Gray Snapper: season, lures and limits

We picked these fish for Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA, the region closest to Columbus, Ohio, based on the approximate location of your internet connection (IP geolocation, looked up on our own server). It is about 436 miles away; FishOS covers the coast from Maine to Florida and the Gulf of America, and adds regions as they are checked. Pick another region if that is not where you fish.

Fishing region

FishOS has not charted gray snapper in Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA. The regions where it is charted are below.

Season by region

Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Space Coast	JFMAMJJASOND
Southeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Florida Keys	JFMAMJJASOND
Southwest Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Tampa Bay	JFMAMJJASOND
Lower Texas	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Docks, bridges, jetty rocks, seawalls, mangrove edges and nearshore reefs; juveniles in tidal creeks and grass beds.

Tight to structure: rocks, pilings, docks, mangrove edges and reefs.

What to look for

Schools holding beside structure by day; bridge and dock lights at night.

What to throw

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Bait

Live shrimp, Small live pilchards. .

Leader

Common mistakes

Fishing open sand away from structure
Fishing only at midday; adults feed mostly at night (Florida Museum)

Landing

Pull a hooked fish away from the rocks or pilings quickly, then swing small fish up.

Handling

Two large canine teeth in the upper jaw (FWC)

Grip behind the head and unhook with pliers; keep fingers out of the mouth.

Keep or release

Size and bag rules differ by state and between state and federal waters; see the regulations file.

Recipes for gray snapper

Typical: Rarely over 18 in (Florida Museum). Large: Common to 24 in and 10 lb; offshore fish commonly 8 to 10 lb (FWC).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the VA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission before you keep a fish.

Sources

Florida Museum, Discover Fishes: gray snapper (Official source)
Florida FWC species profile: gray snapper (Official source)

All the fish of Virginia Beach

Gray Snapper