Even if you’ve found the honey-hole, one day’s success doesn’t necessarily mean tomorrow will hold the same. However, unless you’re well versed in deep-dropping and know precisely where to locate the diamond in the rough, you may want to stick with the electrics.
#QUEEN SNAPPER MANUAL#
For hardy souls in excellent shape, or those hunting for an IGFA world record, deep-dropping can also be accomplished with manual big-game conventional outfits.
Targeting productive depths near abyssal plains and sloping ledges is done primarily with the use of specialized electric reels and hundreds of yards of braided line. Of course, you will catch the odd few when fishing shallower spots, but in The Bahamas most of the sizable fish will be found roaming the jagged bottom 1,100 to 1,500-feet below. Ask anyone who consistently targets queen snapper and they will likely tell you the same thing-go deep or go home. Of the research that has been conducted, scientists estimate that the largest fish are always female and that there is a distinct depth-size relationship. This is partly due to the extreme depth of their preferred habitat and little economic importance. There has been little research conducted on the biology of queen snapper and very few catch statistics are available. Sure, even novice anglers can put together a limit of yellowtail, but if you hit the dock with a catch of beloved queens-you’ll be regarded among angling’s elite. With this being said, deep-dropping for queen snapper is not as easy as one would think. While queen snapper are relatively common along the Florida Keys, the real action takes place in The Bahamas where there are prime stretches of bottom that have likely never seen a baited hook. Whatever the case, these super predators have been known to bring grown men to tears so it’s no surprise productive GPS coordinates are highly guarded secrets. On another hand these snapper, which live deeper than any other species of the family Lutjanidae, make five-star table fare and grow to epic proportions. Maybe it’s the anticipation of retrieving over 1,000-feet of line and finally seeing color materialize in the cobalt blue depths, or it could be the fish’s brilliant red coloration and deeply forked tail. Queen snapper have the magical ability to put huge smiles on anglers’ faces. If marlin are long gone, the yellowfin tuna schools are fickle or the wahoo haven’t yet arrived, what’s going to be your next island endeavor? If you were a passionate seafood aficionado in search of the ocean’s top bounty you would have already overlooked the aforementioned species for the mystical demersal that resides in the dark depths of the sloping continental shelf affectionately known as Queen of the Deep. The waters of The Bahamas do indeed offer fast and furious action with highly desirable species both inshore and offshore, however, like every angling destination there are transitional periods when connecting with highly migratory species can be hit or miss. This fertile barrier reef archipelago encompasses more than 700 islands, roughly 100,000 square miles, is home to numerous IGFA World Records, and at its closest point lies a mere 50-miles from Florida’s East Coast. It’s highly arguable there’s no destination within close proximity to the United States that holds as many world-class angling opportunities as The Bahamas.