Dog snapper Patch#

Last but not least, we need to talk about baits. Mono of at least 30lbs strength is adequate and I would not recommend going heavier than 50lbs. I always stress the need for strong hooks as you never know when a ling or king or even a bull red will take the bait. Free-lining live baits (no weight) also works for mangrove snapper when they are found higher in the water column. I prefer stealthy rigging, fluorocarbon leaders, black swivels, and small, strong hooks of either live bait (inshore) or circle varieties (offshore.) An egg sinker of sufficient weight to take the bait down completes the rig. Mangrove snapper have keen eyesight and can be challenging to catch at times.

Rocks such as the Claypile and Heald Bank areas along with the Matagorda Liberty Ships are always good bets. Wrecks and rocks usually get less fishing pressure which affords the small boat angler better opportunity. Platforms and pipe stands are great areas due to their bait-attracting ability and structure reaching from the ocean bottom to the surface. Offshore structure that normally holds red snapper can also hold mangrove snapper at depths of 60-120 feet and they make a good target for smaller boats on calm fall days, however, circle hook regulations apply in these areas. Mangrove snapper can be found on jetty rocks and other inshore structure targeting them can provide options on days when the seas will not allow small boats to venture offshore. The teeth of the dog snapper are more prominent and two large canines can be seen even when the mouth is closed. Though often similar in color, the dog snapper but has an obvious white triangular mark under the eye and a light-blue horizontal line also found under the eye. Another fish people get mixed up with the mangrove is the dog snapper.

Dog snapper Patch#

The mangrove has an anchor-shaped tooth patch while the cubera has a triangular-shaped patch. The mangrove snapper is often confused with juvenile cubera snapper, however the two can be distinguished easily by the shape of the tooth patch at the top of the palate. Scale coloration is usually dark in the center with gray or silver at the margins. Another phase is darker with olive back, coppery sides, and dusky or coppery fins. Their coloration varies depending where they are caught, the mangrove snapper can have light green back, rosy sides, white belly and silvery fins. Mangrove snapper have two prominent fangs near the front of the upper jaw. Mangrove Snapper Coloration and Characteristics: Their offshore habitat is reefs, wrecks and platforms. Inshore habitat includes jetties, pilings, bulkheads and rip-rap. Mangrove snapper are tolerant of a wide range of salinities and here in Texas they can found both inshore and offshore. The mangrove designation comes from the habit of this species to feed on crustaceans along mangrove thickets in Florida and the West Indies. The Latin name given to the mangrove snapper is Lutjanus griseus which means gray snapper.

The Lore & Legend of Texas Saltwater Fishing.