Maybe...........

[Pete62]

Are you fishing the one snag for all of these results Pete?

Are you getting any baits back??

If it is one snag and you are getting that much attention and being busted up on 30lb braid I suspect the majority are not jacks. Jacks often sulk after a heavy workout and soon learn to refuse dangerous offerings, they are not dumb.

Cod are dumb and will repeatedly relearn a danger bait and a pack of sharks will hang around a snag taking morsels and often bolt into the snag in escape.

Sometimes it takes going the other way to get mr jack out of his hole, go light 5-8lb braid and 12lb leader for a test, use a 80mm plastic rather than a live bait and work it a little wider of the snags, a jack will come out readily to a new sound or vibration. Make sure you have no knocks or waveslap on the boat and sneak into position without the use of an anchor. I have nailed plenty of biggish jacks on lighter lines when the heavier lines get buried quickly. Generally the heavier the line, the harder they fight.

I have watched jacks very quickly remove hooks from thier mouths implanting them into the snag as well, especially trebles.

Appreciate your comments, yea i understand what you are saying about stealth and i am pretty aware of the need for it. No, many different snags with the same result. I have had plenty of baits come back that look like they have been sparring with Edward Sissorhands and a few hits that have gone from strike to snagged up.
Yesterday was the first time I have moved to plastics, weedless rigged Squidgy fish, be very keen to do more of it, I think at the right time it would be very effective, specially low light.

I guess I am perplexed because in previous year I had a pretty good strike rate.

Pete

[BR65]

nothing wrong with a big codly mate as by catch

funnily enuf I was playing around with weedless placs this morn, hollow belly splits rigged on a austackle worm hook with small sinker attached for jigging in the jungle

[Bracey]

Sounds like you're going through a stage where I had the same problem with Barra sticking to a lure Pete. I'm sure you'll come up trumps on those Reds soon enough. All of 70cm of Cod is a great bycatch, well done mate.

I take it you're fishing from your boat and not the yak?

Dave

[LostNearBribie]

Back it off Pete, out of the top five jacks I have caught 2 have been on 8lb, 2 on 6lb and one on 3lb fluro. I really do find the harder you fight, the harder they fight.
But that is one of the great things about Jacks, we all have very different experiences and often in the same spots.

[Pete62]

Sounds like you're going through a stage where I had the same problem with Barra sticking to a lure Pete. I'm sure you'll come up trumps on those Reds soon enough. All of 70cm of Cod is a great bycatch, well done mate.

I take it you're fishing from your boat and not the yak?

Dave

Yeah mate, in the boat, should have taken a pic or two, they have some serious fangs, not like Jacks, like rows of tiny teeth, baby shark teeth. It sicked up a half digested fish, smelled really bad, so I chucked it back.

Pete

[004dam]

Back it off Pete, out of the top five jacks I have caught 2 have been on 8lb, 2 on 6lb and one on 3lb fluro. I really do find the harder you fight, the harder they fight.
But that is one of the great things about Jacks, we all have very different experiences and often in the same spots.

I agree 100%, I may of been lucky but my biggest jack went 53cm on 5lb... Unreal fun. hooked a few others on 8lb and they still go hard but they really tend to pull like ship on the 15lb..

[Pete62]

I agree 100%, I may of been lucky but my biggest jack went 53cm on 5lb... Unreal fun. hooked a few others on 8lb and they still go hard but they really tend to pull like ship on the 15lb..

Boys, what sort of country are we taking about here? I fish snags and light gear, gently or not would end in heart ache every time, no disrespect.

Pete

[DEANO68]

Yeah mate, in the boat, should have taken a pic or two, they have some serious fangs, not like Jacks, like rows of tiny teeth, baby shark teeth. It sicked up a half digested fish, smelled really bad, so I chucked it back.

Pete

little sick up.?!!!....70 is a good cod bro, be draggin a good jack outa there soon.....

[Pete62]

little sick up.?!!!....70 is a good cod bro, be draggin a good jack outa there soon.....

Cheer's Bro shoulda gone this arvo, humid and stormy but I was a bit broken after the day in the yard.

Pete

[ActiveAngler]

Pete..if you are getting some of the baits back,You might be able to tell the different fish by the bite marks. The cod will rasp all the way down,with those finer teeth. The jack,in my experience will will hit up around the head,leaving a couple marks with the canine type teeth. Be woth having a look if you are getting them back.