How To Chum Up Snapper (For Tight Lines & Delicious Dinners)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Tight lines and dinner time!
That’s what chumming up snapper is all about!
And in this video, you’ll see a fun way to catch lots of snapper (and potentially grouper) by chumming around structure.
This is a great way to fish with kids and new anglers because there’s typically nonstop action.
And as a bonus, you can catch some good-eating fish, too!
Check out the video below to learn how.
How To Chum Up Snapper [VIDEO]
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Where To Chum
Snapper like to feed near structure, so look for them around:
- Bridges
- Rock piles
- Wrecks
- Reefs
- And other forms of structure
How To Position Your Boat
Positioning your boat is very important here.
Make sure that your boat is up current from the structure, so that when you toss out your chum it floats down toward the fish.
This will get them to move away from the structure toward the boat so you can catch them.
If you’re down current from the structure, the chum will float away from where the fish are and you won’t bring them up to the boat.
What Bait To Use
When these fish are in a feeding frenzy thanks to the chum, the bait you choose doesn’t really matter too much.
You can use live shrimp, frozen shrimp, artificial lures, or chunks of pilchards, pinfish, threadfins, or mullet.
But one tip is that you can use the size of the bait to determine the size of the fish you catch.
If you’re looking for quantity, you can put a 1/2″ or 1″ chunk on.
If you’re looking for quality, you can step it up to a 2″ chunk to weed out most of the smaller fish.
How To Rig Your Bait
My favorite rig here is putting a split shot about 3-4″ above a 2/0 circle hook.
But be sure that the weight isn’t too far from the hook.
The farther it is, the more likely your line will get twisted, so try to keep everything close together.
Another option is to use a jig head, such as the Bottom Sweeper jig or a Mission Fishin’ jig head.
Rod & Reel Setup
You don’t need anything too heavy or crazy for this style of fishing.
I was just using my regular inshore setup:
- 7′ 3″ medium heavy fast action rod
- 3000 size reel
- 10 lb. braid
- 30 lb. leader
Conclusion
Chumming for snapper is a great way to get tons of tight lines and bring home some delicious dinner.
It’s nonstop action and easy, so it’s great for kids and new anglers, too.
Just anchor up current of some structure, toss out a chum block, and toss out a chunk of cut bait or shrimp in there.
Have any questions about chumming for snapper?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone who wants to catch more fish and get some nice filets for dinner, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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How far up stream do you recommend in 80-90 feet of water? Sometimes I feel like my chum is going over the fish before it gets down to draw them. Sometimes I have fish all over.
It will depend on how strong the current is, but a rough starting point would be about half that distance away. So if it’s 90 feet deep I would be about 45ft from the structure. The fish will usually follow the trail either way though, even if it’s going over them.
no # 4 split shot at SS store, only carry #5
Hey Richard!
#5 will work just fine as well!
Hey Guys, really love your Videos. They’re very helpful and useful. I received the Slam Shady Soft Plastics, went out in boat yesterday, (4-8-21), used the Shady but had no luck at all. I fish on the East Coast in the Indian River out of Fort Pierce FL.
We love Snapper and I think the video will help. What type of Chum do you use for these? Thanks to all of you, Steve
Hey Steven! Thank you for the awesome feedback!
The chum we used was just a 7lb frozen chum block that you can find in just about any bait shop in the freezers. Nothing fancy!
This is my personal observation. Mangrove snappers seem to come out of nowhere within 15-20 minutes after chumming just about anywhere along the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Not a bad problem to have haha
Great content Tony. I have often used a sand mixed frozen chum ball in 30+ feet of water just to fire them up and then start the chum slick from the surface. The dinner bell has rung and here they come! We actually did 225 lbs of Mutton Snapper in one evening when my buddy had a commercial license using this method in 70′ of water.
Thank you for the great feedback Scott! Great tip with the chum ball!
What water depth is too deep to chum a wreck? Say if the structure is sitting in 30’ you are better off just dropping bait down and not chumming???
Hey Keith!
We were in about 20′ of water when I caught that big mutton snapper. I have also been out in around 80′ of water with the mates chumming to get the fish up off the bottom. Not 100% sure of what would be considered “too deep”. Many guys chum out deep for red snapper and big mangrove snapper offshore.
Do you have any good recipes for cooking snapper?
Hey Richard!
Here is an article with recipes for red snapper, but it can be used for all types of species:
https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/articles/best-red-snapper-recipes/
Nice video, Tony!
Where were you located? I am asking because I fish the intracoastal in Jacksonville/St Augustine, FL, and the currents there are quite strong. Would the 2 rigs you mentioned work in those strong currents? Thanks…
Larry
This was down in the keys. These rigs should work and if anything just use a little heavier of a weight. Since you’re positioned up current all you have to do is drop a bait down and let it drift into the chum slick.
Thanks, Tony!
Thanks for the content. Love the TA videos. Just got the Chum Buddy a few months ago and super excited about the water getting warmer for bulk mangroves.
My pleasure Josh!
Can you give me a free boat and trailer so I can fish like the salt strong team lol
I fish from a kayak 99.9% of the time, so sign me up for that as well haha