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How to Catch Snapper Fishing Guide
The iconic Snapper is a species spread far and wide in our Australian waters, from Western Australia right around the southern part of the country and up into Queensland. They are targeted by many anglers, and for good reason - they look great, grow big and fight hard.
Often thought of as being a bottom-dwelling species that spends most of its time eating shellfish off the seafloor, Snapper are in fact very efficient and opportunistic predators that include a lot of bait fish and squid in their diet. That's why they're a prime target for anglers, and why we've compiled our top tips for how to catch Snapper and recommendations for the best Snapper fishing gear!
Quick Links
- What's The Best Time To Catch Snapper?
- Where's The Best Place To Catch Snapper In Australia?
- Float Lining For Snapper
- What Equipment Do You Need To Catch Snapper?
- Anchoring Up For Snapper
What's The Best Time To Catch Snapper?
In Queensland's warm waters, the Snapper season is primed in winter, whereas further south the transition into spring is the best time for Snapper. The season runs well into late summer, but depending on your location and the weather conditions you'll have the opportunity to snag a Snapper almost any time of year.
Where's The Best Place To Catch Snapper In Australia?
Snapper are an opportunistic feeder and will cover vast distances in their migration routes, so this makes them available in a wide range of locations. Large bays and estuaries, ocean coastlines, and both shallow and deep offshore reefs are some of the prime locations to find a hungry Snapper. While Snapper can be caught over sand and mud bottom they love structure, so if you find reef, rubble, bommies or wrecks, you'll find Snapper not too far away.
Inshore, however, there is a lot of fishing on offer - even if those icy sou' westers are pumping, there's usually a protected corner behind a headland that can be fished. And when those big, slow moving high-pressure systems start drifting across the continent, there can be dream weather windows for days on end. In saying that, a rip-roaring southerly can fire the Snapper up. Snapper are full of reckless disregard after a couple of days of big seas, and the first fishable day invariably sees some nice winter reds decked.
Anchoring and bait fishing in conjunction with a berley trail also expands the catch list dramatically. Snapper of all sizes are often accompanied by pearl perch, teraglin, tuskfish, jewfish and kings. Of course, berley stirs up less desirable species as well, but let's concentrate on the positives. Besides this, when the reds are in full flight, the less desirable fish struggle to get a look-in.
If you're in position before dawn, shallow water over reef complexes just off the beach is the place to be. As the sun rises, the bite usually tapers off, and deeper water is the next port of call. Overcast days can extend the inshore bite window though, with inexplicably red-hot bites despite the sun being directly overhead. But for the rest of the time, successful floater fishing usually takes place in water between 10 and 25 fathoms deep. Anything beyond that is probably stretching the friendship unless there's negligible current.
Float Lining For Snapper
Float lining is the process of casting a very lightly weighted bait down through a berley trail. Snapper are suckers for slow-sinking bait, which is what makes this technique so popular and effective.
Nationwide, the West Australian pilchard (or its local derivative) is the number one Snapper bait. When float lining for Snapper, long baits like pilchards and tuna strips are best presented on a fishing hook like a ganged hook rig, such as a pair of 3/0 and 4/0 Mustad hooks linked by a number 9 or 10 barrel swivel, but a standard double gang hook rig will also work. A three-hook gang might be necessary for long baits such as garfish and pike - two under-heralded but extremely worthwhile snapper baits that are also easy and fun to gather yourself.
Speaking of which, bait gathering is a fun and worthwhile exercise in itself.
Summer months see a cord line with a couple of pink squids positioned amongst the heavy tackle outfits while trolling for marlin. To avoid a short-lived hookup on a billfish - masters at finding the wrong lure on the wrong gear - the crash line is kept on-board until working birds are sighted.
Muscling stripies to the boat on a length of VB cord is also good fun - the only downside being the skipper losing his mind with every skipjack that falls off at the side of the boat. As snapper bait, tuna strips are hard to beat. Mack tuna and frigate mackerel are also gun-cut baits.
Periodically while fishing floaters, a mysterious weight will come on the line, which is usually a squid tearing chunks out of that pilchard. A steady retrieve may see you slipping a net under tonight's entree, but most times they drop off in plain sight. This is when having a squid jig ready-rigged on a handline comes in handy.
For those who have better success in the cephalopod stakes (or even target them specifically), a whole or split in two squid head makes great bait for big Snapper. Threaded onto a single hook like a beach worm, the individual tentacles are largely picker-free too.
What Equipment Do You Need To Catch Snapper?
Catching Snapper requires having the right skills and the right gear, in equal measures. From rods and reels to hooks and bait, each piece of tackle plays a vital role. Let's look at the essential equipment you'll need to target Snapper effectively.
What are the best reels for snapper fishing?
Spinning reels and snapper fishing just go together. The only drawback with spinning reels is when fishing in a strong current - as the spool diameter drops, the line drags on the lip and doesn't peel off the spool as smoothly, so the bait can potentially hold up off the bottom.
For spinning reels, a 10 to 20kg braid line will suffice, with a couple of rod lengths of 10 kg monofilament leader at the business end. It's definitely good insurance to re-rig after each big fish, or if the leader material shows any sign of scuffing.
Just about every rod manufacturer on the planet has a versatile 7' spinning rod in their lineup, and depending on the line weight, they all get the job done.
Recommended Brands For Snapper Fishing Gear:
- The Shimano range of rods, reels and combos
- Rods, reels and combos from Daiwa
- Penn's range of rods, reels and combos
What Are The Best Lures For Snapper Fishing?
Soft Plastics For Snapper Fishing
Soft plastics in various forms are a really effective way to target Snapper as not only does it look like food and prey, but it also replicates the action of a baitfish as it sinks through the water column.
Soft plastic styles and patterns vary largely but there's always something suitable to the location you are fishing. One of the most popular styles is the jerk bait style, which is slim in profile and looks like an injured or wounded baitfish while sinking. When worked up with sharp flicks, it comes to life as an erratically moving baitfish. Sizes vary, typically ranging from 3-8" with the most popular being 5-7".
Recommended Soft Plastics For Snapper Fishing:
Another great plastic for Snapper is a grub or curl-style plastic. Unlike the jerk bait style, grubs put out a lot of vibration through their wriggling tails. While this lure is very effective at any level of the water column, it is a favourite of anglers when they hop it along the bottom to imitate bait such as worms and squid. The 4" and 5" models are very popular in this style.
When it comes to colours, it can vary from day to day and in different locations but Snapper seem to really love bright colours or tones that stand out, so pinks, greens and whites are a good starting point. Saying that, it always pays to mix it up a bit so if you're looking at getting a couple of packs, then it's worth getting one bright and one with a more natural pattern that matches a baitfish.
Here are a few options to get you on your way:
Jig Heads For Snapper Fishing
Just as there are lots of plastics on offer, there are also lots of jig heads to choose from, and getting the right one can be the difference between success and failure. When choosing your jighead, start by looking for a good strong hook - Snapper have hard powerful jaws that can bend hooks, so steer away from light gauge jig heads.
Then you'll need to match the hook to the size of the plastic you plan to use. Choosing a hook that's too small might mean you may miss hookups and if it's too large it will affect the action of the plastic.
When it comes to the jughead's weight, the aim is to get the lure to fall or swim through the water column in a natural manner rather than rocketing to the bottom - remember that Snapper spend a lot of time higher in the water column, so keeping your lure falling slower will catch more fish.
Ultimately, the water depth, tide and current will help you decide on what size weight you need, but remember, tides change as does water depth, so it's worth having a few options of jig heads in your tackle bag.
Metal Jigs For Snapper Fishing
Metal jigs are a great way to target Snapper, especially in deeper water or where fish are holding close to the bottom or tight on a structure. They come in many different forms but the patterns that seem to work best are the shorter and wider slow-pitch models that have a fluttering action when gently worked up and down. Similarly to jigheads, the weights of the metal jigs you choose will depend on the water depth, tide and current, so pay attention to where you'll be fishing and take a few options with you.
There's not much to the action with these jigs. Position the boat over the area you want to fish, and drop your jigs vertically down. As your jig finds the bottom, engage your reel and start your jigging in a nice slow rhythmic action. More often than not, you won't need to bring your jig all the way to the surface - just bring it up to the top third, drop it back down and start the process all over again.
Here are some great jig options to try:
What Is The Best Fishing Bait For Snapper?
It's certainly possible to catch winter snapper by fishing baits back down to the reef, but it's berley that brings them undone.
Cleaning the catch and recognising a piece of something you'd flicked off the bait board earlier in the day is immensely satisfying. Remarkably, what turns up in their guts is often not a juicy chunk of meat, but a piece of skin, head or backbone that nobody in their right mind would consider putting on a hook. Or would they?
Berley pellets make for an efficient process, but prawn shells stockpiled over summer and bits and pieces like old pilchards are also sufficient to keep the trail going all day if necessary.
While berley can liven up the reef, it can also get the rubbish on the move. This may not be altogether bad, especially if yellowtail and slimy mackerel are present. A small live yakka can produce some quality snapper, and the fillets of both bait species make excellent strip baits.
If the pickers are particularly savage, try a whole butterflied yellowtail, or a slimy or yakka head split down the middle. Hard baits like this will also produce a substantially better class of snapper, but there can be a long time between bites.
The key to success to float lining is to have that pilchard or strip bait wafting down as naturally as possible with the berley, until it's in the bottom third of the water column. You don't want the bait to plummet to the depths below and snagging up, or hold up too high, away from where the Snapper will be dining on the berley. The trick is to get the sinker weight right. Depending on the day and the location, you might go from no lead at all to the biggest ball sinker on the market. Sometimes an adjustment up or down by just one size is all that's needed to tap into a memorable bite.
And as always with berley, it's a little, often. We're not trying to lure tigers up off the bottom in 100 fathoms, so don't go too hard.
What Is The Best Rig For Snapper?
Aside from a float lining rod (or two), it's imperative to have a paternoster rig down as well. Some days, floating baits are completely ignored by the Snapper, especially early in the season. This outfit can be a spin reel or overhead, a handline sitting in a side pocket, or tied off on a springer if you're strictly old school.
With a Snapper sinker on the bottom and one or two droppers above it, this rig produces mostly smaller fish (with the occasional hump-headed surprise), but depending on the geographic location, pearl perch, tuskfish and teraglin come into the picture - and no one is ever sad about that.
Regarding the line, a 24 to 37 kg braid is a must for good bite detection, especially in deeper water, and droppers made from a 24 kg leader are usually sufficient.
The Black Magic KL hook in 5/0 is an excellent pattern for this approach. A semi-circle shape, they're great for set and forget fishing while you tend to the floaters and keep the berley going. A lumo bead on the dropper above the hook is a nice piece of added bling that may or may not make a difference. And instead of running a Snapper lead on the bottom, try a jigging lure for some tasty bonuses.
Anchoring Up For Snapper
Fish finders are an excellent way to establish if anyone's at home downstairs long before putting a line in the water. Even if you're not marking Snapper, any form of fish activity is better than nothing. There'll be reds around somewhere. Barren reefs are best avoided.
Ideally, choose a high peak of the reef and fish off the back with the current (assuming it's flowing north to south). A bit of prospecting on the drift prior to anchoring can tell you a lot, and the GPS will also show the direction and speed of the current, which can be important for planting that pick accurately.
Current against wind can ruin a session, as Snapper don't seem to like hanging around the anchor rope slapping and snapping taut, no matter how diligently you berley. It's also hard to manage lines, especially if there are a few people fishing. In these situations, it's best to relocate inshore, out of the current.
A reef anchor is a necessity, as is a good length of solid chain (about a boat length) to hold you in place. If you find the prongs are too long and straighten out in a bit of swell, shorten them with a hacksaw.
Whichever you choose, both need to be rigged to 'trip' if the anchor gets stuck in the reef. The chain is shackled to the eyelet at the bottom of the shank, with cable ties holding the chain in place at the top. These then break when sufficient force is placed upon them and the anchor slides out the way it went in (hopefully).
Unless you have an electric winch, a pink bubble attached to the anchor rope (either shackled to a stainless ring running along it or via an oversized snap clip) is a near-effortless way of retrieving the anchor. The boat is driven forward and back up the rope, the float slides along it, then over the chain, and you motor back around and haul it aboard.
Shop Quality Snapper Fishing Gear at Anaconda
So there you have it - everything you need to know to head out and catch the prized Snapper! But before you dive in and start casting, make sure you have all the fishing supplies you'll need, including rods, reels, fishing line, lures, tackle, fishing clothing and more.
Plus, check out our Adventure Centre for helpful tips on preparing for your next Snapper fishing adventure, such as:
