Red Snapper Fishing Charter
The 2024 red snapper season runs from June 1 to August 27
Looking for a great fishing adventure to catch some beautiful red snappers? Captain Keith has been leading fishing charters since 2010, hosting families and groups of friends on fun and adventurous fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico. With Seafood Charters, you can experience a red snapper fishing trip combined with lessons on cleaning and fileting the fish that you catch! Captain Keith is a family man and a US Coast Guard-licensed mariner. That means that he knows how to create a great experience that the whole family will enjoy, while providing valuable knowledge about fishing out in the ocean. Unlike other fishing charters, Seafood Charters provides advanced knowledge on the topography of the ocean to make sure that we take you and your group to the best areas where different fish species are known for hanging out. Once the fishing is done, Captain Keith will clean and filet the fish you’ve caught, as well as bag the fish with ice so that you can take it home to cook.
To learn more about our red snapper fishing trips, call us today at (941) 224-3320.
Let’s Talk About the Red Snapper
The red snapper is a native fish to the Gulf of Mexico and is known for inhabiting areas that are filled with coral reefs. It’s a desired deep sea fish because of its great taste and healthy properties, but it’s only found in tropical areas and not found north of the Carolinas. These fish can swim down as deep as 620 feet into the ocean, and can live to be up to 50 years old. You can tell a fish is a red snapper due to its bright and rosy-red skin that lightens towards the belly, clear red eyes, long triangular face with an upper slope, and sometimes an underbite with enlarged canine teeth. It’s these teeth that help the red snapper to eat shrimp, crab, worms, octopus, and even squid. They are powerful fish that typically grow between 10 to 20 pounds, although they can reach up to 35 pounds. Fishermen love catching these fish and taking them to be eaten because they have a unique flaky and sweet taste that doesn’t taste “fishy” when compared to other fish species. The red snapper is a great fish for families to catch during a deep sea charter experience because its flavor can be enjoyed by young children as well as older adults.
The Best Season for Catching a Red Snapper
The exact dates for the red snapper season vary each year and are established by the state and federal water fishery organizations. Typically, the red snapper fishing season begins at the beginning of June and runs through the beginning of August. Captain Keith and the whole team at Seafood Charters are on top of these dates and federal regulations to ensure that our fishing charters are practicing lawful and correct fishing practices. During the red snapper season, the best time of day to catch a red snapper is around dusk and dawn. With Seafood Charters, we focus our red snapper fishing charters on finding the specific red snapper fish, but also search for other species to ensure that each group is able to catch something in the event that the red snapper is not biting well during their trip.
If you are looking for a fishing charter in the Gulf of Mexico during the closed season for red snappers, don’t worry! Seafood Charters offers fishing charters throughout the year in Anna Maria Island, Bradenton, Holmes Beach, Longboat Key and Sarasota so that you can enjoy the fun of fishing out in the ocean all year round. Just call our office to see which fish will be biting around the time that you are looking to book a fishing charter trip.
How to Catch a Red Snapper Fish
Red snapper are actually some pretty smart fish. They won’t bite for just any ole’ bait and they take a few nibbles before actually chomping down on the hook. That’s why it’s important to understand the tips and tricks for catching a red snapper fish. Captain Keith and the team at Seafood Charters will walk you through these tips and tricks before your red snapper fishing trip to ensure that you have all the knowledge you need to have a successful fishing excursion.
To catch a red snapper, you need to attract them using live bait. Using a dead cigar, minnows, or sliced fish can help to attract the heavier red snappers.
Using a shiny silver hook with a metal lur, or even vertical jigs, are important for catching a red snapper. These devices look like small moving fish
underwater, that when partnered with the smell of live bait, attract the red snapper.
Don’t start reeling in the line immediately after feeling a bite. Red snappers often nibble the bait before they chomp down on the hook. If you reel in the line after feeling the first tug, you might lose the red snapper.
Get ready for a fight. Red snappers are fun to fish because they are strong and fast fish. Although they like to eat a wide variety of live bait, they are more difficult to reel in once they’ve been hooked. If you’re up for a good fight, they are fun fish to catch.
Captain Keith and the entire team at Seafood Charters will prepare everything you need for a red snapper fishing trip. Our team will provide the bait and fishing lines, as well as teach you how to use it all, so that you can have a successful fishing trip.
Best Ways to Cook Your Red Snapper
After a long day of fishing for some red snappers, you’ll want to take them home and cook them up to enjoy what you worked so hard to catch! After the fishing charter experience, Captain Keith will help to clean and cut each fish, as well as store them in ice for you, so that you can take them home and get cooking immediately. Red snappers are also a great source of nutrition for you and your family, as they are packed with protein, essential amino acids, vitamin D & E, magnesium, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re not going to cook your red snapper the same day you catch it, make sure to keep it dry and refrigerated. It will only last for about two days so make sure to eat it fresh!
So what’s the best way to cook your red snapper? To keep the fish moist and flavorful, cook the fish with the skin on, on the low-heat spot of the grill. Grilling the fish whole is a great way to achieve that white, flaky fish texture. To enhance the flavor, add some lemon slices, chilies, or herbs. The red snapper fish meat goes well with almost any flavor, so partner it with any of your favorite side dishes or tropical fruits. Try out this blackened red snapper recipe or this broiled red snapper with cajun seasoning recipe for some great ideas on how to cook your red snapper!
Booking a Red Snapper Fishing Charter
The red snapper fishing season is short, so it’s important to book your fishing charter spot early. Seafood Charters can take you and your family to Sarasota, Holmes Beach, Longboat Key, Bradenton, and Anna Maria Island in search of the beautiful red snapper. Anna Maria Island, our favorite location, is where Captain Keith takes his fishing charters on a spectacular fishing adventure. It’s a great experience for families and groups of friends to enjoy a day out on the ocean learning about sea life and working hard to reel in some fish. Captain Keith, and the whole team at Seafood Charters, work hard to make the day fun and memorable for the whole group!
On the day of your fishing charter, you don’t need to bring any fishing supplies. Just make sure you have some sunglasses and sunscreen, a few snacks and drinks, and a camera to take pictures of everyone catching some red snappers!
See our fishing charter rates in the table below. For more information about our red snapper fishing charters, call us at (941) 224-3320.