Nannygai (Saddletail Snapper)
Offshore / ReefA deep-bodied tropical snapper of northern WA, also called saddletail snapper or large-mouth nannygai for the dark blotch on the tail base. Found on deep reef and rubble from the Gascoyne north through the Pilbara and Kimberley, often in big aggregations. Excellent eating and a reliable demersal target on the bottom. Not to be confused with the South Coast 'nannygai' (Bight redfish), a different species under different rules.
Nannygai — the saddletail snapper, Lutjanus malabaricus — are a mainstay demersal of WA's tropical north, vivid red fish named for the dark saddle blotch above the tail. They school over deep reef, rubble and broken bottom from the Gascoyne up through the Pilbara and Kimberley, frequently in large aggregations that can produce fish after fish once you're on them. They run alongside red emperor, goldband and crimson snapper, and they're a favourite of charter and trailer-boat anglers for their willingness to bite and their quality on the plate. Note the name clash: WA's South Coast 'nannygai' is the Bight redfish (Centroberyx gerrardi), an entirely separate species with its own size and bag rules — this entry is the northern tropical snapper.
Whole squid, octopus, mullet or scaly mackerel fillet, large pilchards, fish strip baits
Slow-pitch jigs 100–250g, large soft plastics on heavy jigheads, vertical knife jigs
Paternoster rig with two 6/0–9/0 circle hooks on 60–100lb mono droppers and enough lead — 16–32oz — to hold bottom in deep water and current. Strong terminals and sharp hooks matter at depth. Some anglers run a snelled twin-hook for big baits.
Drift or lightly anchor over deep reef and rubble in 30–120m, dropping baits to the bottom and winding a couple of cranks up. Nannygai often hold in numbers, so once you connect, mark the spot and work it — they can come over the side in a hot streak. Slow-pitch jigging works well when fish are aggressive: short, sharp lifts off the bottom. Use a release weight for any fish you're returning; barotrauma is real from these depths.
Northern WA fishes year-round, with the cooler months (May–September) offering the most comfortable weather windows in the Gascoyne and Pilbara. Tide changes trigger the bite; neap tides make deep bottom-fishing easier than springs. Dawn and dusk are most productive.
Up to 1m and around 10kg, commonly 2–5kg
Year-round (Gascoyne, Pilbara, Kimberley)
Excellent table fish — firm, white, mild flesh that grills, bakes and fries well and holds together in curries. Bleed and ice on capture in the tropical heat; the flesh deteriorates faster than it looks. One of the better-value demersals for a feed given how readily they school up.
Saddletail snapper (nannygai) are a tropical snapper (Family Lutjanidae) and a demersal scalefish. No minimum size limit applies. Individual species daily bag limit: 4 outside the West Coast bioregion, 2 in the West Coast bioregion, 1 at the Houtman Abrolhos — counted within the demersal mixed daily bag (4 outside the West Coast region). The West Coast boat-based demersal closure (Kalbarri to Augusta) runs until Spring 2027, but this is a northern fishery largely outside that zone. Do not confuse with South Coast 'nannygai' (Bight redfish), which has a 350mm minimum and its own bag rules. Always check current DPIRD rules — regulations may change.
Charters and trailer boats out of Exmouth, Onslow, Dampier and Broome target nannygai over deep reef, often as part of a mixed demersal bag with red emperor and goldband. When you find a school, stay on it — they aggregate, and a marked patch can fish for hours. Carry a release weight and use enough sinker to get baits down fast through bait-stealers in the water column.