Species › Australia & New Zealand › Australasian Snapper

Saltwater

Australasian Snapper

Chrysophrys auratus · Snapper, Pink snapper, Tāmure

Water temp
61–72°F
Peak season
Oct–Feb
Best light
Dawn · Dusk
IGFA record
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Australasian Snapper (Pagrus auratus (Forster, 1801) (AM MA36704-1).jpg)

Photo: Unknown · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Australasian snapper are deep-bodied, pink-silver seabreams with bright blue spots on the flanks; old fish develop a bony hump and bulbous nose. They range the coasts of New Zealand and southern Australia from Western Australia to Queensland, living over reef, rubble and sand from the shallows to 650 ft (200 m). They feed on crabs, shellfish, worms and small fish, moving into shallow bays to spawn in spring and summer. Snapper matter because they are everywhere, grow past 30 lb (14 kg), pull hard and eat superbly, making them the bread-and-butter and trophy fish of the region at the same time.

Typical size2–8 lb (1–3.5 kg); 14–24 in
Trophy20 lb+ (9 kg+)
Table fareExcellent — sweet, firm white fillets

Where & when

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Spring and summer (October–February) are peak as fish move inshore to spawn in bays like the Hauraki Gulf and Port Phillip; winter fish hold deeper and bite best in the north.

Hauraki Gulf, New ZealandWorld's best snapper fishery; soft plastics and strayliningPort Phillip Bay, AustraliaMelbourne's famous spring snapper runShark Bay, AustraliaWestern Australia pink snapper stronghold

How to catch

Soft plastics on light jigheadsCast a 5–7 in jerk shad or curl-tail on a 1/4–1/2 oz jighead up-current and let it flutter to the bottom, then lift and drop it slowly back. Most takes come on the sink, so watch the line and strike when it twitches or stops.
Straylining baitsAnchor up-current of reef edges, run a berley (chum) trail, and drift a whole pilchard or cut bait down the trail on a lightly weighted or unweighted rig. Let the fish run before setting the hook; big snapper take slowly.

Gear

Rod7' medium spinning, or 6'6" 8–15 kg boat rod
Reel3000–4000 spinning or small overhead
Line15–20 lb braid; 20–30 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Soft-plastic jerk shadSlow-pitch or slider jigMicro jig

Baits

PilchardSquidFresh fish stripsMussel

Regulations

Snapper carry minimum sizes and daily bag limits in every Australian state and in New Zealand, with seasonal closures in some areas such as Western Australia and Queensland; limits differ between regions and change often.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the best bait for snapper?

Fresh pilchards, whole or cut, are the standard, with squid and fresh fish strips close behind. The key is freshness and a steady berley trail to bring fish to you. On soft plastics, natural baitfish colors in 5–7 in sizes fished slowly near the bottom catch the bigger fish.

Bite forecast — Australasian Snapper

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Australasian Snapper.

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