Spaniards

[tailorboi99]

Hi, I've heard that you can catch Spanish Mackeral at Fairy Pools and Hells Gates, will they be around at this time of year? Is 25lb line strong enough to float out a Pilchard under a balloon with a 15kg rod?

I'll also be taking a rod for flicking soft plastics around and I'm wondering will 8lb braid do well for most species and what type of soft plastics, I might even decide to spin with some metal lures..

Please help

Cheers Tom

[fivefishes]

Hey,

We used to fish minimum 15kg (35lb), you'll need plenty of it. Bit different chasing them off the rocks vs boat fishing, you don't have the luxury of chasing with the boat and heaps more obstacles off the bricks. If weather allows drift an unweighted pillie or just a pea sinker on top of the wire trace, still gives you a chance of a Kingie. Watch the water around the base of the rocks, you'll often see Kingies patrolling the rock face, that gets the blood boiling. For the Spanish try throwing big metals like Raiders 65-100g, cast out as far as you can give them a chance to get down a bit and crank like mad. Big Penn spinfishers are perfect, the 850 or 950, spool up with 30-50lb braid your casting distance will improve heaps. Big trevally and Longtails will get in on the action too. Don't be fooled, like everywhere you'll have plenty of fishless days, but nothing beats a big fish off the rocks.

Matt

[mattooty]

Mate if you can get a livey to put on the hook instead of the pilchard you'll be 2 steps ahead of anyone else around you. hook them behind the dorsal fin and they will swim straight out pulling the float behind them. Use a 6/0-7/0 gamakatsu octopus hook. a short wire trace of about 30cm will stop them frombiting you off. If its a deadbait only use the tiniest sinker you can to keep the bait under water without sinking it to the bottom. About 2m under should get you going.
In regards to gear, 25lb will pull them up if you've got about 400m+. I'm using 600m of 15kg at the moment trying to target them. Make sure you have someone around to gaff a fish for you and always keep an eye on the swell. Are you using an eggbeater or overhead?
Matt