gmblnfool

since the limit is only 2 and you are trying for your personal best what bait and water depth would you go to for a 25-30# lb snapper. Thanks in advance

younghooker

those big sow snappers are best released.. they have big rib cages.. meat not as good as smaller fish..a nice 5 lb. snapper is best to eat.. need to learn catch other fish.. & troll more :doh

gmblnfool

Thanks for the anatomy lesson. My question was what bait and depth would someone prefer for large snapper.

younghooker

30 to 40 fathoms nat. bottom.. live herring.. :looser

Lickety-Split

200-220' smallish live bait 4-6" pinfish,cigar minnow, any "white bait" herring/sardines.

__________________
Capt. Brandon Edgar
www.ExtremeOffshoreCharters.com
info@ExtremeOffshoreCharters.com
(850)529-8425

legalhookin

a piece of cut bait that looks like the chum comming out of your chum churn or just like what you chunk with during chumming. just free line it out on 20lb spinning rod with long flora leader of the same or 30lb. good luck. when you clean it, cut open the stomach. you will be supprised how much chum is in there before you actually caught it!

reelthrill

We catch a lot of our big snapper in 140 -200 ft. of water but usually they are way up the water column. Try fishing about half way up with as light of leader and weight as you can get away with and use live LY's, pinfish, cigs, if possible. We catch a lot of big snapper on the oil rigs with spinning tackle. They always pull straight down and almost never break you off in the rig like AJ's will do. I think they bite better very late in the afternoon.

Daydreamin

My two best snapper were both caught in water that was ~100' and both fish hit live pinfish that were about the size of my hand rigged on 30lb floro leader that was about 3-4' with a 3/4 oz slip sinker above the leader to main line knot. Both times the baits were drifting and probably not more than 50' deep. One fish was 27lb and the other was 29lb. Neither fish was caught on the structure or close to the structure I had been fishing and catching smaller fish on. In fact I have noticed that I have been finding schools of larger snapper 100-200' away from the "spot". Lately I have gotten in the habit of making wide circles around the area before I decide where to fish or if to anchor or drift.