Just FYI it looks like NMFS will bypass the gulf council.
What I have seen on other forums is that it will likely be a June1 to end of sept season. Same as this year two fish 16 inches with additional regs about using only circle hooks (none stainless)venting tools and a dehooker. No catch allowed by captain and hands on for hire charters.
Here is the link to the Hotsheet.
http://myfwc.com/marine/Docs/Hot_Topics/HotSheetOctober2007.pdf

If you're fishing from shore, you have to be very careful not to confuse the two (or is it three) types of "red snapper". I'm not totally knowledgable of what I'm speaking of, but I think there are "vermillion" snapper, red snapper and a "pink" variety, and different rules apply. Can somebody add something to this? Sorry to raise an issue when I am partially ignorant of my facts, but you might think you have a legal fish when you don't, and it can cost you big $$$.

There are 6 types of Snapper here in Texas.

Vermillion snapper have no quantity limit just a size limit in state waters.

In Federal water's the most you can catch is 10 I believe.


You need to be a dam laywer to read and understand the Texas Laws on Snapper fishing in General.



-Z-

Jazz, the one to be cautious with is the Gulf Red Snapper ... "TRUE" red snapper. We also have lane snapper, mutton snapper, mangrove snapper and vermillion snapper, but red snapper have a very distinct appearance.

As SP bum mentions, there are different rules for state & Federal waters. To that I will only add that you now have to have a saltwater license to land fish whether you're fishing state OR federal waters. Read the rules & read them again - keep a copy on your boat so you can refer to them just in case.

Offshore - that link you posted was for Florida state limits, right? I assume that they're following the lead of the feds, but TX still has its year-round season to 9 miles out.

It is about the upcoming federal regs that will effect all of the federal snapper. Sorry about the Confusing link.I will post up the link to the Fed page. Yes at this point Texas state waters is still 4 RED Snapper. But I heard yesterday that there is a motion that will be put before TP&W this month to follow the lead of the FEDS and reduce the RED Snapper catch in STate Waters to two per person and possibley follow the feds opening and closing dates. Here is the fed doc page.
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main
On the search page down on the bottom right select Advanced Search.
On Agency line scroll down till you see National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstraion.
Document ID line: Type in NOAA-NMFS-2007-0749
Press search after the screen pick the first document NOAA-NMFS-2007-0749-0001 and download the APF file. It is a long read but you will see the info for yourself. A comment from you can be made useing this site just follow the instructions.

Sorry for using that Hotsheet just trying to make it easy since there is no way to link to this page.

You can also write in comments to:

Mail: Peter Hood
NOAA Fisheries Service
Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

or fax comments to (727) 824-5308 ATT: Peter Hood

My favorite part is the lack of more restrictions on the shrimp boat industry. Why are they not being pushed out past the 26 fathom curve? This is a CCA hot issue and no real emphasis placed in this area. The commercials Snapper fishermen who own 51% of the yearly TAC will be effected by the reduction, but does anyone really know how much blackmarket snapper is sold through Texas per year? Seems to me NMFS is realy working for the commercial industry and the Shrimp Lobby in particular.( but most of us already knew this) Anyway my guess would be that Rec fishing for snapper will end long before the Commercials are completly shut down. I guess one good thing is the reduction of the commerical size limit to 13".

The reduction to 13" for commercials has virtually no impact. Many commercial guys are still releasing fish under about 16 inches because they can't get enough for them at market and therefore don't want to fill their quota with them.

It's one of those rules that sounds good on paper but doesn't hold up to true market conditions.

I did not know that. A comm told me a little differant story(he favored it). I have no doubt there will be any positive real world impact on Reg discardes with this rule.