By: Capt. Joel Brandenburg
The snapper spawn in the Florida Keys can be the most exciting ref fishing of the year with the right location, techniques, and timing. You can expect to catch school size, yellow tails, oversized, mangrove snapper and trophy mutton’s. The Florida Keys can offer world class snapper fishing during the spawn. Just remember to keep up with local and state regulations to ensure the world’s largest living reef will keep our fishery thriving. We have to follow federal, state and local laws on snapper sizes and bag limits some of the regulations intertwine so it can get a little complicated. During the snapper spawn, the snapper school up and become more aggressive. This time of the year is prime time for great snapper action. In the past some thought that targeting the spawn during the full moon and new moon was best because the spawning snapper fed better in the heaviest moving water. In recent years, however, marine biologists have proven that the reason the snapper are most active during the full and new moon is so the heavy moving water will carry their eggs further. Like many fish the snapper ball up so the female can lay her eggs and the male releases his sperm at the same time, fertilizing her eggs. During a flowing tide, the male’s sperm has a much better chance to connect with the female’s eggs. The spawn takes a lot of energy from the male and female, and because of this they breed and feed simultaneously. This spawning phenomenon typically happens from June through August. The mutton and mangrove snapper spawn happens in 70 to 120 foot of water on the reef ledges and wrecks. The yellowtail snapper spawn happens in 50 to 70 foot of water on the reef. A good fish/bottom finder is the best way to locate schooling spawning snapper. Below is the best ways to target each species.
*Mutton Snapper: We like to use egg, sinkers, or break away sinkers big enough to hold the bottom with a long monofilament fluorocarbon 30 to 50 pound test leader. Most avid Mutton snapper Angler will use a leader 10 to 20-foot-long or longer, we like to use 10 to 15-foot leader. We like to use 3.0 or 4.0 J Hooks tied with a loop knot rather than a fisherman’s knot so the Bait looks more natural on the hook. We prefer to use live bait such as pilchers, pinfish or ballyhoo. Spawning muttons feed best on sand next to structure.
*Mangrove Snapper: We fish mangroves a lot like mutton’s, however, we use smaller, sinkers, shorter leaders, smaller hooks, and lighter test line. We like to send a live bait down to the mangrove snapper, using either a knocker rig, carolina rig or chicken rig. Our live bait is even smaller for mangroves, small pinfish, tiny jig size ballyhoo, large live shrimp or razor belly pilchards.
*Yellowtail Snapper: Chum is the most important thing for catching spawning yellow tail snapper. Make sure your chum is always flowing out of your chum ring bag. Our favorite chum is green tournament chum. We use 3 foot of 12 to 15 pounds monofilament fluorocarbon leader with a small chartreuse colored larvae jig with a small piece of fresh shrimp or ballyhoo just big enough to hide the hook. We use a technique called flatlining where you’re letting the bait out at the same rate and speed as the current. Night fishing for spawning snapper can be the best. We offer day and night snapper trips out of Marathon!
— For a charter with Captain Joel Brandenburg of Ana Banana Fishing Company Marathon Florida Keys call 305– 395–4212 office# or 813–267–4401 Cell #. Or visit us in person at ponchos fuel dock a half block away from Cast Away restaurant at 1280 Oceanview Ave. Marathon Florida Keys.