Red Snapper Fishing the Top Bottom-Fishing Target

Just the mention of a red snapper fishing trip somewhere to any serious saltwater anglers will definitely set eyes aglow, and so do I. It’s one of my favorite saltwater fish not only for their hard and aggressive fighting abilities, but also for their superb eating qualities.

And that made these bottom dwellers the most targeted species for most bottom fishing anglers and commercial fishermen.

A member of the large Lutjanidae family of snapper which number over 100 species, this particular species fetch high prize in the market. Their firm white meat when eaten fresh is simply super. They’re even served and eaten raw as sushi and sashimi by the Japanese.

Habitat

Juveniles inhabit shallow waters over sandy or muddy bottoms. Big or adult fish prefer rocky bottom at depth of 100-500 ft. Wrecks, coral reefs, artificial reefs, drop-offs and ledges are some of the likely places to locate them.

Bait

Live squid is the best bait for red snapper fishing. Due to their luminous and soft nature they’re hard for these reddish to resist when offered. Other effective live baits are octopus, prawns, flying fish, sardines, mackerels, and mantis prawns. Though dead fish or squid, cut or whole can be used but they’re not so effective compared to anything live.

Proper rigging of the bait is very important. It must be rigged in a natural manner where the bait stays lively and fresh.

Tackle

The gear used depend on the location and depth you’re bottom fishing. In deeper waters especially when the current is strong, heavy tackle and lines in the 50-100 lbs. class are used to handle the heavy sinkers. Sinkers for such situation can be as heavy as 1 kg.

Rod with strong backbone and butt combined with a sensitive tip is much preferred. And attaching an alarm bell on the sensitive tip of the rod will be even better as an extra bite indicator when fish bite.

Two-speed reels like the Penn 50 SW or the Shimano Tiagra with powerful handles are favored. Most anglers prefer braided fishing lines over monofilament because they're sensitive, less stretch and less water resistance.

As for shallow waters, lighter tackle and lines in the 15-20 lbs. class will be sufficient.

Terminal Tackle

A popular rig for deep water and large red snapper fishing consist of a stainless steel wire boom or spreader with nylon leader from as long as 9-15 ft. A long leader is needed so as not to spook the fish as well as better presentation of the bait. Circle hooks of # 5/0-7/0 single or double are best for reddish deep bottom fishing. The weight size depends on the tide-flow.

When you’re fishing in shallow waters with lighter tackle, the spreader is not needed. A running sinker replacing the heavy sinker is placed at the end of the main line just before the snap-swivel. And again a long leader of 6-10 ft. is needed. Hook size can be reduced as red snapper caught in shallow waters are usually smaller specimen.

Fishing Techniques

Jigging with metal jigs is another method for red snapper. Since they’re bottom dwellers they can be caught with the jigs tipped with a dead squid or fish bait, strip or whole, around the bottom. Luminous jigs which glow in the dark like the Yo-Zuri Blanka, Bluefox Skarpsildas and the Metallic Sardine are my favorites.

Red snapper fishing from an anchored charter boat is the most productive. Like all big snapper, the first few moments after the strike are like a tug-of-war scenario. You need to reel in fast as much line as possible before it charges back to the rocky bottom, and in that case it mean the game is over for you.

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