Snapper take a variety of different baits and lures ranging from soft plastics to jigs. On a boat, flicking soft plastics has become highly popular, however you can still live bait and also use dead baits. Snapper eat a wide range of baits.
What is the best bait to use for snapper?
Snapper of all sizes, including huge 20 or even 30-pound fish are commonly caught on dead bait. Squid, pogies, and cigar minnows are always reliable and readily available.
What lb line should I use for snapper?
20-30lb
Standard 4-6kg spin tackle loaded with 20-30lb braid is ideal when targeting snapper in water from 30-50m.
What kind of hook do you use for snapper?
Circle hooks are highly popular for reds, and they’re perfect candidates for them given how they scoff baits and will ‘eat and run’ basically settling the hook for you. Size 7/0 to 8/0 for larger reds and 4/0 to 6/0s for smaller fish is good starting point.
What size hooks for snapper?
Suicide hook patterns ranging from size 1/0 for pinkies, through to size 5/0 for large snapper are recommended. Best times would be early morning and evening although snapper can also be caught throughout the night. Medium-sized soft plastic lures in minnow or shad patterns are also very effective on snapper.
What depth do you catch snapper?
Snapper are commonly found in the depths of between 15 to 25 metres in larger bays, however, they can be found anywhere from 5 to 120 metres.
What size reel is best for snapper?
Spinning reels from medium to large 4000-10000 are suitable for catching snapper and kingfish. A medium 4000 size reel is great for inshore lure fishing, while a large 10000 size spinning reel is better suited to fishing with bait for bigger kingfish and northern species like red emperor and coral trout.
What size rod do you need for snapper?
Rods average 2m for spin reels with the reel seat and rod rings designed to operate a spin reel; while baitcasters are fished from long rods with the reel seat on top and a thumb grip for one-handed operation and smaller rod rings.
How much drag do I need for snapper?
For general fishing a 6-10kg 7′ setup is ideal for snapper fishing from a boat although you’ll need something in a 15kg rating if chasing the really big ones. From the rocks an 8′ rod in the 10-15kg range is ideal.
How do you catch a big snapper?
Exploiting these habits, the two primary methods for catching snapper from the shore are stray-lining (dead baits and soft-plastic baits) and fishing dead baits on the bottom. Whilst snapper can be caught on faster moving lures and live baits, these are generally far less effective.
How do you catch snapper from shore?
To target snapper from the shore, we’re actually looking for similar conditions to what we would when fishing inshore reefs. Dirty water, good tides, inshore structure and fishing dawn and dusk periods are all important factors when chasing snapper from the stones.
How do you catch a big red snapper?
“One of the best baits for big snapper is a big ribbonfish, 1½ to 2 feet long. Hook it through the eyes because a snapper’s going to eat it head-first. But a 6-inch live pogy is just as good as anything,” says Pellegrin, who fishes both baits on a 7/0 Mustad circle hook. That’s his best hook for red snapper.
Do you have to use circle hooks for snapper?
Federal regulations require that fishermen use only non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing natural baits for red snapper. Artificial baits can have J-hooks.
How long should a snapper leader be?
At one time, 15 feet of leader was considered excessive. Today, for mutton snapper in particular, leaders between 40 and 80 feet are the norm.
What tide is best for snapper fishing?
Snapper will use an incoming tide to corral bait schools against reef edges, shallow flats and prominent channel declines. On an outgoing tide, they will use channel entrances, eddies behind structure and bank edges to ambush baitfish forced from shallow bays and off the sand banks due to the lowering water level.
What is the best Burley for snapper?
The best berley is one that contains as much natural product as possible – skipjack tuna, mussel, salmon, mullet guts and paua – all ground up finely with tuna oil added. To say a berley has ‘fish oil’ added is not good enough; it needs to be tuna oil to get the best results.
How do you target snapper?
They can be targeted by simply soaking a bait or you can challenge yourself with a multitude of lures and techniques from trolling deep diving hard bodies or sending a plastic down to the depths. Snapper can be caught over sand, mud, natural reefs, artificial reefs, rubble and in shallow and deep water.
Where is the best place to catch snapper?
Red snapper are most commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico, but they can also be found off the coasts of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. In general, red snapper fishing is best in the spring and summer months.
What is a 2500 reel good for?
Reel size 2500 is also on the smaller end, and like the size 1000, it is best suited for light lure fishing tactics like drop shotting, spinning, or jagging. An increased number means that the spool and line capacity are slightly larger than the size 1000 spinning reel.
Are baitrunner reels good for snapper?
Since a fish can take your bait and run with it with some tension on the line, then you can then easily pick your rod up from the sand spike or rod holder and then proceed to set the hook. Some of the most common species that are targeted with Baitrunner reels are Stripers, Bluefish, Kings, Jewfish, and Snapper.
What does 6000 mean on a fishing reel?
Medium
Large Spinning Reels. 6000 to 30,000
| Reel Size | Mono Strength | Braid Strength |
|---|---|---|
| 6000 Medium | 12-18lb (5-8kg) | 12-30lb (5-13kg) |
| 7000 medium | 14-20lb (6-9kg) | 15-40lb (7-18kg) |
| 8000 Medium-heavy | 15-25lb (7-12kg) | 20-50lb (9-23kg) |
| 9000 Medium-heavy | 20-25lb (9-12kg) | 20lb-60lb (9-27kg) |