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I've been catching quite a lot of juvenile squire lately in and around various spots on the bay. Primarily, my bait has been small bottle squid and half pillies. Just curious if these schools of squire contain knobbies as well that either aren't interested in this bait or don't get to it in time (more often than not, I am getting double hook ups quite quickly of small squire - the vast majority of which get thrown back). Should I continue to fish these spots (often around 20m of water) with a different bait (bonito/mac tuna, etc) in the hope/expectation that I will finally claim my first big knobbie?
Even just a reference to a past post that I may have missed would be great.
I only fish the bay a few times a year, but over a few years of fishing around Macleay, Coochie & Peel Islands I have yet to find a spot where you don't get a lot of undersize squire for each keeper, and only the odd one of those is much more than just legal. Same goes for the Atkinson artificial the few times I have fished it.
There may be places in the bay where you can catch knobbies without throwing back lots of littlies, but in the southern bay it seems to be a numbers game. You get hundreds of bites, dozens of unders, a few keepers, and once in a blue moon, a good one.
The numbers of small ones always seem to be a sign of a strong heathy poulation, and promises good fishing next year or the one after that. Trouble is (like tomorrow), that day never comes.
Seems like they must all be caught soon after they reach legal size, or they move somewhere else as they gow bigger.
I know this does not really answer your question, but at least you're not alone. I know others who are in the same situation too. Maybe some of the bay knobbie experts out there can help both of us.
P.S. the nearby thread re snapper eating crabs is interesting, but first you have to catch your crabs, and I guess they would have to be fairly big ones, or the little squire will just scoff them too. However if you could get some that were not too big & not too small, they might resist the pickers long enough to attract a good one.
We have picked up a couple of bay island snapper this year, but cannot suggest a better bait than you are currently using as these have fallen to small whole squid.
I find that there are less of the smaller pickers around dark and the early evening. If you are fishing during the day then I do not think there is an escape from them anywhere.
I have found once you strike a school of small squire, the bigger blokes wont be around them, just my opionion.
Yes you will score the bigger ones anywhere in the bay, if you happens to be there when their passing or feeding in that area.
Some of the best snapper (big blokes) spots, where you have a greater chance of scoring are some of the areas around Mud, the Measured Mile across to Middle banks (neilsen), there are a few wrecks and islolated bommies through this area, the shipping channel drops offs off tanga also produces good snapper. .
Also the area from Sharks spit down to Crab island (north of Harries), look for coffee rock structure and bait schools.
The Rous and a certain times of the year Rainbow produce big snapper, which are mainly migratery ones heading in or back offshore.
I like to fish with baits common to the area your trying.
these are just my experiences and a lot will tell you different.
Yes you will catch the odd one during the day, but evening tides and high before sunrise are definetly two of the prime times.
I like to use divers and squid during the very cold months, or butterflied baits.
regards
Guys, thanks for the head's up (and Webby, thanks for the diagram - the extra effort is really appreciated). I'm heading out tomorrow morning to a few of the wrecks not too far from the measured mile and will just keep on trying. Hopefully, the swell has died down a bit. Will take all you have advised and keep on trying. When I do jag the big one, I'll post it with many thanks.
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