If you’re looking for an inshore fishing excursion in Tampa Bay, Aquatic Escapes snapper fishing charters offer you the escape you need. Our experienced crew knows all the best spots for snapper from the bay inlet to the Tampa Harbor channels.
Varieties of Snapper
With over a hundred different snapper species, all with a variety of colors and sizes, you’ll find no shortage of fish on your trip. Each snapper has enlarged canine teeth, which gave them their name. You’ll find about 15 species of snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.
You’ll commonly find two types of snapper in the Tampa Bay:
- Mangrove snapper: Also called gray snapper, mangrove snapper range from 8 to 28 inches long, however anything typically over 20 inches is found offshore and usually weigh no more than 10 pounds. If you’re looking for a challenge, mangrove snapper can prove difficult to catch. However, it’s well worth the effort, as the mangrove snapper is considered a local delicacy with flaky, sweet meat.
In Tampa Bay, snappers are considered reef fish, and you’ll find them primarily inshore around structures such as reefs, rock piles, and bridges. As the name implies, mangrove snappers congregate near mangrove tree roots.
Snapper Season
Note that different snapper varieties show up during different seasons and have minimum size limits and regulations governing how much you can fish.
While some snapper species have seasons, mangrove snapper are open year-round. If you are fishing for Mangrove Snapper in the bay, regulation dictates they must be at least 10 inches and you are allowed to keep 5 per person. If you are fishing offshore, they must be 12 inches, however you may bring home 10 per person, in the snapper aggregate.
Tips for Catching Snapper
Mangrove snappers are famous for stealing bait and escaping the line. However, this can make for a fun challenge. A light tackle and line with shrimp on the hook usually entice them more than any other bait.
For any variety of snapper, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission requires the use of circle hooks and a dehooking device. These regulations help reduce the chances of a fish becoming hooked in the stomach or esophagus.
Our Guarantee
One of the benefits of Aquatic Escapes snapper fishing charters is our no fish guarantee. That means if you don’t catch any fish, you won’t pay.
With the expertise of Captain Jarrod and our crew, we’ll make sure you have an exciting day of fishing by yourself or with a group.
