How to Catch Jewfish
A full moon, calm nights, conditions are perfect and you’re just waiting for that line to take off. We have grown up reading about them, watching videos and scrolling through posts about them. But still, the Jewfish remains elusive. Lucky for all of us, Jewfish fishing (that’s a mouthful) isn’t rocket science. In this article, I’ve combined my top Jewfish fishing tips and my tried and tested process that you can follow. Keep reading to get the best techniques for how to catch Jewfish.
There are 4 key topics you need to focus on when learning how to catch jewfish.
- Where Can I find Jewfish?
- What Gear do I Need to Catch Jewfish?
- When is the Best Time to Catch Jewfish?
- How do I Actually Catch Jewfish?
Let’s dive in!
Where can I find Jewfish?
Ok let’s face it, the location is the part that any beginner to Jewfish fishing will find the most challenging. Many will think they can only be caught in “secret” spots or ones that are hard to access and find.
The truth is, Jewfish are found everywhere in our river systems. Some areas will hold more, some less. What is important is identifying which areas will give you the best odds.
This is a big topic, but I’ll keep it simple: Focus on the mouths of the river systems, as these areas will be more consistent. I have nailed it down to 4 key criteria to meet to find jewfish:
- current
- structure
- baitfish
- depth
Currents that Jewfish Can Be Found In
The current is key for many fish in saltwater fishing, and Jewfish are no different. Tidal flows do a number of things, they move bait around, push water around structures creating eddys, bring in cooler or warmer water, and adjust the water height.
Jewfish can be found in spots that get a good amount of current. So ideally a location within the main river, not hidden out of the main flow. It could get current on both sides of the tide, or just one. Either way, it’s important to keep note of that so you don’t end up there when there’s no flow!
Structures that Jewfish Can Be Found In
This might be an obvious one, but when searching for Jewfish, look for a spot with a good amount of structure. Less obvious is that Jewfish likes a specific type of structure – ones that they can hide within. For example: wrecks, bridge pylons, underwater caves or wharfs.
These fish are the kings of our rivers, but they still need to feel protected. A spot that gives them cover will be somewhere they regularly call home.
Baitfish Availability and Jewfish
Like us, if we have a nice house but no food, survival is going to be a challenge. Jewfish can often be found in areas where they can access a food source like baitfish. This doesn’t mean there are always bait schools or prawns in the area, but it does mean there are areas close by that they can use to ambush prey.
Using a sounder is the easiest way to tell if there is bait around, sometimes they will only appear at a certain stage of the tide. Each spot is a bit different, so it’s worth taking note of this.
Water Depth to Find Jewfish
Good Jewfish spots need to be at a minimum depth of around 8m. Any shallower and they risk being exposed and they won’t feel safe. I have caught them up to depths of around 50m deep when fishing offshore!
But, as always, there is an exception to this, some spots (especially at night) can be used by Jewfish to feed and they may move into shallow water to do this. They don’t typically stay in these areas so they move in, feed and then get out.
If we put everything together, to get the best chances of finding and catching Jewfish, find a spot with current, a nice big piece of structure, a minimum of 8m of water depth, and a nearby bait source and you have won half the battle! Next let’s look at what gear to use.
The sounder I’m currently using is a HDS 12 Pro. If you want to see the exact settings I use for different conditions, you can download a free Settings Cheat Sheet here. Settings sorted? I’ve also got a super comprehensive Sounder Course available now which HEAPS of anglers have already taken and loved.
What Gear Do I Need to Catch Jewfish?
With all of the Jewfish rigs, Jewfish lures, hooks and bait available, it can get overwhelming. Let’s talk about the tools we need to set you up to catch Jewfish.
What is the Best Rig for Catching Jewfish?
When choosing gear, it helps to know how Jewfish fight when hooked. In our estuaries you are likely to encounter Jewfish from 30cm long, up to (and hopefully) 120cm long. Jewfish are fairly clean fighters, that means when you hook up they don’t typically try to run back into the structure. More often they will take long runs away from it.
There will be instances where you get busted off, but I find that’s more so just a bit of luck from the Jewfish and the direction it ran – more of an “accidental bust off” than their intentional or usual behaviour.
What Rod Do I Need for Catching Jewfish?
With that in mind, let’s start with the rod for catching Jewfish.
I like to use both Spinning and Baitcast outfits depending on the type of lure I’m using. Spin gear is ideal for catching Jewfish on soft plastics, I like a 7 foot long 4-8kg rod and a 4000 sized reel. This setup is ideal for catching Jewfish on soft plastics, it’s light enough for flicking lures all day, but still strong enough to bring in a trophy sized fish. I use a 20lb braided line and a leader in the 20-30lb range.
On the baitcasting side (used for heavier soft plastics and vibes) I use a similar rod, 7ft long, 5-9kg (or thereabouts) with a 150 sized reel. Again, 20lb braid and 20-30lb leader.
The leader choice is determined by the water clarity. If the water is murky (hues of brown) we can use a 30lb leader, however if the water is clear (hues of blue and green), going down to 20lb is the better option.
What are the Best Jewfish Lures for Catching Jewfish?
Now let’s look at the pointy end, what lures will work best! There are countless options here and every successful Jewfish angler will give you a different response. In my experience, the lure itself is not critical. The most critical part of the equation is using a lure that you can put in front of a fish.
What does that mean? Well, if you are trying to target fish that are sitting in 10 m deep water with a current pushing through, a light lure is going to be very hard to put in front of a fish. Regardless of how nice it looks or what Instagram has told you.
In contrast, putting a heavier lure whether it be upsizing the jighead or even using a metal jig will give you a better chance of getting the lure to the fish. This is very important! Jewfish generally won’t chase your lure or bait down. It needs to be placed right in front of them, don’t get them a reason to say no! Think of them as big and lazy and you will start to get the picture!
Here are 3 Best Jewfish Lures that I use – (I have a lot of confidence when I use these lures)
- 5 inch Baitjunkie Jerkshad in the Baby Bass colour. Matched to a ½ to ¾ ounce jighead depending on current and depth.
- 95mm Zerek Fish Trap (Soft Vibe)
- 5 inch Baitjunkie Prawn in Yabbie UV colour Matched to a ½ to ¾ ounce jig head depending on current and depth.
I go through 5 lures in this youtube video on lures for mulloway!
When is the Best Time to Catch Jewfish?
Jewfish are a fish that can be caught all months of the year. So lets put away any preconceived ideas we had there!
When it comes to timing, more focus should be put around the tides and weather. I’ve closely watched this over many years and have always found calmer weather important. When fishing for Jewfish, we want light winds – ideally 5-10 knots, with a bit of cloud cover. Sometimes finding the break in the weather will be a good trigger point for the fish.
Tides are also something that can vary from spot to spot, so when trying out a new spot it’s a good idea to fish either side of the tide change.
This way you can fish both run in and run out tides to see which one works best for that spot. Also keep in mind whether your spot benefits from one tide or another. If it doesn’t get any current flow on an outgoing tide, fish the incoming.
What is the best Jewfish Fishing technique?
Once you have your gear, the location, the timing all sorted, its time to put it into play and answer the age old question of “How Do I Catch Jewfish?”
How do you make it happen now that you are here on the water? Knowing where the fish will be sitting is important, knowing where to cast and where to position your boat (or where to set up if you are land based) are also key.
Jew can move around a particular structure depending on how the current is flowing. Most commonly they will sit behind the structure hiding out of the main flow, waiting for bait to come to them, so let’s start here.
Position yourself parallel or in line with where you think the fish will be. (Anchored or spot locked with the electric motor) Cast up past the structure, giving the lure enough time to get down and hit the bottom before drifting it back down with the current towards the fish. Keep close contact with the lure and watch for any bites, they can often be very subtle.
Another option is drifting with the lure to cover more ground. Sink your lure down and then try to stay vertical above your lure as you impart small hops. Using an electric motor to slow your drift will help here.
The main idea here is we want to keep the lure down on the bottom and ensure it’s going to be in the face of a Jewfish. The easier we can make it for the fish, the better chance we have of getting a bite. Repeat the process around the structure, covering different areas and alternating lures. Watch the sounder for fish as this will help you narrow down where the fish are sitting.
So lets keeps things simple! They aren’t as hard to find and catch as some people make it out to be. Jewfish fishing can be easy, it’s just about following the steps, trusting the process and being confident. Once that first one comes in, the rest follow pretty easily after that! You will be pleasantly surprised!
I’ve also created a FREE Sounder Settings Guide to help you fine-tune your Sounder so make sure to download that as well as watch my video on how to interpret your Sounder to give you the best chance of finding and landing those Jewfish!
