LWF Commission to decide on proposal during Thursday’s meeting in Baton Rouge
Anglers could be catching red snapper in a fall state waters season as soon as this Friday, Oct. 6 — if the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approves the measure at its meeting on Thursday.
According to a press release, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet said the department decided to propose the fall season after receiving red snapper landings estimates from the LA Creel Program indicating the state’s recreational fishermen landed 936,864 pounds of red snapper through Sept. 4, when the extended federal red snapper season closed.
That accounted for approximately 90 percent of LWDF’s self-imposed limit of 1,044,793 pounds, the release states.
The new fall season would allow recreational anglers the opportunity to harvest the limit’s remaining 107,929 pounds of red snapper in state waters, with a daily bag and possession limit of two fish per person. Each fish must be a minimum of 16 inches long.
The proposal or any suggested changes must be approved at the Commission meeting, which begins Thursday morning at 9:30 at LDWF headquarters in Baton Rouge.
If the commission accepts the department’s proposal, the harvest would be monitored by department biologists and Montoucet would have the authority to close the season when the limit is reached, the release states.
LDWF reminds anglers that a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit is required to possess certain species, including red snapper. Anglers may obtain or renew the permit, free of charge, here.
