 2005.

· Recent recreational harvests are at the lowest level observed since the 1980s.

· Redfish have been a recreational-only fishery since 1988. No commercial harvest exists.

Based on early reaction, the biggest beef is being unable to keep a bull red over 27 inches long. At the same time, other anglers favor the ban on bull reds.

Davis would support creating a bonus tag toward one bull red per year, similar in a way to Texas. The Lone Star State already allows one bull red per year but offers a $3 bonus tag for a second bull red in a year.

What happens with inside waters categories for major fishing contests such as the fast-approaching 71st annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo and Grand Isle Redfish Rodeo? Will the focus shift to the “slot redfish” category with the slot changing to 18-27?

Also, anglers in certain parts of the state say they can’t remember the last time they hooked and boated a redfish between 18 and 27 inches, noting what they catch either is below or above that slot. Many of those anglers wished the lower side of the size limit would have stayed at 16 inches.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.