Slow pitch jigs working in Army Bay

The rain has finally stopped, although the wind now has picked up. At least the warmer weather is finally here.

After finding a gap in the wind forecast, I shot off to the Hibiscus Coast on the kayak for an early morning session, hoping to get some good fish out at Army Bay. I saw a few kayak anglers out and about in the area, along with a few boat anglers who were taking advantage of the perfect weather.

While the sign was thick, especially around the shallows (10m), the fish weren’t biting and the micro-jigs and soft plastics were ignored. However, as soon as I drifted out to the deeper zone (20m), I decided to drop a slider lure down and then the fish started to bite. They weren’t big,  but three snapper and a gurnard were more than enough for dinner.

A good tip I would like to share is to be aware of the seasons. Since it was early November, I found the fish to be not as active as they are during the heat of the summer. The best lures I found for this period are the slider/kabura-style jigs such as the Sunakku. The best thing about this lure is because it’s a slow jig, it gives time for the bigger yet sluggish fish to get interested in it and strike.

Always be aware of the wind forecast, especially when fishing off the kayak. It’s very easy for the wind to push you out into the open ocean and the last thing you want to do is paddle against the strong wind, draining your energy as a result, or worse, capsizing out in the open ocean. The last thing we need is another tragic accident.

- Peter Hwang