DAIWA FISHING TIPS: JETTY JUNKIES BY ANDREW BADULLOVICH

Kids love fishing, particularly from jetties! The fish that frequent the sanctuary of the jetty structure provide a visual fishery, and quite often the kids will be able to offer their selected target a piece of peeled prawn bait. Fish species likely to be encountered from around the pylons include leatherjackets, bream, luderick, trevally, and swarms of baitfish such as yellowtail.

Even though the majority of these fish will be regularly present, you can attract more to the area with a burley mixture. Burley also enhances a feeding frenzy, and the mixture can consist of anything from diced fish pieces, to mulched bread. Be careful not to use too much burley, as this can have adverse effects.

My kids really like to catch trevally and yellowtail. The trevally fight hard and provide a good meal; however, the small yellowtail are generally “hot favourites” when it comes to fishing from the wharves and jetties. I too like it when my kids catch yellowtail, as it provides me with some really nice bait for future fishing trips. These fish are easy to catch, and all you’ll need is a size 4 long-shank hook and a small split-shot sinker for weight. Small portions of peeled prawn provide dynamite bait, and you’ll only need enough to just cover the gape (bend) of the hook. The rest is easy…watch the yellowtail mouth the bait, then set the hook!

Tackle – my kids have been using a Daiwa combo consisting of a 2-4kg Procaster spin rod (702LFSE) and RZ 2000 reel spooled with 4lb monofilament line. These combos have provided great service to my kids, and they use them for all forms of light tackle fishing from whiting and bream, to trout and bass. These combos are great value for money, and look pretty fancy too 😉