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Fishing Report for the Florida Panhandle
Capt. Alex Crawford
April 30, 2007
Carrabelle - Saltwater Fishing Report
RED SNAPPERS ARE BITING LIKE CRAZY
Now that the red snapper season in reopened in the Gulf, the fish are on an eating rampage. It’s always hot and cold, but right now it is wide open fun. A friend shared a perfect analogy on the snapper bite. When you are hungry you eat, when you are not hungry you don’t eat. Same for fishes and we have to understand they are not hungry all the time.
Sometimes they need to be induced into eating. Smart anglers have learned to use chum to ring the dinner bell. Cigar minnows are some of the best snapper baits. Live is good, but fresh-frozen works just fine.
To further illustrate the point, a friend of mine from North Georgia was visiting Apalach this past weekend with some of his fishing buddies to target red snappers. They bought a case of cigar minnows in preparation for the trip.
Old shrimp boat wrecks that provide some relief is an ideal place to try for snappers. So these accomplished anglers headed out south of Cape St. George Island into about 70 feet of water. They anchored on top of a super wreck that had produced during past trips. The first order of business was to get chum in the water. They hung a chum bag on a stern cleat and started to slowly throw chunk baits (cigar minnows) overboard. Then they rigged some flat lines with dead cigars drifting back with the chum. Bottom baits only enticed small snappers. The larger solitary sow snappers came up in the water to eat the freelined flat line baits. Big snappers can see extremely well and are wary, so fluorocarbon light leaders and small swivels are necessary to trick the bigger specimens. It is always loads of excitement to watch a large fish swim up and eat your bait. If this does not get your adrenalin running, change avocations.
One day of fishing this one wreck produced a limit of nice snappers with the biggest over twenty pounds. It is always fun to catch a limit of fish by lunch. Leaves more time for carving the fish, having a couple cold ones and cooking part of the catch. Also gives you time for a nice afternoon nap. Fishing is supposed to be about fun and relaxation, SO RELAX and enjoy the adventure with friends.
Till next tide, tight lines and solid hookups,
Captain Alex Crawford
(850) 697-8946
email: [email protected]
website: www.topknots.com
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