Robert Dixon, Michael Burton, Roger Mays and Peggy Willis, U.S. Dept. Of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Beaufort Laboratory, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC 28516-9722

Abstract. The headboat survey conducted by the Beaufort Laboratory, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service was designed to measure the landings and size of fishes taken from for-hire recreational vessels that regularly carry seven or more anglers to fish in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and includes vessels from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to the Texas-Mexican border. Indices of the quality of reef fishing are based on annual landings, catch per unit of effort (CPUE), length frequency, and mean weight. Landings and fishing effort are obtained from trip reports completed by vessel personnel. Lengths (mm) and weights (kg) of individual fishes are collected by port agents during dockside sampling of landings. Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus are prized by recreational anglers throughout the Southeast Region but are especially important to the headboat fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1988, the first stock assessment of the red snapper population in the Gulf of Mexico indicated that red snapper was significantly overfished and that reductions in fishing mortality rates were necessary to rebuild the stock to a recommended 20% spawning stock potential ratio. Since 1990, regulations on the recreational harvest of red snapper include decreasing bag limits (7 to 5 fish/angler) and increasing size limits (13 to 15 inches TL). Landings and CPUE (number of red snapper) from the headboat fishery have not indicated any trends. However, landings (weight of red snapper) have increased from 172,000 kg/year (1990) to over 600,000 kg/year (1993-1996) and CPUE (weight) increased from 1.4 (1990) to 3.6 (1995) and 3.8 (1993, 1994, 1996). The percent of large fish (>500 mm) in headboat landings have increased from 3-7% (1986-1992) to 11-15% (1993-1996).