The TD Black Rod is here
by Fisho's Tackle World 23 Oct 2023 22:28 UTC
The TD Black Rod © Fisho's Tackle World
Experience enhanced sensitivity and comfort during casting with Daiwa's newest addition to the TD BLACK family. The 23 TD BLACK rod is meticulously designed exclusively to meet the needs of Aussie anglers.
Whether you are a casual angler or a professional, this newest addition to the family features 36 models and is ready to meet any challenge on the water.
The next generation of the TD Black Series
Introducing the newest iteration of the series, the 23 TD BLACK, we're excited to highlight some of the notable improvements. The addition of a fresh spiral grip enhances anglers' comfort during casting, complemented by a stylish cosmetic update featuring a new logo colour and rod design. On the technical side, the 23 TD BLACK now features a metallic nut on the reel seat, greatly enhancing sensitivity.
Like all the other products in the TD BLACK family, Daiwa's third-generation TD BLACK rod continues its unwavering commitment to crafting premium fishing gear tailored exclusively for the Australian market.
Purpose-built as the Aussie
With 36 models in the range, there's a perfect fit for every angler. Whether you're into heavy, medium or light tackle fishing, the 23 TD BLACK range has you covered. These rods are designed to be versatile, making them great for anyone looking for a rod that can handle all the classic Australian fish species, whether you're a casual angler looking for your main rod or a professional wanting to target individual species, the 23 TD BLACK has you covered.
Cutting-edge features
The 23 TD BLACK series delivers precision performance with its cutting-edge features.
Equipped with the upgraded X45X Full Shield Technology, these rods offer enhanced strength, effectively resisting blank twists during casting and jigging. This innovation ensures that no energy is lost during your cast, translating into maximum force and precision.
Exclusive to Daiwa products, the 23 TD BLACK boasts Air Sensor Reel Seat technology, offering anglers a lightweight yet exceptionally strong and sensitive rod. This feature represents Daiwa's ultimate high-end, high-performance reel seat.
Through the use of nano resin control technology in the blank construction process, Nanoplus allows for increased graphite density to be achieved within a graphite rod blank.
The 23 TD BLACK is also reinforced with V-Joint technology, providing flexibility and eliminating the weak or unbending spots commonly found in rods. This V-Joint innovation grants multi-piece rods the same level of flex, power, and responsiveness as other one-piece rods.
Incorporating premium features typically reserved for top-level, premium rods, the 23 TD BLACK series offers anglers a universal and high-performing piece of tackle. With a high-quality rod like this, anglers can confidently target their favourite Australian species, knowing that their rod will continue performing for many years to come.
Barramundi fishing guide
As spring unfolds and temperatures rise, many of us switch our fishing into overdrive as our favourite warm water predators spring into action. No one fish inspires more fishos or creates such excitement as our beloved barramundi - and their season is upon us - right now!
We are blessed to live here on the Fraser Coast. A region that offers not only a diverse range of saltwater habitats that are home to barra of all sizes, but also close proximity to some of the best impoundment barra lakes in Qld.
We can be fishing the smallest snag-riddled creeks and backwaters for barra one moment, and then venture out onto the vast mudflats, or head upstream in our mighty river systems to pursue even bigger fish. The Mary and Susan Rivers house quality barra, and potentially some of the largest you will find this side of the Fitzroy.
The Burrum, Gregory, Isis and Cherwell Rivers make up the picturesque Burrum System, where not only naturally occurring barramundi stocks thrive, but overflows of barra from the well-stocked Lake Lenthalls in the headwaters re-stock the river system with huge numbers whenever there are major flood events. Spill-over of excess fish from such flooding spread throughout the region and even our smallest creeks can be home to some impressive barra.
The vast Great Sandy Straits offers another whole range of options, including sensational flats fishing for barra when the tide is full, and such a huge number of creeks and feeder channels that you could never fish them all in any one season. Fraser Island's western creeks are renowned barra waters, where mangrove jack and king salmon bycatch is just part of a productive session.
Some of you might opt to drive up to Rockhampton and join the party on the mighty Fitzroy River. Since going net-free years ago, the fishing has improved incredibly. Massive saltwater barra wander its length and are caught regularly, along with big numbers of king salmon. Nowhere else offers a fisho the chance of tangling with proper salty monsters like the Fitzroy currently does. If it is on your to do list, then now is the time to head on up.
Queensland's barramundi season closes for three months as of the 1st November each year. During that closure (initiated to protect breeding stocks in the early wet season) you are not permitted to fish for barramundi in any waters, other than recognised stocked impoundments. At that time, many barra fans will shift their focus to the region's impoundments, but until then, our saltwater scene is where many will focus their efforts and enjoy potentially sensational sessions catching not only barra, but king salmon, blue salmon, jacks, queenies, GTs, grunter and flathead.
There are many impoundment barra options within a reasonable drive from Hervey Bay. Lake Lenthalls is the closest, and also the smallest. After a very lack-lustre previous season due to flooding and lost fish, local Lenthalls fans are once again catching barra in this pretty little lily pad fringed lake. There are restrictions on Lenthalls, being four-stroke or low emission outboards up to 60HP only, plus speed restrictions, but these factors only further enhance the appeal of kayaking on a lake devoid of the roar of the big outboards of other lakes.
A couple of hours up the Bruce Highway is Lake Monduran. "Mondy" as it is affectionately known, is quite sizeable and a vast maze of flooded creeks, gullies and every type of impoundment barra terrain you can think of. Mondy's popularity is undeniable, and many more boats and crews ply its waters than its boat launching and parking infrastructure can actually handle. However, once away from the chaos of the boat ramps, its immense waters will blow your mind with the insane number of potential hotspots you can discover in a day.
Mondy is full of big numbers of barra or all sizes these days, but it is the metre plus models and the relative ease of which they can be found and caught that keeps drawing the crowds. Much bigger barra are swimming its waters, with true giants in excess of 130cm on offer for anyone lucky enough to tangle with such a beast in forgiving terrain. Add to that, the sheer numbers of hyped-up little "rats" around the 65cm mark right now, that you can catch simply one after the other, and you have something to offer the whole family.
From vast weed banks and lily-fringed shores to heavily-timbered bays, a plethora of large lay-downs and prominent points, Mondy offers countless options for lure-casters. Fishing the daylight hours is popular, but it is when the sky grows dark in the evening that the barra really come out to feed.
Whilst casting is the preferred option for most fishos, there are many that prefer the simple art of trolling. As summer approaches and the wet season storms start to roll in, many larger barra will head for open waters to be greeted by keen trollers slowly wandering the creek lines and verges in search of active fish. Until then, trolling the shallower flats of the big open bays, or rigging large weedless soft plastics and meandering through the timber or along the fringes of the weed banks is a viable option.
It is fair to say, that Mondy has a reputation of dishing out donuts and has frustrated many fishos in the past. If that is you, then perhaps considering the alternative of an extra hour and a half in the car in lieu of fruitless hours in the boat is worth some thought. Heading further up the Bruce Highway to the mighty Lake Awoonga is favoured by many, and the significantly larger barra population and easier-to-navigate waters sees vastly better results for many fishos.
Awoonga has just fired back up in recent weeks - and fired up big time! Like the barra lakes further north, Awoonga can really turn it on and has been so excessively stocked that huge numbers of fish of all sizes now reside in its waters. Mobile schools of large barra often do the rounds of certain wind-blown bays and points, and fishos willing to sit and cast can score fish after fish from one site alone as scores of fish swim past the boat.
Night sessions are often most productive and bring the big numbers, but a savvy fisho will soon learn how to work the weed-fringed lake edges looking for active daytime barra. When the barra are super active, there are many topwater options both day and night that add that extra level of excitement to any session.
Awoonga spilled years ago at the same time as Mondy, and restocking efforts since have recovered its barra population to its impressive current state. There are hundreds of thousands of barra in this lake, and a large proportion of these better the metre mark. Just like Mondy, Awoonga has its share of true monsters and undoubtedly several fishos will get to hoist aloft a few huge barra this season.
If you have a case of wanderlust, then you can head further afield and ply the waters of Lake Callide out near Biloela. At just over four hours travel from the bay, it is still within reach for a short visit, and offers another whole spectrum of huge barra opportunities.
Callide is only a small lake, with unique differences to the others. Possibly its greatest attribute - apart from its relatively small size and ease of navigation - is the fact that you can fish from many stretches of its shoreline. Few other lakes offer such opportunities as Callide, where a shore-based fisho can cast lures from rocky points or weed-fringed banks and catch huge barra from terra-firma.
Of course, you can always plan an extended barra road trip and head further up the Bruce. The Mackay region is home to magnificent lakes, well-stocked with great numbers of sizeable barra. In one trip you could fish the snag-free weed-bowl that is Lake Kinchant, then head west to the majestic waters of Lake Teemburra where topwater options abound. You could even challenge your ability and head further west up into the hills and mix it with Lake Eungella's barra and impressive sooty grunter population.
Without doubt, Lake Proserpine, banked up behind Peter Faust Dam, offers one of Qld's greatest impoundment barra waterways. Renowned for its big number of impressive barra, "Faust" offers champagne fishing for anyone who times their visit well. Add Tinaroo in the Atherton Tablelands further north and a handful of other smaller lakes in between, and a keen enough barra fisho could spend years just fishing Qld's impoundments.
We have never had better tools for the job than we do nowadays either, with enhancements in electronics, electric motors, quality tackle, and a seemingly endless offering of barra lures at our disposal. Some simply cannot function with the latest in live-scope technology these days, whilst just about everybody has some form of side-scanning sounder to help them track down the fish. Add mapping options as well and you no longer need the thousands of hours we once needed to learn a lake and find the fish with our lures.
Fish for barra for long enough and you will tend to carry an ever-increasing range of favourite lures. Last year's best producer is often set aside as a changing scene demands alternative approaches the following season. Right now, the barra are willing to take a swipe at so many various offerings that your arsenal needs a degree of diversity.
In the saltwater, a good mix of hardbodies, both suspending and floating, will always have their place in the boxes of those well-tuned in their deployment. Soft vibes revolutionised barra (and salmon) fishing many years ago and still out-fish all other alternatives at times, whilst paddle-tailed soft plastics and prawn imitations have huge followings due to ongoing and constant success. Topwater offerings come into the mix too for those not scared of the dark.
Head for the impoundments instead, and you will find yourself favouring suspending hardbodies, larger paddle-tailed softies and swimbaits of various kinds. Rigging weedless is paramount when it comes to working weedy fringes or slow-rolling plastics through the heavy timber. Soft vibes are underutilised in lakes, yet can be the very trigger required to spur seemingly inactive barra into action.
Topwater fishing in barra impoundments is mind-blowing. Where once it was a mix of poppers, fizzers and walk-the-dog-styled stickbaits during low light periods, we can now also throw weedless frogs all day long when the waters are warm enough. No matter how you catch your barra, their vicious bite and explosive reaction to being hooked is what pumps your adrenalin. Experience the same boof from a big barra on topwater, and it is an absolute adrenalin overload!
So, don't sit at home googling some other fisho's exploits. Get out on the water and mix it with our saltwater barra or pit your skills against the big impoundment barra this season. The El-Nino declaration this summer suggests this could be one to remember.
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Billfish fishing guide
Screaming drags, a yahooing crew and lit-up pointy-nosed missiles greyhounding across the surface. That is the scene so often repeated in Hervey Bay waters this time of year. It is marlin time right now, and the juvenile blacks have arrived!
Once considered the domain of the wealthy, game fishing has changed dramatically in recent years, and is now within the capacity of virtually anyone with a capable vessel. Hervey Bay's unique billfish fishery enables fishos with even the smallest of craft a crack at these exciting fish in protected waters tucked in behind Fraser Island.
In fact, Hervey Bay's juvenile black marlin are of a manageable size for many kids too, and swags of youngsters have caught their first marlin in our waters (and some have caught multiple). If you can imagine your kids hooked up and squealing as a crazy billfish dances all over the paddock, then the next couple of months is when you can make it happen.
Each spring, numbers of small black marlin migrate down the Qld coastline and spend time feeding in the bay during their southerly migration. The waters surrounding Rooneys Point on the north-western tip of Fraser and the sheltered waters of Platypus Bay are the happy hunting grounds for most inshore marlin fans. The average size of these fish is 10-30kg, with a few smaller and a few larger models sharing those waters each year.
Marlin can turn up all the way into the southern bay during each season. Incidental captures are reported from many fishos out on the bay chasing mackerel, tuna or occasionally even reef fish. Whilst there is a slim chance that you might accidentally catch a marlin whilst soaking a live bait or pillie out the back, if you really want to experience the excitement that only billfish can provide, then actively targeting them with proven methods is the go.
Gearing up for Hervey Bay blacks is a reasonably simple affair, yet there are a few key elements to success. First of all, you must run a teaser behind your vessel. This is to attract the billfish to your spread of lures or baits. We stock many different teaser set-ups, catering for vessels of all sizes.
You only need a couple of rods matched to reels with sufficient line capacity and a smooth drag system. Set several out if you have the crew on board to manage them, with your lures spaced at select positions in your wake. The terms shotgun, short corner, long corner, short rigger and long rigger have been part of the game fishing vernacular for eons. Google 'trolling lures for marlin' and you will see many images to explain, or ask our staff and we can do so.
Overhead reels have always been popular, yet medium-sized spin tackle is fine and potentially even more commonly used these days. Many experienced crews will even have spin outfits pre-rigged with alternative lures ready to cast at raised fish. Mono mainline is popular amongst the experienced game fishos, whilst many folks will utilise their existing braid-filled reels and catch fish just fine.
Leaders need to be tough enough to withstand the scuffing from a marlin's raspy bill. 80-100lb is ample for Hervey Bay's blacks, whilst heavier leaders are deployed wide offshore when chasing larger quarry. We make leader choice super easy for you, with custom-made semi-stiff rigs that will perfectly match the smaller skirts you need for these smaller black marlin.
We stock a comprehensive range of skirted lures from the Pakula, Black Pete and Buku stables. Colour selections can vary depending upon the waters fished, light conditions and likely bait sources, so we stock a vast range to suit.
We also make the extra effort each season to source quality garfish for those that prefer to troll baits. These baits were caught locally recently and are vacuum-packed to maintain their condition. Rigging garfish has never been easier since the introduction of "ringer swivels", so grab some of these little gems and you will find rigging either skipping or swimming gar easier than ever.
So, you are all geared up and ready to go, so now what? It is simple really. Head up towards Rooneys Point or into the central or northern sectors of Platypus Bay. Set your teaser/s and your spread of lures or baits, and troll the subtle contours that meander through that region, or watch the horizon for bird activity and focus your attention on the bait schools and their lesser predators.
Flats fishing for marlin is incredibly popular these days and the flats fringing the northern sector of Fraser is where most will concentrate their efforts. The obvious contour line that denotes the drop-off of the flats is the place to be trolling when the high tide is peaking. Whilst marlin can be caught right throughout the tide phases, they tend to rise to the surface during the tide changes, so hopefully you are on the fish at these times.
Numbers of black marlin arrived in the waters of northern Platypus Bay just last week, riding the big flood tides preceding the super moon. They will hang around for some time now, and spread throughout the bay. More will follow, and with any luck we will have a red-hot season like last year.
New moon periods are considered to trigger the best billfish bite in these parts, both inshore and offshore. However, you can go and target them whenever the weather allows. Interestingly, some of the best bites experienced locally are immediately after a northerly blow diminishes.
A unique aspect of the Hervey Bay black marlin fishery is its potential for the avid fly fisho. From actively seeking shots at free-roaming blacks cruising the flats up towards Rooneys Point, to bait 'n' switch techniques, there is ample opportunity to score a billy on fly.
So, once you have a handle on catching billfish, and have a few under your belt, perhaps you can challenge yourself and try your hand at bait 'n' switch. This is not for the solo fisho, and best attempted with a well-versed crew, during periods of calmer weather.
In essence, it involves trolling a spread of teasers and hookless lures to raise the billfish. Once a fish is raised and actively attacking your spread, your team then retrieves the teasers and lures just as the angler casts their lure/fly at the lit-up marlin. Timing is everything, so ensuring your crew is tuned in is paramount. Perhaps they will only gain this knowledge through experience, so take the mishaps as they come and keep at it until you succeed.
Heading offshore is a whole new ball game and offers those with larger vessels the opportunity to get away from the crowds in the bay. Even bigger numbers of baby blacks can be found east of Breaksea Spit and Sandy Cape. Crossing the 4 Mile or the 13 Mile can put you straight onto the marlin, with the waters east of the 13 Mile being typically the most productive.
Sailfish also turn up north of Fraser Island early each season, so keep an eye out for schools of these spectacular billies. Again, the 13 Mile has the runs on the board, and some incredible captures have been recorded there over the years. Sails have also been caught west of the spit at times, as well as back down closer to Rooneys.
As much fun as baby blacks are for most of us, there are many keen game fishos out there keener to tangle with the larger fish that frequent our offshore waters each spring. Often enough, after a torrid morning session on the light 8kg tackle closer in, many will deploy the heavier 24kg or 37kg tackle and troll the deeper waters of the continental shelf during the afternoon.
Very large vessels often have the full armament, consisting of 8, 10, 15, 24, 37 and 60kg outfits, however, trailer boats simply cannot carry this much tackle. A couple of light outfits, and 37kg heavy tackle suits many of the local crews.
Large black marlin can be found out wide, along with their harder-fighting cousins, the blue marlin, and a number of striped marlin. Three-way marlin grand slams have been achieved by a small number of crews in the past, and Fraser Island's offshore waters is where such achievements are possible. Bycatch at this time of year mostly consists of mahi mahi and yellowfin tuna out wider, though other pelagics are possible back closer to the bar.
Hervey Bay Game Fishing Club holds its annual fishing competition in November each year. Set the dates of 10th-12th aside if you are keen to join the fun. Motherships and a fuel barge are typically parked up near Rooneys each year to enhance the comfort and fuel range of those in smaller vessels.
One final, yet very important, comment about marlin fishing is regarding fish handling. Please remember that juvenile black marlin in particular, are just that - babies. They are learning from their mistakes, but are often captured more than once here in the bay. These fish exhaust themselves trying to escape and must be handled with extra care.
Have cameras or phones at the ready and have your crew well-versed in best practices. Minimise any handling and lift them from the water only briefly to get your happy snaps. Do not lay them on a hot deck. When ready to release, do so with your motor in reverse, trimmed-up, whilst swimming the fish in the white water coming from your prop. This will give them a much-needed boost of oxygen and you will likely see them light back up in the process.
So, if you are a fisho keen to score your first marlin, or an experienced old hand just happy to get back out and enjoy the most exciting fishing Hervey Bay has to offer, then gear up and get out on the bay this spring. The high-flying antics and blistering speed of these crazy fish will have you coming back for more.
Mangrove Jack fishing guide
The gIt's hot, it's humid, and a storm threatens as towers of darkening clouds reach high in the western sky. Many fishos seek the comfort of air con and shelter, but not you and your mates. You race to the boat ramp, launching with heightened anticipation into an ebbing tide.
The sky darkens as you approach the gnarliest snag in the creek. It looks perfect. Baitfish shimmer nervously along the muddy bank and a terrified prawn skips away from the root ball. You shove each other as you reach for your weapons of choice. Two casts fire off simultaneously, both aiming at the shady overhang where the tree was torn from the bank in a recent flood.
Your lure skips twice and stops mere inches from the mud. Your mate's lure falls short, too short, and you struggle to hold back a grin as you flick your rod tip. That's all it takes and your rod is almost wrenched from your grip. The sheer ferocity of the strike and the flash of maroon confirms the culprit - it's a jack! And it's a good one!
You've been here before, and you relish the adrenalin-filled moments as you engage in a do or die battle with the toughest adversary any creek might spawn. It is touch and go, with you and your tackle stretched to the limit. Your anxiety level is peaking as you ponder your lure's hardware and the excessive strain that extracting such a trophy demands. Your exhilaration as your mate slips the net beneath your PB mangrove jack is all that bit sweeter as you savour his complexion turning green as he admires your fish.
It is summertime here on the fabulous Fraser Coast, and you (and your mates) can put yourself in this picture.
We are absolutely blessed with a climate and a topography that enables our waters to support an incredibly healthy population of mangrove jacks. Not only do we have an abundance of varying waterways from which to target these magnificent fish, but our waters support true trophy-sized specimens the envy of those in more tropical climates.
From the pristine waters of the Baffle Creek system and other creeks a short drive to our north, to the four snag-filled rivers of the Burrum River system, the myriad of creeks that feed into the Great Sandy Straits delta and Fraser Island's fish-rich western creeks - we live in mangrove jack paradise. Their presence isn't limited to our marine waters either, as some absolute stonker jacks and plenty of their brethren inhabit our local freshwater ponds as well.
And it doesn't even stop there. Whilst jacks grow big in our estuaries and sometimes achieve true trophy status in excess of 60cm, the very same fish eventually make their way out to our reef systems and mature further to become massive soul-destroying reef jacks the rival of any in Qld. If you think stopping a tenacious 50cm jack from bricking you can be tough, try to contemplate the scene offshore when a monster reef jack over 80cm hits the afterburners!
Whilst offshore reef jack fishing is the domain of rather heavy tackle and live baits or lures capable of probing the depths during the witching hours, the inshore and estuary scene is a lot more accessible and within the realm of possibility for any avid fisho.
Lure fishos will choose between baitcast and spin tackle, and sometimes have a need for both. Rods need to be responsive, with tips light enough to deliver and work the lures, yet tough enough through to the mid-section to set the hook, and with enough grunt in the back end to haul the fish out when demanded.
Matching reels need to be tough, yet light. Quality engineering will uphold against a rampaging jack. Smooth drag systems, capable of heavy settings are paramount, yet typically part of the right reel's make-up. Braid and suitable leaders are equally as important too, not only for sheer strength and shock resistance, but for effortless lure delivery and workability.
Check out our recommended rods and reels
Go-to reels:
- Shimano Tranx 150A baitcast reel
- Quantum Smoke S3 baitcast reel
- Daiwa HRF PE Special 7.3R-TW baitcast reel
Go-to rods:
- Dobyns Fury 663C 6'6" 10-17lb baitcast rod
- Shimano Zodias 166ML 6'6" 7-14lb baitcast rod
- Edge First Strike MBR684-1 6'8" 8-14lb
Mangrove jacks respond to so many lures and fishing techniques it can be a little mind-boggling. Trendy techniques include skip-casting the likes of weedless frogs and plastics of various ilk, to dancing topwater presentations such as walkers, fizzers and poppers.
Many 3-5 inch soft plastics were born with mangrove jacks as one of their primary targets. Paddle-tailed varieties are well proven, and the plethora of prawn imitations available today are increasingly popular. Matching such presentations to either weedless or conventional jig heads is typically determined by the terrain being targeted.
Hardbodied lures have always been jack slayers, and with current technological advancements, they are getting better and better. There will always be demand for the tried and true favourites of old, but today's keen jack fisho is always eyeing off new lures with the desire to prove its worth against an old adversary.
Go-to lures:
- Molix RT Shad 3.5" & 4.5"
- Zman Diezel Minnowz 4"
- Pro-Lures Clone Prawn 92mm
- Lucky Craft G-splash
- Rapala Shad Rap elite 7.5cm (Specifically Gilded Twilight Zone colour)
- Samaki Redic DS80
Selecting a lure is only one part of the puzzle. A jack fisho must then work out how to retrieve it to trigger a bite response. Observing or second-guessing the jack's prey is the first step, which then suggests the desired retrieve.
Paddle-tails and hardbodies can be wound at a medium pace to mimic a baitfish such as a mullet or gar. Twitches and flicks of the same lures can impersonate the movements of wounded herring or indeed a prawn.
Surface presentations offer without doubt the most exciting means of catching jacks, and the possible array of retrieves varies yet again. Short, sharp pops and fizzes imitate the motion of agitated prawns or smaller fish feeding. Straight retrieves or walking the dog fools fish into thinking they are tracking a wounded baitfish.
During daylight hours, perhaps the most important part of any retrieve is splashdown, or where the lure lands. Estuarine jacks tend to lurk deep in the shadows (their big eyes being built for nocturnal hunting), so if your lure lands short of the shade or target structure, then it is a wasted cast. Accuracy becomes paramount and is often the difference between the success rate of you and your mate on a given day.
There is no better time than right now to be out and about hunting mangrove jacks in our estuaries. Your chances of connecting on lures has never been better. All the same, many budding new jack fishos, and indeed many old hands that just enjoy catching them old school, will reap the benefits of a bait fishing session or two.
Creek jacks love to eat mullet. They also scoff prawns, crabs, squid, herring, garfish and just about any other creature silly enough to swim within striking distance. Live baits work a treat as a bait fishing option, however, it has been well-proven over time that a simple fillet from a freshly-caught mullet is virtually unbeatable. That goes for the rivers and creeks at least. Seek out the bruisers on the reefs and deeper ledges and you should resort to the live bait approach.
Not only are mangrove jacks tenacious fighters and handsome to boot, they are exceptional table fare as well. Many of us today will only target them for sport and take a quick happy snap before releasing them a little warier for the experience. Take one home for a feed one day though, and not only will you relish the flavour and texture of their delicate flesh, but you might also get that sweet taste of revenge for all the lures and gear lost getting that one to the plate.
It is jack time! Go get 'em
Snapper fishing guide
Here in Hervey Bay, we look forward to an annual run of snapper that begins late autumn and hits top gear mid-winter. It has been a little warmer than usual so far this season, so early efforts inshore proved to be challenging - but that is all about to change.
Few fish are as widely spread and offer such overall appeal as snapper. Not only do these magnificent creatures look sensational, but they also pack plenty of punch in the sparring department and they are downright tasty too.
We are blessed to enjoy spells of light winds and crisp sunny skies throughout much of winter in these parts which enables us to get out in boats of all sizes and roam far and wide. Luckily for us, snapper move right inshore this time of year, bringing them within range of the smallest tinny, and even kayaks. At the same time, large schools amass over offshore reefs all the way to the continental shelf, so snapper will feature in catches for many crews in coming months.
The snapper's inshore migration is triggered by their desire to gather and spawn, and they do so at a time when masses of baitfish move inshore as well. Mother Nature is indeed a clever lady. Being every bit a predator and occasional scavenger, snapper will actively hunt down schools of yakka, herring, pike and the like, whilst also taking advantage of other fodder such as whiting, squid, prawns and crabs during their travels.
Focussing your efforts around recognised key bite periods for snapper, that fall around the new and full moons, tide changes and dawn and dusk periods will increase your chances dramatically. Right timing is just one part of the puzzle though, and being able to assess an area's potential by what you see on your sounder is the next.
Gatherings of baitfish are an obvious indicator of potential. Even more-so is the distinct "arches" or images on high-tech scanners that are unmistakably your target species. Your skill as a skipper and fisho then comes to the fore as you position your vessel to get your bait or lure to the snapper you've just found.
Being such a nomadic species, so often inclined to wander great distances during a tide or overnight, snapper can turn up in areas right at sunset that were otherwise devoid of fish all day. Similarly, they can seemingly disappear just after dawn. Quite often, the snapper have simply moved away from the reef itself and spend much of the day wandering the paddock some distance away.
Local bait fishos have developed techniques over the years that continue to catch snapper. In the bay, float-lining is certainly the way to go. To tempt the wiser old snapper, you must deploy perfectly rigged baits on long leaders that can "swim" in the current without spinning - rigged behind just the right sized sinker to keep the bait suspended above the bottom as line is released periodically in the tide. Large whole baits are the go, and live baits are even better at times.
Overhead reels allow line to be free-spooled to finicky snapper and in the right hands are a great tool for the job. Many fishos favour spinning reels though, and luckily for them, Daiwa offers the perfect reel. The Daiwa Free Swimmer BR is their best ever contribution in this department and is challenging the established alternatives from other stables.
These "Bite'N'Run" reels offer many of the superb features now standard in quality Daiwa reels, and boast rubber gasket seals against the saltwater environment and ATD drags which enable smooth start-up and heavy compression under load (up to 10kg in fact). They are quite light for such a reel, yet strong and sturdy.
We've been matching the Free Swimmer BR reels with Daiwa's Saltist Hyper rods and spooling them with Daiwa J-Braid and have found them to be the perfect combination. The rods are powerful, yet quite light for their size and combine optimum length for casting distance and hook-setting power, with low down grunt and the perfect taper for stopping that big snapper or other fish around nasty terrain.
Nowadays, more fishos target snapper on soft plastics and other lures than bait in these parts, and there are many reasons why. Firstly, the ability to prospect over possible terrain with a softy, a vibe or jig, and see if the snapper are home or active is far more efficient than bait.
Secondly, the class of fish attracted to a well-presented lure is typically better, and the need to contend with juveniles and pickers otherwise encountered whilst bait fishing is minimised. Not needing to gather bait during a trip is a bonus, as is the lack of mess and necessity for live bait tanks.
We stock a vast array of the best soft plastics and other lures we can muster for our snapper fishery, and continually stock the best in rods, reels, lines and terminals for the task as well. You can combine any number of rods and reels to come up with a suitable snapper combo, whilst taking into account jig head or lure weight relative to the rod's casting capacity.
So, drop in and suss out the latest in snapper tackle on offer these days. Challenge yourself to score new PBs this season or ask the lads for advice on catching these magnificent fish on artificials if you aren't already doing so. Good luck, and may your next snapper be your best snapper.
Bream fishing guide
Hervey Bay may not be renowned as a bream fishing mecca - but maybe it should be. During the winter months, our waters are teeming with sizeable bream that gather in vast spawning aggregations in highly accessible waters.
Where to find bream in Hervey Bay
Shore-based anglers get to challenge themselves against the big bruisers that congregate around the barnacle-encrusted pylons of both Urangan Pier and the Kingfisher Bay Jetty. The rocky foreshores of River Heads and Pt Vernon offer their own challenges due to strong currents or gnarly terrain, whilst the pleasant sandy shores of Burrum Heads and our local beaches provide family-friendly access to quality fish as well.
Surf fishing for bream is another whole new ball game that sees keen fishos bending purpose-built surf rods over double as they extract big silver scrappers from the rock-strewn gutters and headlands of Fraser Island. Thumping big bream share these waters with their cousins, the tarwhine, and many other species as well, that all add to the excitement of such an adventure.
Boaties are absolutely blessed. As our bream population emerges from the backwaters of our substantial estuaries early in the season, they begin to gather in number, and the many rocky outcrops in the lower reaches of our streams come alive with mature fish. They then continue to amass and make their way to our shallow inshore reefs and vast flats to do their thing for the continuation of their species mid-winter.
It is at this time, that the local bream fishos get serious and meet them head-on in a serious bream fishing assault. Given that the humble bream appeals to so many fishos - from those that favour bait to those willing to test their skills with all manner of lures and ultra-finesse tackle - we have established a comprehensive range of quality fishing tackle to satisfy everyone.
Taking advice from tournament winning bream anglers, and using our own knowledge of the local fisheries, we have been able to refine our selection of tackle so that you can gear-up with the perfect tackle right from the get-go. No more guesswork. If we put a rod and reel combination in your hands and set you up with the line, leader and lures, then all you need to do is go find the bream - and we will even point you in the right direction!
To appreciate why the right tackle is so important, you need to realise that large bream are quite old, and they didn't get to that age by being stupid. Big bream are very cunning adversaries and not easily fooled. They are no slouch in the sparring department either, so don't underestimate them in nasty country. Stealth is paramount around wary old bream and your presentations must be spot-on.
For this reason, arming yourself with the latest and greatest in lure technology, spawned from the best of past successes will give you the edge. Knowing that a certain hardbody should be slow-rolled and another should be twitched and stalled, or that a critter-bait must be worked differently to a grub or vibe are all important pieces of the bream fishing puzzle. Knowing that certain lures are best worked on certain rods is the next.
Daiwa's Infeet Rods
Daiwa's expert crew of champion anglers have developed the excellent range of technique-specific Infeet rods. Different models within the Infeet range are designed to deliver and work differing lures, giving you a significant advantage when compared with a generic graphite rod.
Infeet models that are more parabolic or regular-tapered provide the perfect action to get the right dance out of your treble-armed hardbodies, whilst at the same time cushioning against the lunges of bigger bream and alleviating the chances of tiny trebles pulling from their mouths. Daiwa have even colour-coded their Infeet rods, so that you can pick up the right rod for the selected lure at a glance. These models have blue highlights.
Adorned with red highlights, is the range of fast-tapered Infeet rods purpose-built for casting and twitching light-weight soft plastics. Emphasis on blank design ensures solid hook-ups on single-hooked jig head presentations, at the same time providing unmatched sensitivity and responsiveness that will enhance your casting accuracy and distance.
The perfect match to Infeet rods is the Infeet X spinning reels. Sporting shallow spools, slow gear ratios and ATD Type-L drag systems for lower start-up inertia, these reels are custom-crafted for the light line specialist. When filled with 6lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand and topped with J-Thread fluorocarbon leader, you have the perfect combination to pit yourself against the best of our bream.
Of course, your perfect combo needs lures to suit, and Daiwa have just the right tools for the job. Pick up your rod with the blue highlights and tie on an Infeet Spike, an Infeet Kodachi or an Infeet Rollin' Crank and you are in the game. Each Infeet lure has a different action and profile, whilst they all respond immediately to your rod action and perform faultlessly at super-slow speeds. Each of these lures will have applications in our clear and shallow waters this winter.
Soft plastics vs bait fishing
When a soft plastic presentation is required - in deeper waters or when you need to tempt fish feeding on the bottom - Daiwa's bait Junkie Grubs or Risky Critters can be matched to the appropriately-weighted Bait Junkie jig head and tied on your red-highlighted Infeet combo. Subtle perfection and bite-triggering movements from these softies will soon tempt even the wariest of bream.
Armed with the fantastic tackle described above, you will have a ball with the bream this winter. And don't think these outfits and lures are limited to just bream either, as you can expect plenty of bycatch from whiting, flathead, pike and grunter, not to mention all sorts of shallow water reef dwellers.
Many fishos will still opt for the bait fishing approach of course, and you good folks will be well served considering some of our bite-enhancing berleys, fine-wire hooks and other select pieces of tackle that will help you catch big numbers. Our ever-expanding range of surf rods will also cater for those heading to Fraser Island in coming months.
So, get out there this winter and enjoy one of the most underrated fisheries in our region. Kilo plus bream (42cm or so) are prolific in places, so let's see who can catch the biggest this season. Send us your happy snaps and we will share your pics for ultimate bragging rights.