Leather Jackets

[deano2233]

at some of the spots ive been going to latley i have just been losing tackle without even feeling a bite, a mate of mine and i have a couple of theories either there are oysters on the rocks and we get jagged on them and they cut us off?? not likley especially since its been a few spots. or as someone suggested to us that there are leather jackets in plague proportions out there? could it be that the jackets have been stealing my bait hooks and all?? or maybe biting my fluro beads and hence breaking the line? if so i think its time for some revenge, i heard leather jackets are good eating (well my old man thinks so anyway). so i was just wondering if anyone catches leather jackets are there any special tactics to employ maybe a metal trace? smaller hook? different bait? small bait large bait? im at a bit of a loss cause i thought i would have luckily caught one on my normal bream set up.

[michaelrdoyle@gmail.com]

Leather Jackets can be a real shocker. When in plague proportions, they will bite on anything they see - including beads, swivels, and coloured line. Which may explain why you're losing gear.

And yes - they taste great (at least the bigger ones do). I reckon one of the best tasting fish. Gut, Skin, de-head them. Wrap in Aluminium foil with a bit of butter and lemon and cook (don't overcook). Either BBQ, hot plate, or even oven. The flesh just peels off the bones - yum yum yum.

How to best catch them? I'm not an expert - but long shank small sized hooks are a good start. I'm not sure if I would go a metal trace, or just go a totally clean, clear nylon line with no trace, beads or swivels, and a running sinker (which would go all the way to the hook).

Mike

[deano2233]

Leather Jackets can be a real shocker. When in plague proportions, they will bite on anything they see - including beads, swivels, and coloured line. Which may explain why you're losing gear.

And yes - they taste great (at least the bigger ones do). I reckon one of the best tasting fish. Gut, Skin, de-head them. Wrap in Aluminium foil with a bit of butter and lemon and cook (don't overcook). Either BBQ, hot plate, or even oven. The flesh just peels off the bones - yum yum yum.

How to best catch them? I'm not an expert - but long shank small sized hooks are a good start. I'm not sure if I would go a metal trace, or just go a totally clean, clear nylon line with no trace, beads or swivels, and a running sinker (which would go all the way to the hook).

Mike

thanks mike you have given me something to think about there and ill definitely give it a try. hopefully i get myself a thumper i heard they are getting up to 55cm. is a metal trace not a good idea because itr will deter the fish???

thanks again

[Slaka]

A mate and I were in the harbour on Sunday ang plague proportions does not accurately sum up the amount of leatheries around. We were throwing weighted sluggos at the markers, letting them sink for about 5 seconds them ripping them straight back up. Every time there was basically nothing left!

[daleyboy]

A mate and I were in the harbour on Sunday ang plague proportions does not accurately sum up the amount of leatheries around. We were throwing weighted sluggos at the markers, letting them sink for about 5 seconds them ripping them straight back up. Every time there was basically nothing left!

Yea i done that a few times ... its really fun when the plastics cost a few bucks each grrrr

To catch em keep ur rig simple, i prefer a two hook paternoster run straight off the mainline, using size 8-10 long shank hooks.

Dont use swivels (esp brass/gold ones) as they will eat them ... literally ... and when they do u lose two hooks and a sinker everytime

Also if ur planning to catch them for a feed, use a net to land them as quite often you will only lip hook them and they will get off as soon as u try to lift them out of the water

Edited May 5, 2009 by daleyboy

[snapR]

Yea i done that a few times ... its really fun when the plastics cost a few bucks each grrrr

To catch em keep ur rig simple, i prefer a two hook paternoster run straight off the mainline, using size 8-10 long shank hooks.

Dont use swivels (esp brass/gold ones) as they will eat them ... literally ... and when they do u lose two hooks and a sinker everytime

Also if ur planning to catch them for a feed, use a net to land them as quite often you will only lip hook them and they will get off as soon as u try to lift them out of the water

I agree Daleyboy,

Long shanks do the trick and avoid the swivels, used black coloured swivels if needed and enjoy them..they're tasty

[Moro Mou]

Agree small long shank hooks are the go. If you have to use a sinker keep it as light as possible and run directly down to the hook. If i can get away with out using sinkers i find hook up rates are better. Peeled prawn and squid are my preferred baits. Very tasty and good for kids as bones are big and easy to remove.

[zephi]

Yea i done that a few times ... its really fun when the plastics cost a few bucks each grrrr

To catch em keep ur rig simple, i prefer a two hook paternoster run straight off the mainline, using size 8-10 long shank hooks.

Dont use swivels (esp brass/gold ones) as they will eat them ... literally ... and when they do u lose two hooks and a sinker everytime

Also if ur planning to catch them for a feed, use a net to land them as quite often you will only lip hook them and they will get off as soon as u try to lift them out of the water

thanks for sharing the info about the lip hook part, and require a landing net.

[michaelrdoyle@gmail.com]

is a metal trace not a good idea because itr will deter the fish???

I'm not sure anything will deter those things! But I think it may distract them from the hook - they end up biting the trace and swivel rather then where you want them to bite.

Mike

[aussie big bob]

at some of the spots ive been going to latley i have just been losing tackle without even feeling a bite, a mate of mine and i have a couple of theories either there are oysters on the rocks and we get jagged on them and they cut us off?? not likley especially since its been a few spots. or as someone suggested to us that there are leather jackets in plague proportions out there? could it be that the jackets have been stealing my bait hooks and all?? or maybe biting my fluro beads and hence breaking the line? if so i think its time for some revenge, i heard leather jackets are good eating (well my old man thinks so anyway). so i was just wondering if anyone catches leather jackets are there any special tactics to employ maybe a metal trace? smaller hook? different bait? small bait large bait? im at a bit of a loss cause i thought i would have luckily caught one on my normal bream set up.

5star

I dont do much land base but i only every use one type of rig on the boat which i do believe could be used on land base fishing.

The rig came ito pratice when i lost 17 rigs in one day from what i call the (australian pirhana) leather jackets.

My rig was made so that i was still able to target the fish i was after. The rig starts with a lenght of 60lb nylon coated wire approx half the lenght of the rod. I use a swivle to attached to the main line, at the other end i use another swivle. I use a piece of mono (your choice of breaking strain ) to attach the sinker but before you attach the sinker put some of the green coil stuff that game fishos use to protect the line.

To attach the hook use a penn 1.6 crimp swivle. This should be crimped on the wire no more that half way up the wire. From this swivle you can attach the hook with either more wire or mono. If the jackets are that bad and you want a feed of them then use wire to the hook but if you want to still try for ather table fish that maybe shy of the wire use mono this way if the jackets are there you only lose the hook.

I have been using this type for some time now and even when the jackets are thick i would get three to four full days out of one rig before it was that tiwsted i had too replace it . And the only bit that had to be replaced was from the penn crimp swivle to the hook.

The reason for the mono to the sinker is so you have a breakaway just in case you sinker gets stuck.

The reason for the lenght of wire and the swivle no higher than half way is so when you retrive your line you have enough wire to grab and not the line.

This also helps when you get those bits of bait that run up the line. I believe that in most bite of any where beyond the hook is cause by bits of scrap bait and cent form touching the line.

I have put a photo on of the leather jacket that was caugh on one of my rigs while every one else was being bitten off. You just cant convince some people on the all wire or main wire mono hook.

If you need better photo let me know

Cheers

Bob

Edited May 5, 2009 by aussie big bob

[zephi]

I wouldn't recommend you using wire trace, unless you are fishing in spots where snags are rare....

But fishing without snags, land based, there aren't many big fish about.

Well if there are THAT many in the areas you are fishing, why not try targeting them and see what they are.

There's only 2 real main culprits, puffers and leatheries.

Using thinner lines works well, use light tackle for them, small long shank hooks.. size 4-10. You can go no swivel if you are afraid of them seeing it.

Just uni-uni knot some leader line directly to your main line, thread a small sinker and tie a dead knot to it, preventing it from sliding up and down. Then attach your hook. It's just like the running ball sinker rig, except its not running, plus you save on using a swivel. It's not strong for fishing large fish, but for leatheries, that should do the trick.

Hope it works for you, as it works for me.

[A.dawg]

A very fine trace coated with eaither yellow or red nylon so that a long shank hook is no needed. I Find hooking em up on a long shank hook is very had i like using blackfish hooks since they are small but the eye is very big making it easier to tie my wire trace

They are some off the best eating fish around

[jamesds]

I've had no problem with tackle loss when I have used a small long shank hook and a decent size of bait.

(disclaimer: I'm not talking about BIG leatheries that you'll come across on a boat, more the 30-40cm ones you sometimes come across landbased, which can still be pretty darn annoying).

Basically, make sure that the bait is the most prominent thing so use a decent-ish chunk for a small hook if you know what I mean. I've never used wire trace, even though I have some in tackle box. Somehow they always go for the bait and not the line / sinkers etc.

Actually, another reason might be that I was running only a really, small sinker to the hook and light gear normally used for plastics. 6lb braid + 6lb mono tied with double-uni knot (no swivel).

I'm not sure anything will deter those things! But I think it may distract them from the hook - they end up biting the trace and swivel rather then where you want them to bite.

Mike

[deano2233]

thanks for all the advice raiders, now i have a few things to try out i should be able to put a few on the table. thanks again for the advice it is much appreciated. also i am on a boat (probably should have mentioned it) so ill be tangling with the bigguns. we used to just move spot to get away from them but im targeting them inext time it happens.

cheers

[arthur06]

I simply use a heavy duty long shank hook with squid on bream gear. (a 4' rod with no sinker) and usually no bite offs. Just let it sink and you'll hit all depths as leather jackets are everywhere. however i saw a dude using a 5 metre pole with 6 meters of line and he got about 20 leather jackets plus just as many butter bream/diamond fish so that was pretty cool.