I have been Charter Fishing for many, many years. As a Georgia Charter Fishing Guide making over 15 trips each season to Georgia’s 40 Mile Live Bottom (aka Brunswick Snapper Banks) for the past 15 years, he proves that this Spring 2009 season is so much better than the previous years for large red snapper (Mule).
After an hour of the hum of 4-stroke outboards in our 31 Contender, we approached the R-5 Navy Tower 34 miles off the beaches of St. Simons Island off the Georgia coast. We stopped quite close to check the bait around the legs of the tower. Thousands of peanut cigar minnows circled the north turret legs, allowing easy bait for our crew, so we picked up about 50 and proceeded east towards Snapper Banks.
Anyone who reads my articles knows that I am a multi-target bottom fisher. After all the great bottom I have fished, this day would be different. Marks on the color scope like I’ve never seen. The bottom literally “exploded” as we drifted to our destination and zeroed in. The entire team stared in amazement at the color scope as if we were possessed. A hidden photo would have been priceless as we were all staring at the bottom machine. with our mouths open in deathly silence. Finally, I broke the trance. “Man, this is going to be ugly!”
This mark was on a 10-ft. ledge at Brunswick Snapper Banks and for some reason this ledge always tends to hold more fish than any other in the area and it’s not a secret number. It’s on any chart you get from the Georgia DNR. This intense mark rose 45 feet. From the bottom. It was textbook. The “red firefighter” branding stacked high on the vivid bottom like this at an acute angle into the stream. Something that any bottom fisherman looks for on any day of fishing.
After a hasty scramble to get the rigs up, we closed in again and positioned perfectly at the top of the mark at 117ft, the first drop to the bottom failing to make it. At approximately 100 feet, the Ugly Stik 30-60 Rod capsized overboard pinning our client against the stern of the Contender. “Fish on!” It was all he could grunt as we all yelled at him to wobble, taxi, taxi! Keep your rod up! The seemingly long but brutal battle produced a 30 inch red snapper for our first fish of the day. That beauty…
As I was photographing the fish and the angler, another scream and shuffling of feet told me that another Snapper had once again grabbed someone to the side of the boat. This round was won by an angler who rode a Gag Grouper at about 17lbs after a furious fight on a lighter rod we had originally set up for the Vermilion Snapper. I don’t know how the 3/0 light wire hook didn’t bend or break under the pressure of the deep sea grouper, but it held up and the angler landed the fish.
I fish with my reels locked almost as tight as the drag will allow. When you get hooked on a big bottom fish, you don’t want any line coming off your reel. Block those drags hard, keep the rod up and hang on! It’s you and him face to face, without resistance.
After that Grouper we decided it was best to switch all rigged rods to Vermilion Snapper since the leader was 60lbs and the hooks were 3/0 medium. I didn’t want to risk losing a big Mule or a giant Gag so we rigged a 100lb mono leader and bigger hooks.
“A Georgia Red Snapper Limit”
We had a legal limit of Mule Red Snapper in no time and I realized my son finally had enough. We were releasing 30 inch fish at the time. Our team begged those big Mule Snappers to stop biting! After a total of 18, the tide turned and the Vermilion Snapper’s bite ignited. The crew were relieved when their rods bent only half as much as they had been with the Mules.
Obviously, a vermilion snapper cap wasn’t going to be a problem, but as each three-pound “bee-liner” hit the deck, it got quieter, until finally my crew had enough fishing for the day. There’s a sense of satisfaction when everyone agrees that your arms and back just can’t work well enough to catch another fish! I don’t see this as a problem. I see it as mission accomplished…
You don’t need any “special” numbers to fish Georgia’s 40 – Mile Bottom. Stop by the DNR office in Brunswick Georgia and pick up the public chart, or pick up the phone and give them a call. There are plenty of good numbers marking ledges and outcroppings that contain many large red snappers and vermilion snappers. This season has simply been a “stellar” year for bottom fishing and this rings true for Savannah Georgia and many other places on the East Coast based on reports from other Georgia fishing guides and charter fishing boats.
If you haven’t been bottom fishing and would like to learn, there are a few things you should know. First of all, the fish must be a legal size. Depending on what state it’s in, it’s usually 20 inches. Be sure to also check your baggage allowance. In Georgia, that’s (2) red snapper per angler. Florida rules are different and the seasons also apply in certain areas.
The process of releasing groundfish in deep water is essential. When you release a fish that is under or over the size limit, you should deflate the fish’s air bladder to allow it to safely return to the bottom. Otherwise, it will normally float to the surface and eventually die. There are small tools called “deflations” or “vent tools.” Learn where and how to properly ventilate groundfish for release. There are many articles on the internet about ventilation procedures for bottom fish.
“The Arsenal”
When you’re casting big deep-sea fish, you need a big bat to hit with. There is no better bottom fishing rod than an Ugly Stik in my book. Here is my equipment for Mules.
– Ugly Stik 30-60 or 40-80 Rod
– Penn 4/0 High Speed Senator spool loaded with 80lb braided line.
– Circle hook Redfishone brand 9/0
– 6 feet. 100-pound monofilament leader
– 12 oz. bank leader
– 90 pound snap swivel
You can use the same rod and reel for the Vermilion Snapper, but you can change up your terminal rig a bit. Use a 60 pound mono leader and (2) 5/0 circle hooks. Some anglers use one hook rigs, myself included, but if they bite well and you’re not about to run out, use 2 hooks to produce a large amount of fish.
If the fish are finicky, we’ll rig with a single 3/0 straight hook so I can set the hook instead of relying on the circle hook to do the work for me. When it comes to hooks and their styles and sizes for each fish, it’s a personal preference once you’ve learned the game, so pick your venom.
Your best bet for bait is live Spanish sardines, but many anglers can’t afford to catch 50 sardines before a trip. Frozen sardines, Boston mackerel, and whole calamari can be purchased the day before your trip. Also, many anglers use horsetail lures and other lures to lure Snapper and Grouper onto the hook.
Whatever you choose, take your kids fishing. They are the future of sport. Tight lines and good fishing to all!
