Red snapper season extended for recreational and private anglers
By Lacey Beasley
Click here for updates on this story
MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — For all anglers, some good news is reeling in. Red snapper season is now extended through December, and it has people eager to get a few more months of fishing in.
Officials said this season was more troubling compared to years before.
According to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the quota for 2022 fell remarkably lower than 2021 and 2020. At just over 80 days into the season, only 360,000 pounds of red snapper were caught. In 2021, there was over 800,000, and 2020 showed over 1 million pounds.
Scott Bannon, with the ADCNR, said this season had an unfortunate kickoff.
“We lost the opening weekend,” said Bannon. “Memorial Day weekend, the weather was terrible, and normally we would fish 150,000 pounds, and we only fished a couple thousand. The people did the right thing. The weather was not good.”
Soaring fuel costs didn’t make it any easier.
“This year, people have specifically said I’m not going to make more than one trip, or a few trips this year,” said Bannon. “I just can’t afford it.”
With all this in consideration, red snapper season for recreational and private anglers is now continued until December 31, or until the 1.12-million-pound quota is met.
Some anglers on the Gulf Coast are thrilled.
“We’re getting ready to go in the morning,” said Justin Fadalla, angler. “We’ll go out and take some friends once again that don’t go all the time, so it’s a great opportunity for us to have those few extra days. The weather looks great. There may be rain, but I think it’s a great weekend to fish.”
Bannon also said there’s been a tougher bite this season, but he’s expecting with this continuation, anglers can fish without feeling rushed.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
