Come Summer time off the Sunny Coast, pelagic fish show up school upon school. So when targeting species such as Mackerel and Tuna, below are a few tips we can offer.
Look for the birds
Birds are your eyes when it comes to Pelagic fishing in the bay or close to shore. The birds will often spot the bait schools before you do, and where there’s bait, there is bound to be fish harassing them to the surface. So, trust the birds.
Invest in a variety of slugs
There’s nothing worse than finding a beautiful big bait school and not being able to buy a fish, let alone catch one! The key here is to ‘match the hatch’. This means finding a lure profile that matches the bait fish in the school you are targeting. BCF sell a wide variety of metal slugs that will all do the damage on these fish. The key is to grab a few different sizes and weights, that way if a smaller lure isn’t working, you’ll have a bigger one to switch to.
Work the markers
If the bait ball bite does go quiet in the bay, your next best bet is to work the shipping channel markers. They provide an excellent spot for bait to congregate on, and given the current that normally pumps around them, the pelagic action is normally fair. Equally bait balls are renowned for showing up just off Mooloolaba, a good tip for the Sunshine Coast folk among us.
If you’re new to the game, go with a guide
There are a number of good guides who work both Moreton Bay and the reaches of the Sunshine Coast, but one of the most renowned and well respected is Smithy’s Fishing Charters. Rob Smith has been fishing the Sunshine Coast for decades, and still loves it! He has experience as both a skipper, big game fisherman as well as being the go to winter snapper man off Mooloolaba. Give him a bell of you are keen to broaden your skills.
Pelagics are mad fun. Fast, normally good eating and even more fun on the light gear. So head in to your local BCF, ask the team in store what you need to tackle the warmer water pelagic bite, and go get them! You’ll love it, trust us.
