RED SNAPPER (lutjanus bohar)

In Rodrigues one may find the two-spot red snapper, also called «vara vara.

Young ones and some adults have two whitish spots close to their dorsal fin.

Most adults loose these both spots and get magnificent colours that range from pinkish orange to bright red.

It can reach 1m long and weight 14,5kg: SEE WORLD RECORDS.

Young tend to concentrate in rocky shelters.
As adults, they are found about reefs, rocky bottoms and coral reefs at 180m depth. They like holes in which they can hide, haunting for preys.
Biggest adults may become lonely. They evolve at bottom as well as on surface. They dare mixing up with sharks while chasing along reefs.
They mostly live at night but do not hide during the day. They can form big schools by the reef.
Growing up slowly, two-spot red snapper reaches sexual maturity around 8 or 9 years old and could live until 55 or 56 years old.

Two-spot red snapper is a highly active carnivore! It mainly feeds with small fish but will not miss the opportunity of shells, shellfish or cephalopods (squids, octopus, calamari, etc…).

This fish is categorized as toxic in Rodrigues and is forbidden to commercialization (it gives rise to itches or ciguatera).

Since it is toxic, it is systematically released. Therefore, we have a two-spot red snappers’ stock that our customers can catch again and again, bigger!

Like Serguei Bubka who broke his pole vault world records centimetre by centimetre, Rod Fishing Club breaks his two-spot red snapper records 500gr by 500gr:

• On 24 December 2007, Jean Jacques OHAYON (Israel) became the world record man with a fish of 13,5kg caught baiting.
• On 11 December 2009, Bruno TUBAND (Gabon) catches a 14kg two-spot red snapper while baiting.
• On 25 November 2012, Anne Laure BRUNEAU (France) beats everybody and gets the new world record with a 14,5 kg two spot red snapper, still caught baiting.

There is a double interest to fish two-spot red snapper: its defence and its colours.

• Jigging on reefs provides nice surprises, especially with big pieces.
• Baiting with a piece of fish remains the most efficient; either Deep dropping rigs (bottom fishing = classical with many hooks), or only one hook (circle hook) assembled with a long leader (2m).

On light tackle (jigging rod for example), fight is delightful because you may withstand its numerous head impulses after a first powerful rush.

Will you be the 4^th to break the two-spot red snapper world record held by Rod Fishing Club?