2 Tips For Catching Keeper-Size Inshore Mangrove Snapper
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
It’s dinner time!
In this video, we’ve got Capt. Mark “Hollywood” Johnson from FloridaKeysFunFishing.com showing you how to catch keeper-size mangrove snapper when fishing inshore.
These fish are delicious to eat, fun to catch for the whole family, and with these tips, you can catch a ton of keeper fish without going offshore.
You’ll learn:
- An easy (and cleaner) way to chum up mangrove snapper
- How to catch the big snapper (and avoid the little ones)
- What bait to use to catch keeper-size snapper
- And much more
Check it out below.
How To Catch Big Inshore Mangrove Snapper [VIDEO]
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The first step to catching mangrove snapper is to chum them up.
You don’t have to chum, but if you want to catch lots of fish fast (who doesn’t?!), then this is the best way.
Now most people use a chum block in a chum bag, but Capt. Hollywood’s been using this Chum Dinger chum box.
It works just like a chum bag, except it’s more durable and much easier to clean (so it doesn’t smell so bad).
It fits a standard 7 lb. block of chum and within just a few minutes we had loads of mangrove snapper to the boat.
Of course, we had lots of small snapper as well as big snapper, so the question is this: how do you catch the big ones and avoid the small ones?
By using cut bait instead of shrimp.
If you use a 1/2″ chunk of cut bait (we used pinfish and ladyfish on this trip) and a 3/0 circle hook, then it’ll be much harder for the smaller snapper to get the bait and hook in their mouth.
For the most part, only the bigger snapper will eat these big chunks and get hooked, so you’ll catch a lot fewer small snapper.
And here’s a final tip for mangrove snapper: they have sharp teeth and pointy dorsal fins, so grab them under the chin to avoid getting bitten or stabbed.
Conclusion
If you want to have a fun day on the water, catch tons of fish, and have a delicious dinner, targeting inshore mangrove snapper is a great option.
First, chum them up, and then, use cut bait to catch the keeper-sized snapper.
Have any questions about catching inshore mangrove snapper?
Let us know in the comments below!
If you’re in the Florida Keys and want to book a trip with Capt. Hollywood and his crew, you can find them at FloridaKeysFunFishing.com.
And if you know someone who wants to catch more mangrove snapper, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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How far far north in the gulf can you catch mangrove snapper
The mangrove snapper range is inshore and offshore around the Gulf of Mexico. They’re especially abundant along the coast of Florida.
Here in Pensacola,we catch the mangrove snaps around peirs near the pass in summer. When do they go into the gulf and how deep do they go?
They go as deep as 600 feet and will grow to be over 40 pounds. As a rule of thumb, the deeper you fish the bigger the mangrove will be. Offshore, grey snappers are about 20 inches or larger.They spawn near the full moon in August. On reefs and wrecks, in 90 to 120 feet of water.
Great
Hi Joe and Luke. I fish mostly in New Jersey but love your articles. Was very pleased to read about your Christian beliefs. I am planning to join your club but want to wait until I get home from Alaska in September so that I can enjoy the benefits of membership for a full year. I am working with a ministry helping wounded veterans here for the summer..I’m sure you would be interested in checking it out on line. It is called Operation Heal Our Patriots. Ten wounded veterans and their spouses are flown to a remote lodge for a week of fishing,bear watching and other unique activities. Retired military chaplains meet with them for marriage enrichment classes and results are amazing. They are also of course presented with the Gospel and many find Christ and are even baptized here in the cold lake. Please take a few minutes and check this out. There are videos and interviews with the guests. The fishing here is all fresh water for pike salmon grayling trout etc. I don’t know if you have any advice or tackle suggestions for this kind of fishing but would surely appreciate any. Hope to hear from you. Sorry for applying for the pack of lures. I wasn’t sure if it was a different one from the ones you had already sent me. They are back in New Jersey. I enjoy reading your reviews and everything while up here. Being so remote I am not able to watch any videos. Thanks. Ed Arentz
Great vid!! Is there a salt strong discount on that chum dinger box?? I have the Chum Buddy I bought at bass pro, but a whole chum block doesn’t fit and now I don’t use it.
Great video, especially after just catching a couple on Monday. We don’t see them quite as plentiful in Aransas area but we see more of them than we do snook. LOL
Awesome advice! Love ❤️ mangrove snapper so much, that I named my YouTube channel after them – SnapperTALES.
2 questions, what are you looking for when deciding where to drop a chum box and 2 are you just casting the bait out there or bouncing the bait back in. Thanks guys!
Great video…thank-you.
Thank you, Arthur!
Excellent video. Up here in the Big Bend, can we find Mangrove Snapper in the seagrass? I seldom catch any inshore in water 2-10 feet. Are they found at particular depths? Thanks.
Yes, mangrove snapper will often hold on grass (that’s actually what we were fishing in this video). The depth range will fluctuate, but I prefer the 5ft to 10 ft range for getting keepers… ideally in areas with hard bottom mixed with grass.
Note: Chumming will be the easiest way to find out if they are there in not… they typically move in fast once they smell the food, so it’s common to pick up and move multiple times if the first tries don’t have anything to show for it when looking for new spots.