dpac Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 G'day guys, Seems as though I can't get a decent hookup with a jewfish. The past two nights I have had really good takes from my yakka and whiting, but the hook doesn't get caught and I am either left with nothing but hooks, or a massive chunk of the fish missing. I have three rigs out there, All on live yakkas, 1m leader 60lb... 7/0 and a 2/0 stinger. 1m leader 60lb... two 7/0's 1m leader 60lb....single 7/0 I am fishing off a large wharf... Are my hooks to big, or am i doing a few things wrong???? Any help would be great. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickman Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 hey dave,try letting the jew run for about 6 to10 seconds before you set the hooks.jew tend to roll a bait around in there mouth to descale the bait be fore swollowing it.most jew are lost by striking to early.so next time you get hit start counting[trust me not before 6 and 10 if he is traveling in fav,direction] all the best let us all know how you go regards brickman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh88 Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hi Dave, Try placing the hooks in a different part of the yakka, or just with the top hook and let the bottom hook lie along side. It probably wouldn't hurt to downsize to maybe 5/0. As brickman said, give the fish a chance to get it down before striking. Using as smaller livies as you can may help also as there will be a larger surface area of the hook exposed. Try and few different things. Good Luck Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humesy Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hi Dave, The baits coming back with chunks missing would not be jewie takes. Sounds more like large tailor or even squid are chomping on your livies. 7/0 hooks shouldn't be too big. Jewies are fickle in the way they eat. They will just hammer a livie sometimes and provided your rod is secured properly, and you have a decent drag set, you won't even have to strike. At other times, they will run with the bait and spit it. You will know when this has happened as the poor little livie will be in its death throes and will be punctured all over with jewie teeth marks. That is the frustration of fishing for the buggers. There are those who are against them, but circle hooks may be worth a go. The theory is there is no need to strike but the pressure of the line pulls the circle hook into the corner of the fishes mouth as it runs, even though you have not yet "hooked up". It's a personal choice and I don't use them but I can think of fish I have lost that would have probably been landed using a circle. Then again, I might never have hooked up on some I have landed. Its no simple answer I'm afraid but as everyone will tell you, you need to keep putting in the hours. You will catch them and lose them and finally decide for yourself what works best. I'm only 1/2 way there myself. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Are the massive chunks missing from just behind the head?? If it is, it's squid not Jewies taking your livies. Jewgaffer..... any thoughts from Jewie Central??? Cheers, Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolan Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 I had a long night of misery with the same thing happening down Smiths Creek. I ended up going through every livie I had caught until I was down to my last livey yakka that was dead.(I suppose you call them "Deadies") I butterflied him and ran a treble as a stinger and slipt it under the butterflied yakka. 2 minutes later I was on with a small shark.The little bugger had nailed every livey I had with surgical precision. It wasnt till I had the total shits and tried something different that I was able to identify my thief! Cheers, Stumpy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpac Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 (edited) thanks very much guys....... i am going to try the suggestions. Just went to the tackle store and got some trebles, so I might give those ago as well. Thanks for the replies, i'll give it a try tonight. Are the massive chunks missing from just behind the head?? If it is, it's squid not Jewies taking your livies. Jewgaffer..... any thoughts from Jewie Central??? Cheers, Slinky A few times they have just left the head. But last night I had half the head and half the body taken, from a single bite. Just didn't take the hooks. Edited March 12, 2008 by dpac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roosterman Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 (edited) sounds like small sharks or taylor are the culprits there mate..... but as i say you never know with fishing sometimes so always play it like a good fish untill def known to be bitey etc.... i had a jew a while ago that i called for a big squid then when i felt weight he ran me under boat and around mooring,bugger was just playing with bait in mouth as was suggested here... keep putting in the hrs and try different things.... that one i lost was on butterflied taylor and i lost one week before when he ripped side off with no hook in it bet 3rd week in row luck was on my side and i won that round.... you will learn alot from each trip and if you give yourself the best chance you can with tackle/bait/spots then eventually luck will favour you.. hope this helps.... cheers.... steve..... Edited March 12, 2008 by roosterman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 as mentioned above, dont strike too quickly with jews. they like to hold the bait in their mouths first before taking a bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtosea Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 (edited) I would have to disagree with some of the comments here, from my experience i would say use one sharp hook with Livies when fishing off wharves, pinned behind the dorsal fin, as soon as you see a hit or similar, strike, if a fish has picked your bait up why would you not want to strike? Its in its mouth after all? If you are fishing the harbour keep using Yakkas, also the fillets of them work unreal. Set your drag tight. Kamil Edited March 12, 2008 by xtosea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yting Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 I've been having the same trouble but using tailor as bait. As soon as the bugger dies, the pickers eat the guts out. I know this because the other night I got the shits with them and reefed the line. I then proceded to pull in a foul hooked yaka. Work that out, throw out a 30cm talior - pull in a 15cm yellow tail??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roosterman Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 (edited) why would you not want to strike? Its in its mouth after all? . Kamil kamil from my experiance and research the jew lika alot of other predators need to swallow a yakka head first and will ambush the livey so alot of the time he swims off holding yakka till he decides to turn an swallow it... striking early sometimes rips fish outa his mouth and even get the ol jewy split....v-cut in middle of bait.. this not only applies to live yakkas just more so due to there spikes..... predators hunt and attack there prey differently like kings nippin at tails and nudging baitfish then smashing from side... jew at times really play with there food at times and knowing when to strike is the million $ question.. in drag/outa drag/count to 10/strike straight away...all work at times just knowing when is the real trick... just my observations and very debatable topic.... cheers... steve..... Edited March 12, 2008 by roosterman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpac Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 just went then and I obviously had no luck.... not a single strike. 6 yakkas, ended up only using two of them..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtosea Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Steve thats my point exactly if its in its mouth, it is in the place where you want it to be yes? I know they do what you say, but this is only when they are finnicky or think something is not right, out of all the ones i have caught on live bait they see it and smash it! And i have no choice but to be hooked up. Even if its fiddling around with it, if you're hook is sharp and exposed it will grab somewhere in the Jews mouth if you strike. Just have your drag set tight and it will hook up. Kamil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngy555 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 my new boat has a nifty live bait tank in it so i too am spending nights out live baiting, the missus bought me a shimano baitrunner for xmas and that thing is awesome, just work so well for this stuff, not cheap but very useful agree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickman Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 hey kamil ever pulled in a grey lip,i have ,now i count to 6 or 10 if i can wait that long,have not missed a jew hookup for longtime,trust me let it run regards brickman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtosea Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 hey kamil ever pulled in a grey lip,i have ,now i count to 6 or 10 if i can wait that long,have not missed a jew hookup for longtime,trust me let it run regards brickman Whatever works for you champ, my method works extrememly well when i fish for them, out of the few hundred i have got to 32kg in the last 4 years i think i'll stick to my method! Kamil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davemmm Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I dragged a live pike bait back in a couple of weeks ago that was completely devoid of scales and very sickly. I called big squid attack but the decky said no "someone has dropped a scaler overboard that got stuck around the fish" I think my call might have been closer to the mark. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickman Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Whatever works for you champ, my method works extrememly well when i fish for them, out of the few hundred i have got to 32kg in the last 4 years i think i'll stick to my method! Kamil your calling me champ hundreds in four years you must be a legand,thats it i will be not letting them run ever again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewgaffer Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) Are the massive chunks missing from just behind the head?? If it is, it's squid not Jewies taking your livies. Jewgaffer..... any thoughts from Jewie Central??? Cheers, Slinky Hi Dpac Hi Tony. These massive chunks behind the head of a livie are more the symptoms of a big calamari and more like a cuttlefish bite rather than anything else. Jewfish crush the bait. They do not bite pieces out of the bait as such. The bait may break in half etc if a larger jew grabs a bigger bait from the clench of a smaller jew or another competitor etc. When I say clench the bait it's more of a motion of the mouth powered by the jaw prior to preparing to inhale the bait. Edit Because this answers the question from Slinkymalinky to me in short form I've decided that the remainder which is quite lengthy for a post reply, will be best served in a new post on the correct way to handle a jewfish take, which will now follow on in topic form. Cheers jewgaffer Edited March 14, 2008 by jewgaffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtosea Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 (edited) your calling me champ hundreds in four years you must be a legand,thats it i will be not letting them run ever again My friend im not lying to you, i have fished the Hawkesbury and Sydney off the wharves extensively for two years while i got my boat in 2004 and i can honestly say that in those first two years i got at least 200 fish, fishing once a week for those two years except in winter. Those that know me know i did. I love the fish like many others and they intrigued me to the max. They are a beautiful majestic fish one which many try to catch but some never do. I will agree with you that small fish can be caught using say a Baitrunner action but no way with the bigger fish! All the best in your quests. Kamil Edited March 15, 2008 by xtosea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luderick59 Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 hi kamil do you keep the jewels? peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtosea Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 hi kamil do you keep the jewels? peter Na champ, have from some of the bigger ones, biggest was about 3cm in length. I love Jews, they are great fish. Kamil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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