Florida has witnessed the history of red snapper fishing. After ten years, researchers are surprised by this development. Brian Lambert, captain of Fishhawks, explained to the Miami Herald how a specimen that was caught in 2016 has recently been caught again, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). Fort Myers and Daytona Beach have also been the sites of such findings. However, it should be noted that such events are becoming increasingly complex as the presence of sharks and hurricanes in Florida makes sport fishing increasingly difficult. Read on to learn more.
The capture of the giant red snapper
Florida fisherman Brian Lambert managed to catch a huge red snapper, but upon closer inspection, he found that it had a previous capture mark. Upon reviewing it, he discovered a surprising coincidence: the fish had already been caught nine years earlier. According to the specialist, the strange recapture is due to the fact that there are no longer large numbers of these specimens in the area.
A Florida fisherman caught a fish that had been caught nine years earlier
In June, Brian Lambert, deep-sea fishing captain for the US company Fishhawks, was on one of his first trips of the northern summer when he had the opportunity to assist another fisherman from Iowa in catching a red snapper.
“I saw that it was on the free reel on the drop and the rod was bouncing, so I told him to start reeling because I knew it was a big fish,” Lambert recalled in statements to the Miami Herald.
He added: “When he lifted it up, we saw that it was a huge fish, 34 inches long. I thought, ‘Great, we’re not going to beat that!’ sarcastically.”
Upon inspection, he found that it was tagged under the dorsal fin, a sign that it had been caught before. “I help tag the small-sized pigfish we catch and release. But I’ve never heard of any recaptures,” the fisherman admitted.
The fish had been tagged in 2016
Lambert contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) and sent a photo of the tag to find out more about the fish. “The tag was difficult to read, and I had to clean it thoroughly,” said the specialist.
However, FWRI was able to identify the specimen that had been tagged and returned to its habitat in 2016, when it measured 14 inches. “This red snapper grew to an astonishing 34 inches, matching our growth models from the population assessment,” he explained in a statement shared on social media.
According to the agency, the specimen was recaptured just 9.5 miles from where it was released nine years ago, even after multiple hurricanes. “This is a rare find! Of the 147,136 fish tagged (multiple saltwater species), only 10 have been reported after more than 9 years,” the FWRI noted.
The red snapper adds to another amazing story from 2019, when fisherman Eric Schmidt caught a 38-inch specimen in Fort Myers. The fish had originally been tagged in Daytona Beach in 2011, when it measured 24 inches.
Large fish are becoming increasingly scarce
Lambert noted that it has become difficult to find large quantities of giant fish in the area. He attributed this to the presence of sharks and the difficulty in catching them.
“There aren’t large quantities of giant fish. We don’t even get 12 giant red snappers on our trips, the sharks are terrible, and we lose between 30 and 40 fish a day,” explained the fishing captain.
The fisherman pointed out that when diving in waters 160 to 190 feet deep, it is difficult to collect the fish as quickly as necessary. “So we are content to catch a few large fish here and there,” he said.
