AS SEEN IN THE SEPT/OCT 2006 ISSUE

 Commonly visited by anglers from around the state for world-class snook and tarpon fishing, Southwest Florida’s offshore waters are emerging as a deep-water yellowtail haunt worthy of your efforts. Learn how you, too, can get in on the fast paced action.

 
One of the most overlooked, and under-fished species swarming the offshore waters of Southwest Florida is the lustrous yellowtail snapper. Consistently hammered in the Florida Keys, yellowtail off Naples and other ports along Florida’s southwest coast are relatively free from the constant pressure of professional captains, party boats, and the ubiquitous weekend warriors that frequent more popular reef fishing destinations. Couple these facts with the absence of quality grouper fishing around Naples over the last few years, and it makes yellowtailing a win-win situation for resident and visiting anglers alike.

Let me be frank. I, like you, greatly enjoy running out to the deep to hunt monster black grouper, red snapper, or an assortment of sporty pelagics, but I have to say an action-packed day chumming for yellowtail snapper is one of my favorite light tackle trips. The action is consistent, and I don’t know many anglers that don’t covet a freezer-load of tasty snapper fillets. Once you have identified promising bottom structure over which to fish these guys, you can catch a limit on each visit regardless of the month, in pretty short order to boot.

Although decent sized ‘tail can be caught on Southwest Florida’s near-shore wrecks and towers during periods in the spring and summer, the consistent action that our crew enjoys on a regular basis is found out a bit deeper, typically around the 20 fathom line and further. Certainly ‘tail can be caught pretty consistently on wrecks this deep; however, I find feeding goliath grouper and barracuda a bit frustrating, if not down right expensive. But when you pinpoint good live bottom or a limestone ledge that consistently holds fish, you’ll do a lot less feeding and a bunch more catching, and that’s what yellowtailin’ is all about. You’ll feed an occasional predator fishing areas like this, but the yellowtail are by no means as difficult to land over such pieces as they can be on the wrecks. And don’t be afraid to fish them in water twice this depth either. They are out there for those with the boats that are capable of getting you there and back safely.

“There are a lot of yellowtail out there;
you just need to now how to target them effectively.”

An hour of scouting, eyes trained on the sounder, zoomed in on the bottom, is usually all it should take to locate a good piece of live bottom or fish-filled ledge. Moreover, some of the fishing charts now available provide useful clues as to where to begin your search.  Don’t count on them to put you right on the spots, but they can certainly get you in the general vicinity. Or perhaps you already have honey-holes in this depth range that you typically hit when searching for grouper or other fish. These spots could also prove to be great yellowtail snapper haunts. There are a lot of yellowtail out there; you just need to know how to target them effectively. Hopefully, I can shed some light on the techniques that continue to bring our crew tremendous success.

Talk to any yellowtail aficionados on the East Coast or in the Florida Keys, and you’ll hear them talk about fishing spinning reels loaded with pink Ande as light as 6 lb. with
12 lb. fluorocarbon leaders and the smallest of hooks buried in live shrimp. That set-up works here, too. However in twenty-plus fathoms, I have found that light tackle is simply insufficient when hurling four- to five-pound flags over the gunnel. Whether it is the depth, lack of fishing pressure, or a combination of both, I don’t know. I do know that these fish are a lot less leader shy and not particularly bashful when it comes to meal time.

We typically target yellowtail using conventional reels loaded with 15 lb. or 17 lb test line, attached to a medium action rod. Although I sometimes utilize a light fluorocarbon leader, 20 lb. to 30 lb. in strength, lately, I have shied away from that practice altogether and have been connecting baits directly to the main line with the same success at a fraction of the cost. However, you do have to keep an eye on the line and retie frequently to avoid break offs.

As far as baits are concerned, the best option available is live or frozen shrimp coupled to a fluorescent yellow 3/8 - 1/2 ounce jig head. Other colors work, however the chartreuse will out-fish the others 10:1 time and time again. On occasion, the jig weight alone is sufficient to carry the shrimp to the strike zone. Other times, split-shots must be added to assist the descent. Ideally, the bait should drop fairly close to the boat. Other offerings, including whitebait, squid, and cut bait will work if shrimp are not readily available, though, whether frozen or live, these little crustaceans are the ticket to consistent southwest coast yellowtail success.

With live shrimp, simply hook the bait from the bottom of the head, out the top so that it will descend right-side-up. With frozen shrimp, pinch off the head and insert the hook into the hole left from removing the head. Then, spin the body around and bury the hook back into the top side so that the morsel is in a natural looking position.

Most yellowtail landed on the Re-Cooperating, a 36’ Yellowfin, are caught well off the bottom, while they actively feed in the chum slick. And that’s when the conventional reel comes into play. When dropping the jig/shrimp combo down, I set the spool tension so that the offering drifts naturally to the bottom while not pulling out any more line than necessary. This makes detecting strikes incredibly simple. When line starts flying off the spool, it’s time to engage and set the hook. If by chance your bait hits bottom without a strike, reel it up and start all over. If no strike occurs more than a few times in a row, you should consider relocating because the ‘tails either have a serious case of lock jaw or none are present. Yellowtail snapper are fairly adept at stealing bait. If you miss a fish and do not experience another strike shortly thereafter, chances are you’re fishing on credit.

“After engaging the reel, it is crucial to let the line stretch out a bit before lightly setting the hook”

When setting the hook, it’s imperative not to get too excited, as that will typically end with a missed or lost fish. When fishing like this, in relatively deep water, there is plenty of time to get the situation under control. After engaging the reel, it is crucial to let the line stretch out a bit before lightly setting the hook. I typically resist striking until there is a slight bow in the rod. That way I’m assured that I’ll have a fairly good shot at a solid connection. Otherwise, I’ll lack the necessary leverage to drive the hook point home.

Although you don’t have to go ultra-light to be successful, dropping a monster rig to the bottom with a hundred pound leader and eight-ounces of lead is not going to cut it. Successful yellowtailin’ is finesse style fishing, and it does require a lot of feel. Usually, however, the technique can be picked up fairly quickly. Like a good golf swing, if you can replicate the presentation on a consistent basis, the results will typically be excellent.

Chum, and then chum a little more. Chum is the component that really makes the magic happen. Yellowtail respond well to chumming, and it always makes things interesting around the boat when the fish come way up off the bottom to investigate the source of the tasty morsels. With good visibility out there, often fifty feet or more, this type of fishing can provide an aquarium-like experience. Occasionally, a variety of species will come up to the boat’s transom and pick off baits right before your eyes. Not many destinations on the West Coast allow anglers the opportunity to watch as their baits are devoured. 

Everyone knows that Florida Keys captains make all sorts of chum mixtures using ground fish, oats, corn, by catch - you name it. But like the terminal tackle I talked about earlier, you really don’t need to be that fancy in this area. I have found that mixing two five pound blocks of menhaden chum in a five gallon bucket filled half way with sand and just a little seawater is deadly effective. I simply drop hand-sized balls gently over the side upon arrival and then at fairly even intervals. The ‘sand balls’ get the chum down to the fish as opposed to just drifting off in the current. The sand also clouds the water a bit which makes leader shy fish a little more cooperative. The feeding frenzy usually starts soon thereafter. On a typical full-day trip, I usually make and use two buckets of the above concoction.  

“Don’t over feed them, but make sure you keep enough chum going down to hold their attention.”

Chumming is absolutely necessary to load the fish box. The proof is in the fish’s stomachs, and when you boat them, it is regurgitated all over the boat - they love the stuff. Once the yellowtail bite is on, the steady action usually continues for a long while. Don’t over feed them, but make sure you keep enough chum going down to hold their attention. Hanging a frozen chum block off the transom will also bring in the likes of blackfin tuna and bonito by the dozen during certain times of the year and can certainly make things more interesting.

When chumming for yellowtail out there in over a hundred feet of water, there is no telling what may swim through the slick. We regularly catch kingfish, huge porgy, mutton snapper, black grouper, gags, scamp, cuda, bonito, blackfin tuna, sharks and cobia. Occasionally, a sailfish, cubera snapper or even red snapper will get into the mix. It pays, therefore, to have big live baits on the bottom and some livies up on top, too. When going out for ‘tail, load for bear. You could very well miss out on a number of other opportunities if you don’t. 

Like most bottom fishing offshore, your best days are going to be away from the full moon, while during and around the full moon the most consistent action will come during the evening hours. Whether by day or night, the technique remains the same, although in the dark hanging a Hydro Glow fish light over the side makes things very interesting for sure. Some of the biggest snapper, moreover, are caught at night around the full moon, so do not let the current conditions deter your efforts. In the near future, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the world record yellowtail snapper fall to an angler fishing this area - that’s how good this fishery can be!

“…off the Southwest Coast the average ‘tail runs between two and four pounds, with five-pound to six-pound flags always possible…”

Current regulations allow ten yellowtail snapper per person with a twelve-inch minimum.  Yellowtail snapper are included in the aggregate daily limit. Limiting out is the norm rather than the exception, so only keep what you want to clean and eat. Unlike twelve-inch to sixteen-inch ‘tails encountered in most other areas around South Florida, out here off the Southwest Coast the average ‘tail runs between two and four pounds, with five-pound to six-pound flags always possible. The largest fish come October through December. These fall and winter yellowtail snapper are true tackle busters. Just one look at the size and shape of their tails and you’ll know these fish are built for both power and speed. Pound-for-pound, yellowtail can hold their own with any fish in these waters. On the table they are in a league all of their own. Whether in ceviche, fried, or sautÈed in wine, butter, capers and a shot of lemon juice, yellowtail snapper provide unrivaled table fare.

For an out-of-the-ordinary experience without going to the aquarium, give deep water yellowtailing a shot. It’s a blast and there’s no telling what may stop in for a bite. See you out there! 

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