Red Snapper Season Opens (almost)

It almost seems that NOAA and the Southeast Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC)  did this with another purpose in mind (See the sea bass closure in the post below).  But red snapper season from North Carolina to Key West has been closed for some time now.  They have decided to open the commercial season for one week from September 17, through September 24.  The recreational season will open for two consecutive three day weekends - September 14 through 16 and September 21 through 23.  Both time slots are Friday, Saturday, Sunday weekends.  After that, the season will once again be closed until at least 2014 as the NOAA-SAFMC schedule stands right now.  Oh yes - the bag limit is one fish per person with no size limit.  So let me see, where I am, its a minimum 15 to 20 mile run out to find a red snapper and the same run back in.  With oil and fuel running about $4.20 a gallon, I'm burning about 15 gallons of fuel for a red snapper - and no black sea bass (see below).  I think I'll find some inshore fish while everyone else heads offshore on those weekends!  More fish and less fuel!