Schools Out

[Panther]

Finally got out for a saltwater fish last weekend after months of withdrawal. We headed out for a day off Bribie Island around the rubble grounds and shipping channel markers, in 15 knot winds and a tinnie .

Managed to get amongst the school mackerel using slugs, micro jigs and pilchards. No big ones, best one went about 70cm. We kept 8 between 3 of us but caught about 20.

The jigs and bait were meant for reef species but they were not playing the game.

My mate hooked a long tail tuna on a floating pilchard that we chased for 40 mins or more. Then lost it at the boat as we had no gaff. Apparently the tail wrists are pretty slippery  said the third guy on the boat. A photo would have been good but happy to see it swim away anyway.

I had never eaten schoolies before but they get a big thumbs up. Easy to fillet and de-bone, then there is the reward of tasty firm white flesh!

[kmcrosby78]

Nice work mate - 20 schoolies is a great session!!  Yeah they cook up well and you get a return of flesh off them, not much wastage at all. I've read that if you leave a bit of flesh on the backbone that it cooks up a treat too. Shame about the longie but at least you/they got the thrill of the fight.

[Madmic]

A few fish to keep you busy and a feed, sounds like a great day.Nice one Panther 

[The Mad Hughesy]

good stuff mate. Coming home with a feed is very rewarding

[Luke Landrunner]

Entertainment and a full belly !

[Tybo]

22 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

I've read that if you leave a bit of flesh on the backbone that it cooks up a treat too. 

I generally cut the head and the tail off, and slip the whole mackerel frame into a curry. Slightly simmer for 10-20 minutes, and the backbone can then be removed cleanly, leaving behind any flesh. As you said, not much waste when it comes to mackerel.

[Drop Bear]

Yummo, I am going to try for a few on Wednesday if all goes to plan!  

Any tips on where to go in the middle of the bay? I was thinking the coffee pots of Tanga?

[Panther]

5 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

Yummo, I am going to try for a few on Wednesday if all goes to plan!  

Any tips on where to go in the middle of the bay? I was thinking the coffee pots of Tanga?

@Drop Bear I have only caught them at the very northern tip of the bay (might even be outside Moreton Bay), mostly around the channel markers that line Moreton and Bribie Islands. If you find bait on the pylons then there is a good chance of predators being around. I have never been to the coffee pots so can't comment.

Also caught them last weekend when we were targeting reefies, just sounding for rocky looking bottom because their is a lot of sand out the north bay. We couldn't even manage to sound much bait. Ended up doing large drifts into no particular special spots and every now and then we would pick up one or two more Mackerel. Have to watch for the Marine Zone though!

I generally find bait is more concentrated in the early mornings and evenings and then disperses during daylight hours into smaller schools. Not always but generally. We saw some of the best feeding frenzies early morning when we first arrived - they were easily spooked and we never landed a fish - just one hookup on a small fella that got off just as we saw colour (small mackerel or bonito). Had the same experience near Mud Island earlier this year.

If you manage some schoolies or spotties (or spanish!) in the middle parts of the bay on Wednesday make sure you post some pics and the story.

[Drop Bear]

41 minutes ago, Panther said:

If you manage some schoolies or spotties (or spanish!) in the middle parts of the bay on Wednesday make sure you post some pics and the story.

I will for sure. Thanks for the tips. I plan to just follow the pylons and try and find some bait then try to micro jig and jig them up. 

What leader do you use?

[Panther]

4 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

I will for sure. Thanks for the tips. I plan to just follow the pylons and try and find some bait then try to micro jig and jig them up. 

What leader do you use?

@Drop Bear 14lb on the 12lb spin outfit and 20lb for the 20lb baitcast outfit that doubles for jigging. Rod length of fluorocarbon leader and braid mainline. The schoolies were only small though. I like the sport and increased hookup rate of the lighter outfit. On the weekend the 14/12lb out fished the 20/20lb ten to one. I did have 3 bite offs though. 

[kmcrosby78]

Regarding bite-offs, I'm no expert but have read that in general the faster you're winding the less likely they are to bite you off. Only problem is some days the only way to get a bite is to wind and stop, wind and stop, which leads to bite offs.

Rob, in case you don't know (not sure what mackerel fishing you've done?), if you're bait fishing as well use black swivels instead of gold/shiny as the mackerel will bite these.

I was hoping to try for them at the Measured Mile yesterday but it was too rough - itching for a crack at them!!

[tugger]

8 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Regarding bite-offs, I'm no expert but have read that in general the faster you're winding the less likely they are to bite you off. Only problem is some days the only way to get a bite is to wind and stop, wind and stop, which leads to bite offs.

Rob, in case you don't know (not sure what mackerel fishing you've done?), if you're bait fishing as well use black swivels instead of gold/shiny as the mackerel will bite these.

I was hoping to try for them at the Measured Mile yesterday but it was too rough - itching for a crack at them!!

Definitely wind fast this will reduce bite offs as well as using black swivels like Kelvin has said but if they are thick you will still get bite offs they just get excited and follow their hooked mates around

[benno573]

Another way to prevent bite offs when using floating pillies is to make a set of three ganged hooks (I use gamakatsu as the black seems to help) but only put the pillie on the bottom two, effectively the third hook becomes your bite protection. Rarely get bitten off using this method.

[kmcrosby78]

Thanks @benno573 - learn something new every week ....

[Drop Bear]

15 hours ago, Panther said:

14lb on the 12lb spin outfit and 20lb for the 20lb baitcast outfit that doubles for jigging

Nice thanks.

[Drop Bear]

14 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Rob, in case you don't know (not sure what mackerel fishing you've done?), if you're bait fishing as well use black swivels instead of gold/shiny as the mackerel will bite these.

Thanks for the tip. I had a cracking pre dawn session out off Townsville one morning. A massive school of bait fish had been attracted to the boat overnight. I threw in a pilly on mono and got bitten clean off barely felt a thing. Did this again and same result so I put a steel trace on and for some reason put a sinker on above the trace. This got bitten off. So with just a steel trace attached to the main line and a hook with 3 pillys on it i got 2 very nice Spanish. As soon as there was a glow of pink in the sky the bait fish scattered and took the Spanish with them. The rest of the crew woke to see the tails hanging out of the eski and were cranky that I hadn't woken them. 

[Drop Bear]

3 hours ago, benno573 said:

Another way to prevent bite offs when using floating pillies is to make a set of three ganged hooks

Pro tip. love it