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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote albert wild Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Top Water Snapper
    Posted: 15 Aug 2011 at 3:43pm
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Hi all, hope you are all not shivering in the snow

I plan to put a fair bit of time this spring and summer into chasing snapper on poppers and walk the dog style topwater lures. I'm keen to here from any members that have played around with this sort of thing. I have spotted the occasional fish on here that has been caught on a stick bait so I'm sure there's a few anglers out there that have some info to share on lure size-style, water depth, retrieve speed - cadence.
A few guys over here in OZ starting to play with the reds and spangled emperors on poppers with some interesting results.

Cheers, hope the weather warms up for you guys soon


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Telecaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 2011 at 3:50pm
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I caught a couple of decent pannies on a kilwell hex wobbler off the rocks a couple of years ago, while spinning for kahawai. Really makes you challenge the preconceived ideas about snapper behavior! Keep us posted with your results!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Blue Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 2011 at 3:53pm
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hi there, we were targeting snapper some 30+ years ago mate from the rocks on what was then call mavericks brought in from ozzy by the Alvey boys, they had a single treble hook and were all sorts of colours, the best colour from memory was in rainbow, we got some very nice snapps of all sizes and generally they came in on the shallow water over the weed, we would target the gaps in the reefs and slow wind back, bear in mind back then we were using Alvey 1 to 1 retrieve.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote albert wild Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 2011 at 3:56pm
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Hi Tele, you're on the money, it's all about progression. Still a lot of stuff to play with to keep the fire burning. Cheers for the feedback.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Capt Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 2011 at 9:35pm
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Someone fishing off...mayor island in the BoP i think, nailed a very nice snapper last summer.... pics etc were posted here.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote albert wild Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 10:26am
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Hi Capt Asparagus, I saw that post, it was an impressive capture. Most of the Snaps being caught on poppers over here in OZ seem to be coming out of water around the 5 metre mark in calmer areas, on 70 to 100 mm poppers that are worked with a reasonably long pause between pops. Warmer water temps seem to be a bit of common denominator. We still have 20 degree water off Nambucca at the moment, still catching Spotted Mackerel in August, so we may have a lash it over the next few weeks, I will let you know how it go's
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Bunzo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 11:08pm
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Here is the link to Ginga's report of the 20pounder on an 'Angel' stickbait shown on my avatar, caught last March at Mayor, it was a goody Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote JoshW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 1:30am
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not sure if warm water is essential albert, have seen/caught them in the middle of winter in water so shallow their dorsal spines are sticking out of the water, have also witnessed them chrashing piper schools in still glassy calm winter mornings. 

never caught one on a popper,  (haven't really tried yet tbh), caught heaps on shallow diving bibbed minnows, even had the floating models crunched off the surface.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Mr Plastic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 3:39am
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I think the sinking stick bait on the shallow foul would find a few.. Most other lures do so i cant see why not. A good place to start anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote albert wild Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 11:26am
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Hi Josh,  It's funny bream will get right up in the shallows with there backs out of the water, even tail like golden trevs  at times, they feed and attack artificials in very similar ways to snapper and the old breambo is a sucker for a top water presentation. In OZ we consistently catch flathead and whiting on poppers now, I know they are completely different species, but both of them were always considered bottom feeders and species that you would not consider a top water target. 

Like you said, snapper seem to be keen to attack most offerings that are put in the right spot at the right time and the water temp thing may not be such a factor if you can find them in the right spots. One things for sure I reckon we could have some fun with this, be pretty cool watching big fat snaps munching lures off the surface. What sort of hard bods do you guys use on the snaps Josh? 

Thanks for posting the link Bunzo, dam nice fish, well done

Cheers for the feedback fellas 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote JoshW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 12:10pm
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various sizes of rapala xraps, CD's and river 2 sea bibbed minnows mostly. the floating models are better as you can cast over snags, retrieve...pause and let them float over the snag and continue retrieving. Fished them quite a bit during/after work last year in water as shallow as 1m and did really well considering the locations we were fishing, very local, (straight out the front door of the house). Lots and lots of pannies and the odd 5-7kgr. Caught them casting and trolling but found trolling them a very productive way to secure a feed, esp in the middle of a storm when it's to windy to cast/anchor/drift or even leave the vicinity of the boat ramp.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote albert wild Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 12:35pm
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Sounds like fun Josh, pretty versatile weapon the old floating crank bait, some of the yak guys over here are doing really well trolling hard bods at the moment, fishing with CD's and similar lures. Boys down in Port Phiilip in Vic doing well trolling super deep divers over the flatter terrain. I've asked Grant if he can add a hard body sub section to one of the forum's, lots of stuff to play with and share info on.

Cheers mate. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Accident Prone Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 4:34pm
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I was planning on trying this out at the Mokes but unfortunately the weekend weather hasn't been the greatest and have had to postpone our trip twice now. 3rd time lucky!. If I have any luck I will let you know.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Bunzo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 12:50am
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Not wrong Albert, Whiting are a blast on poppers, they chase them down and smash them.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote albert wild Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 1:04am
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Blood oath Bunzo, they come in on the popper like a striped marlin, fantastic fun and sweet to eat. Who would ever of thought we would be catching them constantly on topwater lures. I spent a fortune on small Jap top water lures last summer, I had the drug baaad!!! Be cool to get a few heads together and try to work out the snaps on top. 
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