Captains Corner, Ed Walker

By Ed Walker

Mangrove snapper spawning season is upon us. This will work out well for recreational anglers who have just had their red grouper season shut down. (Closed July 21 and will reopen January 1, 2024.) During this time of year mangrove snapper, which is a nickname for Gray Snapper, gather in large numbers on specific sites offshore.

These aggregations provide a good opportunity for fishermen to catch some of the best eating of the snappers.

From 30 feet of water all the way out to 150 feet you might find a school of big snapper right now. They will be gathered on big structure such as wrecks or large ledges. Generally speaking, you are not going to catch many while using standard bottom fishing gear. If you drop an 8 ounce sinker with 80 pound leader and a 9/0 hook you might catch one but, by scaling down your tackle size and adjusting fishing methods you can catch a lot of them.

The following tips will help you fool these sneaky snappers.

1. Do not use braided line. Snapper have great eye sight and are spooky by nature. They will avoid opaque lines. One person dropping braid into the school can cause all the fish to dive deep. If you must use braid add at least 25 feet of top shot to keep the bait away from the line.
2. Use chum and do not put a line in the water until the fish are actively feeding on it. Be patient.
3. Avoid fishing more than two lines at a time in a chum line. If you get 3 or 4 lines behind the boat the fish will drop back away and feed less. It is best to take turns and take your time.