Page 42 - Bush 'n Beach Fishing mag

Techniques for summer species – grunter, jew and trevally
* from P40
rubble flats and down
the area, reducing noise and disturbance to a minimum because they spook easily.
thanks to my obsession with flathead and the fact that I rarely fished in water deeper than 1.5m.
such as bridges and artificial lighting can make them a viable night target with soft plastics, mainly when mullet schools are around.
few favourite hunting grounds.
drop-offs on the lower stages of a tide.
It’s also important to be able to identify the difference between a barred and spotted grunter, especially if you are keeping fish for a feed, as they have dif- ferent legal sizing. Jewfish
Keep an eye and ear out, as many trevally are caught casting to bust-ups and distur- bances around bait, of- ten when the focus is on other species such as flathead and jewfish.
I often rig with a 1/4oz 1/0 TT Lures jig head and fish quite fast, however if you prefer a slower presentation you could drop to a 1/8oz jig head.
I’m not saying you won’t catch them in shallow water, espe- cially if there’s plenty of bait around, but most fish have come from deeper water in my lo- cal systems, ranging from 3-9m depths.
I prefer to target jew- fish using paddle tail plastics because they prefer eating mullet.
They also don’t usu- ally hang around for long before continuing on their bait-destroying journey, so if you see signs of them stirring up bait, get a cast in there.
When winding plas- tic across f lats, I’ve found that continuing the retrieve after a bite should see the fish con- tinue biting until they find the hook.
Iamyettocatcha monster jewfish, how- ever in recent years I’ve spent more time target- ing school jewfish with reasonable consistency.
The prime time to tar- get jew on soft plastics is early morning and late afternoon, particu- larly if there’s minimal boat traffic in the area.
I will start with a Z- Man 3” MinnowZ be- cause this will also land plenty of flathead and other species, stepping up to larger SwimmerZ and DieZel MinnowZ as focus develops more on jew.
On the flats I have caught most fish on a Z-Man 2.5 or 3” Slim SwimZ, and 3” Min- nowZ are the go-to for deeper edges.
Grunter often travel in schools, so if you land one keep working
The lack of jewfish landed in the past was
Dramatically increas- ing your chances of catching fish is if plen- ty of bait is around.
I tend to rig the 3” MinnowZ on a 3/8oz 3/0 TT Lures Big EyeZ jig head, make a long cast, allow it to sink to the bottom and then fish it back with a two or three hop retrieve, allowing it to hit the bottom after each set of hops.
A handful of spotted or silver grunter prior to release. Always check local regulations.
Plenty of trevally of all types are landed throughout summer. Keep an eye out for bait being harassed.
Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2020
After rain, jewies are commonly found closer to mouths of rivers and estuaries.
When targeting deep- er structure and bait in around 3-9m, I run a Z-Man 4” Scented Jerk ShadZ rigged on a 3/8 or 1/2oz 4/0 TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jig head.
Following sustained periods of no rain, they will push further up in- to systems, holding on deep structure and in deeper holes of rivers and creeks.
Bites can be as subtle as a bream bite and of- ten on the sink, so set the hook if you feel a tap.
Trevally
The cool thing with this latter setup, is the number of snapper, jewfish, flathead and other species that love to eat this presentation too.
Jew love structure
Trevally are one of my favourite species and are available year- round, but in south- east Queensland rivers and estuaries we tend to catch larger fish in numbers during warm- er months.
The Jerk ShadZ rig is an excellent option in windy conditions, and when fishing deeper water and a heavier current, as minimal built-in action means less drag for a longer cast and faster sink rate.
Species include gi- ant, golden and bigeye trevally, with other spe- cies mixed in.
So, get out there and get stuck into a few jack.
Trevally will usu- ally be where you find them, meaning they are highly mobile and on the move frequently.
But don’t forget, if you can’t get them to bite, there are other cool species that will be looking to eat your plastics during summer, and all of them will put a bend in the rod.
However, they pre- fer structure, water movement and bait, making bridges, rock walls, deep structure and mangrove edges a
See you on the wa- ter...
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