How big do snapper get?
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=74374
Printed Date: 27 May 2026 at 4:32pm
Topic: How big do snapper get?
Posted By: M.Hoppy
Subject: How big do snapper get?
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 6:09pm
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Probably a silly question, but what the biggest snapper you've seen, caught or heard of?
Any pics would be cool too
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Replies:
Posted By: Fletch
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 6:11pm
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< gets the chips and dip..... ------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Muppet
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 6:12pm
| Had a fishing news mag with a BOP longlined snapper estimated at least 60lb in the pages can't recall if it was front cover. Caught in the 80's not a fake photo never officially weighed but it is massive. |
Posted By: C A
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 6:22pm
 ------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow">
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PEANUT555 wrote:Posted By: PJay
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 6:26pm
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Nah, Muppet, that one is not universally accepted as not a faked pic. (The perspective is a bit weird.) Mark Hemingway's present IGFA world record snapper was 37lb 12oz (17.2kg approx), and 107cm long. The 2 longest snapper I've boated and released were 102cm each (one kayak, one dinghy). Neither weighed, and I'm not prepared to guess their weights. I've had one much, much longer alongside my dinghy, and I estimated that at 1.2m. A vastly experienced friend saw that fish underwater at close to the same time and estimated it at >20kg. By way of comparison, my most recent mid-20s (11.522kg) snapper to have been weighed by a club weighmaster was 90cm. Any length/weight tables are only the roughest of guides. I've weighed 20-21lb snapper that have ranged from 78-86cm.
------------- PJ |
Posted By: LBGer
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 6:27pm
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I thought I saw that in the BOP times, my grandmother kept it for me, late 80's from memory. ------------- A king on the bricks is worth 5 in a boat. |
Posted By: Muppet
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 6:51pm
| OK I know one or two folks who have seen mega monster snaps fishing on the rocks on Barrier did'nt one account appear in one of the mags pretty sure it did. |
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 7:36pm
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commercially caught "Fishing News" estimated it to be in the 60lb bracket.... back then they didn't have Photo Shop and all those gadgets to alter pics like now days... who really knows how big it is unless its Weighed on certified scales... unless you weight it, you might as well say nothing, no prof no argument..... 
------------- Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing |
Posted By: Phishpula
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 7:36pm
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I have seen a pic of a reported 50 pounds snap caught in the bop in the 60-70's big fish but still not sure if its fake or not. Norfolk get them over 20kg so not sure why it could happen here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iIFJYZko4Q - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iIFJYZko4Q
No affiliation to this business just showing the fish in Norfolk Islands. ------------- Turtle free since 2012 |
Posted By: jonocoogee
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 7:52pm
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Yeah i remember that pic Lethal, It was in an 80s book of how to catch snapper, that is the biggest one I have seen. Bet it would have been as tough as pavement! ------------- TAS - Its a real disease |
Posted By: Lickindip
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 8:08pm
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|<------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->| [Not to Scale] ------------- I just read an article about the dangers of drinking too much; it scared the sh*t out of me, so today I decided I'm never f*cking reading again! |
Posted By: M.Hoppy
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 8:10pm
hahahahahhaha
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Posted By: Muppet
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 9:34pm
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Wonder if the guy in the photo could get tracked down.... Something for the Fishing Show or someone to do.
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Posted By: Aaron32987
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 10:10pm
that's an awesome picture - what a horse of a fish! |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 10:25pm
I remember in the 70's my mates at school who's Dads were fisherman with tales of 40 poundas was the saying and those from Norfolk Is areas experiencing 50 poundas
Still curious to know how big the Ozzy Snappers get to...?? ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: CRAYMOUNTS
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 10:37pm
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1lb to 50lb plus ------------- CLASS CRAYMOUNTS DONE |
Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 11:26pm
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Largest I heard of was 50lb+ Was from a retired commercial long liner who claimed to be one of the first to fish many of the deeper more remote spots. He said his boat was more capable of offshore fishing compared with the smaller inshore commercial fishing boat of the time, 40lb+ fish were not uncommon. He had quite a few stories, and seemed honest enough. |
Posted By: Raumatibeach
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 6:50am
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IDoesn't Sam Mossman say in his book that photo is pretty much accepted as being a fake?
------------- Get off my lawn.... |
Posted By: "Scooter"
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 7:08am
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That fish would be more than 60lb if it was real,,,or that blokes bloody small. The whole pic looks like an early photoshop,,,a manual negative version which could be done back then. The real biggist Snapper of all time was caught by a 13 year old in 1972 just off the entrance to Helliers creek in the upper Waitamata harbor. I know because he was me  |
Posted By: Deli23
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 8:00am
| What a monster... |
Posted By: PJay
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 8:45am
Yep - sidebar at p105. Says it's still estimated to be pretty big, 41.2lb. Certainly there are recorded Norfolk Island and Sth Australian rod-and-reel-caught snapper well into the 40s.
------------- PJ |
Posted By: Wanda_Ra
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 9:16am
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Dont most people with fish even 3/4 that size have to have their arms bowed from the weight? i doubt i could hold a fish that large at extended arms length like that. Biggest snapper ive seen is the one in the goat island amrine reserve we used to habd feed,would inhale the largest mullet you could find like it was a pillie.Was grey in colour. Biggest cray was one i saw diving off a cliff at Gt barrier island.Looked over a metre easily and ive seen a lot of crays diving,all the other crays retreated as i came closer to the hole but this ***** came out towards me all aggressive,never seen anything like it anywhere.Was too scared to even think about having a go..  ------------- If you think you are too small to make a difference,try sleeping with a mosquito in your tent. |
Posted By: SumDumBum
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 9:22am
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Dont most people with fish even 3/4 that size have to have their arms bowed from the weight? i doubt i could hold a fish that large at extended arms length like that.
Brian D... Notice the rope around its tail...??? Guess what that rope is doing.. ------------- Si Vis Pacem para Bellum |
Posted By: davetherave
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 12:17pm
By the size of the Fish I'd say that it's the boat's propulsion system |
Posted By: Wanda_Ra
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2012 at 12:18am
  was hard to make out the pics from my phone..looked like he was holding the fish up..------------- If you think you are too small to make a difference,try sleeping with a mosquito in your tent. |
Posted By: donnyboy
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2012 at 8:39am
 http://www.fishingnorfolkisland.com/big%20snapper%20caught.htm - http://www.fishingnorfolkisland.com/big%20snapper%20caught.htm |
Posted By: Stunned Mullet
Date Posted: 05 May 2025 at 3:10pm
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Hi Lethal, I know this is a big ask...but I was wondering if you have access to the NZ Fishing news artical about this fish in question? I'm interested in finding out more about this fish if possible. Thanks Stunned Mullet
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Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 05 May 2025 at 3:15pm
------------- "Times up" |
Posted By: Stunned Mullet
Date Posted: 05 May 2025 at 3:25pm
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I'm very sorry I did't know. My apologies SM
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Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 05 May 2025 at 10:37pm
You were not to know SM. That pic has done the rounds and has been reported as caught from all around the place. While it wasn't photoshopped it does appear to make good use of perspective. It seems quite likely to me at least that snapper would have reached atleast 40lb. After all not every big snapper ever caught would have been accurately weighed ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |