# Port Mansfield State Water Snapper



## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

Have a question about fishing snapper in state waters. When I was a kid growing up, legend had it that one could only catch snaps in state water in the winter--any summer fish would be small. That was plenty of years ago and may have been wrong then, though. Had about a 20 year hiatus in the meantime.

Anyway, our family started offshore fishing this year, kids old enough to now hold themselves in the boat when they werf, so off we went, about 17 miles out of Pt Mansfield to the liberty ship reef. 

And WILDLY exceeded even our best expectations. Caught bigger snaps than I ever did as a kid. By ya'lls standards probably not great, but limited out every trip, most 8-11 pounds & had plenty of others tear up our tackle. Plenty to almost lose a few rods and a kid or two over the side.

So, anyway, now our family is hooked, and the season is over in federal waters. I know there are plenty of places around Mansfield in state waters, up north. Have Rik's book & other numbers for rocks & reefs in state waters, and there is that new reef southeast. Are there snaps there now in any size? Worth the run now, or do we need to wait until winter? Still plenty of specks & reds in the bays to keep us happy, but if its calm enough we'd like to continue giving it a whirl for the snapper.


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## REELING 65 (Aug 18, 2009)

Man..I'm driving down that way and launching. Shoot...I would be happy with that. Inside of nine nautical mile's is the range... State waters. You just have to keep checking the regulations. For as we all know,they are subject to change. Good read..I enjoyed it.


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## Rsnap (Aug 16, 2004)

FishNFam said:


> Have a question about fishing snapper in state waters. When I was a kid growing up, legend had it that one could only catch snaps in state water in the winter--any summer fish would be small. That was plenty of years ago and may have been wrong then, though. Had about a 20 year hiatus in the meantime.
> 
> Anyway, our family started offshore fishing this year, kids old enough to now hold themselves in the boat when they werf, so off we went, about 17 miles out of Pt Mansfield to the liberty ship reef.
> 
> ...


There are plenty of "Staters" right now and all year offshore Mansfield!
Unlike the upper coast most of the fisherman there do not talk and do not post. For years I found it tough to get good feedback from guys I gave "Killer" readings to. Last year I fished there and SPI myself again and was personally shocked at just how good the fishing reilly is. There are guys on the board right now and all the time that never "brag" on some of the very best fishing in Texas. On top of everything else this area is "Targer rich"! I found almost 80 new spots in a one week streek last year! So just remember when you are in the "North Rocks" area of any other rocky area there there are many more readings in that area not listed. I can not say this any stronger! Make sure you take more bait than you need and be raedy to chum. Lots of Mangrove Snaps and Grouper ect! I am going there again this year and can not wait.
Rik

P.S. Boats with limited range on the upper coast - this is your fix!
Guys that want more Snaps after the fed. season - this is your fix!
More Grouper and A.J`s ect. in much closer!
Tuna and Wahoo in much closer!


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

Shhhhh ... we don't want a thousand boats off that little old fishing village, do we? Oh well, the cat's outta the bag now! 

Note that not all trips are big producers, like any fishing. Sometimes the current rips and there's no bait ... other times it's almost embarrassing fast, like limiting out on snaps in 20 minutes. My strategy is to target other big species and keep whatever snapper by-catch comes to the top and is legal. 

Us locals know the north rocks as "Steamers," and old fish haven up there. Be careful and use your GPS, as many rocky locations are close to or over the 9-mile state line. -sammie


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## awesum (May 31, 2006)

Swells said:


> Shhhhh ... . Be careful and use your GPS, as many rocky locations are close to or over the 9-mile state line. -sammie


So ?

heh heh j/k

  :biggrin: :texasflag


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## going_east (Aug 11, 2005)

Fishnfarm I forgot the captian's name (might of been tom)from fishon fishing charters in Mansfield spent a summer with him back in either 02 or 03 cant remember the exact year anyhow that guy can put on spots where you can see the sand in the horizon, last time i saw his boat he had docked in PI however that was a few years back so he might be back there dont know,


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## Unbound (Jul 12, 2004)

Rsnap said:


> There are plenty of "Staters" right now and all year offshore Mansfield!
> Unlike the upper coast most of the fisherman there do not talk and do not post. For years I found it tough to get good feedback from guys I gave "Killer" readings to. Last year I fished there and SPI myself again and was personally shocked at just how good the fishing reilly is. There are guys on the board right now and all the time that never "brag" on some of the very best fishing in Texas. On top of everything else this area is "Targer rich"! I found almost 80 new spots in a one week streek last year! So just remember when you are in the "North Rocks" area of any other rocky area there there are many more readings in that area not listed. I can not say this any stronger! Make sure you take more bait than you need and be raedy to chum. Lots of Mangrove Snaps and Grouper ect! I am going there again this year and can not wait.
> Rik
> 
> ...


There is no truth to these rumors. There are no fish, the beer is warm, and the women are ugly. Go elsewhere!


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## Bill Fisher (Apr 12, 2006)

Unbound said:


> There is no truth to these rumors. There are no fish, the beer is warm, and the women are ugly. Go elsewhere!


x2


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## jmahan (Feb 27, 2009)

*State Water Snapper in Port Mansfield*

I used to fish quite a bit in in State Water for snapper north of Port Mansfield. I heard recetly from a very reliable source that the head boats out of Port Mansfield hit the State water spots very hard last winter. They pounded it every single day with snowbirds booked solid. The guy who gave me this info has lived in Raymondville and had a place in Port Masfield his entire life (50 plus years). He said fishing for snaps in state water is very tough right now. He knows just about every rock in state water, an old shrimper gave him a book of "snags" that had been compiled from just about every old timer shrimper in the area. Thay were all loran coordinates. He said all the spots are nothing but solid triggerfish. Now, thats not sayin that the fish do not move around and move in from deeper water. He is hoping that the two recent storms will stir them up some and move fish in.


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

Whaddya want with an ugly boat and bad bait? 

Just kidding ... but Port Mansfield is getting more fished out, simply because it's close in with easy access, is a small series of rocks and Liberty ships, and more people know about that little secret. 

I won't reveal my secrets about winter fishing for sows, just keep fishin' them rocks and wrecks, OK? That'll leave plenty for us locals!


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## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

Unbound said:


> There is no truth to these rumors. There are no fish, the beer is warm, and the women are ugly. Go elsewhere!


Hmmm--well, I can't speak for the beer, or really the fish so much, and yes the bait situation sucks for a bait soakin potlicker like me, and the 2 restaurants are bad (recently better, I suppose), and the mosquitoes are a religous experience, but the ugly women? I have to disagree with you there a little.

This one is seen regularly down there, and although I hooked her elsewhere (at Graham's Central Station in Bryan)-about 20 years ago, shen's now hooked on saltwater fishing! And yes, her possession limit is filled :dance:

Cheers!


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## RGV AG (Aug 15, 2005)

There are some spots within 2 miles of the SPI jetties and some almost even closer than that from the Mansfield jetties. None of them are big and if you don't have the spot on numbers you might spend hours looking for them, but they can be loaded up with snapper all during the year. Not too many folks know about these, or at least used to not. 

Additionally, there are many places up north between 3-6 miles off the beach that hold decent snapper pretty much year round. Again, they are small and easily missed, but they are there. Hell, even the SPI jetty holds some nice snapper at times. In the early 90's I speared about a 5 pound on there off the north tip on a calm October morning.


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## great white fisherman (Jun 24, 2008)

I kept my information to PM'S


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## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*WELL....*

We were down saturday and sunday in my nedw rig. a 34 Fountain w/trips and hit the rocks. all snaps were really small. had to vent way too many fish to get a decent keeper. we headed out to around 42 miles to a nice platform which yeilded a few larger(which the season there was CLOSED) but we were covered up with Shark. we did land a nice AJ but that was about it. Head Boats have not cleaned them out(Snapper) in close, lets just say they have picked thru them heavily. By the way, Tom, the old owner of the Fish-On is not there, but his old boat is sitting there Rotting in the water. The new rig ran Great, Sliced thru the 4-6's and had a smooth landing running 34-36mph. and sunday in the 3-4's we ran 40 mph without any problems. I only spear headed 1 swell..now i know why fountain puts such a thick console glass on their rigs...Bruce, we came right by your place but you didn't come out..see you this weekend..


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

have yall fished Hites reef yet , it is SE of the jettys in state water , Mr hite sold his junk yard and had 10 acers of old trucks , cars , tracters , pipe , ect , and the company that bought it from him loaded every thing on a barge to sell in mexico as scrap , and they had to push it all over board to save the barge from sinking , it is spread out but well worth the trip to it , i would have thought shrimpers would have found it , but it has held tight so far , the #s are on my boat ! but i neaver see anyone on or near it , chim in if you fish it


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## James Howell (May 21, 2004)

What in the hell are the headboats doing fishing state water spots? If they have a federal reef fish permit, that is a BIG no-no. Turn their butts in.


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## Rsnap (Aug 16, 2004)

*No brag - just fact!*



Swells said:


> Whaddya want with an ugly boat and bad bait?
> 
> Just kidding ... but Port Mansfield is getting more fished out, simply because it's close in with easy access, is a small series of rocks and Liberty ships, and more people know about that little secret.
> 
> I won't reveal my secrets about winter fishing for sows, just keep fishin' them rocks and wrecks, OK? That'll leave plenty for us locals!


No secret! I just talked to two more guys returning from Mansfield: They both had no trouble catching limits every day @ the North rocks & one caught several 15 plus lb. Snaps. Both just fished the big middle of my readings @N 15 miles. There are rocks everywhere in Mansfield as stated!
I do not publish real close in spots as some can be dangerous and too close. Anyone that knows their way around a Sounder will find rocks running and rocks all round my readings. There are hundreds, mabie even thousands of rocks to the north. Normally the ones that mark more Snaps are the ones that they bite right away on. Rocks that may mark less can still turn on with chum. I normally look for one that marks lots and the catching is easy!

No brag - just fact!
Rik


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

*those #s chang day to day*



Rsnap said:


> No secret! I just talked to two more guys returning from Mansfield: They both had no trouble catching limits every day @ the North rocks & one caught several 15 plus lb. Snaps. Both just fished the big middle of my readings @N 15 miles. There are rocks everywhere in Mansfield as stated!
> I do not publish real close in spots as some can be dangerous and too close. Anyone that knows their way around a Sounder will find rocks running and rocks all round my readings. There are hundreds, mabie even thousands of rocks to the north. Normally the ones that mark more Snaps are the ones that they bite right away on. Rocks that may mark less can still turn on with chum. I normally look for one that marks lots and the catching is easy!
> 
> No brag - just fact!
> Rik


GO SOUTH AND SUPER MAX YOUR SOUNDERS , SPOTS VERY DAY TO DAY , READ YOUR SPOT THEN CHUM LIKE HELL !!!! and carry a log book on every detail current , moon , ect , good luck


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## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

pilar said:


> have yall fished Hites reef yet , it is SE of the jettys in state water , Mr hite sold his junk yard and had 10 acers of old trucks , cars , tracters , pipe , ect , and the company that bought it from him loaded every thing on a barge to sell in mexico as scrap , and they had to push it all over board to save the barge from sinking , it is spread out but well worth the trip to it , i would have thought shrimpers would have found it , but it has held tight so far , the #s are on my boat ! but i neaver see anyone on or near it , chim in if you fish it


Hmm..is that like an adult snipe hunt :rotfl: Seriously, thanks for the info. Would really like to find more stuff SE--the only thing we know in state waters SE is the new reef..it didn't have a fish on it that we could see 2 weeks ago. And its tough to go out there just for it, if nothing there then we have no other options. Liberty ships were great but not til next may I guess. We prefer to run SE, because especially with the kiddoes, if something happens, weather comes up, anything its a quick run back in with the waves. For now guess we'll try running North and see. Thanks all!


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

Let's say the area to the SE of the PM Jetties was our little secret! Be sure to bring your grocery bag and flashlight for da snipe ...


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

*well said*



Swells said:


> Let's say the area to the SE of the PM Jetties was our little secret! Be sure to bring your grocery bag and flashlight for da snipe ...


that area has been a real honey hole , so i guess i should just shut it down as i have been PMed to death about it :spineyes::spineyes::spineyes:
if i gave everyone the #s it would start to suck " right" , so go find it LoL , hint start at the PM jetty and go south by south east stay between 50ft deep and 91 ft & stop before you get to Mexico , :brew::brew::brew:if i know you please feel free to PM me . snipe hunt my arse just go find the stuff


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

> that area has been a real honey hole


Dangit Pilar, you're already lettin' people in on the straight skinny. Grrrrr.


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## PhilGo (Jul 31, 2008)

*Are you talking about the SPI jetties or Mansfield jetties?*



pilar said:


> have yall fished Hites reef yet , it is SE of the jettys in state water , Mr hite sold his junk yard and had 10 acers of old trucks , cars , tracters , pipe , ect , and the company that bought it from him loaded every thing on a barge to sell in mexico as scrap , and they had to push it all over board to save the barge from sinking , it is spread out but well worth the trip to it , i would have thought shrimpers would have found it , but it has held tight so far , the #s are on my boat ! but i neaver see anyone on or near it , chim in if you fish it


Check out my pictures from Boca Chica beach earlier this week! A lot of junk on the beach, presume it came from Rio Grande flooding, but my sister is biologist and wasn't so sure it didn't wash off of a barge or something.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2073275&id=1469340461&l=093e2efb8d


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