# Need some Snapper catchin advice please.



## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

I want to target snapper but am a newbie to saltwater fishing. I anchored close to (w/n 100ft) of wreck site, and had some good chum going. I dropped whole squid on a walmart setup that has the weight at the bottom and 2 hook coming off the sides. i dropped about 2 rigs down. No bites. also dropped the same rig with a live bait on it. No bites. 

The spade fish were all over my boat so ended up stayin on top and landing them. A guy pulls up with one reel and within 15 minutes landed a nice size snapper...:furious: 

any advice on how to catch these snappers from the bottom? i have been trying different things and no luck.


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## jdhkingfisher (Aug 6, 2010)

gotta finess them, light line and use a knocker rig or a dropper rig. in the clear water the snapper can see the heavy leader and bigger hooks.


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## captjimV.A.S (Jun 2, 2008)

*snapper rig*

Start with putting a 6 to 8 ounce slip sinker on you main line then a swivel then 4 to 6 foot of 60lb florocarbon and tie a 7 to 9 ought hook on the end of that use live pin fish or cig or squid or alewive/moss bunker hooked thru the nose send it to the bottom and reel up 8 to 10 turnes and hold on...keep drag on tight to keep them from hanging you on the wreck and that should do it.DO NOT JERK JUST LIFT AND REEL!!!!!! and you need to be closer to the spot you want fish the closer the better..


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

ahh i like the advice! :thumbup: thanks!


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

If you have a good chum slick going don't fish on the bottom at all. Just freeline your cigar minnow or squid. You can use a small weight if you wish; 1 oz. only. I have pulled up on many spots and caught snapper one after another this way while others fishing on bottom get one once in a while. Try it, it works. Gotta have chum.


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

free line a dead cigar minnow, correct?


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## Fish-n-Fur (Apr 2, 2009)

ROGER - freeline (or light weight - depending on the current) a dead cig, or a live pinfish, or a piece of cutbait, .... The main idea is to chum them up off the bottom, to pull them away from the wreck (much less likely to get cut off), while working them into a feeding frenzy. Key, as mentioned, have enough chum. Near botton fishin', like CaptJim mentioned, works well too - just lighter line, or fluorocarbon leader in clearer water. Hope you tear 'em up next time out using these methods. Good Luck!


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## Fish-n-Fur (Apr 2, 2009)

p.s. - find your structure, drop a marker, motor up current, drop anchor at reasonable distance, work back to the marker (or just above it if freelining bait), and fish. If your bottom fishing I'd pull the marker in, so fish won't wrap your line around it (murphy's law!). Good luck!


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Also when you use allot of chum if there is a Cobia around he will come to your boat and bypass the others. `This happened to us at the Paradise Hole last week. Two Cobia came up right next to the chum bag. We caught one on a dead cigar minnow and the other left.


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## Buche (Jan 19, 2009)

Forget buying that pre-made walmart crap. My advice would be to invite someone that has local knowledge and has some years of experience fishing for snappers, groupers, cobia, etc. Meet up with him/her at local tackle shop, bring your tackle box and let them throw away all the unneccessary crap you already have, go in shop together and buy what he/she says to. Next day you meet at the ramp, you bring your boat, alreay gased up, you also already have bait, chum, bouey marker, and beverages. 
Watch and learn, if your comfortable with it let em captain your boat, learn how to anchor on the spot, once your on the spot or close to it, get your chum in the water, maybe take a handful of sardines cut em up into quarter inch pieces and toss em up current in the water, to get the fish fired up.
Learn different knots, I pretty much us a uni knot for all my bottom fishing. Heres a link to different knots.
http://www.animatedknots.com/unikno...ge=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com


Carolina rig- Take ur main line slide on an egg sinker 4,6,8oz.,(could be less could be more depending on current) tie a swivel to that,then 4 to 6ft leader, then a circle hook to that, 4/0 to 7/0 hook.


Knocker rig- Two ways u can do it, just like above but instead you place egg sinker on leader line on top of hook or you can forget the leader and swivel and place main line through sinker then tie on hook.

Flat Line- Same as Carolina rig just no sinker.

Watch, learn, ask questions. Good luck. :thumbsup:


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

you guys are great, thanks for the info i am going out on June 26th, ill try to post my results then! If you see a 20Ft Bayliner "Busted Nuckle" Giveme a shout :thumbup:


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

Also this item came with my boat when i bought it, excuse my ignorance but is this a marker? If so how do i use it?


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Not big enough, it will float off with current. That is a dive bouy. 


http://cgi.ebay.com/AMERICAN-BANDIT...ING-FLOAT-/150481614963?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0


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## alm (Aug 23, 2008)

If you want to catch red snapper go fish the public wrecks when snapper seasons closed you will catch all you want. When season opens be ankored on a place you have been catching them after that its gona get tuffer and tuffer untill season closes. Snappers love squid. But a live bait will usally get the bigger ones. :thumbsup:


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## Buche (Jan 19, 2009)

For a marker bouey, this is the one I use, $60 delivered to your door.

http://www.jugit.com/index.html


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

*Update*

Well I get out to a liberty ship, I then find out my bait well pump took a dump. Any advice on how to keep those johnson livewell pump cartridges workin for more then 3 times of taken them out?To add to the pain, i lost my shackle bolt to my anchor, i attached this clip i had and sent it down. 

Hooked up on 3 fish but lost them, talked to another guy who caught a big snapper said that he doesnt use the knocker rig, he puts the weight on the main line then swivel then leader and hook. (carolina rig i believe) very nice guy hooked us up with more live bait. 

the bites stopped, pulled up anchor, lost it.  So FREE anchor for a diver around 100ft within liberty. 

Ended up drifting around and caught a trigger. Man i hate being a NEWBIE!


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Your situation sounds like you just need more experience. Either by getting someone to go with you that has the experience or you go with someone else. There are hundreds of things to keep track of when you going offshore. You have the boat, electronics, safety equipment, ect. to keep up with and then all the fishing gear. Your ground tackle is very important when offshore for safety reasons. If you lose your anchor and are adrift your boat could be swamped by waves and sink if you have an engine problem. Always carry a spare anchor w/chain and rode for fishing and safety. 

I will be glad to take you on my boat when we go. I try to mainly go Blue Water fishing but lately it's not worth it. If you will PM me with your phone number I will call you next time we go. It will be sometime next week. Believe me everyone on this forum has had to go thru what you are going thru. I'm 56 years old now and still learning after owning boats from 14' to 45' since I was 18 years old.


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

Never thought about that, i will look into another one. I know the only way to be better is to learn from the best, im so glad theres people like yourself on this forum. I will send you a pm.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Shawn,

We are going early tomorrow, Friday 7/08/11. Get in touch with me if you can go.


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

Ocean Master,
I didnt get your message until now, man im at work and your prolly catching a bunch of fish! Haha. Please letme know whenever you go out on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Theres no time to early for me


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Now I know you are off on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, right? 

We went to the I-10 Bridge Rubble to the west and had our limit of Reds and Black Snapper in 45 minutes. What we did was go past the rubble and anchor up at least 200 feet past the last spot of rubble showing on the bottom machine. With the west wind and the current our chum brought the fish out of the concrete rubble and up to the surface almost immediately. We didn't keep any Red Snapper less than 10 lbs. and caught our limit of 3 to 6 lb. Black Snapper. We probably caught 30 Snapper total.


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## SHunter (Jun 19, 2009)

x2 on the Carolina Rig. I just use cut bait. A friend of mine who owned a large charter boat used cut bait and his customers did well with snapper. The advice to get an expert is a good one. Also, talk to folks at a local tackle shop.


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

Ocean Master said:


> Now I know you are off on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, right?
> 
> We went to the I-10 Bridge Rubble to the west and had our limit of Reds and Black Snapper in 45 minutes. What we did was go past the rubble and anchor up at least 200 feet past the last spot of rubble showing on the bottom machine. With the west wind and the current our chum brought the fish out of the concrete rubble and up to the surface almost immediately. We didn't keep any Red Snapper less than 10 lbs. and caught our limit of 3 to 6 lb. Black Snapper. We probably caught 30 Snapper total.


Yes sir i am off those 3 days. I really appreciate the report, I am taking the boat out this sunday. Its funny i was planning on the I10 bridge rubble this time, but then was thinking Soule Barge instead. Now i know were to go for sure! haha. Man you killed those Snapper! Good job, you didnt leave much for me huh, lol. :no:


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## Bustedknuckle (Feb 11, 2009)

SHunter said:


> x2 on the Carolina Rig. I just use cut bait. A friend of mine who owned a large charter boat used cut bait and his customers did well with snapper. The advice to get an expert is a good one. Also, talk to folks at a local tackle shop.


ahh good advice ill change up to the carolina rigs for sure then.


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## dustyflair (Nov 11, 2011)

get to your spot an make your chum at least 6 poles with 2 baits on each. Usually that will get them fired off. We fish spots and use 2 hook rigs and limit out on red snaps quickly. If they won't give it up or are high up in the water we use the old perdido rig. I like to just pass thru a 1-8 ounce or so egg sinker depending on current, then straight to the hook. No leader no swivel. I double wrap the hook eye with the main line then tie the knot. It works everytime.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Wirelessly posted

I need advice on how to keep them off my hook


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## jjam (Dec 9, 2007)

bigrick said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> I need advice on how to keep them off my hook


Fish deep natural bottom but I bet you already Know this...:thumbup:

Jimmy


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