07-07-2001, 05:39 AM
Hi, this is Neil from Trinidad, West Indies. Most demersal fishermen rarely use artificial baits/lures, which are almost exclusively used on pelagic species. The Cubera Snapper is no exception:favourite baits out here are usually some type of bloody or oily fish like chunks of little tunny or bonito. Most of these heavyweights are caught on deep reefs or on bottom with a lot of structure anywhere in excess of 150 ft. Some fishermen however try their luck just before or after the full moon in water as shallow as 50ft. using live mullet or small snappers as bait. a friend of mine even prefers chunks of needlefish as his bait of choice. these baits also work well on groupers. tackle is very heavy, usually hand lines of 150lb. test or more rigged with a sliding sinker depending on the current and depth, a steel or cable leader and large hook(10/0 to 14/0)completes the rig. If you are lucky enough to hook into a cubera above 15 to 20lbs or more, trust me you have one hell of a fight on your hands. These fish don't include the words "give up" in their vocabulary.One large fish is all it takes to make the trip worthwile.I also read an article where some American fishermen prefer a live lobster, I'm sure this works just as well.<br><br>