spawning snaps

[ARTILLERY 0]

saw these snaps in 3ft of water,would,nt eat baits,spawning fish 20lb to 25lbs.followed then around for awile untill it got so shallow there backs were outa the water and hull of boat on bottom.

[Del 245]

have seen them in real close like that in kellidie bay and coffin bay many a time. also get kingies in that close at times of the year!my brother hooked a lovely 20+lb fish from the beach out front of shack one day in similar circumstances.

[piratepom 3,197]

Awesome photos mate.

[Rickster 0]

Nice pics matethats what we like to see summer season looking good

[rangfish 1]

Good pics its interesting to see them coming into water that shallow considering they are such a deepwater fish.

[urhookedfish 12]

Wow..probably the most amazing pics Ive seen..thats nutz.

[doodlebug73 51]

great work on the pictures.hope you didnt interrupt them to much because their offspring will be good in 10 years

[Jack. 10]

Thanks for the photos mate.... Awesome

[coonta kinta 1]

Awesome photos mate.

Wow..probably the most amazing pics Ive seen..thats nutz.

Ditto!

[Tight_Lines 1]

Bloody awesome pics. Not many would have seen snapper like this. That is what you call "glass calm" too!!

[urhookedfish 12]

:ohmy: I was just doing some research, and found this: It is taken from a NZ website so growth rates may vary ever so slightly but it gives a good indication.:cheer: :cheer: When spawning takes place, the schools rise and fall in the warm water, releasing large numbers of eggs and sperm. There have been observations made of this process, including those of schools drifting about just below the surface, rolling over on their sides to release their gametes (a specialized sex cell that fuses with another). The whole school spawns at the same time, and being serial spawners, individual fish will do the ‘wild thing’ several times in one season.It is a possible that much of this activity takes place at night. Sound familiar? Observations, however, have been rare, and much is still to be learnt about this process. Aquarium observations have in some cases shown the female followed by three or more males, nudging and fin-nipping each other, as she swims vertically to the surface, where the fish release eggs and sperm. On other occasions it was a one-on-one affair.The eggs are spherical in shape and very small, about 1mm in diameter. They are externally fertilized and float near or on the surface for a day or two before hatching. Spawning success is less related to the number of parent fish than to the conditions at spawning time and during the months following. Warm summer-to-autumn temperatures appear to allow greater survival of eggs, larvae and juveniles. After a series of warm years the fishable stock will increase, with a time lag of four to five years (the time from spawning to full recruitment as adults). After cool years the stock level will decline.It is also believed that larvae and very young fish are presumably mid-water or bottom dwelling. None have been taken in surface plankton hauls over known spawning grounds.At several months old, these infant fish are around 2cm in length and perfect miniatures of adult fish. All are female. After about a year they are only 10cm long, and it takes a few more years before they reach the stage where a sex change takes place, with about half becoming males. Growth rates are measured by counting scale rings, with each ring showing a winter where growth almost stops, or by counting annual rings in the ear bones (otoliths). Our average school fish are 4 to 10 years old, with the larger specimens reaching 60 years old.A growth rate indictor would be something like this: Growth: 1 year = 10cm; 2 years = 16cm; 3 years = 21cm; 4 years = 30cm; 5 years = 33cm (@ 0.5kg); 6 years = 35cm; then about 1cm per year.

[ARTILLERY 0]

great work on the pictures.hope you didnt interrupt them to much because their offspring will be good in 10 years

all good,onto that.i threw bait an soon worked out wat was going on.we sat there as they swam around us.took few pics,then left them to there thing.

[rangfish 1]

:ohmy: I was just doing some research' date=' and found this: It is taken from a NZ website so growth rates may vary ever so slightly but it gives a good indication.[/b']:cheer: :cheer: When spawning takes place, the schools rise and fall in the warm water, releasing large numbers of eggs and sperm. There have been observations made of this process, including those of schools drifting about just below the surface, rolling over on their sides to release their gametes (a specialized sex cell that fuses with another). The whole school spawns at the same time, and being serial spawners, individual fish will do the ‘wild thing’ several times in one season.It is a possible that much of this activity takes place at night. Sound familiar? Observations, however, have been rare, and much is still to be learnt about this process. Aquarium observations have in some cases shown the female followed by three or more males, nudging and fin-nipping each other, as she swims vertically to the surface, where the fish release eggs and sperm. On other occasions it was a one-on-one affair.The eggs are spherical in shape and very small, about 1mm in diameter. They are externally fertilized and float near or on the surface for a day or two before hatching. Spawning success is less related to the number of parent fish than to the conditions at spawning time and during the months following. Warm summer-to-autumn temperatures appear to allow greater survival of eggs, larvae and juveniles. After a series of warm years the fishable stock will increase, with a time lag of four to five years (the time from spawning to full recruitment as adults). After cool years the stock level will decline.It is also believed that larvae and very young fish are presumably mid-water or bottom dwelling. None have been taken in surface plankton hauls over known spawning grounds.At several months old, these infant fish are around 2cm in length and perfect miniatures of adult fish. All are female. After about a year they are only 10cm long, and it takes a few more years before they reach the stage where a sex change takes place, with about half becoming males. Growth rates are measured by counting scale rings, with each ring showing a winter where growth almost stops, or by counting annual rings in the ear bones (otoliths). Our average school fish are 4 to 10 years old, with the larger specimens reaching 60 years old.A growth rate indictor would be something like this: Growth: 1 year = 10cm; 2 years = 16cm; 3 years = 21cm; 4 years = 30cm; 5 years = 33cm (@ 0.5kg); 6 years = 35cm; then about 1cm per year.

A large snapper is a very old fish. I would certainly feel bad taking one home.

[clay91 3]

that made me feel mad taking a rugger home haha

[Jack. 10]

:ohmy: I was just doing some research' date=' and found this: It is taken from a NZ website so growth rates may vary ever so slightly but it gives a good indication.[/b']:cheer: :cheer: When spawning takes place, the schools rise and fall in the warm water, releasing large numbers of eggs and sperm. There have been observations made of this process, including those of schools drifting about just below the surface, rolling over on their sides to release their gametes (a specialized sex cell that fuses with another). The whole school spawns at the same time, and being serial spawners, individual fish will do the ‘wild thing’ several times in one season.It is a possible that much of this activity takes place at night. Sound familiar? Observations, however, have been rare, and much is still to be learnt about this process. Aquarium observations have in some cases shown the female followed by three or more males, nudging and fin-nipping each other, as she swims vertically to the surface, where the fish release eggs and sperm. On other occasions it was a one-on-one affair.The eggs are spherical in shape and very small, about 1mm in diameter. They are externally fertilized and float near or on the surface for a day or two before hatching. Spawning success is less related to the number of parent fish than to the conditions at spawning time and during the months following. Warm summer-to-autumn temperatures appear to allow greater survival of eggs, larvae and juveniles. After a series of warm years the fishable stock will increase, with a time lag of four to five years (the time from spawning to full recruitment as adults). After cool years the stock level will decline.It is also believed that larvae and very young fish are presumably mid-water or bottom dwelling. None have been taken in surface plankton hauls over known spawning grounds.At several months old, these infant fish are around 2cm in length and perfect miniatures of adult fish. All are female. After about a year they are only 10cm long, and it takes a few more years before they reach the stage where a sex change takes place, with about half becoming males.Growth rates are measured by counting scale rings, with each ring showing a winter where growth almost stops, or by counting annual rings in the ear bones (otoliths). Our average school fish are 4 to 10 years old, with the larger specimens reaching 60 years old.A growth rate indictor would be something like this: Growth: 1 year = 10cm; 2 years = 16cm; 3 years = 21cm; 4 years = 30cm; 5 years = 33cm (@ 0.5kg); 6 years = 35cm; then about 1cm per year.

Judging by this info UHF a large snapper is a very old fish.

Yeah, that growth rate doesn't sound right. Sounds more like Bream growth rate??

[savage480 1]

I was just doing some research, and found this: It is taken from a NZ website so growth rates may vary ever so slightly but it gives a good indication

I think you will find that the growth rates are very different in SA, due to different water temps, food sources etc. Going on that rational, a 1m fish would be about 70 yrs old. Not sure they live past about 35 yrs.80cm fish are around 15yrs old here.

[urhookedfish 12]

Hi Savage, yes I mainly put this up not so much for growth rates but more for how the spawning is done. I was actually trying to find out what types of bottom the snapper look for to spawn over, but Im thinking its not related to whats on the bottom and just the temperature of the water...so maybe this school was looking for shallower/warmer water..

[urhookedfish 12]

The interesting part here is it says that the New Zealand snapper are reaching 60years old. will keep looking for data to confirm better rates for SA snapper.

[shauno 5]

Insane pics, I'm not sure \i'd know what to do if I found that... I have heard of similar stories in the tackle shops where people resorted to jagging them with certian lures and other hook arrangements... Poor form, I reckon it was Pt Lincoln marina from memory....

[clay91 3]

ohh yeah, the snapper here would grow faster, its like my fish in my fish tank. if theyre in 27-28 degree water they grow heaps faster.

[brenton 637]

Interesting,same thing occurs nth of Pt Broughton. cheers brenton

[spinyeel 2]

The pro's used to hammer spawning Snapper in very shallow water at Pt Wakefield,back in the 60s and 70s.