Looking to catch a Port Phillip Bay Snapper? Explore our video series that’s taken over a decade to create, covering various Bay fishing areas. You can either watch each chapter via the provided links or view the entire series below. The series will continue to grow in the coming years, so make sure to revisit. Our videos are created in a jovial spirit with plenty of jokes, so enjoy without taking them too seriously. We’re also currently developing content on Whiting and Squid fishing, so stay tuned! Your likes, shares, and support for our fishing brand are greatly appreciated. If anything is unclear, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page. Cheers!
Chapter 1 Port Phillip Bay- Early/late Season Snapper in SHALLOW Water
For us Snapper season Starts in September. in the First Chapter, we talk about Fishing Shallow as Snapper Enter Port Phillip bay.
Chapter 2 Bait Presentation Australian Snapper
Bait Presentation is a very important part of catching a snapper. Young Zac show’s the correct way to bait your Hooks.
Sounding up Snapper in snapper season is a great way to locate snapper, in this video, I show some way’s to locate Reefs and grounds that hold snapper.
I forgot to mention in this video. Try to keep your hooks close together. Half hitch the ball sinker to the bait. ( to prevent line twist when its wind against the current) in 2021 this still my go-to rig when snell hooks. rather than other variations of this rig, (E.G sliding snell ) as the sliding snell is not as good for penetrating the fish as why I like the top Hook to be tied.
Back to Early Late season snapper Fishing Deep for September / October / April /May.
Each year the snapper will enter the bay. It is different each year. I found in the last 10 years of fishing the bay ALL year. Fish enter really wide or super shallow. when you work it out for the current season. Capitalize on this.
Chapter 7 Snapper Fishing Work Hard | Port Phillip Bay Reds Melbourne
YOU Must work hard to catch these fish getting up early and fishing the Peak time is very important.
Get the Right Gear Reedy’s Rigs 187 Octopus Sharp Fishing Hooks
What’s the Best Rigs & Hooks For the Port Phillip Bay?
There is no best snapper rig in Port Phillip Bay.
Hi, my name is Brett as I’m the owner of Reedy’s Rigs it’s literally my job to know what rigs work best in port Phillip Bay. this is what I’ve done for the last 10 years of my life target snapper ALL Year-Round in port Phillip Bay.
Today I’ll share that some information with you about rigs. Below on this Page is a Tutorial Video of Me Tying a Snapper Rig to help you catch a Melbourne Snapper.
I Also Discuss Different types of Rigs you might Fish in Port Phillip Bay.
Unweighted Fly Rig
The first rig I use is an Unweighted fly rigged on a Reedy’s Rig single circle Hook 4/0. In Port Phillip Bay there are lots of shallow reefs. Normally it’s very snaggy Country so using twin Hooks is probably not ideal. I prefer the circle hook on this rig, Only Because they do not seem to get snagged as much.
The unweighted fly will just give it that 10% attracting power and is also possible to catch a red with no bait. This rig is a great early season when the fish are shallow. I use 20/40-pound leaders.
I connect it to the mainline with a double uni knot or a Swivel if I plan to head deeper later.
The early season when the fish go shallow is when I fish this rig most.
The types of areas such as Black Rock, Altona, Elwood, Frankston, Brighton, Sandringham Mornington, Mount Eliza, Basically anywhere with the heavy reef.
Snell Twin Hook Rig Snapper Rig
The Snell Rig probably port Phillip bay’s most used rig. Great for most parts of the bay. I use size 4/0 187 Hooks (octopus Style) you can catch big fish on small hooks. it’s harder to catch small fish on big hooks.
Let’s face it not every snapper is going to be a huge one. A 2Kg 3Kg fish are still good fish but would be better suited to 4/0 size hooks. I like my Snell rigs to have fixed hooks to help with penetration when hooking the fish.
So, there’s always been a lot of talk about unweighted and weighted on the Snell rigs, If you can get away with unweighted use an unweighted rig.
but in my boat, I’m always fishing at least four rods or normally 8 so to keep those rods in an even spread so they’re not tangling up with each other, I Use size 1 Ball Sinker. It will keep that all in order so that’s why I use the sinker. This rig is great for full Baits such as pilchards, Silver Whiting, squid heads, etc.
Reedy’s Rigs Ultra Rig Tied On Paternoster
Reedy’s rigs Ultra-Rigs are the Best Pre-tied Paternoster rig on the market. there is no expense spared on the rig. I use paternoster rigs anytime when I’m fishing Snell rigs which are most of the time.
Is probably my favorite rig, to be honest. I Find my Biggest fish of the year is normally caught on this Rig. Using fresh squid strips or rings is fantastic. But I like a silver whiting head Pinned through the nose. With circle hooks, you won’t use the next size up Hook, then what you’d use generally speaking it’s a size up so if you use normally used size 4/0 then use a 5/0 hook if you size 6/0 Buy 7/0 Etc.

Reedy’s 187 Pack of 25 Octopus Beak Hooks
Buy Pack’s of 25 5/0 187 Hook By Reedy’s Rigs High-Quality Japanse Made Fishing Hook.

Tinganoster Rig’s Handtied with 187 Circle Hook’s
Reedy’s Rigs New Whiting Rigs with a Thin Guage Hook Perfect for KGW. The New Rig has UV & Flasher with a Small Red Bead. Tied On Fluorocarbon Leader this Rig will Be A Hit This Summer. The Rig Comes in a Paternoster & a Mixed Running Rig. with Four Color Types. Buy Your’s Here

NEW 4/0 ULTRA Rigs Buy Reedy’s Rigs
4/0 Ultra Rig Have hit the Market this Year Hand-Tied On Quality Tackle Need 4/0 Rigs Click Here
Leader anywhere from 30lb to 60lb the choice is yours to make. on snell hook Rigs I choose 40lb. 187 Hooks Octopus Hooks when snell rig. A Fishing Swiel & Lumo beads.
187 Hook Features:
- Chemically Sharpened: Even though these hooks are Japanese-made, they are treated with a particular chemical to keep them sharper longer. This means an acid or chemical solution is used to sharpen the end. This allows for a smaller barb size and a thinner, more tapered point for hooking fish.
- Hook Point: The hand-ground point gives the 187 Hook its unprecedented performance in penetration. This reduces piercing resistance, meaning an increased and enhanced speed of penetration. The hook will resist wear and bend for more extended periods of time.
- Teflon Coating: All 187 Hooks are designed for extended life and performance. The Teflon coating enhances the penetration of the hook. This provides less friction and less force needed for the snapper or kingfish to bite. The fish won’t need much force to bite down on this hook. Also, the coating process reduces the corrosion process due to the salt content of the sea.
These hooks help you catch more fish. Reedy’s 187 Hooks are designed by those who know their game when it comes to fishing. They hold up to professional standards, and you can take advantage of their circle or octopus design with its straight shank. These hooks give you the perfect catch of snapper and kingfish at a rate of 100% and are a must-have for all your tackle and fishing needs.