Hot bite Friday night.
Went out late Friday arvo off ocean reef for my second crack at catching a snapper. Read up on all of the tips and studied the charts for a likely spot. Anchored in about 8m of water just shy of the 3 mile in a clear patch surrounded by some good looking reef. Let a couple of unweighted snelled 5/0's with 30lb leader out the back and started to burly hard with chook pellets and chopped up mulies. Was quiet to start with so decided to drop a whiting rig down for a bit or fun. Caught a couple of skippy before one of the rods went off....disappointingly a wrasse. About 10 minutes later had my first decent run and landed a 55 cm snapper. Was stoked! In the following half hour then caught 6 x 70cm snook which was fun to start with, then pissed me off as they kept destroying my rigs and getting in the way of the snapper I was after. On sunset the snook went quiet and then I was smashed for the next half hour by some good fish, with both rods going off at the same time. Unfortunately they kept biting through the leader between the two hooks and after losing about 10 rigs I decided to pack it in. Home by 730pm with my first snapper and a half a dozen big snook for cray bait ...and gave a few to the old folks to try. Have since upgraded my leader to 80lb cause I think it cost me some quality fish. Anyway live and learn and had a ball in the process! Westy.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Thanks westy
good story and a good picture of a nice eating size pinkie
davewillo
Posts: 2389
Date Joined: 08/09/16
Well done. Looks like you've
Well done. Looks like you've got them dialled in!
PGFC member and lure tragic
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
Nice
Nicely coloured fish their Westy.
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
still trying
Posts: 1047
Date Joined: 27/06/17
Well done I have been out in
Well done I have been out in daylight hours last few weeks trying to get into them too but so far only a black ass a flathead and a stingray. I did loose one fish to braid that was chaffed I'm calling that for a snapper.
rather be fishing
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18017
Date Joined: 11/03/08
Sounds like you had a great
Sounds like you had a great session. We had similar issues a while back and ended up going heavier line with the hooks. .
You got the one to keep you interested
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
beachsoul
Posts: 215
Date Joined: 14/06/12
Snook
Snook are too good for cray bait
timboon
Posts: 2951
Date Joined: 14/11/10
Gday there Westy, I knock
Gday there Westy,
I knock over a few Pink each year but am no means an expert...
Couple of things I've learnt that might help you out, firstly up the breaking strain on your leader to 60lb, I zoomed in on your rig and I do like snelled hooked for pinks but I would get rid of that lumo bead between the hooks ( slide it on top of the top hook if you really want it but I dont use )....
Next I would be running a tiny ball sinker on your leader as Snapper dont like weight so i'd be getting rid of that sinker your running and trying to almost fish unweighted...
If you are not chasing pink but after a Dhu or whatever an easy way to tie those sinkers on is to just simply do a loop on your sinker leader line and put through the eye of sinker and back through if you get my drift... Fishing is expensive, minimise where you can....
Sounds like you had a fun evening anyway but a few pointers there might help you a bit...
Cheers Boon
Westy74
Posts: 225
Date Joined: 23/11/13
Thanks Boon. The hooks are
Thanks Boon. The hooks are twisted in the photo so the lumo bead is actually sitting on the top hook but thanks for the tip...I will remove it. That sinker in the photo is actually from another rig. I was catching skippy for a bit of fun and not using any weight in the snelled rig. Had another crack at it last night and caught 4 pinks but only one size. Apart from the three stingray hookups it was a good night....I upgraded to 80lb Fluro and at least I didn't get bitten off this time! Thanks again for the tips.
piscetor
Posts: 181
Date Joined: 13/05/16
Snapper
The snapper have been running hot down Rockingham way. I've managed to get some good one every time , usually late afternoon. A few years ago off the back of the FF i was getting busted off all the time at this one spot north of Coventry reef . Went out the next time and took a eighty pound hand line. i was blown away when i started pulling in snapper going 35 lb or more aboslutly horses every one, They were there for three days then just disappeared , i've never managed to hook any that big again. it was in May, i try every year about the same time, but no luck.
Filletmaster