Inshore reds off Cronulla

[adkel53]

I am keen to try my hand at fishing for reds on plastics (and possibly bait) close in out of Port Hacking. Which reefs out there should I target? Pizza Reef, Red Rooster, Barren's Hut, Osborne Shoal, Middle Grounds? Others? Willing to travel out a couple of kms but not too  far. Any tips on lures and/or jighead weights that I might try?

[SquidMarks]

I have had success with Reds out of the hacking, i hope you dont mind but i wont divulge where im fishing! Having said that, im fairly confident that all those reefs would hold snapper. The points which will determine your success IMO:

1. Time - first light till sunrise and sunset till last light being the prime time (i never caught a decent Sydney red in the middle of the day).
2. Date -these winter months going into early spring are best! (July in particular fires for me out of the Hacking).

3.Position - target the deeper edges of the reefs (nothing but reef fish like wrasses and sergeant bakers on the top of those reefs). I prefer to hit areas where reef meets sand.

 

i pretty much use a 3/8 oz jighead with a 3/0 hook for 20-30m and a 1/4 oz jighead with a 3/0 hook for 12-20m

(you can tell i fish the 12-30m zones).

4 (most important) - Read ANY/ALL posts on snapper fishing (and their reports) by scratchie and rickmarlin.  (Scratchie brilliantly covers tactics and lure types as well in addition to the things i have mentioned above. Rickmarlins squid catching fishing reports (for snapper bait) opened my eyes to the importance of fresh bait for snapper, as well as scratchies fishing reports which always seem to start out with a trip to the LBG).... 

 

The Hacking reefs can feel really barren when you are not in the right place at the right time!

 

Good luck!

 

[Scratchie]

Thanks squidmarks! 

Heres a thread that might help you with soft plastics.