Port Phillip West

Snapper on my mind

PPB WEST Alan Bonnici

alan@fishingmad.com.au

This is the time of year when excitement starts to settle in. We’ve battled through a long and challenging winter, but the freezing conditions and severe COVID lockdowns are easing. The reward for many local anglers will be simple pleasures of life and some level of normality – being able to venture outside, soak up some warmer weather conditions and of course, targeting Port Phillip snapper.

This is my favourite period of the year, and October through to February is usually considered peak fishing time around Melbourne. Port Phillip Bay will wake from its slumber, and the fishing will go from strength to strength. The water temperature is still quite cold and early spring is notorious for heavy rain, but as we progress through the month the days will get longer and the water temperature will rise.

It all feels a little like déjà vu. Last year we spent August and September stuck in lockdown, then we were finally allowed out in October. I spent my first week back on the water catching plenty of early season snapper. The key surprise last year was the volume of early season reds caught in the shallows, easily accessible by a small boat or kayak using light gear that I usually target flathead and pinkies with. I have a sneaking suspicion that things might just repeat themselves, and I already have a game plan ready.

Throughout October I will be spending some time fishing locally around P2 and the Cardinal in Altona and around Williamstown opposite the footy ground. I’ll also spend some time straight out from Wyndham harbour until I reach 12m deep, which historically has been good grounds for early season snapper. I will often anchor up and set out a berley trail of cut up pilchards, which we refer to as cubing.

Pest species are in ample supply around here, and snapper fishing around Werribee means you must be prepared for a barrage of banjo sharks and Port Jackson sharks. However, don’t get let this stop you it’s just part and parcel of the experience. I have good mates who are gun snapper fishos who say they’ll catch one snapper for every 10 banjos in this area.

I’ll also be prepared to drift around and see if we can find schools of pinkies and a few snapper within them. Last year we noticed salmon in the areas being chased by snapper, and often breaking water was a sign of reds in the area. Drifting with soft plastics is also a great way to avoid many of those pest species.

Snapper will happily take well-presented baits which may consist of silver whiting, squid, pilchards and chunks of mackerel or salmon. Plus the volume of good soft plastics available for snapper is amazing, and we are spoiled for choice with countless options: 3”, 4” and 5” paddle tails; 3” and 4” grubs and equivalent in jerk shads, and worm imitations all work remarkably well. A nice, slow lift-and-pause approach works very well, and some of my best snapper last season came using this exact type of gear and technique.

The standout plastics for me last season were the Daiwa Bait Junkie 3.2” paddle tail in yabbie UV, the Savage Gear 8.4cm Fathead curl tail in motor oil, and the 7” Berkley Turtleback Worm in camo colour. However, I think if you can find the school then the colours and sizes don’t matter so much. Often a school of fish will be fighting for food, which in this case will be a nicelypresented soft plastic.

I suspect after a long lockdown that people’s patience will be shorter this season as the masses hit the boat ramps and local waters. Please show some patience and kindness to your fellow anglers, and remember that fishing is a booming sport and people have different levels of experience and skills. The boat ramps will be chaotic as fishing grows, and it only adds more pressure to our local boat ramps, which are already at capacity. I sincerely hope that the key fishing bodies have a genuine look around the greater Altona and Werribee area. I’ve seen countless anglers go at each other, which is often more a case of lack of ample facilities which has flared tempers.

We also need more land-based options. Let’s face it – between Altona and Werribee we have two ramps and one pier that’s shared by tens of thousands of residents in one of the highest and quickest growing population areas. I consider myself an experienced boater and angler, but even during these peak times I find it quite overwhelming and often take my kayak out instead mid-week to avoid the boat ramp chaos.

If you’re new to snapper fishing and wondering what gear to use, start with a 5-8kg rod that’s 7-8’ in length. Depending on your fishing style you can go slightly lighter or heavier. Paired with a 3000, 4000 or 5000 size reel spooled with 20lb braid is a great starting platform. I have many outfits that are specific to the technique. Whippy rods with long handles are ideal for sitting in the rod holders with baits, and thinner, stiff rods are more suited to flicking soft plastics.

We’ve all done it tough in recent times, so let’s hope this is the start of an epic season ahead of us.

Feel free to reach out to me directly to share your fishing experiences and catches around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond, which we can feature in next month’s article. You can contact me by email at alan@fishingmad.com.au. Also don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures at www.fishingmad.com. au, and to subscribe to the FishingMad YouTube channel. You can also follow us on Facebook (facebook. com/fishingmad.com.au) and Instagram (instagram. com/fishingmad.com.au).

Until next time, good fishing everyone.

Spring will see the pinkies return.

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It’s a great time of year to be out in the kayak.