The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that red snapper season will be open for additional dates in the Gulf of Mexico for private recreational anglers and state for-hire operations on Nov. 27-29.

Private recreational anglers may harvest red snapper in Gulf state and federal waters. However, state for-hire operations are limited to fishing for red snapper in Gulf state waters only.

“Nov. 28 is also a saltwater license-free fishing day — a great time for Florida’s residents and visitors to try out fishing in Florida without needing a license,” FWC Executive Director Eric Sutton said.

The additional days would not be possible without the State Reef Fish Survey. It was developed specifically to provide more robust data for management of red snapper and other reef fish and it has allowed the FWC the opportunity to manage Gulf red snapper in state and federal waters.

Planning to participate in the fall season? Do your part and register to ensure the continued success of the survey. All anglers over 16 years old fishing from private recreational vessels must sign up as a State Reef Fish Angler to target red snapper and several other reef fish in state and federal waters, even if they are exempt from fishing license requirements. Sign up as a State Reef Fish Angler at no cost at GoOutdoorsFlorida .com or by visiting any location you can purchase a license.

Anglers may receive a questionnaire in the mail regarding their trips as part of the survey. If you receive a survey, please respond whether you fished or have submitted data via other methods.

To learn more about the recreational red snapper season in Gulf state and federal waters, including season size and bag limits, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Snappers,” which is under the “Regulations by Species — Reef Fish” tab.

The federal season for for-hire operations with federal reef fish permits was June 1 to Aug. 1.