Whilst living in Baffle Creek, Queensland. I used to love and target Mangrove Jacks. Does anyone else out there fish for this particular type of Lutjanidae?

I used to bait fish for them primarily, never really found out which lures they preferred however it was hard to stop bait fishing for them when it was so productive.

Hi rick, we target them a bit at jumpin pin, It's a heavly fished area so lures are a bit hit and miss. But you are gauranted a average sized jack buy using livies. Baits are hardly touched buy them at the pin' but not far away at the noosa river and all the canals behind it all they love to bust a few lures. When i was at Bramston Beach (near Innisfail) the jacks smashed baits more than lures. Im guessing the area and how it's fished depends on the way these guy's bite. Its all fun no matter how we chase them.

I began to reply to this post and I thought it was a little long for a post so I entered it as an article.

Bait Fishing for Mangrove Jacks - available from the homepage - sorry tried to put link here for you but a bug wont allow it.

Moggy, have you ever used bait in the way described in my Article?

Does anyone else fish bait in that way? I found it extremely productive.

(Edited By rick at 21:26:46 27/08/06)

I sometimes use pillies in the same way. I use the tails for bream fishing off the beach and it has encountered for some thumpers, then the rest of the pillie is used for tailor, salmon etc. I believe it would definatley make a difference for big tailor as the way they feed is exactly how rick explains(the tail biting theory). Bream also have a tendancy to hang under schools of slashing tailor/ salmon waiting for any tid bits that might fall down from the massacre.

There were a few wispers of Mangrove Jack's in Lake Macquarie last summer. Might have to visit a few of the likely areas this summer if I get time.

Never Caught one. Do they go as good as everyone say's or better?

It's quick I tell you. It is a commonly held beleif that Mangrove Jacks hit the bait on the way back to the structure not on the way out (like most other fish).

This means that before you know your on he's already back home and tucked up in a blanket, having rapped you around 14 snags first. You can pull as hard as you want and it doesn't affect them as you are only putting pressure on the snag (not the fish).

They pull better then ANY fish I have caught, including Barramundi (like Barra aerials though). But Jacks are just incredible. You generally can't put your rod dodwn either when Jack fishing. It all happens very very quick and when you first see that flash of RED coming up from the depths I promise you you will never forget it.

By the way in my opinion they also taste better then any other fish. I haven't eaten Coral Trout or Red Emperor though.

Answer to your question in short rick is no. Where i used to live the creek woud be blocked off most of the year due to a king tide filling in the mouth of the creek so the jacks were not to fusy. But when we went to the russel river the jacks would no way go near mullet, no matter how fresh or how is was presented. Done a visual test on a jack we new was at a particular snag. Put a piece of mullet on and landed right in his snag, he came out and shot back in as if he had taken the bait but it did not move one bit. We done this 6 times for the same reaction 6 times. Put on a piece of pilchard and was on as the bait was half way to the bottom. The jack never hesitated as soon as pilchard was used. Done this at 2 other snags to prove to a friend that in that particular area jacks did not like mullet. I had to do it 3 times because a carton was at stake. When we fished for jacks in the johnstone river you could have used half your sandwhich, they were not fusy. Go figure?? Moggy

It is interesting that I ALWAYS caught fish with mullet when it was presented that way. I must admit though I would be interested to test your theory. It stands to reason I suppose as every animal including us have their preferences of some foods over others.

If you are right I wonder if the fact that mullet spend a lot of there life up in the fresh (muddier water) as juvinilles has anything to do with it?

Has anyone else experienced problems hooking Jacks on mullet?

Keep writing men i have started planing a trip up to northern NSW next year and im lapping up all the ideas

Mate two great places for Jacks. The creeks in behind South Stradbroke Island. The Bribie Island Passage. Cant go wrong. Cheers. Angus

g'day rick, love those baffle photos,i really must get up there one day,i chase jacks on the gold coast ,more built up down here of coarse but apparently we have a good population of bigger jacks down here because they leave the creeks earlier up north because the reefs are closer up there ,a few years ago we were just starting out putting live poddy mullet on for jacks and putting hook though there backs just under skin a bit,i remember we had some great powerfull runs but no hook up,when brought poddys back in heads had been violently bitten off,since then i,ve been told jacks go for there heads first ,so a lot of guys around here hook em through the lip ect,mullet strips work great around here got 7 jacks so far this season on it ,good fishing cheers mick.

(Edited By barrajack at 07:43:22 07/01/07)

G'day Mick (barrajack),

Nice Jack pics, damn I love Jacks!!!!!!!! I am yet to find a species I prefer to catch. In regard to bait being taken by the head almost all fish take other fish headfirst. This is due to the dorsal fin on the prey if they take it from behind it gets stuck in their throat (I found this out when I owned an aquarium business for a few years and spent many an hour observing behaviour.

When a fish takes another though and he has been greedy and cant actually swollow the prey fish the predator fish often dies as they cannot spit out the prey fish (due to the dorsal fin)

I also managed to speak to rob-laspina in regard to the Mullet thing and apparently they use mullet to fish for Jacks up in his neck of the woods almost exclusively claiming it's "The best bait" so keep it coming boy's and maybe we'll all learn something.

Hi Rick, they are a top fish mate! We catch a few on lures down here in hervey bay, the best was 56cm, but have hooked bigger. My favourite lures are the killalure flatz rat (chartruse colour) and the richo's extracta 11cm deep in pink (get these from barra jacks in rocky) Give em a try but fish heavy drag and if you think a fish is on a snag or rock, keep hammering away for up to half an hour, good luck. regards Mark.

PS- big tides, dirty water=more strikes.

for catch and releaseing jacks you cant go past circle hooks ,recently ive been putting 2 in poddys small one through the jaw and large 6\0 or 7\0 through the back ,and it gets them in the corner of the mouth every time ,jacks have very large mouths ,cheers mick.