Big red surprise 10k

Paucan6005

snookaffinity

Very nice. Congrats

10kman

  Super nice red!

1outlaw

Congrats on a very nice red!

Captjames

That is a very nice red, beautiful for 10k.  I only tend to catch slot reds, which is fine with me........and over the summer I caught around 300 snook, not a single one big enough to be slot sized.....LOL my luck. 

10kman

Captain James,over the years have noticed large snook tend to hang 
around small snapper.Have been tempted to use snapper for bait
but that would be illegal.

nobleone

10kman said:

Captain James,over the years have noticed large snook tend to hang 
around small snapper.Have been tempted to use snapper for bait
but that would be illegal.

Roger that 10K.  Found out by accident a few years ago fishing a cold windy day with a gulp on a jig.  Was so excited I had a small snapper take the bait I was wooo hooing it reeling it in, savoring the catch when I got it close to the boat and saw this massive shadow behind it.  I couldn't do anything but stop reeling, as the snapper headed down the "shadow" crashed it and ripped the rod right out of my hand.  Fortunately the the bite was so violent, the leader broke at the knot and my rod landed on the deck.  I had to remember to breathe.  I too have been tempted to use snapper for bait, but that would be illegal...

lemaymiami

Great catch…

CaptJ

Saw a pic of one that had to be over 40" caught on Sanibel Bch. last week.

Captjames

10kman said:

Captain James,over the years have noticed large snook tend to hang 
around small snapper.Have been tempted to use snapper for bait
but that would be illegal.

I have one snook spot, where you catch small snapper literally 40' away........when the tides right you can catch 2 dozen snook in the same spot and drift over 30-40' and catch snapper.......but the big snook elude me........

lemaymiami

Snapper are perfectly legal for bait - as long as they're at least 10" long (the legal minimum to keep one).  On more than one occasion over many years I or one of my anglers has hooked a small snapper and had it promptly chowed on by a big mama snook... 

That size thing for snapper is critical if you get checked by FWC or Ranger.  Hard to explain a few little ones that just happen to be swimming around in your live well... 

By the way, every goliath grouper I've ever run into in the "rivers" will eat a snapper of any size that's on a hook and struggling... 

tg.

Caught one like that a few years ago trolling a plug.