Fishing Yellowtail Snapper In The Florida Keys

Yellowtail snapper is a very common species of snapper found here in the Florida Keys. It is a staple of the Marathon fishing charters I run on the reef. They feed on crabs, shrimp, worms, and smaller fish. Yellowtail spawn in groups off the edges of reefs in the Spring all the way through to the Fall but mostly during the Summer. We target yellowtail anywhere from the shallow patch reefs all the way out to 120 feet of water around reefs and Wrecks.

Using a lot of chum, light leader, and small hooks is the way we catch yellowtail here in the Keys. The Chum is ground-up menhaden fish frozen to 7-pound blocks which we put in mesh bags to slowly melt and put out small pieces of bait in the water to attract the fish. Light tackle outfits are what we use to catch yellowtail snapper.

Most fish caught range anywhere from 12 to 18 inches but it’s not unheard of to catch snapper over 18 inches. Yellowtail tend to be easily spooked and the appearance of sharks and dolphins can scare entire schools off until the threat moves out of the area. Yellowtail fishing is very fun, as the fish can put up a strong fight.

The fish is known for its flaky white meat, so it’s well worth keeping your catch, which can be easily prepared at many of the local restaurants in Marathon, FL as a ‘hook n’ cook’. For a real traditional treat, try it whole-fried!

The Yellowtail Snapper

Yellowtail snapper is the staple snapper fishing in the Florida Keys. On the fishing charter, you’ll be using light tackle to fight these fast hard fighting fish. Anyone with a little instruction can have a great day fishing for these very tasty fish. (Oh yes very tasty!) At the end of the day, I will filet all your catch so all you have to do is eat them. If you don’t want to cook, no worries, as I can recommend the best places in town to take your catch to be prepared the Florida Keys way.

While out fishing on the beautiful Florida Keys reefs in Marathon you never know what you can get into. Many species of fish can make their way to the back of the boat, giving you the chance to catch them too. Most commonly caught bycatch can be anything from black grouper, gag grouper, red grouper, mangrove snapper, mutton snapper, bonita, kingfish, and many more. Needless to say, yellowtail snapper fishing is a great time to be had by anyone at any age or at any angling level.

Heavily chumming the water is how we attract all the fish in the surrounding waters to come to our boat and take our baits. It is very common to raise a large school of fish to the surface so you can see the fish we are targeting. Compile all the elements and you can have the best fishing experience of your lifetime.

To book a Marathon fishing charter, call Captain Brent Kindell at 305-481-9018 or use the contact form. Check out our handy Florida Keys Fishing Calendar to see the different fishing seasons in the Florida Keys. Yellowtail fishing is one of the best year-round types of fishing in the Keys, and many other species can be targeted depending on the season.

Florida Keys Fishing Calendar

Fishing in The Florida Keys, Marathon is available all year round and this calendar can help you see when a it’s best per type of fishing. From Dolphin to Tarpon, your day aboard will be unforgettable!

Book your next fishing charter today!