Recreational anglers in Georgia and Florida will have a 14-day red snapper season in South Atlantic federal waters running continuously from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22.
The fall season was approved under Exempted Fishing Permits issued by federal fisheries officials to test state-led catch reporting systems.
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Under the permits, anglers face a daily bag limit of one red snapper per person with no minimum size limit.
The pilot project allows both states to evaluate state-led electronic data collection methods that could support long-term management of the recreational red snapper fishery.
In Georgia, private anglers participating in the season must declare their trips using VESL, an electronic reporting application developed by Bluefin Data LLC. Anglers must obtain a unique trip authorization code before departing and submit a completed catch report through the app within 24 hours. Anglers with outstanding reports will be ineligible to start another trip under the permit until submitted.
GEORGIA: Red snapper information
FLORIDA: Red snapper information
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division established a harvest limit of 4,859 red snapper for the October season. The Georgia pilot project is supported by a grant from Yamaha Rightwaters and state officials will submit weekly catch reports to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
“This is an important opportunity for Georgia anglers and an important step toward improving how we collect information about our recreational red snapper fishery,” Doug Haymans, director of the Coastal Resources Division, said in a news release. “Georgia anglers have asked for greater access to this fishery and this permit gives us an opportunity to provide that access while testing a system designed to produce better information about fishing effort, catch and releases.”
Haymans noted that data gathered during the pilot will inform future management efforts.
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“This is more than an additional fishing opportunity,” Haymans said. “What we learn from Georgia anglers this fall can help us build a better system for the future. That makes participation and accurate reporting critical to the success of the project.”
Private anglers in Georgia are also asked to voluntarily report catch and releases of red snapper during November, when harvest remains closed.
In Florida, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued an Executive Order closing Atlantic state waters to recreational red snapper harvest as of Sept. 22 to align with the opening of the fall season.
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Florida private anglers and for-hire operators are encouraged to report trip data using the FWC Atlantic Red Snapper Reporting app. Gear is restricted to hook-and-line gear (single-hook only) or spearfishing under a 10-fish snapper-grouper aggregate limit.
For both states, charter and headboat captain and crew members are prohibited from keeping red snapper under the bag limit allowance. Federally permitted charter and headboat operators in Georgia will continue submitting data through existing federal for-hire electronic reporting programs.
Following the October season, state officials in Georgia and Florida will review harvest data with NOAA Fisheries to determine whether remaining quota allows for a potential second fishing season in December 2026.
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