Western Australia has some of the most diverse inshore and nearshore fishing in the country. From bream in the Swan River to kingfish off the Abrolhos, the species range is extraordinary — and so is the opportunity to apply Japanese lure technology to fish that have rarely seen it.
Here's how to match JDM lures to the species you're chasing in WA.
Black Bream
Black bream are WA's most technically demanding estuary target. They're intelligent, cautious and heavily pressured in most accessible systems. Standard Australian hardbodies often get ignored by fish that have seen them hundreds of times.
JDM bream lures are built for exactly this situation. Japanese anglers have been fishing pressured bream in tight estuaries for decades, and the lures reflect that experience.
What works: Small suspending minnows in the 48–70mm range. Natural baitfish colours — ghost shrimp, clear chartreuse, smelt. Slow-sinking lures that hold in the strike zone. Micro-jerkbaits with a tight, subtle action on a slow retrieve.
Key brands: Megabass, Zipbaits, Tackle House, Ima.
Tailor
Tailor are aggressive, fast-moving and found along beaches, rock ledges and river mouths across the WA coast. They respond well to fast retrieves and surface disturbance, and they're not particularly leader-shy.
What works: Fast-retrieve minnows in the 80–110mm range. Metal slices for distance casting from beaches. Surface walkers worked with a walk-the-dog action at dusk. Bright colours — pink, chartreuse, silver — work well in low light.
Key brands: Duel, Maria, Tackle House Feed Shallow.
Mulloway
Mulloway are WA's premier estuary predator — powerful, nocturnal and increasingly difficult to target as fishing pressure increases. They respond to large profile lures worked slowly through deep holes and channel edges.
What works: Large suspending minnows in the 120–180mm range, worked with long pauses. Slow-pitch jigs in the 60–120g range for deeper water. Dark colours at night — black, purple, dark blue. Natural mullet and herring patterns during the day.
Key brands: Deps, Megabass, Shimano Ocea.
Kingfish
Yellowtail kingfish are WA's most powerful inshore pelagic. Found around reefs, FADs and offshore structure, they respond to aggressive surface presentations and fast-sinking jigs. Japanese anglers pioneered the popper and stickbait techniques now used worldwide for kingfish.
What works: Large poppers in the 130–180mm range for surface strikes. Stickbaits worked with a walk-the-dog or sink-and-draw action. Slow-pitch jigs in the 150–300g range for deep reef fish. Natural colours work well — sardine, flying fish, mackerel patterns.
Key brands: Carpenter, Zenith, Maria, Shimano Ocea Pencil.
Spanish Mackerel
Spanish mackerel are WA's premier offshore target — fast, aggressive and capable of destroying poorly made lures in a single strike. They require high-speed retrieves and lures that hold their action at pace.
What works: High-speed trolling minnows in the 130–200mm range. Casting jigs worked at maximum retrieve speed. Bibless minnows that track straight at high speed. Bright colours — pink, blue and white, UV patterns — are consistently effective.
Key brands: Halco (Australian but JDM-influenced), Duel Hardcore, Maria.
WA Salmon
Australian salmon are WA's most accessible surf species — aggressive, schooling and found along beaches and river mouths from autumn through winter. They're ideal for anglers learning to fish JDM lures, as they'll hit almost anything presented correctly.
What works: Metal slices in the 20–40g range for distance casting. Minnows in the 90–120mm range worked with a fast, erratic retrieve. Surface lures at dawn and dusk when fish are pushing bait to the surface. Bright colours and high-contrast patterns.
Key brands: Duel, Maria, Tackle House.
A Note on Leader and Hardware
JDM lures are built to perform with quality hardware. Using light, cheap leader or inferior split rings will cost you fish and potentially damage lures. For most WA inshore species, 20–30lb fluorocarbon leader is appropriate. For kingfish and Spanish mackerel, step up to 40–80lb depending on conditions.
Replace split rings on any lure you're fishing hard — especially older JDM lures where the original rings may have fatigued.
Finding the Right Lure
Every lure in the Second Strike catalogue has been individually inspected and graded. Browse by species to find lures matched to what you're chasing — or contact us if you're looking for something specific. We source new stock regularly from Japan and can often find particular models or colourways on request.