New red drum fishing rules in Louisiana starting June 20: Find out why.

Ian Robinson, Shreveport Times
·1 min read

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has declared that new restrictions on Red Drum size and daily catch limits will be enforced starting June 20.

The new regulations are:

  • Daily creel: 4-fish daily limit per angler

  • Size limit: 18-inch minimum and 27-inch maximum total length

  • Bull reds: keeping Red Drum over 27 inch is prohibited

  • The retention of Red Drum by captain and crew on charter or head boats while on for-hire trip will be prohibited.

Photo of a red drum fish
Photo of a red drum fish

Charter captains and crew will still be allowed to engage in fishing on charter trips to demonstrate how to catch red drum, but will not be allowed to retain red drum towards any limit on the vessel, according to Wildlife and Fisheries.

Why are there restrictions on Red Drum size and daily catch limits?

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported that despite the 2022 stock assessment showing an abundance of red drum, the population is declining at a rate that requires corrective measures.

Here are some key points identified in the Red Drum stock assessment.

  • Red Drum stock is not overfished, but overfishing is occurring.

  • Overfishing has occurred frequently in the most recent decade at approximately 80 percent.

  • The spawning potential ratio, or number of red drum available to spawn relative to the population if they were not fished, began trending downward 2005.

  • Recent recreational landings are at the lowest level observed since the 1980s.

  • Red Drum has been a recreational-only fishery since 1988. No commercial harvest exists.

  • The current recruitment estimate is at the lowest level ever observed and has been declining since 1994.

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This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: LA issues new red drum fishing regulations, effective June 20