Red snapper season ends on Sunday | Louisiana outdoors

Sunday, October 6, is the last day of the 2024 recreational red snapper season.

Secretary for Wildlife and Fisheries Madison Sheahan signed an emergency declaration on Thursday closing the season at 11:59 p.m

Sheahan’s decision comes after Los Angeles Creel estimated the collection at 966,005 pounds, a total amount that exceeds our state’s annual allocation of 934,587 pounds. Final estimates will be released after state biologists and fisheries managers conduct a final study, which will last through Sunday.

That means offshore reef fishermen have had 151 days this season, a far cry from the federally mandated nine-day seasons a few years ago. The season began on April 15, the earliest opening since seasons were introduced over two decades ago.

Weekly red snapper landing estimates are available on the agency’s website: wlf.louisiana.gov/page/red-snapper.

A surplus means that our state’s 2025 allocation will be reduced by the number of pounds in excess of the 2024 allocation.

Along the coast

After all the arguments and years of arguments about new speckled trout and redfish and size limits, there doesn’t seem to be much complaining about how the spring and summer fishing has fared this year.

Maybe it’s because most people fish, not always 15 trout a day or four redfish caught every day. There also wasn’t much disagreement about the 18-27 inch “nest” limit for “keeper” redfish.

What’s happening now is people complaining about the daily catch limit of two trout over 20 inches long.

Trout certainly thrive in the warm and food-rich months. Hell, if we had shrimp in our daily diet, we too would grow fast.

The trout grew so large that a handful of saltwater fishermen complained that they had to put several “nice-sized trout” into the water almost every day.

This has resulted in something completely different than most everything you’ve read here over the last 40 years – tightening the bard on the hooks to allow the angler to more easily release those trout longer than 20 inches.

After mentioning several times about tightening barbs during late fall and winter cruises to easily release trout smaller than 13 inches in diameter (the new minimum size) from the boat, it’s strange to consider doing the same when finding large specks.

However, this method works and will test your mettle as a trout angler to a greater extent. This will require even pressure on the heavier target, the fish, which will do everything in its power to shake the hook. But you can do it, and it will increase the survival rate of this mighty trout, if only because you couldn’t handle it in the boat.

Just try it.

Big surprise

Along with the trout and redfish fishing, there is also plenty of flounder, which appear in the catch from late April and are still visible in photos after the trip.

You’ll have to get them this week because our state’s closed flounder season opens October 15 and runs through the end of November.

This is the second year this season.

Wildlife and fisheries experts are quick to point out that this statewide shutdown applies to the recreational and commercial sectors and “all types of gear, including flounder caught as bycatch in any other fishery,” which means shrimp and other netting activities.

The change to the season came after state sampling showed that our southern flounder stock was overfished, likely as a result of overfishing.

Caught

Two men from St. Martinville faces thousands of dollars in fines and jail time after state Division of Law Enforcement agents found them in the Attakapas Wildlife Management Area while on a frog-hunting expedition.

Brian Bonin43 i Antoine Bonin Jr.45 years old, operated a tiller-controlled outboard engine without a cut off lanyard.

This seemingly minor violation led to Brian Bonin’s arrest for allegedly operating a boat while intoxicated – a DWI violation – as well as violating the Frog and WMA Rules.

Andrew Bonin is in much hotter water. His alleged violations include “…possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm (a loaded .22 caliber rifle) by a convicted felon, violation of jabbing regulations, and failure to comply with WMA regulations.”

Both were placed in the St. Mary’s Parish Correctional Facility.