Islamorada 4/6 - Variety of snappers

[2fastlx]

Headed out to the reef today in sloppy seas after being blown out yesterday. Found the yellowtails in 88ft, but the conditions sucked. Wind was howling almost straight from the east with current screaming from the southwest . We hooked up about 6 times and only landed 2, my girlfriend got a fat 4 pounder and I got a 2 1/2. 3 got us into the bottom on 12lb and I pulled the hook on another trying to hold him back . Cant wait to try that spot again on a better day, there are some slobs there for sure. After giving up on the tails, we desperately headed out to around 200 to look for the vermillions. I found a nice blob on the bottom in 203ft, just outside where I got on the verms last week. Dropped down a squid on 30lb braid and got crushed. The whole fight im thinking mutton and up pops a genuine red about 8 pounds. At this point im stoked as hell thinking I found a school of these guys. Well after dropping on the spot for another hour we ended up with 12 vermies, 2 yelloweyes, and a 20" mutton. So much for the school of reds, I guess he was the only one around. All in all, we had a blast and added some good color to the cooler!

[Disco Lady]

Sounds like a "Honey Hole Capt. nice going on your catch.

[2fastlx]

Originally Posted by Disco Lady

Sounds like a "Honey Hole Capt. nice going on your catch.

Thank you sir Forgot to mention the suicidal schoolie dolphin that swam up to the transom just begging to be caught. Anyone know a way to weed out the smaller vermies while doing drops? Will the bigger verms eat live pilchards?

[Harry Klauber]

You usually will find the larger Vermillions in deeper water although about 4 weeks ago we had them up to 3+ pounds in 80 feet off Boca. That night there were so many that we could not catch any yellowtail float lining as the vermillions were up in the chum eating everything. Normally when we find them in the same coastal area if they are decent size they are in deeper water - usually over 200 feet.

When I lived in Tavernier we used to catch Vermillions and bigger yelloweyes in 200 - 220 feet - wherever you found readings on the bottom. The bottom was soft and flat although we did get an occasional red grouper mixed in.
The general area was 24 - 54 - 430/80 - 29 - 280 and 24 - 53 - 520/80 - 30 - 530

[2fastlx]

Thanks Harry, sounds like a good night of fishing you had up there. Ive got some spots in the general areas of the numbers you posted, Ill check around out there if Im in the vicinity.

[Disco Lady]

HK Thanks for your info:

Cheers, DL

[DIRTYFOOT2]

Bigger baits also help to weed out the little redeyes. A small fresh cut plug or chunk of runner or bonito works well. We also got into a nice wad of them in 80' off St. Lucie this weekend. Majority of the fish in the 2lb size with a couple fatties biggest @ 4lbs 11 ozs. With the new size limits on seabass and redeyes we have gone to single hook rigs w/ a decent size hunk of bait for both. Definately helps to keep the little uns off the line.

[2fastlx]

Originally Posted by DIRTYFOOT2

Bigger baits also help to weed out the little redeyes. A small fresh cut plug or chunk of runner or bonito works well. We also got into a nice wad of them in 80' off St. Lucie this weekend. Majority of the fish in the 2lb size with a couple fatties biggest @ 4lbs 11 ozs. With the new size limits on seabass and redeyes we have gone to single hook rigs w/ a decent size hunk of bait for both. Definately helps to keep the little uns off the line.

Thanks for the tip, Ill give that a try next time

[Boboe]

You won't find a lot of mingos (NWFL-speak for vermillion snappers) that will eat a live bait. Most of them just aren't big enough to do it. However.....to weed out the little ones I'd rig up with Mustad 8/0 or 9/0 circle hooks and use bigger chunks of bait, or half a cigar minnow. If they're bona fide KINGO'S, and you're feeling lucky, try a live cigar minnow. They'll load up your gear if you just put cut pieces of boston mackerel fillets on your hooks though. Why waste your live bait on mingos?

[2fastlx]

Originally Posted by Boboe

You won't find a lot of mingos (NWFL-speak for vermillion snappers) that will eat a live bait. Most of them just aren't big enough to do it. However.....to weed out the little ones I'd rig up with Mustad 8/0 or 9/0 circle hooks and use bigger chunks of bait, or half a cigar minnow. If they're bona fide KINGO'S, and you're feeling lucky, try a live cigar minnow. They'll load up your gear if you just put cut pieces of boston mackerel fillets on your hooks though. Why waste your live bait on mingos?

Thanks for the info. I wouldnt consider it wasting my live bait if I was catching 2-3 pounders on each drift. I black out the well with pilchards/cigars/pinfish before each trip so wasting bait isnt a problem. Most of the time I end up coming home with leftovers anyway.

[Boboe]

I've never had a mingo eat a pinfish. Maybe if it was a thumbnail sized pinfish it'd work. They'll eat up "peanut" cigar minnows like candy though.

[2fastlx]

Originally Posted by Boboe

I've never had a mingo eat a pinfish. Maybe if it was a thumbnail sized pinfish it'd work, though. They'll eat up "peanut" cigar minnows though.

Cool, thanks for the heads-up