Species – Snapper  

After two Grand Finals, the AFL season is finally over which means it’s time to hook up the boat and have a crack at the Port Phillip Bay snapper. Somewhat ironically, the Victorian snapper season coincides with the end of the AFL season meaning the boat ramps are set to be packed from now up until Christmas. Research suggests that snapper enter Port Phillip Bay to spawn in the warmer months from late September through the Christmas period and into January. Snapper are one of the most popular target species amongst Australian anglers as they’re accessible to most, are great fighters and a great table fish as well. Reds can be equally responsive to bait and lures such as soft plastics which make them a highly sought after sport fish on light to medium spin gear. Smaller snapper (also known as squire or pinkies) around the 1.5-3kg size tend to school up and represent a great target for anglers seeking a feed however those after a trophy fish will need to work a little harder searching isolated ground and bait schools. Any snapper over the 8kg mark is a great fish but when you consider these fish grow to well in excess of 10kg, find and landing a trophy red is a tough proposition but rewarding all the same. Snapper are a grazing bottom feeder. They’ll tend to seek coverage in deep water during the day but move to areas where food is in abundance during low light periods. Reds will often inhabit the shallow reefs at night feeding on injured baitfish and squid.

THE OUTFIT

Choosing the right set up for chasing snapper depends on the technique you want to employ to target these fish. If you plan to use a selection of fresh baits such as squid, whiting, pilchards and flesh, your set up will be very different to those targeting snapper on soft plastics. For bait anglers, select a rod with a reasonably soft tip but with a bit of grunt as well. Typically, a 10-15kg outfit is perfect. Spin and overhead reels are equally effective and bait runners work particularly well as they allow the fish to mouth the bait without feeling any drag tension. Braid and monofilament line are equally effective depending on who you speak to so work out which one works for you and stick to it. If you’re using soft plastics, use a quality 6-10kg spin rod with a 4000 or 6000 size spin reel spooled with anything between 15lb and 50lb braid. Braid is a must as it doesn’t stretch which means you can remain in direct contact with your lure at all times. Tie a rod length of fluorocarbon leader at the end of your braid to help disguise your lure as fluorocarbon line is near invisible in water. Your jig head weight depends on a number of factors including current, water depth and where the fish are feeding. Hook size depends on the size of fish you’re after but you can’t really go wrong with a 6/O or 7/O.

THE TECHNIQUE

Float Lining or Free Spooling

Although a bottom feeder, snapper will often school up off the bottom and feed in varying depths of the water column. It’s important to present your bait naturally, in the area that the fish are feeding and the way to do this is by choosing the right sinker weight. Fishing as light as possible will allow your bait to waft naturally through the water column and hopefully into the mouth of a hungry red. Ensure your sinker is heavy enough to eventually get to the bottom but light enough to look natural in the water column. To increase your chances of nailing a good snapper, create a burley trail and ensure your baits are sent down in the middle of it. Feed your bait down slowing by keeping the reel in free spool or bait runner mode so that the feeding fish feels no drag tension when mouthing the bait. A snapper is more likely to engulf a bait under no drag pressure. Carefully feel for bites and when your line begins to peel off hard, click the drag into gear and set the hook. When float lining or free spooling, use a swivel to connect your mainline to your leader material and simply rig a running ball sinker directly on top of a set of gang, snelled or single hook.

If you’re using your sounder to find structure and fish in deeper water, a paternoster rig can also be a great way to target snapper. However when the reds are in a frenzy, free spooling is a lot of fun and a great way to target these fish.

Using Soft Plastics

Over the past few years, soft plastics have exploded onto the snapper fishing scene. This technique is gaining rapid momentum and is proving more and more effective. When fishing plastics, use a similar mindset to when you’re free spooling. Tie a rod length of 20lb – 50lb fluorocarbon leader to your braid and tie a jig head directly to your fluorocarbon. Use a jig head weight heavy enough to reach the bottom, but light enough to waft naturally through the water column. Depending on water depth and current, anything from a 1/8oz to a 2oz may be effective. Five and seven inch plastics are most effective, especially those with the profile of a small baitfish. Any colour can be affective on a particular day but pink, blue, green and red plastics tend to be the most consistent performers. Allow your plastic to drift through the water column and give your rod a few violent jigs every thirty seconds or so. Often a snapper will hit it on the drop rather than when you’re putting action on the lure. There is no set rule for how you work your plastic, just keep it moving and you’ll be in the game.

If you’re keen to land a Port Phillip Bay snapper this season, then now’s the time so get into your local BCF store, stock up, and get out there and get into a red this Spring!