Tackle Tactics » Pro Anglers » Michael Wright

Michael Wright

How did you get into fishing and what are your main species?

I first started fishing in New Zealand. My dad was a mad fisho and he used to take me fishing for kingies and snapper off the rocks. Once I moved into my teenage years I gave it away to focus on surfing, before moving to QLD in my early twenties where I picked it up again. My mate Jono Bain decided to show me fishing in the sunshine state, when the dreaded northerly wind would allow us to go fishing. I now fish from my kayak and enjoy estuary, freshwater creeks and dams, with my favourite species including bass, bream and mangrove jack.

What are a few of your favourite species and why?

The above three.

I love bass fishing because of the beautiful places you can find yourself in and that's a big part of fishing for me.

The old humble bream, although this species to some may not be regarded as a sportfish I disagree. On 1-3kg tackle, pulling a large bream away from any kind of structure compares to fighting a mangrove jack on 30lb gear and has the same rush for me. Plus the bream can be caught on so many styles of lure and all year round.

The mighty mangrove jack. In my early years chasing jacks I used to live bait them and can tell you my pain of trying to stop the bust offs seemed almost impossible. That first season of chasing them was very demoralising and I lost count of the hook ups. These days most of my jack fishing is with lures and I'm still being busted, with a lot of donut days thrown in when targeting these guys... but I love them and they will always keep you honest.

What are some of your memorable catches?

My memory doesn't serve me that well these days (laughs) but one of the recent ones was catching my first big yellowbelly. Someone told me these things don't pull! Well my daughter and I were trolling in Wuruma Dam, through the sticks, when this thing smashed us. It actually started to pull the yak sideways and it was chaos, however the team effort landed the fish and I don't know who was more excited. A special daughter, father moment.

What is some of your go to tackle tactics gear?

For bream it would be the ZMan 2.5" Motor Oil coloured GrubZ, rigged on a 1/16oz TT Lures HeadlockZ Finesse jighead.

For bass I like to use a TT Lures Jig Spinner with my plastics and of late the ZMan 2.75" Finesse FrogZ are deadly.

Jack fishing of course a ZMan paddle tail, however more important is the jighead and the TT Lures SnakelockZ weedless jighead has opened a world of opportunity, being able to cast your plastic into the most horrendous type of cover.

Bucket list species?

The black bass or spot tail bass.

What fishing advice that you've been given still sticks with you?

Use good line and good knots.

What are three tips for someone new to fishing?

Start bait fishing first as this will give you an understanding of where fish are and what type of bait different species like. You will learn how to read a waterway, including tides, eddies, structure, etc.

Pay attention to detail when rigging up. I see too many people using too short a leader and massive sinkers when learning to fish. Yes, you will catch fish however your hook up rate will be higher if you lighten up on that lump of a sinker and also use the right hook. Say you are using yabbies in the salt, then you would use a small sinker and a long shank hook, not a brick, a 20lb leader and a 3/0 suicide hook. A little attention to your tackle will go a long way.

Have fun and enjoy the outdoors. Read lots about fishing and utilise useful tools like fishing reports, the internet for information about different species and Google Earth for likely new locations.

Tight lines and fish on!
Michael Wright