How to stop being bricked by BIG Jew ???

[Tony_N]

On the last three outings my mate and I have caught a few jewfish. We are able to handle fish up to about 11.5 kgs - but when they get bigger we get done over every time by being pulled over reef. The leader is cut not bitten. Knots and line all OK

Is it other peoples experience that Jews outside tend to want to get back down to their cave?

I use 15 kg fireline to a 40 lb flurocarbon leader on a Shimano Charter Special and a 10-15 kg uglystik. I have a strike drag of 4kg and with this setting I can (with a bit of work with my thumb) keep the smaller fish off the bottom.

A gun fisherman in this area has said to me that he just lets them run until they tire themselves out, rather than putting much drag on them at all. I get done over so often (lost 7 big fish in 3 outings) when they go down that I'm emotionally unable to let them run - and anyway whilst the drag on the CS is pretty good (same as the TLD20) - to adjust it low enough when you are onto a fish would mean that you would be flirting with actually freespooling which would be ugly.

The obvious solution is to go up in breaking strain and I have been considering 50lb braid - but it means a heavier rod and reel and this would reduce the pleasure of fishing for snapper (squire) trag pearlies etc.

So I suppose I'm asking for advice from those who might fish relatively light and have caught big jew either as target or as bycatch as to whether they have a strategy that works. I s'pose the answer will be that I have to work out whether I'm going to target these big fish and tackle up accordingly and that there is no such thing as a multipurpose outfit


My fish yesterday was a brute that had my (light for a 10-15) ugly stik almost double and I've been lying awake all night trying to think how I might have done it better.

The other thing that kept me awake is that there are now a few fish out there that have 6 or 8 oz sinkers hanging off an embedded hook by up to half a metre. I'm concerned that they will get hung up on the reef and just die.

Thanks

Tony

[finga64]

By the sounds of it Tony you weren't bricked, you were besser blocked.
Don't worry to much about the sinkers. The hook should corrode within a short period of time and life for the big fella will be all rosey again if he got himself snagged up.
As you say there is no multi-purpose rod/reel combo that does everything so gear up for whatever your trying to target and if you get a giagnormus bicatch it's all the better for the bragging rights. ie I got this huge 15kg jew on 10kg gear, you beauty sounds better then I dragged this 3kg knobbie up on 50kg gear
I think I'd be like you (only worse) all pepped up and winding my flabby library arms so fast it'll be a blurr and let the drag do it's job.
I'm curious about the advice about pulling up monsters on light gear just incase I get the opportunity to hook something big
Cheers then
Scott

[fish_outta_water]

hiya tony
going heavy is your main option . with regards to the lead dragging around , maybe changing your rig setup?
always hate losing anyfish let alone good sizes ones
what about carring 2 rod setups?
all the best with it
tightlines

[stonecold]

Ahh Tony what a problem to have
I use 50 braid over a live fibre 15-24kg and it does help stopping the bigger fish but sometimes theres just no stopping them if they're already in tight country.
Unfortunately it does detract from catching the trag and snapper but at the end of the day in that situation you need to decide on what you want to do. Is it gunna be squire and trag all day and wonder what to do about getting bricked by that bigger jew.... or conquer that elusive 20kg fish.
I Guess it gets back a little to specialisation. We buy jig sticks for jigging, flick sticks for chasing bream on plastics etc etc etc. I know Muzz gets out the 80lb when the going gets tough.

Cheers Mark

[Tony_N]

Yeah - thanks fellas. I think I already knew the answer and i think if someone else asked it I would give the same sort of advice.

I've caught quite a few Jewfish, but haven't really targeted them. Just recently we've been running into them every outing. They are such a buzz to catch, its tempting to set up for them - but of course Murphy says if I do that I won't even hook up to one.

Has anyone had the balls to just let one run with less than a couple of kgs drag? I mean with less pressure on them do you think its just possible that they mightn't head for the reef?

thanks for your replies

Tony

[stonecold]

Haven't tried it out of the boat yet but did give it a go on the end of the Iluka wall. Result was the same...buggers new exactly were they are going

[Steve_Monckton]

Hi Tony, Smee again, I have found that jew can be steered up to a point and it all comes down to patience and a bit of nerve. Off the rocks it is easy to make a jew change direction but out to sea you don't know what obstacles are on the bottom and sometimes the heavy gear is the only option. I have used 80lb braid at times just for brute force like muzza. I used to get big jew out at the 32fthm mark and they would get hung up down there on whatever it was they swam around. I have found that the more pressure you put on a jew the more they will put their heads down and head for cover, but if you back off and just put enough weight on the line to keep the hook in, they will go back to a normal swimming pattern and slow down. By keeping a constant light pressure on the line slowly pull up and raise the fish off the bottom enough to gradually move it up the water table and the jew will come up with the light pressure, If the jew starts to run again let the pressure off and start the process over.This might not sound that exciting but it does work better than trying to skull drag the fish up to the boat, especially if it is a big fish. Most people panic and HAVE to wind the fish up as quickly as possible which can have an effect on the outcome. cheers, steve.

[Duyz72]

Rabbi has it on the head, all you can do with a big fish on lighter gear is be patient, gently gently steer the fish and hope it all holds together.
Don't be surprised if you end up with a fight which lasts over an hour.
And what a satisfied feeling it would give you afterwards!
"Got this 25kg Jewie on my 10kg gear, it took me 2 hours to bring him in"

Ahhhhhhh that's what fishing is all about my friend !

Had a mate who was off the Wall at Coffs land based at night, was dragged up and down that wall for 2 hours on light gear.
He had a massive crowd looking on, growing by the minute!
Finally a local let him know that he was actually hooked up to the giant kelp which was just changing direction with the swell !

Once you land a fish after an hour long fight, you know you can always do it again and again. First time is the hardest!

[snapperm8]

well i spose u can always just use a hand line the gets em away from the reef pretty fast

[Tony_N]

Great info again Steve and thanks duz and others. You're talking about being subtle and skilled here aren't you? Not yet in my bag of tricks. So much to learn, so little time.

As I said earlier I have already been told to let the drag out a few notches - just don't seem to have the balls on the day. Next time. Yeah I'd rather take the time and get 'em up on the lighter gear. It feels good that I'm putting heavy work onto my knots and gear and that its all holding together. I'll give it a few more trials and if all else fails, I've got a 15-24 Butterworth Grunter and my TLD25 will probably crank up to 7 or 8kgs I think.

Sleepless through the night had me buying a Saltiga overhead Left Hand Drive and a new 15-24kg rod. Cold hard financial reality dampened that one this morning.

thanks all for yur input.

Tony