The drift for March will depend on the weather. The ocean can be calm or rough, temperatures may be hot or cold and it does dictate how and what we drift for. With strong easterly winds it will usually blow mahi-mahi in closer to our fishing ground with average depths of 80-140 feet. But along with those winds, it will usually kick up the ocean seas. When we get the north-northwest winds, it is a very favorable time to vermillion snapper fish because a north current will help to stay on the spot longer and give you a little more time for catching. The depths locally off Boynton Beach for this species is about 220-240 feet. We can catch some pink porgies and tasty trigger fish too.
This type of fishing requires a little more work than fishing for yellowtails or mutton snapper on the reefs because of the deeper waters. We use 8-ounce bank sinkers and 2 or 3 separate lead hooks above it using 1/0 J-hooks or circle hook with small piece of cut squid. You drop to the bottom and if they are there, it won’t take long to reel them up, rebait and do it all over again. As you can see it’s a lot of reeling but can be very rewarding for a tasty treat at the dinner table. Vermillion snapper is a medium texture and flake with a mild sweet flavor and can be used with any snapper recipe. The average vermillion locally is between 1-3 pounds but can reach up to 6 pounds on the high side with a lot of meat for its size. You may also get lane snappers as well. So, if you are up to the workout and conditions are favorable you could be bringing up two or three fish at a time.