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March 1st kicked off Triggerfish season in Destin, Florida, which many offshore anglers were excited for. In our area, Triggerfish are normally found nearshore and offshore, hanging around artificial reefs and natural bottoms, in depths between 50 to 300 feet. They share the same habitat as Red Snapper and Gag Grouper, so catching a Triggerfish is usually a sign that additional species are below as well.

The average size of the Triggerfish ranges from 12in to 20in, with females growing larger. They are a distinctive gray in color and have the ability to change their color while swimming in open waters. The mouth is small but mighty, containing a set of sharp teeth even the most experienced anglers don’t want to mess with. Along with the teeth, Triggerfish have a strong jaw that can make a hook difficult to set.

Triggerfish are pretty aggressive feeders; a positive if you’ve set out to catch them specifically, but a negative if you were trying to reach the Red Snapper or Grouper they hang around with. Shrimp and any sort of cut bait like squid will do the trick as they typically chase anything they perceive as being food, and a small hook is necessary due to the size of their mouth.

A keeper size Triggerfish must be 15″ or more, from the mouth to the fork of the tail. The limit is 1 per person per day, and these fish are plentiful. Hands down, one of the best fighting fish and quickest bite while fishing. This is one reason that Triggerfish make for a great family friendly fishing charter, because the kids will be excited to feel a bite so quickly.

Lastly, they are a great tasting, white meat fish with a very low fishy taste. Typically triggerfish is cooked as a filet to show off the taste, but can be cooked however you best like your fish.

Call us today to book your charter during Triggerfish Season in Destin, Florida, for an action packed time on the water.

Lions Tale Adventures is made up of a group of individual guides who work as a cohesive unit to make sure you have the best fishing trip possible when fishing in Destin, Florida. Our team is made up of five Captains (Brandon Hillard, Gabrielle Barnes, Sean Cramer, Steve Burks and myself) and we work hand in hand to stay on the bait, bite, and weather to give you the best possible chance at not only a great catch but one of a life time as well. We all work as one sharing information between one another what’s biting and where the hot bite is.

In this first month of summer, we all have had some pretty good days on the water (weather permitting). With it being Red Snapper season until July 12th, Capt. Gabrielle with Lady Luck Adventures, who has the most local knowledge out of all us guides, reports that the Red Snapper bite as been outstanding! With the summer getting hotter and the fish getting smarter, she is still fishing in anything over 6 feet of water, utilizing both manmade and natural bottoms. She also advises going to a long leader (6 feet at the minimum), preferably fluorocarbon with any type of live bait.

Capt. Brandon (Got the Hook Up Charters) and Capt. Sean have been on an excellent Grouper (both Gags and Reds) and Amberjack bite while making a little longer run in the morning to get into some deeper waters. Both Captains report that they are catching more Gag Groupers on both manmade and natural reefs versus the Red Groupers, which are more commonly found on natural bottoms. Both captains say they prefer to use a live baits like cigar minnows and pin fish, but they have also caught several groupers off of long strips of bonita. “Keep a top water plug ready when traveling to your first fishing spot, as there will be Bonita everywhere and its always good to have different types of bait with you,“ Capt. Sean said.

Captain Brandon also suggests that you keep a couple of free lines out while bottom fishing, as the King Mackerels have been a very consistent bite while fishing over natural bottoms. He is using live cigar minnows while trolling.

Capt Steve has been staying offshore as well, pulling in some monster Red Snappers as well as Black Snappers. He has also managed to find some Red Grouper while out with clients, sending home some happy clients. Of course we are seeing Triggerfish and Amberjack bite our there as well, and we are counting the days until those are back in season.

On my side of the water, I prefer to sight fish for redfish and there are plenty of them to be caught along the beaches. This time of year, you might have to find them swimming in-between the patches of June Grass, in the clear pockets of clean water. Typically you’ll find several fish in these pockets, and you’ll have several shots in each pocket. Even though there is an abundance of June Grass around the clear pockets, the water clarity remains pretty clear. I’m using 3 feet of 15lb fluorocarbon leader with live bait, preferably a cigar minnow or herring. Also while cruising the beach we are seeing schools of Tarpon and more and more are showing up each day.

Right now is a great time to get out with any of our guides while the bite is hot. Despite rough waters during the past few weeks, we’ve been able to do what we can to make sure our clients have a memorable experience on the water with our team. You can read more about all of our team members by clicking here. Tight lines!

The vermilion snapper – also known as the mingo – is located on all Florida coasts. This panfish variety is ideal for anyone looking to bring back a decent sized haul at the end of the day. Keep reading to learn more about this fish and how you can experience a memorable fishing adventure catching Vermilion Snappers in Destin, FL.

What is the vermilion snapper?

The vermilion snapper is a reef fish and loves to inhabit any type of “bottom” surface, which means it’s common to find them around offshore wrecks and reefs. You’ll recognize them from their pretty, graduated tone of red to pink to white. They’re currently recognized as a smart seafood choice because (under U.S. regulations) they’re sustainably managed and responsibly harvested. This makes them the perfect choice if you love fishing but also want to see your hobby or livelihood survive for decades to come.

 

Where can I catch vermilion snappers?

Vermilion primarily inhabit all Florida coasts and are most common in the north. This makes Destin the perfect spot for mingo snappers. Our Destin Charter boats can take you out and bring you home with enough to feed your entire family. We’re experts at finding just the right offshore wrecks, reefs, and ledges that these vermilion loves to inhabit. Around 80 to 350 feet depths is the are they’re typically found.

 

What fish family are vermilion?

Vermilion are in the family of Lutjanidae. The family is usually referred to as “snappers” and includes mingos as well as red snappers and white snappers. They typically inhabit tropical and subtropical regions of the ocean. They are primarily marine fish and the family has roughly 113 species altogether.

How do vermilion taste?

Vermilion snappers can be a tasty dinner after you’ve spent all day fishing. Because they’re not incredibly difficult to catch, you can feel confident that you’ll come home with a large enough amount to feed the whole family. The mingo snapper has a delicate and sweet flavor. When you cook it up, it becomes firm and flaky. Here are vermilion snapper cooking instructions to get you started for your first time.

How To: Cook Vermilion Snapper

You can bake them, fry them, grill them or blacken them. They’re the perfect multi-use fish for whatever your family prefers! Click here for recipe ideas.

What is the average size of the vermilion snapper?

Vermilion snappers are typically in the 1 to 3-pound range. If you get really lucky, you may get a giant mingo that weighs in above 4 pounds. For length, most are between 14 and 24 inches (maximum).

What bait should I use and where do I find them?

When catching mingos, you’ll use a multiple hook rig and bait them with squid, mackerel, shrimp, etc. It’s common for these types of fish to bite eagerly at any type of small bait. So make sure your bait is small, and don’t hesitate to use something tasty. Drop your rig to the bottom of your target area (wreck, reef, ledge, etc.). Keep in mind that you’ll probably catch more than one fish with each of these drops, and they may not be all vermilion snappers. You can catch red snappers, triggerfish, white snappers, etc. Anything that hangs out with a vermilion snapper might get caught up in the fray.

 

Looking to try your hand at vermilion snapper fishing? I’m happy to take you out! Destin offshore fishing is a great way to spend any day and our charter boats help to maximize your experience. You’ll be able to experience Destin deep sea fishing the right way. Thanks for reading and I hope to fish with you soon!