Mangrove Jack

THE offshore fishing forecast for the Bundaberg area is not looking so flash for the weekend, so up the rivers and creeks it is. Luckily enough most of the rivers and creeks are fishing well. The Baffle and Kolan have been producing some quality flathead and grunter, mainly by fishing the first of the making tide. A few mangrove jacks …

I knew exactly what I had hooked and had deliberately set my drag tight so there was no way this fish was dragging me into its home. This jack was doing everything it possibly could to snap me off, however the rudder system attached to my new kayak allowed me to easily manoeuvre my kayak and the fish out of …

I landed a couple and had several wipe-outs when I hooked what I initially thought was just another small kingfish. But then I looked over the side and saw something orange coming up. Perplexed, I gave the handle a few more turns and saw a mangrove jack of 4-5kg nearing the surface. In that split second when I recognised what the fish …

Larger bream numbers are on the increase. Lightly weighted flesh baits like fresh mullet being the best approach. Trevally numbers are also increasing with Golden, Giant and Tea Leaf Trevally all feeding around the low light periods. Woods Bays, Munna Point and the back of Noosa Sound have been the most active areas. Surface lures and small plastics like the …

AS you may already know, I absolutely love chasing jacks, and fortunately I know how to catch mangrove jack thanks to many years of persistence. I recently shot out to chase a jack with good mate Ryan and my dad. After launching my Sea Jay Creek Masta we headed upstream in a local creek. On the first cast dad hooked a little …

WHITING have still been in good numbers and have been the perfect target for the kids, with the dog beach Gympie terrace and the Frying Pan fishing well on the incoming tide. Live worms, yabbies and pealed prawns have been the baits of choice. Bream have been in good numbers in Woods Bay on prawns, pillies and strips of bonito. Small …

Jacks also respond to a wide variety of lures and techniques. Casting surface poppers tight and parallel to structure works well, as does casting soft plastics and hard-bodied minnows tight to structure. Trolling hard-bodied minnows along the rock walls and broken reef areas of the rivers also entices plenty of jacks and allows you to cover a lot of quality ground. When …

Woods Bays and the back of the Noosa Sound has been fishing well during the low light hours of the morning and afternoon with anglers landing some nice sized trevally, tailor and the odd mangrove jack is also in the mix. Lures have been the key to success with anglers using gladiator prawns, Cultiva Savoy Shads and the ever popular …

4. Fish along the wall on the slack of the tide for luderick, bream, jacks and jew. It is deep water so don’t be scared to use big baits. 5. Right along the wall near the hospital you’ll find bream, flathead, jew and jacks. The wall is fairly easily traversed, so if fishing with kids it is pretty safe. Fish the slack of …

All in all it hasn’t been a bad week weather-wise around Bundaberg, and the weekend’s forecast is looking good to get out and wet a line. Sunday should be okay for anyone thinking of fishing the close inshore reefs along our coastline. Please check your local forecast before you head out though, as things can change. A few really nice …