Snapper are undoubtedly the major draw card at this time of year and already there have been some impressive catches recorded across the western flank of Port Phillip.

Whether you’re a soft plastic enthusiast, a more traditional bait angler, or perhaps someone who dabbles in both, west of the Yarra River is a key target area for spring reds.

Fishing at anchor with various baits presented un-weighted or via a light running sinker rig is a tried and trusted technique. The humble pilchard is by far the most successful bait, followed by silver whiting and freshly caught squid. Over the past few seasons, some very large snapper have also been taken on small, but legal size, Australian salmon, which tend to school around the mouth of the Yarra River. Regardless of your choice of hook bait, a steady stream of berley is essential to keep the fish interested and schooled up behind the boat. In fact, it’s not unusual for some crews to go through a couple of kg of cubed pilchards during a sustained hot bite.

Chasing snapper on the drift with lightweight spin tackle and soft plastics continues to increase in popularity. The modern school of thought requires the use of a bow-mounted electric motor, or at least a drogue and sometimes both, in place of an anchor, rod rack and berley pot. Basically, the technique involves using a tailing breeze to make a full length cast into undisturbed water ahead of the boat to avoid spooking fish in the shallows. Interestingly, some anglers opt to cast and retrieve a soft plastic while soaking a few baits at the same time. Indeed it is possible to combine both methods, and quite a few locals do well by berleying up at anchor, setting the bait rods and then flicking a plastic to pass the time. One of the many benefits to having a softie rigged up while bait fishing is that you can often trigger a reaction bite from snapper that are not necessarily dialled into feeding mode.

Irrespective of your preferred method, it is important to consider the weather, and more specifically, wind direction and barometric pressure. Northerly winds generally coincide with a fast-falling barometer and an impending low-pressure system, which tends to put snapper off the bite. Conversely, once the wind swings around to the south, signalling an approaching high-pressure system and stirring up the bay at the same time, some sizzling action can be expected. Moving into a period of stable high pressure, the bite should continue, but the intensity and duration gradually tapers off as the days pass.

In terms of the tides, high water is preferable when fishing the shallows, but out wider, the low tide change can be equally productive. First and last light is most definitely the prime time to snare a few reds. Overcast or cloudy skies, combined with a steady surface chop, also help prolong this short bite window. Of course, snapper can still be caught outside of these periods. For those with time constraints, my final word of advice is to simply get out there whenever opportunities arise!

The inner reef areas in 3-5m of water from the mouth of the Yarra River through to Altona have been a happy early season hunting ground for Darren Ryan and many of his fellow kayakers. Casting worm pattern soft plastics on the drift has seen numerous pinkie snapper averaging 30-40cm taken both early in the morning and late in the evening, particularly on a rising tide. The odd larger red to 3kg has also been reported out a little wider in 6-8m of water. This month all the usual marks ought to be firing on all cylinders.

Squid are continuing to show up in good numbers in the shallows at Point Cook and with so much bait in the area, it will only be a matter of time before the reds follow suit. A few snapper to 3kg have been taken on soft plastics in less the 5m of water just out from the RAAF base in recent weeks and the action is expected to continue through November.

Further west, persistence paid off for Adam van der Lugt recently when his Gulp Turtle Back Worm was slammed by a Corio Bay red going 6.2kg!

Flathead should also start to fire this month and they’re often taken as by-catch while chasing snapper on both soft plastics and various baits.

Having mostly completed their spawning activity, the resident bream are more likely to be on the lookout for a feed. The Maribyrnong River has been producing fish to 35cm plus, particularly up around Edgewater estate through to the Anglers Tavern area. Over at Docklands, once again Sebastian Widjaja has been reports bream to 30cm plentiful amongst the jetty pylons with baits of peeled prawn getting the job done. The odd tailor and silver trevally have also been sighted throughout Victoria Harbour.

If you would like to see your name or photograph published, please forward reports and images to --e-mail address hidden-- . You’re certainly not obliged to give away your secret spot, but a please include a general description of when, where, the technique and bait used, and who caught the fish.