Red snapper jigging tips?

[Nicko_Cairns]

Hi guys,

Are any of you jigging for red snapper?

I caught my last big one (called Saddletail snapper here) on a soft plastic that was on the top hook on a paternoster rig, it wasn't doing anything but there was enough current to move the plastics tail, the bottom hook was baited with dead squid.

I've seen a few videos of USA anglers slowly lifting and dropping jigs, so I'm keen to give that a go. My plan is to tip a jig with bait, drop it to the bottom then wind it about 3' off the bottom and start slowly lifting and dropping the jig, sound about right?

[broschro]

Hi guys,

Are any of you jigging for red snapper?

I caught my last big one (called Saddletail snapper here) on a soft plastic that was on the top hook on a paternoster rig, it wasn't doing anything but there was enough current to move the plastics tail, the bottom hook was baited with dead squid.

I've seen a few videos of USA anglers slowly lifting and dropping jigs, so I'm keen to give that a go. My plan is to tip a jig with bait, drop it to the bottom then wind it about 3' off the bottom and start slowly lifting and dropping the jig, sound about right?

I also use the weighted speed jigs. on top of the jig I run a two foot line of mono or fluorocarbon a three way swivel add a hook there plastics live bait or dead.works good

[Nicko_Cairns]

Thanks, nice fish, so a dropper loop above the jig, or the plastic/bait comes off the three way swivel? Get many tangles?

We get some monsters here, gotta love them! Always looking at ways to improve though!

[Newell Nut]

They will bite a VK-3 which is a 3oz Viking jig bounced on the bottom. Everything we have here will bite that jig.

[broschro]

I have been making these and they work good for everything I have caught seabass,trigger fish, snapper,and cobia. I ues two to four oz leds a speed jig hook and a glow skirt.don't forgot to ues a quality swivel. You can fish it on the bottom,troll it ,or fish it on top.

[Nicko_Cairns]

Thanks guys,

I've made something similar last week but with a ball sinker, same squid skirts, cool! 

We get a fish here called a Golden Snapper (Fingermark) and they love live squid, I'm keen to see how this rig works on them at night..

[Nicko_Cairns]

I got my last big (and new personal best) red snapper on this rig. Basic but it works!

http://www.fishandboattube.com.au/media-gallery/402

[JoePlo]

I fish in the GoM and destroy the biggest red snapper on a Spro type jig tipped with either Bonita strip or piece of dead bait. Sometimes I do better dead sticking it then actually moving the jig up and down. Guess the subtle boat/kayak rocking action suffices. Also do well with a knife jig fished in the first 20ft. Big thing to remember also with Red Snapper is that the larger fish are typically high in the water column. I have caught some monsters on my king rig (4x trebles on wire with skirt) which I let just slowly fall.

[Newell Nut]

X2 on the big ones high in the water. I get them just like you do with a king rig. A buddy ask me the other day why I was getting big snappers and he was getting small ones. He has copied me well with reels and rods and I had already told him that he needed to build his mental tool box. So with the question he asked the other day I simply said "MOJO can't be bought nor taught and you have to develop it over time."

[JoePlo]

Haha love the "building the mental toolbox." I feel ya on all of that. Never more so then when I was attempting to coach 2 friends on how to jig for flounder in 60' of water. I spent 20+ minutes both describing and physically showing them how to do it and the end result was me catching 14 and each of them catching 1.

As far as snapper and jigging go, I typically fish a standard carolina rig with live bait if I have some or bonita strips. While I am fishing that, I throw on a 2oz WHITE or WHITE/CHARTRUESE Spro Bucktail jig and tip with cigar minnow or Bonita Strip (dont use squid because it gets demolished by small stuff and triggers), let it hit the bottom, reel up 2-3 ft and just place in rod holder. 9/10 it gets smashed by monster snapper.

Jigged snapper - Jig also kills Scamp



More Snapper

[Newell Nut]

Good looking pics. You have good MOJO and a good mental tool box. It takes more skill to catch fish than most people think. A lot more to it than tossing a hook and a bait in the water. I see guys all the time that just walked out of the tackle store loaded up with a nice lever drag reel and neon yellow trolling line to bottom fish. Guys with the beat up long beach 65s and pink ande are catching the fish.

[Nicko_Cairns]

I got my new PB at 92.5cm on a soft plastic. I was fishing a basic paternoster, bait on the bottom and plastic on top, had one quick big hit which I missed (bait), then it came back for the plastic and I was on. Great fight, great fish, very stoked. 

Thanks for your replies gents.

[wallacewt]

hi nicko
is that a mcarthies jerk shad with your red
i bought some powerbait jerk shads yesterday,not impressed,
had a google,and yep,discontinued

[Nicko_Cairns]

Certainly is, well spotted mate.

They get pretty chopped up by reefies but that tail action, the fish just can't resist. I use a glow one at night too, they get smashed as well.

[BMITCH]

Good looking pics. You have good MOJO and a good mental tool box. It takes more skill to catch fish than most people think. A lot more to it than tossing a hook and a bait in the water. I see guys all the time that just walked out of the tackle store loaded up with a nice lever drag reel and neon yellow trolling line to bottom fish. Guys with the beat up long beach 65s and pink ande are catching the fish.

Ain't that the truth!
BTW awesome fish!!!