Ocyurus chrysurus
A clear-water reef snapper with a bright yellow streamer tail and a suspicious eye for heavy line; classic Florida Keys chum-slick fishing.
Anchor up-current, start a steady chum line, and feed tiny baits back naturally until yellowtails rise and compete.
Guide data is editorial and general — conditions, regulations, and fish behavior vary by water. Photo: Wikipedia — Yellowtail snapper.
Use these field marks and context clues to separate yellowtail snapper from similar fish before logging or keeping one.
Match a rig to Yellowtail Snapper with the Setup Builder, or browse all setups.
Classic chum-slick reef fishing.
Patch reefs in calm Keys conditions can be productive with compact chum and light tackle.
Clear warm reefs and patch reefs where current sweeps food across hard bottom.
Lane snapper have yellow side stripes and a dark shoulder spot; yellowtail have the long yellow midline and deeply forked yellow tail.
Size limits, bag limits, seasons, and gear rules change every year and differ by state (and often by individual water). Always verify with the official source before keeping fish.
