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Offshore ventures
Snapper season set to open for summer fun
T
he 2022 red snapper season will generally follow the same “People will need to keep a descending device rigged and ready rules as last year. The season opens in state and federal wawhile fishing,” Bannon says. “To return a fish to the water, attach ters on May 27. Recreational anglers will be able to keep the fish to a descending device on a line and lower it back down. snapper from 12:01 a.m. each Friday through 11:59 p.m. each It has an adjustment where a person can set the depth. Release Monday until the season closes. the fish back at the depth where it was caught. We want to make “We don’t shoot for a target ending date because of too many sure fish get back in their acclimated depth quickly to help with factors involved in when the quota can be reached,” explains Scott barotrauma.” Bannon, director of the Alabama Marine Resources Division on People must report all their red snapper, greater amberjack and Dauphin Island. “People can fish for snapper each Friday through gray triggerfish catches through the Snapper Check program. This Monday until it looks like the quota will be met. I anticipate the helps fisheries managers keep track of the quotas and health of the season will probably stay open for 30 to 40 fishing days or about resources. One person can report the entire catch for everyone 10 weekends if the fishing effort is on a vessel. Seasons, sizes and daily creel limits for various species average and the weather stays favorable. If the weather turns bad, differ so always check what’s legal we encourage people to wait until before keeping any fish. the weather improves.” “Snapper Check is extremely For the past two years, the Naimportant to us,” Bannon says. tional Oceanic and Atmospheric “Also, when the boat comes back Administration Fisheries alloto the dock, people might see an cated Alabama a quota of about MRD staff person. Those people 1.12 million pounds. Bannon says are conducting dockside surveys. the poundage this year should be Take a few minutes to answer their about the same. Last year, anglers questions. It helps us develop a fell slightly short of the quota. snapshot of what fishing looks like “In 2021, Alabama recreationin Alabama. We also encourage al anglers landed about 952,000 people to use a free app called Fish pounds, but the season was open Rules. It geolocates people and tell 124 days,” Bannon says. “Last year, them what the limits and seasons we had some challenging weather are for that location.” early in the season so not as many Skyrocketing fuel prices could people went offshore. As we prodiscourage some people from gressed into the year, fishing efforts heading offshore or limit the number of trips they make for snapper. dropped with school openings, etc. Despite the smallest coastline on We were open an extraordinary the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama esnumber of days and didn’t close the tablished extensive artificial reef season until late December.” Red snapper prefer deep water. zones in offshore, nearshore and When fish come up from the botinshore waters to attract and hold tom too fast in deep water they fish. This makes Alabama one of could suffer “barotrauma.” Some- David Sikes prepares to land a red snapper while other anglers fish the premier places in the nation for more snapper during an excursion in the Gulf of Mexico south thing similar occurs to divers re- of Orange Beach, Ala. to land red snapper and other reef PHOTO BY JOHN N. FELSHER turning to the surface too quickly. fish. Fortunately, some artificial They can suffer “decompression sickness” or “the bends” when reefs sit close enough to shore that smaller boats can reach them trapped gases in their bodies expand as pressure decreases. without burning excessive fuel. For years, anglers would use venting tools, hollow needle-like “We have arguably the world’s largest and best managed artificial reef zone,” Bannon says. “We have about 1,100 square miles of devices to puncture the fish and let excess gases dissipate to alleviate that pressure before releasing the fish. New this year, the reef areas including multiple artificial reef zones relatively close to federal government requires that anglers use either a venting tool shore. We expanded the artificial reef zones by 110 square miles or a “descending device” when releasing deep-water fish. in 2021 by deploying 456 offshore reefs and some other inshore reefs. There’s an area south of Dauphin Island called the bridge rubble that’s very popular and relatively close to shore.” John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in For Snapper Check information and to keep up with landings, Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM see outdooralabama.com/mrd-fisheries-section/red-snapperTalk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j.felsher@ faqs. For reef information and locations, see outdooralabama. hotmail.com or through Facebook. com/saltwater-fishing/artificial-reefs.
28 MAY 2022
AL STATE MAY22.indd 28
www.alabamaliving.coop
4/13/22 11:47 AM
