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Photo: D Ross Robertson, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Lutjanus jocu
How to catch Dog snapper in Florida
Dog snapper feed in 72–90°F water and bite best at 76–86°F.
30 pts · trophy at 28"Feeds 72–90°FBest 76–86°FIn season nowArtificial reefWreckBridgeLedge / hard bottom
About
The canine-toothed snapper of the deeper Keys reefs and the Miami bridges at night: a bronze, fanged brute to twenty pounds that a mutton fisherman meets by surprise.
How to fish it
A live bait on the bottom on the reef edge at night; heavy leader for the teeth and the rocks.
What it eats
live pinfish and pilchardscut baitcrabs
Live bait for it
PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
Hook2/0–7/0
Braid30–65 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereMinimum 12" within the snapper aggregate — confirm at MyFWC.
The current rule at MyFWC →Month by month, water by water
When dog snapper is the story
The Ten Thousand Islands & Everglades
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The Florida Keys
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Miami & Biscayne Bay
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Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast
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