Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Saltwater-Estuary » Turbo CrawZ Jacks
Turbo CrawZ Jacks
By Adam Barnes
Is there any substitute for experience... certainly not, and it does pay to have as much knowledge as you can about the subject you are wanting to target. The biggest issue is having the right amount of know-how, combined with the right amount of experience and a pinch of luck to all come together at the right time... then the results can be mind-blowing!
Having the experience, I just needed a little more know-how and some time on the water with Tackle Tactics Pro Angler Kane Barclay gave me just that. Given perfect weather and a favourable outgoing tide in the evening recently I shot out for a jack session. The plan was to run a ZMan or two past a few bridge pylons to try and tempt a big jack to strike.
Knowing that a lot of mangrove jack have been caught on the unstoppable ZMan 3" MinnowZ, I wanted to fish something a little different as they may just be a little wary of this profile. Also knowing my ZMan plastics and how to adjust the twitches/retrieves for each one, a change of profile was in order. I still wanted lots of action in the lure as being a night session, the more vibrations the lure gives off the better the chances of getting that strike. So, my choice... the incredible ZMan 4' Turbo CrawZ.
Being night, with light off the bridges and barnacle covered pylons, a large shrimp/lobby profile was a no brainer, rigged on a TT Lure 3/8oz 3/0 jighead. The lure colour I used was Blue Claw and within the first hour of getting there I landed two 40cm+ GTs that smashed the lure and dropped something much bigger. No red fish could be enticed though.
A change of location on the last hour or two of the run out could do the trick. I decided to run the pylons from one end of the bridge and work my way across to the other side. The bridge spans about 300-350 metres, so there was a few pylons to work.
I worked a few different retrieves, from the cast a slight distance past the last pylon, a five count and a medium/fast, constant retrieve, to the cast past and instant fast top water retrieve, however I found casting and allowing the CrawZ to flutter down to the bottom, allowing a slight pause and then a small double twitch, quickly followed by three fast half burns of the reel and a pause got results.
It wasn't until I had reached the first pylon on the main channel edge that the bite came, popping a champagne cast and with my last burn and pause on the back pylon, I had that WHACK that you get when a big red says 'Hello'. Setting the 3/8oz 3/0 TT and Turbo CrawZ combo, the rod loaded and with a near locked drag on 20lb braid and 20lb leader, this fish screamed 80' of line off the reel like nothing. In no time it crossed the main channel and buried me into the pylons on the other side...
Everything came to a screaming halt, but not to be outdone the experience kicked in and I needed to use the electric to move the boat into a better position. With hands and rod going like a kid in a free candy shop, I managed to keep the boat on just the right angle to keep a small amount of pressure, freeing me up to use the rod... and that pinch of luck came into play...
The next thing I felt was the last scrape of the line on the pylon and it was free from the snag! Experience and know how kicked in again, and instead of staying and fighting the fish there, risking a second run back into the snag, I used the electric motor and just pulled the fish steadily 40-50' away from the pylons.
This resulted in my PB 56cm of red dawg in the net and on the deck! It was a beast. It was fat and I was doing my all to contain the excitement at 2:45am. What's even better was that I got most of the action on my HD Headcam... soon to be edited and posted.
It doesn't end there. Two casts later on the pylon that fish took me to, BOOM, fish on! With yet another string pulling run, this fish bricked me in the snags again. Again though, with some patience and finesse rod angling, the fish came free of the snag and with everything I had, I wrangled a 45cm mangrove jack on board!
Could this get any better... you bet it could and it did. Within 25 minutes, back on the same pylon where I got the 56... BOOM, fish on! Not as big and I stopped this one from snagging me. I had my third, a 39cm jack that was up for a pic or two.
So, this awesome 4" Turbo CrawZ had given me my PB and first HAT TRICK OF JACKS! There's a reason why I'm one of the biggest ZMan fans and that CrawZ is still in perfect condition, with that dab of glue on the jighead, still in the same position and I'm going to use it the very next session. That's how good and durable ZMan plastics are... I love'em.