Queenfish lures

[HeadBanger]

Fished a spot yesterday with large amounts of queenfish busting up through bait schools. I got follows on a couple of little diving minnows and plastics, but could not manage a hook up. My matre hooked up on a small Zman plastics, but dropped it soon after. What is the best lure and retrieve to get these queenfish to not just follow the lure, but to hook up as well. I have caught them on gulps before, but not consistently.Cheers,Kaidon

[HeadBanger]

Forgot to mention, these are lesser queenfish, between 40-60cm, not the big 1m+ silver bullets from up North.Cheers,Kaidon

[Damned67]

I've neither targeted nor caught queenfish, so my comments are somewhat worthless. However, if they're actively following the lures, I'd assume you're on the right track re: lures and that it's your retrieve that might need to change? Faster or slower than whatever you were doing....

Best o' luck

[HeadBanger]

Thanks mate.I tried a few different retrieves, everything from super quick, to slow rolls and lots of pauses. I mainly got the follows on the hardbodies, and I'm heading back down today to the same spot today, so I'll start with them. May throw around some small 20g sllugs as well, as I have heard they go for them. I'll post up a report if I get into them.Cheers,Kaidon

[MackerelMan]

Try some spoons, may have to try different sizes to find what they like. Fast retrieve and the eratic the flutter thebetter.

[Coodgee]

poppers maybe?

[frankgrimes]

I've got them on the goldie(small models) on slugs (10-20gm)

Good luck....there a lot of fun!

Mick

[wags on the water]

Keep an eye on the boards as Scotto caught an xos Queeny today in (I'd presume) Hervey Bay. You might just like to pm him for some info.

[Stik-ugly]

I have picked them up on bubble pops,so give them a whirl.

[chaspion01]

Poppers for sure! They smash em. Slugs, 20gm. you may want to let them sink a bit before you retrieve depending on the depth they are holding. If they are feeding then poppers are the way to go. Always works for me regardless of colour etc, Queenies, tailor, trevs.....they all smack em. Good bloops through the water will do, no hefty retrieve

[HeadBanger]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll be heading to BCF tomorrow to pick up a bubblepop 65 or two. About to head out now armed with some slugs and plastics.Cheers,Kaidon

[HeadBanger]

Headed down today for the same result...5 or 6 queenfish doing circles in the area, with all of them coming straight up to the lure, then just completely backing off, making huge bow waves on the surface. My mate ended up hooking up on an XR8, and I had a small run on a Berkley Frenzy and dropping it as well. The frustration! Fished for about 2 hours before they went off the bite completely. I'll work them out eventually haha.Cheers,Kaidon

[chaspion01]

Write back after your popper session...............

[bennykenny]

those little queenies love the clear poppers aswell Kaidon, but make sure you use a good leader otherwise youll go through them pretty quickly they have good teeth, got any of those Trevs down there latley?

[HeadBanger]

I caught a 40cm big eye about a month ago, but that's been the only trev I've caught down there for a while. I saw three BIG ones, which were easily 60cm+ swimming around, but they wouldn't even look at the lures I was throwing haha. Have you been down lately?Cheers,Kaidon

[bennykenny]

yeah was down there before christmas, same story they wernt interested in the lures but i saw some brutes smashing up some herring, had 1 hit on the popper that smashed me didnt see what it was though, bit through 14lbs leader in about half a second, so i was thinking maybe one of those barracuda, caught a few there before they are nasty.

[ejackulate]

Gday headbanger,
Mate up here chasing small queenies the best thing i have found is maribou jigs (red head white feathers)cast out to shallow structure and crack the braid like a whip the louder and harder the better.They get hammered every time if there is a school working the area.Thats what i would try anyway mate + they are a cheap lure as well

Cheers Rob

[leeroy1]

3" clear flick baits on a 1/24 or 1/40th head retreived across the surface almost like a popper.
Caught a fair few with this method as well as trevs but generally the smaller big eye's.
Hardest part is staying connected.