The Mutton Snapper in West Palm Beach are caught drift fishing with live or dead baits, jigging, chumming and from shore with pieces of cut or live bait. Your rig is extremely important for targetting Muttons. You must use a long length of Flourocarbon leader to get bites from them.
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West Palm Beach, Fl Mutton Snapper Fishing
Fishing for Snapper (Mutton) in West Palm Beach
How do you catch mutton snapper in Florida? Snapper (Mutton) are one of the top targets for bottom and snapper anglers in West Palm Beach. The Snapper (Mutton) can weigh as much as 15lbs but the average ones are about 6lb-8lb. Drifting along the ledge is the most popular fishing type in West Palm Beach. Since you will mainly be fishing around the ledge for Snapper (Mutton), it is important to remember that these fish see a lot of pressure routinely from anglers in West Palm Beach. Muttons are a great fighting bottom fish and make for some wonderful table fare as well. One of the bonuses of fishing for muttons is that you will also have a shot at many other species that dwell and feed in the same areas.
Setup for catching Snapper (Mutton) in West Palm Beach
You will be bottom fishing for Snapper (Muttons) in West Palm Beach and you want to have a setup that is designed for it. You will be drifting along the ledge and the depth will change as you drift along and will have to bring in and let out line as this changes. A star drag reel allows you to easily let out line with the flip of a switch while your drag setting stays the same as it is controlled from the star on the handle and not from the lever. Star drag reels also allow you to easily make small adjustments to the drag when necessary while fishing for Snapper (Mutton) in West Palm Beach. Your rod needs to have enough backbone to winch the fish up from the depths and a sensitive action so that you can detect the bite. Do not go with too slow of an action or the weight will overpower the tip and it will be tough the see when you get a Snapper (Mutton) bite in West Palm Beach.
Rigs for catching Snapper (Mutton) in West Palm Beach
What is the best snapper rig? There are three main rig you will use for targeting Snapper (Mutton) in West Palm Beach. The first is the High Low rig which consist of a 3’-5’ line with 2 branches coming off of it with hooks, a loop at the bottom to connect your bank sinker too and a swivel at the top that attaches to you mainline. This is by far the easiest to manage of any of the bottom fishing rigs in West Palm Beach as you just find the bottom and reel when you get tight. The second rig that is preferred by serious Snapper (Mutton) anglers is a version of the fish finder rig. You will have an extremely long fluorocarbon leader of 20’-50’. On one end is your hook. The other end you will have a 3-way swivel where one eye is attached to the leader, one to the long leader and the last one will have a loop to connect your bank sinker too. The final way anglers target Snapper (Mutton) in West Palm Beach is by using flutter jigs. Allow your jig to sink to the bottom then raise the pole up and let it flutter back to the bottom.
Locating Mutton Snapper in West Palm Beach
What depth do you catch snapper? Where can I find mutton snapper? Mutton Snapper can usually be located around the reefs and wrecks in West Palm Beach in about 50-150' of water. Often times, the larger Mutton Snapper are located hanging around the outter edges of the structure, or in rubble just off the wreck. The big ones are known to cruise the perimeter and hang closer to sea fans, grass bottoms and rubble. The bite is good all year around off West Palm Beach. After a large swell or big onshore winds, look for the Muttons to be inshore hanging out on the local bridges and in the Inlet at West Palm Beach
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you catch Mutton Snapper in West Palm Beach, Florida?
What is the best time to catch Mutton Snapper
Mutton Snapper feed throughout the day, but they are known for feeding extremely well at night. Most anglers fishing from a boat target them during the day, while the sun is high in the sky, while shore anglers typically target them at night with better results.
How big to Mutton Snapper have to be to keep in West Palm Beach
Mutton Snappers must be at least 18" to keep in Florida.
What depth do you catch Mutton Snapper in in West Palm Beach?
The best depth to catch Mutton Snapper in West Palm Beach is 50-150 feet. 90' is the best starting point for many of our local anglers.
Why use Flourocarbon leaders for Mutton Snapper?
Mutton have great eyesight and extreme perception of whats going on in their area. They also have sharp teeth. Flourocarbon is invisible under the water so the Muttons will not be able to see it. When it comes to Mutton Snapper fishing, wire, mono and braid leaders are entirely out of the question! Flourocarbon will always result in many more fish in the box. Flourocarbon is also a lot more abrasian and bite resistant than other types of line so it will help keep your line strong as you pull these toothy Snappers from the structure they were hiding in.
Why use such long leaders for Mutton Snapper?
Using extremely long Flourocarbon leaders for Mutton Snapper is important because these fish have such good eyesight and are so finicky. Your presentation really needs to be perfect! A long leader of 10-60 feet will allow your live or dead bait to drift or swim extremelly natural, without any influence from the weight at all. It also lets the Snapper swim away with your bait without feeling any resistace so they are less likely to drop the bait before getting hooked.
Can you catch Mutton Snapper from shore in West Palm Beach?
Mutton Snapper fishing from shore in West Palm Beach is great! Especailly after a few days of East winds, they tend to push farther inshore. Many anglers fishing around the inlet and bridges near the Inlet in West Pam Beach find great success with Mutton Snapper.
What is the best bait for Mutton Snapper?
Ballyhoo is the best bait for Mutton Snapper. Either a whole live Ballyhoo, or fresh cut chunks will both work. Not far behind a ballyhoo is a live or fresh cut sardine along the bottom.
Tackle Featured in This Week's Report
Shimano Grappler Type J Jigging Conventional Rods
Shimano Torium Conventional Reels
Blue Water Candy 07070 7/0 Snapper Rig, 100# Mono
Savage Gear The Squish Erratic Fall Jig
Sufix Invisiline 100% Flourocarbon Leader
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