nightstalker

Nice reds mate, there's just something about those tasty great looking fish.

Those bar crossings are fun when you can see the bottom arent they! Nice work on the reds!

On our recent north coast trip 2 freaky things happened with whales. Our mate called a whale about 2kms out the back of us from our other boat, it proceeded to swim all the way up his berley trail - get through all the floaters and get hooked up on a bottom rod. It was a screaming run on 30lb braid that resulted in a melted bail roller and 150m of ruined braid - its funny you still think it could be a fish for a while even though you know whats really going on. Another morning we ran the bar at 3 to catch the end of the moon knowing it would dark off for an hour or so before first light. As soon as the moon went down and it was pitch black we were surrounded by a heap of whales but you only knew it cause you could hear them blowing in very close proximity - it was a real assault on the senses and pretty freaky.

Whats it made out of and how heavy is it? Looks great!

I have spoken at length in my report and subsequent replies about depth, time of day and so on and stick by the fact that this is a system that works on the north coast - and the south coast too by the way. Thus, the exact location doesnt really have any bearing on people learning about the system. Yes, there are miles of reef but as i have said - if boats are in town the same time as you and see you with fish every day then they follow you - not to the general location but 50m away - often in your berley trail that they motor up an hour after you started laying it. With most action 40min - 2 hours after you start berleying, this is annoying but on the other hand i encourage anyone keen on reds to ask questions - i'm no expert but can share some mistakes we have made and lessons learnt. Yes, AndyZ's snapper is a beast but i dont think they have skyscrapers on the beach at Whyalla, NZ or Lord Howe and he tags his post as being from the gold coast and talks about going to the 50's for pearlies so I would figure its on the Gold Coast. My reports also basically give it away anyway to anyone that has fished around up there or done some research. I have had a few emails from people who know the area - even one guy who could name the boat we were fishing from based on the info given so ..... And yes - wives always wanna know more - our standard is "you dont even care do you?" Nuh is my standard reply "you only care about fishing" Yep.

Greg, that is the point and i have answered a number of personal emails giving some more specific info based on direct questions that show that the fishos have some initiative. If i was too specific there may be 20 extra boats there next year, we may then find it harder in future to book our house, launch in the morning and so on. We do get fish and we do get followed around because of it. Reefs do cover square kilometres but several times this trip there was four other boats fishing right on us - driving up and anchoring in our berley trail and stuff like that right on peak time when we had been already berleying for an hour and just starting to get some takes. We had run the bar in the dark based on observations and hundreds of bar crossings so we can get set - then they motor up at first light and bugger us up. This is partly cause they see us with fish at the tables but also cause we fish two boats together - often on the same small reef or kelp bed and this brings them from miles - 2 boats - must be fish there. So to even say this town or that one could encourage 10 or 20 more knobs to come and do that. Its about systems and knowledge and working it out. If i thought everyone did that then no probs. Some days there were 10 boats out on this reef system - all with a clue and none within 150m of each other - all keyed in and all getting fish.

Hey everyone, put up a post about my North Coast snapper trip and had everyone asking about where it was - and a couple getting a little bit narky about me not being forthcoming. Thing is, am i being a bastard. You could go thru my posts and work it out or look at what others are saying - i just dont want to come out and say it. Its taken us ten years to work this out and get consistent now to the point where we get reds over 4 kilos every year for four or five years now. We got 10 snapper over 3 kilos in 20 trips to sea over 16 days - we put in the hard yards and i wasnt bragging so much as showing people that if they put the effort in to work out a system some great reds are there for the taking. My 7.3kg red was the 100th keeper of the trip (no we dont keep them all) so it takes some effort. Personally, when others say spot X in the harbour or whatever, i love it - a bit of a challenge to work out a system at least knowing there is some hope. Let us know your opinion on giving up the goods. I said in my report that its more about working out the system than exactly where. We had prob ten boats fishing the same water as us over the 2 weeks - the ones who got the system worked out got the fish - the ones that followed us and anchored 50m away got nothing cause the reefs and peaks are small.

Great red mate, was it caught deep - it has more of the SA look about it than the chunky ones we've been getting out of shallow water. Wish i lived on the Goldy with the choices you blokes have out wide.

The point is your not getting the point. I could tell you exactly where but the truth is its about the system which i will tell you about any day and putting in the hours to work a reef system finding out where the snapper travel thru and hang out at a particular time of year - in this case their inshore spawning run. It has taken us over ten years to get to this point and I'll happily answer any questions but i aint gonna name an exact spot. We fish 16-21m, are about a km offshore and we look for the edge of the reef and anchor based on current - if its strong fish will be stacked up on either side - if its weak we like to anchor on top 20m or so from the edge and use berley to bring them up off the sand, shale bottoms. We are on the spot before first light berleying so when they come on to the reef they come to us. if no action at all we move to the kelp beds in 21m by sunrise. unless its a very cloudy day all action is over by 8am - cloudy maybe till 9.30. As i say the spot doesnt matter - come and anchor in our boat if you like but you are much better off going to a town you like - a bar crossing you are comfy with - (our choice has eaten 18 boats this year so maybe you dont like this one) - find some reef in close and work out your own system. I think thats being fair.

East Coast snapper are amazing fish, they dont get that long they just get taller and fatter - unlike the SA or NZ reddies that get long and stay pretty skinny. And the bumps ... oh the bumps - they have to be the best looking snapper in the world. I am truly a snappaholic.

A few more pics. More to come later.

Thanks for the comments everyone, I would get killed if i actually stated exactly where but a few of you have got it worked out, its not that hard but to be honest you could get this sort of action anywhere between Port Stephens and Brisbane if you are talking North Coast Snapper fishing in pretty shallow water with a lot of great fish and the ever present chance of getting smoked by a beast. Our best three are now 8.3, 7.3 and 6.0 but we have been smoked by bigger fish. One day we will get a 10kilo beast and one was caught there in the last couple of weeks but there was one of 13 at Sawtell a couple of years ago so take your pick of coast and work out the system. Will throw up a few more pics later in the day when i get a minute. Work calls now.

Just came back from a magic trip on the north coast. We do this trip annually and have a ball every year. This year we went for two weeks with a week off in between to match up with the tides for crossing the bar. As it turned out we picked the weeks perfectly for weather and ran the bar 20 times over the course of the holiday fishing heaps of arvo sessions as well as the mornings. We are traditional floater fishos and throw a plastic for fun but reckon bait kills plastics by a long way. Out of 2 boats we scored a heap of snapper with the best going 7.3,4.0,4.0, 4.0,3.88,3.77,3.58,3.33 and 3.30 and another just over 3 to make 10 snapper over 3 kilo for the trip. Bycatch included a 22.7 kilo longtail that took me 45 minutes on the snapper gear with a first run of about 40 seconds and 250+ metres, a six kilo longtail, 5.8 kilo mack tuna, a 5.24 kilo bonito which rates a mention for being a beast of a bonito as well as a heap of pearl perch and other reefies + one day on the tailor that had 46 out of the 2 boats in a couple of hours. Have put a few piks up for your enjoyment and might throw a few in fish of the month and see what you think. Ran out of room will put a few more pics up if i get some interest.

When we want to fish South West Rocks a little wider on our winter trip and the jackets are around - some days we decide to actually get a few for the plate as they are good eating. We diligently crimp patenoster rigs on 40lb coated wire and make the whole rig about 3m long. Crimp long shank heavy duty hooks on of about size 1 and away you go. We've caught snapper, pearl perch and trag on these rigs in amongst the jackets as well so you dont rule out catching anything else. The rigs are expensive to make but avoid frustration and last for a long time - still get bitten off eventually and the sinkers come up with big teeth scars all over them as well. Figure were doing our bit to stop the plague if we take home a bag of them. Dont cut yourself and fall in though - i swear they would eat you alive - if i were a diver i wouldnt go anywhere near the things under water, worse than sharks for sure. Nightstalker

Nice fish, nice variety too.. Yeh, I wanna know too - what did the red come on and Yeh, fish rock, black rock, pinnacle or north? I'm going in 2 weeks for 2 weeks so look out SWR. Its a top place - i have scored most of my prize fish there. Well done.

Nice Dolly, they look great all fired up. The FADS are out there but have been quiet so far. A look at SST shows some pretty hot water out there but and will be giving it a go this weekend rain or not.

Those NSW snapper put the SA snapper to shame in the looks department. An 11kilo East coast snapper beats any SA or NZ snapper in my book. What a great looking fish and what a fishery is opening up all along the coast. Who'd of thought eh, go shallow or go home and leave the snapper leads at home. Well done!!

Raymond was the skipper, yes. top bloke - starting to miss his family living at sea all the time these days - you think it looks like a great life but hey pos and neg in everything. He doesnt fillet fish anymore but the deckie, mitch was knocking em over with four strikes of the knife each side, about 30 seconds per fish - amazing stuff. Great trip - should check out their new boat - it is a beast

Thanks mate, have you ever had a session on the jew like that, it was that classic night - leading up to the full, high an hour after dark, bit of fresh in the river and bait everywhere - there must have been dozens of jew concentrated in a small area hunting the bait. In the end we probably didnt do that well only boating one - had at least four baits come back descaled - another two fish reefed my mates. In the end we ran out of baits and couldnt fish the start of the run out and I think that would have gone off as well. If only it were like that more often - did however learn so much that night just from observing their behaviour - hope to follow up soon and apply some of those lessons in the hawkesbury. Looks like youve got em wired up your way.

I will go again having had such a great time, I think i will be fishing at least 50 on spinfishers next time, if not 80. It would be nice to see some of the beasts we hooked. Even with thirty though, i could barely pull drag off the reel, you'd get a fish halfway up and then line would just screem off as it headed to the bottom. Learnt a few lessons about terminal tackle on hardcore fish. The spinfishers were great though - over the week they just get so salty but just keep on working and any problems we did have were fixable.

Got some interest from the photo of the emperor so thought i would throw on a few more pics for those who love looking at fish pics like me.

Could tell you the exact spot but would be killed. Needless to say the whole north coast produces reds like this and almost all year from port stephens to the tweed. Anyway, if you know the spot you know the spot as there is some land in that photo. Bait - get all our reds on pillies Depth - much shallower than you would think! Time - Got him very late - about 7.30am if that makes sense. You want em, youd better be prepared to run bars in full darkness and be on the spot before first light. Not for the faint hearted or inexperienced skipper. Then its just find a good bit of reef and floaters away - then one in every 50 or 100 snapper will be a cracker. Others in the last 3 years have gone 5.3, 4.2, 4.1 and a stonking 8.3 by a mate.

After doing my Swaines report from last weeks trip - thought i'd keep bragging and mention a recent (july) trip to the north coast. Scored some good snapper out wide had an unbelievable night on the jew one night. The jew were smashing baits everywhere on the surface and I ended up getting a PB jew 13kilo. The last fish of the trip was a floater going off in a screaming run ending up in a PB snapper 5.9kilo If you add in the 10.94kg emperor i got last week and a PB longtail of 15kg on last years north coast annual i have been lucky enough to score four trophy fish in 13months. Not really bragging just stoked!!

All up its around two and a half grand to get there gear up and everything. This trip was mainly bait fishing due to the fairly constant 15 - 20 knots of wind, but trolling in the morning and evenings was productive for mackeral, gts and longtail.

Heard about a crew recently that went to Weipa or thereabouts - had a great week and caught heaps of fish. Coming home - get pulled over by fisheries - they check everything and the guys have too much fish. They take the 40000 dollar boat - all their gear and tackle - all the fish and the eskies. They are also facing a 10000 each fine in a pending court case. Sucko i reckon....!! Know your limits and stick to them boys. The days of greed are gone.