While some consider the red snapper a delicious delicacy, others see the deep-water fish as the ultimate trophy.
To sear red snapper in a pan with lemon and butter, or score a trophy during a Surfside summer tournament: It doesn’t matter your reason. Boaters and anglers make their way to Surfside Marina to begin their own version of red snapper season every summer.
Surfside Marina ushers in red snapper season in its own way, too. Each year, the marina hosts an afternoon of fun for marina members to kick off red snapper season with grilling, live music, and plenty of opportunity to swap snapper stories. Attendees are also invited to pledge donations to the marina’s annual Folds of Honor drive.
However, if you’d like to bring more to the table than just a donation, check out these 10 tips for catching red snapper in Texas before you embark on your deep-sea fishing adventure.
1. Prepare your documents
The first thing you should do is prepare all your documentation for the trip, because the last thing you need is paperwork ruining your chances of getting a cash prize. Texas anglers over the age of 17 are required to have a valid license, and you can get your Texas fishing license online here.
Some tournaments require participants to have a valid United States Coast Guard Captain’s License and a Texas Fishing Guide license. Confirm all of your required documentation is active and current before you start reeling in snappers.
2. Update yourself on regulations
Similar to confirming your documentation is all set, update yourself on the federal and state regulations for fishing red snappers.
To catch red snapper in federal waters, it needs to be between June 1, 2025 and ends when the harvest limit is reached for the season (Gulf Council reports the limit is when 16,310,000 pounds is reached). Anglers are limited to two fish per person daily, and to qualify as a fair catch, the snapper needs to be a minimum of 16 inches in length.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, more than 95 percent of the red snappers anglers catch in Texas come from federal waters, so it’s critical to keep these regulations in mind.
3. Sign up for Texas fishing tournaments
The worst feeling in the world is reeling in the biggest snapper you’ve ever seen, only to realize you forgot to register in a tournament for the chance to win an even bigger prize.
Before your fishing excursion, prioritize registering for tournaments active during red snapper season so you don’t miss out on awesome prizes. The Coastal Conservation Association’s State of Texas Anglers Rodeo (STAR) Tournament prizes include a Polaris Ranger Crew UTV in Pursuit Camo with a Big Tex trailer, or Big Cash Snapper’s grand prize of $100,000 to the angler who weighs in a world-record-breaking snapper.
Photo credit: Big Cash Snapper
Photo credit: CCA’s STAR Tournament
Sign up for the Big Cash Snapper tournament here, and join and register for the CCA’s STAR Tournament here.
4. Review your red snapper strategy
When deep-sea fishing, it’s best practice to go in with a successful strategy. Consider the habits and biology of the red snapper as you plan to enter its territory. Generally, and especially if you’re competing in a tournament, the goal is to catch the biggest snapper you can reel into the boat.
Red snapper will spawn in 180 to 300-feet-deep water and spend much of their time in the 90 to 200-feet depth range. They are attracted to reef and bottom structures. You know where they’re living, you know where they’re congregating. At Surfside Marina, our anglers find tremendous success in federal waters at about 150 to 200 feet deep.
5. Decide on the locations
Texas Parks and Wildlife report tagging studies show evidence that red snappers move very little when they settle at a reef or structure. Because of this, these fish are susceptible to over-fishing, which can easily ruin your fishing excursion with a day of little to no bites. Be a responsible and smart angler by mixing up your locations with each trip to allow the fish to grow their numbers and size in peace.
6. Pick your equipment and prepare your vessel
With your strategy planned and destination mapped, it’s time to pick up the essentials. As “The Texas Home of Sportfishing,” Surfside Marina has everything a competitive angler might need to take on a fight with a red snapper.
It’s common for anglers to favor a fishing rig such as a heavy-action rod with a reel prepped with several hundred yards of 50-pound test line. For extra assistance in deeper water, an electric reel helps support fishermen reel in the big ones throughout the excursion.
Make it a productive trip by visiting the fully-stocked Surfside Marina ship store. In store, the marina has various-sized hooks (like Sabiki saltwater fishing rigs and big-game hooks) and deep drop fishing lights. Additionally, you can pick up other fishing essentials: sunscreen, sunglasses, Ziplock bags, buckets, First aid kits, Coast Guard kits, emergency apparatuses, and ice. Oh, and most importantly, water and snacks!
7. Buy the best red snapper bait
Okay, so you picked up drinks and snacks for your fishing trip, don’t forget to pick up the snacks for the red snappers.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, snappers got their name from their inclination to swim to the surface and “snap” at basically anything in the water. While technically you could put anything at the end of your line to attract these opportunistic fish, some bait is more successful than others.
For example, TPW reports squid as the go to bait as well as fish chunks. Veteran anglers on forums like The Hull Truth also report success with squid wings and northern mackerel chunks then switching to live pinfish, or bringing a box of frozen sardines, cutting them up for chum, and tossing the chum into the water every five minutes.
Luckily, the Surfside Marina ship store carries a broad selection of live and frozen bait for you to purchase to try out what works best for you.
8. Store your catches correctly
Time is of the essence when it comes to storing catches you plan on eating. With each red snapper you reel in, prioritize bringing a storage big enough to handle your fish, storing it properly on ice, and then cleaning it as soon as possible.
9. Record the snapper dimensions and log at authorized locations
Before you clean it, bring it in at Surfside Marina, an official weigh station for the CCA’s STAR Tournament and the Big Cash Snapper Tournament.
If recorded and weighed at an unauthorized location, it will not count, and you could possibly miss out on big money.
10. Service your boat at the Surfside Marina Service Center
Maybe you didn’t reel in the big winner you were hoping for, or the snappers you did catch aren’t big enough to eat. Don’t fret, there’s always tomorrow – just be sure your boat is ready for your next opportunity. No matter if you need to fill up on gas or fix some unexpected problems on your boat, Surfside Marina is available to help get you ready to go out on the water again.
Learn more about how Surfside Marina can prepare you for the upcoming season and help you dominate all the cookouts and tournaments on the horizon by visiting our blog and signing up for our newsletter.
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