Just what the title says. Just out of curiosity what's y'all's favorite live bait for BIG snapper? In my mind I'd say you couldn't ever beat a live cigar minnow, but can't deny the fact that most of my big snapper have come on 10-12" white trout.

Depends on whether or not I can see them to know which ones to let eat the bait. A live eel or jumbo shrimp usually won't be turned down. Live baits that will head for the bottom when fished freeline work better than those that don't (like mullet).

Pin fish

Cigar minnow.

It is mighty fun to freeline a ruby or porgy when the fish are up in the column.

Cannot beat a live cigar minnow.

Pinfish,Grunts,Cigar Minnow,Ruby Redlips,Greenbacks,hardtails,Squirrelfish,small crab, etc.

The biggest one I can get of whatever’s around. Usually catch pinfish, rubys and grunts on squid and keep the XLs.

Ruby Redlips.

X2

Big green back or small hard tail is my top choices

I don't go deep sea fishing often but I went with a guy last summer that put some traps out the day before. Morning of fishing pulled the traps up full of pinfish, wore the snapper out

Big sardine or cigar minnow.
Only problem is they are so soft/fragile that you only get one chance on the bite.
A croaker or pin fish will give you a better chance and might get you a grouper instead 😉

Pin fish. Catch a boat full before you head south and you can wear them out. I have caught big grouper on the trysler grounds years ago on white trout. They are pretty tough too.

Pin fish

Pin Fish and Hard tails.

Cigar minnow for snapper, use pin fish and hard tails for grouper

Heading out of Destin Sunday and definitely taking the bait bucket and going to catch a few pin fish at the dock before the boat leaves.

Depending on what time you head out the bait man should be stocked up on cigar minnows

Only Gatorbait can give the correct answer, bet he’s seen more thirty pound snapper than anyone one on here. My choice for live, is a one pound hardtail. As for dead, a couple pound Bonita fillet rolled skin up then stitched together with floss and a 16/0 circle hook tied to the wax line. Little fish will knock the crat out of it till the big ones had enough.