# Mangrove Jack Tactics



## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Hey all!
With summer coming up I've made a decision that this summer I want to catch a mangrove jack! I've been snag spotting all winter at my locals and I think I have all the gear and lures I need.

Just one more question though, when you are chasing jacks north of brissie, what leader and leader length can you experienced guys recommend? And what do you think is the lightest and shortest leader I could get away with?

Reason being is that for heavier lines the joining knot between braid and leader starts to get caught on the eyelets of my baitcaster... 

Cheers for any advice.

Evoids.


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

I recently pulled a 4kg model about 56cm out of a small creek just north of brissie on 8lb leader and 8lb braid.
Also landed 3 jew that morning between 65cm and 85cm on 5lb braid with 6lb leader on plastics.

Jacks will come down to if you hook them right in the middle of the crap or 6 feet out from it. I have been repeatedly done over with 20lb braid and 40lb leader throwing livies deep into the snags and hooking up to redfish, you just cant win in thier loungeroom. Thankfully jacks leave their lairs regularly for a feed.


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## jigflicker (Jun 20, 2010)

ditto what mangajack said I usually catch them soft plastic fishing for bream with 8lb braid and a rod length of 4-10lb fc rock flurocarbon, look for rocks and eddies and your halfway there, also consider south of brsibane hint,hint


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

one trick I've learned is, to cast for them out to the side at right angles to your yak, if you hook one from straight over the nose of your Nemo he'll have you and your yak ploughing into the mangroves at an alarming rate of knots. 
Good fun being towed but embarrassing if someone is watching. ;-)


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

jigflicker said:


> ditto what mangajack said I usually catch them soft plastic fishing for bream with 8lb braid and a rod length of 4-10lb fc rock flurocarbon, look for rocks and eddies and your halfway there, also consider south of brsibane hint,hint


So do you guys get busted off often? Or do you use big lures/plastics to keep the jacks teeth away from the line? There seems to be some trick here that I need in on as all the material I've read recommends 20lb to 60lb leaders :lol: I'd be very happy if I could keep the light line on my baitcaster, I know I much prefer the light stuff. Im guessing I'd get more hits on the light line as well 

Unfortunately wont be able to hit up the south side till I get some more permanent roof racks but maybe I can make that a goal of mine if I fail to get myself a jack on the northside 8)



DougOut said:


> one trick I've learned is, to cast for them out to the side at right angles to your yak, if you hook one from straight over the nose of your Nemo he'll have you and your yak ploughing into the mangroves at an alarming rate of knots.
> Good fun being towed but embarrassing if someone is watching. ;-)


Hehe yeah I'll definately take that into consideration Doug. I love a good tow around in the yak but it definately gets the nerves pumping when you've got a good fish dragging you towards spiky and tangly mangroves.

Cheers for the advice guys.


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## moolooman (Jul 31, 2008)

Hey Evoids,

My tactics - definitely stay at 90 deg to the mangroves
fish last of the run-out and start of run-in
use a Prawnstar (dark red) for jigging vertically into snags
get in close to the snags with your kayak - stealth is the 'name of the game'
use a long spin or baitcaster rod with stiff action to jig the prawnstar and lift the fish up into the water column rather than trying to pull them
while doing this, just to cause some mayhem and excitement, float a poddie mullet out on another line (double hookups just happen)

Cheers
Steve


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

Evoids said:


> So do you guys get busted off often? Or do you use big lures/plastics to keep the jacks teeth away from the line? There seems to be some trick here that I need in on as all the material I've read recommends 20lb to 60lb leaders :lol: I'd be very happy if I could keep the light line on my baitcaster, I know I much prefer the light stuff. Im guessing I'd get more hits on the light line as well


I used to fish with the fear factor mindset that you will get done over badly unless you are uing whipper snipper chord for jacks. Complete fallacy. Sure you will get done over sometimes by jacks regardless of what you are using but I have accounted for many many more jacks now using no heavier than 8lb braid and 14lb leader (usually 8lb leader) than fishing with 20lb mainlines and 40lb jinkai leader. Matter of fact my best is a 58cm jack caught wading for bream spinning a 5cm hard body around rocks using 4lb braid and 8lb leader! He buried into a rockpile but i managed to get him outa there by reaching in from behind and flushing him into open water. I reckon since I have adopted the lighter approach I have boated and released in excess of 150 jacks in the past decade and kept maybe 5 or 6. I doubt I have lost 1/6 of the amount due to not strong enough lines in snags.

BTW lots of suspected jack attacks in creeks are small bull sharks keen for a feed. I would like a dollar for every jack attack i have had that give me sand papered leaders.


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

True! Well I'm keen as now. Much happier that I can use light lines. I picked up some 10lb fluro, but I've also got some 8lb if I'm feeling really confident :lol: Think I might go and prospect a few snags this weekend. Thanks everyone for the advice


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## Murdoch (Aug 25, 2010)

Hey guys,

Great advice here cheers, and I am going to use it now I have found some prime Jack-looking real estate near the Burnett River mouth.

Was concerned about needing thicker and stronger leader, but will take what you guys have said, and try with some lighter stuff.

Quick question, what size and type hooks would you recommend when live baiting?
And it is preferable to float the live poddy mullet, or to lightly sink him with a 40cm leader or so?

Never caught a Jack before, but reading about how good they fight, and taste, I am getting keen.

Murdoch


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

Murdoch said:


> Quick question, what size and type hooks would you recommend when live baiting?
> And it is preferable to float the live poddy mullet, or to lightly sink him with a 40cm leader or so?


Try using a 1/8 ounce jighead with a fairly short 2/0 hook and lip hooking a live mullet then cast that into the snags and slowly wind it out, bouncing him through the timbers. If you are game you can add a singer treble near the tail but you will find the snags lots more often.

I use Daiichi 3111 hooks or Mustad Hoodlum hooks for livebaiting and usually use 2/0 to 4/0 depending on the bait size, shoulder pinning works best for free swimming and near the arse with the top lobe of the tail clipped works best for anchored baits.

Jack.


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## Murdoch (Aug 25, 2010)

Cheers MangaJack,

Heading into new spot in 2 weeks, hopefully with a few livies, and a couple of prawnstar lures (first time using them).

Murdoch


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## imnotoriginal (Jan 13, 2008)

I've landed two on 4lb leader, so it's still possible to get them in on light stuff. I'd prefer to use light leader and lose a few than go really heavy and get no hits.
Joel


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## odgers (Sep 30, 2010)

i chase jacks every year and there are 2 great bullet proof methods, one is if your using a bait caster, then go and buy some 30lb braid and 40lb leader, and run a gold bomber 15long a triple treble lure over any snags youve been thinking about!! if there is a jack there he will smash that lure, and the best thing is that it dives at most 3 ft deep and can be trawled slow and fast, so its a good jack catcher, its either that or drop lines with 6 inch whiting and 60lb line


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Hey Evan,

As with most styles of fishing the lighter you fish the more strikes you will get, it really is a balancing act getting it to work in your favour but you need to hook them first. Once hooked it is then up to you to steer the fish to open water or avoid the snags etc. that you have hooked them near. The problem with heavy lines and tight drags on a yak is that the Jacks just drag the yak to the snag and it often seems that the more pressure you put on them the more determined they are to get back into the ugly stuff. If you do need to use lines that cause you problems with your guides try tying a 'Slim Beauty' knot to help with the line travelling out on the cast.

The thing I hate about Jacks is that they really love expensive Japanese lures and there is no doubt that if you throw $40 worth of lure at an ugly piece of timber or rock bar that it won't be on the end of your line when you wind it back in. I am sucker for punishment though and keep lining up again and again. :twisted:

I have been thinking Jacks again lately and will probably hit some of my regular secret locations again soon, but have also thought about hitting some of the rockier spots in the scarby canals if you hadn't considered this location already.

Kev


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

QlpoOTFBWSZTWeGptTIAACBfgAAQUIeAAjK4EQo/7/+gMACm0NVP9KTT1P1MoGhmU9Q9qjahoEU9NTCZNNAAAANA1PSmp+pMyaEGjAjJoep6nFyDNJy90HWDZH5jwRbmrdAKlf1uhSqOGNLNlvM1PiGEW1yXsaF1L5vezhEYVvGmKEoJkLknQWHNGc+QQ7rIfI0MUHcRzsbAWAyr58nEoWIWrMYPFrSDPSxaSoMJw8ewoVHI0oCLjGEQUMiUI6asBKw+72OmaQgqJBz2uHVJwBNKJHehVZaP4u5IpwoSHDU2pkA=


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

> I have been thinking Jacks again lately and will probably hit some of my regular secret locations again soon, but have also thought about hitting some of the rockier spots in the scarby canals if you hadn't considered this location already.


Thanks for that Kev, I'd thought of trolling a lure along those rocky walls in scarby canals but wasnt sure if it was worth it. I'll definately give it a go now. Another area I was hoping to have a go at were some of the snaggy areas around the south pine. Got myself some cheap bigger hardbodys to throw around those snags and upgraded the hardware on them just in case. So I think that I'm all set up and ready but as you said, gear doesnt matter until I hook one :lol:

Just a matter of time now after all the info I've received!

Thanks again for all the advice.


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## Slazmo (Oct 18, 2010)

ha ha I like the casting out and clenching butt cheeks method best... But after catching a PB Mangrove Jack "Train" at 50cm - you'd have a little fun trying to use a yak against it in tight water...

I was using a Squidgy Fish (2.5 inch), on 6kg Fire Line, 20lb trace and my Trusty Pfleuger Trion Spin 'Native Specialist' 3-6kg and my 7 year old Diawa Laguna 2000 - that'd just recieved new internals (thankfully)...

I caught my jack in flood water (pre heavy rain we got on the Gold Coast) and it was a nasty fight as I faught over a 3 meter eroded embankment... Now catching a fish like that in my Minnow would have been dire and more probable funny for anyone watching but there wouldnt have been a chance for me to manage getting it out of its hole...

Hope the pic sell's the story...

Cheers. :lol:


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Thats an awesome fish slazmo, out of curiosity what weight jighead were you using with your plastic?


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## Slazmo (Oct 18, 2010)

Hey Evoids,

Ahh it was a Gamakatsu jig head, and pretty much the cast after that fish I "lost" the lure and trace line... I would have liked to keep it for a 'keep sake' for my PB jack... Ahh well i guess I still have the rod and reel...

I would say that the jig head would be about as heavy as you could find in the round ball head style in the Squidgie range of jig's, furthermore the head look like a Taipan shape head so maybe google that, I do remember seeing it on the net b4 somewhere as I found it myself lol.. ;-)


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## odgers (Sep 30, 2010)

what time of day you guys all catching your jack, im finding nothing in the days getting all my jack on livies at night!! just wanna hear how people are targeting em this year


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## Slazmo (Oct 18, 2010)

ahh the first Jack I pulled out of a local canal at about 1630pm and the latest PB Jack I pulled out of a dirty little creek at about 1000am... I dont believe that you catch more of any fish at any particular time... Ok Bass and quiet a few others are more responsive to techniques at some times, but if they are there and they are hungry 'cast away'...


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## w2252 (Oct 23, 2010)

It has more to do with tides then time, but fish definately bite alot more freely early morning/night


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

get some of those Yo-Zuri crystal minnow or the Daiwa T.D Minnow great on jacks


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

RackRaider said:


> get some of those Yo-Zuri crystal minnow or the Daiwa T.D Minnow great on jacks


I've got a T.D minnow but was planning on using it somewhere nice and open and snagless like the weedbeds at donnybrook. I think I'd get a bit nervous chucking a $20 lure into a snag with big red angry toothy fish but if worst comes to worst and summer is almost out I think I'll send him in a snag to investigate :lol:


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## Slazmo (Oct 18, 2010)

ha ha its a cracker when people judge a lures worth by dollars when chasing fish like Trev's and Jacks... You would be just as likely to catch one on a $3 sprog or Berkley cheapie, just like as to a Squidgie... Keep the high price lures for bream etc...


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

I use either paddletailed plastics or timber deep divers about 4" long for my jacks for the most part. Interestingly, the last 4 jacks this season have all fallen to 2" bream hardbodies or paddletails.....


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

i caught a 46.5 cm jack to the fork with a trolled popper
i cast out for a bream in the snags but was drifting quite close to the timber so paddled out a bit and within paddleing the yak 4m i was hooked up
using a bushy stiffy popper in rack attack colour for those interested.


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Slazmo said:


> ha ha its a cracker when people judge a lures worth by dollars when chasing fish like Trev's and Jacks... You would be just as likely to catch one on a $3 sprog or Berkley cheapie, just like as to a Squidgie... Keep the high price lures for bream etc...


Oh I totally agree with you there slazmo. My favourite lure at the moment is a kokoda sprog. Its caught most of my fish lately. And because its a cheapie I'd have no hesitation casting it into a snag :lol:


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

Try some of the Berkley frenzy's good action, very cheap $1.90 on special but recomend upgrading the hardware because the hooks and rings are about as strong as al-foil


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## Randell (Oct 12, 2010)

I got a lure box full of Mann Stretch divers for $49.95, 10 lures i think.
I just beefed up my Banax BMG 603 baitcaster to 35lb line, possibly for some sea fishing..............
Anyway got this fish at Kawana, landbased .
4 kg, 59cm to fork, , It was 60cm actual size....
Won the Tackle World Kawana fish of the month, $50.00 voucher.
So i got heaps of soft plastics and jigheads, as I'm new to that type of fishing..
randell
http://WWW.TACKLEWORLDKAWANA.COM.AU


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