Last week, Alabama Department of Consrvation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Commissioner Chris Blankenship signed off on several regulations proposed by the Marine Resources Division and approved by the ADCNR Commission at their last meeting.
The species of greatest concern to fly anglers were redfish, sheepshead, and snook. All three will benefit from conservation-directed changes in creel and bag limits. These changes were proposed by MRD with support from several conservation groups including the FFI Gulf Coast Council.
Redfish. Anglers will no longer be allowed to possess red drum over the slot limit of 16-26 inches total length. The bag limit will remain three (3) per person. In excluding mature fish from harvest, Alabama joins several states, including Louisiana and Florida, that protect the vital spawning population.
Sheepshead. The recreational bag limit has been reduced from 10 fish to eight (8) fish. This in response to increased popularity and increased fishing pressure since previous regulations were set. (To be exact, the number of saltwater anglers went from 140,000 in 2019 to 214,000 in 2023).
Common snook. This species has been historically very rare in Alabama waters, but has seen a dramatic rise in numbers in recent years. There were no regulations until now. The new limit is one (1) fish per day with a minimum size limit of 28 inches.
MRD Director Scott Bannon, one of our presenters at the Gulf Coast Classic in May, stated, “These changes were made to balance the need to conserve our saltwater resources with our commitment to provide anglers with abundant access to fishing opportunities in Alabama’s coastal waters.”.
FFI-GCC Conservation Director Glen “Catch” Cormier stated that this was a major win for conservation. “Once again, we’re grateful to our members, the fly fishing community in general, and our conservation partners in Alabama for their emails and phone calls to commission members. Their response was fantastic!”.
