Downsizing for Port Phillip Snapper by Dan Lee
Soft plastic anglers have done it - so why don't he bait-loving aficionados of Port Phillip make the switch to lighter tackle?
The thought played on my mind for many happy sessions before I finally packed it in. Over the last couple of years I have been slowly lightening the tackle I use for Port Phillip snapper. However, my penchant for lighter tackle was recently galvanized when a mate returned from Whyalla, a marvellous snapper destination, to proclaim that the charter he was on used mainly 4kg rods and the two biggest fish of the trip came on whiting gear! And we are not talking Port Phillip big, we are talking South Australian big - fish of 8-13kg.
That was it for me, the final nail in the coffin. I put away all my 6-8kg rods and 6000 size reels, and pulled out the whiting gear!
If this is something you have never considered, I urge all anglers to give it a go, and here's a few reasons why.
MORE FUN
If there is any doubt in your mind, let me encourage you to hook a 6-7kg Melbourne red on your whiting tackle and see who is giggling like an excited school girl at the end of the experience.
Let me say unashamedly - that was me! The thrills and spills are unrivalled for fun once you down size your gear in Port Phillip.
BETTER SPORT
In reality, the north of Port Phillip (where most anglers target snapper between October and March) is a great underwater dust pan with little in the way of current making light tackle action easy!
Whilst reefy structure exists, it is patchy. The likelihood of you being 'reefed' by your personal best snapper is pretty slim. I went through a whole season without losing one rig. Quality tackle, knots and leader will ensure that even on light gear, you have very few of the 'one-that-got-away' stories. Give the fish a chance, go toe to toe with light tackle and make it a real tussle!
MORE HOOK-UPS
Anglers involved in all derivations of sport fishing will agree that touchy fish are more likely to take baits and lures presented on finer or lighter tackle. There is no reason to believe that this is not true of our annual run of Port Phillip snapper. Having said that, this is not just true of sensitive fish - it may simply be that lighter tackle can mean more natural looking bait, increasing your chance of a strike!
MY RECOMMENDATIONS
Start by loading your reels with braid. Using light gear can increase the fun factor it hits super-drive once you load your light gear with braid. There is simply no comparison to the 'feel' of fighting a fish on light tackle using braid. It is like fighting a fish with the line between your teeth, such is the connectedness you achieve. Given the fine diameter of braid you can get away with using heavier lines that what is necessary, such as 15lb or more. Having said that my whiting gear is spooled with 6lb line but if you are looking for a healthy middle ground, 10-14lb braid is ideal.
If you are using your whiting gear be wary of losing your rods overboard. Some whiting rods have a short butt and do not sit very well in the standard snapper racks seen on many vessels these days. It is very easy to knock a short rod butt with your hip and watch as if falls into the drink - trust me, I've done it!
Ensure you use a quality leader such as Jinkai for your rigs. It is very supple as well as being extremely fine in diameter. And whilst I'm urging you to downsize everything else, leader weight and hook size are the two exceptions. Stick with 40lb leader as a rule. If there are pinkies around, commonly known as the 'razor gang' (due to their immature teeth being razor sharp) you will still need the thickness in the leader.
