snapper
Snappers are coppery pink above, fading to silvery white on the belly, with luminous silver/blue flecks or spots on the upper half of the body. They have strong jaws and teeth, with sharp canines at the front and round molars at the back.
In Australia, some, usually men, may develop a large hump in the head and nose area. This is created when the snapper repeatedly hits its head when searching for food.
USE THE RIGHT BAIT
When fishing for snapper from land, the first thing you need is the right bait.
I consider whiting to be the best bait you can get for snapper, which I fish on [Black Magic] Sandy Snatcher® rigs.
However, other species such as sardine, squid and octopus will work well.
And remember: the fresher the bait, the better.
GEAR CONFIGURATION
There are many different ways to prepare for Snapper.
When fishing the beach or rocks, I prefer to use a paternoster rig. They keep the bait off the bottom away from the stingrays and with 2 hooks they give you double the chance of catching a snapper.
I use 60lb [Black Magic] fluorocarbon leader and 6/0 KLT® hooks on my paternoster rigs. But you can also use pre-tied rigs like [Black Magic] Snatcher® rigs, which are hand-assembled in New Zealand using Tough Trace.
The weight of your leader can vary depending on where you are fishing. If you’re fishing off rocks or off a cliff, you’ll need a heavy leader with good abrasion resistance, so it doesn’t break the first time it touches something sharp. But if you’re beach fishing in shallow water, you can use a lighter leader (about 15 pounds).
When beach fishing, I use a 9-foot Colt Sniper rod with a Vanford 5000 reel, spooled with 20-pound braid.
I would also recommend creating a burley trail as the snapper can’t resist. I use chopped sardines and a little used cooking oil.
PRO TIP
The size of your bait should be relative to the size of your hook and always make sure the barb of the hook is exposed.
WHERE TO FISH
The ideal place for land fishing is an area with a lot of current. This will drive baitfish and prey fish past the feeding snapper.
If you can find current with a trough, a flat coral bottom, a seagrass bed, or the edges of weed banks, your chances will increase dramatically. The snapper will look for food in these areas or stay on the edges waiting for the prey to come out of its cover.
Other factors to take into account are the tides. Different places fish better at different tides. Some locations, such as fishing on the flats, may require a high tide to attract prey to snapper.
While low tides can be vital elsewhere, allowing you to get closer to deeper channels to fish for snapper.
Other structure, such as large rocks in a strong current flow, can be a great place to fish, as it is a great place for snappers to ambush their prey.
Low tides are vital elsewhere, so the water is low enough that you can walk to deeper channels just off the beach and cast baits into them. Typically, those locations are not accessible or within casting distance during low tide.
I personally use a fluorocarbon leader when fishing for snapper as it creates a great barrier of protection between the sharp ground and the fish.
