Pagrus aurutus, commonly known as the snapper, is one of topmost popular table and sport fishes in all of New Zealand and around the globe. Snappers in NZ have varying growth rates and habits based on where they’re located. Snappers in the west coast basically grow faster than those in the east coast and can potentially grow to extremely huge sizes, but their numbers are lower. While snappers are more plentiful in the east coast, but these don’t grow as big as those in the west coast and develop slower.
On the average, a snapper is between 1 to 2 kilograms but can reach an impressive weight of 15 kilograms — these monsters will definitely give you an epic battle. If you’re looking to land your very own snapper in NZ, taurangafishingcharters.co.nz urges you to keep these tips in mind:
- When looking among various snapper fishing trips or going at it alone, go out during early morning or early evening since snappers feed during these times, preferring low lighting to camouflage their presence.
- Go snapper fishing around between the months of October to December since this is the time they seek out worm and shellfish beds and condition themselves for spawning.
- Reefs with consistent current are excellent spots for snapper fishing.
- Ensure that you’ve properly weighted your line because snappers prefer bottom feeding.
- Read up on berley, which is essentially bait that you scatter on the water for attracting fish. Commonly used berley for snappers include squids, pilchards, mackerel, mullet, kahawhai, bonito, as well as other live, tiny baits.
- Soft baits are recommended for drift shifting.
- Utilise ledger or flasher type rigs. Equip the rig’s bottom with the proper weighted sinker and place ample bait strips on the hooks.
- Consider stray lining squids or pilchards on your rig with two hooks, as well as a running ball sinker. Fishing experts agree that this is an excellent method for catching big snappers since the bait sinks more slowly
- Lastly, familiarise yourself with proper bait presentations so that you can maximise all your snapper fishing trips and hopefully land a big one.
Keep these pointers in mind and happy snapping up those snappers!