# Tampa Bay Mangrove Snapper Fishing Heats Up



## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

This is a column I wrote today for my newspaper fishing site. It's a short one and I don't get into much technique, but I've posted some links from a couple I wrote earlier that discuss techniques a bit more.


*Mangrove Snapper Fishing Heats Up Along With The Temperature*











_Mangrove snapper fishing in the Tampa Bay area is as hot as the summer temperatures you'll have to endure in order to catch them.

All over Tampa Bay reports are coming in of good catches and daily limits of mangrove or (gray) snapper.

All the area bridges and piers, as well as reefs and rock piles inside the bay are producing good mangrove snapper. This should only get better throughout the summer especially with the full moons of July and August.

Mangrove snapper are not very finicky when it comes to what they eat. However, they do prefer live bait most of the time.

Shrimp, baitfish such as scaled sardines, threadfins, pinfish, and even small crabs make excellent bait for mangrove snapper in the Tampa Bay area.

Another good bait preferred by longtime Florida residents is the mud minnow. These hardy baitfish can be cast netted or caught in minnow traps in shallow water in many places around the Bay area.

Live bait is best presented on a small hook for these inshore sized snapper. A #2 hook up to 1/0 will do plenty fine.

Mangrove snapper can also be caught on artificial, but it's tough. A Doc's Goofy Jig is the only bait I've ever caught them on. This technique can be successful around the many bridge pilings in the Bay area.

These fish can be easily caught from a boat or from shore. The Gandy Bridge catwalks, one of the mainstay arenas for shore based snapper fishing, are no longer open. However, there are still many shore based spots for landlubber anglers to choose from.

Anglers should remember the limit on mangrove snapper is five fish per day with a minimum size limit of ten inches with a pinched tail.

My good friend, Ron Smith of St. Petersburg, (Wrangler) on the Capt. Mel Internet Forum, was one of the best Gandy Bridge snapper fishermen out there before the catwalks closed. He has recently reported snapper fishing, "which rivals the Gandy," can be found elsewhere for landlubbers.










However, trying to get a location out him was near impossible. "It's somewhere around the Fort DeSoto area" is all he would say.

I guess I'm going have to meet up with Ron to find out where this snapper hole really is. I just hope he doesn't make me where a blindfold like the last time he took me to one of his "honey holes."_

http://forshorefishing.theledger.com/default.asp?item=641206

http://forshorefishing.theledger.com/default.asp?item=661297


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## Lost492 (Jun 12, 2009)

A guy at the Rod & Reel pier in Anna Marie Island had a bucket full of these today.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

cool. hope you don't mind the comment I'm about to make. Spelling error from your very last sentence:
I just hope he doesn't make me where a blindfold like the last time he took me to one of his "honey holes."

*Where* should say *wear*.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

Husky--Thanks for the copy edit. I had already caught that myself but the edit function on this forum is only active on a thread for around 15 minutes. 

I fixed it on my website, but thanks for the input. 

Sometimes when I write in off the top of my head as most of my columns are I write so fast I make those little initial mistakes at first. LOL

It's a good thing I'm a good copy editor too, cause web editor missed that one on the first run too. LOL


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Great read Mook. Gotta get down there someday........


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## montylfl (Mar 29, 2009)

RuddeDogg said:


> Great read Mook. Gotta get down there someday........


Dogg... from the Cape May area it is a 3.5 hour trip to the skyway. 

Travel north on the parkway to the Atlantic City Airport.

Hop on spirit air

arrive in tampa 2.5 hours later.

Pier is 30 minutes away. :fishing:

You can drive on the pier, sleep in your rental car and fish all you want.

I just booked a round trip ticket on spirit air from tampa to AC for $70.00

Can not beat that.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

montylfl said:


> Dogg... from the Cape May area it is a 3.5 hour trip to the skyway.
> 
> Travel north on the parkway to the Atlantic City Airport.
> 
> ...


Wow, this old Jersey guy is thinking a reverse trip is in order. Last time I visited my Aunt Peggy in Belmar the fluke and striper fishing was pretty damn good. 

What ever happened to Tautog from the FS and NJ Striper Forum. We met up at a classic Jersey establishment, hit a para-mutual track, and then went fishing.

Not necessarily in that order, of course. LOL


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## GoinDeep (Jul 23, 2008)

Nice read Mook. Did you ever get my PM?


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

Deep--Thanks for reminding me. I checked that one a little late the other night if you know what I mean. I saw how long it was and I figured I better check in the morning. LOL

I'll check it once again.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

$70.00 bucks? Now that is tempting. 

Mook anytime ya wanna come up let me know. Things here have slowed a little but the COWS have started to show up in the north, LBI, mauntauk etc. Flounder started here in may and has been steady.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

RD--I'll have to consider coming up, especially if the airfare is that cheap.

Thanks for the hospitality.

Likewise if you head down this way. I'm meeting up with you out at the Skyway or the Fort for sure.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

SnookMook said:


> RD--I'll have to consider coming up, especially if the airfare is that cheap.
> 
> Thanks for the hospitality.
> 
> Likewise if you head down this way. I'm meeting up with you out at the Skyway or the Fort for sure.


Hell if I can find that South bound I just might have to take a trip.


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## FlatsManiac (Apr 14, 2009)

How do you get to the skyway pier? Is it on I-275... I'm coming off I-4. Thanks


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

FM--from I-4 you can either get on 275 and go through St. Pete from the topside or you can go down 1-75 and then get on 275 from the bottom down around Sun City Center. 

It's really about the same and probably easier to come up from the south side as you don't deal with all the heavy traffic going through Tampa and St. Pete.

Plus it also depends on whether you want to fish the north or south pier.


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## scottopus (Jun 9, 2009)

FlatsManiac, If you want to fish the north side of the skyway, just stay on I-4 which merges into 275 south. If you wan to fish the south side or want to avoid possible traffic, take the I-75 south exit off of I-4. Stay on I-75 south for about 30 miles then merge onto I-275 north.


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## FlatsManiac (Apr 14, 2009)

I'll probably do the north side since its a little closer. Driving in traffic is just fun. Thanks.


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## FlatsManiac (Apr 14, 2009)

I almost forgot, is there a bait and tackle shop around the north pier?


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

FM--Both piers have their own bait and tackle store, but I can't vouch for whether they always have shrimp. Best place to get live shrimp is O'Neils which is at the very last exit before you hit the Skyway. 

There is also the Bait Bucket which is a little further away in Tierra Verde after the first bridge going into Fort Desoto.


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## eaglesfanguy (May 1, 2003)

Mook, you forgot to mention.. you have to use Circle hooks when fishing for Reef species.
Mangrove snapper are a Reef species...

other then that great article.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

EF--Thanks, sometimes I forget to put info like that in. I forget and assume that everyone would know that circle hooks are required by now, but as an outdoor writer you have to constantly be thinking of someone who is a complete novice.

Thanks again for the advice. I may go back and edit that. That's one thing that is beautiful about web writing. Additional info like that which is left out, can be added later. As long as it's strictly for informational purposes. 

Editing of editorial context after the fact is pretty much forbidden in the legitimate journalism business.


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