by JJ Edwards
I mean why wouldn’t they be?
They eat a range of baits, lures and flies. They pull hard. They look great and they are great on the table.
In this article I wanted to give you the good oil on the way I’ve enjoyed chasing them of late.
While soft plastics, micro jigs and the like work a lot of the time, there’s one that gets left out of the tackle boxes of a lot of snapper anglers.
We are talking about that fish catching machine the Zerek Fish Trap.
What a bait!
Everything eats them so why wouldn’t a snapper?
Well, they do eat them and they don’t JUST eat them, they inhale them.
So let’s address the elephant in the room right from the get go: “JJ, trebles and inshore reefs don’t mix mate”.
Yep, you’re right, so let’s talk about how to present these things, catch fish and put them firmly back into your box at the end of the day.
Typically, when chasing snapper on jighead weighted soft plastics, we tend to hurl them out and lay a heap of slack line on the surface and wait for the snapper to rip the line off after eating the lightly weighted plastic on the drop. If the lure doesn’t get eaten, we wind in when it hits the bottom and repeat 100 times in the session.
While deadly in its own right, sometimes snapper just aren’t that predictable, but with a few little clues they might just be willing to come to the party if we use our melons.
Most of us these days have a half decent depth sounder on our boats. I pay close attention to that little black box. Take note of where the fish are sitting and when I say where, I mean what depth.
When chasing snapper, you will get into the habit of wanting to see them suspended high in the water column. They are typically aggressive and catchable when this is the case, especially during low light times of the day. With the intrusion of that big shiny orb, they tend to change it up a bit in order to feel comfortable.
I’ve found after an initial flurry of feeding in the low light they tend to retreat into slightly deeper water, behind and in front of current break up or even sometimes completely sulking close to the bottom. But here’s the thing, I believe they are always aggressive and catchable.
Enter the Fish Trap, the straight out of the box Zerek Fish Trap 95. This lure can be fished at any depth with the control of your line.
This Fish Trap gives off a tantalising action both on the drop and on the retrieve. It’s the perfect lure to work out what these fish are up to.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Unlike the soft plastics, the Zerek Fish Trap is going to need more attention when presented.
If you don’t pay attention and keep in touch, it won’t be as effective and chances are you’ll hang it on the rocks right next to all the other lures old man snapper has taken home.
The key with the Fish Trap and snapper is to fish it on a tight line, never losing touch with it. There are two main reasons for this, the first is controlling the fall of the lure to ensure it doesn’t plummet and look unrealistic on the drop. The second is to maintain touch and keep it out of the typically snaggy bottom structure.
I’ve found the snapper will eat the Fish Trap on the drop like they are renowned for doing with most artificial presentations, but I’ve found the Fish Trap is way more effective on the slow roll.
Paying attention to your depth sounder will give you an idea of where the fish are sitting in the water column. I like to take mental notes when presenting my lure – the time it takes to get to the chosen depth is the most important note you will memorise.
Once you’ve counted down your Fish Trap to the depth you’re confident the snapper are sitting, it’s as simple as slow rolling your Fish Trap through the schooling fish. The snapper cannot resist the shimmying and vibration of these fish catching machines as they steadily swim by.
THE BITE
The hits that come with this technique can come in all shapes and forms.
From bone jarring takes that nearly rip the rod out of your hand to gentle bream-type nibbles that prove to me that they really believe this bait is the real McCoy.
The Zerek Fish Trap is good to go straight out of the box. The construction is rock solid and at home in the mouth of the mighty snapper, which are known for being lure wrecking machines.
When it comes to colour I believe it’s all personal preference. I like to use natural colours in overcast conditions and brighter colours on brighter days.
Hopefully this has helped explain a very exciting way to catch the old man Snapper.
It’s a sure bet that this technique is a deadly one and I’m sure mastering this little twist on an old favourite will put more snapper in your boat.
