Red Snapper Fishing Tips

Where To Find Red Snapper

Red snapper live in the Gulf of Mexico and in the western Atlantic Ocean. These fish are bottom feeders and are located primarily offshore around natural structures, wrecks, artificial reefs, drilling platforms and oil rigs. Young snappers can be found inshore on muddy bottoms. Adult snappers are more abundant in depths of water 60 to 440 feet deep on rough and rocky bottoms.

Red Snapper Fishing Techniques

Multiple hooks and heavy weights are effective for catching red snapper. Manual reels, hand lines and electric reels are all sufficient to use. Fishing in several depths of water until the preferred size snapper is caught and then continuing to fish at that same depth will land fish of comparable size. Stout tackle is essential to use as red snappers can grow up to 80 pounds, with the average size being 5 to 25 pounds.

Bait To Use For Catching Red Snapper

Red snapper like to nibble around on their food and they prefer slow moving or still bait. The best bait to use for catching red snapper is bait fish, cut bait, worms, crab and fresh squid. Bait fish are small fish that are used for bait, such as fish from the minnow, carp, shad or sucker family. Cut bait is bait made from cutting larger fish into small pieces and the scent of blood is what attracts red snapper. Crab can be pulled apart or used whole and squid can also be used cut or whole, and the mantles, which are the large part of the squid in front of the head, can be cut into vertical strips.

Chumming For Red Snapper

Chumming is the method of attracting red snapper to your fishing location by throwing chum into the water. Chum can be made from ground up fish, breakfast cereal, pet food and canned sweet corn. Too much chum should not be poured into the water, as the idea is to attract the fish, not to fill their bellies completely. As the fish come up to the surface of the water to feed on the chum, fishing fly lures can be used to catch them.