Winter Snapper Fishing in the Florida Keys

Okay, so you booked your trip to the Florida Keys and have snapper fishing listed as your top priority. However, one of the many fronts that sweep through the Keys each winter beat you there by one day and now instead of light east-southeast winds and 78-degree weather you are faced with northwest winds of 25 knots and daytime highs that hover around 55 degrees. Locals simply out wait these fronts and have the luxury of going when the going is good. The visiting angler has only a set amount of time and must face the conditions that Mother Nature doles out.

Solution? Find cover from the wind and go for lane snapper and mangrove snapper. These two fish, delicious and abundant, are very popular with snapper addicts. They can be found on both sides of the Florida Keys island chain, in the Gulf and Florida Bay as well as the Atlantic side reefs. Florida Bay offers the easier of the two challenges. The ocean and its clear waters and fickle current can hinder snapper efforts. Current is a strong ingredient of any day on the water. Often, the reef has no current, while Florida Bay experiences both incoming and outgoing tides. Hence a current. It happens twice a day with a slack tide that lasts around an hour. We usually clean up the boat a bit, have a sandwich and a drink to help pass the time as slack current is akin to fish half-time. Not much goes on while the current is slack.

Inshore lanes and mangroves inhabit the same areas, such as certain sand spots in the Bay, but there are differences that can matter. Most times, looking for lighter colored areas in the 8- to 10-foot depths is a proven way to get into some snapper action. However, remember those northwest winds that have been blowing for several days? Well, that wind has created a water color that is now like the St. Patrick’s Day milkshakes served by McDonalds in late March. Finding those telltale sandy areas is next to impossible when the water has been stirred up to this extent. So, plan B now comes into effect.

Island Refuges Ideal for Winter Snapper Fishing

Land ho! The Florida Keys are dotted with islands that can be fished during the harshest winter weather when you fish the backsides of them away from the winds and muddied waters. Protected lee sides of these islands reduce both the local wind speed and the murkiness of the water. Fish seek out the easiest place to conduct daily business, and here they see better and forage using less energy in relatively calm waters. Fishing in the lee of an island also makes anchoring easier and fishing easier. The smart angler looks for every advantage available when conditions are less than ideal.

Smart anglers will keep moving until they hit upon the right spot. Look for areas of scattered limestone holes or ledges, or bare spots. These areas hold fish because they offer cover and forage. The limestone holes offer shade and cover and are easy to spot. Stay uptide of these and allow the chum to draw out the occupants. The areas of mixed bare spots and grasses can be fished in the same way.

I use very light leader, for low visibility, and a 1⁄16-ounce light-colored jig attached to the leader. Set the hook quick enough and the jig works as your chafe guard against the sharp teeth of most snappers. If you wait too long on the strike that light leader will part. But, you will be getting bit and every good angler knows his or her chance at landing a fish begins with a bite.

What baits to use in these conditions? I use live bait on many occasions, but for this work I prefer fresh cut bait. Yes, fish rely heavily on sight for feeding when conditions allow. However, in cloudy water, they effectively utilize their sense of smell. Cut pinfish slices are excellent in this regard. I like to cut off the pinfish head and tail and slice the remaining torso into three even-size pieces. I also prefer to hook the pinfish slice at the end of the piece and not in the middle. Hooking it in the middle gives the snappers two sides to shake the bait loose. Once you cast your bait, leave it sit and do not move it around. Let the fish find it.

I use a net on most fish I hook to eliminate the risk of losing it by trying to lift it into the boat. Especially when fishing in less than optimum conditions. Too many times fish are lost when the line is grabbed and yanked into the boat. Light fluorocarbon leaders of 15- or even 12-pound-test are recommended for the wary mangroves and lanes in the Keys; try to yank in a fish by the leader and you could end up losing the fish and your rig. Check your leader after you land several fish to ensure it remains in good condition and is not scraped or chafed by the teeth of previous catches. If it appears or feels used, cut it and retie the rig or lure.

Although chumming with block chum is an effective tool to get fish congregated into the area, I prefer to use chunks of fresh bait. Bag chum seems to draw in small sharks and catfish whose teeth and barbed spines spell disaster for anyone unlucky enough to be poked or bitten. Handle these fish with caution. Catfish spikes—the dorsal spine and two on each side of the shoulders—hold an intense toxin that if it breaks the skin, you are in for about 25 minutes of agony.

It takes that long for the toxin to dissipate. By using only fresh chunks, it allows the fish to be active and helps keep catfish and toothy critters from homing in on your area. Lane snappers and mangrove snappers prefer hard bottoms where crustaceans are easily found. While cleaning the day’s catch, I examine the stomachs of my caught fish. I usually find them stuffed with small crabs which inhabit the hard bottom areas in the Keys. Try to learn what your quarry prefers to dine on. It will help you catch more fish.

Tides play an important part in catching fish. In my experience, an incoming tide has fish reacting in a totally different way than an outgoing tide. Try to fish at the beginning of the tide changes for best biting opportunities. A local tide table works wonders or ask your phone. I prefer an incoming tide for most Florida Bay fishing. This intel I have gathered from my 35 years of fishing the bay in the Marathon area of the Florida Keys.

Speaking of experience, I have always kept a good rain jacket onboard. Even if the weather person swears there is no chance of rain, I always have it on the boat. You think 55 degrees is not cold? Try getting wet from throwing a cast net and then riding into a 25-knot northwest wind at 35 knots. You will be glad you remembered to bring your coat.

Most times during January, February and March here in the Keys, snappers are fueling up for the spawn in late June and early July. They take up feeding positions in passes or at the bridges where currents bring seasonal shrimp to them. The same cold front that has you shivering has shrimp moving out of Florida Bay into deeper and warmer waters. They ride the outgoing tide and the snapper position themselves in areas that funnel current. Check out a good navigation atlas or look at the recent advances in spot technology to find where the cuts are located.

Cuts will produce great fishing at times but you have to put in the time to check them. Sometimes this means moving to many different spots to see if anyone is home. If the fish are there, they will tell you in a short minute what the answer is. Smart anglers will keep moving until they hit upon the right spot. The fish will not move to you; you have to move to the fish. Or hire a local guide to show you a few places to find some action. Most guides are willing to show you a few spots as they have hundreds of spots they can go. Be upfront and ask. Do not try and sneak in a GPS photo or memorize the spot as any good guide will smell a rat in the rope locker. Honesty works better in the short and long run.

I have a few good snapper rods, and they have served me well for years. I like the 6-foot, 6-inch medium heavy action rods and put a good spinning reel on it that holds at least 200 yards of 15-pound-test monofilament line. I have some rods and reels that sport poly super-lines but they are the kiss of death down here in the Keys when the waters turn gin clear. My rods have the backbone to pull fish away from predators once they are hooked yet are limber enough to allow a good fight.

Remember that mangroves are a minimum of 10 inches to possess and lane snapper are at 8 inches. The average catches on the bay side of the Florida Keys will run over 12 inches and provide a nice sized taco. Both mangrove and lanes are excellent eating, provide a good fight, and are easily caught once you’ve unlocked the pattern to fishing the cold fronts. Don’t let a bad forecast keep you from fishing and catching. We all know that any day fishing is better than any day not fishing.

---

• This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe.

---