October is the start of the summer snapper season. The male fish are starting to make their way into the deep reef areas between the Nine Pin and Redhead so remember to reserve your spot for Labour weekend because it can get pretty busy around here.
If you haven't tried soft baiting for snapper this is a great time of year to give it a go. The difference between bait fishing and using soft baits is that the fish don't just hit the soft baits when they are feeding; they attack them to protect their area. It means you get a more aggressive strike.
It's a good idea to have a selection of colours in your tackle box, as some days bright colours do the trick, then on other days something completely different works. By far the most popular colour is one called, believe it or not, Nuclear Chicken. Snapper prefer bait with lots of leg movement so it means the shape is important and once the tail has gone it's time to change the bait.
I like to mix soft bait with normal bait at this time of year. I fish with bait on the lower hook and soft bait on the top hook. Give it a go, you might be surprised. I also tend to use bright soft baits earlier in the day and as the sun gets higher up I'll swap to the darker baits. If it clouds over I go back to the brighter ones. It keeps me busy even if I don't catch fish!
And speaking of catching fish, The Catch it! Seafood Tournament is on the 13th and 14th of October this year. The last couple of years it was held on the Thursday and Friday before Labour weekend but it was decided to move it to the weekend so more people could enter. This is a scuba diving, freediving, spearfishing and line fishing tournament. The tournament is open to boat and shore fishers, so anyone can give it a go and there are some great prizes for junior anglers or divers.
