The Gray Snapper
April 21, 2013
By Florida Sportsman Editor
The Gray Snapper, Lutjanus griseus
Gray or greenish above and light on the underside, usually with an overall reddish hue that can range from coppery to bright brick red. Obvious black line runs from the snout through the eye to just below the dorsal fin.This line darkens when the fish feeds or gets excited.
OTHER NAMES
Mangrove Snapper, Black Snapper, Mango
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SIZE
Few surpass 1 foot inshore, but Grays can aver- age 2-6 pounds in deep water, and reach perhaps 20 pounds or more. World and Florida records 17 pounds.
FOOD VALUE
Excellent up to a pound or so. Large ones are stronger in taste but still very good.
GAME QUALITIES
The little fellows can be easy to catch on dead shrimp or cut bait, but as they grow they become more difficult to fool. It’s generally necessary to trim down the size of hooks, leaders and terminal tackle. When hooked, Gray Snappers make strong runs, then wage a bulldogging battle all the way to boatside.
TACKLE AND BAITS
Inshore—spinning and light bait- casting rigs are best and should be baited with live shrimp, live minnows, fiddler crabs, cut shrimp, cut squid or cut baitfish. Many inshore Grays are also caught on lures, along mangrove shorelines or around snags. Surface plugs and popping flies often catch Grays, as do jigs and small shrimp flies or streamers. Offshore, heavier spinning and baitcasting tackle, and light ocean tackle, are called for. Best baits are live small fish, such as Pilchards and Sardines, live shrimp, cut squid, cut crab and cut fish.
FISHING SYSTEMS
Still Fishing; Casting; Drifting.
RANGE
All Florida, the Bahamas and Caribbean.
HABITAT
Juveniles are seasonally present in nearly all shallow waters and coastal estuaries of Florida, and are plentiful throughout the year in the southern half of Florida, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Upon reaching a size of 10 or 12 inches, nearly all Gray Snapper switch their homes to deeper waters and are fished mostly over coral reefs, artificial reefs, wrecks and Gulf ledges, although big ones can also be caught in deep channels and passes along the coast. In the Panhandle, the bigger fish of deep water are called Black Snapper.
Sebastian Gray Snapper Florida Sportsman member Keystroke caught this 12 pound gray out of Sebastian Inlet.
Melissa's Gray Snapper Melissa caught this large gray snapper on an overnight Middle Grounds trip.
Southwest Snapper Florida Sportsman forum member Veikx used a shrimp tipped jig to fool this big gray snapper off Southwest Florida.
Palm Coast Gray Snapper Florida Sportsman forum member Cslascro took this gray snapper on a live shrimp.
Middle Grounds Grays Will caught these gray snapper on an over night trip to the Middle Grounds.
St. Petersburg Mangrove Snapper Alex Bombino caught this mangrove snapper 20 miles out of Fort Desoto Park in St. Petersburg, FL.
St. George Mangrove Snapper FS Member Circle-Hook posted this mangrove snapper from off St. George Island.
Hubbards's Overnighter Pot Winner FS Member clarosa posted this photo of the pot winner from his Hubbard's Marina overnight trip.
Anna Maria Island Mangrove Snapper FS Member Sagory posted this mangrove snapper photo, caught offshore of Anna Maria Island.
Gray Snapper This monster mangrove headed home with this angler.