The recreational harvest season for snook starts Sept. 1 statewide with the exception of state waters from Pinellas/Hillsborough counties (including Tampa Bay) south to Gordon Pass in Collier County. These waters are catch-and-release for snook due to impacts from red tide.

Unique to the region, snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to use proper handling methods to help released snook survive and promote high species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about catch-and-release and the best way to handle a fish, visit MyFWC.com/FishHandling.

A snook permit, as well as a recreational saltwater license, is required to harvest snook unless the angler is exempt from the recreational license requirements.

Recreational Snook Season opens September 1

Researchers are collecting data on the harvest of snook. If approached by a biologist or if you see a donation cooler marked with “Snook Carcass” at your favorite fishing access point, please provide your filleted snook carcasses.

These carcasses provide biological data, including the size, age, maturity and sex of the catch. This information is important to the FWC in completing stock assessments.

Anglers can also record and report their catch data, including information on the size of released fish, by using the Angler Action Foundation’s iAngler app.

If you see a fishery violation, call the Wildlife Alert Program at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

For more on snook regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Snook” or download the Fish Rules App. Learn more at FishRulesApp.com or follow Fish Rules at Instagram.com/FishRulesApp or Facebook.com/FishRulesApp.

About the Feature Image: The Florida Guides Association honored Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff Jim Estes for his conservation efforts. Capt. Pat Kelly, Florida Guides Association president, presented Estes, who is an FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management employee, with the Capt. Phil Chapman Conservation Award at a Commission meeting in Fort Myers. Estes has been a leader in conservation with the FWC for more than 28 years, working in freshwater fisheries for 26 and recently seeking new challenges and opportunities with saltwater fisheries, where he has already made a significant impact. Image courtesy of Florida Fish & Wildlife.