# White Snapper really a snapper?



## almo100 (Mar 1, 2013)

So I find another post that says that the white snapper is actually a Big-eye Porgy, Saucer-Eye Porgy.

So the question is if this is so then it should not count as "other snapper" with a 12" limit and count towards your aggregate?

Can anyone chime in here. I have been throwing back white snapper under 12" because there is not listing for limits except for under "other snapper."


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## DukeS (May 29, 2013)

Red Porgy, not really a snapper
3 @ 14" for Atlantic, no limit posted for gulf
we turned a few away at the Optimist Rodeo that wanted to enter in the snapper category.


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## almo100 (Mar 1, 2013)

Seems like all the pictures online show the white fish I always catch but the images in the books show it a red color. Never caught one that looks red.

Thanks thought. Now I know.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

They are not snapper. They are Porgies. The reason they call them snapper is for the Yankees who fish on the party boats. The mate hollers white snapper and it stuck. They think they caught something great. All that said they do taste good especially if you fry them up.


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## gmoney (Oct 3, 2007)

agreed, I call them porgies when commercial fishing (I know it's evil but I have to eat in the winter too, for the record I've never worked on a boat that owns and IFQ for snapper), and white snapper when charter fishing. And to be honest, they are damn good eating beer battered and fried, plentiful and easy to catch.

They also make damn good big jack baits, and decent baits for grouper. Even caught a few king mackerel on them. Interestingly, flipper normally leaves them alone, which is nice.

EDIT: We actually catch a couple of different kinds of fish we call 'white snapper'. The most common is the white-boned porgy, though we also catch saucer-eyed porgies (chocolate porgies) and knob-head porgies (key west porgies). The red porgy is actually reddish in color and usually found in water over 200ft deep, we don't come across them as often.


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## almo100 (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks everyone. Now I know. I've left about 20 of these out there thinking they were snapper. 

Ah well, that's how you learn.


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## Stink Bait (Jun 13, 2008)

They make great fish tacos.:thumbup:


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## Fishun Injun (Jun 4, 2013)

No limit YET!!! But....who ever thought they would put a size first, then a season and now a 2 fish limit as of June 11th on a freakin' triggerfish....long ago looked at as a trash fish!!


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