G'day raiders,
As many of you are aware one of my favourite forms of fishing is chasing snapper on soft plastics. This type of fishing is a very active way to target a species and can be very rewarding. The beauty of this angling is obviously acquiring the target of snapper but with very little by-catch and of course the absence of bait and associated mess that comes with it. Whilst this art of angling has taken me many years to become consistent with catching the said species, hopefully I can explain enough to anyone that is interested getting started.
Setup:
Many people have differing views on what rod and reel to use, but this is the set up that works for me.
Rod: 7ft min 4-7kg
Reel: 4000 sized standard or even 5000 in areas known for big snapper
Braid and Leader: 20lb braid and 20lb flurocarbon leader or 30lb flurocarbon leader depending on terrain.
Jighead: This will depend on the depths and areas you fish, the currents, the structure and terrain. But a quick breakdown for jig size, this is what I use:
1/4 5/0: 6-20 meters of water
3/8 5/0: 20-35 meters of water
NOTES: These pairings of rod, reel and braid do not have to be the top of the range or the most expensive set up you can find to achieve results. In fact, I have caught 80cm models on the cheapest shimano combo you can get. The most important thing about your setup is the braid and leader you use. After all, this is what is connecting you to the fish. Without bias or preference I use either Ocea or Power Pro braid and Black Magic leader. Why??? because this works for me and after many different trials, I've found I don't lose as many fish.
What soft plastic do I use?
This is often a difficult one and many people have differing opinions because it is something they have caught fish on in the past or something they may have been recommended by a mate or a tackle store . It is also a critical component in reaching your target and can mean the difference in success and not so successful. The reason I don't say failure is because if your out there having a go, your not failing, your learning.
From my experience, the color of soft plastics change with the seasons. During the winter months, the bait that is present determines the colors that I use. Once you start to see cuttlefish husks in the water in numbers it is time to start using whiter and lighter colors. During the summer months with the abundance of bait fish such as gars, yakka and slimies, I generally go for the more nature tones.
As a rule, I always start out using a 7 inch soft plastic until the sun appears high in the sky and then drop this down to a 5 inch.
Why??
As the saying goes, you can catch a big fish on a small hook but can't catch a small fish on a big hook. The same goes for soft plastics. The bigger fish are usually dominant in the early morning and late arvo's but remember your target is snapper and can be caught anytime of the day!
Some of my favourite types of plastics, once again without bias,
Z-man: coconut ice, pilchard, pearl
Gulp: yakka, camo pearl, garlicker
Knots and Drag settings:
I use an improved Albright (12 turns up 6 down and 3 through the loop) and my leader length is the tip of the rod until the first guide closest to the reel.
The reason for the knot, it’s easy to tie, I can do it well and I’ve never had an issue with losing fish to it. I can also recommend the PR or FG but they take some practise.
Leader: I’ve been working on this length for some time now and have settled with this summation as it’s not too long or too short and gets results! The beauty of this length is that you can retrieve your lure until 6 inches of the knot, lift and cast again without it passing through the guides! And because your knot doesn’t pass through the guides your cast is longer!
As for drag settings, I have not measured this in kilos or poundage but a very firm tight drag is required for this method of fishing. This is because you need to turn the snappers head ASAP and control the fight. Once you have achieved this, DO NOT touch your drag. You have already set the tone for the battle so play it out.
What area do I look to target snapper?
This is a very simple response, structure, structure and structure. Snapper are prolific on the east coast of NSW and you are able to fish for them year round. Whilst they are more commonly a winter target, some of my better catches have been around the spring and autumn months.
The structure that I look for is a good reef system that is surrounded by a weedy or sandy bottom. When this reef/structure has a predominant drop in it's face or is the only pinnacle structure in the area, then you'll find snapper.
The presence of bait is also another major factor. You hear the saying "find the bait, find the fish". This is the absolute truth when fishing for snapper. Snapper are an opportunistic species and will often prey on the reminence of schools of bait being hammered by other pelagics. They can also be a very dominant species. So, your sft plastic wafting down the water column is a perfect meal once it's travelled through either the bait school above or the surrounding school they are following.
Once again, refer to the depths that you are targeting this species.
When you have your intended area:
Drifting is the only real way to target snapper whilst using soft plastics. The ideal way to approach your intended target is to pull up 200m or so from it and record your drift. Your drift is the most important part of achieving your goal of catching a snapper on sps. Once you have indentified your drift and intened area. Start your drift approximately 50m before it and begin to cast ahead of the boat as far as you can.
Now, this is another very key component to this type of fishing. Long casts and allow the soft plastic to WAFT down the water column. By this I mean you don't need to impart very little action into the lure. All you need to do is maintain contact with the jig by slowly winding in the slack line so you don't have a spaghetti affect on the line. This is so you can feel any touch that you might have. Once you feel that you have reached the bottom of the ocean, lift the rod and perform big long loops back towards the boat. This is because snapper inhibit all parts of the water column and will nearly always take the sp on the drop. Don't be surprised if you get a hit in the first 3m as that's where the big ones are generally stalking. Once you have cast and played out your sp and its nearing the boat, wind up fast and repeated the process. why??? This is because I have had many of by-catch including kings, bonito, sampsonfish etc following the lure and all they need is some action. Not only that, if you cast again quicker, your back in the game.
The second part to drifting which is paramount...….NEVER DRIVE OVER YOUR DRIFT!!!
Snapper spook very easy and once you have driven over the area, you will very rarely catch something on that same drift. Instead, complete your drift, take a big circle around the area you are working and approach your next intended drift 20-30m away from your last one. This will allow you to work a small or productive area for some time.
The other thing to mention is when you do get a bite!
As soon as you feel a take on your line, strike for the fish and strike hard. Sometimes fishing with soft plastics you may have to try and set the hook hard up to 3 times! Often the fish may pick up the lure and swim towards you! At this stage, you need to wind and strike hard. They have solid mouths and take a fair bit to set the hook. Although, the bigger fish will generally hook themselves and take you for a ride! Just always maintain a bend in the rod and take your time. There is no rush to success!
Overview:
Choose the right setup, indentify your target area, big long casts, allow the sp to waft, work it back to the boat! Repeat the process!!!
And as my motto goes "JUST KEEP CASTING" Now that is the key to snapper fishing with soft plastics.
Cheers scratchie!!!
