63-Day Red Snapper Season Opened in Panama City, FL on June 1st in Federal Waters

The 2021 recreational Red Snapper season for federally permitted fishing charter vessels opened June 1st and runs through to August 2nd (closed on August 3rd at 12.01 am).

Panama City, Florida, United States - June 3, 2021 /MarketersMedia/ —

The season’s 63 days is one day longer than the 2020 season, in the federal water in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) which is determined by a few factors:
• The season is set based on the annual catch target.
• The annual catch target is the same this year as it was last year.
• In setting the season, NOAA Fisheries assume daily catch rates to be the same as in recent years.
• Because the daily catch rate was slightly lower in 2018-20 than it has been in the past, the season length will increase this year.

State-permitted fishing charter vessels can operate every day from June 4th to July 28th, applicable to waters in the Gulf, from the shoreline to 9 nautical miles offshore. Federal waters are beyond 9 miles.

The boundaries will impact what an angler can catch and when and has a big impact on guides - federal guiding permits in the Gulf of Mexico can be particularly hard to obtain (and more expensive). New permits have not been issued since 2003, which means the total number of guides or Captains is also limited. Federal waters are better for fishing but finding a Captain who can take you out to federal waters can be tricky with the limits on permits.

One federally licensed 3rd generation fishing charter operator, Captain Mark Kelley of Panama City, Florida, states that the 2021 Red Snapper Season should be a fantastic fishing season for people looking for a deep-sea fishing charter.

As Capt. Kelley’s boats are federally permitted, the 2021 Kelley Girl Charter's Red Snapper season began June 1st and finishes August 2nd. He is excited as it usually books out quickly because Red Snapper season is the most popular of the year.

“Those extra few days above the state-regulated dates give tourists and locals alike the opportunity to catch one of the prized Red Snapper, considered one of the best on the menu in restaurants worldwide. Securing a fishing charter trip on a federally-permitted boat has the advantages of taking the anglers much further out and into deeper waters, and bigger fish being caught.”

Capt. Kelley along with Capt. August Redding at Kelley Girl Charters officially started Red Snapper season on June 1st, 2021 and will run daily fishing charter trips over the next two months. Of course, anglers can catch other fish species, but the Red Snapper is one of the most highly prized catches. Because of the limited season, reserved fishing trips on Kelley Girl Fishing Charter boats will fill up very quickly. Kelley Girl Charters has two fishing charter vessels that can accommodate up to 20 passengers: The Lady Kelley, a 55-footer, or the Kelley Girl, at 52 ft.

Red Snapper fishing charters range from 6-hour to 12-hour trips. Capt. Kelley advises that longer trips increase the angler’s ability to catch a better class of fish. He is looking forward to taking both locals and summer vacationers out to experience deep-sea fishing at its best.

Capt. Kelley is also extremely environmentally aware and has constructed artificial reefs to help maintain the fishing grounds in the Gulf. So those reefs are always delivering outstanding catches for both the locals and visitors coming to the Panama City, Florida area and looking for an amazing charter fishing trip. This year alone Capt. Mark Kelley built more than 50 artificial reefs and privately transported them out into the Gulf of Mexico to ‘their secret fishing spots.’ The artificial reefs are constructed from reused chicken transport boxes and cabled together to form reef structures. Capt. Kelley also floated out more than twelve old peanut picker machines from Alabama, to be used as manmade underwater reefs. The artificial reefs are floated on barges to locations between 12 miles to 30 miles into the Gulf of Mexico and then dropped overboard. The newly formed reefs are GPS pinpoint located and tracked for future Fishing Charter Trips off the white sandy shores of Panama City and Panama City Beach.

So, if you are ready to get out on the water this red snapper season, Capt. Kelley and Capt. August will take you to their 'Secret Spots' and hopefully taking home a prized catch of a Red Snapper.

Remember reservations fill up fast during Red Snapper Season. Therefore, Capt. Kelley advises people to book as soon as possible to ensure their preferred dates are available. Contact details are below.

Contact Info:
Name: Capt. Mark Kelley
Email: Send Email
Organization: Kelley Girl Charters
Address: 5550 North Lagoon Dr, Slip 00E, Panama City, FL 32408
Phone: (850) 866-5694
Website: https://kelleygirlcharters.com/

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkZ7dkO9YIc

Source URL: https://marketersmedia.com/63-day-red-snapper-season-opened-in-panama-city-fl-on-june-1st-in-federal-waters/89023106

Source: MarketersMedia

Release ID: 89023106