LA Creel harvest estimates allow for completion of 39-day extended season, LDWF says
Earlier this summer, it looked pretty bleak. Then it looked possible. Then it didn’t. Finally, the numbers started looking pretty good.
Louisiana offshore anglers have pretty much been wondering since mid-June if the 39-day extended red snapper season would make it all the way to its scheduled finale on Labor Day — and the answer, finally, is yes.
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on Thursday, figures from LA Creel indicate 880,603 pounds of red snapper have been caught as of Aug. 20, meaning almost 160,000 pounds remain on the table before the state’s self-imposed limit of 1.04 million pounds is reached. With inclement weather last weekend in the Gulf from Hurricane Harvey, it’s probably a safe bet that most of that 160,000 pounds is still available for offshore anglers during the upcoming long four-day holiday weekend.
Louisiana was part of an agreement reached earlier this summer with the four other Gulf states and the U.S. Department of Commerce that allowed recreational anglers to fish 200 miles from the Louisiana coast for red snapper for up to 39 days. The extended season opened June 16 and will continue on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as this Monday, Sept. 4.
