Wind, cloud and a few days off the moon meant most Brisbane River anglers stayed home this week. For Justin and Deck on Tackle Tactics TV it was reason to throw blades. The result was a five-species afternoon on Switchblade Plus, Switch Minnow Plus and Switch Prawn Plus — fished from 20 foot of moving water down to a foot of mangrove edge, with a smoker booked by lunch.
"We are out on the river. Brisbane River that is. And we've got a big run-in tide. It's pretty windy. We're only a few days off the moon. So we're going to use a few blades to try and wake a few fish up," the lads explained at the launch. "Perfect option for that flow and that wind."
The opening drift on a deep pressure edge produced a double hook-up. Justin's quarter-ounce Switchblade Plus pulled a small flathead. Deck's same lure picked up a snapper. "That's the great thing about blades — the variety of species," Deck said. "Lots of hook points."
Pelagic bust-ups on the surface chasing prawns then forced a retrieve change. The lads switched from a slow bottom-hop to a quick wind, and the first tailor came inside two casts. "That's probably what I saw eating the prawn," Justin said. "Yeah, he's a nice tailor. Beautiful little quarter-ounce switchy in the corner of his mouth. And he's on."
A bigger profile sealed it. Switching to a half-ounce Switchblade Plus to deny the smaller tailor the chance to bite through, Justin landed the standout fish of the morning — a thumping tailor that destroyed a rock-bar run on a 1-3kg Black Mamba rod. "Big headshake on him. He loved it," Justin said as the fish came to the net. "That's why I love blades. You just never know what is going to eat it. Flash, vibration, we bounced it on the bottom. Got a snapper. Got a flatty. Saw that action up high, kept him up behind the water column. Bang. Big tailor."
The smoker was officially booked. "Smoked fish dip," Deck announced.
A move out of the wind into a high-tide drain in three feet of water and a switch to a green-back Switch Prawn Plus produced a quality 50cm-class flathead on a slow roll. "Fish them in all depths," Deck said as he netted the fish. "You can fish them almost aggressively. You can throw a big long cast. You can stay in touch with them. You can bump them on that bottom."
A black-spot estuary cod from the base of a rock bar made it five species. "Yeah, I reckon this is a cod sitting at the base of that rock ball," Deck called as the fish loaded up. The little red Switch Minnow assist hook had pinned the cod cleanly.
A houseboat barge with deep pylons closed the day on bream, with a 37mm, 3.5g Switchblade Plus the call. Justin moved the Switch Prawn Plus tow point to the back hole when the current was strong, slowing the roll without killing the vibration. "They love a blade," he said. "Even in the wind, it allows us to effectively make an accurate cast and get the bite."
The gear was treated like part of the technique. The TT Weatherproof Zman tackle block kept everything dry through several rain bands. The TT pliers earned multiple cameos getting trebles out of toothy critters without bending the hooks. Replacement Owner assist hooks in three sizes covered the Switch Prawn Plus across the day.
The lesson is simple enough that bream and flathead anglers can write it on a tackle box. When the wind is up, the tide is running, and the moon is a few days off — fish blades. Stay in contact with them. Vary the speed. Five different species on the same morning would suggest the strategy is sound.
