# Harvesting Red Snapper in Federal Waters



## Jfish123 (May 21, 2020)

I just wanted to make sure I was reading the NOAA website correct. If you have an Alabama fishing license, it is legal to harvest red snappers in federal waters as long as you only bring it back in Alabama waters correct (during the Alabama season obviously)? 
I know there use to be separate federal and state seasons but it looks like now federal is ok as long as you return via a state that is in season. Just wanted to make sure I’m suitcases for tomorrow. Thanks!


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

In season and have a license for the state leaving and returning to.


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## canygaar (Nov 25, 2018)

Yes. Anywhere outside of 9 miles but FWC is know to sit on the AL line. Make sure you land the fish in AL.


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

canygaar said:


> Yes. Anywhere outside of 9 miles but FWC is know to sit on the AL line. Make sure you land the fish in AL.


That's 9 nautical miles, right? So like 12 miles offshore?


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## canygaar (Nov 25, 2018)

Yes. Sorry. 9 nautical miles


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Most nautical charts have a clearly visable line marking federal waters. My garmin charts have it.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

SurfRidr said:


> That's 9 nautical miles, right? So like 12 miles offshore?


More like a little over 10 miles.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

10.357 statute miles actually...


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

For some reason I had this idea that a nautical mile was 1.3 miles, thanks for the correction.


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## cowhitey (May 16, 2010)

Now that AL snapper is done what about the opposite of above? Can you leave AL, head to Federal water, catch your limit of snapper and come back in Pensacola pass without passing through AL water and dock the boat in FL? Take fish out of the boat put in cooler and have wife drive them back to AL in a truck to be cleaned? We would video fish being taken out of boat in Florida and put in a cooler as well as putting cooler in truck in Florida. We missed the AL season and have a place there and would like some snapper for the freezer.

Legal?


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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

Is it really worth all that trouble and fuel for 2 snappers?

Cheaper to buy them from Joe Patti's 

*** It doesn't close in Alabama until July 3rd. You still have a few days.


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## MastaBlasta (Aug 14, 2010)

cowhitey said:


> Now that AL snapper is done what about the opposite of above? Can you leave AL, head to Federal water, catch your limit of snapper and come back in Pensacola pass without passing through AL water and dock the boat in FL? Take fish out of the boat put in cooler and have wife drive them back to AL in a truck to be cleaned? We would video fish being taken out of boat in Florida and put in a cooler as well as putting cooler in truck in Florida. We missed the AL season and have a place there and would like some snapper for the freezer.
> 
> Legal?


Why not just clean the fish in Florida. You can buy Snapper all day long at the fish market and take it wherever you like.


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## cowhitey (May 16, 2010)

I guess I need to disclose there would be 7 of us for 3-4 days so that would be up to 56 snapper. We could clean them in FL but we have a nice fish cleaning station at our place 1/2 mile from Florida line in AL. It's really not a hassle other than off loading them into a cooler and having a friend drive them 1/2 mail to our place in AL. Land them at the FloraBama Yacht club, have some apps and cocktails and then head 1/2 mile and clean some fish. Who's Joe Patti?  Would never support the commercial snapper fishery after all the quota they rob from us recreational fisherman.


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## cowhitey (May 16, 2010)

FYI we would all have FL licenses as well as our already in possession AL licenses. Other than the 3 kids under 16.


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

cowhitey said:


> Now that AL snapper is done what about the opposite of above? Can you leave AL, head to Federal water, catch your limit of snapper and come back in Pensacola pass without passing through AL water and dock the boat in FL? Take fish out of the boat put in cooler and have wife drive them back to AL in a truck to be cleaned? We would video fish being taken out of boat in Florida and put in a cooler as well as putting cooler in truck in Florida. We missed the AL season and have a place there and would like some snapper for the freezer.
> 
> Legal?


Years ago I had a warden tell me that if I caught fish in federal waters and came back into a state that the season was closed to keep my gps track on and not stop till I was back on the trailer. Whether that is true or not anymore will be up to the individual officer I would think.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

cowhitey said:


> Now that AL snapper is done what about the opposite of above? Can you leave AL, head to Federal water, catch your limit of snapper and come back in Pensacola pass without passing through AL water and dock the boat in FL? Take fish out of the boat put in cooler and have wife drive them back to AL in a truck to be cleaned? We would video fish being taken out of boat in Florida and put in a cooler as well as putting cooler in truck in Florida. We missed the AL season and have a place there and would like some snapper for the freezer.
> 
> *Legal?*


As long as you post your boat registration and vehicle tag numbers on this or one of the other public social media sites along with a detailed description of the route that you will be following, then it will be perfectly legal to do what you are describing.

This will also exempt you from having to abide by the posted speed limits and having to stop for traffic lights along your route, since doing either of these could result in your fish spoiling before you could get it back into Alabama.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Just don't stop and fish in a closed area. Keep moving and have gps running a track. No one owns the water. Have legal catch from your tracked area. I'm suprised no marine lawyer has posted on this subject.


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## murfpcola (Aug 28, 2012)

As far as cleaning fish goes, can’t I buy whole snapper from Joe Pattis and take them with me to my parents in AL?


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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

^^^ Sure can ^^^


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## murfpcola (Aug 28, 2012)

CurDog said:


> ^^^ Sure can ^^^


So IF that is true then the OP should be able to dock his fish in FL and drive them wherever to clean them. This is assuming you caught them in federal waters, came home through FL, docked in FL and have a FL fishing license.


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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

murfpcola said:


> So IF that is true then the OP should be able to dock his fish in FL and drive them wherever to clean them. This is assuming you caught them in federal waters, came home through FL, docked in FL and have a FL fishing license.





> murfpcola said, As far as cleaning fish goes, can’t I buy whole snapper from Joe Pattis and take them with me to my parents in AL?


You're comparing apples to oranges as for Catching and Buying. If you Bought the fish at the market, you'd have proof with the sales receipt that the fish were bought and not caught.
I don't see a problem if he has Fl Saltwater License, docking in Fl., catching fish in Fl/Fed waters, returning to Fl port, and leaving with said fish, regardless of what state registration the boat is registered.
I personally, if I was only 1/2 mile from AL/Fl state lines, would run parallel to shortest distance into Fl waters, go catch my fish and return the same route as I left. But that's just me.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Cur you are correct, the burden of proof that you caught the fish in a closed state is on the state to prove you stopped and caught the fish in a closed area. Transiting in the water Is perfectly legal. Keep moving and gps tracking. That way you can prove where you caught the fish.


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## cowhitey (May 16, 2010)

Thanks for the serious replies. We will catch our fish in Federal water with Florida licenses, leave federal water directly into Florida water and follow Florida water all the way to the FL/AL line. Dock the boat, put fish in cooler and have one of the wives drive them back to AL. We will take video of the fish being removed from the boat and into a cooler in FL as well as being loaded into the truck. Not worth chancing crossing 1/2 mile of AL water with Florida fish in the box. Plus a few kids get to have bent rods in the process.


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## helmraiser (Dec 17, 2017)

H2OMARK said:


> Years ago I had a warden tell me that if I caught fish in federal waters and came back into a state that the season was closed to keep my gps track on and not stop till I was back on the trailer. Whether that is true or not anymore will be up to the individual officer I would think.


I talked to a fwc officer about this. If Alabama is open and Florida is closed you are not allowed to come into Florida waters. He said they are not going to look at your gps track. You will get a ticket regardless of what your tracking says.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

I'll bet you forgot the FWC officers Name.


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## marlinchaser (Oct 11, 2007)

All you have to do is read the regs. Both states say the same ; you cannot go through a closed state with fish that are closed in that state to an open state. The days of transporting fish from a closed state to an open state are over when the states took control.


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