WITHOUT doubt the most sought after fish off Port Stephens is the snapper.

It is on every fisher’s bucket list to catch a thumping great snapper and where better to do it than Port Stephens.

There is a reason that the local snapper fishery is excellent and remains that way.

It all starts at the back of the port from Soldiers Point west where tiny snapper, called Cockney Bream, grow and develop as they feast on the richness that abounds over the extensive meadows of sea grass and throughout the mangrove forests.

Cockney Bream are no bigger than the palm of your hand yet they already have developed a tenacious fighting quality for which the adult fish is well known.

At certain times of the year the little snapper, far too small to keep, can become a real nuisance as they will attack any bait that is tossed into the water.

Prawns, nippers, pilchards, squid – you name it.

Surprisingly the Cockney Bream can be caught on hooks nearly as big as the fish itself, such is their aggressive behaviour.

Once caught it is the responsibility of the recreational fisher to gently nurse the fish and quickly remove the hook before release. Do not squeeze the fish or interfere with the delicate gills that supply the life-giving oxygen.

As the little snapper grows, it develops into what we call squire.

A legal 30 cm snapper is in fact a squire and does not reach snapper status until around 1.5kg in weight, at which time, in most cases, it has left the estuary system and taken up residence over the huge expanse of reef that extends from Birubi north to Broughton Island.

Once in the open ocean the snapper continues to develop, some reaching up to 15kg in weight.

Reaching maturity the female eggs are fertilised and flow back into the estuary system for the cycle to start all over again.

There are a few things that we can do to ensure that Port Stephens remains the home for cracker snapper.

As mentioned, treat the tiny snapper gently before release. Continually be aware of the importance of water quality, sea grass and mangrove swamps.

Stay within the bag limits and minimum size set by NSW Fisheries.

Of all the fish that can be caught in and around Port Stephens, my favourite remains the snapper!

By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE