/FISHINGINGODZONE  57
The writer used the Recon 
trolling motor to stalk the 
shallows off Coromandel.
The Motor Oil colour is available in 
Crush City Jerk 3.75" and was matched 
to a GRIP-R 1/2oz #3/0 jig head.
S
oftbaiting for snapper in 
winter can sometimes 
be a challenge, it pays 
to try things when the 
fishing is slower and 
going smaller worked 
for the writer in the shallows 
on a recent Coromandel trip.
Over winter when the water 
temperatures drop, snapper can also 
slow down, and the bite times can 
be relatively shorter.  This makes 
sense as the large bait fish schools of 
spring and summer which fish follow 
to feed up aggressively on and put 
on condition for spawning, aren’t 
as commonplace and snapper just 
aren’t in the mood to use energy.
Snapper will of course take up 
residence over kelpy/rocky territory 
or reefs when the colder water 
temperatures arrive, so I like to 
softbait in quiet spots away from 
busier waterways and where 
fish are "chilling" over winter.

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.