Xmas snapper mayhem!!

[Peter4]

Our family is of European extraction so we celebrate Xmas on the eve of 24th December which leaves Xmas day free. The forecast was brilliant and a little birdy told me that the snapper were back in the southern bay, so Kyle and I embarked on a pre-dawn run to Goat Island. No-one was at the boat ramp and no boats were anywhere near where we planned to fish...

The tide was all wrong so we opted to sit off the reef edge in 3.5m of water and throw hardbodies to the shallows, slowly rolling our lures back to the boat and hoping to intercept any snapper patrolling the reef edge leading up to low tide. It didn't take long. On my third cast the familiar hit and zzzzzz resulted in a 38cm snapper. Soon after Kyle managed a 41cm fish while I got another 38cm...

Another slow roll and all hell breaks loose when my $5 BCF lure gets nailed and I start a long tussle with a bigger fish against a screaming drag. A 51cm beast graces the net soon after. And the snapper just kept on coming...

Kyle hooked up to a monster and despite a long chase he got bricked on the reef. He hooked up again next cast and this chase ended with a 47cm snapper hitting the deck. It was my turn next with a 45cm fish before Kyle hooked up again and was nearly spooled before we could chase this fish. After a long chase and some screaming runs a 52 cm snapper was netted. By 5.00am we had both 'bagged out' but the fish kept on coming.

A bit of cloud cover and glassed out conditions by 7.00am saw us switch to surface lures. Kyle's pencil was monstered as it hit the water and he managed his first queenfish at 42cm after a strong fight. Something huge engulfed my surface pencil and I was down to monofiliment backing after a long ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ before we started to chase. Just as I was starting to win some line back this thing headed to the Gold Coast and simply shredded my 15lb leader. I retied my line and threw out another pencil to see it taken on the second attempt. Soon after my first surface snapper at 48cm hit the net.

By 8.00am the wind picked up, the boat traffic increased and the bite went quiet so we made the run home. Our final tally was around 12 snapper (with only one undersize), a moses perch, a queensfish, a pike and three grinners plus two lost lures- a very pleasant and action-filled morning on the bay.

Merry Xmas.

Cheers

Pete & Kyle

[Funchy]

Awesome stuff fellas. Great way to spend Xmas day I reckon

[Bazil Brush]

Great morning on the water fella's, very nice fish

[robersl]

Nice work boys

[mangajack]

Onya Lads, keep them snapps under control.

[tackle_buster]

I'm lost for words, but awesome comes to mind. Well done lads.

OH, merry Xmas to you as well

[3Macks]

Great fishing Pete. Looks a good day on the bay.

[obi_wan]

Well done Pete and Kyle a great morning boys.

Cheers,
John.

[Benny]

Not a bad mornings work guys well done. Merry Xmas too!

[Barramag]

Nice work Pete and Kyle,some good fish there. Would've been quiet out there traffic wise. Tomorrow will be very different lol.

Paulo