PORT ARANSAS, Texas — The second red snapper season opens for a second time this year on Friday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration created this second season because the annual catch target wasn't met during the regular season which ran from June through August.
It's caused business to be good at Coastal Charters after overcoming an initial slow down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But this summer also dealt a financial blow to the Port Aransas fishing and diving charter boat company when storms rolled in that kept the fleet of five boats in port.
"That kind of put us out of business for a couple of days," one of Coastal Charters' captains Banya Owen said. "It’s not safe to go out in those conditions."
On Friday, a new business opportunity will present itself for charter boat companies.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is reopening federal waters to those businesses for red snapper fishing for several weeks.
"There’s going to be a few more days that we can get out there and do our snapper," Owen said. "That will give us those days back that we had (lost) during regular season.”
The regular red snapper season ended in early August.
Since then, charter companies haven't been able to run red snapper fishing trips in waters nine nautical miles from the Texas shore and further out.
But from Friday through Nov. 6, they'll once again be able to during a time when business normally dries up.
“It’s going to really help us financially to get those trips back," Owen said. "We are going into kind of a rougher season. The waves get bigger and bigger, and the wind blows harder."
NOAA says fishermen did not meet their quota for red snapper during the regular season, and that's why anglers are getting this second season.
