'I'm grateful': Destin anglers cheer announcement of 103-day red snapper season
Tina Harbuck
Fish tales are not the only thing that spreads quickly among fishermen.
As soon as Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a record 103-days for the recreational fisherman to catch red snapper in 2024 word spread quickly.
DeSantis was supposed to attend a news conference in Destin on Tuesday afternoon at Legendary Marine Sales and Brokerage but had to cancel at the last minute because it was unsafe to land at the airport.
About 200 people had shown up for the news conference with anticipation of an announcement of snapper days for the Gulf Coast. Fishermen, county commissioners from Okaloosa and Walton, city council members from Destin and Fort Walton Beach and others filled the sales floor at Legendary.
However, it was not long after everything was canceled, that a news release went out with good news for the local fishermen.
“This season will include both a summer and fall season, which includes major holiday weekends such as Father’s Day, July 4th and the Thanksgiving holiday,” according to the news release from the Governor's Office.
“I am proud to announce that this snapper season will be the longest season since our state took over red snapper management in the Gulf,” DeSantis said in the release. “Florida is proud to be the Fishing and Boating Capital of the World.”
And the local fishermen couldn’t be happier.
“I love it ... absolutely,” said Kevin “Mac” McDaniel of the 21-footer he calls Hat Trick.
And he is thrilled with the weekends in the fall.
“I mainly use the weekends ... I’m a working man. I work during the week,” said McDaniel, who works at Ships Chandler in Destin.
“I like everything they give us,” McDaniel said.
"I would be happy if they opened it up tomorrow for weekends only until the end of the year that would be great,” he added.
Beginning June 1 instead of June 16
The season for the recreational anglers in state waters begins June 1 and goes through July 31, which is 61 days. Then it will be open another 42 days in the fall, with three-day weekends beginning in September and going through November.
"I use those fall days ... it’s great to stretch it out,” McDaniel said.
Before, he only had two months to catch snapper, and with him working during the week that only left eight weekends.
“Now we get a lot ... I love the weekend thing. I’m a fan,” McDaniel said.
Chuck Magill, a recreational angler out of Niceville area, said he heard about the 103 days late Tuesday night.
“I’m so excited,” Magill said.
“It’s beautiful ... it should be fun. And we get to go early this year at the beginning, that’s wonderful,” Magill added.
Last year, the red snapper season for the recreational fishermen began June 16, while charter boat captains with a federal permit began on June 1. The federal permit allows them to fish beyond 9 miles.
Magill likes the idea of the long weekends in the fall as well.
“The long weekends are wonderful and a great opportunity ... love the opportunity just to try it,” he said on his 26-foot Pathfinder.
“I only keep one or two for us,” he said.
Magill said reeling in a snapper on light tackle is a “great fight” and a “lots of fun.”
“I’m grateful to the governor, you betcha,” Magill said.
Capt. Josh Glidden of the charter boat Just Reel said he’s hoping it will drum up a bit more business.
“I hope it will bring our season back. It’s been a slow start. Maybe this will draw some attention to us,” Glidden said, noting this has been a tough spring.
Glidden, who holds a state permit on his 23-foot center-console boat, says he books a lot of red snapper trips.
“I have about two dozen clients that wait for the dates to get released. I’ll probably within the next day or two book a dozen trips just off that being released,” he said.
As for the weekends in the fall, Glidden said he doesn’t really push those trips, but it’s good to have those days if he needs them.
Capt. Mike Dates of the charter boat First Shot said he used the weekends in the fall last year.
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“I’m happy to have all those days in the fall,” he said, noting it gives opportunities for his customers to come down in the offseason.
“I ran quite a few trips in the offseason. It was very helpful,” he said.
“The weekends help to spread the pressure out,” Dates said.
Peter Wright of Ships Chandler, who sells and services boats as well as tackle, said, “that’s a lot of days." But he said it will be great for the recreational fishermen and business.
“I’m a little nervous about the number of days and how hard it’s going to hit the snapper in the head,” Wright said.
But overall, Wright agreed, “it’s great.”
The detailed fall season for red snapper
The 42-day fall season is as follows:
- Sept. 1–2 (Sunday through Monday of Labor Day Weekend)
- Sept. 6–8
- Sept. 13–15
- Sept. 20–22
- Sept. 27–29
- Oct. 4–6
- Oct. 11–13
- Oct. 18–20
- Oct. 25–27
- Nov. 1–3
- Nov. 8–11 (Veteran’s Day Weekend)
- Nov. 15–17
- Nov. 22–24
- Nov. 28–30 (Thursday through Saturday of Thanksgiving Weekend)
“Florida is able to offer this long season due to data driven management of the Red Snapper fishery on the Gulf Coast, which is not allowed by the Federal Government on the East Coast of the state,” the news release said.
“In the event of rainy days impacting the number of fishing days, Florida will evaluate additional Gulf Red Snapper season dates to add later in the season,” according to the release.
Last year, the red snapper season for federally permitted vessels, which is the majority of the Destin charter fleet, started on June 1 and went through Aug. 25. The season for the federally permitted boats has not been set as of May 1.