Snapper Habits
Snapper inhabit the underwater reefs and rubble grounds both inside
the bays as well as in the deeper offshore waters. They feed on squid,
octopi, mussels, crustaceans, and small fishes like pilchards,
whitebait, and bluebait. In Victorian waters they have a special liking
for crayfish tail; the prawn seems to take the place of this bait in New
South Wales.
Snapper usually feed while on the move and this applies both when
they are feeding on the bottom on squid, octopus, or crab, or above the
bottom on small fishes. Thus the first indication an angler has of a big
snapper is when the line suddenly streaks out through the rod rings. The
snapper will, however, stop some distance away to swallow the bait and
this is the time for the angler to set the hook.
Rater temperature possibly plays one of the most important parts, next
to availability of food and the spawning instinct, in the movement of
our snapper. These fish seem particularly sensitive to changes in the
water temperature, or at least something closely related to it.
On hot, windless days there is a tendency for the upper layers of the
sea to become much warmer than the deeper layers. Strong winds, however,
help to distribute this warmth more evenly by buffeting the waves and
driving the tidal currents.
During periods of calm seas, the unbroken water surface allows
sunlight to stream into the shallow and medium depth waters and this may
be one of the reasons why snapper do not feed when the seas are calm.
During rough seas, the snapper bite freely and we ask ourselves: "is it
because the fish can see better in the less brilliant light? Or is it
because the rough seas release food from the weeds; sweep marine
creatures nut of the rock crevices, and stir up the mud and sand which
hide marine life of every description?"
While some species of fishes will not feed at night, others like the
snapper and bream bite better after dark. It is a noticeable fact that
those species which bite well at dawn and dusk, also bite well at night.
Seeing that we are agreed that winds are necessary for good snapper
fishing, we now want to know what winds are the best. No Australian
angler needs to be told that an east wind will ruin all fishing, whether
we fish from a boat, a pier, or the rocks.
The best wind for snapper fishing in Port Phillip Bay is one from the
south-west. Along the southern coast the south wind is also the most
productive, although if it is too strong it makes the seas too rough for
safety. Along the east coast of Australia the north easterly or south
easterly winds are the best. All these wind directions apply only to
boat fishing. For rock fishing the best wind is the one blowing offshore
and its direction will, of course, depend on the direction the coastline
faces. An inshore wind would be more productive if it allowed the angler
to stop on the rocks, but once it becomes strong enough to bring the
fish on the bite it brings in those dangerous rollers.
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