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Jack is back! Warm water brings on the reds
  |  First Published: September 2016



Fishing has been difficult lately, but some anglers are still finding quality fish. On the upside, jacks flathead, and trevally will be found with the warmer weather starting to sweep through. Structure, is the main key. Find it and sound around.

Both natural and man-made structure has been producing, more so natural structure, if you’re after an early season mangrove jack! Creeks and rivers like Coomera, Logan, Nerang and Tallebudgera are the main ones to understand. Just about any creek that holds thick structure, such as logs and broken trees is good. This could be found on your sounder or seen on low tide, depending where structure is located. I like to cast snagless jigheads in sizes 1/4oz or 3/8oz, with a 4” plastic. You’ll be able to keep the lure in the strike zone for as long as possible!

On a recent trip to Lucinda, fishing for jacks in the creeks, I learned that using a ChinlockZ Weedless jighead rigged with a ZMan 3” MinnowZ, I could cast and skip the plastic right through the heavy over hanging mangroves to the bank. The best thing was I didn’t get snagged at all. With a slight flick of the rod, the weedless jighead avoided hook-ups with the trees. Mix the retrieves up. A medium to fast paced wind worked best, as the plastic was working around the surface.

This is the time of year where bream are fired up more than anything. Over winter, it was their spawning season – next comes September and they’re hungry fish! Jetties, bridges, deep water and rock walls all produce. Blades are great to work the lure at your desired depth, giving you a greater chance of hook-up in the strike zone. For the bait fishos, anything oily like pilchards, squid and whitebait are all top hits!

Keep your eyes and ears out for trevally busting up throughout the canals. They fire up with bait becoming more active and timid. You’ll find most of the action along rock and retaining walls. If you find a few fish, stay in the area, as they seem to hang in that area a while. Make the most of them at the time. Giant trevally and big-eye trevally are the two main species that will swarm the canals.

By far, early morning fishes better than throughout the day. Find a day where you have a high tide around 6-7am and fish your heart out! September is the best month of the year, and not just because it’s my birthday.

You still need to work for your fish, but they’re out there. Put the effort in and you’ll find the results. See you on the water.

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Jacks, flathead and trevally will be found in the warmer weather.

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Bream are fired up this time of year.

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