According to new data that confirms what most offhsore angler already know, the red snapper fishery in Texas is in good shape.
As one of the most sought after fish in the gulf, red snapper became the subject of a new reporting system that has shown favorable results.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division staff asked Texas anglers to report their red snapper landings beginning June 1, at the start of the nine-day federal season through their pilot reporting program and submit basic information about their catch. The survey questions included the trip’s total red snapper catch, the date it occurred, the number of fish landed, etc.
“Red snapper in Texas waters are doing great and show no signs of slowing down,” says Jeremy Leitz, Regulations Program Specialist at TPWD.
Overall, 119 fishing trips were recorded through a new online reporting system. More than 700 anglers harvested 1,511 red snapper within both federal and Texas state waters this past June.
TPWD recorded an additional 4,096 red snapper from targeted creel surveys conducted at boat ramps. The survey information was gathered from 1,917 anglers after their trips.
Although the 2014 federal season is over, anglers are encouraged to continue to record their red snapper landings atwww.tpwd.texas.gov/snapper.
The data, along with other harvest monitoring programs, will be used to help design future harvest programs and indicate the health of the red snapper fishery off Texas shores.
