Best bait to catch snappers?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33282
Printed Date: 23 Jun 2026 at 10:17am
Topic: Best bait to catch snappers?
Posted By: Gid
Subject: Best bait to catch snappers?
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2008 at 10:21pm
| Hi guys, hope all are well! I'm new in NZ and new to NZ fishing. I was a keen fisherman back in the Republic, obviously having our own ways and tricks. This is new country and new context, and I was wondering what is the best natural bait for fishing for snappers? I'm not so into softbait yet. I will be stationed in Northland for the next few months. Hope to hear from you all. Cheers for now - Gid |
Replies:
Posted By: Carbine
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2008 at 10:29pm
take note of the baits and rigs used  http://www.fishing.net.nz/asp_forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=32342 - http://www.fishing.net.nz/asp_forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=32342 ------------- 
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Posted By: levinlarge
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2008 at 11:08pm
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PIPER, jellowtail, slimey mackerel, mussel, kina - so many good fresh baits! ------------- LedgeNZ LBG |
Posted By: biggear
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 6:58am
| Freshly caught kahawai works as treat. |
Posted By: Muppet
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 7:03am
| Generally Fresh bait from the location is the best but generally don't leave home without pillies and this time of the year squid. And get a SP set ASAP!!! |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 7:26am
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Standard baits would be pilchards, with a skipjack for a little vaiety. Squid are good especially if you are looking for things other than snapper as well...for example tarakihi will take squid, but only reluctantly take pillies etc, same goes for porae, another fine, and fairly common, table fish. If you want ot use really fresh bait, always a good option, if you land a kahawai, use that...either as a livie if small enough (say30cm or less, in which case you will pick up kingfish and the odd big moocher snapper, or as fresh cut baits. Here is a hint though, if using as a cut bait, scale the fillet first, makes it a lot more supple and easy to get onto the hook. Personally, with fresh kahawai, I skin the kahawai, as really fresh kahawai is actually pretty firm flesh anyhow, sticks on the hook pretty well without the skin, especially if you sew it on (like you do with pillies) and the added attraction of having 2 sides of bait exposed to the water to spread scent seems to make it an even more attractive bait. I prefer fresh, skinned kahawai to any other bait these days. If you are jigging for kings or whatever, and pick up a barracouta (snoek to you I tihnk), then these are also pretty good baits, snapper are happy to munch on it and it makes great slab baits for deep fishing for hapuku etc. Other frozen baits... mullet, trevally, sanma etc all have their times and places, but the basics of pillies and a skippy, with a fresh kahawai if you pick one up, should see you right pretty much anywhere. hope this helps, Cheers, Stu. |
Posted By: Saltiga
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 7:43am
| Sorry captain but i have to disagree with terakehi being reluctant on pillys, where we fish for them we only use pillys (filleted),small pieces and its like pullingone up after another fishing, this is on the worm beds the best bait for them is tuatuas i reckon |
Posted By: hookerpuka
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 8:28am
| For snapper ..... Baby Salmon :D |
Posted By: fozzie
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 11:31am
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Gid, being new to the country I would suggest trying to get out on a couple of charter trips and see if you can pick up some tips that way as well, pick up a copy of "Fishing News" to find an operator close to you. Who knows, if you start saying how great the Northland rugby side is you may get befriended by a local fisho willing to show you the ropes as well.. hope you enjoy it up there, magical place. ------------- Dont take life too seriously.....no one gets out alive any way. http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Old Fart
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 8:00pm
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Just gotta have my 2 cents worth. Squid like u buy at the garage, in packets, I think because it is so white, and salted Kawhai,heard everyone say fresh Kawhai but never seems to work for me. My grandson worked on a fishing boat for a while and he reckoned Barracuda that had been left out in the sun for a while as it got a bit of a glow on. So long as there is bait in the water and coffee in the hand you are on. ------------- I wish I could catch as many fish as my wife does. |
Posted By: green guy
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 10:06pm
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Old Fart wrote:Posted By: green guy
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 10:07pm
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or u could try a flasher with some squid or mullet seems to be working for me at the mo |
Posted By: carlostairua
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 10:20pm
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All good stuff from the fellas above, fresh bloody kahawai in winter, fresh bloody skippy in summer, or fresh bloody mackeral any time would be my fav baits ------------- http://theprovider.co.nz" rel="nofollow - theprovider.co.nz |
Posted By: part-timer
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 10:56pm
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Gid!! If I were you I, would get a bag of pillies, a bag of squid, and a couple of mullet each time you go out for the first half dozen times... cut your teeth on that, and experiment with macks and kahawai as you go...you will catch them on the day, so you can use them fresh.. Jim |
Posted By: Hackers
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 11:32pm
Bottom line snapper are scavengers, it they are on the bite they will eat almost anything. I have even caught snapper on the silver paper from a chocolate bar and in the past have even used snapper to catch snapper 
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Posted By: Old Fart
Date Posted: 09 Oct 2008 at 5:50pm
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PS Everything likes blue cod. Westcoast saying. ------------- I wish I could catch as many fish as my wife does. |