wacko Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Hi everyone, Geez, its been a long while since i've put a post let alone a report up!! I've been checking the site and all you Raider's are getting great catches!! Well done to everyone (Collective pat on the back! Hehe). Me......well, been super busy at work but, lately I've had the chance to get out and chase the elusive Sydney Red. What a blast we've been having! Catching good Reds close to shore in shallow reefy areas and light gear really gets the heart pumping!! Been averaging quite a few fish every session and some nice sized ones thrown in (to around 80cm). They are out there!!! Plastics in shallow water in the mornings.....then cube session in deeper water in the afternoons. Fish coming on both techniques. Some fish let go........some kept for the table! Heres a few random pics from recent sessions.......... Cheers, Wacko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzzafish Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Hi Wacko, do you mind sharing some of the techniques? You say shallow and deep water, what depths do each of these mean? Are you heading to specific GPS marks or scanning the bottom for fish on the sounds? Muzza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennoz Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 cracking fish there - well done. yeah what type of SP / size jig heads are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvbigfish Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 i havnt caught a decent snapper for a while now and seeing all these reports coming through of quality snapper being nailed is so frustrating (dam work commitments ) , just hope there still around when i get the chance to get out there ...some quality fish there wacko well done to you and the crew cheers paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulloway/jewfish Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 nice catch buddy, where in sydney did u catch them was it outside sydneys heads or botany bays heads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Converted 2 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Hi Mate, Looks like you have mastered catching snapper consistantly, well done. There is some nice fish what is the best size you have caught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I haven't see reports like this of Sydney before, top fish congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leatherjacket Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Awesome bag their! Some really solid snappers for Sydney. Gota luv fresh snapper in the frying pan with only butter salt and pepper - yum! Cheers, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 What a snapper fix!!! Great pics and you guys are certainly on the money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Jeff Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Great catch wacko well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmaniac Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Some great fish there mate, well done!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bawley Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 some great pics there........long time between drinks for me with regards to fish of that calibre.... impressive mate well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAP-ER Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Nice fish Dude!! Have to catch up for a fish soon!!Speak soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray R Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Woohooo, good onya mate, nice reddies, love the plastics for reds, only wish I could do more of it. Congrats Jack... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Squidy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 More top quality fish from Wacko, who'd have thought. You've certainly got them figured mate, well done. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juztaylor Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Some really nice specimens there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little marlin Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Well done on the snapper fellas u have it down pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salmon_Hunter Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Donkey Reds! What an ausome haul of GREAT fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My_other_girl Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 hi mate first time user just wondering if you would be kind enough to give us the coordinates for the location Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigbutcher Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 They are some outstanding Reds for Sydney waters! Solid fishing mate, well done! Was this around LONG REEF or down SOUTH SYDNEY? I am blown away at the amount of goods Reds! Butch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Great reds wacko enjoy the feed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 great reds wacko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondo Rock Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 hi mate first time user just wondering if you would be kind enough to give us the coordinates for the location Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Wacko - could you also please publish your bank account information and pin number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad_tate Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Great catches of snapper, wel done! I'd love to know what you consider light gear - what's the basic outfit you use ? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacko Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 Hi Wacko, do you mind sharing some of the techniques? You say shallow and deep water, what depths do each of these mean? Are you heading to specific GPS marks or scanning the bottom for fish on the sounds? Muzza Hi mate, I'd be happy to....... Geez, where do I start??? Ok, I'll give you a run-down on how we go about catching Reds (Cause' everyone's different) Point form might be an easier way to explain things. It's gonna be a long one........... Snapper On SP'S. 1.) Water depth 6mtrs to 23mtrs. I find the 15-19mtr band of water depth very productive. (This depth apply's right up and down the coast too.) You Can plastics fish for Reds in much deeper water, but specialised techniques are needed and we can go into that later. 2.) Rods and Reels need to be fairly good quality. You want to 'feel' the plastics/hits/bottom/kelp etc etc. No use having a stiff rod and Reel way too big.....remember, It's fairly shallow water so a bit of 'finesse' is the go. A graphite rod 7ft in the 8-17lb Range will do the job nicely.....we prefer a bit of tip action rather than stiff so you can feel all those bites. A reel in the 2500-4000 range will be fine. I use Daiwas cause the drags are second to none and the have great gearbox strength. 3.) Braid........we fish 10lb Sufix 832 (It breaks at 18lbs...and it's thin/casts really well)....Most 20lb braids off the rack are too thick and heavy for the work that we do......and if you find a 20lb braid thats REALLLY thin......try to break it on a set of scales, you'll find it will break mostly in the 8-12lb (not 20lb) zone. Alot of Japanese braids undertest, some really heavily. You'll be fishing around the 4kg drag pressure......thats heaps through those kinds of graphite rods......you'll risk the chance of rod breakage if you lock the drags up.......use your palm on the spool to stop any rampaging reds.....once they are off the bottom, go easy and you'll have him! 4.) A MUST is FLOUROCARBON leader.....Sunline 14lb for super shallow work and 20lb for deeper. (If you only have one rod, try 16lb/good allrounder. Forget Vanish, forget some no-name chinese flourocarbon......just get some good stuff cause' the leader is VERY important. A rods length and a touch more is perfect leader size.....I've seen dudes run 2 foot leaders saying 'it's right mate'.......they didnt catch fish....... 5.) Lures........ No joke, most lures will work for Snapper. Dont get into the thinking that Gulp is the only one etc. I've cast out the ugliest looking plastic.....the one that the Muppets threw up.... and it's caught Reds! General rule is Paddle-Tail grubs/shads take longer to sink.......Flickshads/Jerkshads are faster to sink. Lures in the the 4inch, 5inch and 7inch will work great off Sydney. Try different colours, naturals and bright suckers!! They all work!! If you had to narrow it down: 5 Inch Gulp jerkshad/any colour.....110mm Squidgy flickbait/any colour.....4inch Gulp shads/any colour......dohhh smash baits 5inch and 7inch.....Softies 5inch Jerkshad/ any colour. 6.) Jigheads......Lately, i'm finding more success on shorter shanked jigheads. We've been using Nitro 1/2ounce with 2/0 and 3/0 hooks.........5/8th ounce with 2/0 and 3/0 hooks. Even on bigger plastics we will use the shorter hooks......better hook-up and more action to the plastic. TT jigheads are another that we use on a regular basis. They have a thinner gauge so are better on smaller type plastics in shallower water. 7.) Technique......the biggie....everyone is different but this will work. DON'T Sound around looking for fish...... Yes, sound around checking water depth, if it's reef etc. Once happy, switch off the motor and drift. Try to cast in the direction that the boat is HEADING.....if you cast behind you, the plastic tends to get dragged along and does'nt sink properly. Now, in shallower water like 10-14mtrs......cast EVERYWHERE!! Your plastics are getting down there no probs. Cast out, let sink for a while (This will vary depending on wind speed etc)....once near the bottom, give the placcie two sharp lifts and then DO NOTHING......just wind the tiniest bit of slack you've created. You want that plastic to waft down after you've given it some action........wind the line until you are semi-tight to the lure and repeat the process. (Two lifts then super long pause). A big red will hammer the plastic on your lift up OR......he will eat your lure on the waft down. Smaller Reds will tap at the lure and 'short' strike it. This is where you want some feel on your rod. Your reflexes will get better and you will hook em' Try not to move around too much....let the boat drift and keep going. Turning on outboards and driving over fish will scatter/spook them. 8.) Have confidence in what you are doing..... Imagine what the plastic is doing while it's sinking...... Take a mental note of how long it took you to get to the bottom (You'll find out cause you WILL get snagged, it's part of plastic fishing the Reefs).......don't just have a few casts and think 'theres no Reds here, lets go'. Realistically, out off Sydney, you cant expect to smash snapper left right and center......sometimes it's a good 45mins between bites and fish. The techniques I've listed have worked for me and my crew right up and Down the coast......not just Sydney. I hope you get into a few and most importantly, HAVE FUN, it's all learing and trying. Cheers, Wacko. P.S......Do you guys want me to go into our cubing techniques??? Or are you bored of my 'ramblings'?? Hehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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