by Tom Deer
I had promised to take a mate snapper fishing some time ago but we could never arrange to be in the same place at the same time, until this past weekend.
The plan was to target a few snapper at one of my favorite locations not too far from Adelaide. It was a stinking hot day in glassed out conditions however, we still managed 9 snapper, a few snook, garfish and Australian herring. And the interesting thing was we caught 7 of the snapper on nautilus circle and octopus circle Gamakatsu hooks, the other two were caught on twin hook gama rigs.
I rigged up the twin rigs on a running sinker for Matt while I decided to give the nautilus circle a try to compare it with the octopus circle.
When using circle hooks it is important to leave the hook point clear of the bait and not to strike when you first feel the snapper pick up the bait. Let the fish run and swallow the bait right down before you eventually put the reel into gear and commence a slow wind. As the weight is felt just kept winding until the fish starts to struggle signalling that the hook has found purchase in the corner of the mouth. Then fight the fish as normal.
Make sure you take the time to rig your baits for maximum effectiveness. Ensure hook points are proud when using circle hooks and in firm baits you only need to put through the bait once. Circle hooks are a very effective method and they allow you to release undersized fish un-harmed as they are always hooked in the corner of the mouth. Always use super sharp quality hooks for increased penetration and hook-ups.
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- Ensure that the hook point is proud of the bait when using circle hooks
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- A nice snapper. Note it is hooked in the corner of the mouth
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- You can rig a gar through the mouth as shown here
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- or using a twin hook rig
