# Midnight Mangroves



## The chumbucket (Jun 4, 2014)

Tuesday night we went offshore to try for big mangrove snapper. Last month, during the full moon, we had an awesome trip. This month when the moon was at its peak, the wind was too strong to risk it. So a week past the full moon, with an evening wind forecast of 3 to 8 mph, we just had to give it a go.


We headed to 120 feet of water and found a brand new hole with great show and very rocky bottom, everything looked perfect. With a 3 quarter moon rising before midnight hoped of repeating last months success, and with a few hours to wait for the moon we figured that mingos would keep us busy until it got right. 

It goes to show you just how wrong you can be sometimes. The bite wasn't just dead it was nonexistent with only 2 small vermilions in the box, it started looking like we were wasting our time. I gave serious consideration to packing it in, but I decided to wait until the moon rise, and I'm so glad I did.


Once the three quarter moon was completely visible everything changed. It was like someone flipped on the fish switch. Now, as soon as a bait hit the bottom we would get hammered by some of the biggest mingos I have ever caught along with nice lane snapper and big eyes. We had our limit of vermilion in no time, so I stopped bottom fishing and started chumming and free lining in the current for mangrove snapper.

It was a good decision because within what seemed like seconds I was tied up to fine mangrove snapper at almost 10 lbs, Later free lining in the current produced several red snapper in the 15 lb range which were released with a tear in my eye, and to my surprise a 23 lb King on a mono leader. We also had several huge fish run us from near the surface to the bottom like a fright train.

By 2:30 AM we had enough! Working all day and fishing all night is a young mans game, at least younger than I am, so at 2:30 we headed to the barn. 

Fishing on a beautiful night under God's sky, filled with a million stars, returning home safety with a bounty from His generous hand it pretty tough to top.

Greg


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## ST1300rider (Apr 27, 2017)

Nice haul of fish!


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

that's a stud mangrove in the middle and a nice king.
what did you feed them?

jack


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## zodiac470 (Oct 2, 2007)

I've been reading for years about this type of fishing for big mangroves but have never been able to do it. Looks like a good time.


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## Bill Me (Oct 5, 2007)

Great work. I love being out there at night. There are 100 times as many stars as you ever see from anyplace on land other than perhaps the


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Fine haul of eats brother!!! Congrats on a good night!


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## The chumbucket (Jun 4, 2014)

jack2 said:


> that's a stud mangrove in the middle and a nice king.
> what did you feed them?
> 
> jack


Usually I use mullet chunks mixed in with the chum cloud, but this time they were keyed in on live ruby red lips that we were catching along with the vermilion snapper. 

It seems that the key is fishing the full moon. On the full moon they are way more aggressive and come up higher in the chum slick. I've fished for these things for years and on the full moon its not uncommon for me to catch 8 or ten a night


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## LivinTheDream (Apr 15, 2013)

Great report and nice haul!


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Great report, thanks for the run-down and the description. Congrats on a great haul of fish! 



The chumbucket said:


> Fishing on a beautiful night under God's sky, filled with a million stars, returning home safety with a bounty from His generous hand it pretty tough to top.


This pretty much sums it up, awesome!


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## NoCatch (Apr 27, 2008)

great job!


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## Magspringsfishing (Sep 22, 2016)

How are you feeling about this full moon captain? I want to try it out, do you think you need to be in that deep of water or could you produce some of the same results in shallower near shore water. I know the fall moves some of the bigger ones close in right?


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Great report and stud mangroves!!!


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## The chumbucket (Jun 4, 2014)

As long as the water temp is above 65 you should be fine. Im going to the Trysler Grounds if we get a good evening next week


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