Better not wait much longer if you plan to get in on some of the hottest mangrove snapper action in a long time. Mangos up to 3 pounds are bending rods around the bay.

The secret to finding these critters is knowing their habitats. Mangrove snapper are in water as shallow as 6 feet, as well as the deepest parts of the bay. They hang around sections of hardbottom, rock piles and especially the ship channel edges.

Ed and Jack Seiling limited out on mangos recently while targeting these areas. There is a five-fish limit per person. The anglers filled their cooler using cut bait. They also chummed the spot with the same bait. Other baits like squid, whitebait and shrimp normally get the same respect, but the key was chumming. It draws the bigger fish in when they see the little guys gorging themselves.

Twenty-pound tackle is usually best. The trick to getting these keen-eyed fish to bite is light tackle. That's why braided line is the ticket. Its smaller diameter makes it ideal. Leader diameter is also crucial, so spend a few extra bucks and buy a spool of fluorocarbon leader.

- Captain Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters in St. Petersburg, (727)510-4376 or e-mail captrick@luckydawg.com

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