b'SURFCASTING them, they arent fussy and when you fight a good fish over 60cm they put on a good scrap with those tell-tale head shakes from a big snapper that really get you excited as you pull the fish closer into the shallows.I have had some epic battles on big reds in the surf.BIG MOON PHASEWith 30 years of knowledge behind me and the fish stocks at an all-time high during my time, I am confident of finding good snapper when the conditions are right for surfcasting on the rugged Tasman.One of the key factors to my recent big snapper success is fishing over the big tides.I have found when a moon phase such as full or new moon coincides with easterly winds and a calm sea, the tide really sucks out and exposes the larger sand banks.Fishing off these will dramatically increase your chances of finding the larger snapper.One of the key factors to my recent big snapper success is fishing over the big tides.I have found when a moon phase such as full or new moon coincides with easterly winds and a calm sea, the tide really A fat 65cm snapper comes into the shallows for the writer onsucks out and exposes the Ripiro Beach off Dargaville, this fish was taken on fresh trevally. larger sand banks.I have been surfcasting for over 30Surfcasters dream of landing years now and I still love it, in factbig snapper from the surf.I have caught my biggest snapper surfcasting off my favourite west coast Northland beach in just the last two years.The fishing has simply gotten better and better out there over the past several years.Although I havent cracked the magical 20lb mark yet on a surfcaster like my grandfather and dad did many years ago.But I have caught several fish close to going over this mark in recent years and the kontiki guys fishing along from me are often pulling in 20lb snapper.Snapper are my favourite fish to target in the surf, they are now common on the west coast again after being hammered by the commercial fleet in the 70s and 80s.They will take any bait you offer 10FISHING IN GODZONE JAN/FEB 2021'