tackle talk
Baitfishing Basics
When to flash and when to stray.
When to flash and when to stray.
Bait and berley are hard to beat when you’re targeting snapper anywhere in New Zealand. Bait and berley are Kiwis’ favourite form of fishing for sure - softbaiting and slow jigs are great, but as popular as these new styles are they don’t have the same widespread appeal as a pilly or squid on a 5/0 hook.
In the last couple of seasons bait wholesalers have widened their offering of specialty baits, and the volume and the range of terminal tackle can be quite bamboozling. The important thing to remember is to keep your rig as simple as possible; excess knots, joins, swivels and hooks over-complicate what should be a pretty straightforward situation.
Because snapper live in such a wide variety of depths and habitats you need to ensure your baits are well-presented.
Straylining can be a super-effective method of targeting big snapper in shallow water; however with a little extra weight and rig modification it can be lethal in deeper water also. Lots of berley is the key to turning an ordinary straylining session into a good one.
When is the right time to Stray?
Other tips;
As far as sinker weight goes you need to get your baits down to the fish, so add as much weight as you need to. If you’re fishing foul ground, too much weight may get you snagged on the bottom so, as a guideline, only use ¼oz or smaller ball sinkers directly above your hooks. If you require more weight, change to a running sinker and position this off your mainline above your trace. If you’re fishing deeper or in stronger current a great technique is to run the trace and 20 or 30 metres of line out the back, while at the same time holding on to the sinker. You can then let the sinker go and it will lay your mainline and bait along the bottom.
Flasher Rigs and Ledger Rigs
The flasher rig and ledger rig are without a doubt the most popular method for catching snapper in NZ and have the benefit of also attracting species such as gurnard, kahawai, blue cod and many others. Flasher rigs have the added attraction of having flasher material bound onto each hook, essentially making large bait flies that give the rig colour, sparkle and sometimes glow. This flasher material is particularly effective at getting a fish’s attention, so combine this with a cube of bait and it is easy to understand why these rigs work so well.
The ledger rig is often referred to also as a dropper rig and can be made or purchased in many line weights and to accommodate small and large hooks that target other species from piper and mackerel to massive bass and everything in between. The rig is perfect for fishing channels with current or deeper water where you need your baits close to the bottom.
When is the Right Time to Flash?
Flasher rigs (and ledger rigs) are so versatile there just about isn’t a bad time to use one, but the usual rules are:
Other Tips
The ledger rig is constructed with the use of the dropper loop knot, usually two or three of them, in fact. Learning to tie the dropper loop knot will give you the ability to construct your own rigs and save you lots of money. One variation of this knot is to twist the mono together before starting. When finished each loop will stick out at 90degrees from the rig, presenting each bait away from the dropper loop while making it more tangle free.
Sinkers for Flasher Rigs: 3 - 5oz are fine for getting your baits down in 20 - 40m. If you are drifting, or there is strong current, you can need up to 8 or 10oz; this is what many charter boats specify so that multiple lines have less chance of tangling. Ask your skipper before you head out.
Best Baits for Flasher Rigs: Fish will change bait preference seasonally, and sometimes daily. So it’s wise to take at least 2 or 3 options. Bonito, blue mackerel, mullet, squid and trevally are great cut baits. But if you’re using baits such as pilchards, sanma and mackerel make sure you hook them through the backbone - this will help hold them on.
Whether you’re straylining or fishing a bit deeper with a flasher rig, the main thing is that you are out there and doing it! No one ever caught a monster snapper from home … so get prepared before you go out, and if you need any extra advice remember the boys at Top Catch are only too happy to help.
Because snapper live in such a wide variety of depths and habitats you need to ensure your baits are well-presented.
Straylining can be a super-effective method of targeting big snapper in shallow water; however with a little extra weight and rig modification it can be lethal in deeper water also. Lots of berley is the key to turning an ordinary straylining session into a good one.
When is the right time to Stray?
- In shallower water (under 20m)
- When there’s good current to spread your berley trail
- When fish are holding in an area (ie. on structure, shellfish beds or channel contours)
- When you’re anchored just up-current from the ground you want to target, and you berley hard
Other tips;
- Cube small pieces of the bait you are using, whether pilchard, squid or bonito.
- If you’re targeting bigger fish leave your baits whole (bullet tuna, jack mackerel, pilchard).
- Your berley trail will sink slowly, so make sure the berley is running over your baits. If the current picks up you may have to lower your berley pot closer to the bottom; this is where a heavy berley container like a wobbly pot can be an advantage.
- Keep the noise down: no stereo, generators or noisy anchor chains, and if you want full stealth, turn off the sounder.
- The best hook size is 5/0 - 8/0, either recurve or octopus style, with a 1-1.5m 40-60lb trace.
As far as sinker weight goes you need to get your baits down to the fish, so add as much weight as you need to. If you’re fishing foul ground, too much weight may get you snagged on the bottom so, as a guideline, only use ¼oz or smaller ball sinkers directly above your hooks. If you require more weight, change to a running sinker and position this off your mainline above your trace. If you’re fishing deeper or in stronger current a great technique is to run the trace and 20 or 30 metres of line out the back, while at the same time holding on to the sinker. You can then let the sinker go and it will lay your mainline and bait along the bottom.
Flasher Rigs and Ledger Rigs
The flasher rig and ledger rig are without a doubt the most popular method for catching snapper in NZ and have the benefit of also attracting species such as gurnard, kahawai, blue cod and many others. Flasher rigs have the added attraction of having flasher material bound onto each hook, essentially making large bait flies that give the rig colour, sparkle and sometimes glow. This flasher material is particularly effective at getting a fish’s attention, so combine this with a cube of bait and it is easy to understand why these rigs work so well.
The ledger rig is often referred to also as a dropper rig and can be made or purchased in many line weights and to accommodate small and large hooks that target other species from piper and mackerel to massive bass and everything in between. The rig is perfect for fishing channels with current or deeper water where you need your baits close to the bottom.
When is the Right Time to Flash?
Flasher rigs (and ledger rigs) are so versatile there just about isn’t a bad time to use one, but the usual rules are:
- Flasher/Ledger Rigs work well in any depth, but do particularly well in depths beyond 10m.
- They can suit any rate of current; just add weight if you need to. The reef sinker or swivel bomb is best.
- Anchor right on the fish, directly above fish sign, so you’re fishing under the boat.
- When there are multiple people fishing, flasher rigs with sufficient weight will help avoid tangles. Make sure you bring fish straight to the surface and resist the temptation to hook a second fish on board. This will help avoid those time-consuming tangles.
- If you’re not very good at knots, the rigs and sinkers can be purchased so everything simply clips together; just add bait. Perfect for fishing newbies, and effective, too.
Other Tips
- Fishing a flasher rig set up can be combined with throwing a strayline out the back, but after years of doing this I’ve come to the conclusion that, fun as this is, ultimately it’s more productive just fishing one rod well!!
- For tarakihi use a slightly heavier sinker and recurve hooks as these little fish bite the baits swimming upwards so it is often the weight of the sinker - not the strike – that sets the hook!
- Use a lighter piece of line as a sinker breakaway. Hopefully this way you will successfully retrieve your flasher rig.
- Flasher rigs work well for fish that are feeding hard on the bottom (snapper, gurnard) so whenever you start fishing get your rig straight to the bottom, then come up 2 or 3 winds to stay clear of the snags.
- For snapper the most popular hook size is a 5-7/0. If you plan on putting the rod in the holder, use recurve hooks, and a softer-tipped rod such as an Ugly Stik. If you like striking fish on the bite make sure you fish octopus or beak-style hooks.
The ledger rig is constructed with the use of the dropper loop knot, usually two or three of them, in fact. Learning to tie the dropper loop knot will give you the ability to construct your own rigs and save you lots of money. One variation of this knot is to twist the mono together before starting. When finished each loop will stick out at 90degrees from the rig, presenting each bait away from the dropper loop while making it more tangle free.
Sinkers for Flasher Rigs: 3 - 5oz are fine for getting your baits down in 20 - 40m. If you are drifting, or there is strong current, you can need up to 8 or 10oz; this is what many charter boats specify so that multiple lines have less chance of tangling. Ask your skipper before you head out.
Best Baits for Flasher Rigs: Fish will change bait preference seasonally, and sometimes daily. So it’s wise to take at least 2 or 3 options. Bonito, blue mackerel, mullet, squid and trevally are great cut baits. But if you’re using baits such as pilchards, sanma and mackerel make sure you hook them through the backbone - this will help hold them on.
Whether you’re straylining or fishing a bit deeper with a flasher rig, the main thing is that you are out there and doing it! No one ever caught a monster snapper from home … so get prepared before you go out, and if you need any extra advice remember the boys at Top Catch are only too happy to help.