Most of us have seen the movie “Fight Club” and the rules mentioned in this movie hold true for snapper fishing. The rules mentioned above are something like this: The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club; the second rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club. Granted most snapper fishermen don’t look like Brad Pitt, the saying holds true for them also.
Snapper fishermen are the aquatic equal of politicians, you wanna believe what they tell you but you just can’t. Getting good information from a good snapper fisherman is really hard to come by. Questions like: Where did catch him, or what are you using for bait are regarded as personal attacks on most snapper fishermen. The most likely reason for the cold shoulder from our snapper loving fishing brothers is the inconsistent behavior of snapper. Last year we (Paradise Outfitters) ran 19 trips in a row to the same 5 rigs in Main Pass and we punished the snapper. I am not talking about 3 and 4-pound fish; I mean 20 to 25-pound fish. This year we all raced to our honey hole only to be greeted with sharks and jack crevalle. So, where are the trophy fish and why won’t they eat?
I asked fellow angler and captain, Troy Wetzel, what he thought about the fish, and he laughed in my face. Most people know Troy as the big guy who drives all the rigs that we fish. I know Troy as the really big guy that studies all the rigs we fish. The laughter from Capt Troy came with a response, “you have no clue what is down there little man.” We spent the next half hour comparing our style of fishing with all different factors taken into account (current, tackle, bait, and presentation). Since my little chat with Capt Troy, I have noticed a definite improvement with the quality and quantity of fish caught.
Most hardcore snapper fishermen spend a lifetime finding “spots” that hold big snapper (certain rigs, wrecks, obstructions, snags….). I have been lucky enough to fish with some of the best in Venice over the last few years. Guides like Scott Avanzino, Troy Wetzel, Damon McNight, Kevin Hunter, Bill Dellabar, and James Peters have decades of knowledge and secret “spots.” What I learned most fishing with these guys is that it’s not where you go, it’s what you do when you get there. Everything from your bait to the knots you tie has to be perfect. Hopefully, this article will help you get a better Idea of what your gonna need and where you might want to fish for trophy snapper.
Bait
If you leave the dock without pogey, squid, or some form of cut bait you are already setting yourself up for failure. Yes, there are usually shrimp boats out there happy to trade ‘stuff’ for bait (by catch) but there is no guarantee. Get a couple pounds of pogey or cigar minnows, they almost always get hit. Big strips (8 to 10 inch) of cut bait work very well for monster snapper and they stay on the hook for much longer.
The best bait for big snapper has got to be medium to small live blue runners. Pinfish are incredible but a little too tough find in Venice. Blue runners just seem to swim longer and better than anything else, but finding the right size can be tricky sometimes. Buoys and deep rigs usually hold smaller baits next to the structure itself. Frenzy sabiki’s are a must, the red hooks work better than anything we have found yet. Rig your sabiki’s to a trout style spinning rod with at least an ounce of lead and you’re in business.
Tackle
You really can’t skip anything on this department, buy the best rod and reels you can afford or charter a reputable boat. Either route you take you will notice quickly that good tackle catches good fish. One set up you have most likely heard of before is the Shimano Tekota 800 on a Penn Mariner stand up, spooled with at least 100lb power pro.
Large 300lb swivels make heavy leader easy to tie or crimp. As far as hooks go, you cannot miss with the Frenzy 9/0 or 11/0. The Frenzy hook is razor sharp and has a smaller diameter shank that allows smaller size baits on a lager type hook. If you really want to get into the “fight club” for big snapper get yourself a stump puller. The stump puller is a nickname for a larger big game reel (penn10/0 for example) fit onto a thick, broomstick style bottom rod. Use at least 250lb mono line for these big set ups and be sure fill them with as much line as you can. Keeping a lot of lead for dropping down is a must. We usually start with 16 ounces and work our way up to 2 pounds. With this amount of weight on the line try using the rod holders more often on the boat to reel your lines up from the bottom. Bring whatever set up you decide with together with a large Carolina rig and your ready. Remember to tie all your braided knots to swivels with Palomar knots. With the heavy mono, we prefer a thumbnail knot or just crimp it.
Location
If the current is weak or none at all get to wreck or obstruction quickly. Most of the maps you buy at boating stores have these things marked, but the internet is usually a good tool to use. Hiltons “Offshore Atlas” is a great tool to use for any type of fishing especially bottom fishing. The oil rigs that are in south Louisiana hold some of the biggest snappers in the world. Water depth and presentation are the only major factors to consider when deciding on which rig to fish. I would begin my search on rigs in at least in 125 foot of water and no deeper than 375. Work the entire rig and I mean the entire rig. Most of the trophy fish we catch show up around 125 feet, but we like to work the entire water column and move around a lot. I cannot stress how much a move of 10 or 12 feet can and will put fish in your boat when bottom fishing. Have several rods rigged with different bait, but always have something small and alive down there. Fill your reels with plenty of line and be prepared to drop deep if need be. Get as close as you can to the rigs to ensure you will not tangle and don’t be afraid to use your boat to pull the fish out. Here is where the stump puller comes into play. If you are getting solid hook ups but broken off the rig or the wreck, drop down with 300lb mono and see what happens when you join the fight club. As always be safe and have fun!
Captain Sonny Schindler
Shore Thing Fishing Charters
Bay St Louis, MS
228-342-2295
www.shorethingcharters.com