WHAT A KNOBHEAD!!

Words by Nick Clark

A 6kg cracking KnobHead from Arrawarra, NSW

I'm not talking about that bloke who just came hooning up your burley trail in his big ‘all the gear no idea’ rig….im talking about snapper!

I just love ugly Snapper. That’s right…the uglier the better in my opinion. Every time I hook a snapper I just hope as it surfaces up towards the waiting net that it’s a crusty old looking fish with a big bumpy head and nose. I don’t know what it is about them…I just reckon they look a lot more impressive than the cleaner looking, rounder headed fish. There is no other fish species I can think of that can have such variance in appearance.

Why are some snapper ugly & humpy, whilst others are more graceful, clean looking fish?? I guess its like humans… some of us are kind on the eye and others pretty bloody ugly!! hahaarghh

Much has been written about why some snapper have bumps on their heads and why others don’t – including research pieces by leading marine biologists, and there is very little conclusive evidence as to why.

Whatever the case classic ‘old man snapper’ are always impressive to look at, and here are a handful of my favourite LRPC knobheads!

Perhaps the all time most fugly snapper ive seen! Sonny Gordon got this mutant on a plastic off Coffs in May 2012. Hideous looking fish...

A snapper like this one taken by Adam Keogh makes the cold winter morning bearable!

boong humpy - Ben "boong' Petrovic with a chunky snapper from Longy.

The incredible Hailey Bonnici with her ugliest red to date.

Freak waterman and freediver Ant Judge with a freakishly knobby fish taken off Sydney.

Clarky with a very dark, crusty old man red on a floater. Long Reef.October 2004.