Reply With QuoteSlow troll live baits and get a downrigger. If they are remotely in the mood to feed it will do the trick.
Last 2 times off sunny coast I have seen plenty of mackerel on the sounder mainly sitting on the bottom. I have trolled lures, dead baits, floated baits, and cubed. Haven't tried livies.
Anything else I can try? Is anyone else having a slow Spanish season here?
Slow troll live baits and get a downrigger. If they are remotely in the mood to feed it will do the trick.
Wire to a stinger on the tail or the buggers just nip the back half off
Cheers
Trev
Yeh thanks was thinking it's time for a down rigger purchase. Thanks.
Probably should have have posted this in general offshore chat. Sorry.
I second the livies and down rigger but if you don't have one (like i don't) use a sinker. Try a few different sizes. Slow drift if possible due to conditions or very slow troll. If you can see them on the sounder they will bite eventually. Sometimes this year its taken a couple of hours until a tide change but most times they will bite. Boat traffic makes them shy.
Definitely a 2 hook rig (stinger hook) if using this method. If you are anchored with no current then a single hook about half way through the livie works well.
I reckon they see a lot of lures over the summer and the ones who take them get caught pretty quick so livies are definitely a better option IMO.
Good luck
What depth are you fishing. We have had a pretty good season so far towing dead baits in around 13m of water. Just run them waaaaaay back and make sure they are heavy. I have been doing ok with heavy wogheads and gar.
Havn't tried for a month or so but were getting loads of hits right on the surface on deadbaits no sinker at all. Ben
Dead baits would be 4m max. Lures range from surface to 9m. While drifting dead baits cover surface down to the bottom. I have tried cal 12 mile, barwon banks and the gneerings for 1 Spanish.
Mate my go to method for spanyards if i see them thick on the sounder as you suggest is to drift and drop slugs straight to the bottom and jig them at high speed straight up through the water collumn.
If they are not feeding this method can really whip them into a frenzy.
After a great start to the season, the weather has slowed things a bit, but the fish are definitely still there when slow trolling livies off the Sunny coast, mostly on the surface, but every day is different. Quality seems better this year than last year.
Hardest part has been getting decent live bait. You should not have to go all the way to the banks for a mack. 17 trips since December and have not missed once, using live yakka or slimies or pike. Not knocking lures or dead baits, just find livies more reliable. A neighbour has been getting some big fish on big dead baits at one of the spots you mentioned. Worth trying smaller and lighter terminal tackle if you are not getting touches. Light drag and you will still get your fish if the sharks don't beat you. Plenty of them on the sunny coast.
Curious as to what speed you find the wogs and gar most effective?.
Old Pro Mackie fisherman used to reckon when he knew they were there but not biting he'd throw his anchor over wrapped in a hessian bag and run around in circles to stir up the bottom then anchor up in general area and then toss buckets of water over the surface while letting out a burley of tuna oil and small pieces of pillies. The fish were so stirred up by this time he would just throw out his wog made up of a couple of ganged hooks and bits of coloured cotton and jerk it back in and they would be straight on to it.
THE POOR MAN ALWAYS PAYS TWICE
Hi Mick, you wouldn't happen to have the video?
No Mate. Doubt when he told me that they even had videos :-)
THE POOR MAN ALWAYS PAYS TWICE
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