[dropcap]J[/dropcap]uly is here and the surface temperature of the water in our area is warming up. While trolling for pelagic fish will still be producing give the bottom a try. There are many bottom dwellers that will bend a rod and are great on the table.
The snapper bite has been good and should be consistently getting better. Mutton snapper and mangrove snapper are the big rod benders. These fish will be directly on the bottom around the reefs and structure. These fish will eat most live or dead bait offerings. A good choice will be to drop a live sardine or pilchard to the bottom on one rig and dead bait such as squid, a ballyhoo chunk or a plugged sardine on another rig to see what they prefer. When the bite stops on the bait you are using, switch to a different kind of bait, either dead, cut or live.
Another way to catch these fish is by vertical or butterfly jigging. To effectively do this, and have the best results, you will want a rod with a heavy backbone and a light tip. You can either use a spinning or conventional set-up; whichever you prefer. Spool it with 20-to-30-pound braid for best results. Braid has no stretch and you will feel more hits than with mono-line.
Other varieties of snapper that can be targeted off our waters are vermillion snapper and sometimes yellow tail snapper will be mixed in. These fish will be suspended above structure and are fun to catch on light tackle. Look for these fish from 80-foot depths out. I recommend lowering a chum block in a bag tied off to a down rigger weight to fire up a bite. By tying the chum block to the downrigger weight, you can control how deep the chum block goes and can get the chum down to the depth the fish are at. Once the chum block is down, drop a chunk of dead bait such as ballyhoo, sardine or squid on a lightly weighted hook and it should be game on! Catching these fish are great fun for kids and adults alike and all snapper makes great dinner. Be sure to know the legal size requirements and limits as it varies between snapper species. Also, be sure to vent the fish if you are fishing in deeper waters before releasing any non-keepers.
Have fun catching them up and always be safe on the water!
