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Jewfish Tactics


King slayer

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What an amazing thread - well done all! It goes to show there are many ways to skin a cat (or catch a jew) - and I agree that nothing substitutes for time spent getting to know your spot & refining your technique. Whilst no expert - I have landed about 6 jews over the past year - and I have found there are things you can do to "narrow the window" and give yourself the best chance for the time you're putting in. The area that I fish is harbour river areas (around Gladesville area) - land-based. I also agree that you need to be targeted. It's probably OK to have a bream line out on the side if it keeps you interested, but put your work into what you want to catch. Here's some tips that have proven true for me:

Bait - goes without saying that live/fresh bait is a must. Squid is best, yakkas a close second, small chopper tailor if you must (though don't go killing a whole bunch). When I fish live bait - I 'trim' the tail a fraction to slow them down. Agree with previous posts that jews tend to take an easier feed if they can.

The rig - My rig is quite simple, 30lb braid with a running star sinker attached by a small (20cm) loop line so it runs free of your main line above a swivel. On a 40lb trace I snell 2 x 4/0 octopus hooks about 10cm apart. Pin the first before the dorsal fin (taking care not to hit the lateral line) & the other just in front of the tail. Squid should be live or fresh caught - I pin once through the top & leave the second as a floating "stinger".

Time - invariably my fish have been taken between 3am - 6am. Go to bed early & get a nap before midnight.

Tides - I look for a low tide around 5am-6am so I fish the last of the run off. The smaller the variance between high/low marks that day the better (best has been high 1.5 to low 1.25)

Moon - The above tides coinciding about 2 days either side of new moon

I have found that by lining up your dates in advance (we have great fun studying tide charts & pin-pointing dates) you can plan well ahead for almost everything (except the weather & the fish!). When all these "ducks line up" - we still only usually catch on 1 out of 2 or 3 trips - so I can't attest to it being foolproof!

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Hi everyone,

I'm not very experienced and dont have much gear but would love to get that first Jewfish

under my belt. I mostly have light gear (which I know isnt enough for jewfish) but need

to know what to buy to save money or else I'll spend it all without getting the right stuff.

Also, how do I get squid live bait? I've only ever used herring live from under the pier coz

its so easy to get.

Nick

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Hi everyone,

I'm not very experienced and dont have much gear but would love to get that first Jewfish

under my belt. I mostly have light gear (which I know isnt enough for jewfish) but need

to know what to buy to save money or else I'll spend it all without getting the right stuff.

Also, how do I get squid live bait? I've only ever used herring live from under the pier coz

its so easy to get.

Nick

squid are most easily caught with a squid lure or "jig". Either the small "prawn shape" artificial lure - or there's a type that will allow you to spike a bait fish (such as your herring). Around piers & wharves after dark are always good spots to try - especially if there's artifical light (so ferry wharves etc). Wherever there is some deep water, some structure like kelp/weed beds, and some light is usually worth a try.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks will most likely be fishing off the beach into open ocean so what size line and

what rigs are best to avoid line breaks?

My standard rig goes like this...

50lb braid mainline to black swivel

50lb mono for around 40cm with size 8 ball sinker to another black swivel

25-60lb FC leader connected to a dual hook rig of one 8/0 at the top and a 6/0 on the bottom.

The leader size depends on the size of fish you expect to catch in your area as they do have alot of pointies in there!

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Hi all, im new to this forum but have absolutely loved what I have read so far.I was heavily into fishing during the 90s going out nearly every weekend with my dad into Botany Bay but not really targeting any particular species although we did have a soft spot for Flathead. Towards the end of the 90s I started targeting Jews without a great deal of success,until one day myself and 3 mates caught 3 each within the space of 20 minutes at Bald Face Point in the Georges River. Now they where only around 60-70cms but they faught like nothing I had ever caught before. The way they just smash the bait and run was something to behold,the rush I got along with my 2 best mates on that day is something I will never forget.The thing was that everything I had read previously didnt coincide with the conditions on the day we actually caught our first Jews. If I remember correctly it was about 8.30am on the bottom of the tide and a new moon phase, the only thing that we had in our favour ( from what I understood at the time) was that we where fishing at a known Jew spot.I was always under the impression that you could only catch Jew at night on a run in tide in the 7 days prior to a full moon and a couple of days after.I should also mention we where (and still are) very inexperienced fishos, at the time we where using prawns as bait and thats it.From that day(sometime in 98) until 2000 all I could think about was my next Jew. In 2000 it was time to sell my boat as we where buying our first house and starting our family,although I still hadnt hooked another Jew.Long story short its 12 years on I now have a new wife 2 new kids and a new passion for fishing, in particular Jews.I have been land base fishing over the past year but as my dad is my major fishing buddy he finds it hard to negotiate rocks and so forth as he's getting older so I am now the proud owner of a 17ft Nautiglass half cab with 120hp Mercury.From what I have read on this forum I still have alot to learn but I have a feeling I have come to the right place. One thing I can assure all of you I will sit and read as much information on Jews as my brain can handle and have decided that its time to get more serious, put in the extra effort and catch my own live bait.I must say that the information I have gained from these preceding pages has really opened my eyes as to how little knowledge I previously had.Once again I am obsessed with the thought of a big Jew on the end of my line and look forward to posting my first catch on this forum sometime in the near future hopefully. I look forward to getting to know you all better, sharing stories and gaining information and knowledge from you all. Tight lines, Glenn.

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Hi all.I have really enjoyed reading all the info all of you post in regarding the mighty jew.I live on the central coast and fish mainly Wamberal & Entrance beaches.There is nothing better for me than going to the beach late in the arvo/early evening with a few cold ones a feed and the family. As we live 5 mins to beach, taking both cars is a must so when its time to get serious the family go home and i get set up for what usually ends up an allnighter.

For me i only use fresh squid & mullet that i have caught within the last 48 hours. The mullet i butterfly and use whole and are a great bait, especially around the time of the mullet run, around March/April. The squid,depending on size will go on whole,big strips or a big squid head is gun bait. I use 30lb mono,i prefer mono to braid off the beach as it has more stretch and lets you pull in the fish a bit easier when they are close to shore. About 2mtr of 50lb floro leader with a running sinker clip,so you can change weight easily depending on current, to a swivel clip.From there i have all my rigs made up and ready to go with a swivel on each to clip on and off as you need them. You often lose gear to the sharks fishing at night.I use sliding twin hooks 7 o.

I have found that fishing from the top of the tide, with the first 1-2 hours of the run out being the most productive. All my decent fish have been caught within this 2 hour period, and every time its enough to keep me their for hours after that.

All of my fishing takes place at night.You hear to tee up tide changes with sunset/sunrise, but for me it makes no differance if its sunset or midnight. Regarding the moon phases, i have found that the waxing (new to full)moon works best for me, especially leading up to the full moon.

I keep a pretty good record of conditions,times etc. I have a copy of the "Anglers Almanac" and have got to say is very good with predicted days & times.Strongly recommend to get one and learn how to use it.

Still to crack the 10kg+ fish off the beach, plenty around the 5kg mark. Put in plenty of time catching fresh bait and endless hours wait for that smash & grab. Love my jew beach fishing sessions i know there is a big one out there with my name on it, but as with all other jew fishos you have to be patient.Lucky for me when it comes to fishing i have plenty of that.

Keep the reels screaming.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi just wanted to know what are some of your favourite land marked spots that you like to fish in some where around sydney harobour? Thats if you don't mind telling me, you can inbox me if you like but please I would appreciate it if you would help me out. Thank you :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

One of the most informative posts on Fish Raider that i have come across, Well done everybody!

With the aid of all the information i've collected from each one of your inputs, I'm hoping to land the big one! :thumbup:

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Lots of awesome info, and lots of stuff i have put into practice.

I think i have catching jewies down pat,

. Hour either side of in or out going tide, top and bottom.

. Number 2 bean sinker too swivel then metre trace to double snell. For strip baits.

. Sliding sinker clip with any size to sit line on bottom to a swivel followed by 1.5 metre trace and double snell. For livies.

. Live yakka, mullet or squid

. Strip mullet or strip squid

. Fish ahead of the current allow the bait to drift back with tide, leave bail arm open or drag loose. When using strip bait .

. Fish edge of a drop of allow bait to drift off and over the hole when using livies, yakka or mullet make sure aren't around other baits they will tangle them.

. When fish dawn or dusk i found best.

. When line starts to peel of don't jump in and grab it just let it go for a minute or so, then flick bail arm or tighten drag and set hook.

. If you yank line straight away jewie spits bait out, BE PATIENT!

. When tide picks up after hour or so, move on or go home.

Now doing this has worked for me every time i end up with at list one some times two 70+ jewies for dinner.

I use 20 pound line have caught one on 12 pound line and landed but was very nervous i would lose it, key thing is keep that drag loose or bail arm open.

I lost a big one last sunday at bridge in botany, forgot to release drag the jewie took the bait rod bounce up and down i loosened drag so he could run a bit and he took off big time but i had to move rods and dropped the tip then suddenly nothing it was gone must have just hooked tip of lip.

Things im not sure about are if i throw one back will he spook the rest, when the water temp drops are they more inclined to hang in eddies where they can relax and not exert themselves.

Any way have fun get out there my goal is for my 5 year old to land one so far he has just netted mine.

Cheers.

Edited by shaggytrevally
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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Hi raiders , I've been really keen on the mighty jewfish ,I have caught some big ones upto 30 kg this going back 10 years ago now back into fishing ,I've been going for the last 7 weekend straight (I no I'm lucky ) BUTT!!!! Could not land that big Jew , I've had over 80 runs no longer than 5 sec I'm using live bait (all sorts) squid live ,strips mullet ,tailer, butterfly u name it . I've tried all different sizes of traces ,hooks , and drag pressure . They must not like ME please HELLLP !!!!!!!

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Hi raiders , I've been really keen on the mighty jewfish ,I have caught some big ones upto 30 kg this going back 10 years ago now back into fishing ,I've been going for the last 7 weekend straight (I no I'm lucky ) BUTT!!!! Could not land that big Jew , I've had over 80 runs no longer than 5 sec I'm using live bait (all sorts) squid live ,strips mullet ,tailer, butterfly u name it . I've tried all different sizes of traces ,hooks , and drag pressure . They must not like ME please HELLLP !!!!!!!

Maybe switch to a circle hook and a locked up drag. This way the jewfish don't have the chance to drop the bait and "hopefully" get hooked as soon as they hit it. This time of year is quality while the summer months are quantity. Bigger Baits and deeper water are generally what i'd be looking for if i wanted a big one! Bridges at night are what i'd be looking for! Those with big street lights are best because the bait fish gather under them which means the jews will be nearby!

Edited by mack attack 79
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  • 3 weeks later...

hi raiders

I've caught quite a few Jew in the harbour around the metre mark and all I can say is they've been all on the low tide change day or night , but the bait of choose was always super fresh squid, small to medium whole or big heads with legs , guts Burley etc

I fish 30 _ 50 pound fluorocarbon to 30 lb main but depending on location and what's around.

I like as light as possible running ball sinker as it gives the fish minimal resistance as possible, but this is not possible in all locations, I like to fish close to where I catch my

squid or nearby drop off.

I don't have heaps of preferences regarding moons etc, but you do have to soak your big baits which gets nibble by little which in turn will catch the eye of a feeding fish

good luck

tight lines

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just want to say that i would never been intrested in

fishing for jews if it wasnt for all your experiences

thak you all champions :biggrin2::thumbup:

Kenny, I just checked out your gallery! :1yikes:

Mate, you have taken every bit of advice, refined it to your spots

& caught some terrific jews!

Well done. :thumbup:

Any tips of your own to add to this lot?

Cheers,

Grant.

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In reply, if anyone would care to identify a useful spot berowra to the ocean that I can take a couple of young girls to teach to fish (release only) please spill the beans!

I am almost a pure catch and release fisho these days - prefer a good steak frankly.

nice map, gonna be trying some LB angling up there soon...

are you LB or boat?

need to know so we can tell you where to fish - but you'll bet a better response if you post up in the Fishing Chat main forum :)

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  • 1 month later...

I guess I better throw my hat in the ring as well. I've caught a few jewfish and spent years targeting big fish from the beach, estuary and the rocks and I reckon versatility and finding where they live are the key.

The hardest I ever worked for a jew was at Hawks Nest north of Newcastle. I had a 10 day holiday and fished every night for them. I tried all the usual spots that produce on the beach and in the river and hadn't so much as gotten a bite. The water was crystal clear with offshore winds every day and I tried every bait available, live beach worms, live mullet, live yellowtail, live whiting, fresh squid with flouro still in the eyes, fresh mullet, tailor and pilchards for zip, nada and nought! On the second last day I deliberately left a couple of mullet and 20 odd pillies in a bucket of brine in the sun with a good squirt of tuna oil and that night planned to fish the slack high tide in the river then head to the beach.

First bait was the most putrid brined pillie that I'm sure they could smell at Coffs Harbour and I lobbed it just into the channel near the boat ramp.. 15 minutes later the Alvey was screaming like a bungey jumper and I had the culmination of a weeks hard work.

jewfish-1.jpg

Fishing at Stockton beach for the 18 months I lived in Newcastle and the hundred odd other times I've fished there I never once caught a jew on a pilchard. Almost every one I caught was on live bait and tailor heads and fillets. The week I fished the beach west of Fowlers Bay I averaged 2 jewfish a day landed, smallest was 8kg and the largest I guessed at almost 30kg as it was as long as me and I'm 6'4". They bit during the day mostly on salmon fillets but the biggy took a whole live salmon of about 2kg. They bit in gutters a little over 2 foot deep and within 6 foot of the beach, that strike I actually saw the jew take the bait as it was just after midday.

An old mate of mine swears tailor heads and the freshest squid are the best bait and seeing he has caught more jew than any other 10 fishos I know combined I'd have to agree. He fishes the Coffs Harbour area and in particular the Urunga Beach. He also reckons he catches 50% of his fish on the 3'0 keeper hook rather than the main 8-10'0.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey guys,

After reading this topic I have decided to have a crack at catching a jewie. Could you please let me know which side of a bridge pylon I should fish. For example should I fish the behind the pylon with the tide coming towards me or should I be floating my baits back toward the pylon with the current?

Thanks for e help,

Bill

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys,

After reading this topic I have decided to have a crack at catching a jewie. Could you please let me know which side of a bridge pylon I should fish. For example should I fish the behind the pylon with the tide coming towards me or should I be floating my baits back toward the pylon with the current?

Thanks for e help,

Bill

Hi Bill, there is a pressure wave in front of a bridge pylon on a moving tide which enables a fish to hold position with much less effort and behind the pylon will be an eddy which will also assist but I reckon would be harder work for a fish. I believe it's not so much the effect on current that attracts them to bridges but the structure itself. Structure will attract baitfish and in turn larger predators and having fought a few big jewfish I prefer to hook them as far away from a pylon as possible.

When targeting jew think predator and ambush. Where would you anticipate a fish would hide? I find at night the lights on a bridge will cause a shadow and where light meets shadow is an awesome ambush position. Add a pylon in close proximity and all this on the up current side of the bridge and that's where the big ones will be.

One night I was watching a dolphin and her baby hunt in exactly that way under The Singing Bridge at Hawks Nest. They would hold position in the shadow and when a mullet approached the shadow from up stream they would rush it just at the edge of the shadow and the mullet never had a moment to react. Same night I saw a BIG jew do exactly the same thing and later that night I caught a 45lb'er on you guessed it.... A live mullet fished back topward the shadow.

Colour change in water is also another good ambush point, when there is enough rain to colour the water in the river the leading edge of that muddy water at any specific structure like a rock outcrop, breakwall, bridge etc is likely to fire.

The other good spots are the edges of channels and the more pronounced the edge the better the ambush and rock ledges.

At Appletree Bay at Bobbin Head I used to fish 1kg line for bream at the creek mouth near the cleaning tables from the top of the tide and the first 2 hours of the runout, I have been smashed up by jewfish more times than I could count. This is a good spot and they must hide in the shadow waiting for herring etc to swim out.

I hope that offers you some extra option mate.

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Hi Bill, there is a pressure wave in front of a bridge pylon on a moving tide which enables a fish to hold position with much less effort and behind the pylon will be an eddy which will also assist but I reckon would be harder work for a fish. I believe it's not so much the effect on current that attracts them to bridges but the structure itself. Structure will attract baitfish and in turn larger predators and having fought a few big jewfish I prefer to hook them as far away from a pylon as possible.

When targeting jew think predator and ambush. Where would you anticipate a fish would hide? I find at night the lights on a bridge will cause a shadow and where light meets shadow is an awesome ambush position. Add a pylon in close proximity and all this on the up current side of the bridge and that's where the big ones will be.

One night I was watching a dolphin and her baby hunt in exactly that way under The Singing Bridge at Hawks Nest. They would hold position in the shadow and when a mullet approached the shadow from up stream they would rush it just at the edge of the shadow and the mullet never had a moment to react. Same night I saw a BIG jew do exactly the same thing and later that night I caught a 45lb'er on you guessed it.... A live mullet fished back topward the shadow.

Colour change in water is also another good ambush point, when there is enough rain to colour the water in the river the leading edge of that muddy water at any specific structure like a rock outcrop, breakwall, bridge etc is likely to fire.

The other good spots are the edges of channels and the more pronounced the edge the better the ambush and rock ledges.

At Appletree Bay at Bobbin Head I used to fish 1kg line for bream at the creek mouth near the cleaning tables from the top of the tide and the first 2 hours of the runout, I have been smashed up by jewfish more times than I could count. This is a good spot and they must hide in the shadow waiting for herring etc to swim out.

I hope that offers you some extra option mate.

Well said mate.

Some cracking jews at the singing bridge. I personally haven't caught one there but i havent put much time in either. Seen some 50lb fish caught there and heard of bigger.

I know the spot at apple tree near the ramp. Some big bream there but jews? Its pretty shallow and narrow but at the entrance, after a little rain at night or during low light jews could certainly be there. Did you ever land one of them? Would really be something if a 20kg+ fish was pulled from there!

Cheers, Tom

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