Red Snapper - The Hull Truth

gordo35 · 03-07-2009, 05:46 PM

Aren't they supposed to be protected

? Fished about 40 miles out of St Pete today and actually had to move because we were spending so much time catching Red Snapper. Bait on bottom= Red Snapper. Bait 10 ft of bottom= Red Snapper. Bait half way down= Red Snapper. Freeline= Red Snapper. We were able to put together a good box of Mangroves, Yellowtails, and Triggers but DAMMIT we must have caught 30-40 Red Snapper all legal size. Smallest was at 17" and I would say 50% were 8-10 pounds with several that were around 12#.
Do you hear that ROY CRABTREE?!?!?!!?!?!!?

Jack Hexter · 03-07-2009, 05:58 PM

There are no snapper in the Gulf. Just ask Crabtree. There's no Grouper there either. That's why I moved my boat to the East coast, to fish sails and dolphin. Crabtree can stick it

BOOMER · 03-07-2009, 07:57 PM

CRAPtree sucks!

fightin fire · 03-07-2009, 08:11 PM

That is the same story here in Destin. Everty trip out we can't get away from them. All big, too. 5-15lbs. It is a real shame throwing so many fish back like that when we all know that a majority won't live, even when properly vented. I you allowed to keep them people would not be fishing as long to get some food in the box and would be going home earlier and happy. They are EVERYWHERE!!

sellsfish · 03-08-2009, 01:31 PM

We have the same problem with "endangered Red Porgies" on the E.C. This is due to the eco-nazi'sfrom the SAFMC. The new Red Snapper closure starts in june. How about this one from Charleston......The local lifetime board member for the CCA, supports the closures.......HE OWNS A TACKLE SHOP!

Paul Barnard · 03-08-2009, 01:38 PM

My blood boils every time I think about the red snapper situation. NOAA's been responsible for managing the stock under the guidelines of Magnuson for how long now? Originally penned in 1976 with a major revision in 1996. 33 friggin years and it's getting worse according to them. That tells me they aren't getting it right. What the hell is their excuse for not getting it right? Sounds to me like Congress needs to overhaul NOAA fisheries.

BIGnUGLY · 03-09-2009, 12:17 PM

I'm with ya gordo. The only solution I've found is much larger live baits. Although lately that has just resulted in much larger snapper. Another problem is the baits are getting large enough the dang dolphin want to eat my baits. Before they would at least let me get a fish on before accosting me.

I have seriously scaled back my fishing and bought some shotguns for the boys and I. In ten years or so maybe I can go and catch marlin that are released in an area like my pheasant and chukars now. I'll have to start training my marlin pointer now.

r.waddill · 03-09-2009, 12:35 PM

Same situation off Alligator point and Carrabelle more RS than you can shake a stikc at. Really sucks

reeldog80 · 03-09-2009, 12:38 PM

Paul, I would not trust congress to overhaul anything right now. Just imagine what would happen if the current congress could get their way!! Every time go out you would have to take a welfare recipient with you because it is not fair that you get to go and they can not afford it (also probably to dumb to catch any even if they could afford it)!! Oh yeah, they get to keep all your fish also!!

BIGnUGLY · 03-09-2009, 01:07 PM

Common reeldog, they'd only get to keep the first 39 of every hundred ya caught. And their not dumb, you had to pay 100 grand for the boat, thousands of which go to the state in sales taxes that go directly to rent and electric subsidies. Insurance, titles, gas tax, fishing licenses, rods, bait, tackle, electronics, maintenance, and to top it off you had to sit in the hot sun and crank em up. Who's the dummy now?

Locke N Load · 03-09-2009, 01:11 PM

Atleast red snapper are worth protecting. Up here in the northeast it is the damned dogfish. Worthless, lazy, possible dangerous on the deck because of its spine, bait eating no good except for dog food fish that is eating up all of the small cod and haddock so those will need to be protected next. It is like protecting the cockroach or mosquito. Why?????

gordo35 · 03-09-2009, 01:47 PM

I'm starting to think that I am a great fisherman b/c I apparently have the "know how" and "skill" to catch these fish. That's gotta be it since there is a shortage of them. Either that or they have become Pelagic and found a nice patch of natural bottom over here on their way through the area.
Nah, I'm just a great fisherman;-)

cold beers · 03-09-2009, 02:14 PM

I have a friend that runs a charter boat that was contracted to take some local collage student fishing in the name of research and would report the finding to NOAA. They put down two artificial reefs and waited one year to fish them. One year later he took them back to fish them. All the fish they caught were under size. They said they would report that the red snapper was over fished because the two reefs they fished did not produce a legal size red snapper. The captain told them that some body was most likely fishing the reef. They said that could not be true, because they had not given any body the numbers to the reefs.
So that is the stupidity we are up against.

Paul Barnard · 03-09-2009, 02:21 PM

Maybe we should turn fisheries management over to FEMa. Could they phuk it up any worse?

piscatore · 03-09-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reeldog80

Paul, I would not trust congress to overhaul anything right now. Just imagine what would happen if the current congress could get their way!! Every time go out you would have to take a welfare recipient with you because it is not fair that you get to go and they can not afford it (also probably to dumb to catch any even if they could afford it)!! Oh yeah, they get to keep all your fish also!!

You sound like a republican bank exec, that just got a guaranteed bailout and BONUS from the last administration.

pbr streetgang · 03-09-2009, 05:20 PM

Red Snapper have been caught as far north as New England on my boat.

The ladies catch em, that is.

.

.

gordo35 · 03-09-2009, 05:33 PM

Well....then I have caught them on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Central Mississippi too.

waypoint159 · 05-16-2009, 09:12 AM

I have posted this on another thread.... Red Snapper Closure - Gulf of Mexico

A great deal of talent...

There seems to be some very intelligent and articulate people posting here.
I am beyond pleased.

NOW...I strongly suggest that everyone that has posted on this topic
do something other then post here. TAKE ACTION!!!

All of this is for nothing unless YOU take this anger and frustration and focus it into
a constructive force. Write your elected officials and remind them that you not only fish,
but you also VOTE. In fact, go pay some of them a visit. Make an appointment, sit down
with them face to face and get something done. Remind them that you vote.

Posting your complaints and arguing does nothing but add to our frustration.

Granted....We are all angry about what the Federal Government, the Fish Huggers, and the Whining, Bed Wetting, Left Wing Extremeist Liberals have done to OUR fishery. I suggest that we continue to discuss this on these threads, but I also STRONGLY urge all of you to do a little more. To put our situation another way,"Our ship is in danger, we are taking on water and the pumps can't keep up. We need the entire crew to put forth 100% effort to Save Our Ship!!"

brailediver · 05-16-2009, 05:42 PM

I made 20 fishermen aware today just by stopping by the boat ramp. The number of un-informed fishermen still amazes me. These are people that fish the Snapper Banks fairly regularly. A little effort goes a long way.

diminished-glutes · 05-17-2009, 11:49 AM

An on the boat stove/grill....offshore snapper lunch

mr. mf man