Regulation size for snappers???fish?

Question

well i live in west palm beach florida and would like to know what is the minimum size red snapper has to be to be able to take it home?? i caught like 7 14 inch snappers but wasnt really sure what sixe they have to be. if u could recomend a good site that tells fish regulations that would be cool

Answer 1

It all depends on the species of Snapper your are catching. For example i go fishing and catch Mangrove or Lane Snapper which has  to be 10 inches or more to have. Just as Mutton Snappers (Red with a black spot on their tail) has to be at least 16 inches.

Either way you should check out the FWC fish regulations. You can find them here:

http://www.floridasportsman.com/referenc...

Answer 2

Try MyFWC.com/marine. Min. size for red snapper on your coast is 20" and able to keep 2 a day. Bag and size limits for snapper vary greatly by species, so be sure you know what you're catching and what the regs are for that species. Hope this helps some.

Answer 3

I would check local reg's also call localm bait and tackle theyll know for sure

Answer 4

In the palm bch area you probably caught mangrove snappers. If you were near shore or on ICW. those need to be min. 10 inches. If you were offshore there are too many species to name. The only red ones youd get offshore locally (anything is possible here) would be vermillion snapper

and those would have been at least 100 feet down. Last time I checked the size on those was 10 inches as well. ALWAYS check the regs cause they keep changing.  sounds like you caught dinner. Were you in boynton? let me know. I got some secrets.

Answer 5

For the whole Atlantic in Fed waters, it is 20 inches.  However, I would suggest you double check the species, red snapper are not common that far down in Florida, you probably have caught a different kind of snapper.  Typically where mutton snapper start, red snapper stop, that is if you are talking about the "American red snapper".  If you caught your snapper in shallow water this time of year it isn't one.  I have bottom fished south florida for years and never caught a red snapper, I catch them all the time fishing from Jacksonville and in the northern gulf.