American red snapper is on the menu for some of my offshore charters. We stopped in about 110 feet (42 miles) looking for grouper and mangrove snapper. As soon as the baits hit the bottom, the rods doubled over. Within an hour, our cooler was full.
American reds aren't the brightest fish in the gulf, so they become easy marks once located. Dead sardines, pinfish and pilchards worked equally well. The fish averaged about 5 pounds. The limit is four per person, and red snapper must be 16 inches in length to be legal.
The last hurricane must have whisked these fish into these areas because the previous week, there were none to be found. Fish get moved around by the circular motion of hurricanes. Schools of snapper can travel as much as 100 miles.
Past hurricanes have brought us yellowtail snapper from southern waters. The yellow tails landed on many wrecks on the coastline, feeding aggressively for weeks. Even spiny lobsters get shuffled around. So it might be worth checking a few rocky undercuts.
Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call 727 595-3276, or e-mail jawstoo@msn.com
