The rodeo season is under way, and the best part of last weekend’s Catholic High Alumni get-together at Moran’s Marina on Fourchon Road were the youngsters.
Family fishing was a hit and enough young anglers showed up with enoguh fish to rewrite the speckled trout leaderboard several times over.
Maybe the best was Calla Graves, Rep. Garret Graves’ daughter, who stood proud with a giant red snapper she caught with her dad aboard Chip Robinson’s offshore cruiser.
Kids will be a focal point of this weekend’s Swollfest Rodeo on Grand Isle, and there are children’s divisions set for the June 29-July 1 Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo and the late-July Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo.
There’s a no-fee kids division in the S.T.A.R., all of which points to a good time to get your young anglers to the coast to get in on the action and have the chance to win prizes.
And, check out Outdoors calendar for the final day of the Virtual Youth Fishing Rodeo.
Red snapper
The first catch numbers are in for the expanded recreational red snapper season, and the Memorial Day weekend produced 53,262 pounds.
The seven-day-a-week season numbers are produced by Wildlife and Fisheries managers on Mondays, and, according to LA Creel, this first count represents 5.7% of this year’s 934,587-pound private recreational allocation.
Offshore anglers need to have basic and saltwater licenses plus the fee-free Receational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) to take the three-fish-per-day limit of 16-inch or longer red snapper. There’s a ROLP exception for fishermen aboard a charterboat.
For details about this season, go to the LDWF website: wlf.louisiana.gov/page/red-snapper.
Upping the quota
The final rule from federal fisheries managers on increasing red snapper catch limits in the Gulf of Mexico takes effect July 10.
The total annual catch divided between recreational and commercial sectors is up from 15.4 million pounds to 16.31 million pounds with recreationals getting 7,991,900 pounds whole weight.
The recreational allowance is further divided into Federal For-Hire catch at 3,380,574 pounds and 4,611,326 pounds for private anglers.
The five Gulf states breakdown includes 2,191,315 pounds for Florida; 591,185 pounds for Alabama; 62,862 pounds for Mississippi; 934,587 pounds for Louisiana, up from 882,442 pounds; and, 286,363 for Texas.
The complete text of the red snapper catch limits framework can be found on the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office website: fisheries.noaa.gov/action/modification-catch-limits-gulf-mexico-red-snapper.
Mangrove snapper
At its June meeting, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council updated mangrove (gray) snapper catch limits.
The most recent mangrove snapper stock assessment showed this species is “neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. Based on the results of this stock assessment, the council also decided to increase the gray snapper catch limits.”
The new limits will be forthcoming as soon as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce approves the recommendations.
Gag grouper
The Gulf Council also took final action catch limits, sector allocation and recreational seasons on gag grouper.
Data showed the need to revise the criteria used to determine whether gag grouper is overfished and/or experiencing overfishing, and came up with a revision in sector allocation to 65% recreational and 35% commercial, then established a rebuilding timeline of 18 years.
The move will open the recreational gag grouper fishing season Sept. 1, then close it when the recreational catch target is projected to be met. The council determined the new data “is expected to result in a season duration of about two months in 2024.”
Hogapalooza
Team Andy, whoever they are, won the inaugural Hogapalooza tournament by taking 143 feral hogs weighing a staggering 8,936.3 pounds. Dubach Deer Factory & Smokehouse and the state Hunters for the Hungry sponsored the month-long contest.
All hogs were weighed on the hoof, and, when properly dressed out came up to 6,500 pounds of meat donated to local charities.
The remaining top five teams included Fountain Farms, 63 hogs, 3,743.9 total pounds; Trapem & Poppem, 22 hogs (1,094.1 pounds); Fire Fighters, 19 hogs (812 pounds); and, Hogg Fathers, eight hogs (308.9 pounds).
H4H director Julie Grunewald reported Team Andy brought in the two heaviest feral hogs, weighing 231.4 and 215.7 pounds.
Organizers are planning Hogapalooza II for next spring.
More Sandy Hollow
The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved adding 40 acres to the Sandy Hollow Wildlife Management Area at its June meeting. The WMA now takes in 5,068 acres in Tangipahoa Parish near Amite.
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