single jig hook armed soft plastics. These have
worked quite well on species such as dusky
f lathead and jewfish for many years. The new
generation of soft plastic vibes are ideally
suited to deep-water estuary fishing for a
number of reasons, including the fish-
attracting vibrations they produce, fast sink
rate and excellent situation awareness if the
lure is fouled by weed or detritus. They also
cast well so you can cover water more
effectively. All the major tackle companies
have released soft plastic vibe lures in recent
times. Those I’ve used or seen in action
include the Samaki Vibelicious, River2Sea
Flexi Babe, River2Sea Fish Candy, Atomic
Semi Hardz Vibe, Thready Buster and
Spanyid Sniper Vibe. These treble armed lures
provide a much improved hook up rate on
dusky f lathead when compared to the
traditional single hook soft plastic.
When pursuing f lathead I generally use a
minimum of 15lb f luorocarbon leader to
provide abrasion resistance in case I hook a
sizeable f lattie or jew. I still seem to pick up
plenty of bream, tailor and Australian
salmon as bycatch. Gel spun lines are the
preferred option with this style of lure
fishing; the limited stretch ensures you feel
even the most timid of bites or when your
lure gets weeded up.
Metal vibe or blade type lures are another
fantastic deep-water estuary option, especially
when chasing bream. When fished in
conjunction with a light f luorocarbon leader
they seem to attract pretty well everything that
swims including whiting, leatherjackets, pike,
dusky f lathead, jewfish, tailor, salmon and
squid. They’re a great option in windy
conditions due to their fast sink rate. Those
that I’ve used personally with good results
include the Samaki Battle Blade and Ecogear
ZX series. Be warned that when using vibe
lures on light f luorocarbon leaders whilst
targeting bream, there’s always a chance of
hooking a big f lathead or jewfish. Go easy if
this occurs and good luck!
I’m also a big fan of using scents or
attractants on both soft plastic and metal vibe
lures. My personal favourite has been
Shimano’s S Factor although I’m keen to give
the Spike-It Garlic Scent a go as I’ve heard
plenty of good reports about it.
The only real downside I have found with
the treble armed vibe style lures is that they can
be a bit prone to getting fouled or snagged up
in weedy or rocky conditions. If this becomes a
problem I usually just make a lure change to
one of the single jig hook armed soft plastics
such as a Shimano Squidgy Fish or Berkeley
Gulp Jerk Shad.Trolling
One of the most underutilised deep-water
estuary techniques is trolling hard-bodied
minnows around fish-holding structure.
Hard-bodied lures that get down more thanESTUARY SPORTFISHING
ACT BOX
L AKE MACQUARIE HOT SPOTS
HERE are a few locations I can recommend
if you fancy trying your hand at deep water
lure fishing:
Pulbah Island – Some of the deepest water in
Lake Macquarie surrounds this island nature
reserve and it’s very popular with anglers
chasing bream, flathead and jewfish. Has been
the scene of a number of reported great white
shark sightings over the past 12 months.
Swansea Channel Drop-Over – Very popular
location that regularly produces good catches
of whiting, bream, flathead and jewfish.
Yellow tail kingfish to 15kg were landed there
last summer and cobia have been also been
caught at this hot spot.
“The Trench” – A man-made services trench
across the bot tom of the lake between
Cardiff Point and Dewey Point. Extremely
popular with jewfish fanatics, it also
produces good flathead and squire.
Wangi Wangi Point – This prominent feature
bisects the lake and is surrounded by deep
water. Very popular with jewfish and
flathead anglers using both lures and bait.
Coal Point – Popular deep water location
directly across the lake from the Swansea
Channel Drop-Over. Produces good catches
of bream, flathead, jewfish and tailor.F
Lake MacquarieSydneyfishingworld.com.au | February 2015 | 37ne of the most underutilised deep-water estuary
techniques is trolling hard-bodied minnows around
fish-holding structure.”
O
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