Moreton Bay pre-closure snapper

The young guns have certainly been hitting the waterways, bringing home some great feeds over the past month. Awesome local Moreton Bay snapper seemed to be on the menu right up until the closure on July 15.

Billy did himself proud picking up a very nice 63cm snapper when trolling around Mud Island.

This was a great local snapper and certainly one that Billy was more than happy with.

Well done Billy, great to see you producing the goods!

I caught up with one of our locals Gary Howard to pick up a couple of his bay Fraser Fury rods.

A few days later, Aaron landed a cracker 56cm knobby on one of those rods.

 

When you use gear built for the bay, chances are you’ll end up with a personal best fish, as Aaron did.

Well done on a new Moreton Bay snapper PB Aaron!

Another young gun who’s learning heaps about our bay area is Geronimo.

He’s been fishing Moreton Bay since he could climb in the boat.

Dad Chris has been passionate about teaching his kids as much as possible on not only catching fish but looking after and cooking the day’s catch too.

Geronimo and his dad should be proud of this cracker.

It came in at 84cm and 6.5kg!

 

To add a little salt to the wound, Chris caught a 4kg snapper a couple of days later.

Geronimo looked at it and had a little chuckle… kids!

A new young gun is emerging – Jacob has put himself on the board after nailing an impressive 63cm flathead while fishing with his dad at Pinkenba.

Jacob chased this one for quite a while and now has a new personal best lizard.

As you can tell by the grin on his face, Jacob was stoked with this one.

Well done Jacob, we look forward to seeing more of your catches in future, though this one will be hard to top.

 

The young guns are certainly holding their own in Moreton Bay at the moment – they are giving the seasoned veteran anglers a run for their money.

Trying to even the score and take them down a peg or two is Adam, also known as ‘Teach’, who took advantage of the great weather, hit the bay and brought home an 80cm beast.

We have seen a few coming in at about 75-80cm this year.

It has been a very productive season indeed.

Teach likes to fish light in the bay, with this monster caught on a 2-4kg Tairyo rod, 2500 Shimano reel and using only 12lb braid!

A well-deserved catch Adam, nicely done.

 

Jack and his crew have hit the Moreton Bay playground again chasing the big fish.

They have been bringing in snapper from 65cm, 75cm and 80cm plus.

Goes to show that when you put the time in to research an area, the results pay dividends.

We were lucky too – Jack dropped a couple into the store for us and the eating quality of the fresh snapper was unbelievable.

Thank you Jack and crew for fantastic photos and an awesome feed, it was greatly appreciated.

If the weather continues to play the game post-closure, we should see a lot more local snapper being caught out in Moreton Bay.

 

And the great catches should continue from land-based fishos around Redcliffe, Margate and Woody Point.

If you can’t find yellowtail pike in a store, you can always catch your own at a local pier or jetty.

A few people use the traditional sabiki rig, with the more seasoned pike anglers using a little piece of red or yellow wool tied onto a long-shank #4 hook.

Remember though that pike can be slimy – having a rag or a pair of rubber-coated tongs will help a lot.

Whiting are an awesome entry level fish target to start young ones down the angling path.

You only need the basics – a 1-3kg rod, a 2-4kg rod with a small reel or even a humble handline will do.

 

Tackle selection is simple too, a packet of #6 long-shank hooks, a packet of #1 ball sinkers (ball or bean, use what you have) and a packet of small swivels if you are using monofilament line.

There are so many ‘preferred’ rigs out there – keep it simple.

I use a small sinker, thread it on and simply tie the hook so the sinker runs freely up and down the line and rests on top of the hook.

Whiting are bottom feeders, so you want your bait down where they are.

If I remember to, I may also put a bit of red or pink tubing between the hook and the sinker – this is not a must, simply an added attractant.

Thread a small amount of worm, squid or prawn on the hook, get it in the water and let the whiting do the rest.

On light gear they are so much fun and, if you have a sensitive tip on the rod, even the smallest of fish will look like a beast coming up.

 

While many people will have a ‘better’ way of catching whiting – and yes, they’ll work too – I prefer to keep it simple and fun, and this is how I do that.

If you start the same way, modify this method to suit your needs.

So, take some time out with the young ones and introduce and encourage them to take up this incredible sport.

It is not only about catching a fish and having a photo taken – it’s much more than that.

Kids can learn so many new skills, including how to communicate and problem solve.

So, if you only dabble or you don’t have fishing experience, get out there with the children and learn together.

It is never too late, and you can also call into Tackle Land – we’ll help with your questions and guide you through the basics to get started.

If you are going to stay out at night, remember to check your night-time running gear to ensure it actually works and that you can be seen!

You don’t want to ruin a great night picking up a fine due to unsafe lighting.

Stay safe out there and maintain the passion.