Pogies, squid, and cigar minnows are readily available and frequently used Red Snapper bait. For larger fish in general, live Pinfish and Tomtate ( a.k.a. Ruby Red Lips) also work well. Many experienced Gulf Coast anglers swear that Bonita strips make the best bait for Red Snappers.
What is the best time to catch red snapper?
When is the best time to fish for red snapper? Well, the summer is when spawning season begins. The exact dates will change each year based on various spawning conditions. It hits its peak in June and July.
How far should snapper be from the shore?
Generally a 40-100m cast is necessary. Snapper are more commonly caught on our inshore and offshore reefs by the boat anglers. The vast majority of landbased anglers rarely catch snapper, and rarely specifically target them from the shore.
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 do red snapper fish like to eat?
Red snapper feed on fish, shrimp, crab, worms, cephalopods (octopus or squid), and some plankton (tiny floating plants and animals). Young red snapper are food for the large carnivorous fish that share their habitat, such as jacks, groupers, sharks, barracudas, and morays.
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 hook is best for red snapper?
“Generally, a live bait produces the bigger red snapper,” says Rarick, whose favorite red snapper baits are threadfin herring, goggle-eyes and blue runners. She says a 7-inch bait is ideal, fished on an 8/0 circle hook.
How do you know when snapper is done?
The best way to tell if your fish is done is by testing it with a fork at an angle, at the thickest point, and twist gently. The fish will flake easily when it’s done and it will lose its translucent or raw appearance. A good rule of thumb is to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees.
How do you target snapper?
When targeting bigger Snapper head baits or butterfly baits of slimey mackeral, whiting, tommy rough work well. Other great strip baits include cuttlefish, squid and octopus. Snapper will take a wide variety of lures. Soft plastics would be up there with the most effective methods.
What tide is best for snapper?
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.
Where is the best place to catch red 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 kind of rod do you use for snapper?
Most Snapper fishos recommend a good strong rod with a fast taper around 7 foot in length.
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.
What Colours attract snapper?
Pink often works well for snapper! Bright pink is a consistent performer, but the reason for this is not obvious. As the light changes, so should lure colours.
Is red snapper a bottom feeder?
It might surprise you that the following fish and shellfish are classified as bottom-feeders: halibut, flounder, sole, cod, haddock, bass, carp, snapper, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, squid, octopus, catfish, shrimp, crabs, lobster, crayfish, snails and shellfish.
Where do snappers hide?
These fish are happiest on the bottom of the ocean, hiding in reefs, deep water structures, wrecks, and debris. You’ll find them in a wide range of depths, from 35 feet to almost 200 feet deep. This gives you plenty of opportunity to find red snapper while deep sea fishing.
What Moon is best for snapper fishing?
Generally a building or ‘waxing’ moon is a great time to be fishing, especially the week leading up to the full moon. Good fishing also generally continues for the week after the full moon, however snapper often go very quiet on the day and night of the full moon. Other prime times are around the new moon.
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.
Do you have to use circle hooks for snapper?
Non-stainless-steel circle hooks are required when fishing with natural baits for reef fish such as snapper, grouper, and amberjack.
How long can you leave snapper before gutting?
If the fish hasn’t been kept cold enough the flesh wont have ‘set’ and will be soft and harder to fillet. I often leave whole fish overnight in ice or an ice slurry and fillet them the next day. They are perfectly fine. I even prefer snapper to be at least 24hrs old before cooking to get the best flavour.
How long can you leave snapper before filleting?
After snapper is purchased, it may be refrigerated for 1 to 2 days – the “sell-by” date on the package may expire during that storage period, but the snapper will remain safe to use after the sell by date if it has been properly stored.