The Gulf Recreational Red Snapper Season opens Friday. The 55-day season will be the longest since the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began managing red snapper three years ago.
The commission's Amanda Nalley says some anglers will be asked to fill out a survey that will help determine how much red snapper is being taken from the water.
"And so that helps us figure out are we close to meeting our quota, are we far from meeting our quota, can we have a few extra days in the season next year because we didn't meet our quota or whoa, we need to slow this season down because people have been fishing a lot," Nalley says.
This season's quota is nearly two million pounds. Nalley says there could be an additional Gulf Recreational Red Snapper Season in the fall if that quota isn't met.