The Ballooning Season
The ideal time to target a monster
mackerel from the Quobba coast is
the winter months. The cold easterly
winds blow offshore between June
and August and this presents the
perfect opportunity for land-based
anglers to skip out large baitfish under
helium filled balloons. The technique
is known as gas ballooning and it is
definitely the number one method for
targeting a big Spaniards from the
rocks.
Spinning big metal lures like the 85g
SureCatch Knight will also produce
good numbers of mackerel, however
a well-presented skip bait will usually
outfish a lure, especially when you’re
after a trophy specimen.
Welcome to Bar-ee School
I’ve spent over a decade fishing the
ledges of the Quobba coast and I
have experienced some incredible rod
bending action from this world class
pelagic fishery.
During this time I was fortunate
enough to fish alongside some of the
pioneers of the west coast LBG scene.
It was Quobba legends like Allan
Barker, Robin ‘The Guru’ Mannas
and Mick The Big Fella Bloomfield
who showed me the best methods
to extract big Spaniards from this
rugged coastline. ‘
Unfortunately these gas ballooning
legends are no longer with us, and as
a result it’s time for me to pass down
this wealth of knowledge to the next
generation of LBG anglers to ensure
their legacy lives on.
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