A Yellow Eye Snapper is truly a unique fish to catch. After reading this how-to fishing guide, I hope you will be fully prepared to get out on the water and land some of these Yellow Eyes beauties.
How To Catch Yellow Eye Snapper
Yellow Eye Snapper are caught deep dropping rocky bottoms and ledges in 300′ to 1000′ of water. Yellow Eye Snapper are frequently caught using Bonita strips or squid on a chicken rig which is rig outfitted with 4 to 5 hooks, a heavy sinker, and a light.
Catching Yellow Eye Snapper is not a fishing adventure many anglers get to do every day. Yellow Eye Snapper is a species of Snapper that live on the bottom of the ocean in extreme depths. In order to fish for Yellow Eyes, you will need some serious tackle and a sizable boat to get you far enough offshore to find them.
Where to Find Yellow Eye Snapper
Yellow Eye Snapper dwell in tropical and subtropical waters at depths ranging from 300′ to 1000′ of water. Many anglers swear that the sweet spot in regards to depth is between 500′ and 800′.
Yellow Eye Snapper prefer rocky bottoms, especially in areas with dramatic changes in depth. Some of the best Yellow Eye Snapper spots we have found have been on deep ledges where depths quickly drop from 300′ to 800′ within a couple of yards.
Once you hook up to a Yellow Eye Snapper, make sure to record your coordinates. After recording your coordinates, try to keep the boat as stationary as possible over the spot. Keeping the boat stationary will also keep your baits on in the same area, minimizing snags and allowing the fish to investigate your baits and eventually strike.
When To Fish For Yellow Eye Snapper
Yellow Eye Snapper can be caught year-round, with spring being the best time to target them. The midday Yellow Eye bit is typically the hottest and is known to slow as the day progresses.
Expert Tips On Catching Yellow Eye Snapper
Fish rocky bottoms: Yellow Eye Snapper are extremely particular when it comes to the type of bottom they inhabit. Yellow Eye a Snapper will congregate heaviest on rocky bottoms, especially when live corals and sponges are present. Most sonars will show hard bottom as a thick line of yellow.
Electrical Reels are essential: Unless you are looking for a marathon endurance-like fishing adventure, you will want to bring an electrical reel to target Yellow Eye Snapper. Electrical Reels are an easy way to get your rig off the bottom in a matter of 3 to 4 minutes instead of hand cranking a Yellow Eye Snapper off the bottom for 15 minutes.
Bonita Strips are Best: Next time you are fishing and land a Bonita, do not throw them back in the water. Bonita is a phenomenal bait for Yellow Eye Snapper. I have always had the best success fishing a 4″ to 6″ strip of Bonita when targeting Yellow Eye.
Light up the bottom: Even though Yellow Eye Snapper has eyes adapted to extremely low light conditions, it is best to add a deep drop light on your fishing rig. Having a light on the bottom quickly sparks the curiosity of Yellow Eye Snapper. I have personally experimented with fishing with a light and no light, and I can confidently say that fishing with a light dramatically increases bites.
Braided line is best: When it comes to deep dropping, braided line is best. Braided line is extremely sensitive, allowing you to sense bites on your line, even at 1000 feet of water. Whereas being able to feel bites on on monofilament line is certainly not the case when fishing at these depths.
Best Baits For Yellow Eye Snapper
- Bonita Strips
- Squid
- Barracuda Strips
Best Fishing Tackle For Catching Yellow Eye Snapper
When it comes to catching Yellow Eye Snapper, using the correct deep-dropping tackle will make or break your fishing adventure.
Best Fishing Rod For Yellow Eye Snapper
When it comes to deep-dropping choosing the proper tackle is essential to success. I always recommend using a conventional rod with a curved butt. Rods with a curved butt are meant to stay in the rod holder when fighting the fish, and they have the added benefit of swinging the rod tip into the cockpit to rerig or rebait your chicken rig. I personally recommend the Diawa Tanacom Dendohn Rod. This rod has a great backbone and is outfitted with a roller guide tip which is an added benefit to help manage the line stress that is put on the rod when deep dropping.
Best Fishing Reel For Yellow Eye Snapper
When it comes to electric reels, you typically get what you pay for. With that said I know, it is not in everyone’s budget to buy a $2,000 plus reel, so here are my recommendations within different price points.
Pro: Shimano Tiagra 80 Hooker Electric Reel with Autostop
Intermediate: Lindgren Pitman SV-1200 Electric Fishing Reel
Novice: Banax Kaigen 1000 Electric Fishing Reel
Best Line To Use For Yellow Eye Snapper
When fishing for Yellow Eye Snapper, an 80lb to 100lb braid is ideal. I recommend using Seaguars Threadlock 16 strand hollow-core fishing line. This line is extremely abrasion resistant, which is essential for deep dropping.
What size Leader To Use For Yellow Eye Snapper
When fishing for Yellow Eye Snapper, you will want to use a chicken rig that is outfitted with two different-sized leaders. The main leader should be roughly 300lb, and the branch leaders should be roughly 150lbs.
What Size Hooks For Yellow Eye Snapper
The best hook size for targeting Yellow Eye Snapper is a 10/0 circle hook.
Best Deep Drop Light
Not all deep drop lights are created equal. We have tried over a dozen lights over the years, and the only light that has consistently lasted for us is the Catch-All- UV Deep Drop light.
We experimented with deep dropping with and without a light for an entire weekend and came to the conclusion that Chicken Rigs outfitted with a deep drop light increased over all bites by 57%
Independent research by FishInvestigator.com
Choosing Best Sinker Size For Deep Dropping
When deep dropping, I recommend using 4 to 10 ounces of sinker per 100′ of depth depending on marine conditions. So, for example, if you are fishing in 500 feet of water, you will want a sinker between 20 and 50 ounces. If you are fishing a calm day with minimal current, a 20-ounce sinker should do the trick, whereas, on days with strong currents, you will need roughly 50 ounces to hold the bottom.
Let’s take a deeper look at how to catch Yellow Eye Snapper by learning more about the species as a whole.
What are Yellow Eye Snapper?
Luthanis Vivanus, commonly referred to as Yellow Eye Snapper, West Indian Sanppe, Yellow-Eyed Red Snapper, or Silky, is a bottom-dwelling fish in the Snapper family. Yellow Eye Snapper are found in tropical and subtropical waters, where they congregate heaviest on deep rocky ledges.
Yellow Eye Snapper are oval in shape with a pointed snout. Yellow Eye Snapper are pinkish-red in color with vibrant yellow eyes.
Is Yellow Eye Snapper Good To Eat?
Yellow Eye Snapper is excellent to eat. Yellow Eye Snapper has flaky white meat that is sweet yet mild in flavor. Many anglers swear that Yellow Eye Snapper is the best-tasting fish in the ocean.
Is Yellow Eye Snapper The Same as Red Snapper?
Yellow Eye Snapper are often referred to as Red Snapper, but they are different species of Snapper. Yellow Eye Snapper are scientifically referred to as Lutjanus Vivanus, whereas Red Snapper is Lutjanus Campechanus.
Yellow Eye Snapper Size & bag limit
| State | Minimum Size | Bag Limit |
| Florida | 12” | 10 |
| Georgia | None | 10 |
| South Carolina | None | 10 |
| North Carolina | None | 10 |
| Texas | 16” | 2 |