# Snapper bait?



## Justin (May 6, 2009)

What is the best bait to use when targeting snapper? I've been using cut up pieces of cigar minnows and had pretty good luck.


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## Lyin Too (Aug 31, 2009)

Live pinfish are easy to get and work pretty well


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Live pinfish, Whole cigar minnows, Whole northern mackeral, Live Rubylips and small Live Snapper.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Butterflied bluefish or Bonita slabs. There's no bait too big if you want to catch a big snapper.


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## 20simmons sea skiff (Aug 20, 2010)

i worked on a snapper boat nack in 73 we got ladyfish and spanish filleted them put in beer flats salted each layer, keptk a few boxs cooking, salt hardened made it harder for fish to steal bait earlier this yr had good luck with cigar minors cause i couldnt get nothing else, had cigar and pinfish sat, but caught snapper on bonita we caught earlier in day,, they say live bait rules tried to catch some sat spanish bit off every rig only got one elwie in


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## Justin (May 6, 2009)

where could i catch some bonita? or would it just be easier to buy a few?


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## Island24 (May 12, 2008)

Catch the bonita just offshore a few miles out by trolling or if you see a school busting up top throw a sling jig into the school and reel very fast.


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## Mike&D (Dec 11, 2007)

We went Friday and they hit white trout that we had caught and butterflied and wouldnt touch cig's and on staurday they wanted nothing but cig's we took squid and caught a bunch of undersized Triggers and the AJ's were all over the trout and nothing hit saturday we were 14 miles out SE.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

Aki jigs for the big boys. Will be doing it myself on saturday and hopefully sunday too. but not fishing any bait for the big ones.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Get some good chum and fish the top water with a spinning reel and cut up cigar minnows. No weight.


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

I like whole butterflied menhaden !!!


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## BayShark (Oct 30, 2008)

we have found that the ARS will not hit the pinfish as well, sometimes not at all. Saturday we used live white trout and pinfish down at the same time with 4 fishermen fishing, not a bite on pinfish and a hook up jut about everytime on trout, all fish in 10 to 15 lb range, largest at 22 on trout; cauht some big ones on BIG mullet as well


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## inshore slam (Mar 27, 2009)

*menhaden*



Justin said:


> What is the best bait to use when targeting snapper? I've been using cut up pieces of cigar minnows and had pretty good luck.


best bait to use is live menhaden. you can catch plenty in the bayou's keep 20 alive and the rest use dead. You well have great success


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

A live white trout or a whole, de-boned, 1-2lb spanish mackeral. With the spanish macks you have to feed em for a second or 2 but you won't get any small snaps on them.


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## Parker32 (Oct 16, 2010)

Seems like "either" squid is best sometimes and cigar minnows is best at others. I've fished party boats for years and always go back and fourth till' I figure out which they're hitting best. A fresh piece of bonita rarely makes it to the bottom before being enhaled by something unless you make it a big, big grouper sized heap.


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## standrew (Dec 15, 2009)

Ocean Master said:


> Get some good chum and fish the top water with a spinning reel and cut up cigar minnows. No weight.


^^^Best way to do it close in. I would use menhaden though. Get the fish up with minimal chum and free line small pieces. You'll always get the biggest ones on the spot if they come up. Plus, you'll get mangroves that won't bite normal bottom gear. I rarely fish federal waters and always get 5-15 lb snaps this way. Even on public spots. Small hook and minimal gear is the best. If they won't touch 30 floro, drop to 20. Longer leader the better and don't use a swivel as it will impede your drift.


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## slaudawg (Jun 11, 2010)

The best bait hand down is Spanish sardines. My reason for using them is the scent and oil trail they leave behind. They chum the water without you having to use a chum bag---and the stir up all the in the location you drop them down at. Going out today 16 miles out I will post pictures on my return to show you my results.

Be sure you keep in touch I have plenty of secrets and experience. 30 years of big game fishing.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Squid condoms work pretty good. Yam a cigar minnow head first inside a whole squid and hook through the squid through the cigs eyes.


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## Ocean Man (Sep 27, 2007)

The best bait for Snapper is good variety. Everyday is different, take a few different baits and see which one is working best that day.


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## Fishermon (Oct 19, 2007)

and if you don't have any bait try a butterfly jig...start with cheap ones till you feel confident with yor set up then you can try the high end shimanos...jig it fast and furious ..lots of fun .


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## Mad Hooker (Jun 2, 2010)

Fishermon said:


> and if you don't have any bait try a butterfly jig...start with cheap ones till you feel confident with yor set up then you can try the high end shimanos...jig it fast and furious ..lots of fun .
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_VFe4lqlDk



Dang... would have loved to see what was on the end of that!


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## Captain Gator (Feb 25, 2009)

Live bait,,,, brought big fish...dead bait brought smaller fish... and chicken rigs for trigger and other reef fish brought short snapper mostly... fished 4 days... and this held true all 4 days..... Sunday was by far the best day.... calm and could stay on the numbers without having to anchor.... Bigger fish, including keeper Grouper in 90 ft of water.... also the thermocline was at 50 ft...and very obvious that it was a key in catching the fish in the upper column of water on chicken rigs.... if you stopped it there.... well, hang on.... AB's were roaming....


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## sandman (Oct 31, 2007)

We have been tearing the ARS and Groupers up on large live Pogies we net before we leave out of Perdido Pass. They seem to take them more aggressively than the live Pinfish, but maybe it's just b'cause the Pogies are so big!
Blue skies, fair winds & calm seas,
Sandman


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