Family stickbaiting for mackerel.

Taking the family out stickbaiting for mackerel.

I thought I was busy before I had a family but now with two kids,two jobs and a need to fish. Things are pretty hectic most of the time so combining them all gave me the best day I've had on the water in a while.

We launched our 4.1m cross country boat at 7:30am and proceeded into beautiful Moreton Bay. We had plans to catch a few mackerel in the morning before our picnic lunch. But as soon as we found the birds and feeding mackerel multiple boats would swam on them pushing the school back down and making it quite hard to get a hook up.

So after catch up with interstate family on Stradbroke Island for lunch we set off home. As soon was we motored over a large sand bank we noticed a solo bird paying particular attention to the water. Upon closer inspection a purple discoloration in the water turned out to be a tightly packed bait ball with large silver flashes harassing them. Pushing them up against the sand bank and feeding at will.

Catherine quickly cast out a 95mm-35g MB stickbait in pink/white flash and handed the rod to our son Thang. He twitched the stickbait through the school at a medium speed with multiple mackerel following. One decides to commit 3m away from the boat instantly hooking up on the decoy JS-1 singles. The classic ballistic first run of mackerel saw Thangs rod on the gunnel and a sound I haven't heard for years braid rubbing on the gunnels and a screaming drag. Your kids will love the first time a fish pulls bulk drag at speed.