I haven't had a chance to go for snapper since getting back from Tassie three weeks ago. Weather has stopped me getting very far off shore. Today looked a lot better and a mate with a larger boat was keen , so we jumped in his boat and headed out at 7am. Snapper have been scarce here this year. After a bit of a debate we decided to try the deeper rocks 7-8 nm off. Started with the usual bull eye gurnard so didn't look promising. Half an hour and a bunch of gurnard then wack! The rod bends an I am on. Lots of head shakes and a bit of a run. The fight to get it up out of nearly 50mtrs of water was slow. Finally colour and up comes a 45cm snapper. Yeehaa! Lots of excitement. 20 minutes and 10 bulleyes later we are somewhat less excited. Decided we would move 100 mtrs to the edge of a 5mtr drop off and try again. More boring catches of gurnard and Sgt Bakers. Poured a coffee took a sip and the mates rod doubles over. 5minutes and a 59cm snapper is on the deck. He drops over and repeats it again. Hmmm I just get bull eyes. Half an hour goes by and I get hit up comes a 42cm. Two each. Ha! Almost straight away I am on with a more robust fighter. 48cm up and on the deck. An hour later and the bull eye and Sgt backer score is up in the 20s. So we move in to try for a flatty just off the six mile. Bull eyes, bull eyes
. Nearly ready to call it stumps and I get typical flatty hit followed by a few lazy head shakes. Up comes a nice 48cm tiger flathead. Then the mate gets hit. Lots of head shakes. Up comes a 50cm snapper. That makes it a bag out for both of us. Called it quits and back in for a late lunch.
So looks like there are still a few around. Back at the ramp and another boat had a 75cm one from the same area. Quite a few boats chasing the flathead down the pines area in 18mtrs with some nice bags, so looking good for the easter weekend.
There's nothing . . . absolutely nothing . . . half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats.
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows (River Rat to Mole)
