Manegrove snapper

[redroaster]

anyone ever got into some mangroves offshore from the cam. jetties at any rigs???

[skeeter 05]

Yeah the only way I can catch them is to fish the up current side of the rig with light tackle like 20lb line. Shrimp works well and if you can keep all the other stuff from eating it up. What I have found is that if you try the up current side first before you fish the down current side you will have better luck of not spooking them, another thing is to find a rig with the fewest red snapper on it so you can give the mangroves a chance to bite.

[redroaster]

do you have to go same distance as where the red snapper are at or can you get them closer in??

[rardoin]

In 40' or more of water you should be able to find mangroves. Most likely they can be found in shallower areas. In the Keys you can catch them in less than 5' of water so I assume that we run past alot of rigs with mangroves on the way to deeper water. I find that, as posted above, it is best to anchor or hold off up current and let your bait drift into the structure. That is because they hang on the edge of and in the rig. Once they take the bait they will kick in the afterburner and head straight into the rig and cut your line. We like to fish with high test braid with the drag near max. Use a small live-bait hook and fluorocarbon leader with NO weight. Put a chunk of bait that will conceal the hook and grab a few pieces of bait and throw all overboard and let the hooked bait drift with the chum while free lining with NO resistance to the drift of your bait; it should drift back with the chum you tossed. When the line starts to tighten from a grove taking the bait then crank as fast as he!! and drag the fish from the rig ASAP! You will have a bunch of break-offs but you will catch fish if they are biting.

[meaux fishing]

I caught a barely legal mangrove near the mouth of Bayou Lafourche in Fourchon before, so they are in shallower water. I generally go to 35-40ft to start though

[skeeter 05]

Out of cameron when the water starts getting green/blue you can start catching them, usually about 30 miles out but have caught them closer. If I was going for mangroves I wouldn't stop before 30 miles then work my way back in.