Pink snapper inhabit much of the West Australian coastline. They are found from the far South coast all the way up into the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions of the state. They are a popular species to target in WA, this maybe because not only can you catch them from a boat but also land snapper drone fishing or just casting a line from a beach.

When chasing a prize pink snapper the first place I seek out are inshore reef systems. A reef structure offers the fish shelter as well as a food supply. These areas accompanied by a strong current are especially good, as a constant food source is brought to them. Fishing these areas can be made difficult because of the current but fishing tide changes are productive. Drop offs and deep channels with rubble can also produce some nice fish. Snapper can be found in a variety of depths. It is often said you need to fish deep water to catch them. I only ever fish in less than ten metres when targeting pinkies and still hook some quality fish. They are known to be a bottom dwelling species but are often hooked mid water and can be seen on a sounder swimming at this level. It is also not unheard of to see them feeding at the surface. I have seen them foraging on the surface where there is a food supply or they have made their way to the surface following a burley trail. 

Bait fishing is a very popular way to fish for this species. They will take most baits such as mulies, fresh squid, tailor fillets, whiting heads and crabs just to mention some. I predominantly bait fish when targeting snapper.  Fresh bait is always best with fresh squid being my first bait of choice. The fresh squid has a firm texture which ensures the squid will last on the hook long enough for a bigger fish to come through and take it before pickers have had a chance to remove it. Squid also puts out less scent in the water which means I have less interactions with sharks.  Fresh tailor fillets are another great bait, but sharks do seem to be attracted to the area sooner when using tailor.  When filleting whiting ensure you keep the heads, they make a great bait for snapper and are a bait I have had a lot of success with. If using whiting heads push your circle hook through the bottom jaw and out the top jaw.  Then of course you can’t go past mulies, a double hook set up or gangs work best for this bait. 

Burley is a major key to success whether you are boat fishing or casting a line from the land. Chopped mulies are my burley of choice as their strong scent entices fish to the follow the trail. Anchoring and keeping a constant burley trail will have the snapper sitting just off the back of your boat. The inshore reef systems I fish, the burley unfortunately brings an abundance of sharks, drifting through these areas seems to work best and burley is not an option. But in Southern areas of the state and more open areas closer to shore with broken patches of reef using burley works well.

The current combination I use when targeting snapper is a 5 foot Extraction overhead rod, paired with a Talica 12 reel, 30 LB KAIRKI braid and a 60lb paternoster rig. Where I fish there is often a lot of water movement with the tide, so I use a size 6 to 8 sinker and a size 7 circle hook. I prefer circle hooks because you have a better hook up rate and less gut hooks, making for a better chance of survival if a fish is released. Prior to heading off fishing I used to make rigs up and then roll them back around an old leader spool, but now I use Rig Mate pre-made rigs.  

I believe the old saying ‘the early bird gets the worm’ is true with this species. Fishing for pink snapper in low light in the morning as the sun rises and at the end of the day as the sun sets can be a very productive time. Slack water at the turn of the tide, when there is little or no movement is also a worthwhile time to try your luck especially in areas of strong current. 

Many anglers in Western Australia target snapper from the beach, cliffs and rock walls. Rock walls in winter can be extremely popular as storms hit the coast line. Pink snapper are an opportunistic feeder and will feast on crabs that are being washed off the rocks. Any beach with reef systems close to shore and deep gutters are worth the effort. When fishing from the beach burley is a great option to bring the fish closer to shore.  Drone fishing is making it a whole new game where you can send your bait to the fish. With drones and fishing equipment to go with a drone becoming cheaper, it has allowed a lot more people access to this very productive style of fishing.

There is of course other methods to catch this popular fish. Snapper will smash soft plastics, jigs and stick baits. When using soft plastics it is best to use a slow retrieval and throw a pause in every so often and let your plastic make its way back down through the water column. Sinking stick baits are often overlooked when targeting snapper but they are another great option. Pink snapper can be found following under bait schools.  It is definitely worth casting a sinking stick bait into a bait school and see if there is snapper feeding under the school. I recently hooked a good pink snapper using this technique. We approached a bait school and I launched a Shimano Sardine Ball sinking stick bait into the middle of the bait. I let the stick bait sink for a few seconds and before I had time to retrieve any line my stick bait had been smashed on the drop.  I was confident I'd hook a bottom dwelling fish under the bait.  I was absolutely stoked when a decent pink snapper appeared. The flash boost mechanism in the Sardine ball stick bait is designed to attract attention as it makes its way down through the water. Clearly on this day it did just that. When using a jig such as a Shimano Lucanus Jig, I find it most productive to work the bottom up to mid water very slowly. I then just drop it back down and start it over.

If you're planning a day fishing in WA it is important to familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations for the different regions. Currently the West Coast bioregion has a six month demersal ban on all demersal species, the ban is broken up over a twelve month period. Then in locations like Sharks Bay and Cockburn Sound they have their own rules and closures. For example in the Bay the minimum size for pink snapper is fifty centimetres, where the rest of the state the legal size is thirty centimetres. So do not assume a rule that applies in one area of our state applies in another. Be informed when planning a fishing trip in the West on what rules apply in that area.