Ask any bottom fisherman in the Southeast about red snapper and they will tell you there are more snapper out there then any time in recent memory. If you’re targeting other bottom fish such as grouper, you literally have to fish past the snapper or move, that’s how thick they are. Despite all this, the federal fishery management system claims populations of red snapper are so depleted that they’ve limited recreational fishing to a single day, July 12, for the 2024 fishing season. To get a better grasp of the situation, we speak with Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. Angers has a vast understanding of the situation, and he explains the flaws found in the data that led us here and what the future holds.