Getting jacked for summer

BRISBANE Bob Thornton

As the mercury climbs to a near intolerable level across the northern two thirds of the country, some of the toughest and nuttiest in the angling community come out to play. When we see their supreme casting skills, pimped out boats and seasoned angling ability on social media, it may seem like a hard club to break into. 60cm or so. Consequently, fish of this size in the creeks and rivers are considered a true prize.

What this means for estuary anglers though, is that they’re essentially chasing a reef fish up a creek. The jack’s preference for heavy structure and protein-rich meat makes them a very tough adversary.

Their canine teeth, bloodlike colouration and aggressive demeanour only add to their image as the toughest animal in the rivers. On top of this, search for jacks, there’s much more to it than that. There are things that will bring these fish to an area, and many factors that influence the viability of the fishing.

There are well-known systems such as the Nerang River on the Gold Coast and Baffle Creek near Bundaberg that are synonymous with mangrove jack. This certainly doesn’t mean the fishing is any less viable in the other systems around them, however. In fact, lesser-known rivers and creeks concrete jungles. Some of the best habitat in these places is made of concrete and metal, with bridges, pontoons, retaining walls and any other artificial structure all great real estate.

Tidal systems still unaffected by human development also harbour good jacks, and the natural structure in these places makes equally good habitat, however these areas are few and far between near our major population centres.

As you venture north on the east coast, fewer people living around the water means there is less canals and the human infrastructure that go with it. Natural structure includes fallen timber, mangroves, rock bars, undercut banks, and really anything that interrupts the current and gives them a place to wait for food to drift by.

It’s also worth mentioning that in the south, jacks will tend to seek out cleaner water with better visibility, and seem to turn up less in dirtier systems such as the Brisbane and Mary rivers. In the tropics, where a lot of

Fly fishing is very effective but a rarely used method for jack fishing. Not all areas are suited to this technique, but it’s a good trick to have up your sleeve. Live baiting is a good way to secure your first jack, and although this isn’t Elliot’s first, it certainly won’t

be his last. Photo courtesy of Simon Goldsmith.

these predators. BAIT FISHING FOR JACKS

Bait fishing for mangrove jack is an awesome way for

Live bait rig for mangrove jack

Fixed stytofoam float

40lb braided mainline

Granted, bagging your first mangrove jack is no mean feat, but you certainly don’t need to be a swashbuckling fisher pro with all the gear and experience in the world.

I will disclose early on that I am no jack expert. My infrequent jack trips have taken me all up and down the East Coast, but each time it seems I have to relearn almost everything from scratch. Because of this, I’ve caught my ‘first jack’ quite a few times, and now I want to help you do the same.

Summer is when adventurous anglers are looking to bag their first red dog, so with all this in mind, let’s look at our target.

JACK BIOLOGY

Mangrove jack belong to a large family called lutjanidae, which also includes golden snapper (fingermark), Moses perch, red bass, red emperor, and many more around the world. Like all the members of this clan, jacks are a tough animal, and their fight for survival begins right at birth. Adult fish spawn around offshore reefs, and soon after the larvae migrate inshore to nearby estuaries, and sometimes even up into freshwater. Juvenile fish will spend the first several years or more feeding and growing in this environment, before eventually migrating back to the ocean.

Tagging data shows that this migration back to their birthplace tends to happen when they reach around they are well-known to snap their jaw open and shut (often referred to as ‘barking’) when they’re out of water.

Anglers relishing a challenge seem drawn to not just jack fishing, but also to the fish themselves. And while they make awesome table fare, most choose to release all the jacks they land, more so out of respect than anything else.

Like many structureorientated fish, they can sometimes take up residence on one snag pile for several years or more. There have been multiple instances of tagged jacks being caught repeatedly in one area, with one animal being landed 12 times!

Don’t let this fool you though, jacks can be elusive quarry, especially in the southern limits of their range, but they make up for their lack of numbers in subtropical waters by being larger on average than their northern relatives.

Regardless of what part of the coast they inhabit, though, they can generally be found in similar environments. Most jacks will prefer the intertidal estuary, so basically anywhere from the tidal limits and downstream to the system’s mouth. This isn’t a hard and fast rule though, with the freshwater and coastal headland environments also harbouring good jacks in certain places at certain times. FINDING

JACKS NEAR YOU

While any tidal system is a good starting point in your can offer fantastic fishing at times thanks to less angling pressure.

On the East Coast, these fish can be found from just south of Sydney in NSW all the way to the tip of Cape York and across the top. In WA they can be found down to about Kalbarri.

East Coast jacks in southern waters, and especially around bigger metropolitan centres such as Sydney, Brisbane, Coffs Harbour, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, are perfectly at home living among the Ball sinker Swivel

30lb mono or fluorocarbon trace (80-100cm)

4/0 suicide hook

80-120mm poddy mullet

The author’s preferred rig for live baiting.

systems are more stirred up (thanks mostly to larger tides), jacks can’t afford to be as picky, and will live in systems with less visibility. With that said, jacks in the tropics also seem to venture into the freshwater reaches more than their southern siblings. This is probably to do with the better clarity this environment offers. Anglers chasing jungle perch and sooty grunter often have run ins with freshwater jacks, and I’ve never heard of anyone complaining when this happens!

In the top end and over on the west coast where estuaries have endured far less human interference, they will tend to hang out in the hidey holes provided by nature. With less people around these fish also don’t get targeted as often, and this combined with the generally greater numbers found in the north can result in some magic sessions on a newcomer to nail their first one, but don’t think for a second that this is the ‘easy way’. Bait fishing for jacks takes preparation, dedication and skill. Jacks will respond to a huge variety of baits, live and dead, so to find a bait that works in your area you need to think about what they’re eating.

A general rule that many bait soakers adhere to is that jacks in the tropics will happily eat dead baits, while further south live baits are often needed to get the desired result. Down south, jacks are massively outnumbered by other species, and a dead bait is more likely to attract scavengers like sharks, catfish and eels before a jack notices it. By-catch is still inevitable with live baits, but greatly reduced. LIVE BAITS

Livies such as gar, mullet, legal whiting, herring and

prawns are fairly standard baits in the estuary. Fishing closer to the coast I have also caught them on live squid! Gathering bait is extra work, but well worth it if you want to give yourself the best chance possible. In Queensland where cast netting is legal, bait can be collected easily, however in NSW anglers will have to resort to bait traps or bait jigs to gather a bucket of livies.

Looking after your live baits is very important, because you want them to be strong and kicking for when a jack comes over to inspect. Having a live bait tank with aeration or a submersible bait bucket will keep oxygen flowing through their gills while they await their sentencing. Alternatively, collecting baits throughout the session as they are needed (if you are in a location where this is possible) is a good way to ensure healthy livies, and as a bonus you don’t need to worry about storing them. DEAD BAITS

In the northern creeks and rivers where jacks are often the dominant species, one snag pile is likely to have many hanging off it. Smartly rigged dead baits are enough to get the attention from these ‘pack jacks’. The competition between these fish is sometimes so fierce that they will shoulder one another to get to the bait, so it certainly isn’t necessary to go to the trouble of collecting quality live baits when they’re this thick.

Fillet and flesh baits of the same bait species mentioned above, as well as whole dead baits will turns the heads of northern jacks. Such is their willingness to eat sometimes that I have heard of whole frozen pilchard baits purchased from a servo taking quality jacks! BAIT RIGS

Whether you’re fishing with live or dead baits, keeping the rig simple is the way to go. Jacks attack their prey very quickly, and aren’t going to spend a lot of time examining your rig. Generally speaking, keeping your bait off the bottom is a good way to go, mainly because of the amount of undesirables that lurk on the bottom, but also because jacks tend to prefer feeding up the water column a bit. Fishing off the bottom also makes snagging less likely, and should you get hung up it’s easier to retrieve your rig and save a few bucks.

A simple float rig with a sinker and swivel is favoured by a lot of anglers. Fixed styrofoam or cork floats that leave about a metre of drop are perfect. Hooks between 1/0-5/0 are fine, and I would tend to go for a thicker gauge hook to avoid any bend-outs. Single hook rigs are my preferred way to rig for jacks, because less hook points means less chance of snagging, tangling, and weighing down your bait to the point where it can’t swim. Traces should be at least 30lb mono or fluorocarbon, with 40-50lb a safer option for first timers.

PRESENTING BAITS

Fishing your baits is where the fun really begins, because you want to get your bait close enough to the structure to draw the fish out, but far enough off it to ensure you have a chance of extracting them once they eat the bait. It can be a bit of a tight rope!

A good way to present your baits is to anchor your boat up current from a goodlooking piece of cover, and use the flow to drift the bait back as close as you dare. The current will help you to hold your presentation in place while you wait for a jack. Using this method, you can fish comfortably at any stage of the tide, except on the changes. As a general rule, I’d tend to stick to water between 10-20ft.

Jacks attack their prey quickly, so if you want to give yourself a fighting chance, you’ll want to hold your rod!

Live baits will tend to swim and kick around a little bit, so holding them a metre or so off the snag will help make sure they don’t go in there and tangle up your rig. Live baits will often become really animated when a jack is nearby, and it can be very exciting watching your little float dance around before being ripped under the surface.

Fishing submerged structure without a float is another method, but this takes a little more skill and guesswork as you try to get your rig close to structure you can’t physically see.

Really skilled anglers will sometimes fish their bait completely unweighted, and rigging for this couldn’t be simpler: just a trace and a hook! An unweighed rig presents very naturally, but also puts your bait at risk of drifting into a snag without

Estuary cod are a regular by-catch for jackers in both northern and southern waters. They hit hard and dive for cover just like jacks, but lack the stamina and usually come to the boat a little easier.

Even though they are top quality table fare, most anglers choose to release all of the jacks

they catch. Photo courtesy of Simon Goldsmith.

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For first timers, you really can’t beat a float rig drifted back onto a snag pile. With a float, there is a visual cue for the angler to strike or engage the reel.

Once a jack does eat your bait, there’s no time to lose. Jacks generally try to eat their prey whole and head straight for home, so being able to stop them in their tracks and break their spirit early is the key to winning a jack fight. A hesitant response or a rod left in the rod holder will give them enough time to bury themselves in cover – and they only need a fraction of a second to do it! Most ‘bust-offs’ happen in less than two seconds, so you can see how crucial this early stage of the fight is, and why heavy gear is favoured over finesse presentations.

Bait fishing can realistically be done at any time, but fishing on hot and humid mornings or afternoons with a rising barometer is hard to beat. Tides do play a role, but the best times can vary a lot from system to system. Soaking baits for jacks throughout a tide cycle will help you work out when that time is. LURE

FISHING FOR JACKS

For those who want their first jack to be lure-caught, rest assured you aren’t severely disadvantaging yourself. Lures used in the right way are incredibly deadly on jacks, and one of the best ways crack your first one is by trolling. Trolling

Trolling has a bit of a bad name and conjures images of ‘lazy’ anglers aimlessly dragging lures behind the boat hoping for a fish. In reality, trolling for mangrove jacks is an active pursuit where you need to be on the ball at any given moment and anticipating a strike, otherwise you’ll become a victim jack bust-off!

Firstly, heavier gear than normal is a good idea. Sturdy baitcast tackle with 30-40lb mainline and 40-50lb leader is not considered overkill, especially in southern waters where 60cm fish aren’t uncommon.

The idea is to find a good trolling ‘run’, ideally a snaglined bank or canal with rock walls and pontoons along it. A run might only be a 100m long (sometimes less); what’s important is that there is plenty of cover for jacks to find shelter and wait for their prey to come to them.

Good jack trollers have excellent control of the boat, weaving in and out along the run as they aim to get their lures as close to cover as possible. Some anglers will occasionally knock the engine out of gear to allow the lures to linger in good areas for a few seconds. A speed of around 2-3km/h is perfect for this species.

There are a few things that make for easier and more effective trolling. Firstly, keep your line fairly short, with around 15m a good distance. Running at 10m might not allow your lure to dive to an appropriate depth, but 20m will give a jack enough rope to get you into trouble.

Secondly, you want to feel your lure knocking into

structure occasionally. This indicates that your lure is getting close to cover and likely drawing the interest of the fish that live in it. Diving lures between 60-120mm, preferably those that float up backwards, are the ideal tools for this trade.

Thirdly, make sure your run has adequate depth. Too shallow and your boat will spook the fish you’re trying to catch, but too deep and you might not reach the fish you’re targeting. In the canals, I’ve always found between 10-20ft to be a good depth. Further north jacks will often sit shallower, so being stealthy with your boat, and even trolling with an electric motor will benefit you.

Lastly, have a plan! Given that your boat is already in motion, this puts the angler at an advantage. Driving the boat away from cover once a hook-up occurs will help you enormously. Keeping the boat on its trolling trajectory, or even just knocking the engine out of gear, means the hooked jack only has a short distance to travel back to cover during the fight. Quickly changing that angle so that your line is more or less perpendicular to the bank gives them fewer chances to bust you off. If you’re fishing with someone, make sure you’re both adequately drilled for action stations when someone hooks a jack! One person can drive the boat while the other fights the fish – taking jacks on the troll is very often a team effort.

Doing it on your own presents an extra challenge, but it’s not impossible by any means. Driving a boat while fighting an angry lutjanid is an artform, and once again, having a plan to manoeuvre the boat into a good position is crucial.

Snagging your lures is inevitable when trolling, but I’m a firm believer that if you’re not snagging up every now and then, you’re not fishing properly. A good tackle retrieval tool like a prodder or lure retriever is a worthwhile investment. A lot of the time though, simply driving back over your snagged lure and applying pressure from another angle will bring snagged lures unstuck. Lure casting

Throwing artificials for this species is a much more targeted approach, in the sense that generally there is less by-catch, plus you are appealing to fish that are actively hunting.

Casting lures into snags allows an angler to quickly cover likely-looking pieces of structure. If there’s no jacks home in one spot, or at least none willing to eat straight away, lure casters will move onto the next spot. Fishing in this way means you can effectively cover good-looking territory from a few different angles, and find where the hungry fish are!

The first thing to remember when casting lures for mangrove jack is that it rewards accurate casting. If you’re not a confident caster, it might be worth practising in the backyard or at the local park. Accurate casting can literally mean the different between a red-hot session and no fish.

Just like with trolling, jack casters will want to find a run. On this run should be a string of good-looking real estate that lures can be cast into at a few different angles. As you cruise along a run, look for any little pockets or gaps that lures can be cast into. In the canals, the classic example is fishing around pontoons. With each pontoon, an angler can put a cast along either side of the pontoon, one along the front, and one along the back (if it’s possible) before moving to the next one. Generally, the side of the pontoon receiving the current is the ‘money shot’, as this is where dominant fish are going to be waiting for their next feed, however the same applies to fallen logs, pylons, rock bars and literally anything that interrupts the flow. I always make sure to fish the current-receiving side of a snag first. While current isn’t necessary, it certainly helps work out where the jacks are likely to be on a piece of cover. The current will wash their prey past them quickly and ignite an opportunistic response in the fish where they think ‘I better eat that before I miss out!’

Both spin and baitcast tackle is suitable, however most casters prefer baitcasters for their accuracy and their fish-stopping qualities. Spin tackle does have its place though, especially if a finesse approach is required to flick smaller lures into tight nooks and crannies.

Anglers will tend to go a little lighter when casting lures for the simple reason that it makes casting easier. Good quality 20-30lb braid and 20-40lb leader is my preference, and while it might seem a little risky, casting jack-sized lures on heavier gear can become a little awkward and tiring. It’s worth remembering too that a lot of hook-ups will occur away from structure when casting, as jacks will commonly chase lures out of their lairs before striking, giving anglers a slight advantage.

Speaking of lures, there’s a whole bunch that will work, it just depends what you’re looking to imitate. Jacks will eat a variety of prey, but will sometimes focus on a particular prey type if it’s prevalent in the area.

After big rain events systems will often fill up with small prawns, and this is where soft plastics, topwater lures and other prawn imitations will really shine. Prawns are usually on the smaller scale for jack prey, so about 80mm and under is a good size.

Soft plastics can also be skipped up into tight pockets where other lures simply can’t, and if rigged weedless can be dragged through just about anything without getting hung up!

Rigging plastics on standard jigheads is popular among those who fish around pontoons and other artificial structure. A well-known trick is to cast a plastic along a pontoon and quickly wind it back just under the surface, allowing the current to sweep it underneath the pontoon. If there is a jack home and

hungry, this should trigger an aggressive response. If no luck, just move to the next pontoon!

Topwater lures can be anything, however those that ‘spit’ like a prawn trying to flee danger are going to get more attention. Walk-the-dog baits, poppers, fizzers, bent minnow style lures and even frog imitations are great when the light is low and the jacks are keen to venture a little further from structure to grab a feed. In shaded areas such as amongst mangroves, jacks will sometimes feed on the surface all day.

Hardbodied lures such as jerkbaits, swimbaits, glidebaits and crankbaits are great to have on hand as well. Crankbait style hardbodies that can be floated over snags during the retrieve are particularly handy around natural structure, while jerkbaits designed to suspend can be paused to sit in the fish’s face and turn a looker into an eater!

For imitating the small fish species that jacks love to eat, swimbaits and glidebaits can’t be beaten for their realism, and although a tad more expensive than other lures are yet another staple for a lot of modern jack nuts. Sinking lures such as vibes and lipless crankbaits have less uses in jack fishing, however they are good to have should you need to fish a little deeper.

Fly anglers aren’t forgotten about either. I once had a goal of nailing a few jacks on fly and managed to do so on a trip to North Queensland a few years ago. A whole range of flies will catch jacks. Classic baitfish patterns such as Lefty’s Decievers, Pink Things and Gold Bomber flies can be fished a lot like soft plastics, especially if tied with a weed guard. Good fly anglers will be able to shoot their flies into really tight spots, and the added length of the fly rod means you can steer and ‘mend’ your line to get the fly close to good territory. I found the fly rod to be a good extraction tool as well, because it’s basically a handline you can cast things on. Just make sure you don’t

go any lighter than an 8wt with a 20lb tippet!

THE FIRST ONE’S

THE HARDEST

Every mangrove jack enthusiast remembers their first one, and the hours and perseverance that went into it often makes it all the more rewarding.

The silly season in Australia is the best time to be chasing jacks and, given the extra time many of us have on our hands, it really would be silly if you weren’t trying for your first jack!

This La Niña cycle will make fishing difficult this summer, however fish activity will be very high outside of flooding events. The constant inflow of nutrients will increase bait activity and the predators, like jacks, will be there looking to take advantage of the smorgasbord.

Trust your instincts, make a plan, and don’t give up! The estuary’s toughest fish will reward your hard work. Good luck!

Jacks have a reputation as the toughest fish in the estuary, and it’s not hard to see

why. Photo courtesy of Simon Goldsmith.

Never be afraid to use larger baits or lures 120mm or larger. This fish of around 40cm ate a 120mm fly intended for barramundi with no problems at all. A jack is a jack. Even smaller specimens are an exciting part of this pursuit – but where there are little ones there are always bigger ones nearby!