[BJT]

I tasted mangrove Jack the other day and it was delicious!!!! And now i really want to catch some, lol!!! Has anyone got any tips on how i go about doing this, like what lures should i use, wait bait should i use, are there any in the noosa river and if so where abouts should i fish for them, what strength line should i use?

Cheers

Ps- i caught my pb whiting today (35 cms)

 

[YakAtak]

Definitely heaps of Jacks in the noosa river mate, not sure about hard body lures for jacks, but they will take large plastics and also live baits. Any bridge pilons or pontoons, rock walls, submerged snags. Jacks are one hell of an aggressive fish and will smash anything that invades their space. they are also one of the smartest buggas out there and will wrap you round the nearest snag quick smart, so a heavier line is necessary, at least 15lb braid. I can only pass on what I have gleaned from other peoples posts though as I've never got one myself. This year though, as the weather warms up they'll get more and more active.

 

[fishtales]

Jacks are my favourite fish. The hardest pulling critter pound for pound I have ever caught, and would be very close to the best tasting fish I have eaten.(and I love eating fish)

They take a wide range of hard bodies, but my fave method of jack fishing remains live baiting, with poddy mullet being the bait of choice when I used to target them.

I spent six weeks earlier this year over in Exmouth in WA, and targeted jacks in the local marina and found the local population of jacks were a bit lure shy, but I had great success at night or dawn with live bait or even mulies. I used 15 kg line with no leader and a 3/O hook with minimum amount of lead I could get away with. I actually prefer handlines when jack fishing and unless I turn a fish within a second or so of it smashing the bait, it was all over red rover.

Prior to that, my jack fishing was mainly up in NQ, and I used similar methods, and can't see why it wouldn't work anywhere else where jacks live.

With some luck I can get up to the sunshine coast this summer, and try around maroochydore, noosa etc and catch a few.I am sure that those canals would hold a few.

Anyway, enough rambling, but those are my experiences with jacks.

Chris

 

[BJT]

Cheers fishtales and yakataK, i might get a new rod, reel and line just for targeting mangrove jack!!! Any idea of what reel & rod would suit mangrove jack???

 

[Shoey]

Im with Fishtales all the way on this one. Jacks are my favorite fish to catch and eat. My advice to you would be to go in to Davo's tackle shop and get some good local advice. Each week I check out Billybobs website (http://www.fishingnoosa.com.au) and regularly see Jacks weighed in at Davo's. The guys there know their stuff and are very friendly.

Good luck with your Jack fishing, ill be trying my hardest also very soon.

 

[hairymick]

Heya BJT

Don't give up on the hard bodies either mate. .

Look for iron bark trees right against the bank. they often indicate rocks & reefy area in front of them. I don't know why.

I would try trolling something like a sx60 or a scorpion 52 over the area quietly a couple of times. If no good work the live bait all over it. Paddle up current a bit, flick a livey at the bank unweighted and let it sink slowly along in the current with you. Killer way to get big bream too.

 

[Magicrik]

Ive got some sx60 and scorpen 52DD's. What do you thing the chances of me getting some in maroochy river is?
As anyone got jacks out of the river?

Thanks Rik

 

[fishtales]

Hey Rik,

I hear reports every year of Jacks caught in the Maroochy River. Now that the weathers starting to warm up, I reckon that they will soon be on the chew.

Local knowledge would be a bonus, and i hope to try my luck up that way during the warmer months too.

Chris

 

[Billybob]

Sorry about the slow reply on this one, I'm out of the country at the moment.
One of the first fish I caught on my kayak in the Noosa River was a Mangrove Jack.
Good fighting and not bad eating.I've caught all my Jacks on trolled hard body lures. Best have been the C-Lures 'Jack Snack' gold chrome (in deeper water), the 'Gold Bomber' (Barra Special) and the Reidy's B52. The last two worked best in the slightly shallower waters.
Good spots to try would be the Munna bridge area (the bridge pylons are a Jack haven and very productive at night and early morning), the mouth of Weyba Creek (right on the junction where it enters the Sound, any of the canal mouths in that immediate area plus the jetties aong the inner Woods Bay stretch closer to the Sheraton.
To improve your chances, lightly smear the body of the lure and trebles (not the bib) with 'Catch Scent'.

 

[BJT]

Cheers billybob!!!! I can't wait till i start catching these fish!!! I might have to go down to davo's on my lunch brake today and get some of these lures you mentioned .

 

[Nic]

BJT,
I believe also between the two lakes is a good area for Jacks. A long paddle up that way though! A met a guy the other day who caught a good one recently in Noosa Waters.

billybob,
You out of the country because you're still hooked onto a mackeral?

 

[BJT]

Nic, which two lakes is it exactly?? Yeh I heard about that mangrove jack being caught in noosa waters when i went into davo's 2day and had a talk to the guys/lady there about wanting to catch mangrove jack.

 

[Nic]

Cooroibah and Cootharabah (buggered if I can spell them!). Probably best launch is from Boreen Point but I have never been up there in the yak.