Frigates = Frustration

[monch]

Spending time at my local wharf i have seen frigates on a few occasions but have never been able to catch one. They usually seem to be doing laps around a set route or 2 and chase poddy mullet and other small baitfish into the shallows. i have thrown all types of lures at them and all seem to get rejected. 2 & 3 inch soft plastics, 3-7g small metals, small poppers, sx-40's....i've run out of ideas.

Also, since they seem to always be chasing poddies, do they actually eat them? i have not actually seen them catch any poddies yet, are they just playing around, chasing them for fun? I have not been able to get any live poddies to offer to them yet, should i bother trying? Are there any other baits that i can use to entice them?

[hottyscotty]

just keep at it, i reckon they are the fussiest lure takers. they're teasers, you see them follow your lure to the last mm of retrieval and turn away

[abiasin]

Spending time at my local wharf i have seen frigates on a few occasions but have never been able to catch one. They usually seem to be doing laps around a set route or 2 and chase poddy mullet and other small baitfish into the shallows. i have thrown all types of lures at them and all seem to get rejected. 2 & 3 inch soft plastics, 3-7g small metals, small poppers, sx-40's....i've run out of ideas.

Also, since they seem to always be chasing poddies, do they actually eat them? i have not actually seen them catch any poddies yet, are they just playing around, chasing them for fun? I have not been able to get any live poddies to offer to them yet, should i bother trying? Are there any other baits that i can use to entice them?

throw a bait jig out man and spin that back in. hould hook up a couple.

[SimJ]

use the smallest metal lure u can buy, cast as far as u can and retrieve as hard as u can(without the lure leaving the water).

Chees,

Simmo

[fishy]

White barrel and single hook. Simple and deadly. Works on oz salmon, kings, mac's,tailor,stripie's and bonito. The retrieve needs to be at light speed.

[slinkymalinky]

Try a 2" Powerbait Micro power minnow (clear) on a Squidgy resin head. Just cast it into the path of the fish and either fish it dead or twitch it slowly... doesn't work all the time but often seems to get a result when nothing else will.

Cheers, Slinky

[A.dawg]

Hav a go at getting the poddies keep a poddy out on a float and keep casting lures out with another rod. I like the 4g White River2sea seda rock Metals Kills frigates n bonnies

[orca]

Best Bait

Lure: Slice, Slugs

Tackle

Link: 3kg main line.

Hook: No. 8 - 4 Treble for lures.

Rig: Light spinning gear.

Hints

Rapidly retrieved lures encourage strikes.

Try a white painted barrel sinker as the lure.

hope you get some.

[TunaSickle]

Mate had the same problem one day. Went through about 30 lures over an hour period. Thought they would leave but managed to work them out in the end. They would only take a 10 gram raider on 10pound braid. Reel fairly fast! You'll find when you get them and look in the stomach they are full of white bait!

Ash

[WANNAFISH]

Last time I was catch these, I was catching it on my big metal slug but I had my Small Popper to tease it and chuck the slug after it.

[andrew399]

hey mate, try the 7g river to sea metals. they are pretty good and cast fairly well for a light lure. Also if that doesnt work you can bet a saltwater fly (small) and fish it behind a bubble float. They are the ones you fill up with water that are a clear plastic.

[Bill S]

White 1" single tail grubs work for me, burned back. The faster the better. Don't try and let them catch it, you couldn't wind fast enough to outrun them.

Cheers Bill

[small fry]

You can always try a casper clear powerbait in 3 inch with 1/12 to 1/8 ounce jighead. The jighead size gets it down to a decent depth and the sp is a good match to whitebait. If you need to get it deeper just put on a heavier jighead and try and have a net handy. lost a couple really close to the wharf.