Target Gummys the BigTime Way Gummy Sharks have been a favourite of mine for a very long time and, probably will be for the rest of my days. I have many great memories of hours spent on the water with great mates soaking baits and waiting for a reel to howl under load. It's quite a relaxing way to fish and very rewarding when you start getting it right, not to mention the magnificent meal of fresh fillets to keep all the family happy. The Basics When targeting Gummy Sharks, the 3 key (but simple) things to get right are: Fresh bait, Bait presentation and; Location. Once you start to get these three elements working for you, it's only a matter of time until you achieve your own monster Gummy. 1 Target Gummys the BigTime Way
Gummys use the tide like we use an escalator; pushing them up and down the bays and estuaries to feeding or breeding grounds where they pup. Female Gummys bear live pups so they seek shallow areas out of the main tide flow to birth. The areas selected will also offer multiple food sources for the young pups to feed on and grow. Bait The top end of Westernport and Swan Bay in southern Port Philip Bay are great of examples of such prime grounds. With their vast expanses of weeded banks that are out of the main tide flows and covered in crustaceans and invertebrates for the little sharks to feed on, both of these areas can hold large populations of Gummys. Gummy Sharks are part of the hound shark family and use their nose to forage and locate food. They have an extremely sensitive sense of smell which is why we find that oily fresh baits are without any doubt the best option. Not only is fresh is best, most of the species we use for bait are easy to catch and can be heaps of fun too. Here is a common list of baits in no particular order: Silver Trevally Barracouta Squid Salmon Scad Mackerel (or Yakkas) Slimey Mackerel Salmon Mullet just to name a few I prefer a cutlet or chunk style of bait when Gummy fishing. This is basically fish that are cut strait through in cross sections along the body from top to bottom. This makes for hardy baits which withstand the constant attack of lice and small pinky snapper longer than the more traditional fillet or strip baits. Chunk baits have the same mass as a fillet bait but have less soft flesh exposed for lice and peckers to destroy. The chunk is also more of a bite-sized offering which makes it easier for the fish to swallow and therefor increases the hook up rate. The picture (left) shows a fresh chunk bait inside a squid ring for extra scent. The single circle hook should be pinned lightly through the top of the bait making it difficult to pull off the hook unlike a fillet that can tear off easily. The baits need to be hydro dynamic which simply means presenting the bait in such a way that it does not catch current as it flows over it which leads to erratic spinning. Always test your baits in the current beside the boat to see how 2 Target Gummys the BigTime Way
they sit before casting them out. The fish won't attack unnatural spinning bait just like we won't eat our meals from a ceiling fan. Pin the baits so the circle hooks can roll with ease, allowing them to do the job they are designed to do and roll into the corner of the jaw for hook ups. This can also increase your chances of landing a toothy shark like School sharks or Bronze Whalers without the need of a wire trace. With the hook securely pinned in the corner of the jaw, bite offs are reduced if a toothy does take a liking to your bait. Rigs and Gear I run 10-15kg Nitro Godzillas in both overhead and spin when fishing for Gummys. These are a truly powerful rod built tough enough to handle the rigors of charter fishing but have a light supple tip which is critical for bite detection in deep water. They are very forgiving when the fish run or head shake which helps with not pulling the hooks or snapping fish off close to the boat. These are a light graphite rod which makes fighting the fish more enjoyable compared to the old heavy fiberglass rods. A quality 8000-10000 size reel in spin or size 10-16 overhead such as the Canyon HS15 is adequate to target these fish. Make sure drags are serviced and smooth as a big gummy will strip line in quick bursts. Reels are spooled with 15kg braid and rigged with a 3-4 meter 40lb wind-on then attached to a sliding paternoster rig. The sliding paternoster rig consists of a large EziRig with the clip removed and 30-45cm of 6kg line tied as a dropper (in replacement of the clip). We remove the clip of the Ezi rig and tie on a dropper so if the sinker snags in the initial hook up of your prized Gummy you will only loose the sinker and not the fish. The dropper also helps with casting and in current presents the bait just off the bottom in the view of predators cruising the currents. An 80lb crane swivel acts as a stopper for the EziRig with 120-150cm of 80lb mono trace to a Gamakatsu 8/0 big game circle at the terminal end of this simple but effective rig. 3 Target Gummys the BigTime Way
The use of glow beads above the hook is a personal preference, but can prove to be very effective in attracting interest from Gummys as they cruise along with the current picking up the scent of your baits. Sinker size varies depending on current and depth. Always try to use the minimum weight required to hold bottom; it seems to get us better hook ups and does not hurt the wallet as much when you lose them. Location There are many things to think about when choosing a likely gummy spot. For instance, current strength, other boats in the immediate area and how the boat will sit at anchor will all impact on your success rate. As the Gummys use the tide to race up and down our bays and estuaries searching for food, the best places to intercept these beasts are the bottom edges of channels. Think of the bottom of theses drop offs as the white lines on the edges of our freeways and highways; the Gummys use them to aid navigation as they explore the waterways. These channel edges and drop offs are also major erosion points meaning that more current flows which gives the Gummys an easier and quicker ride to their destination If you study the tide charts, you will notice we get smaller tides in the week leading up to the full or new moon cycles. These smaller, slower tides allow us to fish deeper water so fishing edges of the main channels is a lot easier. These slower tides allow us to hold anchor effectively in the deeper water and we can keep baits on the bottom with less lead. The main channels are used by a bigger congregation of fish before they disperse further up the bays. Choosing a likely area can be easy but anchor right at the bottom of the drop can get a bit Here is a great example where a finger or lump pushes into the channel - the two location pins represent anchor points for either Ebb or Flood tides. trickier. A simple way is to look for areas on the contour lines that push out into the channels where you can simply anchor on the high point and drop back on your anchor rope until your sounder reads the bottom of the drop. Once you have anchored you need to fish the whole tide doing regular bait changes throughout the tide. Gummys are on the move constantly therefore, the more you move looking for them the less likely you are to meet up with a beast. I prefer it not to be overly windy especially beam (or side) on when targeting Gummys. If wind is challenging, the use of a bridle rope and sea anchor to help keep the boat steady and your baits from moving can double your chances of success. 4 Target Gummys the BigTime Way
During the stronger currents cycles during the month, you can use the same theories but just put them into practice in shallower areas say 8-14m instead of the deeper 20-35m channels. If targeting Gummy sharks offshore, I prefer depths of 20-40m and look for light rubble bottom adjacent to heavy reefs. These are ideal habitats for Gummy sharks to forage around. If the weather and current allows you can anchor on these grounds or sometimes drifting might be an easier option. When drifting, I suggest a standard Paternoster out of 80lb line and small 150mm leaders to run the hooks off. Landing the fish of dreams Once you have settled in on your chosen location and your baits are set, I suggest running your reels with about 2kg of drag and in gear at all times. With the trap set, the waiting game begins. The first indications of a shark munching your bait will be as your rod gets that sharp telltale bounce and nods of a Gummy on the chew. Always let the fish take its time and don't be tempted to strike too early and pull the bait out of the fish s mouth. Gently pick up the rod from the holder and wait patiently; let it load right up with weight before you set the hook. Once you have set the hook, the shark will run - let it go and don't adjust the drag as you enjoy the sound of a screaming reel. There is just something about the sound of braid being pulled under load across the guides of your rod that always brings a smile to the face and gets the heart pumping. The Gummy will stop - they always do, and turn up current heading straight towards the boat. Typically a Gummy will stay low in the water column and you will experience the occasional head shake and small run. Smoothly and calmly collect your line as the fish allows you to and use the rod to keep the fish moving forward. If you are erratic and aggressive in your actions the fish will panic which can cause them to roll resulting in break offs. It's always best to fish a limited amount of rods; we fish 4 rods from BigTime when out on charter. When you are hooked up, it's best to bring the other rods in so they are out of the way. Tangling during a fight can cause a lot of headaches and the other rods could cut off your fish. This is extremely important when fishing with braided lines. Once you have your Gummy on the surface and boat side, take your time and calmly guide it head first into the net. This is when the mayhem will commence and your Gummy will thrash violently in the net. Get your capture into the boat and if you intend to release it, try to stop it from thrashing around too much as they can do injury to themselves banging around the floor of your boat. 5 Target Gummys the BigTime Way
As soon as the fish is boated get the other rods straight back into the water - it's not uncommon to catch other Gummys within a few minutes of each other. Winter Tips In winter, I make a few subtle changes when fishing for these magnificent fish. Once we have located our fishing spot (as described earlier), I fish right up until the end of the tide. If you are catching a lot of undesired species such as Skate, Port Jacksons or Draught board Sharks, continue to fish through them until a Gummy come along because at least you know you are in a feeding area. I have found that the best bight times have been an hour before sunset until a few hours after dark. We also decrease our bait size because there is less pickers like Pinky Snapper to destroy our baits so no need for the larger baits. Some great winter baits are small strips of fresh Barracouta, Squid with the odd piece of cured eel in the mix. During the colder months, I prefer to fish the shallower areas of the Port in preference to the main channels. I believe that the Gummys in these areas are more actively feeding and will hunt out your baits quicker. As always, give yourself plenty of room between yourself and others to increase your chances. Now it's up to you to use this new found knowledge and go hook up to the liquid nitro of a Bigtime Gummy. 6 Target Gummys the BigTime Way