Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Bay-Harbour » Shark Bay Trophy Pink Snapper

Shark Bay Trophy Pink Snapper

By Dylan Skinns

When it comes to pink snapper and catching them in Shark Bay, I might be pretty close to finding the ultimate combination to land you that trophy red that you have always been chasing. The 5" Scented Jerk ShadZ from ZMan, rigged on a 1oz TT Lures HeadlockZ jighead have been a deadly combination for me over the past 5 years in Shark Bay. Pink snapper climb all over them and seem to hone in on the fishy scents that ZMan apply on the plastics. The plastics come pre-scented with Pro-Cure Super Gel and are ready to rig on jigheads straight out of the packet.

TAKE THE BOAT

I think a boat is essential for Shark Bay given the size of the area and the need to travel long distances to fish with the wind on your side. If you are fishing from a boat, make sure you check out one of the weather/wind apps, like seabreeze.com.au, to find out the best times to hit the water.

WIND & WINTER

Shark Bay is one of the windiest parts of WA and it can be very uncomfortable when the wind starts to pick up towards 20 knots. I usually look for the 5 to 10 knot openings each day, which also provide a steady drift. The winter months of May, June, July and August generally offer the best conditions for boaties, often providing some glass out conditions, which can help when burning around from spot to spot.

BIG TROPHY GROUND

The waters off Denham and Monkey Mia provide ideal ground for big trophy pink snapper, schooling up before they eventually spawn and return to the oceanic population. The Shark Bay region has spawning closures and year-round sanctuaries, so check your local guides before planning a trip. I like targeting depths of 6 to 20m for snapper, searching for them on the sounder. They can usually be found holding up on lumps or in sand holes.

TECHNIQUES

With each cast, make sure your plastic reaches the bottom and then slowly jig it back to the boat, working the bottom five metres of the water column. Quite often, a big trophy pink snapper will grab the plastic as it is floating down to the bottom. Big pinkies love the action of the ZMan on the drop, naturally falling like an injured baitfish.

Always hold onto your line between your thumb and forefinger as you are dropping your soft plastic to the bottom. Holding the line will allow you to 'feel' the jighead hit the bottom or more importantly feel a big snapper start running off with your plastic as the line pace really picks up out of your fingers. If this happens before you hit the bottom, close the bail arm and hang on! Make sure your drag is set with enough pressure to set the hook, while also having enough lightness in the drag not to break your leader knot on a big trophy fish.

GEARING UP

Both ZMan plastics and the full range of TT Lures jigheads can be found in all major fishing tackle retailers, BCF and Anaconda. You will sometimes find ZMan plastics on special, which is great if you are stocking up for an upcoming trip or want to expand on your colour range.

JIGHEAD & PLASTIC STORAGE

I like to set up a standalone tackle box for all the different jighead sizes, so they are easily accessible when the snapper come on the bite. You may also need to change up quickly to heavier jigheads as the day progresses, with stronger winds and faster drifts. In Shark Bay the wind blows a lot and you can easily find yourself switching out from half an ounce to 1.5 ounces before the day is out, to ensure you keep your plastic on the bottom.

Always keep your ZMan soft plastics separate to other soft plastic brands. Different brands touching each other can cause the plastic ingredients to react, resulting in melting the plastic out of shape and leaving the gooey residue in the bottom of your tackle box. I like to keep my ZMan plastics in the packet that they come in (as suggested by the manufacturer), then store them all in a deep Plano tackle box, like the Plano 3741. Sistema food storage cases from your supermarket aisles are also a very good storage option.

SHARK BAY SHOPPING LIST

ZMan 5" Scented Jerk ShadZ

• Pearl

• Nuked Pilchard Glow

• Coconut Ice Glow

TT Lures Jigheads - HeadlockZ HD - 5/0 or 6/0

• 3/4oz (21g)

• 1oz (28g)

• 1 ½ oz (42g)

MY FINAL TIP

Make sure your ZMan plastic is rigged straight on the jighead. Rigging it straight will ensure that the plastic swims straight, with a very attractive fishy action. Rigging it slightly lopsided will cause the plastic to roll and sometimes spin. Plastics rigged correctly will increase your bites, guaranteed!

Good luck in the bay and make sure you tag @zmanaustralia and @ttlures with your trophy pink snapper shots on Instagram!