Upbeat email from Gold Coast mackerel master Dan Wrigley received this week:
Head Starts are a unique way to combine a lure and a bait. A snap on weighted plastic head that fits over a dead bait, forcing it to swim like a lure:
Around the time we started distributing Head Starts in Australia I received a very welcome invitation to fish the Grassy Head mackerel grounds, on the mid north coast of NSW. Arrived at the boat ramp early morning, loaded down with a downrigger, rods, reels, chilled fresh garfish et cetera. Surprised to find my skipper had a small boat, most of which was taken up with a gigantic orange Tropical fish box.
Me: no problem! I’ll put this stuff back in the car
Out to the reef on a dead flat sea. Maybe 20 boats - including three or four charter operators - there. Fishing dead as a doornail. No one casting or even actively fishing. Skipper rigged a live slimy mackerel, I set a garfish off the downrigger ten metres down:
We trolled maybe 200 metres when BANG! I was on:
I rig another garfish, set it at 10 metres again, and off we go. A bit longer this time and BANG! I’m on again - this time, to a spotted mackerel. Didn’t see anyone else hook up the whole time. Head Starts work:
And not just on mackerel:
Here’s how to rig them. I use fresh garfish and do a few in advance, then store in the freezer for use:
They work great and our clients love them:
More details here:
Give Head Starts a try? You won’t regret it. Thanks for reading
Andrew Hestelow