Snappers???

[gymrat987654321]

Instead of going for the big boys today I tried for their little brothers.  I bought a few 1/8 oz spoons and I took a freshwater rod from my basement and went. Almost every cast I would have 4-12 of them follow my lure until it got to shore and none of them would hit it. Not sure if they are too small for the lure? They looked to be 4-6". Their are a lot of them there. Every couple minutes you can see them jumping out of the water, so I know theres something there but I couldnt get a bite. I would of stayed longer but I got snagged and lost all my spoons. Any tips?

[captainbailey]

use a sabiki rig, never fails with fish that size

[Pfishingruven]

Odd that they aren't hitting the metal spoons.  1/8oz should be plenty small enough for 6" snappers.  Maybe they want real bait.  You could always try a small hook with bait and a bobber.  The other thing that works really well is a spearing rig.  Also goes by the name spear it rig, snapper zapper.  Check out the pic.  Is a lure/bait rig all in one.  Always got snappers that way as a kid.

 

[gymrat987654321]

thanks.  also took this video of crabs eating a dead bunker. theres literally thousands of fiddler and i think asian shore crabs there at low tide.

also saw a big 7 inch blueclaw at my feet.

[captainbailey]

did u net any of them and send one out?

[gymrat987654321]

nope, there was just they one stray dead one.

[captainbailey]

  I meant the crabs

[Pfishingruven]

Cool video!!

 

[gymrat987654321]

ooooo  lol, no i didnt try that. i didnt think bluefish eat crabs?? i geuss ill try that tomorrow if i can get my hands on one.

[gymrat987654321]

Cool video!!

 

thanks 

[captainbailey]

anything could pick that crab up in open water. cut them in half or cut the claws off the little guys. Get a good set of shears.   

[Pfishingruven]

You may get lucky on some top water plugs too...some smaller hula poppers or equivalent.  I have gotten a lot of blues on topwater lures.  If the snappers are jumping, good chance they are eating on the surface!

Although, my first choice, if you really want to hook up and have the ability to hit a B&T...AND you planned on buying bait, look for the spearing rig and buy some spearing if they have it.  The rig I posted goes in the mouth and out the backside.  It is held in place by the double hook.  Couple of casts and I can almost guarantee a hook up.

Last option is killies or smaller livebait livelined or casted out on a bobber.  Pretty sure way to hook up as well.  Any bait is a pretty sure way!  Lures can always be hit or miss. 

When you were reeling in and the snappers were following it in, did you ever slow the lure down just a bit and give it a little twich??  Might be enough to entice them to hit it??

Good Luck tomorrow!

 

[gagedylan]

took my son out yesterday evening with some frozen spearing and small hooks. we caught nearly 60 of em in less than half an hour

[Pfishingruven]

Always a great tyep of fish to take the kids out fishing for.  Lots of action in a very short time.  Almost better than sunny fishing.  Keeps the kids occupied and busy!!

My son is driving me crazy to go fishing, so tomorrow is his birthday...maybe we will hit the bay for some snappers.  He doesn't last very long, 15 minutes with no bites and an hour if we are catching something to keep him occupied!!

 

[gymrat987654321]

thanks guys  ill give it another shot tomorrow. 

[Greg7]

Yea I use frozen killies on snapper hooks with a lighted rattle bobber. Works great for me!

[Skolmann]

Were you fishing behind the Stop-N-Shop?

My son & I tried there last Sunday for a few hours. I had 1 snapper and a small (6") striper. My son also had 1 snapper. The week before my son had 2.

That spot didn't really turn on until after Labor Day. Then we'd average 50 snappers each in a few hours.

Our favorite spot is that little jetty by the kayak launch. Outgoing tide was by far the better tide as the water being drawn off the mud flats carries tons of bait. The snappers just sit on that point and ambush the bait as it is flushed out. At times it's like a mini blitz. Also we've taken a decent number of small (again 6-8") stripers there.

Try using a little heavier lure. Did really well with a 1/6 or 1/4 ounce Kastmaster like spoon. You can find them in the tackle shop on Broadway next to the Quick Check. We've also caught snappers on very small topwater and rat-l-trap type plugs down there. Although not as sporting (or as fun IMHO), you can use a bobber and a small piece of spearing to catch them down there as well.

That is a great spot to collect fiddler and Asian crabs for sea bass/blackfishing. My son and I can load up almost 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket with fiddlers. You just need to know how to read the mud flats so you know where to walk. Step in the wrong spot and you'll sink in the muck up to your knee. Once that happens it a good struggle to free yourself from the suction. Asians (crabs) are easy to collect as all you really do is turn over rocks and pick them up (although the bigger ones can pinch pretty hard if you're not careful). Fiddlers are fast little buggers and best to work in a 2 man team....one collects them and the other herds them to you.

Probably will not be down there this weekend but will be sometime over Labor Day weekend

FYI, saw a guy walk off with 3 nice bluefish last Sunday (#5-7 class) taken on bunker chunks. Last fall on several occasions saw working birds just out of casting distance by where the ferry docks. I had a feeling they were not bluefish but false albies. Maybe this fall they'll come in just a little closer.

[gymrat987654321]

Yeah Skolmann I was at the kayak launch. 2 days ago some guys caught 6 snappers and 2 bass (up to 12") there.

Yeah Im going to try it again today. Im going with one of my freinds (he never caught a fish) i figure we'll try for snappers first then go for the big boys (or vise versa, not sure which yet). Ill buy a few more small spoons and I might try a bait and a bobber. Thanks for all your responses.