When fishing for mangrove snapper…

[cotton]

what is your worst bait stealer/unwanted "by catch" fish that you have to contend with? What is your strategy for coping with them? We have bluefish, pinfish, undersized triggerfish, blue runners, remoras (big time), ladyfish, pigfish..and probably some I left out. Mostly, I avoid using cut bait, use pinfish (but the remoras and blues still hit them), avoid bottom fishing and site fish whenever possible. I was just curious if you all had the same issues where you're from?

[Poseidon10/31]

nurse sharks. I have a tarpon spot where ive caught mangroves to 22" as bycatch. Hate when those things eat my my tarpon baits.

[cvstrat]

Probably baby yellowtails or baby mangroves or grunts. Generally upsize the bait when I start getting picked off just to keep it in the zone long enough for a bigger one to come through.

[fishnfool73]

I second nurse sharks.

[krash]

Cuda's.. I fish inshore flats of S. Biscayne Bay and no matter what you cast a very high percentage of hits are small Cudas destroying you bait and leader.

I'm very selective of what I cast at, sight casting, and 90% of the other time use top-water and have learned to work it so that most cuda strikes are short strikes. You can usually see them coming by the v-disturbance in the water, move your baits faster and they will strike, stop it and they turn off.

[PhishingPhanatic]

Nurse sharks and eels.

Bonnetheads are a pain in the ass too, they love to eat your mutton baits in the Keys.

[Rare]

Depends on season. Now, since the weather is getting cooler, blues & ladyfish in the bay

[cotton]

We also currently have a shark problem, but it's the blacktips and bull sharks eating the kings and spanish that are being caught. We can't fish for sharks on the pier because of a local and state ordinance against fishing for sharks on state property, even though it's legal to fish for them from a boat and other places…