jacks

[westy1]

Hi all
Its my first post and i probably wont get much of a gong for this BUT ,i have been fishing for jacks around brisvegas and the goldy for a lot of years now and caught more than my fair share on lures and fly and without exception all have been released ,so it saddens me greatly when i flick thru the posts and the news and see so many jacks killed .
i dont have statistics but i do know its getting a bit more difficult to find these fantastic brawlers nowdays compared to 10-15 years ago and would appeal to the community to think twice before putting it in the bag,i know they really are a great eating fish as i go to hinchinbrook each year to do battle and generally keep 1or 2 up there, but down here the pressure is so much greater on their stocks, so can i just appeal on their behalf.
just 1 more cast

[jackash]

Well i can't really comment on this as i havent nailed my first keeper. And yes while a few do get kept for the table, i believe a majority of people on this site do release their jacks. Especially in more recent times as the issue of pressure on fish stocks has come to the fore, and more people have come to respect these fish for the great fight they put up, i think the majority of jacks captured are released. Just me 2 bobs worth. I'm sure more experienced fellas will put in their word.
Cheers
Jackash

[DazSamFishing]

Too right westy...

But the Red Devil isn't the only fish under pressure these days!

Daz

[jackextracter]

It is a shame to see people keep them especially when me and you and alot of other guys release almost every jack i my self have never kept one before and i have caught my fare share also in the end it just comes down to atleast you know your doing the right thing for fish stocks and a great fighting fish.

[candogu]

Well I don't have a problem with people taking a fish or 2 for the table,, be a jack or some other fish and I can't see the differences form taking a jack from down here or hinchinbrook, other then it's not your back yard.. I would bet the jack fish was better 10 or 15 years ago at hinchinbrook as well.. O' and I do C&R most of the fish i catch.....
that's my 2c and welcome to ausfish ;)


popcorn any1 ;D :D


Noel

[sandbankmagnet]

I've caught undersized jacks but yet to nail a keeper. To be honest, I'll keep the first keeper to see what they taste like as they get big wraps.

Not sure after that, but I'm a big believer in if you're not going to eat it fresh, let it go. Mind you, that also depends on how often you get to fish. Just speaking personally.

[Poodroo]

I used to work in the aquarium industry and I know that you can buy captive bred Jacks for the aquarium. They were readily available at the time. I also know that there were some restocking programs in force at the time and probably still are with thousands of fingerlings being introduced every year. These crafty buggers which I have still not managed to bag are probably far from being endangered because they aren't that easy to catch. The posts we see on here of people actually managing to score and keep a good table fish or two are most likely to be a minority group compared to the countless diehards like me who have come close but not caught one. I think there are far more gullable species we need to think of like the humble cod for example which can be released and while sinking back down to his home can turn around and get himself hooked again. Yes this happened to me, I caught the same fish three times and kept letting it go. My thought was "These fish are suckers" #:D

Poodroo

P.S. Welcome to Ausfish

[Kiktz]

Couldn't agree with yo more westy, I have been releasing jacks.
Dont do this with all species but with Jacks I do.

[NeilD]

Just don't forget the high mortality rate of many species released :'(. Someone who specifically targets Jacks and is regularly C&R them is actually killing a lot more than the punter who kills one or two for the table :-?.
Each to their own but be careful about pointing the finger at someone who posts about knocking one on the head. The only way to ensure you don;t kill them is don't fish for them ;)

Neil

[keen_as_mustard]

Neil,

That is a good point, but the mortality rate changes depending on the style of fishing. When fishing with lures, most fish are hooked in the mouth/lip and this gives them a much better chance of survival than a gut hooked fish (which can happen more often when fishing with bait). I remember reading a few studies done on this subject with Flathead and the mortality rate was surprising low (around 5% from memory).

If you go to any of the Bream comps that employ the large tank to hold all the fish, you will note very few fish die whilst in that tank. This year in the Flathead Classic we caught more Flathead than in the previous 12 years - yet this species is under more fishing pressure than ever before. This is another "easy" fish to catch on lures, yet their numbers seem to be increasing.

If people want to protect the species, please attend the meetings on Inshore Finfish and have your say on changing size and bag limits (http://www.nuggetfishing.com.au/articles/inshorefinfishtimetable.pdf). Some of the size limits we currently have do not even give the fish a chance to breed (ie. Jacks and Estuary Cod), while others have ridiculous or none existant bag limits (Bream and Jack).

Just my opinion, and yes I too release all Jacks I catch.

Marty

[aussiefool]

For me I do not target Jacks on a regular basis, maybe 2 times a year I'll go out at night to try for them. Although I have nailed a few off the rocks at Hastings over the last few years while fishing for jews with lures. Sorry but if I get one then it's into the frying pan. If this upset anyone to bad as I and my wife like to eat jacks, but 3 in 3 years is not going to have a great inpact on the fish stocks.

As for catch and release I personally think that the mortality rate maybe higher than most people think. I don't eat Bream, Flathead or whiting so as a rule I don't fish for them aswhen I did a lot were gut hooked and therefore reducing the survival rate after release.

[aussiefool]

Just want to add, if your into C&R great .... more power to you makes you feel all warm a fuzzy. Just don't come down on people who do keep any fish for a feed. It is YOUR choice to C&R just as it is MYchoice to keep a feed. as long as none of the current bag limites were broken.

[Dodgy_Back]

I keep about half the Jacks I catch because they have a good size fillet for the kids.

If there is a problem with Jack populations there should be a bag limit or a longer length.

As long as theres not I'll keep taking the odd one home.

Mick

[Pitsta]

Well said Aussie I'm with you .I've never caught a Jack & would probably eat it if i did , But I never catch enough fish to freeze . So im only getting a feed for the wife & kids & enjoying the R&R not the C&R . I cant see the point in targeting a fish , catching it, then releasing it & then telling everone else to do the same . I mean , that would be like spending thousands a year on lotto then winning it just to give it back ??????

:-/ ::) :-? :-[ :-/

Mark

[chicken]

Welcome to ausfish. Have never caught one but would keep one if it was a nice pan size one to have a taste. From what I see by the reports they are not caught in great numbers at any one time so keeping one every now and then can"t be doing too much damage. Just my opinion.
Cheers.

[Smailesy]

nothing wrong with keeping fish as long as they are legal size and you dont go over the bag limit. I let alot of my fish go but i do keep a few and i have kept jack(i have only caught one) they are tasty

[Why-ting]

I dont even eat fish but i find my way out in the boat 2-3 times a week in summer,depending on weather. Also spending a small fortune on fishing gear. I treat it as a sport, not a food gathering session. 99.9% of my fish are released only take one for the old girl when im in the mood to clean it. Probably half of my fishimg in summer is for jacks and they are all put back unless they take the lure deep and i dont think they will survive. I think we should look at a 40cm minimum size limit for jacks to let them breed at least once before a meat locker gets it.

I dont care if people take a feed but please

LIMIT YOUR KILL. DONT KILL YOUR LIMIT.

Cheers Nick

[aussie_stu]

I think we should look at a 40cm minimum size limit for jacks to let them breed at least once before a meat locker gets it.


I believe this is how minimum sizes are decided on, it's not just a number out of the hat, each fishes min size is determined that by the time they reach it they have reached sexual maturity and spawned ATLEAST once, possibly twice.

I have kept a few jacks for sure as they are great eating, most of my fishing ventures are actually for food for the family, but as such I have also imposed my own boat size limits, eg we don't keep any bream under 27 cos I feel there's not enough on them for a feed.

[Matthias]

Interesting subject.

Everyone goes on and on about letting the big female flathead go but applaude those who bring in the big reef jacks (breeders). I know what I'd rather catch.

The problem with putting a value upon 1 type of fish is that you must realise that the whole ecosystem is important from the tiny plankton to the mighty jack. To put more value on one part of a foodweb brings an unbalanced energy flow through the ecosystem....but saying that the damage that we've done has already altered the equatic environment eg. foodchains etc.
Maybe the reduction in jack stocks is due to habitat degradation and other environmental damage rather than overfishing. Most prob a combination of both.

Pete.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

A big fan of C&R especially jacks - hate it when I have to keep one.

"Someone who specifically targets Jacks and is regularly C&R them is actually killing a lot more than the punter who kills one or two for the table"
What a load of frog crap. Obviously reading different research data to me????
Many who target jacks on a regular basis return to the same spots and catch the same fish - great thing that tag data.

[manangatang]

i dont know how many of you remember ,mr plastic , putting up posts about a year ago but this sounds very much like he has risen again, hey jack extractor ! ohh mr plastic was banned, just my hunch regards mick.

[Dogbream]

Mick your just going on about nothing there mate. Mr plastic wasnt jackextractor and all the stuff jackextractor said he backed up with his reports, all the fish he said he caught ive seen pics of, and a few have been posted on here in the reports section, so your points are invalid mate.

I like to see all jacks around south east queensland released. But if one is that badly hooked that death will follow if released, it is probably best kept for the table.

Cheers,
The Dog'

[jackextracter]

i dont know how many of you remember ,mr plastic , putting up posts about a year ago but this sounds very much like he has risen again, hey jack extractor ! ohh mr plastic was banned, just my hunch regards mick.
I dont know who mr plastic is and i told yous that like a year ago mate you need to get a life just because you dont catch and release dose not mean you need to start crap up again if you dont have any thing to say about the (topic) dont right anything.

[jackextracter]

Mick your just going on about nothing there mate. Mr plastic wasnt jackextractor and all the stuff jackextractor said he backed up with his reports, all the fish he said he caught ive seen pics of, and a few have been posted on here in the reports section, so your points are invalid mate.

I like to see all jacks around south east queensland released. But if one is that badly hooked that death will follow if released, it is probably best kept for the table.

Cheers,
The Dog'
And thanks again Dogbream

[manangatang]

hey jack extract how come dog bream knows all the details of what happened a 1 year ago, and to defend you knowing every little detail about mr plastic, hes only been a member 5 mths could it possibly be because your one and the same !

[jackextracter]

NO mate two different people again

[Matty_M]

Couldn't agree with you more Westy. All Jacks i catch go straight back in the drink. That way they can get the chance to re-populate our River systems. As they are definitely susceptible to overfishing, and are getting hammered in recent times.

Matt

[Dogbream]

Fair go mick, im not jackextractor mate, get it right.
We're here speaking about jacks, not something that happened a year ago ;) cheers
the dog'

[westy1]

"i dont know how many of you remember ,mr plastic , putting up posts about a year ago but this sounds very much like he has risen again, hey jack extractor ! ohh mr plastic was banned, just my hunch regards mick."

sorry ,not me just a simple jack fanatic that hates seeing dead jacks


"Just don't forget the high mortality rate of many species released cry. Someone who specifically targets Jacks and is regularly C&R them is actually killing a lot more than the punter who kills one or two for the table Huh.
Each to their own but be careful about pointing the finger at someone who posts about knocking one on the head. The only way to ensure you don;t kill them is don't fish for them Wink "

now this may be true for bait fisho's gut hooking fish but for lure or fly, lipping a fish is hardly a mortal wound particularly when you use only barbless hooks

im not trying to stir the pot too much here just pleading for their preservation-------ohh and yes i believe there is a difference between here (major city brisbane gold coast) and the hinchinbrook area and its all to do with people ,there arn't many in F. N.Q but there are lots down here , i can still go to the same creek 15 years later in h'brook and find jacks lining up to bash a fly but i have a hard time here simply cause they get hammered .
Unfortunatly, the people that read this forum are generally the educated ones that understand , but the masses to whom this really needs to be addressed couldnt give a rats proverbial





just one more cast

[Wilson]

You have to able to enjoy the spoils of victory sometimes. If this means taking a few jacks out the system to feed the tribe, then so be it. As long as no bag limits and sizes are broken i'll sleep at night!

[Matthias]

Wilson mate there are no bag limits for jacks in QLD.

I think there should be a max size limit so that the big breeders get a chance.

If anyone is interested in some really good info on jack behaviour (movements, reproduction, etc) then go to thins site and download the report. It is quite interesting. http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/far/9229.html

Pete.

[JasonT]

I'd have to call myself a C&R fisherman, as mostly that's what I do.
However, I will keep the odd fish, and occasionally fish just to stock the freezer.
I agree that Mangrove Jack are a bit of a treasure, and i would like to think most people who target them love them and as a result are pretty passionate about them and preserving their stocks.

Having said that, it will not stop me from keeping my first legal one for the table!
I have always heard how good they are on the plate, and intend to verify that for myself!

After that one, it will be C&R with the odd exception same as usual!


:-)

JT