Renowned for their acrobatics, energy and agility, Queenfish are one of the more entertaining pelagic fish to target. Despite being not much good on the chew, Queenies make up for it by entertaining anglers to no end.
They are common in most estuaries up and down the east coast, but they grow BIG the further they get out to sea.
In a recent trip to the Great Barrier Reef, we targeted these awesome fish by patrolling a little drop off, next to a sand cay. The team from Reel Deep Charters put us in the strike zone and it was only a matter of time before Scotty and the team hooked up. What’s more, these were BIG Queenfish. All over the metre mark, just incredible.
The key to catching Queenies is speed. Scott was throwing a sinking stickbait at these drop offs. The theory being, let the lure sit for a second, then wind as quickly as you can to get it back in. The Queenfish see this as a baitfish fleeing and chase it down. They can also be caught on soft plastics, using the exact same technique.
The Lucinda Jetty is also renowned as a Queenie hot spot. This spot is a little deeper than others, so a different technique applies. We recommend tying on a microjig or soft plastic with a heavy (3/4 to an ounce) jighead. This way, the lure gets down to the bottom easier, then the same technique of speed applies. Crank it in, and when a Queenie has a crack at one, hold on!
You can find all the soft plastics, sinking stick baits and jigs you could ever want at your local BCF. They have a literal wall of lures for you to peruse, and as always, if you’re confused, just ask one of the team.
Our epic Barrier Reef adventure was thanks to Troy and the team from Reel Deep Charters. They will tailor you your own ultimate liveaboard fishing experience. From a few nights, all the way up to 10 days. So what are you waiting for? Grab a bunch of mates and book in now!
