Tips for winter varieties * from P40
fishing for snapper and it’s a split-second decision to place the snapper rod in the holder, grab the jig gear and plunge a knife down onto their noses when you see them pop up. If I’m taking a fourth setup, it’s probably going to be a slow-pitch setup. This kind of fishing is sometimes technique specific but doesn’t always have to be, and winter is a great time to try it because the current generally slows to a bare minimum over the cooler months. The advantage of having a slow-pitch rod is that you can tie on anything – from a flutter-style jig to an octopus or even a soft plastic – and it will do the job just fine. Taking jigs in different sizes from 40g up to about 100g is your best bet, so you can vary the weight to keep the line vertical under the boat, allowing you to have good contact and feel for not only the action of the jig but also the strike from the fish. Colours vary quite a bit but it’s up to you as to what you choose. Though I do prefer something with a bit of orange in it, alternatively a natural colour usually works well too. The thing is, if you come across a school of hungry fish, they will hit almost anything you put in front of their faces. As I always say, try to work out the best bite time for the given day and make sure you’re on the spot at that time. Use your sounder to spot the fish first – it’s possibly one of the most
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important things you can learn. Tip is, get a good transducer – don’t use the one that came in the box unless you’re fishing in water only 30m deep or less. In fact, it’s better to spend the money to get a good 1kW transducer and a quality sounder with a good processor and matching 1kW output than it is to by four or five extra rod and reel combos. And don’t get misled that having a massive screen means the sounder is better. I have only a 9” screen but because the unit can run the full 1kW, I get to see fish and bottom hardness that is a blur
on some other units. Of course, the more power, the more you’re going to see but most setups will generally start at about $1500 for the transducer and $2500 for the head unit and work their way up from there. Though once installed and you start catching more fish, they will pay for themselves – or at least, that’s what I tell my better half! Anyway, have an awesome time on the water this month. Remember to check out the Queensland Fisheries website to familiarise yourself with the snapper and pearl perch closures, and pack a warm jumper.
Good eating-sized snapper are moving in close to smash your pillies and squid bait. Remember the Queensland tidal waters closed season for this species starts July 15.
This time of year is perfect for targeting snapper monsters off the Gold Coast, until the closure on July 15 that is.
Tim Farnell landed a 94cm 7.4kg monster in Western Australia on an Assassin Rod and GT Ice Cream Skinny lure.
Gold Coast Tailor Fishing Classic 2023
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HE annual Tailor Fishing Classic is just around the corner and we’re gearing up to make it the biggest and best yet! Kick-off is at 4pm on Friday 21 July, with lines out in time to make weigh-in from 10am to 12pm on Sunday July 23. Entrants are able to fish from the Queensland NSW border to the tip of North Stradbroke Island. And though boats can be used to transfer between the islands within the fishing boundaries, all fishing is to be landbased, and entrants can bring a maximum of three fish to the weigh-in. If you’re thinking about entering in this year’s Tailor Fishing Classic, entry forms are available in-store and are $30 per person. But be sure to get in quick if you’re keen because we’ve capped the number of entries available for 2023. The weigh-in day will be an event for everyone, with a barbecue, fish-filleting demonstration and fish smoking ‘how-to’ on the day. So far, we’ve al-
ready had a lot of interest in groups looking at heading to North Stradbroke for the Friday and Saturday nights. If you’re thinking of doing this, make sure you book one of the first two barges back on Sunday to make it back to weigh-in on time. South Stradbroke gets its fair share of action as well, with South Currigee, North Currigee and Tipplers campgrounds filling up quickly. If you’re not heading away and planning to fish the mainland, the world’s your oyster. With so many gutters starting to take shape from Sea World and further south – I would start fishing now. Hopefully we’re lucky on the weekend of the classic and have a bit of westerly wind with an incoming tide for both nights. Given those prime conditions, there should be some good fish caught this year. For more information on the Tailor Fishing Classic, contact Paul Anderson at The Bait Shop Gold Coast on 0406 737 773.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, July 2023 – Page 41
