Throughout the country, the month of July conjures up thoughts of fireworks, family picnics and summer vacation. In the Florida Keys, add lobster mini season and night snapper fishing to the magical mix. Can you imagine anything more delightful than a day spent snorkeling the warm Keys waters in search of tasty crustaceans followed by an evening on the reef catching hefty mangrove and yellowtail snapper?
There is an abundance of yellowtail and mangrove snapper ready to spawn on the reef. They attack most baits vigorously but the key is to fish for them at night. Air temperatures are much cooler, making for more comfortable conditions for the angler. Moreover, the snappers lose their line shyness and are quite often found feeding aggressively just inches from your chum bag. I like to get to my fishing area right around sunset. Begin to chum just as you would in the daytime but do not start fishing right away. Wait until it is fully dark. Be careful not to shine any lights over the side of your boat as this will spook the fish and you will get no bites. You do want to have your anchor lights on and, if you have them, some in-deck lighting as well. If you have none, I have used a waterproof battery operated lantern that you can find in most outdoor catalogs. Keep it on the boat deck to provide sufficient light to see what you are doing and where you are walking without disturbing the fish. Your terminal tackle can be a bit heavier than you would normally use in the daytime. I usually use 30-pound fluorocarbon leaders and hook sizes from #1's to 2/0. I even upgrade my tackle size from 12-lb to 20-lb. The reason for this is the mangrove snappers that will come up in your slick are so large you cannot stop them on 12-lb tackle before they break you off in the reef. For baits, I use anything from frozen ballyhoo pieces to live pilchards, which may show up in your slick to be netted easily. Small live pinfish free-lined back in your slick work well too.
One word of caution when fishing at night: keep your eyes peeled for other vessels and keep your wits about you. Especially be aware of thunderstorms, which can pop up at any moment, and leave immediately if one seems to be heading your way. Better to fry snappers than yourself! If night fishing is not your game, you will have equal success if you leave in the early morning or late afternoon around 4 o'clock. You will get on the bite without enduring the midday heat. Use the same tactics as described above but scale back your tackle to 15-lb leaders and 12-lb rods.
The two-day Sport Lobster Season (known locally as lobster mini season) is July 29 and 30 this year. We encourage all to join us for great fun with tasty rewards. At the same time, we ask you to exercise caution, as our waters will be congested with boats and snorkelers. Please be gentle with our reef. Please be respectful of your hotel/motel room or vacation rental. Please be courteous to your fellow visitors and the locals. Finally, please adhere to the regulations.
Dolphin are still prevalent in Keys waters with wahoo and triple tail around the floaters as a bonus. If you follow my articles, you already know the various tactics for catching dolphin. You will have greatest luck during the early morning and late evening, as dolphin tend to stay deeper during the midday heat. Look for birds, weed lines and floating debris and use chunks of ballyhoo or live pinfish or troll rigged ballyhoo and plastic baits to catch these colorful gamesters. Remember, the smaller fish are just as tasty as the hefty ones and won't exhaust you in the heat.