There is some great fishing potential in the waters off Mackay. There are areas off the coast where big schools of fish tend to gather, but the trick is finding them! And to help us with that, we hooked up with Jason Kidd from Inshore Fishing Mackay.
The man is a gun… Jason knows his fish and this region of North Queensland like the back of his hand. So much so, he gave up his job to pursue life as a guide full-time.
From in the creek, you’ve got your live baiting, soft plastics and hard bodies, to getting out wider and throwing micro jigs around… the options are simply endless, and Jason is your man for both.
A couple of tips for micro jigging — once you’ve done your big cast, be mindful that the fish do hit it on on the drop — so be ready to go. In terms of gear, you don’t need anything massive or big, for this style of fishing its just your light spin gear and a nice tapered rod.
On this particular day, we got whacked by a Fingermark in just a few minutes using this technique — but we missed him in the net. Though that didn’t stop us from trying.
Jason likes to spot lock onto the position, throw a long way up into the current, and then work it back. Using this technique, he was also fish on in just a few minutes. And yep, you better believe it, Fingermark number two. Though they do say all good things come in threes!
Moments later we were on with our third Fingermark, and this fella came home with us — later cooked up by the chef at Mantra Mackay. Now if you do find yourself in the region, this place is where you’ll want to base yourself. It has suites that allow you to be self-sufficient and get a good night’s sleep after a day on the water! Trust us, you will need it.
As for the gear, check out BCF instore and online. If you’re in Mackay, be sure to head in and see the team, they’ll get you sorted for your next offshore trip… and hopefully you too will land a Fingermark, or three.
