What's In Season?

The world of fisheries management is always evolving with a lot of different variables. From stock assessments, to previous years catch rates, to human disasters, to things like hurricanes and other acts of God... all kinds of things determine "this year's season". To complicate things even further there is Federal and State management of fisheries within their own territorial waters. In the State of Florida on the West Coast boarding the Gulf of Mexico, Florida state waters extend out to 9 nautical miles (nm). Federal waters off of Florida extend from 9nm out to 200nm. In some fisheries like the Red Snapper the State of Florida manages only the private recreational anglers and state guide charter boats out to 200nm. Below is some of the major targeted Reef fish species out of Destin with information on when and who these fish can be harvested, size limits, and bag limits. It is important that if you book a charter boat anywhere in the Gulf of Mexico that you check with them on how the vessel is permitted and what are their specific vessel's season dates.