​Our Top 5 lures for fishing on the Cobourg Peninsula

After many years of running fishing charters on Arnhem Land's Cobourg Peninsula we've learnt which lures consistently work the best. We've got the list down to 5 lures. So if you could only take 5 lures with you to fish this remote stretch of the Arnhem Land coast then we'd recommend the following... 

Soft Plastics 6” squid vicious gulps (nuclear chicken) & 5”-6” jerk shad gulps (smelt and white) with 1-2oz jig heads

Catch: Jew fish, Coral trout, Golden Snapper, Rock Cod, Tricky Snapper

Use: These soft plastics are great for drift fishing or sinking along the bottom. Best results around the start of outgoing tide and end of incoming tide for medium tidal flow. Keep lures close to bottom (within 2m) and slowly lift and drop back to seabed to target these reef species.

Where: Rocky pinnacles, coral reefs, deeper drop offs and the top and bottom of ledges. Use soft plastics in over 6m water for Jew Fish.

30g & 50g Chromies

Catch: Pelagics, Giant Trevally, Golden Trevally, Long Tail Tuna, Queen Fish, Spanish mackerel

Use: Drop chromies right down to the bottom on deeper outcrops or in any areas holding bait, retrieve in jigging motion or quick reel, you can’t reel in too fast when targeting these species. Flick chromies into bird or bait balls, getting as close to the action as possible with the motor off preferably. Get ahead of the action and wait for it to come to you, with some luck or perseverance those pelagics will chase the bait fish to your waiting boat.

Where: Be ready for opportunities as you cruise throughout the Marine Park. We always keep a rod ready to go with a chromie, to flick into any bait balls or feeding birds we spot out on the water, or to drop down over ledges when the sounder shows action, which is often!

Marabou Jig - ½ oz & 1oz

Catch: Pelagics, Giant Trevally, Golden Trevally, Long Tail Tuna, Queen Fish, Spanish mackerel

Use: Flick Marabou Jigs into bait balls and retrieve fast! You can also drop jigs down to the bottom over structure using a jigging motion or again a quick retrieve. 

Where: these jigs are great for site casting pelagics so alike Chromies these are great to ready to use at short notice. 

80-135 Halco rooster poppers (pilchard and red neck)

Catch: Giant Trevally, Golden Trevally, Spanish mackerel, Queen Fish

Use: Cast and retrieve poppers on the surface, keeping the rod tip down to create lots of action and bubbles, can be used for fast or slow retrieve.

Where: Fishing over or around bombies and rocky outcrops. Low tidal flow and good water clarity are good for pelagic fishing. Or if you spot some action on the surface as these hungry predators chase bait fish, cast one of these into the action for a show!

Large Riedy B52 (with gold or green tones) or Golden bomber

Catch: Barramundi, Mangrove Jacks other estuary and coastal species.

Use: Flicking around snags, gutters, small feeder creeks, eddies, mangrove flats. It can also be used for slow trolling to shallow depths of 1.5m, twitching the rod tip will attract predators as it will dart and flee like a bait fish.

Where: Mangrove lined creeks and gutters in Port Essington, these can be very shallow so access as soon as tides allow.

There you have it, some of our favourite fishing tackle, with these lures on hand you’re guaranteed to find some action out on the Cobourg Peninsula. If you'd like some assistance and a comfy fishing camp to stay at then please get in touch.

Good Luck!