Port Phillip Bay anglers are still in the grip of snapper fever and the great fishing looks set to continue for a while yet. 

Over the past month there has been some excellent fish taken from the top of the bay. Windy days have hampered the efforts of some in smaller boats but when it’s been possible to get out, the fishing has been breathtaking.

Warren Davey from the Albert Park Yachting and Angling Club reported that since October club members have had good sessions out in 23ft of water between Black Rock and Sandringham. They’ve caught snapper to 7kg consistently, including Brian Wright’s cracker of 6.7kg that took a whole pilchard, fished unweighted.

David Moore and his brother Steven caught a nice bag of five snapper with fish weighing between 5 and 6kg. They also landed a gummy shark. They were fishing out off Altona and got most of their fish on the change of tide. Fresh squid was the gun bait but a fish was also taken on some of last years old silver whiting that was left over in the freezer. Just goes to show that if they’re hungry they will, at times, eat anything. 

Other good reports have consistently been coming in from out off Carrum. The Outer Artificial Reef and slightly wider at the Gasso has produced a few 9kg fish. Squid has been the preferred bait as well as silver whiting. The small flatties are getting on the chew now and destroying pillies in no time so tougher baits are worth obtaining. 

For the land-based snapper anglers there have also been some really good sessions reported off both the Sandringham Breakwater and the Brighton Pier. Most fish have been taken really early in the morning or after about 10pm at night. At this time of the year we get some nice mild nights, so if you’re keen to do an overnighter then get out there.

There have also been some good numbers of garfish about so the jetty rats can have a crack them as well. Take some home for the pan and bag some up for snapper bait. They’ll become top bait over the next few months. 

The snapper have definitely moved onto most marks throughout the top of the bay now so make the most of every opportunity and get out whenever you can. Looks like some great fishing leading into the holiday period.