Summer Snapper Jacks in Yaks Micro Jigging Mackerel

Transcription

1 Drifting for Snapper ShrimpZ Ahoy Breaming for Beginners Summer Snapper Jacks in Yaks Micro Jigging Mackerel

2 Drifting For Snapper By Rhett Gill

3 Rhett guides us through chasing snapper in his home waters, offering some tips and techniques that could also be applied to a range of other species and locations around the country. Fish on! Summer fishing in South Australia means hot glassy mornings with amazing sunrises and of course big snapper. St Vincent Gulf is the stretch of water between metro Adelaide and Yorke Peninsula. This area holds some great schools of snapper after the spawning ban ends at midday on December 15 each year and thousands of boaties are itching to get out there and bag themselves a big red for Christmas lunch, or just to try their luck on these fish. St Vincent Gulf is a pretty shallow gulf, with the deepest sections around 30 metres deep out in the middle and it has a relatively flat bottom. This lack of structure means that any structure you can find normally holds baitfish and where there is bait, there will generally be big snapper close by. Over the years a lot of manmade drops have been made by fisherman to create structure, including car bodies, sunken boats and even just scrap metal and bits and pieces piled up in an area to draw the bait and the fish. Rhett with a quality snapper on a TT Lures Vector Jig.

4 Technological developments in sounders these days, including features such as side scan, has meant that a lot of these drops are not such a secret anymore. This ability to locate structure, bait and fish has led to some amazing lure fishing for snapper. For the last few years, since purchasing a boat, I have been targeting these fish using a drifting technique, while fishing with soft plastic lures and metal jigs, and boy have we been having some fun! The technique that I have found works best for me involves firstly sounding around these drops using side scan on the sounder. The aim is to locate fish close to the structure, however a good tip is to remember that if a few boats have already anchored on the drop the anchors being deployed may have scared the fish off the drops. The fish often still hang around but sometimes may be up to 100 metres away.

5 Once I set my line for a drift it s a matter of waiting for the school to come up on the sounder. When the school appears on the sounder the plastics and jigs are dropped. Most times the plastics are taken on the drop and you will have line peeling off the spool. Click the bail arm over and it is game on! If Another quality St Vincent Gulf snapper. the fish don t take the lure on the drop, try a few hops on the bottom or at the depth that the fish are holding at as this will often attract a hit and good take by the fish. The ZMan 5" to 7" plastics are proving to be great plastics on these big snapper, with my favourite colour being Nuked Chicken Glow in the ZMan 7" Scented Jerk ShadZ, rigged on a 1oz TTLures HeadlockedZ HD jighead for good fish. Rhett s go-to Nuked Chicken Glow colour claims another victim.

6 My favourite way of catching these fish though is jigging and my mates and I have had a ball using the TT Lures 60g Vector Jigs in Dorado and Pink UV colours. In the same way we fish the plastics, we drift, waiting for the school of snapper to appear on the sounder. When the school appears it s bombs away, with the jigs free-spooled until they hit the bottom, before they are then wound back up to around a metre off the bottom. A simple and slow, lift and drop retrieve will almost instantly be smashed when these snapper are on the chew and normally it s the bigger fish that will grab the Vector Jigs. Using light jigging setups, normally running a small 2508 reel loaded with 10lb braid and a 30lb leader, will see these fish give a good account of themselves. The SA snapper fishing is pretty good, but when fishing for them with TTLures Vector Jigs and ZMan plastics, the fishing can be mind blowing! Rhett s Tackle Box ZMan 5 Scented Jerk ShadZ ZMan 7 Scented Jerk ShadZ (Nuked Chicken Glow) TT Lures 1oz HeadlockZ HD jigheads TT Lures 60g Vector Jig (Dorado & Pink UV) The TT Lures Vector Jig has proven effective for Rhett and his crew. Vector Jig snapper.

7 MICRO JIGS VECTOR JIGS Seductive fluttering fall Jig or high speed retrieve Realistic baitfish profile and 3D eye Hand-painted finishes Mustad heavy-duty chemically sharpened hooks Colour 15g 25g 40g 60g Pink UV Orange UV Pink Hussar Red Head Dorado ARROW JIGS Realistic Arrow Squid profile Quality silicone skirt for added realism and movement Hand-painted finish and 3D eye Mustad heavy-duty, chemically sharpened hooks Versatile - triggering strikes on the drop, jig or high speed retrieve Colour 40g 60g Pink Hussar Orange UV Red Pink UV Blue Silver

8 FOR BEGINNERS By Ryan Dixon

9 Lure fishing is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports in Australia, with more and more people wanting to try their hand at artificial bait fishing. On my last few fishing trips I've been joined on my boat by people who have never even cast a lure. The satisfaction I've experienced, from teaching them and seeing the smile on their face when they catch their first fish, has been more rewarding than catching a fish myself. With the amount of different lures, scents, rods, reels and line available to anglers these days, choosing what to use can be most confusing, especially to someone who has never fished with soft plastics before. In this article I'm going to outline my secrets and the techniques that I use and share with people learning to fish with soft plastics for bream. From what tides to fish, lures to select, rod and reel to use and the best places to cast. Ryan with a nice bream on the ZMan Slim SwimZ.

10 Structure is often the key when targeting bream. Rod & Reel Selection When casting soft plastics for bream, choosing the right rod for the job is very important. A light graphite rod around 1-4kg and 7 foot in length is perfect, teamed with a 2000 size spinning reel, spooled with light braid from 3-6lb. Using light line is imperative, as most lures used for bream are small and light, with the light line allowing you to get maximum distance when casting. A fluorocarbon leader is also important when lure fishing, as braided line shouldn't be tied directly to the lure. A rod length of leader (7 foot) is ample and can be tied easily to the braid with a simple double uni knot. The breaking strain of the leader should change in relation to the structure that you fish, but as a general rule I like to use 6lb leader. Casting I believe that casting accuracy is the most important aspect of lure fishing. The ability to be able to land a lure within a few centimetres of the structure that you are fishing will optimize your chances of catching. When I first started casting lures I recall putting a bucket in the backyard under a tree and I would try and cast into the bucket without getting caught in the tree. This definitely improved my catch rate as the difference between hitting the mark and falling short can often be the difference between catching or not.

11 Likely Areas to Catch Bream Bream love structure and normally where there's structure there's bream. Bream can be found almost Australia wide and can be caught from most types of structure as they hunt for bait, barnacles, crabs and other tasty morsels. Structure can also provide a location from where bream can ambush prey and somewhere they can rest, out of the current. The structure doesn't always necessarily need to be in the water, with overhanging trees and mangroves providing shade and creating a perfect place to target bream in the middle of the day. Fallen tree snags, rock walls, oyster leases, weed beds and bridge pylons are all good spots for targeting bream, with bridge pylons being my favourite. It's worth searching for snags out of the water at low tide and coming back to fish them when the tide is high. Drains, mangrove edges, rocks and rubble are all productive structure, but bridges are a favourite for Ryan.

12 The ZMan GrubZ has become a favourite for anglers chasing bream. Tide Choosing the right tide for the area you fish is also very important as bream will hold and feed in different areas at different times of the tide. Periods with less current also make structure easier to fish, as you have more chance of keeping your lure in the strike zone for longer. I find that on the top of the tide casting up into the mangroves is a perfect way to catch bream as they move up looking for food that they can't access at low tide. Also on the top of the tide I stay away from deeper water, as bream will commonly move into spots where it's normally shallow. At low water, when the tide has dropped out of the mangroves, the best spots to fish are fallen tree snags, bridge pylons and deeper channels. Lure Selection With the number of lures on the market these days, choosing what to use can be a tough decision. Personally I prefer a smaller plastic and one that needs as little action as possible added by the angler. There's three lures that I rig when I take out people who are learning to use soft plastics.

13 Firstly the ZMan 2.5" GrubZ. The GrubZ is the perfect lure for the first timer as it has maximum action for little work and can catch just about anything that swims. The second is the ZMan 2.5 Slim SwimZ which only requires a slow wind of the reel to get maximum action. Last but not least is the ZMan 2 CrusteaZ which is a small crab pattern that again doesn't require much action from the angler. Knowing what jighead to rig your chosen plastic on will depend on the amount of current in the water. As a general rule of thumb the slower the lure sinks the better, but not too slow that the current will wash it out of the strike zone. I find the TT Lures HeadlockZ 1/12oz weight is the perfect weight for most situations that I fish. Hook size will change from plastic to plastic but for the three lures mentioned above I use a size 1 for the GrubZ, a size 2 for the CrusteaZ and a size 1/0 for the Slim SwimZ. Adding a small amount of scent to your lure will also maximize your hook up rate, as not only does the lure look real, it will taste real. When using scent it pays to re-apply once you catch a fish or get a bite. Retrieve A live well of bream prior to release. The biggest problem I see, when it comes to people learning to fish with soft plastics, is the way Jess landed this bream that they retrieve their on a ZMan 2 CrusteaZ. lure. Most people fish their lure far too erratically, with their lure rarely getting down deep enough for a fish to eat it. I find that most of the time the soft plastics that I fish need as little movement as possible, often with just a slow wind and pause being enough to entice a bite.

14 Once the plastic has been cast it needs plenty of time to sink. It s important to keep a keen eye on your line as it sinks as bream will often eat it before you have a chance to start your retrieve. When your line goes slack it means the lure has reached the bottom and it is time to start your retrieve. A couple of small hops of the plastic is a good starting point, whilst making sure the lure regularly comes back into contact with the bottom. Obviously different structure requires a different retrieval, as fishing your lure too slow over a rocky bottom will increase your snag rate. When fishing bridge pylons, rather than casting as close to the pylon as possible it's worth casting a couple of metres further and retrieving your lure past the pylon. You can learn a hell of a lot about your retrieve by swimming your plastic in a pool or in the shallows as you can see how the lure reacts to certain movements of your rod tip. Practice definitely makes perfect with soft plastics fishing and I believe knowing how to correctly work your lure is crucial. Bream fishing can be rather frustrating at times but knowing what to use and how to use them will give you the edge you need to improve your catch rate. Ryan s Go-to Plastics 2.5 GrubZ 2 CrusteaZ Ryan all smiles with a couple of nice bream. The results of a hot session prior to release. GrubZ bream. 2.5 Slim SwimZ You d be happy with these in a bream tournament - released.

15 ZMan Soft Plastics - Choosing a TT HeadlockZ Jighead This rigging guide is designed to assist you when matching a ZMan soft plastic and TT Lures HeadlockZ jighead. The HeadlockZ grub keeper has been designed to lock on the 10X Tough, yet super-soft and realistic, ZMan ElaZtech soft plastic, cast after cast, fish after fish! ZMan Soft Plastic HeadlockZ Jighead 2 CrusteaZ 2, 1 2 GrubZ 2, GrubZ 2, 1, 1/0 2.5 Slim SwimZ 2, 1, 1/0 3 Scented PogyZ 2/0, 3/0, 3 MinnowZ 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 3 Scented ShrimpZ 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 3 Scented CrabZ 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 3.5 GrubZ 2/0, 3/ StreakZ 1/0, 2/0 4 StreakZ Curly TailZ 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 4 Finesse ShadZ 1/0, 2/0 4 DieZel MinnowZ 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 4 Scented PaddlerZ 3/0, 4/0 4 SwimmerZ 4/0, 5/0 4 Scented ShrimpZ 4/0, 5/0, 6/0 4 CrawdadZ 3/0, 4/0 4 Hard Leg FrogZ 6/0 ChinlockZ 4 Pop FrogZ 6/0 ChinlockZ 4 Pop ShadZ 3/0 ChinlockZ 4.5 RaZor ShadZ 3/0, 4/0 5 Pop ShadZ 6/0 ChinlockZ 5 GrubZ 4/0, 5/0 5 Scented PaddlerZ 4/0, 5/0 5 Grass KickerZ 5/0, 6/0 5 StreakZ 4/0, 5/0 5 Scented Jerk ShadZ 4/0, 5/0 6 SwimmerZ 5/0, 6/0, 7/0, 8/0 6 Pop FrogZ 8/0 ChinlockZ 7 Scented Jerk ShadZ 7/0, 8/0 8 StreakZ XL 7/0, 8/0 8 Mag SwimZ 8/0 9 GrubZ 6/0, 7/0, 8/0 10 HeroZ 8/0 Rigging Guide ZMan Soft Plastics 10X Tough - better stands up to pickers and toothies, more fish per lure. Super-soft realistic feel - maximum action and fish keep biting! Buoyant - rig to fish topwater to deep. Buoyant - Tail up action attracts fish and triggers Strikes. TT HeadlockZ Finesse Built on a fine gauge, Japanese hook for the ultimate penetration with light lines and light drag settings. Unique head lock grub keeper. TT HeadlockZ HD Jighead Built on a brutally strong, chemically sharpened Mustad black nickel hook. Unique head lock grub keeper. Caring for your ZMan Store ZMan in their original packets - they may react with other plastics. Avoid storing lures in extreme heat for maximum life.

16 ShrimpZ Ahoy Tips for fishing the ZMan Scented ShrimpZ By Paul Chew

17 Having been towelled up by a mate recently fishing prawn imitations, I went to the bottom of the tackle box where a lone half packet of ZMan 3 Scented ShrimpZ in Holographic colour had resided for many months unmolested. It s funny how you key in on a particular pattern and style of fishing and never stray too far from this, until what you are doing doesn t work and you have to find something that gives you a fighting chance. Rummaging around I found I had only two left in the packet. While Pete was fishing his plastic on a weighted EWG hook, I decided to go for a 1/8oz TT SnakelockZ in a 3/0 size, to allow me to dead stick the ShrimpZ on the bottom, giving the rod a shake to allow the buoyancy of the ZMan to let the lures waft up off the bottom of the creek. Rigged on a 12lb leader, with a loop knot, these ShrimpZ have accounted for around 40 fish over the last three weeks, to the point where I haven t been using much of anything else, just to see how effective they really can be. With the glow of first light over Fraser Island, I rolled up the swag and dropped the electric into the dark clear water of the Great Sandy Straights, picked up the heavy 10lb outfit and nosed the boat into the current. I like to have the boat pointing into the current and adjust the speed so that I just maintain a very slow drift with the tide, casting up current. I let the ShrimpZ drift naturally with the current, hit the bottom, pause, and then hop it slowly back to the boat. Press PLAY to check out this jump.

18 Most species can t resist a prawn imitation, including this nice grunter. Press PLAY to check out the action. On the second cast of the morning, I was lazily watching the braid sink into the depths when the tell-tale twitch signalled some interest in the sinking ElaZtech shape, but nothing substantial enough to strike at. Having seen this before, I let the ShrimpZ sit, knowing that for whatever reason a good grunter was circling but was timidly nibbling at the plastic. A few shakes of the line, followed by more typewriter like rattles then a little flick and whack, the rod buckled and the little 1000 reel gave line grudgingly as the grunter made a bid for freedom. Then, the line went slack clearly this isn t how the story is supposed to go and it was quite odd as I had hardly lost a fish once hooked on the SnakelockZ. The mystery was soon solved, with the plastic coming in with the hook buried deep into it. So the whole time I had the fish on it was just gripped in its peg like teeth, not wanting to let the morsel go. Anyways the fish were here, so after applying some more Pro-Cure Shrimp Super Gel scent, I lobbed out another cast, eager with anticipation nothing. Next cast the lure had landed and I was digging in the esky looking for my ice coffee when the rod was almost wrenched from my hand. Wind in cast again and sure enough, bang gotcha! I love the take and first runs of a good grunter on light gear and they fight doggedly until they hit the net.

19 If I was going into a new creek that I hadn t fished before, where would I fish a ShrimpZ and what would I look for? Typically, starting at the mouth at low tide, I would work any deeper banks, as this is likely to be where the fish drop to when the water gets low, but points of interest that will get a thorough working over will be; Any gravel beds that will hold fish chasing shellfish and crustaceans on the high tide (grunter). Landslides that are holding baitfish behind it (threadfin and barra). Any point that sticks out enough when the tide is running to form a backwater (threadfin). Creek and drain mouths when the tide is rising, as the prawns wait to flee (threadfin). Creek and drain mouths when the tide is dropping, just exposing the mud. (all species). The ShrimpZ proved deadly on the threadfin salmon.

20 A Holographic ShrimpZ did the job on this quality threadfin. The last one can be one of the most productive places in any creek to hang for a while and fish as predators line up here waiting for the prawns to be flushed out into the creek proper. Cricket scores of fish can be caught at some spots at times. Interestingly, normally only one or two drains in any given creek will have big numbers of fish hanging there. It s just a matter of moving around until you find them. Fishing them is easy, tossing the ShrimpZ up into the shallow drain and hopping it really slowly back down the drop off, with threadfin and blue salmon often biting in a metre of water and grunter normally grabbing it if it manages to get to water deeper than two metres. Often you will pick up good flathead doing this also. Next time you are in the tackle shop, grab a packet and give em a go. They are certainly a quality fish producer and don t forget the Pro-Cure Shimp scent to sweeten the deal. Tight lines. Chewy.

21 SNAGLESS SOLUTIONS Fish love structure, including weed beds, standing or fallen timber, rock bars and freshly flooded grass, but the trouble for anglers is how to get the lure in and out without snagging or fouling. Soft plastics rigged on one of TT Lures snagless solutions are the perfect option for fishing structure, allowing you to fish deep in the structure where the fish are holding when a fish eats it though, it s over to you! ChinlockZ are an unweighted worm hook that feature a chin lock system to secure your soft plastic in place on the hook, allowing you to cast hard, work your plastic aggressively and maximise the chances of your plastic still swimming correctly even after a strike. Being unweighted it is ideal for fishing soft plastics on the surface through and over structure. ChinlockZ SWS (Snagless Weight System) feature the TT chin lock system along with a belly weight that creates a slow, natural, horizontal sink that fish find irresistible. It is ideal for slow sinking soft plastics deep into structure in slower currents and water depths up to a couple of metres. It is also a go-to when buzzing frogs over weed beds and timber, and through pockets for barra and cod. SnakelockZ feature a chin lock along with a freeswinging front weight for maximum action. This front weight is attached via a 75lb test rated, stainless steel through wire loop that allows the head to be removed for surface fishing or to mix and match hook sizes and head weights as required. TT Lures ChinlockZ, ChinlockZ SWS and SnakelockZ are built on Mustad, heavy duty, chemically sharpened, black nickel worm hooks. ZMan soft plastics are ideal for worm hook rigging due to their durability and buoyancy, along with their softness and flexibility that sees the plastic easily shifted and hook point exposed when a fish strikes. A general guide is 2/0-4/0 for 3-4 plastics, 4/0-6/0 for 5 and 6/0-8/0 for 6 + plastics. When using FrogZ a 6/0 is ideal for 4 FrogZ and an 8/0 for 6 FrogZ when targeting cod, ChinlockZ ChinlockZ SWS SnakelockZ

22 By Andy Gunn Summer Snapper on the Sunshine Coast

23 After many years chasing snapper on the close in reefs off the Sunshine Coast, I have lately found myself targeting them on the wider reefs through the warmer months. Generally through summer we have a good run of mackerel off the coast, which tends to quieten down the snapper on the close in reefs. Yes they are still around, but generally smaller sizes are encountered. Over the last 12 months of searching for snapper on the wider grounds I have still encountered a wide array of species, from dolphinfish through to jobfish and parrot. I have also found a few spots on the wider grounds off Mooloolaba that hold good numbers and sizes of snapper through the warmer months and have successfully targeted these fish in the past using ZMan seven and eight inch sized plastics. Sitting at home one night, getting my gear ready for a trip out to the reef, I was going through some plastics and came across the 4 model of the ZMan SwimmerZ. Having used these plastics in the rivers to successfully target jacks and jewies, I decided to try this smaller profile plastic in deeper water to see if I could catch snapper. The journey to the marks begins and the anticipation builds.

24 Andy kicks things off with a nice parrot on the plastic. The morning finally arrived and we were making our way out to the wider grounds. I was anxious to see how the smaller profile plastics would perform and after an hour and a half run out we were nearing our mark. After sounding around and locating the fish we soon sent the anchor to the bottom and positioned the boat over the structure where the fish were holding. After a few drops to see which weight of jighead would work best, I settled on a 1oz TT HeadlockZ HD jighead. I wanted the jighead to flutter down through the water column but still make it to the bottom. This will keep the plastic in the strike zone for longer, improving the chances of a hook up. Before long the rod loaded under the pressure of something that wanted to eat the plastic. After a few short but brutal runs back to the bottom I had the fish s head turned and coming up off the bottom. Once I had the fish under control I backed the drag off slightly so as not to pull the hooks. I was anxious to see what I had hooked and before too long I had a nice parrot at the boat.

25 After a couple of quick photos I found myself sending the plastic back down through the 72 metres of water to the bottom. Using jigging braid for this style of fishing I have found works the best, as you know how deep down the plastic is. After stopping the plastic a few times on the way down, giving it a few flicks to imitate a It s hard to beat a well presented plastic for snapper. wounded bait fish, I soon found my rod loaded again and line peeling off my reel. This fish had taken the plastic well up off the bottom and with the runs typical of a snapper, with the head shakes during the fight, I was confident I had found the species I was after. Once I had started to get line back onto my reel I felt my nerves settle and became more confident of boating this fish. A few more heads shakes and what felt like ten minutes but was probably more like two or three minutes, I had a nice snapper at the boat. With great relief and a sense of satisfaction that is hard to explain, I found myself wanting to get the plastic back down. After a few more drops and more snapper to come aboard, I landed The ZMan SwimmerZ also produced this surprise. something that I was quite surprised to see, a nice frypan snapper (frypan bream) that took a liking to my SwimmerZ. Again ZMan plastics delivered the goods and this will not be the last time that I fish the smaller profile plastics in deeper water.

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27 An iconic sportfish - the mighty mangrove jack. The afternoon spells of a storm brewing, whilst glancing to the distant ranges towards the west. Darkened clouds begin to build, peering at its enormous front rolling with velocity as it approaches. The air is warm, thick and heavy as another bead of sweat trickles down either side of my face from beneath the brim of my Akubra. The odd rumble of thunder breaking the air alerts me that there is a change of season. Aroused by the commotion, there is one species set firmly on my radar, a belligerent, hard hitting, red coloured fish none other than the mangrove jack. THE MANGROVE JACK Pound for pound these aggressive brutes would have to be one of the premier sportfish targeted in the southeast corner of Queensland, especially during the warmer months of spring and summer. Mangrove jack make their way from the outer reefs of the ocean to the many estuaries lining the Queensland coast, increasing the chances for recreational anglers to target this special species. They are renowned for their dirty fighting and hard hitting strikes, adding to the euphoria associated with chasing these fish. Once a baitfish finds itself clutched into the jaws of this particular fish, there is no escape. The dog like teeth of the mangrove jack are built to snatch and grab their prey and it s done with aggression, lightning speed and precision. They are typically red tinged in colour and depending on the environment that they are living in, the colour of the jack can differ through shades of pinks, copper, browns and oranges. They are commonly found in the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and are not isolated just to Australia. Being carnivorous and a ferocious ambush predator, they prefer to feed at night, however being opportunistic also means that they can be caught just as well during daylight hours.

28 STRUCTURE Mangrove jack got their name for obvious reasons, finding comfort and cover amongst the roots of mangrove lined creeks and rivers, where small mullet, garfish and crustaceans can be easily exhumed. Being ambush predators, structure such as rock walls, root balls from fallen trees and snags, where smaller prey seek protection, are all good compositions where you may locate mangrove jack. Fishing these areas is most productive on the last couple of hours on an ebbing tide and the first couple of hours of the run in, exposing the fish closer to the edges of the mangroves. Other prime spots where they can be located include, around pylons of bridges, jetties and wharfs. During the night the lighting on these bridges attracts baitfish to the area and in turn larger predatory fish like the mangrove jack take full advantage of an easy banquet. Structure is the key starting point when chasing jacks.

29 Dave analyses a good looking jack snag. JACKS & KAYAKS Targeting mangrove jack at water level in kayaks can be absolutely manic and at times you have to think quickly on your feet or backside, whatever the case may be, to gain that upper hand. There are no rules when fighting these fish, you just got to do what you can do to keep these fish on a short lead. Stopping them from taking your lure back through the maze of structure, from where they originally came to smash your imitation bait, is what it really boils down to. Don t be caught out using light line in tight structure. I prefer to use 20lb Platypus braid as my main line with an attached 30lb-40lb leader. Tighten the drag on your reel up and hang on when the fish strikes, attempting to get as much line back on that spool as quickly as possible. There are some advantages fishing for jacks from a kayak, hence the reason for having a tight drag. The kayak acts as a drag mechanism, giving the fish some advantage, without snapping the line. Broadsiding the kayak to the structure is also advantageous, as for a split second or two you are able to react to how and where the fish is intending to take you. More often than not, after this very short moment, your kayak will pull toward the direction of the fish and your momentum and speed will increase towards the structure that you re intending to stay clear of. All in all it is unbelievably fun. Some battles you lose and some you win, however it s the adrenaline that suckers you in for more punishment.

30 LURES & TECHNIQUE Soft plastic lures are a great choice of imitation bait when targeting these fish and jighead weights and sizes can be altered accordingly to suit any conditions. When fishing tight structure a ZMan 3 MinnowZ or ZMan 4 SwimmerZ paddle tail soft plastic is a preferred selection, rigged on a lightly weighted TT Lures ChinlockZ hook. When casting lures amongst pylons or adjacent to the roots of mangroves in more open water, my preferred option is rigging these two distinctive types of plastic lures on TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jigheads in either a 3/0 or 5/0 hook size, comparative to the lure s length. These are proven and will certainly attract these fish. The heavier the jighead, the more rapidly that the lure will sink within the water column and hence a faster retrieval pattern is required to keep the lure above the structure. A reaction strike from a mangrove jack when using this technique and lure selection is very ominous, so be prepared. Casting these plastics to tight structure, using lighter weighted jigheads to fish in the upper column of water is a preferred technique that I tend to use, having greater success in landing these aggressive fish. The reason being is that generally when the fish strikes the lure, controlling it on a short lead with your rod tip will prevent the fish from delving back towards the intertwined timber below. A simple rolling (continual winding) retrieval pattern, when using soft plastics, is sometimes all that is required when targeting these fish. Varying your retrieval speeds or breaking it up with quick pauses and twitches of the rod tip are also very effective techniques. For extra attraction, applying Pro-Cure Mullet Super Gel Scent to your soft plastic lure can prove to give you that extra advantage. Fish on! The ZMan 3 MinnowZ and TT HeadlockZ HD jighead a deadly combo.

31 A nice yak jack. Trolling for mangrove jack is also a great option, especially along the edges of mangroves, allowing you to cover plenty of ground. Keeping the lure trolling at a maximum distance of about ten metres behind the kayak is very beneficial; again you don t want to give these brutes too much advantage. Upon a mangrove jack striking your lure, when trolling within close proximity to their root bound lairs, you might be tempted immediately to take the rod out of the rod holder and begin fighting the fish. Let s face it, it s very hard not to. However, taking a few very brisk strokes of the paddle first, steering the kayak and the fish out into more open water, will increase your catch rate dramatically! Press the PLAY button and check out the action! Fishing some gnarly structure on the Sunshine Coast just recently, I managed to catch and release this fun fighting mangrove jack using a ZMan 3 MinnowZ in one of the newer colours Calico Candy rigged on 1/4oz 3/0 HeadlockZ HD jighead. Fish On! Mangrove jack are an extremely forceful, belligerent fish when first smashing your lure, with even harder, more destructive pulling qualities once they know they have been hooked. To avoid disappointment whilst trying to subdue these dirty fighters yak side, especially when targeting them in areas of very tight structure, be sure to bring your A game ready for when they turn up the heat. Best wishes Dave Brace Press PLAY to check out the action.

32 Micro Jigging Mackerel By Will Smedley

33 Micro jigging, a new craze running through Australia at the moment, has in my mind revolutionized how to target many shallow water species on metal lures. Traditional jigging methods in Australia generally referred to knife jigs in excess of 300g and very heavy tackle but now that's not the case. Jigs as small as 15g are now commonly used to chase an array of species from shallow reefs to deep holes in rivers and canal systems. The possibilities for these lures are endless. Spotted and Spanish mackerel are readily available along our Australian coastline and these fish are known for their great speed, acrobatics, screaming runs and very sharp teeth. There are hundreds of different techniques used for targeting these speedsters of the ocean, but how do we target them on micro jigs? When you first look at a micro jig they may seem quite confusing. They are not a lure that you tie on and instantly become an expert at using, as with most things fishing related it involves a bit of trial and error until you find what works. I will share with you my tips on how I find these jigs work best while targeting mackerel in depths from twenty to forty metres. Before you are even out on the water you must know what tackle to use. Personally 30lb braid or 1.2 PE, roughly 27lb, is a great all-rounder, with a leader of about 30 to 40lb. Wire is an option if you re concerned about losing lures and fish. A spin reel of around 5000 size is ideal and I would suggest something with a 6.2 to 1 gear ratio for a faster retrieve and a rod rated around 15-30lb, preferably of around 6 in length. Lastly a selection of jigs ranging from 15g to 40g, depending on the water depth you re fishing. Micro Jig Knife Jig

34 Tie to this end for fluttering drop and jigging Tie to this end for long casts and high speed Before you drop your jig to the hungry fish you will have to choose which point to tie your lure to, either the split ring end near the jigs eye or the top point. Tying to the end near the eye is ideal for a fluttering drop and jigging retrieve, while tying to the narrow end positions the bulk of the weight to the rear of the lure for long casts and high speed retrieves. So when you re set up to go micro jigging for mackerel, either drifting schools or anchored on reef, however you find them, remember the following techniques to get them eating your jigs. Firstly, sound up your fish and see if they are actively feeding in mid water or near the surface, or if they are laying inactive on the bottom. If they are on the bottom I strongly suggest that you tie your jig on by the split ring, sinking it down to them and then using big rod lifts and winding up the slack, to try and fire them up off the bottom. When you feel that you re jig has reached about a quarter to halfway up in the water column, proceed to fast wind it straight to the surface. By doing this you are gaining the mackerel s attention on the bottom, as they will look at your jig making a ruckus near them and hopefully investigate. When you start to fast wind away from them they will get excited and pounce on your jig. Rigging with a single or treble on the wide end is another option for high speed spinning.

35 If you find them already fired up, mid water and near the surface, you can drop your jig straight to the bottom and by aggressively jigging and winding, it will only be a matter of time before a mackerel will see it. If they are really active on the surface you could even try casting and fast winding your jig back to the boat for some spectacular sight fishing. Spotties love Vector Jigs. Another tip is to always remember that colour is a big factor. TT Lures make a variety of different colours in their Vector Jig range. They also make UV colours that are especially effective on low light days. Most jigs have a silver or white finish on their back, creating a great flash in the water. These in my eyes are the best jigs to target many species at the moment. Lastly if you find yourself getting your assist hook cord a bit frayed by the mackerel s teeth, don't be scared to put on a single assist hook as this could save you from bite offs from a lot of toothy species. Pink UV colour did the job on this mackerel.

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