# Advice Needed - Snapper in FL State Waters Question...



## gtchris19 (May 14, 2009)

Looking for advice/knowledge here. I fish out of Romar Harbor Marina in Orange Beach. Once the federal snapper season ends, if I have a FL fishing license, can I catch snapper in FL State waters and return to AL with them in my possession?


----------



## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

Negative, those Fl license are useless in Al. Whatever states regs you are following is where the fish have to be landed.


----------



## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Yes you can. You may want to call an Alabama wildlife office to see how they prefer you handle it.


----------



## gator7_5 (Oct 4, 2007)

rfh21 said:


> Yes you can. You may want to call an Alabama wildlife office to see how they prefer you handle it.


 No you can't. You will be ticketed with red snapper in federal or alabama waters after the Fed season ends. Period.


----------



## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Explain to me why a single person would purchase an out of state license in the state of Florida to fish then. I haven't dealt with this on snapper in the Alabama/Florida stuff but I know for a fact friends in Mississippi who ran to Louisiana waters and caught snapper on weekends before June 1st when Mississippi or Federal seasons were closed. They were stopped and allowed to proceed. We also go to Louisiana to catch trout, there limit is 25 and Mississippi is 15. Never an issue. As long as you hold a license in that state and the one you are in, it isn't an issue if it's reasonable that you were previously fishing in the other state waters.

I will add the disclaimer that the DMR in Mississippi says the feds will write you a ticket in federal waters and to run straight in upon leaving Florida waters. If you are bottom fishing in Alabama waters with snapper in the box out of season good luck proving where they came from.


----------



## Lexcore (May 5, 2012)

Five Prongs Of Fury said:


> Negative, those Fl license are useless in Al. Whatever states regs you are following is where the fish have to be landed.


Five Prongs of Fury is correct, where you recover your baot at, and where you are currently at when the Man check your boat. I ask a FWC officer that same question, I have alabama license and he was checking my boat at the 3MB and I told him what if I had a 36" redfish bull in my cooler that I caught in alabama waters, he said then you will get a florida ticket, you are not in alabama waters any more and that fish should have been removed off you boat before you came into florida water. 
Moral of the story is launch at florida boat ramp recover your boat at Florida boat ramp and you will be good to go. Other wise you will be ticketed. :thumbsup:


----------



## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Lexcore said:


> Five Prongs of Fury is correct, where you recover your baot at, and where you are currently at when the Man check your boat. I ask a FWC officer that same question, I have alabama license and he was checking my boat at the 3MB and I told him what if I had a 36" redfish bull in my cooler that I caught in alabama waters, he said then you will get a florida ticket, you are not in alabama waters any more and that fish should have been removed off you boat before you came into florida water.
> Moral of the story is launch at florida boat ramp recover your boat at Florida boat ramp and you will be good to go. Other wise you will be ticketed. :thumbsup:


This is true, you can't fish in a state with an illegal fish for that state because there is no way to prove where you caught it. You can however transport that fish across state lines if you don't resume fishing. I'm not recommending it but I'm saying it's legal. As I stated this goes on regularly with Mississippi and Louisiana with both speckled trout and snapper.


----------



## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Alabama DMR says if you hold both licenses you are within the law. They are gonna have an enforcement officer call me to follow up and get a for sure answer.


----------



## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Full answer is in. During the time that Alabama snapper season is closed and Florida season is still open you may catch snapper in Florida and transport them back into Alabama.

Here are the exact details. You must possess both Florida and Alabama licenses and you must be transporting the fish only. You may not stop and fish anymore within Alabama waters while in possession of those Florida snappers.

The officer also told me that you need to make sure that when you are running back in that you do not cross into Federal waters at all. So you run out your 8-9 miles into Florida waters and catch your fish. Then would need to run back within the 3 nautical mile limit that is Alabama state waters before crossing over the state line. He also informed me that officers will sit at the state line, 3 miles offshore and watch where you are coming from during that period of time. If you aren't coming from Florida they will ticket you. 

So it can be done but must be done carefully. Key fact is do not stop and fish more in Alabama waters once you have caught Florida snapper. Transport them only. :thumbsup:


----------



## Lexcore (May 5, 2012)

rfh21 said:


> This is true, you can't fish in a state with an illegal fish for that state because there is no way to prove where you caught it. You can however transport that fish across state lines if you don't resume fishing. I'm not recommending it but I'm saying it's legal. As I stated this goes on regularly with Mississippi and Louisiana with both speckled trout and snapper.


Your state is correct and true rfh21, this is just me, I would recover in the state I caught the fish and lauch in the other other state and I will leave the fish in my cooler in my car (with note on it. :yes just kidding with the note but if you get stopped by the man how can he tell where you caught it if you will not fish any more, unless he follows you to the dock. If you have licenses for both states who to say you caught it in one place but you did not. :yes: So launch and recover in the state you fished and caught the fish and all is good. :thumbsup:


----------



## Lexcore (May 5, 2012)

rfh21 said:


> Full answer is in. During the time that Alabama snapper season is closed and Florida season is still open you may catch snapper in Florida and transport them back into Alabama.
> 
> Here are the exact details. You must possess both Florida and Alabama licenses and you must be transporting the fish only. You may not stop and fish anymore within Alabama waters while in possession of those Florida snappers.
> 
> ...


:thumbup: Now we can put this to rest thank you rfh21 for your research and sharing, now we are more wiser than when we woke this morning. :thumbup::yes::whistling::thumbsup:


----------



## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Lexcore said:


> :thumbup: Now we can put this to rest thank you rfh21 for your research and sharing, now we are more wiser than when we woke this morning. :thumbup::yes::whistling::thumbsup:


It felt wrong not to know since in a couple weeks could be a real situation. I personally won't do it either like you said lexcore but the more info the better.


----------



## jbs_bama (May 24, 2010)

Thanks for the research on that!


----------



## bigone (Jan 2, 2008)

Just too much trouble to transport two fish per person:blink:


----------



## Lexcore (May 5, 2012)

bigone said:


> Just too much trouble to transport two fish per person:blink:


bigone, you are soooooo correct, all the hassle for two fishes :whistling::thumbsup:


----------



## FC Medina24 (Mar 23, 2013)

I guarantee you still will catch hell if you try and transport fish and get stopped by the warden. You wont see me doing it lol:no:


----------



## redstripe (May 30, 2013)

I fish out of Gulfport down into the Biloxi marsh (La)....The difference is that you are never in federal waters and some common sense comes into play. The Miss DNR guy told me that they can look at your boat a surmise if you are going over to La to fish. Its a 15 mile run at the closest.....To get to really good fishing its 20 plus.


----------

