Moreton Island Snapper – How To Catch Snapper
Moreton Island Snapper!! There aren’t too many fish tastier than snapper and today we hook into them! Come along for the ride as we head out from Moreton Island to do some snapper fishing.
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Moreton Bay
One of SEQ‘s best-kept secrets would definitely be Moreton Bay and the islands that surround it. Straddie and Moreton are truly something special. For a lucky few, these places have become home with freehold lots held tightly and rare as hen’s teeth to get hold of. Bulwer at Moreton’s north is a fisherman’s paradise serviced by Castaways which makes life even more idyllic given that the store and accommodation give the locals services that simply don’t exist for the most part on this sand island. We are leaving the island this morning in this 4WD boat.
The 4WD Boat – Sealegs
Yes, the aptly named sealegs is an amphibious vehicle that might look out of place anywhere else but is absolutely genius here. No trailers to worry about, no launching or retrieval issues. Just get in the boat, drive it down the track and into the water and you’re on our way!
Where To Catch Them?
We are rounding Comboyuro Point and running parallel to Moreton’s northern coast past Tailor Bight Dog Creek and Cape Moreton. Onboard are good mates Andrew, Scott, Scotts Daughter and the Campr crew heading wide of Moreton for the deep water in search of the signature fish around here, the Moreton Island Snapper.
At this time of year these fish along with Pearl Perch school up over rubbly structure in the deep cold water to the east of Moreton. Andrew apart from being the Ambassador of the Moreton Island Fishing Classic this year holds a commercial fishing license and knows this area well so it’s not long before we find our mark and an enquiry.
The Humpback Highway is also open to traffic at this time of year and there are plenty of wide loads moving thru today. The Humpback Whales are on the move from the Antarctic and have thrived in recent years to become something of a navigation hazard for small craft. The ocean is alive with critters today including these dolphins that have started hanging around the boat but aren’t bothering our baits so we are having a pretty good day.
How To Cook Them?
A few more Snapper in the boat and we have got enough for a feed and then some. Andrew is not only good at catching them but as a qualified chef knows how to cook them. A new seasonal closure for recreational anglers Snapper and Pearl Perch has been introduced in QLD and will kick in from July 15 to August 15. These are part of some sweeping changes made to commercial rec bag limits on fish and crustaceans. These can be viewed on the QLD Fisheries website.
If you would like to spend some time on Moreton Island head to the Moreton Island Adventures website. For more fishing action at Moreton check out our story on last years ARB Moreton Island Fishing Classic.
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