Advice on what ground to look for when anchoring for inshore snapper
Hey all,
So after a good year of trying to find a big inshore snapper it still hasnt happend just after some help from the guys that are getting them inshore. To be honest im beggining to think i may be anchoring on the wrong ground. I have no problems finding ground for inshore sambo's or dhuies. Is it the same sort of ground where the snapper will be? (mostly reef/weed) or should i be anchoring close to the reef instead of ontop of it. Ive tried anchoring in 6-10m and 15-18m to vary it and both times we have caught our 2 just legals it was on the 18m ground. I normally anchor up and burley up with mulie cubes and a burley bucket over the side with half mulies and some chook pellets. So am i doing something wrong or am i just not having any luck?? As for rigs normally use a really tiny ball sinker if not any on a snelled mulie. My partner uses a paternoster with whole mulie or squid heads. Im finding skippy in plague proportions in the shallow 6-10m so seems our burley trail is keeping them around and as they are fun they can get annoying after a while.
Thanks for any advice
Forever learning with fishing
squidvicious1
Posts: 824
Date Joined: 22/07/10
launch at 4am ,get them on
launch at 4am ,get them on the way out to sea.......
Just1morecast
Posts: 917
Date Joined: 04/12/09
ahh maybe that's it, ive
ahh maybe that's it, ive tried sunrise, sunset and through til 9pm just never before sunrise. Tomorrow morning il give that a go
Forever learning with fishing
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
dunno about you, but on
dunno about you, but on top of the reef , i got pestered by shit fish
wrasse and ray country
have you tried fishing plastics in your burley trail???
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
Just1morecast
Posts: 917
Date Joined: 04/12/09
Hey Graham, yeah i try soft
Hey Graham, yeah i try soft placcys and jigs everytime i go out. Do well on the blackass,harlys and dhus but no pink still. Must just be my timing maybe they have moved out by the time i get there.
Forever learning with fishing
brenz
Posts: 2182
Date Joined: 15/06/06
mate you are on the money
mate you are on the money with your techniques regarding snell ,berley and baits. my spots are in 6 m and i anchor right on top of the lump and the results speak for them selves. not all shallow lumps hold fish . if you are finding inshore dhuies and sambos your in the right area its now a matter of persistance. try fishing the new moon not the full as i have found the full turns the snapper off and the dhuies on although i cant say i have encountered sambos after dark. morning or night not much difference to be honest and as someone has suggested maybe try some placcys (gulp 7 inch in nuc chicken has been a stand out ). as much as a stupid question as it is are there fish showing on the sounder? if so try a few different things like if your cubing mullies in the burley trail send a cube down unweighted on a 2/0 and see if that gets snaffled as sometimes i have found them only to respond to smaller baits.
hope this helps mate
brenz
shabba
Posts: 484
Date Joined: 26/02/08
When I've been out
When I've been out targetting snapper with Ryan-oceanside tackle he seems toi find them but dedicated. He looks for fish on his sounder around ground. Reefy and coral stuf in da 5-15m stuf. He says berley is fine but if no fish are there then berley isnt going to help get a pink school around. Pickin his brain he said he likes sunup and down and high tide with both moons hope u do alrite.
silly
Posts: 382
Date Joined: 02/01/09
I've found inshore snapps
I've found inshore snapps come in around sunset to settle for the night and head out deep a couple of hours after sun up. Usually find them over the gravel/rubble bottom. They get spooked fairly easily so keep noise to a minimum and avoid losing fish (if ya can). Your on the right track... I'm struggling to find decent inshore dhuies lately maybe we should swap spots haha
sunshine
Posts: 2627
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Dont anchor ON the reef
Try and hang back towards the reef so that your baits (preferably unweighted or very lightly weighted) drift down immediately adjacent to the edges of the reef.
I anchor and let rope out until over edge of the reef using the sounder and then shorten the rope to ensure the baits present exactly where I want them
And turn the sounder off when positioned - I am still not certain it makes any difference but seem to do better when it is off but that may be just a perception