The Snappers
There are several species of the Lutjanidae family found in Texas
waters. They are an opportunistic predatory fish with sharp, conical teeth.
Snappers tend to congregate around some sort of structure offshore
such as reefs, wrecks, and rigs. Snappers normally feed on crab, squid, shrimp, and small
fish. They are generally a bottom dwelling fish and thus a heavy sinker is needed to get
the bait down to them, past the triggerfish and spadefish that live in the water column
above them. Most fishermen use squid to catch their snappers. For the bigger Snappers, I
prefer to use whole fish in the 6 to 8 inch range, such as Spanish Sardines, small
Croakers, Mullet, and Sand Trout. They can be caught on artificial jigs also. Red Snappers
are regarded as one of the best tasting fish and are sought commercially as well as
recreationally.
Texas Gulf Coast
Fishing
