PLEASE help me catch a nice snapper

[JaysonGlover]

Hey guys

I would like any info possible on catching a nice snapper. Bait depth dances. I can only get a couple of k's offshore since boat is only 4.2m and 1.0m deep. Have a depth sounder.

As for a couple of k's offshore yes i am a pansy

[brute898]

Hi, I am not an expert but I will try and help, for starters you dont have to go km's out to catch good fish. I caught my first snaper last christmas and was only in 11 metres of water and about 800m from shore. I would sound around for abit and see what you can find. Second have the correct outfit for the fish you are trying to catch. Set up a nice berley trial by cubeing and keep it consistant, you will get alot of little pickers but be patient. Have good fresh bait squid or iqf pilchards or redrockets etc. Then set the baits and wait. I would try and fish 2 hours either side of the change of tide and finally be patient and keep trying.
Goodluck I hope I have sort of helped you

[JaysonGlover]

Thats does help thanks

Can i get a little more info please

Bait that works good and what is cubeing sorry?

thanks

[revs57]

G'day Jason,

cubing is the practice of cutting a pillie up into 25 mm long sections or cubing it.

Matey, where are you? If Brisbane there are some spots not green zoned where you can get squirey snapper quite regularly like arond Mud Island or off Woody Head/Scarby reef areas.

If Sunny coast you'll have to go a little further, but not too far, on a good day Murphy's is quite reachabe

You'll find soft plastics will work as good if not better than bait, 5" jerk shads in nuclear chicken and a selection of other colours are always popular with them

cheers

Rhys

[thelump]

I think ol mate is down at Steak and Kidney. Bit of a hike to Mud from Cronulla

[Noelm]

I see he is from Sydney way, in that case the chances of getting a good Snaper in close to shore is quite good, providing you do not fish close to all the popular tourists destinations, a lot of very big Snapper down our way are caught close to the rocks, and indeed a lot of good ones are taken by land based anglers, so this is what you will need to do to get yourself started, use your sounder to try to find a drop off from rock onto sand, in about 20 metres of water, pretty easy around this neck of the woods, do not look for fish on the sounder, just the structure, anchor so your boat is close to the edge (with the wind blowing from the rock towards the sand) arm yourself with a middle of the range threadline and rod, that will suit about 8KG line, use as small a sinker as you can (or none at all) about a 4/0 hook and pilchards or striped tuna for bait, burley spareingly, do not mash a pile of burley through a burley pot, you will only attract a million rubbish fish, fish into the late afternoon, or very early morning, that will get you at least in with a chance.

[JaysonGlover]

thanks guys

Ok gonna look for a drop of from reef to sand about 50 feet or so. Try 2 rods 5" jerk shads in nuclear chicken and 2 rods pilchards. Burley but not to much and early in the morning. See how i go any other tips would be great, ill ty anything not like i catch much big stuff anyway.

[brute898]

It is also good to get on the water early morning about 2 hours before sunrise put the anchor out so it is quite for later and get the burley trial going. I h=think a good bite time is when the sun rises to. Just keep trying and it will happen

[mbt]

Try fishing with a long trace, say 3m, have a large bait and a single hook, if you use say mullet flesh it will tend to float about off the bottom, as a rule you dont have the dramas with the pickers then.