In this post, I’m diving into everything you need to know about how to catch mangrove snapper — one of my all-time favorite fish to target here in Florida. These fish are known for their aggressive behavior, impressive size (especially offshore), and incredible taste. Mangrove snapper are abundant and one of the most rewarding species for anglers of all skill levels. Whether you’re fishing inshore or offshore, I’ll break down the tips, gear, and techniques you need to catch mangrove snapper.
What is a Mangrove Snapper?
Mangrove Snapper (scientific name: Lutjanus griseus), also known as a Gray Snapper, is a species of snapper commonly found in the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and along the southeastern coast of the United States.
Key features:
• Color: Typically gray or greenish-gray, sometimes with reddish or copper hues. When you first catch them, the dorsal area will be a dark brown and have a brown/red bar across their eye. Once they are dead, they turn a burnt orange color.
• Size: Can grow up to about 24 inches (60 cm) long, though most are smaller. The biggest mangrove I have seen was 10 lbs and was roughly 26 inches long.
• Habitat: Found in creeks and rivers when they are juveniles, once they become larger, they move offshore to wrecks, reefs, and can be found at the continental ledge.
• Diet: Carnivorous — feeds on small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. They are ferocious and will eat anything they can get into their mouth.
• Behavior: They are the smartest snapper species out there. The smaller ones tend to “snap” their jaws when they come out of the water, so watch your fingers. I have been personally bitten by them on multiple occasions. If you are swimming with them, they are curious fish and will swim towards you.
Where to Catch Mangrove Snapper:
The geographic range where you can catch Mangrove Snapper extends from Massachusetts along the U.S. East Coast, through the Gulf of Mexico, encompassing the Caribbean Sea, and reaching as far south as Brazil.
The species is also present in Bermuda. Mangrove snappers are sea-going fish as adults; they inhabit offshore reefs, wrecks, and ledges, but juvenile mangrove snappers spend their time in estuaries and rivers until maturity.
How To Catch Mangrove Snapper Inshore:
Targeting Mangrove Snapper inshore can be tons of fun for all ages. If you are fishing in Florida, remember the minimum size limit is 10 inches total length, and 5 per day in inshore waters. Remember to follow your state’s rules and regulations. In the following sections, I am going to tell you how I fish for them. There are other ways to do it, but this is the most effective way that I have found.
Where to Find Them:
Mangrove snapper usually hang out in schools, so if you find one, there were probably others trying to eat your bait. These fish hold tight to structure, whether it is inshore or offshore; these fish are going to stick close to structure. Some other examples of inshore structures would be bridge pilings, rubble, and the usual rock piles.
Google Earth is a great resource and makes it easy to find rock piles. When planning on fishing a new place, I like to look at Google Earth and look for rock piles that have moving current. Many times, when fishing for Mangrove Snapper, you will find sheepshead as well; they can be found around the same types of structure. If you are interested in catching sheepshead, make sure you check out my post “How to Catch Sheepshead.” Now that you have the structure, when do you fish it?
Tides:
Tide and water clarity are very important. I’ve rarely ever caught mangrove snapper on a slack tide. The best fishing is usually at the end of the outgoing or the first of the incoming tide. The water has to be moving, though. In fast-moving water, it is very hard to keep your bait in the strike zone, so I like a little bit of tide but not too much, depending on how deep I am fishing.
Water Clarity:
Water clarity is vital as well when fishing for Mangrove Snapper. If the water is brown or looks like chocolate milk, it will be very hard for the snapper to find baits such as live shrimp or a mud minnow. Often, silty water will turn off the bite, or the fish will move to cleaner water. However, dark water is fine as long as it is clear. Just because the water is brown or dark does not mean it’s bad for fishing. I’ve caught many in tannic water.
Temperature:
Warm water is the final thing that is needed to catch Mangrove Snapper. The summer months are the best months to catch them. I haven’t had a ton of success catching them in the wintertime. Once spring rolls around, you start catching more of them.
Tackle:
Let’s talk about tackle because you are going to run through some tackle when fishing for Mangrove Snapper. You will get hung up in the rock piles, get snagged, which is super common when fishing tight to structure. It can be frustrating, but that is how you catch Mangrove Snappers.
These snappers are smart and can break you off with ease. Sometimes when you hook them, they will swim right around a rock. Always consider re-tying when necessary. If you notice a fray in your main line or leader line, change it.
I use 1/4 ounce jigheads when fishing for Mangrove Snapper I like them because they are cheap when if you buy them in bulk. You can make your own if you have the right materials. This includes a jighead mold and a lead melting pot.
If you do decide to make your own. Be sure that your jighead has a small hook. If you don’t like jig heads or you do not have experience, you can use small hooks with a split shot. Or you can use a Carolina Rig. I highly recommend a jighead; they are easy to put on, and there is no need to tie swivels or use extra weights.
Line:
Picking the right line is crucial for catching Mangrove Snapper. Snapper have been known to be leader shy, inshore or offshore. The clearer the water, the more hesitant they will be.
I like to run 3-4 feet long, 15-17lb fluorocarbon leader. I choose fluorocarbon over monofilament because I do not want any stretch. The less stretch, the deeper the hook buries into the fish’s mouth. Stretch also allows the fish to pull you into structures more easily. If you’re curious about the difference between fluorocarbon and monofilament, make sure to check out my post all about the differences between the two and the best times to use each one. To connect my fluorocarbon to my braid, I use a line-to-line connection knot. I highly recommend using the FG knot, it goes through guides with ease.
Rod and Reel:
It’s very common for people who are just getting into fishing to cast their rod and let it sit, and hope that the fish will come to the bait. I believe that you should always be actively fishing. You should be holding the rod and casting at different parts of the structure. I like a lighter rod, but it needs to have enough backbone to get them out of the structure.
When fishing these inshore structures, it’s common to hook the occasional redfish, black drum, sheepshead, or snook, depending on where you are.
The Starrod Aerial or the Stellar Lite, and what I recommend.
When it comes to reels, it depends on your budget. I love my Stradic 2500, which is a more expensive option. Another great option is a DIAWA BG 2500, which is a great reel and is more affordable. These are fantastic inshore reels that I use.
Bait:
It’s common to catch Mangrove Snapper with many different kinds of baits such as live bait, dead bait, artificial lures, and flies. I’ve personally seen them caught on artificial lures such as topwaters, swim baits, flies, and jerk baits. Usually, the ones that hit topwaters are the bigger inshore Mangrove Snapper. In Tampa Bay, while fishing for snook, I have caught many Mangrove Snapper on various artificial baits.
The best bait, in my opinion, is live shrimp. I prefer small live shrimp. I do not like big live shrimp; the inshore mangroves have relatively small mouths, and if there is a big shrimp, they will bite chunks out of it until the shrimp is gone. Or they will grab the head or tail and just rip it off the hook. However, if you have a small live shrimp, they usually eat it in one bite. I like to rig my shrimp through the tail and hide the majority of the hook in the shrimp. Make sure to check out my How To Hook A Live Shrimp For Salt Water Fishing post for more in-depth instructions on this.
Mud minnows are another great bait choice when Mangrove Snapper fishing; they are very hardy and will last a long time in the livewell. I’ve caught some of my bigger mangroves on mud minnows. However, they seem to like live shrimp better. I hook my mud minnows through the lips so it gives them a more natural presentation. Other various live baits work great, such as small pinfish, mehanden, or threadfins. If these live baits are not available at your local tackle shops, you can use a cast net and find them in creeks and on beaches.
That is all you need to know for fishing inshore for mangrove snapper. Once you catch them, I like to cook them whole. Check out my Fried Fish and Creamy Grits recipe for the perfect way o=to enjoy them! Let’s get into the offshore fishing, where the mangroves get bigger and smarter.
How to Catch Mangrove Snapper Offshore:
Fishing for Mangrove Snapper offshore is one of my favorite things to do. You can either catch them on the surface or the bottom. From my time working on the party boat, I got first-hand experience and a crash course on how to catch Mangrove Snapper offshore, It takes skill and a ton of patience.
Surface:
Fishing for Mangrove Snapper is so much fun, but it can be very difficult and requires time and a lot of patience.
Flat-lining is a fishing style that takes a hook and bait and letting it drift with the current behind the boat. It starts at the surface and then sinks as far as you let it. Flat-lining is probably the coolest way to catch fish offshore. It is very visual and exciting. I had first-hand experience flatlining for Mangrove Snapper. This is very popular method, and a ton of different big game fish species can be caught doing this.
Location:
When targeting mangrove snapper offshore, you will need to find a place that holds them. The places I have found them are wrecks and ledges; this will take time. Once you find them, you must be positioned correctly. I like to anchor up current of the wreck or ledge and start chumming.
Species:
Once located, start chumming either with a chum block or chunk baits. When you are flatlining, Mangrove Snapper are not the only fish that will come up. I have seen African Pompano, Kingfish, Cobia, Amberjack, Almaco, and even a sailfish.
The frustrating thing is if there are Red Snapper on the wreck or ledge you are fishing. It is only a matter of time before they come to that back of the boat. If you throw one chunk, red snapper come up. Red Snapper are ruthless and with eat every bait you throw out. I have seen a 15lb large red snapper chase vermillion snappers on the surface in 100ft of water. You have to get your bait behind the Red Snapper, and some days are easier than others. These are big snappers, they will break you off very quickly. They can be very annoying. Red Snapper are plentiful, and they are the hardest things to get your baits past to Mangrove Snapper.
Most of the time, you will see the Mangroves come up in the water column. However, sometimes you will not. When you see a Mangrove Snapper, you will know, they look grey in the water. Sometimes they will have a dark bar on their heads. They come up in droves. Usually, if the red snapper and mangrove snapper are together, the mangrove will be behind them. If you stop them from breaking you off in the wreck, it is probably a Mangrove Snapper. I have seen them mixed on a few occasions.
Bait:
The best bait I have found for chumming is dead Sardines or Cigar Minnows. I like to cut them into 1-inch chunks. I hide the hook better in the head pieces, and they seem to drift more naturally in the water. They sink better than other body pieces. When using the body sections, they tend to be mushy, and the hook will fall out.
Using chum blocks is another popular way. I have never used them offshore in Jacksonville, but I have used them in the Florida Keys. It is also cheaper than using sardines.
Line:
I highly recommend 5-6 ft of 30 lb test line, which seems to be the ideal line. For my mainline, I like to use 30lb Braided line as well. It is not bulky and flows with the current naturally.
Some days are different than others. I have seen them super aggressive and were directly behind the boat. There have been other times when you catch just a glimpse of them behind the boat, and then they disappear. I have caught them on 80lb mono filament as well, because it was just what we had. I’ve also had days when we caught them on 17lb fluorocarbon. These fish will do their best to break you off in the wreck or ledge. You have to stop them if this happens. Then, once you stop them, the only thing you have to worry about is sharks, which is a whole other challenge.
Hooks:
I like using very small hooks when Mangrove Snapper fishing, and some people like cheap, thinner wire hooks. They are typically small circle hooks. The hooks I have linked to are great. I have never seen them break or bend while out fishing for Gray Snapper. These are fantastic hooks and a must-have for offshore fishing. It is important to hide that hook in the cut sardine or cigar minnows.
Bottom Fishing:
Let’s get into the bottom fishing aspect for mangrove snapper. This is also super fun. This can be trickier than flat-lining and takes a little bit of technique and tons of patience. In North Florida, this is very popular. I have done this on the west coast of Florida as well and have been successful. There are a ton of different ways to do this.
A popular technique that we used on the party boat is using an egg sinker to a swivel, and a 6-foot leader to your hook. Depending on the depth, I use a 6-8 ounce egg weight on a swivel, then 40-80lb fluorocarbon leader depending on where I’m fishing that day. You can also use a bank sinker and weight clip. The hooks that I use are the VMC Circle hooks. I like to use them because they are super strong and never break.
This is my go-to technique for bottom fishing for big fish. You can catch snapper and often grouper, usually bigger fish, so heavy tackle is needed.
My setup is an 8ft heavy Starrod Aerial. Paired with a Speedmaster 16 with 80lb Yozuri Braid. I have an 80-100lb topshot to my egg sinker or weight clip, then usually a 6-8ft of 60lb fluorocarbon leader.
Bait:
The bait will vary depending on what depth you are fishing. If you want to learn more about baits, check out my other post, Best Bait for Deep Sea Fishing. I will go into it briefly here.
If I’m fishing shallow, I like to use dead baits more, and if I’m fishing deeper waters (like 140-180), I like to use live baits if they are available. Dead bait works great, too. The biggest takeaway is to make sure you get a bait that will not spin on the way down. This will mess up your line quickly.
Technique
Once your lead hits the bottom, your line will begin to pull your bait with the current. Hopefully, there will be current, so I just leave my reel in free spool. I keep my thumb on it, though; that’s very important. I take my left hand and place it in front of the reel with my fingers feeling the line as it goes out.
The line is passing through the lead, taking my bait away from my lead, making a natural presentation. You will have slack in your line when doing this, and that’s okay.
From my experiences, Mangrove Snapper will chew on your bait. Your rod tip bounces steadily for a few seconds While this is happening, I just let them eat my bait and run with it.
When he takes off, I wait about 2-4 seconds, which is a long time, but I want to make sure that he has it.
Once I think he has it, I push my lever into full drag – this is crucial, and I reel as fast as I can. I do not set the hook. I will lift my rod only if I cannot get any more turns in. But I try to reel up all my slack that is in the water. If you set the hook, the fish will feel it and will likely break you off or spit the hook.
You have a long way to go to the surface, so reel in as much as possible. In deep water, beginner anglers often pump their rod, the hook will rip through the fish’s mouth, and you can lose the fish.
I said earlier that it takes patience, and it does. Mostly because of all the red snapper in the water, you usually will catch 20 red snapper for every 1 Mangrove Snapper.
You can catch any bottom fish with this technique.
Once you catch your Mangrove Snapper offshore, I highly recommend bleeding your fish and putting them immediately on the ice. Large Mangrove Snapper have a large bloodline. If you are interested in getting a filet knife to do this, I highly recommend the Dexter. This is hands down the best knife.
Once they are filleted and you are looking for a recipe for Mangrove Snapper, check out my Blackened Fish post.
Final Thoughts
In closing, I had the pleasure of working on the party boat, and this is where I learned most of this. I highly recommend that you get out there and experience Mangrove Snapper fishing for yourself.
If you own or have access to a boat, try to find places that hold Mangrove Snapper. However, If you can’t seem to find them, hire a guide who knows the area, and they can give you firsthand experience in fishing for them.
If you want to catch them offshore, try these methods. Or, if you are just getting into offshore fishing, I recommend going on a party boat. It’s a fun and affordable way to learn more about fishing for Mangrove Snapper.
I highly recommend the Majesty Fishing out of Mayport or the Sea Spirit out of Ponce Inlet If you are fishing in North Florida.
