Cubera Snapper Fishing

The second week of the fishing season at Setté Cama brought an exciting adventure for three South Africans—Franna, Viv, and Jared—and two Australians, Chris and Nick. While the focus was initially on tarpon, the real highlight of the week turned out to be cubera snapper fishing. After a challenging night of tarpon battles with no successful landings, the group shifted their attention to snapper, resulting in an unforgettable catch that made the week even more special.

Switching Focus to Cubera Snapper Fishing

We found a good tarpon bite as the tide began to push in. The group hooked multiple tarpon, but as tarpon are known to do, they made sure none of them made it to the side. After a long, frustrating session, the bite died off around midnight, so we decided to head back into the mouth and try for a snapper before returning to camp. The guys were tired but persevered, motivated by the thought of landing a big Cubera snapper.

Nick’s Epic Battle with a Cubera Snapper

We chose to drift a live mullet on a circle hook, as we could hear the snapper feeding in the shallows—this method often produces a quick bite. Nick was the first up. He hooked a large mullet and lobbed it out, and within 30 seconds, his rod bent flat. Line peeled off his reel as the fish made a run for it. We knew it was a good fish, but the real challenge was navigating it through the rocks, as snapper are notorious for cutting anglers off on any structure.

The Rewarding Catch of the Week

Nick pulled hard, feeling the line rubbing against the occasional rock—a nerve-wracking fight, as the line could snap at any moment. After about five minutes, the fish tired, and Nick managed to lift its head and guide it over the reef. Out of the darkness emerged a stunning Cubera snapper. A special catch on any day, but after losing so many tarpon and battling the waves for hours, this snapper felt particularly rewarding.

Well done, Nick!