Black Jewfish are commonly caught in northern waters of Australia and a big specimen is a bucket list fish for most anglers. They can be caught in a range of different habitats from the top of an estuary to the mouth, headlands and offshore wrecks and reefs. It's usually best fishing for these fish in the colder months when they begin to school up in large schools.
-
The ideal time to find these fish is in the winter months as they school up and they are usually bigger fish especially when fishing off headlands and wrecks. Focus on planning sessions at night time on the full moon and especially on tide changes.
-
If fishing from a boat make use of your electronics and sound around an area for a while to find exactly where the bait is located. The fish will eventually build up where the bait is.
-
Big Jewfish show up really well on a sounder due to their large size so keep your eyes on it at all times.
-
Don't use the same techniques if you have more than one angler in the boat. Use a number of different techniques to increase your chances of success. Whether you are using an anchor, drifting or have an electric it's definitely a good idea to have a bait out the back of the boat while using lures.
-
There is nothing wrong with using big lures and especially at night time bigger is often better and it does not put these fish off. Make sure to work them very slowly and big vibes slowly jigged under the boat can be very effective.
-
The golden rule when chasing these fish is when there is one there is more. They cannot be released while fishing in depths of more than 8m so limit your catch to what you need.