mangrove jacks, how, where?

[youngy555]

just been doing a bit of reading about mangrove jacks, they are not a species of fish i have ever fished for and have never seen one in the flesh (mainly because i 'm from hunter region NSW), i would like to give it a shot when im in QLD next two weeks, are they similar to targeting a bream or flathead, most baits and softplastics? decent eating?

[tunaticer]

Look for a really STUPID place in a river or creek to cast where you don't think you will get your hook back from. Thats where they live.
Right about now almost every creek from the border to cape york will be home to a few hungry fish.

Jack.

[84mick]

Never caught one myself but last as tunaticer said they are in just about every creek, canal etc at this time of year.

Cheers, Mick. ;)

[Scott nthQld]

I agree with tunaticer, look for the stupidest possible place, where you know you will lose your tackle nearly every time you cast there, sure fire way to get hits from jacks. Best baits are small poddys, slabs of mullet, live prawn, but they will take just about anything, I've caught smaller models on yabbies (nippers for you Mexicans), and have seen some stonkers caught on dirty old servo squid.

The key is to use as little weight as possible, letting the bait slowly sink next to the structure. If the current is minimal, no weight is often best. This will also help stop your line from sitting right on top of the structure, helping you to avoid catching Australia.

Whatever you do, don't put your rod down, cos by the time you react to the hit, it will be too late, they'll have you buried in a maze of sticks. Jacks don't bite like bream, whiting, flathead, they don't mouth the bait, they come out grab it and get back to the structure as fast as they can, so most hits will result in a hook up, if you react fast enough that is. I would suggest using at least 8lb mono, with a 20lb trace, with braid, use a longer leader, to avoid the braid getting in the structure, 99 times out of 100, when your braid hits the structure, ping, gone, you've lost him.

Jacks are top table fair, I rate them better than all other estuary species, right up there with the reefies, better than snapper and lippas, about the same as large and small mouth nannygai and red emperor IMO.

[madkeen_fisherkid]

yep they pretty much have said it all....just look for a snag , throw a few lures, mayeb even use some livies.....there everywhere at the moment

your bound to catch one eventually

[reelemin1974]

I have only ever caught them on poppers.....ALL fish I have caught so far have come from rock walls....mind you, I have only caught a handfull.

[reelemin1974]

BTW, you made a little error asking about the eating quality, Most Jack fishermen are a little closed mouthed about Jacks, espec. if they think you will kill them.

I personally have not kept one as they are great fish to catch and aren't all that prevalent. But I don't mind what you do, each to their own.

[NAGG]

just been doing a bit of reading about mangrove jacks, they are not a species of fish i have ever fished for and have never seen one in the flesh (mainly because i 'm from hunter region NSW), i would like to give it a shot when im in QLD next two weeks, are they similar to targeting a bream or flathead, most baits and softplastics? decent eating?

Youngy ...... A little closer to home , South West Rocks is often home to a decent population of Jacks during the Summer/Autumn months. ( I learnt that bream fishing 10 or so years ago ..... & wondered why I kept getting smashed up .... I thought they must have been monster bream:P ....... 2 days later , I caught my first Jack of just under a Kg.... just )

Fishing the rock walls & snags with typical jack lures ( & I guess SPs) will often entice a fish or two
Most of the rivers north of SWR hold Jacks from Dec-May ( In numbers that justify them as a target species)
So keep that in mind if you are up the mid north coast & beyond.

Eating ....not too many better

Enjoy your time in Qld ... & hopefully you'll nail that first Jack .... They are a great fish to catch8-)
Nagg

[youngy555]

thanks for the info, hopefully will help me gt onto a few, something different and targeting a new species should be good.
Youngy.

ReelEmIn, dont worry i wont eat them to extinction, i'm a big fan of catch and release mete.