North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

I usually have a 7 inch gulp and a octo gig in the rod holder while bottom bashing especially when I'm targeting Jews.

I have notice in the last 12 months my strike rate on gulps and octo are about 20% sucess when I do manage to hook one.

I alway fish baits and jigs at anchor and most days bait still outperform jigs. But somedays they just hit the jigs.

Nearly all the time the Jewie will be hooked good and I fight him for a good 3-4 minutes then it just goes slack. The gulp or octo jig comes back undamaged.

I put it down to using a 6 kg spin combo and not able to set the hooks properly. The other factor could be that the hooks are on the small side.

Anyone having low success rates ? Love to hear your thoughts

hmm strange, never really had that problem.
sometimes drop a few on the gulps - just like any plastic, there is a lot of leverage for the fish to use against you. Don't get that with the octojigs with the corded singles on them though. these are the size ones im using, think the gulps are on pretty big jig heads, 7/0's maybe

Nathan I use the 7/0 on the gulps but the eBay octo has a tiny (5/0) hook.

To clarify on reef specimen the success rate is really good .This problem Is what i have experienced with the Jewies

ah right jewies, gotcha yeah no idea on that sorry, I can't catch them to save my life on anything

maybe try bigger hooks on then? they got pretty large mouths!

Neaarly all octojigs have tiny hooks on them. They tend to hook in the corner of the mouth.

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I've found the octajigs get cut off by the toothy critters far too often when chasing jews.
Most of the octa jigs I've got now have been smashed so much that there almost useless. So, lately, I've been rigging up circle hooks on a short wire trace and adding a few lumo beads. (just for a bit more insurance, I add a strip of squid)
(they are an expensive lead weight)

I think the rod holder thing is the problem Tran. Fish with rod in hand and jam the bastards.
Having said that I have to say "why jewfish???"

ghound wrote:I think the rod holder thing is the problem Tran. Fish with rod in hand and jam the bastards.
Having said that I have to say "why jewfish???"

Could be mate but I have short attention span ...lifting the half a dozen times without I hit and its back in the rod holder and bend the elbow.

Why jewie....Tell me another species that will make my saltiga sing and my venom bend in half

lemon shark

yep. Got to hold the rod to set hooks properly. Or use a much stiffer rod while in the holder so the weight of the fish set the hooks by it self. I hate flexy rods. My loomis gl2 is short and stiff and sticks most things that hit. Used a lighter rod and hated it.

ghound wrote:I think the rod holder thing is the problem Tran. Fish with rod in hand and jam the bastards.
Having said that I have to say "why jewfish???"

You again

ghound wrote:I think the rod holder thing is the problem Tran. Fish with rod in hand and jam the bastards.
Having said that I have to say "why jewfish???"

I'm with you!
People must like them because they're big, silver and look impressive in photos for their mates down south, because eating them is like chewing on an old gumboot. Only good for curry as they're that chewy the meat holds togeather in the stew. If you want to catch something useless that puts up a fight, go the lemon shark. lemons don't blow there guts and can be returned to ruin someone elses day.
Oh the post! Octo jigs suck.

Jigs work best on the drift, not hard to make your own assist hooks to upsize.
Pickers will destroy gulps especially th squid vicious types, but seem to take bigger fish overall.

Most try to cook jew fillets that are too thick, I split the fillet into a couple of 3/4" thick slices, really hot pan, 1-2 minutes each side.
Adding a knob of butter will give an awesome flavour, just drop it onto the fillet when you turn it.
If you're cooking with butter, put in a dessert spoon of oil first, get it hot, then add the butter,you can get higher heat without the butter burning.

For gumboots...season well with odour-stop, stuff with feet, then stand in running creek till you catch something more edible.

Yeah hard to stick it to em and set the hooks when your using 6'6 light stick Might have to use a heavier stiffer rod.

No argument here about the average taste of Jewie but won't go as far a gum boot

Love the ol lemon shark as well..they go harder when you stick them with your bait knife...

Definitely have to hold and work the rod with the jigs, bait they will just come up and swallow, jewies anyway.

Much more likely to hook them in the lip with the jigs as well, as they don't tend to swallow them so much, but can still get them up if you don't pull too hard, Octo style jigs for me , used drifting as mentioned.

Jewfish aren't too bad on the chew if you look after them and cook them right.

Rather have one of these though