Red Snapper Bite Is Hot, Hot, Hot
Capt. Alex Crawford
July 28, 2008
Apalachicola - Saltwater Fishing Report
RED SNAPPER BITE IS HOT, HOT, HOT
Red snappers in the Gulf are absolutely wide open right now. Don't know why for sure except they are spawning and will continue basically all summer. If you like a hard pull on your line and love golden brown fried snapper fillets, come and get it!
We had a party of eight this past week, split up between two boats, me and Capt. Morgan. Capt. Morgan just plain knows how to catch fish. She has proven this on a consistent basis. I just sort of tag along and fish where she fishes. Remember cardinal fishing rule number one—FISH WHERE FISH ARE!
There is a special wreck out in the Gulf about 70 feet deep and it is home to some huge red snappers and various other fun species that are good eaters. The list includes several other snapper species, Kings, cudas , groupers and giant Goliaths. When conditions are right and the current runs hard, this wreck will keep you very busy catching fish on almost every drop. We were extremely fortunate to hit it just right and our reward was several hundred pounds of nice fish caught and some released. (goliaths and barracudas).
The fish were on the bottom and we were able to chunk bait some mangroves to the top.
That is always barrels of fun. We had a couple 16 pound red snappers and a few bigger mangos. What a thrill to pull on snappers so big. They give you all you want and more. When you first hook up, the pull is so strong you think it is a shark. But finally you can see the color and realize you have a really nice snapper, at which point everyone is scrambling for the big dip net. When all anglers rush to one gunwale to see the big fish, the boat gets a little heavy to one side. But we go slowly and dip up the fish and then take photos for all to enjoy. It is exciting to catch snappers so large. Everyone wants to share a hand in the fight and that's ok.
The only drawback to sow snappers is they are really tough to fillet. But they are great, read tasty, when fried up lightly. Don't forget the cold brews. Capt. Robyn had a super first mate who was official fish carver, while I was beer tender. Made me very happy.
My fishing reports seem to be forever focusing on snappers. Some readers may tire of the redundancy, but we fish for what's biting and right now it is big snappers. So forgive me for beating the proverbial dead horse, until we refocus on other seasonal species here on the Forgotten Coast. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Till next tide, solid hookups and tight lines,
Captain Alex Crawford
www.topknots.com
(850) 697-8946
fishing out of Apalachicola, FL
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