A beautifully colored Red Snapper caught in the Gulf of Mexico
Red Snapper
Lutjanus campechanus
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Red Snapper Description
There are many species of fish that are sold in market and restaurants as Red Snapper. Some of those are in the Snapper family and also happen to be red, while others like Vermillion Rockfish, are totally unrelated. However, this is the true Red Snapper. They are prevalent in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to extensive regulation in the United States, mostly at the federal level.
Red Snapper are similar in body shape to many other snappers such as Mangrove, Gray, Yellow Pargo, etc. They actually can be a little hard to distinguish from some other snappers, especially when small. They reach a maximum size of 50lbs and can live up to 100 years, although obviously fish of this size and age are exceedingly rare. Any Red Snapper over 20lbs is a really nice sized fish.
Red Snapper can be found anywhere from the bottom to the surface, but are mostly commonly found between mid water and the bottom in 30 to 200 feet of water. They are usually in schools, so if you find one you should find several. If you hook and lose a big one, that can often cause the rest not to bite.
Red Snapper are one of the most important food fish in the United States, both commercially and recreationally.
Red Snapper Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 7 out of 10 on the Saltwater Scale
Red Snapper pull very hard for their size, like most snappers. They are often hooked on the bottom near rocks or other structure, so you have to pull them out of there wit some force.
Red Snapper Culinary Rating - High
Red Snapper are absolutely delicious with firm white meat that can be cooked a number of ways like most Snapper. I often like to eat them raw as ceviche or sashimi as shown below.
Lutjanus campechanus
HOME
Other Species
Red Snapper Description
There are many species of fish that are sold in market and restaurants as Red Snapper. Some of those are in the Snapper family and also happen to be red, while others like Vermillion Rockfish, are totally unrelated. However, this is the true Red Snapper. They are prevalent in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to extensive regulation in the United States, mostly at the federal level.
Red Snapper are similar in body shape to many other snappers such as Mangrove, Gray, Yellow Pargo, etc. They actually can be a little hard to distinguish from some other snappers, especially when small. They reach a maximum size of 50lbs and can live up to 100 years, although obviously fish of this size and age are exceedingly rare. Any Red Snapper over 20lbs is a really nice sized fish.
Red Snapper can be found anywhere from the bottom to the surface, but are mostly commonly found between mid water and the bottom in 30 to 200 feet of water. They are usually in schools, so if you find one you should find several. If you hook and lose a big one, that can often cause the rest not to bite.
Red Snapper are one of the most important food fish in the United States, both commercially and recreationally.
Red Snapper Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 7 out of 10 on the Saltwater Scale
Red Snapper pull very hard for their size, like most snappers. They are often hooked on the bottom near rocks or other structure, so you have to pull them out of there wit some force.
Red Snapper Culinary Rating - High
Red Snapper are absolutely delicious with firm white meat that can be cooked a number of ways like most Snapper. I often like to eat them raw as ceviche or sashimi as shown below.
Red Snapper Tackle
Red Snapper are usually found near rocks, wrecks, and other structure, so you need gear that is heavy enough to pull them away initially, especially if fishing farther offshore. If fishing nearshore for smaller ones, you can scale down your tackle, and definitely will need to if fishing shallower/clearer water. However, offshore when fishing bait near the bottom 100lb leaders are not too heavy for the big ones and people often go even heavier. You cannot completely lock down your drag or you will pull a lot of hooks. Medium to heavy spinning or medium conventional tackle should work. Circle hooks work well when fishing with bait. Wire leaders are not necessary and will result in far fewer bites.
Red Snapper Techniques
The key is finding a school by looking in likely spots near rocks or other structure in the right depth, typically 60-150 feet. Once you locate some fish, you can try chumming to bring them up or just drop down lures or bait. They respond to a wide variety of both.
Red Snapper Lures
Most Red Snapper that are caught on lures are caught near the bottom on metal jigs, soft plastics, or bucktail jigs. All of those have their place; the main thing is finding a school that is willing to eat and presenting the lure at the proper depth. Sometimes they want lures worked very slowly, while other times they will respond to lures worked more quickly.
Red Snapper are usually found near rocks, wrecks, and other structure, so you need gear that is heavy enough to pull them away initially, especially if fishing farther offshore. If fishing nearshore for smaller ones, you can scale down your tackle, and definitely will need to if fishing shallower/clearer water. However, offshore when fishing bait near the bottom 100lb leaders are not too heavy for the big ones and people often go even heavier. You cannot completely lock down your drag or you will pull a lot of hooks. Medium to heavy spinning or medium conventional tackle should work. Circle hooks work well when fishing with bait. Wire leaders are not necessary and will result in far fewer bites.
Red Snapper Techniques
The key is finding a school by looking in likely spots near rocks or other structure in the right depth, typically 60-150 feet. Once you locate some fish, you can try chumming to bring them up or just drop down lures or bait. They respond to a wide variety of both.
Red Snapper Lures
Most Red Snapper that are caught on lures are caught near the bottom on metal jigs, soft plastics, or bucktail jigs. All of those have their place; the main thing is finding a school that is willing to eat and presenting the lure at the proper depth. Sometimes they want lures worked very slowly, while other times they will respond to lures worked more quickly.
A Red Snapper caught off the Dry Tortugas Islands, Florida on a metal jig worked relatively quickly in the middle of the water column
A Red Snapper caught out of Freeport, Texas on a slow pitch jig on the bottom
Top to bottom: Shimano Butterfly Flatside jig, Tady slow pitch jig, Spro Bucktail Jig
Red Snapper Baits
Red Snapper can be caught on a wide variety of live and dead baits. All kinds of baitfish such as pilchards, sardines, pogies, or whatever are found in the area should work. Squid also works well if you cannot catch baitfish. You can fish with whole baits, or strips of fish or squid. As with most baits, the larger ones often get the larger fish, and large fish are more likely to fall for live bait than dead. When fishing with bait, especially larger baits, make sure you give the fish some time to inhale the bait properly before setting the hook. They do not tend to just engulf big baits and run; they typically hit it a few times first.
Most people either fish with a knocker rig, which uses a sliding sinker that is stopped by a knot or swivel a foot or more behind the hook, or a Carolina rig, with the weight stopped by a barrel swivel followed by a 3-4ft leader.
Where to get the big Red Snapper
All of the US states that border the Gulf of Mexico have big Red Snapper - Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida.
Red Snapper can be caught on a wide variety of live and dead baits. All kinds of baitfish such as pilchards, sardines, pogies, or whatever are found in the area should work. Squid also works well if you cannot catch baitfish. You can fish with whole baits, or strips of fish or squid. As with most baits, the larger ones often get the larger fish, and large fish are more likely to fall for live bait than dead. When fishing with bait, especially larger baits, make sure you give the fish some time to inhale the bait properly before setting the hook. They do not tend to just engulf big baits and run; they typically hit it a few times first.
Most people either fish with a knocker rig, which uses a sliding sinker that is stopped by a knot or swivel a foot or more behind the hook, or a Carolina rig, with the weight stopped by a barrel swivel followed by a 3-4ft leader.
Where to get the big Red Snapper
All of the US states that border the Gulf of Mexico have big Red Snapper - Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida.
A nice cooler of Red Snapper caught in the Gulf of Mexico
A striking specimen caught in Texas.
A closely related species, the Pacific Red Snapper (Lutjanus peru), caught in Panama on jigs
