Red Emperor

Size and possession limits:

For up-to-date information on size and possession limits visit QLD Fisheries.

Targeting:

When fishing offshore Mackay, the real fun starts at the 40m mark. Big red fish (large-mouth nannygai and red emperor) love the deeper shoals and while the odd quality fish will turn up in around the inner islands of the Cumberland Group, the bigger fish and larger schools hold further offshore – from Three Rocks out is a good rule of thumb (though there are always exceptions).  

To find these fish feeding, you absolutely must have a sounder capable of reading bottom in 50m at cruising speed. Always have one eye on the screen and never drive over a show without putting a mark in. Even the smallest "blip" can turn into a hot bite on closer inspection.

While you don’t want to come under gunned when chasing big reds, you also need gear with some flex and a smooth drag. Nannygai and reds have big fleshy mouths and ripping them up hard on rigid gear will pull hooks.

Both red emperor and nannygai will take an assortment of jigs and baits, but to target red emperor especially, try bigger baits like strip baits, cuttlefish heads, and whole squid. Dropper rigs with 8/0 hooks and 80lb leader work well.