Thread: Snapper rig and advice for Kenepuru area

I have been many times up this way and caught a few snaps but none larger than 4-5 lbs.
I was taught to use pillys with hook thru the head, another thru the tail. Half hitch the line around the tail with a bit of trace up to a swivel and above that a free running sinker.

I am keen to hear if some other rigs and bait are any better, including hook and sinker size.
Also what depth should I target for some larger fish or is there just normally school fish in that area with the odd big one?
I will be based near Portage for a week so if there any decent spots you know, worth a look, I am all ears as well.

Cheers

that rig sounds allright, I use something similar. Have you tried sanmar for bait? The rig I use is with that but I cut them in half since they are really long.

Originally Posted by Toby

that rig sounds allright, I use something similar. Have you tried sanmar for bait? The rig I use is with that but I cut them in half since they are really long.

Whats sanmar?

Its a fish like pilchard kinda, I will try find a pic of it.

like a pilchard cross piper

Edit: The ones we use im sure have longer bills then that in the photo, could just be cause its been a while since I got out fishing

See a few piper up there near dark but I wouldnt have a clue how to catch one. I hear they are good bait. Does sanmar last on the hook better?

I reckon it does but never really had to fish with it for it to get old and warm, use a small sprat hook on light line with scraps of bait for piper. or those 6 hook sabiki rigs/ sometimes I put bait on those too

Originally Posted by Toby

like a pilchard cross piper

Edit: The ones we use im sure have longer bills then that in the photo, could just be cause its been a while since I got out fishing

Attachment 5251

Are they supplied in bait shops?

Dad sells them and we are in Wairoa haha so I would hope they sell them at bait shops.

Dolls house bay is good fishing , centre of bay ,plenty of burley and piltcher with baby squid tube over it ,would be somewhere to start Dave .

When you planning on being there, will it be during a period when everyone else is working? If you have a boat and the mussel harvesters are working I can give you a few hints?
My missus caught her first ever snapper there 3 years ago. Was 21lb

Sanmar, Saury all the same. Cunts of things if not fresh. Picked to death via schoolies typically, just like the sloppy frozen pilchards you also buy at the servo. Bait on, nibble nibble, hooks up (cause bait gone) re-bait. You know the routine.
Piper on the other hand are easy to catch tough on the hook and are deadly if fresh.
When I say easy, easy if you have the right gear. I'd sit on a jetty the day before a big kingfish session (when i lived at the Mount, and it wasn't bought out by every retired farmer in the Waikato) with a really light trout spin rig and a quill float. Use a bit of tough bait on a real small (fly fishing 14-16) hook. Often the best piper bait is piper! Even frozen I reckon they are better than pilchard. Kingfish will fall over themselves for piper too. Live ones even more so. Sometime we could not get a hook up for all the fucking kingies scrapping over the bait!
The more I write the more I miss fishing for real fish. Damn you Dave!

Originally Posted by mikee

When you planning on being there, will it be during a period when everyone else is working? If you have a boat and the mussel harvesters are working I can give you a few hints?
My missus caught her first ever snapper there 3 years ago. Was 21lb

7-14 Jan. Have a boat for the trip.

Originally Posted by Munsey

Dolls house bay is good fishing , centre of bay ,plenty of burley and piltcher with baby squid tube over it ,would be somewhere to start Dave .

How do you rig that munsey?

Originally Posted by kiwijames

Sanmar, Saury all the same. Cunts of things if not fresh. Picked to death via schoolies typically, just like the sloppy frozen pilchards you also buy at the servo. Bait on, nibble nibble, hooks up (cause bait gone) re-bait. You know the routine.
Piper on the other hand are easy to catch tough on the hook and are deadly if fresh.
When I say easy, easy if you have the right gear. I'd sit on a jetty the day before a big kingfish session (when i lived at the Mount, and it wasn't bought out by every retired farmer in the Waikato) with a really light trout spin rig and a quill float. Use a bit of tough bait on a real small (fly fishing 14-16) hook. Often the best piper bait is piper! Even frozen I reckon they are better than pilchard. Kingfish will fall over themselves for piper too. Live ones even more so. Sometime we could not get a hook up for all the fucking kingies scrapping over the bait!
The more I write the more I miss fishing for real fish. Damn you Dave!

As I said I have no idea how to catch piper as they have small gobs. It would be great fun for my daughter to catch them so I will strip a few old flys I have and give it a go.
Are they active all day as I have only seen them at night or on dark?