Doughnuts on the jewies again!!

[Redhunter]

Sounds like you've nearly "earnt" your first real Jewie Nick! Keep at it mate. Your persistence and hard work will eventually pay off, and the knowledge you will gain along the journey will be priceless. I would have put in over a thousand hrs before I caught my 1st, but was then catching nearly a Jew a trip (not soapies either).
If you want to enhance your chances of success, then you must pay attention to detail, and persist, persist, and persist some more. Fish the one spot every time until you learn it. There could be fish eyeing off your baits, but simply not hungry. You may then assume you've found a dud spot and fish somewhere else next time. Big mistake.
Another thing is to actually fish for them. You need to focus. Forget about other species during your sesh. If bait fishing, the most important tip is to ensure it is as fresh as possible, and you can't get any fresher than live bait. If you wouldn't eat it, why should they? The baits shouldn't be too small either, unless you're only interested in soapies, pinkies, and Bream. A live salmon from size to 30cms is one of the better baits IMO, and all the small crap tend to leave them alone. A salmon kicks harder than a mullet, and sends more distress signals through the water than a mullet does. This works as a type of attractant/burley, without actually adding anything to the water as such. Live squid work great too.
Fishing nights during a full moon has seen plenty of success for me in the past.
Do the miles and you will get the smiles.
Good luck!

[addicted2plastics]

Nick your doing all the right things but it's sounds like they just don't wana play the same game as u.. My biggest jewie was 50lb out of the barwon river on my 2nd trip on them but I was lucky enough to be schooled by probably one of the best and we'll known mulloway fishermen the great man Geoff Wilson himself and that's why I guess I was lucky enough to get my trophy fish that now hangs on the wall in the pool room.. Another thing to try is fish near a well lit up area where there is a shadow on the water as the bait fish will sit in the light and the jews will sit in the shadows stalking the bait, Geoff somehow knew where the fish would be at what stage of the tide, like in the barwon they move up and down the river with the tides and the bigger fish always seemed hang near the bridge in the shadows so we anchored up bout15-20m off the bridge and feed our livies back so they sat right on the shadow line and we got many fish that way,, he also said that a jewie doesn't always hit a bait coz its hungry they will hit them just to kill it as they can be Teritoral so we always ran a stinger hook trailing behind the bait

[addicted2plastics]

He also showed me a different way to fish them a boy was it hard work as back then we didn't have an electric motor so we use to row the tinny trawling our livies up and down the river zig zaging over the sand bars and though the holes and drop offs, so if you have an electric motor try dragging some baits.. Also listen for them they make a weird grunting sound sometimes an your boat acts Like a speaker in the water and amplifies their grunt, the first time I herd it I said to Geoff it sounds like there's a Koala somewhere and he said their close get ready a rod may go off and not a second after he said that my rod started dancing as my livey was crapping himself and then wack my rod buckled over and 20mins later had a 40lbr laying on the deck, this method I have also used at Nelson and it works a treat,, just stick at it and u will receive great rewards,.. My brother like u had spent 3season and iced 200hrs b4 he got his first, so u could imagine the look on his face when I hook a 50lbr on my second trip... Lol... Let's just said there was some not very nice words said... Lol... Good luck mate and I hope that all your efforts pay off sooner rather than later...

[kaotay]

He also showed me a different way to fish them a boy was it hard work as back then we didn't have an electric motor so we use to row the tinny trawling our livies up and down the river zig zaging over the sand bars and though the holes and drop offs, so if you have an electric motor try dragging some baits.. Also listen for them they make a weird grunting sound sometimes an your boat acts Like a speaker in the water and amplifies their grunt, the first time I herd it I said to Geoff it sounds like there's a Koala somewhere and he said their close get ready a rod may go off and not a second after he said that my rod started dancing as my livey was crapping himself and then wack my rod buckled over and 20mins later had a 40lbr laying on the deck, this method I have also used at Nelson and it works a treat,, just stick at it and u will receive great rewards,.. My brother like u had spent 3season and iced 200hrs b4 he got his first, so u could imagine the look on his face when I hook a 50lbr on my second trip... Lol... Let's just said there was some not very nice words said... Lol... Good luck mate and I hope that all your efforts pay off sooner rather than later...

A2P, after your post I think Nick will be living on the water chasing his elusive Jewie. Did I meet you a couple of weeks ago in Williamstown?

[nickb123]

You're going to find it gets a lot tougher as the water warms up. There are still a few around in the Yarra throughout the summer months, but not in any great numbers. The positive side is, the ones that are around are usually 85cm plus...!

Docklands is probably your best bet. Of a night you can see the baitfish milling around on the surface, and then all of a sudden they'll bust up, a sure sign it's a Jewie under them. Obviously they aren't feeding on the bottom. You should throw out a lightly weighted livey under a float, which puts a bait right where they're feeding. Personally, I find the best method is to use soft plastics (6" squidgy fish or similar) on a 1/4 oz jighead and work it around the bait schools. This also allows you to be mobile and move around the whole Docks area chasing bait schools.

I use a 6'8", 2 to 5 kilo rod, Daiwa Sol 2500 spooled with 10lb braid and 12lb leader. This may sound under-gunned, but I've landed way more than I've lost on this rig. Most off the losses have been due to rubbing on pylons. You also need to fish as light as possible so that your lure works effectively, and can strike at that tell-tale bump of a Jewie just before he spits your lure out.

I hope this helps, but as you already know, you wont catch one without having your rod in the water.

Cheers, Greggo.

Yeah i've used 5-6 inch plastics on them plenty of times, took a mates makocraft down the yarra last year got one hook up under one of the bridges but wasn't on for more than 20 secs, then had another hook up in the nong walking the banks about a week after that, which again spat the plastic and it was over before it began……. i've sunk livies, floated livies and let them free swim and still nothing

[addicted2plastics]

Hi kaotay Na mate it wasn't me I've never fished up that way..

[addicted2plastics]

Nick they do have a really tough mouth so make sure ya using good quality jig heads or hooks so u can really drive them in coz if u don't lay into the hook up they'll just shake them as fast as they smashed ya bait or plastic,,, like I said in 1 of my posts try dragging some livies if u have an electric if not it can be hard work but get out those oars its 1 way I've caught some really good fish and we'll worth the effort.. A2P

[nickb123]

Nick they do have a really tough mouth so make sure ya using good quality jig heads or hooks so u can really drive them in coz if u don't lay into the hook up they'll just shake them as fast as they smashed ya bait or plastic,,, like I said in 1 of my posts try dragging some livies if u have an electric if not it can be hard work but get out those oars its 1 way I've caught some really good fish and we'll worth the effort.. A2P

I always use good quality jig heads mate, i have to since i fish a lot with plastics for snapper lol. I haven't got one on my boat but my mate does thats how we cruised up the yarra last time with the electric, oh and thanks for all your advice mate, they really are an elusive fish to snag and every little bit of information helps

[complete-anglerz-12]

i feel your pain put some good hours into them also for doughnuts

[addicted2plastics]

Anytime mate that's what we are on here for to share our stories and give advice,, keep putting in the effort mate and all those long cold nights/days will pay off and once you land ya first you'll find that the second will come alot easier,, if ya haven't got one by next season maybe come down geelong way and we might get you into a barwon ghost, coz it sounds like you've put in a few hrs..