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Longtails leading the charge
  |  First Published: April 2017



Snapper and grassy sweetlip have been in good numbers over the shallow reefs around Peel Island and Wellington Point. Look for the reef drop-offs and throw lightly-weighted soft plastics to the edges. ZMan Slim SwimZ and the new 65mm Cranka Crabs have been the stand-outs.

There have been intermittent catches of mulloway on the deeper reefs. There have been large schools around, but they move through very quickly and are hard to keep on top of. Using the sounder to find the fish is key. Dropping a lure straight on top of them is the tricky part, but nine times out of 10 they will bite if they see the lure in front of their face. Peel Artificial Reef has been the best bet.

Longtail tuna have been feeding heavily and there have been plenty of them around. From the Sand Hills and north has been their main area. The run-in tide has been working the best, and you’ll find them by looking for birds and surface explosions. Casting stickbaits at the schools and working them slow has been the most productive method for me. Keeping the lure in the strike zone for longer increases your chances.

Autumn has always been my favourite time of year for big snapper, and there have already been some large fish coming through! Fingers crossed it will make up for the quiet summer we’ve had.

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