Tackle Tactics » Pro Anglers » Luke Smith

Luke Smith

How did you get into fishing?

My father was a fisherman, so for me it was a natural progression and spent most weekends of my childhood on a boat somewhere chasing a feed for tea.

What inspires you about fishing?

The places fishing takes me and the sights that I would not be able to see doing anything else. The constant unknown of what will happen next always keeps me coming back for more.

Where in Australia do you fish and what are your main target species?

Most of my fishing is done in South West Victoria, however I do travel across the state / country for different species or a hot bite.

My main target species are black bream, estuary perch and mulloway in the estuaries and southern bluefin tuna, mako sharks and gummy / school sharks.

What are 3 of your favourite species and why?

1. Mako sharks - hard fighting, acrobatic and dangerous, gets the blood pumping when a 100kg+ shark jumps 4m in the air beside the boat.

2. Mulloway - always a challenging species to predict, just when you think you have them worked out they throw a curve ball at you. Rewarding when they hit the deck though.

3. Barramundi - the whole atmosphere when in a quiet northern creek is enjoyable itself, then throw in some hard hitting, jumping fish and you're in heaven.

What are a few of your most memorable captures?

Being there when my mum ticked off her bucket list fish of a metre barra, after a few years of travelling to Darwin. It was our last trip that we would make up there and it all came together on the last day, like it was scripted all along.

My first barrel tuna, weighing in at 109.5kg. I was working on a charter and we had a day off so what else do you do but go fishing. We had the goal of targeting a barrel, which wasn't as easy back then, but we managed to pull it off and how we hooked up is a story in itself.

Landing a 250kg mako shark for customers on a charter, without a wire trace, was pretty special. At the time we didn't think it was that big but when eight blokes couldn't pull it through the side door in the boat we started asking the question. We had to deliberately foul hook it so that we didn't get bitten off straight away, then fight it with 14kg of drag to try to subdue it. After 1.5 hours and a few massive jumps it was ours.

What are your go-to Tackle Tactics products and some tips for fishing them?

I love the ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ rigged on a 1/16oz #1 TT Lures HeadlockZ Finesse jighead. Add some Bloodworm or Bloody Tuna Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent and it's hard not to catch estuary fish.

My advice is to fish with the lightest possible tackle and leaders to get more bites and enjoy the fight. I usually work my lures slowly to keep them in the strike zone for as long as possible. Long casts also make a big difference on wary fish.

What are your go-to Okuma products and why?

For estuary fishing the Helios rods and reels are perfect. The rods are light, sensitive and cast super well. The reels have a great drag system and smooth for my light line fishing.

Offshore I love the Azores Blue spin range as they are bullet proof and amazing value for money.

The Makaira overhead range is by far my favourite though. The rods have great detail and load up well. A slightly softer tip but endless grunt down low to suit the massive drags in the reels. A great piece of gear.

What species are on your bucket list and why?

Broadbill swordfish is definitely at the top of my list, I just need to try and time some weather with the 10 hour drive and a busy work/family schedule to make it happen. The challenges involved with just getting a bite are pretty huge but then you still have to harness up and fight the fish. Some fights in recent years have lasted up to 24 hours! Not called the gladiator of the sea for no reason.

What is a piece of fishing advice that you've been given that still sticks with you?

When plastic fishing for southern estuary species it's important to move the lure slowly, they are not as aggressive as northern species. So when you think you're moving it slow, slow down again.

Three tips for somebody new to fishing?

Fish hard! Can't catch fish at home on the couch.

Don't chase the bite, create it. Too many people wait for reports on social media before following someone else's report. Quite often by then the fish have moved on or there's 200 people with the same idea. Instead put the hard yards in and find the bite yourself.

Fish light to get the bite. Fish aren't always easily fooled but lighter leaders can make all the difference. You will also enjoy fighting a fish on lighter gear for longer instead of just dragging them in.

Anything you would like to add?

Fishing isn't always about the fish, it's where fishing takes you.