Heath Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 (edited) Hit the water nice & early. The run out tide was making the bar very interesting with a few big boys standing up. Once out, it was flat flat flat. Got to the local and couldn't sound up much. Basically we spent most of the morning scouting around looking for fish. My mate Willo managed a nice Jew and headed of home and we were thinking the same thing. We had one last throw of the dice. We were hardly moving and were floating unweighted baits down when the oldmans baitrunner screams off as I was giving the ol’ SPs a hit. I flicked the lever into gear and the rods loads up nicely. I do what any good son would do & ask the oldman to take care of the stupid SP rod I have in the water while I get down and dirty with the brute on the other end…hehe. After several hellish runs I finally tamed the beast and started to win back some line. After several minutes the other rod takes off and it’s a double hookup. Mitch is left in charge of getting the gaff and landing net ready ( lucky he’s been in training ), but the other rod goes limp…DOH! Finally I could see colour, “JEW” I yell, but wait…. Noooooooo….. it’s not long enough! Holey crap, it’s big I thought. Up it comes from the depths, holey shit it’s RED and it’s BIG! Get the F’n net, G E T T H E Fn N E T !!!!!!. 26lb of gleaming, GLOWING, RED monster Mangrove Jack is swung aboard and it was yahoo’s and high 5’s all round! Picture sort of doesn’t do it justice, but I can tell you, I had trouble getting my hand round the tail wrist! Great Day!!!!! Edited April 25, 2007 by Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothe Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Man that is one hell of a Jack Well done Heath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnno Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 That's one good lookin fish Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Just booked my flight pick me up at 9 am Heath Coolangatta here I come !!!!! Great fish mate Cheers Stewy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkles Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Great fish mate. Looks big even if the photo doesn't do it justice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I've never seen a jack that big, you're on fire mate!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondo Rock Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I didn't even know that Jacks grew that large! Are you sure it's a mangrove jack and not something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Hey Heath, I agree, that's a monster Jack. I didn't think they got that big either. Well done mate. Cheers Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR@ZY OS@M@ Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 top stuff there heath. one hell of a jack there dude. im reading your reports with envy,i wanna b e out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laredo Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 (edited) Is it definitely a jack ? IF so thats the biggest I've ever seen a photo of. massive. Edited April 26, 2007 by Laredo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkles Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I just read that they can grow to 1.2metres. So that can't be far off. Very impressive fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ophet Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Massive Jack, Awesome !!! Those things hit and fight hard too, so I can imagine that one gave you one hell of a fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heath Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 (edited) Any suggestions on what it is if not a jack? Nah, it sure is a jack boys. Only other fish that looks the sort of same is called a "Red Bass", these however have a very distinct deep groove between the eye and nostril and are not found this far south. They also have a bad habit of carrying Ciguaratera. Some info on the ol' Mangrove Jack.... includes info about habitat etc... CLICK HERE Edited April 27, 2007 by Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothe Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 seen one a few years back at a co-op near our correspondent awesome it was bright red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingpig Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Jacks grow very big. They just do not get caught that much when they do. The ones you usually see on TV are small fish resident in the mangroves or on estuary rock bars. When they start to reach maturity they move out into deeper water reef country. You hook the big ones but they usually get you back on the reef before you can get them up. I have a friend that lived in Weipa and he has caugth some big ones up there. Not quite the same size as this one but. This is a classic fish by the way. Well done. Cheers Kingpig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laredo Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 This is a classic fish by the way. Well done. you said it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heath Posted April 28, 2007 Author Share Posted April 28, 2007 Thanks for the comments fellas, I'll be mounting his jaws & will post a pic when complete. IF they come up anything like the snapper ones I have done, they should come up trumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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