Jewfish ?

[Mutch22]

so for a while now I have been exploring around the harbour( I am landbased ) and I have come across a nice bay which is really deep it has a lot of rocky structure then drops off,  I have been putting in a lot of effort catching  yakkas and carting them down there, and I have caught squid at this spot but not consistently, I've been putting a lot of effort in with my rigging and bait presentation which I'm pretty happy with!  So I haven't had any hits on live yakka, but had some big runs and got busted off and a couple of missed hook ups on fresh squid and yakka fillets , although I have caught a few port Jackson,  some rays and tonight eels absolutely destroyed all my fresh  squid which was quite frustrating.

so my point is basically I have read forums ssying if your catching eels sharks and rays  they are Jew bycatch so I'm wondering if I should keep being very persistent with this spot or go look for another spot! If there are any experienced Jew anglers willing to give me abit of advice if I'm heading in the right direction? I can't wait to get my first one it's so addictive chasing them but frustrating at the same time! 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated ✌️

[mrsswordfisherman]

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

Mutch see the link above.

There have been many many discussions on Jewfish. Have you done a search in fishraider? Don’t forget to check our Articles section too

Good luck with it. 

[Mutch22]

Ok I'll have a read thanks heaps!

[Omally]

But definitely on the right track 

[Mutch22]

Thanks mate I really hope so ?

[mii11x]

Mate your trying everything by yourself, spending the time catching yellowtail and squid and trying over and over and over.  While it hasnt (at the moment) got you onto your first mulloway, your learning so much every trip.  If you went elsewhere, you would always think "what if i tried my spot tonight instead of being here." 

Keep at it mate, the reward might be a day a way, it might be a year, hell it might not even be legal size, but at the end of your first capture of mulloway you'll come away with more than just a fish.

My hat goes off to you for doing and learning for yourself.   Keep at it man, you'll get what you want and then some.  In the mean time, read my post.  Still to this day id say 80% of my fishing revolves around mulloway fishing, whether that be specifically hunting them with plastics/bait or gathering live bait and squid for trips planned.  I love it, the sleepless nights, tired workdays that usually follow, i dont care because i love the way i feel after i catch one - any size.  Seeing them swim away is an even better feeling.

One more thing, keep a diary, record everything, even the times you caught nothing - a pattern does exist for every system.  

 

[Mutch22]

Hey mate thank you, that has given me abit more hope and motivation!  I'm proper hooked real bad I have to go back to work tommorrow my holidays just finished I'm spewing I just want to chase Jew everyday ? I can imagine it really will feel more then just catching the first one with all the work and preparation involved I will be absolutely wrapped if that even comes close hahah! I will definitely start keeping a diary of it all I can definitely tell there is a method to all of it hopefully it all aligns and my missus might not think I'm that crazy hahahah!

Cheers for that and top post by the way hope you crack that metre one on a plastic ?

[humesy]

Good on you for having a good crack. Your story sounds a lot like mine. I must have spent 40 nights over a year+ fishing a spot like the one you described and never got a jew there. One night, a childhood memory came to me. The older guys up the road lugging a bloody big jew from the spot we used to fish for bream and flatties as 10 year olds. I decided to give it a crack and that first night, bagged 2 jew, and by god I was happy about it.

The moral of the story is to fish a spot you know has produced jew and fish it for 10 times minimum across the different tides. All the better if it has produced jews recently. As a novice, it could be a long shot to be able to catch a jew based on your own read of the spot. Keep notes. Maybe use the bait from the spot you have at your new spot, especially if it is fresh squid.

The short cut is to get a mentor and fish with them.

Good luck. It's a long, fascinating learning journey but very rewarding when you have have done the hard yards.

[mrsswordfisherman]

I just have to throw in my two cents worth here.

I have watched over many years all the same posts about this elusive jewfish. Many people get very obsessed with catching one. I watched swordie go fishing for them.

It was never my idea of fun sitting out all night waiting for this fish! Over the last year of so swordie has been taking various friends and members to an area and consistently getting them a jewie so I thought I would go (just once) and try my luck.

We had been there at the crack of dawn in the freezing cold for about an hour and I am on!!! I caught my first and probably last jewie. Do a search on swordfisherman and read all the reports and go to that place. If I can catch one anyone can!!!! Here is a link to my first one

 

 

[Mutch22]

Hey guys thanks for the replies much appreciated! 

Humesy I have read about Jew catches at this spot but haven't heard of anything recently but definitely will persist, I think I will try and spin up some tailor give that a go that's one good bait I haven't tried yet! But when the day comes it will be very rewarding! Yes a mentor would be great but cracking this pattern done by myself will be even greater, but I wouldn't knock it back aha! 

Thanks mrsswordfisherman  that's a great Jew and the first  I will definitely have a suss  on the reports thanks heaps ?

[mii11x]

23 hours ago, Mutch22 said:

Hey mate thank you, that has given me abit more hope and motivation!  I'm proper hooked real bad I have to go back to work tommorrow my holidays just finished I'm spewing I just want to chase Jew everyday ? I can imagine it really will feel more then just catching the first one with all the work and preparation involved I will be absolutely wrapped if that even comes close hahah! I will definitely start keeping a diary of it all I can definitely tell there is a method to all of it hopefully it all aligns and my missus might not think I'm that crazy hahahah!

Cheers for that and top post by the way hope you crack that metre one on a plastic ?

I will crack that SP metre mulloway.....im determined to!!!!!  

As Humesy mentioned, fish at a spot that has produced before.  There is plenty of literature available to buy that tells you what you can catch and where for most systems.....sydney harbour being no different.  Check if your spot says mulloway on one of the maps.  If it doesnt, then maybe try elsewhere.  Thats not to say that they wont be there, but as a beginner you want to fish at known spots really.  

Also, as a beginner, do what you have read.  ie find structure - pylons, rock walls with access to deep water.  Drop offs are another great area to fish.  Fish the tide changes(slack water period) to begin with, maybe 2 hours either side.  Remember what you have read about mulloway, generally speaking they hole up and venture out when the tide slackens. I'll ask a question of you now.  If there is more water ie high tide, do you think you'll find predatory fish easier?  

Read between the lines of the question i just asked of you....feel free to pm me your answer if your a bit embarrassed to answer on the page here.  Dont be embarrassed though, i guarantee more stupid questions have been asked on these forums.  Here is a hint though - when do most people who casually just throw a line in hoping for the fish of a lifetime fish?  you wanna try the opposite to that.  Ive had little success when fishing in crowds.  These days, even if i drive all the way from campbelltown to cronulla to catch bait and then head to one of my spots and people are there, i dump the livies in the river and drive home

Yes you could cheat and get someone to take you - well not cheating really, but you probably wont feel as though youve done it all yourself.  Im a believer of trying your own thing.  Not once did i ask anyone whats the best bait, whats the best spot etc etc.  I first found a bridge in the georges river i could target them landbased - and i began my journey using plastics.  After catching about a dozen of legals(back then it was 45cm) biggest during that period was 68cm, i started learning how to gather bait - squid and yakkas and then fished the same spot time and time again.  It produced results with my biggest being 86cm from that same spot.  That was probably over a 6 -12 month period.  Happy with my efforts and captures, I then applied my novice theories to other bridges, then to other structure, then to other systems.  

Dont let work deter you mate, fish hard, dont sleep lol, go to work and then fish again lol.

Feel free to pm any other questions.  Im happy to help those who have been putting in effort themselves and trying for themself

Edited January 15, 2018 by mii11x

[Mutch22]

I really appreciate this Mii11x champion !  

you know what I completely forgot my mum bought me a book of the harbour and a few other systems of different spots and what you can expect to catch  she got it a year or two ago that just reminded me hahah!

yeah I definately want to do it by myself it will be  hell of a reward! 

I have been focusing on the a couple each hours  of the tide but I have been focusing on each side of the  high tide, I'm definately going to give  to opposite a good dig! Thanks mate I might go out this week after the big swell has calmed down and stirred things up! 

Yeah I know this spot doesn't get a whole lot of people on the rocks where I go tho it does get a few ISO fisherman there sometimes fishing for bream and trevs!  

I've been sussing some cheap kayaks out and whack a fish finder to cruise around and suss some drop offs close to land and go squidding! I really want my first one to be on land just for the fact that your already against the odds of landing it!

Thanks for your time mate if I do get stuck with anything I will flick you a pm cheers bud!