Jewie cycle

[IRMC000]

What is the Jew Fish's cycle over the year:
Eg.
Around ........(month) they are moving back out to ...........
In ....... (month) they move blah, blah.
Where do they go?
What do they do
Where are they when?
Thanks

[Angla]

It might be best to go to your local Bait shop at the area you wish to target these species and ask for their local knowledge on these questions.

Chris

[Mangfish]

no one knows

[petelaska]

bla bla bla google bla bla bla

[nigelr]

..........and those that do won't tell ya'!
Basically, out from the rivers with the sea mullet, back into the rivers around X'mas time.
Who knows about those fish found at sea instead of close inshore, or when they breed, or where they spawn.
Certainly one of those fish that 'are where you find them'.
Where I live near Coffs Harbour, we are into our 3rd or 4th poor season in a row.
Whether the jew will return to their former numbers no-one knows.
Why it should be this way is the subject of several theories, from hydrological changes to the river due to siltation, to learned behaviour after being targetted by beach haul netters over the past few years.
Interesting topic IRC, will watch this thread with interest.
Cheers.

[webby]

In this part of the world, jew are at their best in winter, generally corresponding with times of low rainfall and often clear water.
With the hours either side of top and bottom the best times.
If the water is dirty they tend to make mistakes that they never make when they can see properly.
When everything down there can see everything else, jew are harder to catch.
Each area works different in different conditions.
Jew are a reasonable fighting fish, but they certainly arent particulary tough, a 18kg jew takes about 15min on 15kg tackle, they tend to tire fairly quickly.
They seldom cut you off, as they dont go boring for the bottom and their teeth are made to hold rather then cut, so there fairly good on leaders.
Their mouth works by sucking a few litres of water, plus the bait, straight to the crushing plates at the back of their mouth.
I have examined a lot of jew guts, and 98% of fish in their guts have been taken head first. So what does that say Heaps.
So if your bait is going to be swallowed head first , the further down the throat your hooks can get the more chances you have, so the first hook should be in the nose.
Now the problem comes when they feel the line restraint, the reason as soon as i feel my bait giving out terror ommissions, i hold the rod, and about a metre of line in the hand, on the first suspicion of a take, i release the line, the aim is to get the bait down further before the strike and make sure he's swimming away from you.
Most instance when the rod is left in the holder, with the ratchet on, he spits the bait.
Jew are a great eating fish, and they come in big packages, so if you have one in the boat, call it a night.
regards

[Jackinthebox]

Schoolies are around most of the year, bar entrances, rock walls, headlands.

They are often very spooky fish and unless they are hungry & slam a bait, you will always miss them if you don't feed them a bit of line when they first come at your bait. It can be the subtlest touch, & if you think there's something there, feed 'em a little bit of line ! If you haven't had the slack taken up after a minute or so, wind in a bit & sometimes they are just "there".

I don't subscribe to the "2nd run " theory that a lot of people go on about. It's more likely that the jew has had a go at your bait and dropped it cause you kept the tension on the line and is now coming back for a second go.

And if you are off the rocks and fishing in close(which is where you should be fishing), keep your bloody lights off the water, you won't see any jew in the water!!!!


Cheers,
Mick

[Rumrunner2]

Who knows about those fish found at sea instead of close inshore, or when they breed, or where they spawn.
Cheers.

I've spent quite a few years breeding and growing jewies in aquaculture, although they behave quite differently in captivity there are a number of biological traits that are universal.

Jewies spawn in open water fairly close inshore in the peak of summer when water temps are around 22-24. As with many fish they tend to go off the chew immediately before spawning. They do however feed very actively leading up to spawning when their energy requirements are increased to provide for egg production. I reckon the best time to be targeting Jewies is when water temps are on the rise in mid to late spring and early summer. Thats not to say they won't be around at other times but this is when feeding activity peaks, they spook less easily and therefore are more likely to take a bait

Cheers

[JRJR]

I've spent quite a few years breeding and growing jewies in aquaculture, although they behave quite differently in captivity there are a number of biological traits that are universal.

Jewies spawn in open water fairly close inshore in the peak of summer when water temps are around 22-24. As with many fish they tend to go off the chew immediately before spawning. They do however feed very actively leading up to spawning when their energy requirements are increased to provide for egg production. I reckon the best time to be targeting Jewies is when water temps are on the rise in mid to late spring and early summer. Thats not to say they won't be around at other times but this is when feeding activity peaks, they spook less easily and therefore are more likely to take a bait

Cheers

But doesn't that contradict the 'Jew are best to fish for in Winter' theory?

[baitmaster]

hey

i agree with angla they'll know

baitmaster