Port Phillip Bay Snapper How To catch a Melbourne Snapper Video

Melbourne snapper turns up in Port Phillip Bay to spawn and 2019 seasons will be no different. On this page I’ll be talking about fishing from a boat, but if your a land-based fisherman you may learn something.  I have included some videos from rig tying, to me fishing out on Port Phillip Bay.  I’ve tried to include the most important information that you would want to know when your starting out. I’ll admit I’m not the best writer, but I’m a real fisherman.

December January February can be productive for reds. Below towards the bottom of the page is a map of where I like to fish in these months.

Rods, Reel & Tackle: A rod of 6/8 kg with a 4000 size reel can easily get the job done, but if you’re inexperienced maybe use an 8/10 kg rod with a 6000 reel. Both combinations will stop any snapper the bay has to offer.  I’m not going to get into too much depth about brands and best rods and reel combos because I fish a fairly cheap setup. All I will say though is you should at least get a reel with a half decent drag system on it.  I use a Shimano Sienna 4000 spooled with mono 17/lb on a Sonic Pro 6/8 kg stick which is reasonably cheap.  A bait runner is a popular reel combo on a fiberglass rod, but that’s really entirely up to you and your budget.

Fishing Bait i use mono Line from 15lb to 20lb. Lure Fishing Braid is my Choice.

Snapper bait or which lure should I fish in Port Phillip bay?

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How you bait your Pilchards Half Hitch on the End to secure your bait.

I’d recommend utilizing the maximum of 4 rods permitted in Victoria for your fishing endeavors. My preferred setup when fishing out in the deep sand and mud includes three rods rigged with snelled hooks and one with a Reedy’s Rig. When I’m fishing in shallow water over a reef, I might employ two of each rig style.

In terms of bait, I favour Sandy’s silver whiting and Gotcha Supa pilchard. However, if you have fresh bait at your disposal, don’t hesitate to use that. I’ve found that salmon head or fresh garfish works impressively well. Don’t stress too much about your bait during snapper season, as snapper aren’t particularly picky, especially during their spawning and migration periods. As for lures, I believe they should be used by seasoned fishermen. Using a lure isn’t necessarily a more efficient way to catch a red; it’s simply an alternative method to employ when you desire a challenge after reeling in them with bait.

Once your tackle and bait are prepared, mastering timing is the next vital step. I’ve observed the first run of snapper into Port Phillip Bay typically occurs just before early September or late August, around the full moon. The snapper exploit the substantial spring tides during the full moon to migrate into the bay, a pattern which persists for the following two moons leading up to November. This migration continues every month from late August through to early November. Snapper move into and around PPB in schools, peaking early November or late October depending on the moon. Following this, the spawning process commences. This is when you start to detect “Christmas Trees” on your sounder (images of schools of snapper spawning that resemble a Xmas tree, images below), continuing up till around Christmas, at which point the majority of the fish will vacate the bay. Some reds will linger and leave closer to Easter as the water temperature begins to drop. So essentially, every year follows the same pattern: the reds scatter throughout the bay until late October / early November before they start to congregate for the spawning process. I find that Mordialloc to Carrum are ideal fishing locations in November, then towards Frankston/Mornington in early December. During the early season (Sep to Mid October), they can generally be found anywhere, but I prefer to fish up north towards Melbourne and Altona.

Understanding Snapper Seasons: Early and Late Cycles

After having your tackle and bait in order, the next crucial aspect to perfect is the timing. I’ve found that the initial influx of Snapper in Port Phillip Bay takes place around late August or early September, typically aligning with the Full Moon. The significant spring tides during the Full Moon are utilized by Reds for migrating into the Bay, a pattern that’s followed through the next couple of moons leading up to November. This migration rhythm persists monthly from late August till early November. School by school, they infiltrate and spread around PPB, with their population peaking either in early November or late October, depending on the lunar cycle. Subsequently, the spawning process is initiated. This is when your Sounder starts depicting “Christmas Trees” (the images that look like Christmas trees represent schools of spawning Snapper), a phenomenon that lasts till around Christmas. Post this period, the majority of the fish vacate the bay. A few Reds might linger and only exit when the water temperature begins to drop around Easter. Essentially, every year follows the same pattern – the Reds scatter across the bay until late October or early November, after which they start grouping for the spawning process. I’ve found Mordialloc to Carrum to be excellent fishing spots in November, shifting towards Frankston/Mornington in early December. During the early season, spanning from September to mid-October, they can appear almost anywhere, but my preference is to fish up North, towards Melbourne and Altona.

Early Season Snapper Port Phillip Bay A video Catching September Reds 

Early season is from end of August( around the full moon) to mid-October map below.
Below is 91cm snapper I caught at the start of September on 4/0, 5/0 snelled hooks. I have caught literally Hundreds of big snapper on 4/0 Snelled Hooks.

Image of some early season spots in close 5-7 meters up near Melbourne looks for reef edges.
View Map Early Season Fishing Spots Bigger Click Here

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To tie fishing rigs with snelled hooks perfectly for Port Phillip Bay.  I have made a simple video to show you guys how I tie a snapper rig easy and I guarantee it will fish excellent in Melbourne. Knowing which rig is best & when to fish it can be somewhat tricky.  Over the years fishing, Port Phillip Bay is generally considered to use a snelled twin hooks to rig a full pilchard bait.  The other rig

Snelling Hooks to Make An Awesome Fishing Rig for Melbourne Bay’s Snapper, Hook size I use is 4/0 for snell rig & 5/0 or 6/0 on the Reedy’s Rigs Ultra Rigs the Choice is up to yours

Sounding up Snapper in Melbourne Port Phillip bay.  A few tips to get you fishing.

Below are some images taken on my Lowrance Hds & Ellie Chirp sounder, the setting I use is auto & simply adjust the sensitivity up & down depending on the return & clarity of the water. When I am moving faster than a slow trolling speed I turn the sensitivity up, just so there’s a little clutter on the screen. When I find the fish on my sounder  I mark the GPS spot & I like to put the sensitivity back to -4 and re-sound over the fish to confirm what I have found. At night turn the sensitivity right back. I can’t cover using sonar in-depth here though I would prefer to make a video on sounding. Stay tuned.

Reds generally display fairly large on your sounder, pinkies will look the same but smaller.*Spawning Snapper will stack up and look like a Xmas tree, like in the images on my sounder, the Xmas tree itself will wide say 2-3 meters and as high, smaller trees are pinkies blobs are bait.*Last but not least believe in what you’re trying to do, as modern technology progresses its still the same way in fishing, the best way to catch a snapper still hasn’t been found yet, so keep trying new things and techniques. You will become a better fisherman for it, cheers and good luck this season.

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Crafting Your Own Burley: A Simple Fishing Hack

A straightforward video about crafting inexpensive burley can be located on my YouTube channel. My hope is that a tackle company might one day produce 20kg bags that would cater to my usage, as the smaller bags and buckets currently available don’t meet my needs. In combination with throwing chopped pilchards up current (towards the front of the boat when anchored), I lower my pot to the bottom of PPB.

Here are some general tips to help you snag a Port Phillip Bay snapper:

  • Aim to be on the water at the right time – Sunset and sunrise are superb, but during the season, the fish will bite at any time of the day. It’s generally a matter of finding them, so don’t give up too quickly.
  • If you’re not catching anything after 15-30 minutes, try moving or exploring a new spot – this is where an electric anchor winch becomes extremely useful.
  • Try fishing in shallow water on the edge of a reef after rough weather – Mordialloc and Ricketts Point are excellent areas for this.
  • Always use burley – check out my video on how to create your own burley.
  • Many scallop beds in Port Phillip Bay harbor fish. Pay attention to your anchor when you haul it up. I’ve previously found scallop shells in the clumps of mud on the anchor, which is a surefire sign you’re in a good spot. Mark it on your GPS; you can also spot them on your sounder.
  • When looking for snapper, a slightly faster than trolling pace is best. Increase the sensitivity a bit, but don’t overdo it.
  • In case of wind against the current or tide, you can bridle your boat if the weather isn’t too harsh. Alternatively, you can change your rigs to 2 flasher rigs and 2 snelled rigs, as I usually do.
  • Always check your drag settings before casting your spread of rods. I set mine to under 1kg of pressure, perhaps 3/4 of a kg. Recently, I’ve preferred lighter drags and a gentler approach with the fish.
  • Don’t confuse bait on the sounder with snapper. Pilchards & Scad are common bait out there. Try catching the Scad on a Sabaiki jig and use them for fresh bait.

During mid-December, head south and look for scattered arches on the sounder, rather than the Christmas trees. As the Reds begin to return to sea, intercept them. Symonds Channel, Mt Martha, and Intended Heads are key spots around January and February.

From December to April, I prefer to fish in certain areas of Port Phillip Bay during the late season. As per Fishery’s Charts, around Christmas, two-thirds of the Snapper start to leave the Bay. If you’re searching for a Christmas Snapper for the dinner table or are holidaying at Rosebud Caravan Parks, the following areas are great to fish. My favorite spot during this time of the year is just on the drop-off in front of Symonds Channel. I don’t search for fish here using sounders; instead, I set up and wait for them to pass through. It’s generally a pretty good area to fish during this time of the year. Expect to encounter Gummy Sharks, Big Flathead, and Whiting. As the current starts to run in this part of the Bay, it’s important to upgrade your sinkers and leaders to at least 40lb. I prefer 80lb in this area, due to the presence of Gummies and other sharks.

 

Click On Map To Enlarge 

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 December Reds At Frankston  / Mornington

You will Still catch reds  Leaving the Bay. Around the Start of December i Like to fish frankston / Mornington Mt Martha they all can be productive. though Summer tho it gets harder to catch a red the later into summer.  But with a decent effort you still Catch them. but Saying all this just make the effort and go South Mt Martha as i said above.

Reedy's Rigs Fishing Tackle

Depth Charts Port Phillip Bay Sounding Upgrade Gps Easy

11 thoughts on “Port Phillip Bay Snapper How To catch a Melbourne Snapper Video

  1. Matt Lawry says:

    Hey reedy,
    Love your work mate, awesome stuff. Hopefully get a crack at some early season ones soon.
    Noticed youve got a furuno sounder which is what I’ve got. Not much chop at using it though.
    What settings do you run on it?
    Cheers

  2. Snapper Fishing Tackle says:

    Thanks mate appreciate it . to be honest mate i dont use it a great deal & definitely not the person to be give you the best settings. the times i have used its been in auto, i have been able to find snapper , i do struggle with the small screen size as you would know its very small. but i know it’s a good sounder , im just not that experienced with it .. sorry i couldn’t help more , cheers and best of luck for the season.

  3. daniel pratt says:

    What settings do you use on your sounder I have a Lorance elite 7x hdi and em having trouble setting it up any tip would be great.

  4. Jono says:

    Cheers for the tips, keen to give them a crack this will be my third season of going for a big red, so far have only managed pinkys the biggest ones only being around 30cm. Have been hooked on what has felt like two big reds before but lost them out of impatience and excitement.

    • Snapper Fishing Tackle says:

      some would already be here mate . and they keep coming up until start of November .. you see alot of catches around ether side of the next moon , oct 6 , they will also be scatted around the bay until start november .. then usually up near ricketts to carrum is the place to be .. cant wait to get out and have a crack .. best of luck cheers

  5. Russell says:

    G’day Reedy,
    First of I love your work.
    I have only just got a boat, and been out a few times but only get flatties.
    I’m told that Pinkies should be my target this time of year.
    Any tips on Pinkies near Port Melb/ Williamston area,
    thanks your page helps newbies like me out heaps.
    Rusty

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