# live blue runner/hard tail for Red Snapper???



## slayerextreme (Jan 10, 2012)

well its almost here....the search for the elusive ARS in the GOM....but thats another debate:whistling::whistling:

I was wondering about liveblue runners/hard tails for Red Snapper,,,,

We will be heading down for our yearly 10 day vacation to Mexico Beach starting Saturday morning...I always have a box of squid, and a box of Mackeral but I prefer live bait, and since I've started fishing Mexico Beach, I have found that pin fish seem to be the "endangered" species arond these parts,...when fishing Carrabelle, catching pin fish was a snap.....I have yet to catch a single pin fish in my trap in the canal at Mexico beach, in 3 years!!!!

But I can go out to the buoy line and catch a fair share of blue runners with a sabiki rig......I do have a cast net and have caught a bunch of the small menhaden in the canal, but I dont really know where to get things like cigar minnows and stuff like that....

Are the live blue runners good for snapper???? I know a big Kingfish loves them, but we will be after snapper..I usually can catch a good bit of blue runners in the 8" to 12" size.....what are yalls opinions on blue runners??? alive or as cut-bait?????

plus if you know of a place that might be nearby that might hold a fair amount of pin fish, where I might hide a trap...that would be appreciated:thumbsup::thumbsup:

good luck to all during the upcoming "way to short" Red Snapper Season!!!


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## billin (Oct 14, 2007)

*Hard tail*

Gonna take a stud cow all jacked up on meth or crack or something try a smaller less hardy bait for the snapper


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I find that they will not chase the hard tail down as readily. A butterflied hardy is a different story. My hands-down favorite big snapper bait is a 1lb-1 1/2lb, deboned Spanish mackerel. Sow killer right there especially when rigged on a knocker setup with a 1oz weight


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## slayerextreme (Jan 10, 2012)

what about chunked up bonita ???


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## kahala boy (Oct 1, 2007)

Use some live mullet. You will catch a hoss snapper


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I fish Mexico beach as well. I have NEVER had a problem catching pinfish. I catch them on hook and line. Go to the boat canal and sit on the dock next to the fish cleaning station nearest to the covered pavilion. Use a small bream hook and a half fingernail sized piece of squid and a single splitshot. you will catch all the pins and small croakers that you could ever want. If you do not catch them right off, move down 5-10 feet. They are there, they just end to bunch up. I've also caught a good bit in the first bend of the canal where the feeder creek comes in.

Or you can go to any of the reefs and drop a small dropper rig with squid on it all the way to the bottom. You can catch all the ruby reds you could ever want. Butterfly those and hang em in the water column.


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## jjam (Dec 9, 2007)

slayerextreme said:


> what about chunked up bonita ???


That'll work fine too, caught a big ol' sow last year on a half bonita while shark fishing....she didn't mind the wire leader neither attached to the #10 circle hook.

Them things will eat anything set in front them if they don't have to chase...

Jimmy


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

kahala boy said:


> Use some live mullet. You will catch a hoss snapper


I've fished Mexico Beach for 15 years. Never seen a live mullet to catch.


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

We caught a sow this past weekend on a big hardtail.


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## Sea-r-cy (Oct 3, 2007)

Most any live bottom or close in artificial reef will be covered with small b-liners, ruby lips, and rockfish. Snapper aren't too picky. Sea-r-cy


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## Ginzu (Nov 16, 2011)

To me, it's all about how hungry they are and the pressure they have seen. Live cigs, live pinfish, live sardine, cut bobo, cut Spanish, DOA swimmin mullet, Bucktail jig, Butterfly Jig...I've caught 30+" snapper on all of them.


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## BBreeze (Aug 26, 2009)

If dropping hard tails for snapper cut part of the tail off. As stated above a snapper will not chase them long before giving up. Have caught some biguns like this.


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## Reel Sick (May 4, 2009)

Put some cut up menhaden in your pin fish trap my father in law just showed me this trick it will be loaded up in no time.


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