Red Snappper Fishing Port Aransas
Its sweet, nutty flavor and firm texture makes the red snapper one of the most popular fish for anglers that go on offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX. The red snapper is among species that are sustainably managed so expect Port Aransas offshore fishing guides to limit the amount of red snapper you can catch. The right Corpus Christi fishing charters will not only help you catch red snapper but also cook your catch for you in whatever way you want.
How Port Aransas Offshore Guides Identify Red Snapper
The most distinguishing features of the red snapper is its pink/ red body. Its eyes are also red in color. You are likely to confuse lane snapper with small red snapper on your offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX because they look similar. But what makes a red snapper fish different is that it has an angular anal fin and 14 soft dorsal fin ray. Another difference is the distinctive yellow coloration on the sides of a lane snapper that is missing on the red snapper. Red snapper adults grow to about 40 inches and reach an average weight of 2-4 pounds, but there are adults that weigh over 50 pounds. They spawn more than 20 times a year during the months of July and August.
Red Snapper Habitat And Diet
Port Aransas deep sea fishing guides have to go 28 to 35 miles offshore, or to areas where the sea reaches 30 to 620 feet deep to find red snapper. However, you can find young red snapper on muddy bottoms or inshore. Red snapper feed on smaller fish, crustaceans, and worms. They often target slow moving prey or prey that cannot see because their bright body color makes it impossible for them to hide and ambush prey. Red snapper charters in Texas prefer this species because they mostly stay in one location unless the food supply is low. They are not a migratory species.
Red Snapper Fishing Techniques
Your Port Aransas fishing charter can explain to you the most effective techniques when you go red snapper fishing in Port Aransas. They may also provide fishing tackle for hire in case you are not able to buy your own equipment. The basic red snapper tackle includes a 6 foot conventional or spinning rod, 30 to 40 pound braided line, 30-pound-class reels, and appropriate lures.
Baits can include pogies, Spanish sardines, shrimp, live piggy perch, and more. You can catch them at reefs, rigs or offshore snapper banks. When out fishing during your offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX, pay attention to what the guides tell you if you want to catch the biggest red snapper.