Red snapper action hot as weather

Trips to the aptly named Snapper Banks are well worth a 30-mile jaunt this time of year, and no one knows this better than Capt. Judy Helmey. She’s been pulling in big red snapper for years in offshore hotspots along the South Carolina-Georgia border.From the Edisto Banks to the north to the Snapper Banks to the south, these unique live-bottom areas are known for congregating snapper of all varieties in late July. These strategic areas, which Helmey refers to as “fishing cities,” are characterized by broken bottom containing ledges, rock, coral and vegetation.

“It starts about 29 miles offshore and goes to about 45 miles,” said Helmey, of Miss Judy Charters (912-897-4921, www.missjudycharters.com). “Once you get into the area, you can go up and down the coast. You’re typically in about 100 feet of water.”

Big female red snappers, known as “sows,” are abundant now, as are the smaller males of the species, known as “bucks.”

Helmey targets red snapper that weigh an average of 8 pounds or so, but a truly good day of fishing may result in better catches.

“If we catch two to four fish in a day that weigh 20 to 30 pounds, that’s great,” she said. “If a person is lucky enough to catch a 30-pound fish, now that’s a big one.”

Helmey says she quickly figures out what size snappers she’s dealing with, and adjusts her strategy accordingly. If she’s catching only smallish juvenile fish, or “chicken snappers,” that don’t exceed the 20-inch minimum size limit, she’ll keep moving.

“I experiment all day long,” she said. “I try to work a lot of different areas. I don’t want to wear out one place too much.”

The most important thing is the proper live bait.

“Right now it’s all about cigar minnows,” Helmey said. “They’re the hardiest of all – they last longer and their shine is better.”

Helmey regularly drifts with a two-hook bottom rig with 4/0 J-hooks and a 16-ounce sinker at the end. These fish are “laying low” around structure this time of year, Helmey says, but anglers can quickly get their attention if they’re working the right area.

Once hooked, there’s no doubt a good fight to be waged.

“Red snappers are very very hard pullers,” Helmey said. “A grouper will pull straight down, but a red snapper will go from side to side. They’re a lot of fun to catch.”