Snapper

Snappers are tropical species, that typically lives near coral reefs, or rocky bottoms, at moderate depths: typically between 50 and 150 feet, but not exceeding 300 feet. They are not nomadic, and tend to stick to the same preferred habitats from year to year. Fishing for some snapper species, such as Red Snapper, in the USA is limited to certain seasons. Snapper fishing is offered by many outfitters in the USA and Mexico, specifically in Florida, the Caribbean’s, and the Mexico Bay. However, you may also find opportunities for snapper fishing wherever there are coral reefs, including but not limited to the Maldives, Australia and New Zealand.

A tropical fish, snappers may feature great adaptation to their specific environment, especially in terms of color. Some species come in bright yellow or red, others are more gloomily colored in dark grey or green, with black spots for camouflage. Most have relatively short and stout body, with a mouth full of teeth they use to catch their prey. The World Angling Record for Cubana Snapper is 124 lb 12 oz. and for Red Snapper 50 lb. 4 oz. Both fishes were caught in the coast waters of Louisiana.

Although some representatives of the snapper family feed peacefully on plankton, most species that are objects of sports fishing are predatory. Bottom fishing and trolling, mostly using live or dead bait, are the prime methods for catching snappers. They will, however, take many kinds of spinning lures, both spinners or spoons and soft plastic bait on jig heads. When snappers strike, they pull harder than their weight suggests, and could actually jerk you into the water; then they will try to get your line tangled and broken off. The secret of catching the biggest snappers lies in knowing sweet spots where they prefer to dwell, so in unfamiliar waters the experience of your captain is invaluable. You can fish for snappers quite successfully from the shore, but of course nothing can compare with cruising a fishing boat with a competent captain over the warm, blue, tropical sea.