Something Fishy: How to Catch Snapper Inshore

Something Fishy: How to Catch Snapper Inshore

How to Catch More and Bigger Fish

Don't be a purist. Use live bait. Try to match it with what the fish normally feed on.

Using lighter fishing lines. The small size line can't be seen as well

In order to use those light lines, it's a must to have a good working drag on your reel.

Smaller, sharper hooks work just as well as the big ones - sometimes better.

Try to fish for the type of fish that maybe spawning or hitting.

The way to find this out is to spend some time on the phone calling bait shops. You could spend some time hanging out at a good one, listening and talking several days prior to when you are planning a trip, and plan accordingly.

Start on the bottom and work your way to the top in stages. Once you catch a fish, try to keep your bait at that depth and just move around until you find where they are hiding. If you aren't catching, move until you do. Keep repeating the procedure. Bluegill, crappie, white bass, black bass, sauger, etc!! are all schooling fish. This means more than one around. Once I find them, we usually catch a bunch.

A tip on crappie - they are not like other fish. They don't like to go down after a minnow or bait unless they are in a real feeding fit!!, so fish above them.

You can catch more fish by leaving 8 inches to a foot between your hook and sinker.

Whenever possible, fish dead line (no bobber) over the side of your boat or off the bank. This will sometimes allow them to set the hook on themselves and you have better control of what you are fishing.

How to Catch Snapper Inshore

There has been a lot of pictures of big Snapper in fishing publications and on the internet of late.  This is because more and more anglers are using soft plastics to catch a better class of fish.  Another reason is that most of the Snapper are caught in relatively shallow water inshore.

Soft Plastics
To be successful all you need is a few packets of soft plastics, some jigheads and some good quality threadline.  Some of the popular and reliable ones are the Berkley 5 inch Gulp Jerk Shad and  the Atomic 6 inch, Jerk Minnow. Use 3/0 to 6/0 jigheads in weights from 7 to 15 grams and you have got it made.

Reefs & Shallow Water
Particularly look for patches of reef where you may have lost bait in the past, not neglecting any sort of shallow or reef that is between 5-20m.  Also the earlier you go fishing the better when it comes to Snapper fishing in shallow water.
All you need to do is cut the motor and drift over the reef, making sure to cast well ahead of the boat.  Just let the soft plastic sink to about halfway, not right down to the bottom.  Slowly bring it back towards the boat adding a few sharp jerks and pauses along the way.  If you like you can also add a rod in a rod holder at the back of the boat leaving it there to trail behind. Thus increasing your chances two fold to get a hit from a big red.

Anchor Up
There is another successful way you can catch Snapper, and that is by anchoring up then throwing over some berley on to the reef.  Then using a very light jighead so as not to let it sink to the bottom and prevent snagging, bait up one rod while leaving the other one at the back of the boat trailing behind. There is no need to get down deep as most of the reds are not on the bottom, but midway between the top and bottom of the reef or shallow.

Baits

Snapper are very fond of squid strips, garfish, cuttlefish, bonito,, striped tuna and slimy mackerel.  Generally there is no need to use sinkers, however if you must then use a pea-sized ball sinker straight through the hook would be the way to go.  Use hooks size 1/0 - 4/0 in either an Octopus or Baitholder pattern.
So now its your turn to get some of those photo's of a Big Red!