Anglers gather for an extended red snapper season

Extended red snapper season

FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis talked with anglers about this opportunity to get those last minute reels out.

TAMPA - Bay Area recreational anglers are seeing a 17-day extended red snapper season after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The longer window was a decision made by the FWC and Governor Desantis earlier this month.

Captain Dylan Hubbard with Hubbard's Marina said, "They've added a couple of extra weekends in December and then starting Christmas Eve, it's open every day all the way through New Year's Eve."

For-hire charters also get an extended red snapper season in federal gulf waters this year.

Red snapper season extended.

Captain Steve Papen, owner of Fintastic Fishing Charters said, "The charter sector season was open back up because we only caught 70% of our quota. There was still 30% left." the same can't be said for the east coast of Florida, which only saw a 1-day recreational red snapper season. "You go from say West Palm or Miami, if you go a mile offshore, two miles offshore you're out of habitat," he said, "Way up north, around Canaveral and things like that, those guys have topography similar to us."

READ: Saturday marks the end to one of the most destructive hurricane seasons on record for Tampa Bay

Captain Hubbard said the Bay Area has seen an influx of visiting anglers for that reason. "That was my concern with this extension of red snapper season. We're going to see a flood of anglers from the other coast. Trailers and boats over here," he said, "We want them to come here and stay in our hotels and eat at our restaurants and visit our area and help our beach communities out, but we need our boat ramp access."

Captain Hubbard said Fort DeSoto Park and War Veterans Memorial Park are two boat ramps still partially or fully closed from the hurricanes.

"I've been working with Pinellas County and our boat ramp access. Pinellas County is working feverishly to try to resurrect those boat ramps that were damaged by the storms," Hubbard said.

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