Most mangrove jack are released by anglers who chase them regularly. They’re too much fun to catch only once!
Dougy Jarvis ripped a decent mangrove jack out from some tight country.
Getting ready for red dogs
O
CTOBER is one of the best months to chase mangrove jack around southeast Queensland. The water temperature will be on the rise and the angry red fish will be hungry and looking to empty your wallets. Many years ago, I used to keep records on all the jacks I’d caught, and October was always one of the best months. Back then, not many anglers would start chasing them until November, and I tell you, they definitely missed out. Though times have changed and anglers are chasing MJs year round now. They can be caught in every month of the year, however it takes a little more effort during cooler months. Many people assume mangrove jack move
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Local Luring by KEITH STRATFORD
out of the estuaries during winter, but that’s not the case. The Gold Coast Broadwater, Jumpinpin Channel and the Tweed River all have deep bar entrances where schools of jacks can concentrate during winter, but a lot of fish will stay in the upper reaches. They don’t need to feed as often as they do during the warmer months, but they still need to eat at some point. They will be a lot more active this month and will be happy to eat a well-presented lure or bait. Mangrove jack prefer to hang around structure such as fallen trees, rock bars, jetties, pontoons, rock
walls and deep holes. Getting your lure or bait as close as possible is the key to getting a bite from these aggressive fish. They spend a lot of their time deep down in cover but under the right circumstances they will happily rise to eat a surface lure. Times of low light such as early mornings, late afternoons and into the night tend to get the most action on the surface. Other species – trevally and the occasional barramundi – will also happily eat a persuasive surface lure in the right conditions. Look for snags higher in the water column, particularly if they are
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* continued P18
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2023 – Page 17
