# Mangrove Mania!



## jeff.w (Jan 22, 2006)

Mopped up on the Mangrove snapper a few days ago.......Went out again today, and stopped off in the same honey hole. It didn't take long to figure out they were still there, and thick as ever. Ended up with 12 mangroves to 19" and two slot reds, 24" and 27". Every cast was a hook up, and not 1 trash fish, except for a few magnum piggy perch. Started throwing back mangroves under 10" or so. Also got broke off a handful of times, I'm thinkin' there were some large bullreds mixed in down there. The wind was kickin' around 12 knots and the water was fairly clear with some muddy patches here and there. Everything was caught on live shrimp or live mullet. Tried plastic tails after I ran out of bait, but they would just rip it to shreds like a bunch of pirahna. Couldn't get 'em to hang on to it.
Anyway, had a great trip, and thought I'd share. Snapped a few pics of the fish before I cleaned 'em. I gotta have a fish fry soon. :cheers: 

Peace and good luck to you'all.
Jeff

By the way, one of the reds had a hook in his mouth with a few inches of braided line still attached to it. I'm holding the fish up by the line in the last pic. Anyone get broke off lately? LOL


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Those are some big mangro's!


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## LIONESS-270 (May 19, 2005)

Awesome...I'm so glad they are showing up in mass on the coast...Now Robs and I won't have to drive 1700 miles south to get some...LOL
Down south...pole spearing them or fishing in the small river mouths is a lot of fun...up to 3 and 4lbs.

We hope to get a chance to fish em soon...one of our favorites cooked Mayan style several ways...

Thanks for sharing..
Chief...


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## jeff.w (Jan 22, 2006)

Anyone know what the state record is for a mangrove?
Not saying these were anywhere close, but they are a helluva alot bigger than I've ever seen.


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## slingin' meat (Dec 17, 2004)

Holy [email protected]!$


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## Fish Aholic (May 13, 2005)

Good catch!


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## MAHIman (May 31, 2005)

Nice stringer Jeff!! Its that time of year again!! Good job!!


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## Bimini Twisted (Apr 17, 2005)

I bet I know where you've been fishing! Shhhhhh

Rick

PS. Nice mess o' fish


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## YAKUM!!! (May 23, 2006)

nice catch


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

i've seen a few 8" mixed in with the bull croakers near marshes. one took a 2" mullet.
held one up and i swear i could see & hear their snapping jaws trying to bite me. good catch, i'll be looking for them big ones now.


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## thundertrout (Jun 22, 2006)

jeff are you gonna mount the red with 3 spots on him,man that would
make a beautiful mount.nice mess of fish you got.thanks for sharing.


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## Pope (Jun 20, 2004)

Those are still juveniles. The bigger ones are offshore. The record is 18.67lbs. Many guys confuse big mangroves and call them dog snapper or cubera. The dog snapper is more rare in Texas and smaller (14.4lbs in the record). Cubera snapper do not gather in schools and are much larger as well as rare in Texas. TPWD is considering a limit of 5 fish to protect the growing population of mangrove snapper. I love hitting a few bonus fish before heading in. Glad you got some too.


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## nasakid (May 21, 2004)

*Question*

I couldn't find any info on the Mangrove Snapper on TXPWD's webpage. Is there a size or bag limit? Seems like they're getting more common. Nice catch!


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

nice stringer of fish.


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## algoa (Sep 12, 2006)

nice mangroves. caught one a while back at the dike. didn't know what it was i released it. sure wish i known but now i know. great pics.


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## jeff.w (Jan 22, 2006)

TERMITE said:


> jeff are you gonna mount the red with 3 spots on him,man that would
> make a beautiful mount.nice mess of fish you got.thanks for sharing.


I've already got a redfish mount. I used a tag one year and mounted a 36"er with 8 spots. Turned out awesome.

My next mount will be a 30"+ trout, IF I ever catch one, LOL. I caught a 27" last year and a 26.5" this year. Maybe one day I'll get a big'un.

But ya, those mangroves are a blast to catch. When they are there, they are there by the thousands it seems. My live mullet on my hook isn't safe for more than a few seconds. Those suckers are fierce!



> The record is 18.67lbs.


WOW! That would be awesome to catch. I didn't realize they got to be that big!


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

Very nice mess of fish. Those mangroves are delicious. In Florida, where I first got familiar with them they call them "vampire snapper" because of the two top teeth.


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## Capt. Hollis Forrester (Jun 17, 2006)

*good goin...*

Stay on em Jeff!!! Those r some great tasting fish. I do not get to catch them cause I'm always throwing those dang top-waters for those specks, but looks like a lotta fun. Later Man.


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## poppincork (Jun 28, 2004)

Those look like a nice fish dinner. We caught about 3 or 4 of those snapper last week by N. Deer Island but they were to small to keep...I also caught a 14" Pompano on live shrimp. First time I ever caught a Pompano in the bay..


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## WasabiSS (Dec 28, 2005)

Where can u go and catch those mangrove??? is it offshore or can u catch them along the coast?


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## boashna (May 28, 2004)

they like shell or rockey place . i caught one in conf ref area in west bay and one at n jett within past 2 weeks . i used dead shrimp on both .


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## chads7376 (Aug 25, 2006)

*Does my phone work?*

I dont get an invite to go fishin when there biting! Whats up with that? j/k 
Call me sometime (when the fish are biting)


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## sea ray (Mar 15, 2006)

good job, thanks for the report . where were you?


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## MsAddicted (Jan 25, 2005)

jeff.w said:


> By the way, one of the reds had a hook in his mouth with a few inches of braided line still attached to it. I'm holding the fish up by the line in the last pic. Anyone get broke off lately? LOL


Yep matter of fact, got broke off at the anchor on thursday, nice red bout like that one  Wasnt using braid though dangit.

Great job on the mangroves! Sounds like a heap of fun.


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## bdear10s3 (Mar 2, 2006)

IMHO, you have caught the best, by far, fish for making cerviche. Try it!


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