Sitting out the remnants of Cyclone Olga as they drift south over South East Queensland I contemplate the three months of constant wind we have had to put up with. Those in the southern states have been no different. Son Damien lobbed here from Adelaide leaving a wind-swept Gulf St Vincent for three weeks of absolutely piscatorial mayhem only to be greeted with day after day of strong wind warning. In fact we managed just one half of a day fishing in Moreton Bay in that time and spent the rest hiding up creeks with the crab pots.
To cover the hiatus let’s take a look at arguably the most popular boat fishing species in this country. Mulloway come in a close second and then there is the other not so sought after icon in the kingfish. But snapper takes the prize and is eagerly sought north to just above Brisbane in the East and Exmouth in the West. I have heard of a few getting caught as far north as Broome. They are a long way from home there!
Our southern coastline is dotted with a multitude of snapper habitats and while some are in big boat territory, many may be accessed by small craft and on foot.
Like many other species of fish, snapper shun bright light so on many occasions, the best fishing periods are at dusk, throughout the night and the low light periods of the morning.

Also, if the water is dirty, the fish will tend to stay in shallow water later in the day. Dirty water is usually the result of rough weather such as storm activity and heavy seas pounding close inshore reefs and shorelines produces Mother Nature’s burley trail. That is, stones and other debris rolling through the shallows in rough seas breaks shellfish, kills crabs and other forms of marine life and snapper will move in for the scraps. I have found one of the most productive snapper catching times is the next rising tide after the most severe of storms.

 Whyalla snapper during low light

The eyes have it!   

On these occasions I have seen large fish grazing at the water’s edge, so shallow their dorsal fins protrude through the surface!
Grain loading facilities over water are also a good haunt for schools of snapper who gorge themselves on the crumbs that fall off conveyor belts.
So, what do they like for dinner? Squid and cuttlefish have long been the favourite baits and are generally available in service stations and big stores. Seafood shops often have human consumption quality squid and cuttlefish at a cheaper price than tackle shops and it is usually fresher.
If buying large squid, carefully remove the head and tentacles with the gut intact by sliding the fingers into the tube and prying it away from the inside. Trim the long arms off the head and if left with too large bait, cut half the head section off to make a second bait.
Mullet are also good bait and a slab off the side whole is ideal. Take off both sides and break up the frame and distribute it sparingly as burley. Chunks of garfish are also prime snapper tucker.
A relatively small snapper can scoff down surprisingly large baits so I like to make them big and sloppy but tend to keep the hooks small and definitely not bigger than an 8/0. My preference is 6/0 Mustad Big Reds which are an economical hook to use and I gang them together on a metre of 40 to 50lb trace. Don’t worry about wire as a snapper has blunt teeth and won’t cut through mono very easily.
Baits should be able to sway around in the wave action so use the smallest running bean sinker permissible in the tidal conditions so that the bait gently sinks to the bottom. Have the sinker on the main line which is then tied to a swivel that holds the hook trace. Rods should be flexible enough to be able to cast to any drop offs ledges and the like from a shore position and 6 to 10kg line is fine. Reels are a personal choice but whatever you choose, it should have a smooth drag when under pressure.

When a fish picks up the bait, allow it to run for a metre before coming up tight and setting the hook.
Burley plays a big part in snapper fishing from boats and shore. A convenient burley to carry with you on road trips is plain old chook feed pellets. They may be purchased at any fodder store and put into big containers and wont stink your car or van out if it breaks open.

A triple hook up on a passing school of snapper

A cheap burley bucket is all that is required and you can make one yourself by punching holes in a plastic drink container, filling it with pellets and tying it off with cord. Let it dangle over the side of the jetty or boat and you will be surprised by the various visitors it brings. Everyone should have a crack at a big snapper sometime in their life!

A South Australian bag limit of big reds

10.4kg of old man snapper from Whyalla

Well we live in a world of constant change and those that are besetting the marine industry at the moment make me less than comfortable. Increasing exclusion of anglers from prime fishing areas are putting real pressure on other areas and the boating and fishing industry in general. We have just had a small win over the Federal Governments ban on mako and porbeagle shark fishing but believe me when I say it was a handful of people only that kicked up enough of a stink that the Department of Environment, Water and Heritage Minister Peter Garrett, had to back down. And why did he? Well it is an election year and believe me again, that is the only reason! As soon as the Australian people put them back in power at the next polls, we will cop another round of bans and exclusions, all in the name of Labor fulfilling promises to the Greens for their donation of the preferential vote. Sad isn’t it?
So, I have places to go and see before they are shut down. Cape York is one of them and the Green extremists have an application with Garrett’s DEWAH to declare Cape York a blanket World Heritage Listed Area. That will in affect kill stone dead most of the 4WD tourism industry all the way to the Cape.
To facilitate this travel I am building the off road camp trailer from hell!
This is going to be one serious piece of gear that will be home to Anne and me whilst I traipse around the country, fishing, shooting, sight-seeing and filming.
The axle’s arrived this week having been specially built by ALKO and from there it begins.
Next month you will see it progress so stay in touch.