Tasmanian snapper fishing

by Carl Hyland on 25 Oct 2011 No other species of fish, apart from Yellowtail Kingfish, elicit such curiosity amongst Tasmanian and visiting anglers as does the snapper.

Known by many names, squire, cockney, red bream, just to name a few, the elusive snapper is high on the must catch list of many anglers and whilst relatively easy to catch in mainland states, such as Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay, in Tasmania the species still hold a lot of mystery and awe for some.

Personally, I’ve done a lot of research over the years on this species and have only ever caught two small specimens, many years ago. There are others who have devoted their whole fishing careers to catching this species, particularly in the North of the state, chaps like Jimmy Suitor and Tom Wickers who I might add, have a very credible catch record. It’s ironic that the two guys I just mentioned live at a place called Deviot which is located on the Tamar River and which runs from Launceston to the Bass Strait at low Head, as Deviot is really the home to snapper in Northern Tassie. The topography of the Tamar is different to a lot of Tasmanian Rivers in that it is a craggy, rocky bottom in most places and full of Northern Pacific oysters. Fast flowing currents mean that places like Whirlpool Reach near the Batman Bridge live up to their name and are a prime haunt for snapper.

A hot spot besides Deviot is Southern Cross Reef near Bridport. Located in Andersons Bay, the Reef is a popular fishing destination and is also a popular spot for the taking of many shark species, such as mako’s ,blues and gummy as well as seven gillers.

Most recently, its name is synonymous with some big snapper captures.

In the South of the state, snapper are starting to feature in some bags; again places such as South Arm, Dunalley and Triabunna are areas that have recorded snapper captures.

In the North West, off Marrawah, famous for its exposure to prevailing North West winds, Sinking Rock and Sam’s Rock have both been prime locations in the past for snapper captures. I might also add that there a lot of random captures occurring right around the state and I attribute this to more people actually targeting snapper.

If targeting this species in Tasmania, a popular rig is the running ball sinker rig, failing that, a standard Paternoster Rig would do the job. Standout baits include squid either heads or whole squid or pilchards wrapped in bait mate. A standard 5/0 tuna circle hook will complete your rig.

If you have selected an area for targeting snapper, look for oysters and fast flowing water, if you are moored in a boat, berley drifted along the bottom, will give you the edge, mind you, you can also use berley if fishing from a platform such as Deviot pontoon or Inspection Head wharf.

Whilst water temperatures in the rivers is hovering around the 12-13C mark which is not usually compatible with snapper captures, some anglers have been doing okay in Northern Rivers, so spring time action might be on the increase. Just remember to take your oversized landing net or a gaff as these fish can be unpredictable alongside.

Good luck