7.4kg Snapper from the shallows off Cape Moreton

[The BeaR]

Started off with air temperatures cooling and the surface water temperature dropping to 23 degrees at the moment, which is 3 degrees cooler than a month ago, and with Wednesday’s forecast being for light winds and low swell, we decided to get all the gear ready for a day on the water Snapper fishing.
We do most of our fishing around the shallow reefs off Cape Moreton, and today was no exception.

During the warmer months, the big fish tend to move into deeper water, so with the water temperatures dropping we were hopeful that the big fish had moved back into the shallows, and we weren’t disappointed.

With a few smaller squire already in the boat, we were just traveling around in search of better quality fish when we came across a good showing on the sounder just off the front edge of a rise in the reef.
Positioning the boat to get a drift across the mark, I dropped the lure to the bottom and wound it a couple of turns back, as the bigger fish tend to be well off the bottom, and it was the bigger ones that I wanted.

I started to work my lure with a technique that I always use with my Egrell S10. Because of the light tip, all I do is tap the top of my rod with my finger (just like ashing a cigarette), and every now and then lifting the rod upwards and allowing it to fall as I continue tapping.
After a couple of lifts of the rod, I was about to wind in and drop again when BANG, the rod loaded up and the reel started to scream. Giving the trademark headshake, I knew I was onto my first real Snapper on Soft-Plastics.
This fish was 5kg of one of my favourite eating fish in the ocean.

After the usual photos, we started the boat up, and repositioned on the same drift line. No sooner had the fish started to show on the sounder and BANG, it was on again. In the boat, this one went 7.4kg, which now became my PB. It was definitely my day today.

All the fish were caught on 5” Gambler Bleeding crystal shad rigged on 1/2oz jighead, in 20mtrs of water, using the Egrell S10.

As the water temperature continues to cool, these bigger fish will become a more consistent capture in the shallows.



Eric&Deb

[Is Don Is GOOD]

Good stuff! How big is your boat?

Donnan

[juju]

NICE fish......would kill to catch one like that...

[seapup]

nice Snapper there well done!

[Deiter]

Nice couple of fish there. Looking forward to the brutes coming in shallow. For some reason they just seem to fight that much harder in the shallower water.

Damo

[BLOOEY]

Bloody nice knobby there,This year is my first targeting the snaps on the shallow reefs on plastics.If i score one half that size i'll be a happy man.Ben

[snapperbug]

I want one of those ones!!!! nice fish.

[Horse]

Great looking fish. You certainly know how to test your rods

Cheers

Neil

[Tassie JR]

great fish, great weather good on ya mate

cheers Tassie JR

[Pistol_P]

Great fish....even better being on plastic...well done.

Pete

[jtpython]

Some great fish, Hope we can get some up this way this winter

[3rd degree]

There some crackers alright! Nice one

Cheers

Jim

[BLOOEY]

Easy there snapperbug i can hear you slobbering from here.

[The BeaR]

It is certainly looking like the start of a good season.
We go out in a Quintres 475 topender, so it is accessible to most. Had a fella out there in smaller boat, so as long as you pick the day, we usually go out as long as it is under 15kn.

[ffejsmada]

Top fish there! Well done.
Cheers, Jeff.