Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/590511
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 1 8 1 I f you go on a Florida-based fishing charter in the Gulf of Mexico, you're likely to hear a bit of bellyaching from the captain about the red snapper limits. The good news is, he'll be more than happy to show you firsthand that there are plenty of red snappers and other gamefish down there. This past June my wife Kathy and I joined Ted Everett, owner of Hard Labor Creek, for some red snapper fishing with Capt. Chris Wiwi, who's been guiding around Panama City since 2002. He claims the fishing is good year-round for one species or another. "Beginning in the spring, we catch a lot of sheepshead, red fish, and pompano," said Chris. "Then as spring progresses, the cobia migration comes, and that's real big. Everybody around here loves sight- fishing for big cobia. "As spring comes to a close," Chris continued, "you get closer to 'the jewel of the Emerald Coast'. . . the red snapper." Chris considers the red snapper to be the most controversial fish in the region, comparing it to salmon in the Northwest and tuna in the Northeast. "All the talk here in the early summer is about the red snapper and how long are they going to let you fish and how many fish are they going to let you keep." Fortunately, the charter captains have been given a fairly decent season angler. The minimum size is 16 inches. The federal waters, which start nine nautical miles out, have a 45-day season and a matching limit this year. All the controversy revolves around the red snapper population. Some groups say it's being overfished, while others say the Gulf of Mexico is packed with the snappers. "After today," Chris said as we pulled away from the dock, "you'll see there is no shortage of red snapper." The importance of red snapper fishing goes beyond the charter business. The entire Emerald Coast economy receives a huge boost from the sportfishery, as anglers from around the country flock to the area, filling hotels, restaurants, and sporting goods stores. And with miles of sandy beaches, the fishermen can bring along their families to enjoy the sun and fun while they ply the seas for the "fish-delish." As for the catch-and- release survival rate of red snapper, Chris said they're a very hardy fish, and the water pressure that can kill some released fish doesn't have the same effect on the snapper. "They're used to riding up and down the water column and the changing pressure," he said. "Plus, at sixty to seventy feet, I really don't fish deep enough to cause a dangerous pressure change." B efore leaving for the open sea, we made a quick stop at a floating bait shop. These folks save the charters athy Chesney hefts a keeper red snapper caught off Florida's Emerald Coast. K Despite the rumors, there are plenty of red snappers and other gamefish cruising the Gulf of Mexico off Florida's coast. by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission. A 70-day red snapper season was set at the FFWC meeting in April, with a limit of two per Larry Chesney i s h i n g F