Recreational harvest of snook for Florida’s west coast opens March 1

COURTESY PHOTO

Snook has long been a popular sportfish in Florida and its harvest has been regulated since the mid-1950s. In 1985, snook were considered severely depleted and conservative management strategies were suggested to minimize harvest and increase the chances of snook recovering.

Over the decades, regulations were adopted to prohibit commercial harvest or sale of snook, implement the “snook stamp” requirement, and refine the seasons and slot limits. These regulation changes have helped increase the abundance and size of snook. Snook stocks have rebounded and are currently exceeding the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) management goal of 40% spawning potential ratio (SPR) on both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida. SPR is the percent of the total biomass of mature fish in a fished population compared to the number that would exist if the population were not fished.

In 2023, FWC adopted a new regional management approach for snook that brings a holistic view to management decisions by using multiple metrics (SPR, relative abundance, habitat, harmful algal blooms, fishing effort, temperature and stakeholder feedback) to evaluate the fishery on a smaller regional scale. Each year, FWC will evaluate the snook fishery in each management region using these metrics, and key findings will be summarized in “Annual Review” publications.

SOUTHWEST

The recreational harvest of snook in the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and Southwest management regions will open March 1, and remain open through April 30. This includes all Florida state and inland waters as well as adjacent federal waters within each management region.

These regions and regulations are part of the FWC’s holistic management approach for Florida’s most popular inshore fisheries. Through this approach, seven metrics are used to evaluate the fishery by region, adding a holistic perspective to management decisions and allowing the FWC to address regional concerns. To learn more, see www.MyFWC.com/Snook.

SARASOTA BAY

Other regulations:

• No commercial harvest or sale of snook is permitted.

• Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore.

• When on a for-hire trip, captain and crew may not retain a bag limit.

• Allowable gear: hook and line only.

• License requirements: Snook permit and recreational fishing license. Note: Prior to purchasing a snook permit, check current regulations in the area you plan to fish. All sales are final. Refunds will not be given even if the species you plan to target is closed to harvest.

For more information on recreational snook regulations, see myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/ snook. This page includes the snook annual reviews that provide summaries of key findings from the annual evaluation of management metrics for each region. ¦

In the KNOW

SOUTHWEST

· Open season: March 1-April 30 and Oct. 1-Nov. 30.

CHARLOTTE HARBOR

· Closed season: Dec. 1-end of February and May 1-Sept. 30.

· Bag limit: One fish per person per day.

· Slot limit: 28–32 inches total length.

· Boundaries: The northern boundary is 26°15.227’ North Latitude, near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County, and the region extends through the Florida Keys to the Monroe/Miami-Dade county line. Includes all inland waters of the area colored yellow on the map and all waters of Everglades National Park.

SARASOTA BAY

· Open season: March 1-April 30 and Sept. 1-Nov. 30.

· Closed season: Dec. 1-end of February and May 1-Aug. 31.

· Bag limit: One fish per person per day.

· Slot limit: 28–32 inches total length.

· Boundaries: The northern coastal boundary is State Road 64 in Manatee County, and the region extends south to 27°04.727’ North Latitude, near the Venice Municipal Airport. Includes all waters of Palma Sola Bay, Phillippi Creek, Cow Pen Slough Canal and Curry Creek. Includes all inland waters of the are colored yellow on the map. Does not include the waters of the Braden and Manatee rivers.

CHARLOTTE HARBOR

· Open season: March 1-April 30 and Oct. 1-Nov. 30.

· Closed season: Dec. 1-end of February and May 1-Sept. 30.

· Bag limit: One fish per person per day.

· Slot limit: 28–32 inches total length.

· Boundaries: The northern coastal boundary is 27°04.727’ North Latitude, near the Venice Municipal Airport, and the region extends south to 26°15.227’ North Latitude, near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County. Includes all inland waters of the area colored yellow on the map. Includes all waters of the Caloosahatchee, Myakka and Peace rivers and their tributaries. Does not include Lake Okeechobee.

The post Recreational harvest of snook for Florida’s west coast opens March 1 first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .