# What next to fish for since Red snapper season is over?



## Kenn (Dec 24, 2012)

So now that red snapper season is closed, what is fun to catch in mid august on the various reefs and wrecks within 14 miles of P'cola pass?


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## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

AJ and Triggerfish both open back up Aug 1


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## Kenn (Dec 24, 2012)

so are the trigger fish and amber jack on the reefs within 14 miles of the P'cola pass also? I went red snapper fishing last month 12 miles out, we caught red snapper but not one AJ or trigger fish on the reef we were on


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## Kenn (Dec 24, 2012)

*amber jack*

Never fished for Amber Jacks yet. 
Do you use live bait?
What tips do you guiys have for catching them?
How far out the pass do I need to go?
Use circle hook the same way ya fish for Red Snapper?


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## feelin' wright (Oct 7, 2007)

Large live bait and leave it about mid way down. Or my personal favorite is jigging for them. With jigging you will have a better ratio of amberjacks. With live baits you get a mixture of snapper and AJs. Also look for reefs that have high relief on them as this is what AJs prefer.


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

++ on live baits for AJ's.
Small & multiple hooks for Triggers.
Catch 'em up.


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## Kenn (Dec 24, 2012)

*circle hooks for AJ's*

so should I use circle hooks for the amber jacks?


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Kenn said:


> so should I use circle hooks for the amber jacks?


yes it is mandatory.


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

ajs are on some wrecks within that distance u get way more keepers if u get to the 20 to 30 mile range but they like big steel and honestly all the public wrecks have keeper fish on them they just dont get that size by being stupid, try to get some live hardtails or rockfish and dont oversize your leader try 60 lb floro or mono i have gone down to 30 to get the bites but that makes it tough and make your leader 12 ft long, dont fish more than about 3 at a time or it can become a cluster ---- fast, watch your bottom machine u will mark them as a v up in the water and dont lock your drag down as they are up in the water u can give them some line 
as far as triggers they are all over in that range but they now have to be 14" to the fork last i checked thats a 3 to 5 lb fish and without a honney hole u will catch 10 throwbacks to 1 keeper, just make up some 2 or 3 hook rigs on 30 useing small cirlle hooks bait up with pieces of squid or cut bonito 
personaly i would target kings this time of the year those reef fish dont feed heavily in the warmer water so keep out a flyline with a live bait on a mackerel rig while bottom fishing good luck hope this helps


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## Kenn (Dec 24, 2012)

wow great post. thanks, so looks like I may have some luck on a few wrecks and reefs around 12 miles out and 95-105 feet deep?


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## dustyflair (Nov 11, 2011)

How about Gulf Sturgeon? I bet there's more of them than the elusive Red Snapper.


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## 2RC's II (Feb 2, 2012)

Group....group


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

put your time in u will get some keepers and yes there are groupers around use the same jack rig with 80 and big baits and fish closer to the botom maybe 4 to 6 cranks up and for that set the drag tight they are also on most public spots just soak them with big baits u will get the big bite when u do just wind like hell


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Kenn said:


> Never fished for Amber Jacks yet.
> Do you use live bait?
> What tips do you guiys have for catching them?
> How far out the pass do I need to go?
> Use circle hook the same way ya fish for Red Snapper?


Pin fish.
Fish the same places as red snapper. Just fish high high in the water column


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## davis_patrick82 (Jun 22, 2013)

I think AJ's are much more fun than snapper anyways. They will tighten up your knot tying, test your tackle, and teach you a thing or two. 

x2 on the big hardtails.


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## HaoleByTheSea (Oct 24, 2012)

We went out for snapper a few weeks before AJ's came into season, still snapper season... On the way out of the bay, I threw a sabiki rig at some nervous water and came up with about a dozen little silver fish. The guy I was fishing with called them hardtails or something like that. I had some pinfish, which usually kill for snapper but we weren't getting anything... so, my bored buddy puts one of these hardtails (or whatever they were) on a hook, no sinker btw, and the thing literally hit the water and he had an AJ on it. It was so fast I thought he was messing with me (I had my back turned to him). I put one on and we caught AJ's til we had no more of these things.
I thought the AJ's were deeper, not right on the surface, but found their "candy". Now if I could just find some more of that bait.... lol. Thought this might help the OP get some fishing in.


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## MrPhoShiz (Sep 22, 2010)

i usually Jig for AJ and on occasion if jigs dont work ill go to hard tails and pins or find me some baby jacks.


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