Jackets Bitting Off!

[vemanner]

G'day everyone

Been trying to work out something.

With leatherjackets biting me off a bit lately jigging out wide, I've heard different things about why they do.

The first one is that they see the line (particularily yellow) and bite it off for whatever reason.

The second one is they smell all the fish guts on the line from your hands and bite it because they think its food. That seams much more likely then the first to me, but with people telling me to get rid of my braid because one of the colours is yellow I'm interested to know what you think.

Cheers

[johnno]

I think they are just pests

i tried a fluro carbon leader out wide bottom bashing as they where around

and got bitten off.

they bit every thing i have even had chomps in sinkers

so i was then out of there

They are a pests

[brickman]

yes they are nottttttttttttttttttttttt

you ca'nt help but loose gear to the buggers

berly up and cast the opposit way

tye fish frames to a balloon and let it drift away

but most important bag out 20 each and no size limit

to not loose gear wilst fishing for leatherys try sight fishing if to many mod the bait just lift out off reach

go forth seek and eat gary

[the1murph]

Ahhh... Brickman's favourite sport fishing species!

Just jokin Gary

haha hey loves his jackets

Jack

[vemanner]

Yeah, thats what we tend to do. move if they become a problem... absolute pain though. Last week we must have moved half a dozen times because of them in just a couple of hours.

not sure exxacly but definately dont use fishy hands on line

or shinny swilevs

i have being using 15kg mono inblue and still get bitten throguh

not much u can do really but move around till they aint there

thats what i do anyhow

when i loose 2rigs /hooks/sinkers etc in under 5mins

thats enough for me and i move on for hopefully less jacket areas

[nightstalker]

When we want to fish South West Rocks a little wider on our winter trip and the jackets are around - some days we decide to actually get a few for the plate as they are good eating.

We diligently crimp patenoster rigs on 40lb coated wire and make the whole rig about 3m long. Crimp long shank heavy duty hooks on of about size 1 and away you go.

We've caught snapper, pearl perch and trag on these rigs in amongst the jackets as well so you dont rule out catching anything else.

The rigs are expensive to make but avoid frustration and last for a long time - still get bitten off eventually and the sinkers come up with big teeth scars all over them as well.

Figure were doing our bit to stop the plague if we take home a bag of them.

Dont cut yourself and fall in though - i swear they would eat you alive - if i were a diver i wouldnt go anywhere near the things under water, worse than sharks for sure.

Nightstalker

[brendong]

I had heard jackets have a lot more trouble with Braid over Mono and a mate said he has seen his braid come back with crimps in his braid that look like this.

---------------Z------------------Z-------------O---------------J

(Z= jacket bite mark, O= sinker and J = hook)

But he siad he lost a lot less gear. I suspect the leader may still be an issue though?

Any truth to that rumour?

Edited June 18, 2008 by Poddy Trapper