What is the best bait for snapper in Port Phillip Bay?
Fresh bait is always first choice and fresh squid, whiting, barracouta, garfish and salmon are favourites. If you want to target big snapper then use the fish heads. The humble pilchard still ranks as the most popular store-bought snapper bait.
Where are snapper biting in Port Phillip Bay?
The area around Mordialloc has the reputation as the premium Snapper location on Port Phillip Bay and Bluey’s is the only boat hire operation that provides access to the waters around the Famous Five reef systems. Just 5-15 minutes by boat and you are right in the middle of the action!
What tide is best for snapper?
Key bite periods for snapper will often coincide with the two hours before and after high and low tide however it’s worth fishing the entire cycle to get a feel for what will work best for the snapper in your particular waterway.
What is the best bait to catch a snapper?
Snapper of all sizes, including huge 20 or even 30-pound fish are commonly caught on dead bait. Squid, pogies, and cigar minnows are always reliable and readily available.
What depth do snapper swim?
Snapper live mostly in waters ranging from 5 to 50 meters but are often seen in waters that are 200 meters deep.
What months can you catch snapper?
There is never a bad time to go fishing for Snappers in New South Wales waters. But the best fishing takes place when the waters are more settled, such as from September to November and March to May every year. So the Snapper Season in New South Wales can extend from September to May.
How do you fish for snapper?
We recommend cigar minnows and pilchards for shiny, eye-catching fish. Pilchards are basically larger sardines, so buy them specifically for bigger fish like red snappers. Drop these live baits deep down with a heavy-duty pole and you may be able to coax some heavy hitters out of holes and deep covered areas.
What size hooks for snapper?
Circle hooks are highly popular for reds, and they’re perfect candidates for them given how they scoff baits and will ‘eat and run’ basically settling the hook for you. Size 7/0 to 8/0 for larger reds and 4/0 to 6/0s for smaller fish is good starting point.
Where can I find snapper ground?
Snapper will often be seen on your sounder as arches sitting up off the bottom and throughout the lower half of the water column. When targeting Snapper on deeper reefs look for broken or rough ground, ledges or steep drop-offs. Once again watch your sounder for arches in the bottom third to a half of the water column.