Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet signed a declaration of emergency to re-open the recreational red snapper season for one final weekend this year. Anglers will have the opportunity to harvest the remaining 6% (roughly 44,000 lbs) of Louisiana’s annual quota beginning this Friday, September 4, through Labor Day, Monday, September. 7.
LA Creel, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ near real-time landings data collection program, indicates that 740,268 pounds or 94 percent of Louisiana’s 2020 annual private recreational allocation of 784,332 pounds have been harvested during the 2020 red snapper season to date.
Anglers will have plenty of options this Labor Day lagniappe weekend as recreational greater amberjack and gray triggerfish seasons are open.
Gray triggerfish
The LDWF announced that the state recreational gray triggerfish season will open concurrently with federal waters on Tuesday, September 1.
The minimum size limit for gray triggerfish is 15 inches minimum fork length. Aggregate bag limits can be found at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/recreational-saltwater-finfish.
The decision came after NOAA Fisheries informed LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet that the recreational season for the harvest of gray triggerfish would be reopened on September 1 in federal waters. Initial projections by NOAA Fisheries had indicated the quota would be met when the season closed in May, however after updated landings data were reviewed there was remaining quota to be harvested and a reopening was warranted.
LDWF will monitor federal actions regarding the closure of the gray triggerfish season and will close concurrently with federal waters which is scheduled for October 26.
