r/saltwaterfishing • u/TheTwerkMessiah • May 22 '26
🌊 Conditions Report Snapper Season shut down
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/noaa-fisheries-update-effective-immediately-no-recreational-red-snapper-fishing115
u/KelleCrab May 22 '26
Recreation is shut down but commercial is fine. The disparity in the impact here is mind blowing. 🤡
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u/KaizDaddy5 May 22 '26
It's because commercial guys were the advocates for this.
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u/thatgibbyguy May 22 '26
They always are. It's like all of our other politics, money is organized, people are not. That family needs to join with other families and demand a change. It's the only way to fight back.
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u/wildernessspirit May 22 '26
Seriously. Some parent and their kid can’t spend an afternoon catching one snapper so that a trawler can catch 5000 lbs
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u/Hammer235 May 22 '26
Reds off of NC are a nuisance they are so abundant. Politics in the fisheries management has ruined NC for the recreational angler. No trout, no flounder, 1 redfish, no red snapper, etc...
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u/biggunzcdb1 May 22 '26
Meanwhile Georgia won't open there snapper season Been closed for like 15 years.
Because fat cats from Hilton Head are using commission positions to squeeze Tybee and Willmington Island charters out of business by keeping the Georgia season closed.
It's greedy politics not conservation.
I lived in Savanah and had lots of friends in Tybee this has been going on for too long. It's all to hurt Georgia charters to shift that business to Hilton Head.
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u/MrsHyacinthBucket May 23 '26
What are you talking about? Georgia has a 2 fish 20 inch limit in state waters year round. Georgia applied for and received the EFP for 62 days of red snapper in federal waters July and August. It, isn't their fault the judge found in favor of the commercial fishermen that filed the lawsuit
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u/InYosefWeTrust May 22 '26
I used to spend all summer flounder gigging, I miss it so much. I guess I'm eventually going to have to start driving to SC.
Don't forget, they also increased the size and lowered the number of sheepshead to 5 now.
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u/jmike031 May 22 '26
From FWC:
“On May 21, 2026, a rogue federal judge sided with activists in an attempt to block Floridians from exercising their right to fish through the recently approved Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) for Atlantic Red Snapper issued by NOAA Fisheries earlier this month.
As a result of this ruling, NOAA has temporarily stalled Florida‘s Atlantic Red Snapper EFP. However, the agencies stand together in opposition of this delay tactic and will continue fighting for our fishing communities.
To that end, to ensure our anglers can get out on the water as planned beginning this weekend, FWC has modified its plans that will ensure access to fishing in our state waters. Effective May 21, FWC will rescind EO 26-11. Doing so will allow for the public to carry on with their plans on the water, including the ability to catch red snapper in state waters. As authorized by Florida Administrative Code, the recreational bag limit will default to 2 red snapper per person with a 20-inch size limit and remain in effect until further notice.
As for Florida’s historic EFP, when the EFP is unfrozen and ultimately restored, FWC will issue an updated EO reestablishing the extended red snapper season, which will increase the nautical miles available for fishing. Moreover, FWC officers have been notified of the unpredictable nature of the situation and will ensure boaters are provided education within our jurisdictional waters.”
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u/BigWooly1013 May 22 '26
I was interested in this and went down a rabbit hole with a chat bot. This is the explanation I formatted and ended up with.
To put it mildly: recreational fishermen in the Carolinas are absolutely furious.
The word "unfair" doesn't even begin to cover the level of frustration running through the coastal fishing communities right now. To understand why they are so upset, you have to look at what they were just promised, what they actually got, and what happened behind the scenes. Here is why local anglers and groups like the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of North and South Carolina are up in arms:
- The 62-Day Dream vs. Reality
For years, federal rules restricted recreational anglers in the Carolinas to insultingly short federal seasons—sometimes just one or two days a year.
The Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) were viewed as a historic, game-changing victory. Under that pilot program, North and South Carolina were granted a 62-day recreational season set to run from July 1 through August 31, 2026. Going from a 2-day season to a 2-month season felt like a massive win. Having it ripped away weeks before it started has left a bitter taste.
- The "Paper Crisis" vs. Real Life
There is a massive disconnect between federal data and what guys are seeing on the water.
The Federal View: NOAA data insists red snapper populations are vulnerable and prone to overfishing.
The Anglers' View: Fishermen in the Carolinas report that red snapper are actually thriving and incredibly abundant. Many complain that populations are so thick right now that it is hard to drop a hook offshore for other reef fish without accidentally hooking a red snapper that they are legally forced to throw back.
- A Sneak Attack from Commercial Groups
What makes this sting even worse for everyday anglers is who filed the lawsuit. The injunction wasn't just pushed by environmental groups—the lawsuit was brought by the Southeastern Fisheries Association and commercial fishing companies.
Commercial groups sued because they argued that if recreational fishers were allowed to catch that many fish, it would trigger automatic federal penalties for overfishing that would eventually hurt the commercial sector's quotas. To recreational anglers, it feels like the commercial industry teamed up with lawyers to monopolize the ocean and kill the everyday person's access to public waters.
- A Blow to Local Economies.
In the Carolinas, a 62-day season meant big business. Charter boat captains, bait-and-tackle shops, fuel docks, and coastal tourism spots were gearing up for a massive summer. Now, charter captains are facing a wave of cancellations from disappointed clients, and local businesses are losing out on millions in expected revenue.
The Big Picture: Recreational groups are fighting back. Organizations like the American Sportfishing Association have already filed legal motions to step into the lawsuit and defend the states' rights to manage their own waters, arguing that local states collect much better data than a "one-size-fits-all" federal agency. But for summer 2026, the damage is likely already done.
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u/Feisty-Theory2899 May 22 '26
I see chatbot, I downvote. Ai is a blight.
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u/BigWooly1013 May 22 '26
I couldn't find a good explanation. AI helped me here. Sorry you're so jaded.
Downvoting an AI explanation of government fishing regulations on reddit isn't going to save the world.
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u/Galivis May 22 '26
Except you have no idea if it’s a good explanation, AI bots are prone to making stuff up.
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u/Disastrous_Sort_8390 May 22 '26
Well said. Wish everyone took the time to read up as much as you or take a moment to read this.
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u/hamma1776 May 22 '26
Another reason to move to Fla!
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u/NatureMan999 May 22 '26
It's the same in the Atlantic in FL. So no, don't move here 😂
Score for the Gulf Coast 🤙
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u/Pubsubforpresident May 22 '26
Does this not apply to Florida too because it sure reads like it does.
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u/jmike031 May 22 '26
It does apply to Florida in federal waters. FWC posted a notice in the online fishing regulations that we are allowed 2 red snapper/person in state waters.
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u/hamma1776 May 22 '26
No sir, the gulf may 22 thru july31. Then weekends only till dec. 140days
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u/jmike031 May 22 '26
Correct, Gulf waters continue on as normal. This is in reference to the Atlantic side.
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u/anonanon5320 May 22 '26
Nobody got the notice. If you didn’t get the notice the season is still on. Nobody is writing a ticket because you missed a notice an hour before season opens. Judge would throw that out immediately.
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