Off Shore Anglers Can Find More that Red Snapper
During the summer, most anglers heading into the Gulf want to catch red snapper. With high fuel prices, everyone should make the most of any offshore adventure.
“Offshore fishing out of Mississippi in the summer is pretty good,” advises Alex E. McIngvale of Shore Thing Fishing Charters in Pass Christian. “In the summer, our priority is to catch our red snapper limit. After we catch our snapper, we shift gears. When we have people who just want to catch bottom fish, we might catch some vermilion snapper or try to catch mangroves.”
Notorious bait stealers, mangrove snapper eat almost anything that swims, but they can cunningly avoid hooks. They often hold tight to cover, like the steel legs of a petroleum platform. Toss some fish pieces in the water to attract them to the surface.
While fishing deep reefs, anglers might also catch lane, also called candy snappers, and Vermilion snapper, also called a beeliners. Bouncing baits on the bottom might also yield several grouper varieties and other fish.
“On our full day trips, we travel farther out into deeper water to target vermilion snapper and possibly scamp grouper,” McIngvale says. “For scamp grouper we fish in 150 to 200 feet of water. In at least 500 feet of water, we target yellowedge and snowy grouper. That’s about 75 to 85 miles from Pass Christian.”
While sitting over a reef or next to a rig, set a drift line with a live fish. With no added weight, toss the bait behind the boat. Stick the rod into a holder and wait for something to grab the bait. Depending upon the location and depth, a struggling live bait might attract king mackerel, mahi, cobia, perhaps even wahoo, tuna or sailfish.
During the summer, shrimpers normally trawl all night and anchor at dawn to cull their catch and then get some sleep. They toss anything they can’t sell over the side. That attracts many fish.
“On the way back from a long trip, we stop around shrimp boats to look for cobia,” McIngvale says. “When we pull up to a shrimp boat, cobia usually swim out from under the shrimp boat to check out our boat.
When running from place to place try trolling live or artificial temptations. This could attract king or Spanish mackerel. Farther offshore, the catch might include wahoo, sailfish, yellowfin or blackfin tuna, possibly even blue or white marlin.
“In the heat of summer, it’s common to get some pretty big king mackerel,” McIngvale says.
Cobia, tripletail and mahi frequently hover under weed mats and floating objects. While running, look under anything floating for dark objects.
Many less desirable food species can still provide incredible sport. These include barracuda, bluefish, sharks, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, bonito, blue runners, also called hardtails or hardtail jacks, and other fish. These species might hit a variety of artificial or natural enticements and offer thrilling fun on light tackle.
McIngvale runs out of Pass Christian Harbor, docking his boat next to Shaggy’s Pass Harbor restaurant. Bring the cleaned catch into the restaurant and the staff will cook your catch for you.
Seasons and regulations differ for various species, so always check what’s legal before keeping anything. For Mississippi saltwater fish seasons, limits and other regulations, see dmr.ms.gov/recreational-catch-limits.
