The Victorian snapper season runs from late September to December, with the increase in water temperature driving the fish into Port Phillip Bay to spawn. Water temperatures from 17 to 19 degrees are key to snapper success! Although snapper arrive in droves, some days it can be a hard slog to find the fish, so follow these hot tips for your best to catch a big red.
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Look for large, clean arches on your sounder.
Many anglers make the mistake of anchoring up when they see a number of smaller arches, or a fuzzy mass. It’s important to be patient and anchor up once you see some well-defined arches on your screen. You can be sure that some hot snapper action won’t be far away if you can locate a few large, clean arches on your sounder.
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Anchor 40 – 70 metres upwind of the GPS mark
As with all types of fishing, the ability to place your boat on the right spot is critical. A great tip is to anchor upwind of the mark, meaning that once you reach your mark you will need to drive around 40 – 70 metres into the wind before dropping your anchor. This will allow the boat to drift back so that you’re positioned right in front of the fish!
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Burley up once you reach the mark with a combination of pellets and pilchards
A consistent stream of fish attracting material, otherwise known as burley, is essential to keeping the snapper around. Once you find the fish, throw out a few handfuls of pellets and chopped up fish pieces. The snapper will be around the boat in no time at all!
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Use a paternoster style rig
It pays to drop a ‘paternoster’ style rig next to the boat to increase your chances of catching a snapper. This rig will allow your bait to sit up off the bottom where the big snapper lie in waiting.
For more tips like these, watch the video above where Mitch gives up some in-depth information on topics including anchoring on the mark, using your sounder to find snapper, tying a paternoster rig, rigging a bait and more.
The following checklist includes all the gear you’ll need to catch a snapper this snapper season:
For the bait fisho
Rod and Reel:
- 4000 or 6000 sized spin reel
- Fibreglass spinning rod rated to 4–8kg or 6–10kg
Line:
- 15–25lb monofilament
- 20–30lb leader
Terminal Tackle:
- Rolling swivel (rated to over 20lb)
- Small ball sinker
- Snapper sinker
- Lumo beads
- 4/0 or 5/0 suicide or circle hooks
Bait:
- Squid, pilchard, silver whiting or fresh strip baits
For the lure fisho
Rod and Reel:
- 4000 or 6000 sized spin reel
- Graphite spinning rod rated to 3–6kg or 4–8kg
Line:
- 10–20lb braid
- 20–30lb leader
Lures:
- 4–7 Inch curly tail or minnow soft plastics)
- Jig heads of the appropriate weight depending on the depth
Gearing Up for Snapper Season:
Bait Fisho Set-up
4000 – 6000 sized spinning reel
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Medium-heavy fibreglass spinning rod
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15lb - 20lb monofilament line
Lure Fisho Set-up
4000 sized spinning reel
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Light-medium graphite spinning rod
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10lb - 20lb braided line