by Gerry Morsman •

There’s just something about catching snapper off the land that leaves me wanting more! Maybe it’s the excitement of seeing a 13ft rod buckle over after an intense wait in that unforgiving weather with waves crashing over the rocks. It might be those intense moments when you think you’re surely going to lose your fish on a reefy ledge, or a wave picking your fish up in those last seconds of the fight and spilling your prize catch over the rocks when all you can think is, ‘yep – that ones gone!’ only to see you’re still attached and more excited than ever to land the fish you worked so hard for.

Whatever it is, I’ll definitely be doing it until I’m too old to be climbing down hills or lugging my gear down the beach. For now that’s all part of the adventure and part of what makes a land-based snapper so rewarding. Some of my greatest and worst fishing memories have been off the land ranging from some epic sprained ankles to witnessing some of the biggest snapper I’ve ever seen being caught right in front of me. Most sane people would be reading this wondering why the hell anybody would want to do this. It sounds horrible, but I bloody love it!

SAFETY!

I can’t express enough how important this is, especially when fishing in these conditions on an uneven rocky surface. There are going to be waves crashing over the rocks and you never know when a rogue set of waves could come through and put you into the water.

This has never happened to me and I’ve never seen it happen to anyone but I have definitely heard about it and it’s something I am very wary of. Always fish with a mate and keep an eye out for each other at all times! I highly recommend wearing a PFD, a life jacket and suitable footwear. No fish is worth not coming home for.

LOCATION

There are so many factors to look at but probably the most important is your location. There are all sorts of different ways to target large land-based snapper. A couple of places are favourites and have worked consistently for many experienced and keen land-based anglers.

My favourite location would have to be the Mornington rocks. This area holds the key features to holding large land-based snapper, but it’s also very weather-dependant if you want to catch them consistently. Mornington is a very popular area for boats targeting snapper, so you know they are going to be around somewhere, which is obviously a good start. There is plenty of structure through this whole area.

If you watch any fishing shows or talk to your local tackle shops you would have heard at some stage that structure holds fish, so make sure to always look for this when choosing your location. The water would only be a couple of metres deep for around the first 15m out and there is a very steep drop-off that goes to around 6m at low tide. This drop-off is nearly like a wall in the water, so when there’s a huge westerly wind at Mornington, it will wash in a heap of food from all over the bay and my theory is that the food will hold up against this wall putting large snapper into a feeding frenzy.

A westerly wind at Mornington is classed as an onshore wind. An onshore wind basically means that the wind is blowing directly towards the shoreline. The best times I have found have been at first light. I hate getting up that early but the snapper don’t mind (clearly never had a big night) and as much as I would love them to wait around like everyone else, they aren’t going to! It’s not all bad news, though, as another very productive time is late in the afternoon and going into just after dark.

Although these times seem to be the most productive you always have a chance to catch them throughout the day. It’s not often the weather gods allow these perfect conditions, so large snapper will most likely take the opportunity to get themselves an easy feed in close. Don’t be afraid to wait it out, as you never know – you might still get your fish of a lifetime.

Another place to target large land-based snapper is in the shallows at night. Some of the best areas for this are the shallows around the top end of Western Port like Lang Lang or Temby Point near Jam Jerrup. There are huge mud flats around these areas and the snapper love to get up on them on the incoming tides and feed on mainly crabs. This doesn’t mean you have to use crabs as bait, because if a snapper sees a fresh pilchard or a nice strip of fresh squid in front of it, I can almost guarantee it will eat it.

If they are up on the flats they are up there for one reason only, and that is to feed. A great thing about these areas too is that you are in with a very good chance of catching gummy sharks or even the elusive prize mulloway. The most productive time to do this is at night. The later, the better I reckon!

With the water being quite shallow, usually no more than 2m, the dark conditions allow these aggressive feeding predators to sneak up on their prey, giving them a chance at a feed. One of the best things about hooking a big snapper in 2m or less of water is the fight! They don’t really have anywhere to go apart from straight ahead so hang on because I guarantee they will be pulling a fair bit of drag, and don’t we all love that sound!

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ROD

When you go into a tackle shop and see the range of rods they have to offer it can be quite overwhelming! You will speak to 10 different people and get 10 different answers and generally none of them will be wrong. So here are a few simple things to look for when choosing a rod.

It’s good to get a nice, long rod anywhere around that 12-13ft length. The reason for this is that it will allow for the best possible cast with a heavy sinker and a big bait and it will also sit nice and high, keeping your line out of the wash of the waves. The reason you want your rod to stay out of the waves crashing onto the rocks is that it minimises the chance of getting nicks in your line and it also decreases the amount your bait and sinker are being dragged out of position.

Another thing we look for is a fair amount of strength through the middle section of the rod, which allows you to pull a fish away from a ledge or heave it up onto the rocks. While fishing the flats it’s not as important to have such a long fishing rod but it also doesn’t matter if you do, so buying a 12-13ft rod is a good option, as it’s much more universal.

REEL

Here’s an actual situation when size does matter. You will be putting a lot of strain on your gear, so something around the 10,000 size is ideal. Generally while retrieving, even when you don’t have a fish on, you will be reeling in pretty hard to keep it away from the snags.

You will most likely come across plenty of unwanted fish, like big stingrays or very hard fighting eagle rays, and if you are lucky enough a big shark like a bronze whaler. So yes, a bigger reel is a good option.

There are also reels with long cast spools allowing you to get those extra few metres that we sometimes need.

MAIN LINE

Okay here we go – the big debate of whether we should be using monofilament or braid. The answer to this is to use what you feel comfortable with! Each line has their advantages and disadvantages, as does everything else. Mono is a lot more abrasion resistant (meaning it won’t break as easily when rubbing against something), so technically we should probably be using this when fishing around reef or structure, but there are ways to tackle that problem when using braid.

Mono has stretch, which is good for not pulling hooks out of the fish’s mouth, and it’s a lot more forgiving. Braid is very well known for its ability to cast a lot further and, with its zero stretch, you are able to feel just about anything that is nibbling at your bait. I like braid, but whether I’m using braid or mono I use 30lb.

MAIN LEADER/SHOCK LEADER

Your leader is just as important as everything else, so don’t cheap out on this! It’s what connects you to the fish. Don’t be fooled by how sharp some early season snapper teeth can be! I suggest using around 60-80lb main leader. I know 80lb seems extreme but if you hook a 20lb fish you want to give yourself every chance at landing it, if you’re pulling it up onto sharp rocks. The shock leader is vital when using braid, as this is what gives you that extra bit of stretch but more importantly that extra bit of abrasion resistance that braid doesn’t really have. I would recommend around 5m of 40lb leader.

BAIT

There are so many different baits to choose from when it comes to snapper fishing. They are a very opportunistic fish when feeding, so they will have a go at just about anything fishy while they are in their feeding frenzy. This doesn’t mean you can put just anything on the hook. As you want the best possible chance, leave them with no choice but to attack your bait.

We’ve all heard it before – because it’s so important – fresh is best! It’s as simple as that. If you have a chance of catching yourself some fresh bait then do it. If I saw green bread and white bread sitting next to each other I know what I would eating.

While fishing in choppy, turbulent water it’s a good idea to use something nice and tough like squid or octopus. Rings or strips are the way to go. If you want to stick with the fish baits and want something tough, silver whiting will get the job done. A few other popular baits are pilchards, yakkas and couta.

Many people get out there and catch snapper out of their boats and, don’t get me wrong, I love doing that as much as the next fisho, but if you have never been out there and caught snapper off the land then I suggest you chuck it on your fishing bucket list. I’m still chasing that elusive 20lb fish off the rocks and while I will probably never get it, I won’t give up!

I’ve seen people do it and it’s generally the first thing we talk about after not seeing each other for a while. Though the conversation is always the same, it never gets old and I will happily have the same chat every time I see them! This doesn’t just go for those big 20lb fish, it goes for any snapper an angler might get off of the land. There is just something about the fight and excitement of catching one of our most iconic fish that is so special. I know I will never get sick of it and I look forward to my next trip.