Get a Head Start on Mackerel Season

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:

HEAD STARTS

Give Head Starts a try? You won’t regret it. Thanks for reading
Andrew Hestelow

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