BIG RED!!

[Larkin]

Gday Raiders,

Ever since my pre teen years I’ve always wanted to catch a big red over 80cm. As a kid, I used to go to my local video store and hire the video “Snapper Secrets” (on many occasions) and dreamt about the day I’d catch one of these big snappers!

Today was that day! 

Also want to do a shoutout and say thanks to @Scratchiewho’s snapper articles are the reason I started using SP’s to target large snapper. 

Headed out at 6am from Gunnamatta boat ramp - instead of going up the northern end of Bate Bay, I decided to fish around Jibbon, just outside the entrance of Port Hacking. I had caught a 56cm fish there last week, so wanted to see if I could get another.

It was like a washing machine out there - two swells from different directions - and even though I’ve never been sea sick and can handle swells all day, I started to feel a little green. 

I noticed plenty of bait on the sounder and could make out some larger fish underneath.

I cast out my favourite snapper SP, a 5inch Streaks curly tail in Pearl. First cast, and I’m on! line starts peeling off and the fight is on. During the fight my rod snaps 😩. 
Anyway, I manage to land the fish. A nice 46cm snapper.

I switch rods and second up comes a Baracoota

Third a Baracouda/sea pike

Fourth a huge Sergeant Baker - I estimate over 55cm. It was big and heavy - largest I’ve ever caught/seen - and on a SP.

 

I cast out again, and as I’m wafting and working the SP, the line starts to fly off, I flip close my bail and strike, and it all on! Huge line pulling runs - around 5 or 6 hard runs and I can already tell I’m onto my largest snapper. After a hard fought battle I get the fish to the surface and as soon I see colour, I can see its a big fish! I grab the net and scoop underneath - half the fish is hanging out, but manage to wrangle it into the footwells of my JetSki. It’s spent and I’m spent

Plan was to release this magnificent fish, so after a quick measure and hold up for a photo, I put the fish back in the water. It didn’t look good, may have had some barotrauma as well as being totally spent from the fight, it keeled over and was floating upside down, not moving. After a minute, with it still floating there, I turn the ski around and scoop it back up and quickly dispatched it.

It came up to 81cm/5kg! And my new PB for snapper caught on Soft Plastics. 

Caught using a Shimano Zodias Rod 7-14lb. Vanford 4000 reel, 1.5pe saltiga braid, sunline tornade plasma leader in 30lb. 5 inch Zman streaks curly tail in pearl. 5/0 hook 3/8oz jighead

With two good fish in the esky and washing machine effect I decided to leave that area and go get some flatties - a couple of my work colleagues had asked for me to get some fresh fish for them on my next trip out, so all the flatties and smaller snapper going to them. 

Mostly smaller males out there at the moment, with only two females in the mix. Ranging in size from 35-45.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Larkin
Added video

[Restyle]

shame about the rod, but a stonker red like that would make up for it anyday! well done!

[Yowie]

That is a great red, even better for out the front of Port Hacking. 👍

[dirvin21]

Awesome fish mate

I love reading/hearing bucket list stories especially from when you're a kid 

[wazatherfisherman]

Great fish Larkin and top bag! - even the 'Dragon Snapper' was big! Enjoy eating it now- well done

[Little_Flatty]

Congrats Larkin! What a superb snapper! Shame about the rod, good thing is that you get to go rod shopping again. You might need a heavier model this time 😎

[Green Hornet]

Awesome red and terrific catch overall.

I’m sure that PB snapper took the pain away from breaking the rod.

[zmk1962]

Awesome report from an awesome catch. Well done 👍 

cheers Zoran 

[Hugh]

Fantastic.  Great effort 

[Rebel]

Super Snapper.

Top report & photos.

Got to look after the work mates.

Well done.

Edited November 4, 2022 by Rebel

[Isaac Ct]

Cracking job mate, well done. Love to see a lifelong dream come true.

Well done.

[Bluebenbomb]

Well done - that's such a great red. In that last photo, it makes the flatties look small! Shame about the rod, but at least it's another excuse to buy a new rod 🤣.

[Squidless]

What a dream come true and memorable moment, the PB should be called rod snapper (even though it was the small one that did it)! And now you get the fun of rod shopping! 

Edited November 5, 2022 by Squidless

[Larkin]

15 hours ago, Restyle said:

shame about the rod, but a stonker red like that would make up for it anyday! well done!

Thanks Restyle!

I was cursing as it happened & on the smaller fish - think I put my hand on the rod instead of the top grip mid fight. Big no no.

definitely made up for it.

15 hours ago, Yowie said:

That is a great red, even better for out the front of Port Hacking. 👍

Thanks yowie! 
trying to prove up our stomping grounds!
I’ve been watching large marks on my sounder under baitfish for months - not taking anything.
Proves we have some good reds down here, a stones throw from the mouth of Port Hacking.

14 hours ago, dirvin21 said:

Awesome fish mate

I love reading/hearing bucket list stories especially from when you're a kid 

Thanks dirvin!

Was definitely a bucket list fish for me. And to do it locally made it even more worth while. 
Don’t think that many get caught around the hacking.

10 hours ago, wazatherfisherman said:

Great fish Larkin and top bag! - even the 'Dragon Snapper' was big! Enjoy eating it now- well done

Thanks Waza! 
Had to take out all the shelves in my fridge!

Will fillet it up tonight. Skin on fillets for grilling. Some going to my mum/dad too.

8 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Congrats Larkin! What a superb snapper! Shame about the rod, good thing is that you get to go rod shopping again. You might need a heavier model this time 😎

Thanks mike, it put up a really good fight!

was my fav rod! Think my net broke too 😂 

[Scratchie]

Congratulations mate! 
It’s a very active and rewarding way to fish, casting soft plastics. And that RED is a cracker! 
It will only get more addictive from here. So try no to stop at every tackle store looking for more plastics. 😂😂

Well done, 

cheers scratchie!!! 

[Larkin]

7 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

Awesome red and terrific catch overall.

I’m sure that PB snapper took the pain away from breaking the rod.

Thanks Green Hornet!

Haha, the heart ache lasted a good 30mins, until the replacement rod lit up.

6 hours ago, zmk1962 said:

Awesome report from an awesome catch. Well done 👍 

cheers Zoran 

Thanks Zoran!

was a dream fish for me to catch.

5 hours ago, Hugh said:

Fantastic.  Great effort 

Thanks Hugh! 
like you with your king, it’s been a lot of fun hooking a good fish!

4 hours ago, Rebel said:

Super Snapper.

Top report & photos.

Got to look after the work mates.

Well done.

haha, thanks Rebel!

The more I give out. The more word gets around. I now know why your out fishing 3 times a week!

2 hours ago, Isaac Ct said:

Cracking job mate, well done. Love to see a lifelong dream come true.

Well done.

Thanks Isaac!

As you know we don’t get a lot of these big reds around the hacking. Or at least no one says anything. 

2 hours ago, Bluebenbomb said:

Well done - that's such a great red. In that last photo, it makes the flatties look small! Shame about the rod, but at least it's another excuse to buy a new rod 🤣.

Thanks Blue Ben,

that other red in the picture is a respectable 46cm fish, but also looks so dwarfed.

50 minutes ago, Squidless said:

What a dream come true and memorable moment, the PB should be called rod snapper (even though it was the small one that did it)! And now you get the fun of rod shopping! 

Thanks Squidless!

was over the moon with the catch - was hoping for a release, but wasn’t to be.

[Larkin]

11 minutes ago, Scratchie said:

Congratulations mate! 
It’s a very active and rewarding way to fish, casting soft plastics. And that RED is a cracker! 
It will only get more addictive from here. So try no to stop at every tackle store looking for more plastics. 😂😂

Well done, 

cheers scratchie!!! 

Thanks Scratchie!

already building the collection!

Thanks for sharing the knowledge mate - really appreciate! 👍

55 minutes ago, Obsessed Fisherman said:

Wow, what a catch! To think, my pb snapper is 24cm lol

Thanks obsessed fisherman!

Only way is up from there.

 

[jenno64]

Larkin you did it! Congrats on a magnificent and well-deserved fish...I've been watching your posts for a year and you had this one coming! Enjoy the feast and the dinner table banter to go with it!

[Larkin]

9 minutes ago, jenno64 said:

Larkin you did it! Congrats on a magnificent and well-deserved fish...I've been watching your posts for a year and you had this one coming! Enjoy the feast and the dinner table banter to go with it!

Thanks Rob!

been chasing every week - had my mind set on cracking the snapper code!

[bessell1955]

A big solid Snapper, well done!

 

[Welster]

Congrats on a cracking fish.  Well deserved too. 

[Larkin]

22 hours ago, bessell1955 said:

A big solid Snapper, well done!

 

Thanks Bessel! Been trying for a fish like this all season!
 

19 hours ago, Welster said:

Congrats on a cracking fish.  Well deserved too. 

Thanks Welster! 
Finally got onto a stonker 

[Pickles]

Quote

 

Way to go Chris, a great fish (don’t they fight well, like a little Kingie).

[Larkin]

3 hours ago, Pickles said:

Way to go Chris, a great fish (don’t they fight well, like a little Kingie).

Thanks Bob!

it put up some really good line shedding runs - line was spittin water as it was being stripped from the reel. Good fun!

[Rock&Beach]

Well done on the PB snapper. It is the same size as the one that I caught a few years ago off the rocks. 

Still remember how I felt about that.