No matter what species of fish you’re targeting, matching up your rod, reel and line not only helps you get more bites, it’ll help you land more fish.
That’s certainly true for red snapper, and Capt. Chris Moran is picky about the equipment he uses.
Moran outfits himself and his clients with 7-foot Shimano Tallus rods.
“It has a light tip; it’s not a broomstick,” he said. “It makes it fun.”
The veteran guide prefers Shimano Talica 25 reels.
“They’re small and compact,” he said. “They hold a lot of line, too.”
Spooled on his reels is 130-pound braided line. He uses a 100-pound monofilament leader, and says fluorocarbon is reserved for other species of fish.
“For red snapper, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “For mangroves, I think fluorocarbon is very important. They get smarter every year.”
