queensland Mad Mackerel

[tugger]

Went out fishing in the bay yesterday after the Mackie reports got me itching to nail a few. Robbie said he was heading out to but I got out there early and did my own sounding around. I found some fish and anchored up setting the baits it wasn't long before the school mackerel come on the chew.

It was mad fishing at times we had trouble keeping baits in the water. We lost more fish than we landed with the fish snipping us off. We saw the other 2 boats roll up and we chatted amongst ourselves. I found when we burleyed hard we got more fish and the fun followed.

The weather couldn't be better but the fishing slowed as the tide slowed. Once the tide started running again the fish come back on. We caught a couple of Bonito and all up 10 schoolies.

[Drop Bear]

Nice one mate well done. Its been you getting me onto fish for years now. Makes a nice change that I get you onto the fish haha.

They were a lot better when the tide was running last week too. 

Mate your freezer must be chockers at the moment

 

[Old Scaley]

Nice work @tugger. Us leaving must have fired the starting gun for you. No shortage of people out there on the day.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi tugger

Great job on all the mackies and the bonitos. Do you eat the bonnies or do you use them for bait? 

That is a great haul. 

Cheers Hamish  

[tugger]

5 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

Nice one mate well done. Its been you getting me onto fish for years now. Makes a nice change that I get you onto the fish haha.

They were a lot better when the tide was running last week too. 

Mate your freezer must be chockers at the moment

 

Thanks for the tips Robbie haven't had a mackerel fix for a while it was plenty of fun they must get thicker on the bigger tides.

[tugger]

3 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

Nice work @tugger. Us leaving must have fired the starting gun for you. No shortage of people out there on the day.

Yeah you weren't even out of site Steve before a few more mackerel hit the deck thanks for the extra bait worked a treat.

[tugger]

52 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi tugger

Great job on all the mackies and the bonitos. Do you eat the bonnies or do you use them for bait? 

That is a great haul. 

Cheers Hamish  

Thanks Hamish the bonito are great bait I will be taking them up north to 1770 next time I get a chance.

[Hweebe]

Hey @tugger I’m going to head out tomorrow and give it a go. Can I ask what kind of rig setup you found to work best? Ganged, weighted, dead/live bait?

,

[tugger]

2 hours ago, Hweebe said:

Hey @tugger I’m going to head out tomorrow and give it a go. Can I ask what kind of rig setup you found to work best? Ganged, weighted, dead/live bait?

,

We used 4/0 gangs and had 2 kg of good pillies and 2 kg of old pillies we burleyed up.

[Hweebe]

1 minute ago, tugger said:

We used 4/0 gangs and had 2 kg of good pillies and 2 kg of old pillies we burleyed up.

Unweighted I assume. I pulled up an older thread you posted using wire and a single hook. Have you gone away from that rig?

[tugger]

14 minutes ago, Hweebe said:

Unweighted I assume. I pulled up an older thread you posted using wire and a single hook. Have you gone away from that rig?

I had wire rig on 1 rod but got just as many fish on the gangs at the gangs are quicker to rig and get back out. We floated the pillies out and used a small sinker when the tide was the strongest. Take floats with you but mix it up and see what works best have some without float or sinkers. A old mate told me many years ago keep trying different rigs, depths and baits till you find what works. I cut the tail off the pillies at 1 stage and that worked good luck and remember burley up.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey tugger

That is a good tip, thanks for that. I will make sure to keep that in mind if I ever chase mackerel. In fact, I remember reading in one of my fishing books (I believe it was one by Al McGlashan but I can't remember) that when fishing for mackerel you should have on weighted, one unweighted, and one floated out just to mix your offerings.

Cheers Hamish   

[Hweebe]

1 hour ago, tugger said:

I had wire rig on 1 rod but got just as many fish on the gangs at the gangs are quicker to rig and get back out. We floated the pillies out and used a small sinker when the tide was the strongest. Take floats with you but mix it up and see what works best have some without float or sinkers. A old mate told me many years ago keep trying different rigs, depths and baits till you find what works. I cut the tail off the pillies at 1 stage and that worked good luck and remember burley up.

Thanks for tips tugger I think a may need a few more combos setup Ready to go for each scenario. Explains why you are on the fish all the time by working different rig / depth until find the fish

[tugger]

2 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hey tugger

That is a good tip, thanks for that. I will make sure to keep that in mind if I ever chase mackerel. In fact, I remember reading in one of my fishing books (I believe it was one by Al McGlashan but I can't remember) that when fishing for mackerel you should have on weighted, one unweighted, and one floated out just to mix your offerings.

Cheers Hamish   

Yes find where they are feeding in the water column.

[tugger]

1 hour ago, Hweebe said:

Thanks for tips tugger I think a may need a few more combos setup Ready to go for each scenario. Explains why you are on the fish all the time by working different rig / depth until find the fish

Stagger your baits as well have 1 close to the Boat 5m from the back and then another 10m then 15m and 20m. A lot of the time it will be the close couple of baits will be hit as the fish will come in for the burley. Use the floats to get the furtherest ones out and the close ones without floats. If the baits are being picked off on the deep rigs by rubbish fish go all floats.

[Drop Bear]

On 30/05/2020 at 11:33 AM, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi tugger

Great job on all the mackies and the bonitos. Do you eat the bonnies or do you use them for bait? 

That is a great haul. 

Cheers Hamish  

I love bonnies. 

[kmcrosby78]

4 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

I love bonnies. 

Me too - there are really nice pan fried with some cherry tomatoes, olives, lemon and herbs and served on some cous cous, sort of Greek style, yum  

[ellicat]

Best served as a strip bait with a side of circle hooks.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

6 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

I love bonnies. 

 

10 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Best served as a strip bait with a side of circle hooks.

 

2 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Me too - there are really nice pan fried with some cherry tomatoes, olives, lemon and herbs and served on some cous cous, sort of Greek style, yum  

Hi everyone

Looks like there are some mixed opinions on them, but kmcrosby78, that recipe sounds very yummy.  

ellicat, I wonder how they go for bait in general for shark, bream, cod (basically all estuary fish!). 

I guess until I try them though, I probably won't be finding out.  

Cheers Hamish

[ellicat]

38 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

ellicat, I wonder how they go for bait in general for shark, bream, cod (basically all estuary fish!).

Not sure about cod, but everything you mentioned plus snapper and tailor all go for it.

[aussie123]

You can tell who catches stuff all fish around here, they all eat the bait 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

13 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Not sure about cod, but everything you mentioned plus snapper and tailor all go for it.

Hey ellicat

Rightio, I guess it must be a top notch bait. I'd assume you could get cod on it, because they seem to be a bit of an omnivore (well, more so a garbage guts) as I think they eat anything fishy smelling/looking that you get in their hole/snag.  

Cheers Hamish

[tugger]

10 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

I love bonnies. 

I love what bunnies can be turned into 

[tugger]

3 hours ago, aussie123 said:

You can tell who catches stuff all fish around here, they all eat the bait 

We will show them when we take the bonito up north Lance

[tugger]

3 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hey ellicat

Rightio, I guess it must be a top notch bait. I'd assume you could get cod on it, because they seem to be a bit of an omnivore (well, more so a garbage guts) as I think they eat anything fishy smelling/looking that you get in their hole/snag.  

Cheers Hamish

Some of the best bait for just about everything Hamish

[aussie123]

1 minute ago, tugger said:

We will show them when we take the bonito up north Lance

Definitely will Mark, we will convert them to red fish.

[kmcrosby78]

4 hours ago, aussie123 said:

You can tell who catches stuff all fish around here, they all eat the bait 

Rub it in Lance ........ 

[aussie123]

7 minutes ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Rub it in Lance ........ 

Sorry Kelvin, lol

[tugger]

7 hours ago, aussie123 said:

Definitely will Mark, we will convert them to red fish.

You know I love the colour red coming up under the boat