The Ultimate Guide to Ajing Fishing Australia | Horse Mackerel, Live Bait & Offshore

What is Ajing? Australia's Most Versatile Light Game Fishing Technique

Ajing (アジング) is a Japanese ultra-light fishing technique originally developed to target horse mackerel (aji) using micro soft plastics, precision jigheads, and sensitive spinning rods. What started as a niche Japanese fishing style has become one of Australia's fastest-growing fishing techniques — and once you try it, you'll understand why.

Ajing gear doesn't just catch horse mackerel. In Australian waters, the same ultra-light finesse approach is deadly for bream, tailor, whiting, flathead, yellowtail scad, slimy mackerel, yakka, and garfish. And here's the secret that offshore anglers are discovering: the small fish you catch ajing make the best live bait in the country.

A tournament-grade ajing rod with a 1.5g Hayabusa jighead and a REINS Aji Ringer 1.5" in UV glow is the most efficient live bait catching setup you can own. Here's why:

  • Catch more fish faster — micro soft plastics trigger bites from schooling baitfish that ignore sabiki rigs in pressured water
  • Handle fish gently — light jigheads and soft plastics cause minimal stress, keeping your liveys lively longer
  • Target specific sizes — match your jighead and soft plastic size to the baitfish you want
  • Fish anywhere — wharves, jetties, harbour walls, and rock ledges all produce live bait on ajing gear

Keep your liveys fresh and lively in the REINS Keeper Bucket II — its live bait capacity and rod holders make it the perfect bait station on any wharf or jetty.

From Liveys to Offshore: The Complete System

Step 1: Catch Your Live Bait at the Wharf or Jetty

Head to your local wharf, jetty, or harbour wall before first light or after dark. Rig up a 1g #10 Hayabusa jighead with a UV glow REINS Aji Ringer 1.5" or Chibi Aji Adder. Drop it under the lights and you'll be into schooling yakka, slimy mackerel, and horse mackerel within minutes.

Step 2: Keep Them Alive

Transfer your liveys carefully into the REINS Keeper Bucket II with an aerator. Fresh, lively bait is the difference between a good offshore session and a great one.

Step 3: Use Them Offshore

Fresh liveys caught on ajing gear are the premium bait for:

  • Kingfish — yakka and slimy mackerel are the #1 kingfish bait around Australia's reefs and headlands
  • Snapper — horse mackerel liveys are deadly for big snapper on offshore reefs
  • Tuna & pelagics — live slimy mackerel and yakka attract tuna, mahi-mahi, and wahoo offshore
  • Jewfish / Mulloway — large liveys worked through estuaries and harbour entrances at night
  • Samson fish & amberjack — big liveys on deep reefs in WA and SA

Target Species: What You Can Catch Ajing in Australia

Horse Mackerel (Aji / Yellowtail Scad)

The original ajing target and Australia's best live bait fish. A 1g–1.5g jighead with a REINS Aji Ringer 1.5" in UV glow is the classic combination.

Yakka & Slimy Mackerel

The REINS Aji Adder Mid 2.5" is particularly effective for larger yakka.

Bream

The REINS Ajimata Shad 2" with its shad tail action is particularly deadly for bream in estuaries and harbour walls.

Tailor

A REINS Aji Adder Pro 3" on a 2g jighead worked along breakwalls, beaches, and harbour walls produces explosive strikes.

Whiting

The Murasame Tournament Spin 632ULS transmits every subtle whiting bite that a heavier rod would miss entirely.

Flathead

The REINS Ajimata Shad slow-rolled on a 1.5g–2g jighead along estuary flats is a deadly flathead technique.

Garfish

Garfish are an underrated ajing target from jetties and wharves. Catch them on micro soft plastics near the surface under lights.

The Best Ajing Locations Across Australia

Sydney, NSW

Drop down to a 1g jighead and a Chibi Aji Adder when the fish are lock-jawed.

Melbourne, VIC

Port Phillip Bay's jetties and piers are productive year-round. UV glow colours are particularly effective in the bay's cooler water.

Brisbane, QLD

The Brisbane River and Moreton Bay offer exceptional ajing fishing. Warmer Queensland waters mean year-round action.

Perth, WA

Fremantle Harbour, Barrack Street Jetty, and the Swan River estuary are classic Perth ajing spots.

Adelaide, SA

Port Adelaide's wharves and the Gulf St Vincent jetties produce excellent horse mackerel and garfish fishing.

Wharves & Ferry Terminals (Nationwide)

Night sessions with UV glow REINS soft plastics are incredibly productive for both sport fishing and live bait gathering.

Estuaries & River Mouths

Work shad tail soft plastics along the bottom for flathead, or target bream around structure with finesse presentations.

Essential Ajing Tackle for Australian Conditions

Rods

The Murasame Tournament Spin 632ULS is the benchmark ajing rod for Australian conditions.

Jigheads

Stock a full range of Hayabusa Aji Ball jigheads:

  • 1g #10 — ultra-finesse for clear water
  • 1.5g #8 — the perfect all-round weight
  • 2g #8 — deeper water and beach fishing

Soft Plastics

The complete REINS Japan range from Australia's largest REINS retailer:

Line & Leader

Toray Saltline Super Light PE Braid in golden orange — zero stretch for instant bite detection.

Accessories

Your First Ajing Session: A Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Choose your location — a lit wharf or jetty after dark is the easiest starting point
  2. Rig up — 1.5g Hayabusa jighead + REINS Aji Adder Mid 2.5" in UV glow
  3. Drop it down — let it sink to the bottom on a semi-slack line, counting as it falls
  4. Work it back — slow lift and drop, or slow roll just above the bottom
  5. Feel for bites — any tap, tick, or weight change is a fish
  6. Catch liveys — keep the best ones alive in your Keeper Bucket for offshore
  7. Go offshore — deploy your liveys on the adjacent reef for kingfish, snapper, and tuna

Browse our complete ajing gear range, shop our REINS Japan soft plastics, and check out our new arrivals for the latest Japanese tackle. Free shipping on orders over $150 — stock up and save.

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