Jigging off the the jetski over the subtropical reef structures in Mozambique, you never know what is going to take your hook. Sometimes it's these small little reef fish that should not even be looking at your lure but go for fish not much smaller then themselves and other times it's something Huge!
When you see the color of your braid peeling off your reel while the ratchet is screaming you get so excited. It was the same feeling I had when I caught this beautiful Bohar Snapper. What a fight!
These are sport fish and some of the strongest reef fish in the world, bested in terms of power only by the Giant Travelly.
Might i add i have never managed to land a very big one due to their absolute power.
The Bohar snapper/Latjantnus bohar has a rounded muscular body, strong Jaws that are canine like. They use these sharp teeth to snap at its prey violently. They love chasing their food and will even come to the surface to grab a popper.
These fish are not very picky eaters and enjoy to munch on crabs, praws, squid and bait fish.
These fish are a darker color during the day and change to a lighter color at night.
During winter these snappers prefer deeper water and structures but move back inshore after the bait fish during the warmer months.
When we caught the Bohar it had a very destinctive smell, not a nice smell at all and I would not recommend eating this fish. I have read up on why they have a smell and some articles indicate that it could be ciguatoxins that build up in the their bodies through the food chain and can cause food poisoning.
As a sports Angler it's a fantastic fish to land and it will be a fight to remember. Catch and release is a good option as this species can live up 20 years and should be left to fight another day
Image sources:
1 Neo
2 cast and spear. Com /saspotato
3 Wikipedia
4 fish the sea
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