Mulloway are a very popular estuary sport fish targeted by many anglers across the east coast of Australia. They can be found in rivers, creeks, and estuary systems, as well as beaches, headlands, and offshore reefs. There are various ways to target mulloway, from fishing dead and live baits to throwing a wide variety of different lures. My preferred technique for fishing Mulloway is fishing soft vibes in 10 to 40 metres of water in an estuary system.
Port Stephens is a well-known estuary for its deep-water mulloway fishery, however there are several key factors to successful fishing in Port Stephens if it is your first time. Port Stephens is a large estuary system with the main system reaching up to 40 meters in depth, making it a unique part of the world and providing a diverse fishery for all anglers.
Generally, deep water Mulloway in Port Stephens can be found 10 to 40 metres in depth along the steep ledges around Soldiers Point, Fame Cove and North Arm Cove, specifically around wreck structures which are scattered around the bay of Port Stephens. In the area around these wrecks and ledges, there is significant tidal flow, making it the perfect haven for bait fish such as herring, yellowtail and tailor, enticing deep water Mulloway and leading them to their next meal.
Modern day technology has changed the way we fish, and I personally rely heavily on my Lowrance sounder, and ensure that I always have it dialled in correctly as this makes all the difference!
There are 3 main functions that I use my sounders for to find mulloway. The first function is using my chart plotter set up with sonar chart and relief shading which helps navigate around deep structure and pinpointing the right area where you want to position the boat. The second and third function I like to use is traditional Sonar with side scan on a split screen to scan the bottom looking for bait balls and potential fish that are hard up against the structure underneath the boat and to the sides, this will help you cover more ground in a time efficient matter which allows you more time to fish and have your lure in the zone. Generally, mulloway will travel along the bottom side of a ledge where it meets reef to another bottom like sand or mud, so using side scan will provide you with a good image of what the bottom structure you are covering looks like, and how far away from the structure you are in your boat which is a handy function to use to optimise your chance of finding the fish. If you are marking fish, a helpful tip is to mark a waypoint on your screen where the fish were holding up and utilising an electric motor on your boat to motor toward the fish and spot lock above them without disturbing them with an anchor or engine running. Another handy tool I like to use is Live Sonar for mulloway.
Tide changes play a big part in the behaviours of Mulloway in deep water. During a slack tide, bait fish become more active and will move around, activating predatorial fish such as sharks, snapper, tailor and deep-water mulloway. Dependent on the size of the tide, you can generally fish for 1 hour before and 1 hour after the tide with lures, so it is important to minimise time wasting activities such as scanning areas where there are no fish, and instead focus on the right water structures to maximise potential bites! I personally prefer fishing the low tide as my theory is that the baitfish will flush down into the deep water to get cover on the run-out tide, so the mulloway will follow the bait, and the high tide pushes bait up into the shallows, and so the mulloway follow.
Moon phase is also another interesting factor to consider when targeting mulloway as their behaviour changes through the different phases of the moon. Throughout my experiences with mulloway, I have noticed on the lead up to the full moon that the fish will hold up in the deeper water and become timider to catch, whereas on the lead up to the new moon, the fish will generally become more active and feed in the shallows. I also like to refer mulloway back to my Murray cod and barramundi experiences with prime bite times. I believe another bite time for mulloway is a moon rise and a moon set and also studying the phases of the moon and what phase it sits at is another thing to keep in mind on those good days!
The most effective lure fishing technique I like to use for fishing deep water for mulloway is vertical vibing, using my Minnkota and Lowrance HDS12 pro.
I like to navigate around in stealth mode when chasing mulloway. This requires me to motor around using the electric motor and active target, and once I find the right spot and can see the fish I am targeting, I will utilise spot lock and drop my vibe, monitoring the sounder until I can see that it is near the fish. I then slow up when it is inline with where the fish is sitting in the water column and will start with a slow lift and let it sink back down to see how the fish reacts- a big key is to keep your lure in the strike zone! If I see the fish is not interested, I will give it a more of an aggressive lift. This allows the vibe to put out a more agitated vibration and once the fish reacts and is interested I will slowly hop the lure up in the water column, working its magic! Live sonar can be frustrating some days as the fish won’t always play ball, but understanding a fish’s behaviour and learning different ways to agitate a fish to change their mood is what makes it a rewarding style of fishing.
The tackle I like to use for vertical jigging for mulloway is a rather light set up to what most anglers use for mulloway, however I believe a sensitive rod with a stiff taper and a soft tip is ideal. I personally run the Shimano Expride 7ft 6-12lb medium heavy spin rod matched to a 3000 Sustain with 20lb braid and 20lb leader, and some days I will up my leader to 30lb if there is larger fish in the area.
Knowing how to handle mulloway that come from deep water is crucial! In the many years I have spent tagging and releasing mulloway, I have seen plenty of cases of barotrauma. I believe that taking a patient approach and holding the necessary tools is the key to success in safely landing mulloway! I carry a release weight attached to a hand reel, and this can be retrieved from the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Alternatively, you may seek this from your local tackle shop. Secondly, it is important to have a swim bladder spike. If you can feel that the mulloway has a stomach full of gas, it may be helpful to pierce the swim bladder and lightly squeeze the gas out of them.
The best chance of survival for mulloway is to keep them out of the water for as little time as possible, snap a pic and return them to the water, giving them the best chance to swim off and fight another day!