Catching Baby Snappers

[jokim]

First post here!

I plan on going to sheepshead bay on a party boat this weekend and wonder how people get live baby snappers for fluke bait. I hear just using a small hook and pieces of spearing with a popper, this works right at the dock?

Went fishing only once in this area before, any tips from ppl that have experience here?

[Capt. Lou]

Size 8/10 bait hook similar to what u would use for trout . Spearing cut in sm pieces , presented w/ o float . Also small metal works well under float or just reel n jig motion . Use slide float pencil models less restriction they take bait better sm sizes work best . I like type that lay flat on water then stand up when hit occurs . Many ways to skin this cat that's what worked for me .

[Mikeh525]

Jig a sabiki rig off the dock.

[phil]

use a sabiki with something tasty and tiny on the hooks like squid or spearing. and bring a bubbler for the bucket snappers wont last long without it.

[Gerry Zagorski]

All the above mentioned work well... Sabikis work best if they are concentrated in a specific area within a close cast.

Small Cast Masters work great and cast well too...

Your next issue is keeping them alive while on the boat. 5 Gallon bucket with battery bubbler works well.

[Gerry Zagorski]

All the above mentioned work well... Sabikis work best if they are concentrated in a specific area within a close cast.

Small Cast Masters work great and cast well too...

Your next issue is keeping them alive while on the boat since they fish best live. 5 Gallon bucket with battery bubbler works well. Just don't overcrowd.

[jokim]

Thanks for all the tips! going to get the Sabikis and use little pieces of meat.

They are all around the docked boat or anywhere on the dock?

[phil]

Thanks for all the tips! going to get the Sabikis and use little pieces of meat.

They are all around the docked boat or anywhere on the dock?

they can be anywhere, impossible to predict. I was out last Wednesday in NJ and they weren't around yet, in good numbers and/or very small. I caught 1 snapper in 30minutes and it was smaller than a peanut. 1st drop caught a short then switched to killies&squid.

[Mikeh525]

You would only want to use meat if you're not jigging the rig. Otherswise just walk the dock or boat jigging as u go. If u get a single snapper on continue to jig while it is on to get multiple snappers as they usually swim in schools. Hope that helps

[SaltLife1980]

Cast net or sabiki rig. I was cast netting peanut bunker in LBI the other day and got about 20 snappers mixed in with them along with more peanuts then i could ever use in a year.

[jokim]

Thanks for the tips, does any color work?

[Mikeh525]

Anything that flashes works best for me

[NJ Dave]

Just remember bluefish have a creel limit. Don't think it's enforced but that's a hell of a way to get a fine