Orange Beach Alabama
Red Snapper Fishing
How many different types of Snapper can be caught in Orange Beach/Gulf Shores?
- Red Snapper being the most well known snapper and tend to redder in color the deeper they are.
- Vermillion Snapper are often called Beeliners because they often dart after small bait fish and squid. They have tiny mouths and no canine teeth, and they rarely tip two pounds, but are super tastey to eat!
- Lane Snapper is a rose color with a faint greenish tint on the back and upper sides, which have several obscure, vertical dark bars. A series of 8 to 10 horozontal yellow stripes traverse the lower sides and a dark later spot located below the dorsal fin. The Lane Snapper is an opportunistic carnivore that feeds on many different types of animals that live near the bottom.
- Mangrove Snapper also known as the Gray snapper or mangoe are typically gray with a dark dorsal fin. However, there is a wide variety between pale bars, small spots, and tail color depending on habitat and age. They prefer habitats with rocky ledges, coral, or mangroves.
There are other species of snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, however these are the main snapper that we catch off shore in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama.
FEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR RED SNAPPER
If you decide on a Red Snapper charter with us, please understand that Red Snapper is one of the most heavily regulated species in the Gulf so there are lots of rules around them. A fishery rebuilding plan was implemented by the Federal Government to bring back red snapper population back up by 2032. This plan includes bag limits, size restrictions, and specific fishing seasons. The 2023 for hire red snapper season in federal waters will open June 1st and run until the quota is met. Dates for the 2023 season will be announced in the spring.
SNAPPER FAQS
Red snapper grow at a moderate rate, and may reach 40 inches long and 50 pounds. These beautiful fish are generally found at 30+ feet of water. Here the adults live on the bottom, ususally near hard structures on the continental shelf that have moderate to high relief such as artificial reefs. Females are able to reproduce as early as age 2, and spawning season is May-Oct. Red snapper must be a minimum size to be caught, and there is a limit on how many red snapper anglers can keep per day. Also keep in mind, the larger sized snapper that we all like to take pictures with and take home are our spawning fish and are producing the next generation. So conservation wise, if you catch a smaller snapper that is a legal size, its really better for population the next year and the year after.
