Meet the Team

Jack Mitchell

Born and Bred in Mackay, North Queensland, Jack has grown up living and breathing fishing thanks to a shared passion with his family. When not out working in the mines, you will find Jack exploring his local creeks and rivers in search of his next challenge to inspire the adventure.
Specialising in Inshore and Estuary lure fishing, Jack is spoilt for choice on his doorstep with highly sought-after species such as Barramundi and Fingermark in abundance.

About Jack

Name:

Jack Mitchell

Location:

Mackay, QLD

Profession/Job:

Fitter and Turner

Favourite angling location?

Other than my local waterway it would the Hinchinbrook area. It’s a stunning and hugely diverse and versatile location to fish.

Favourite species to chase?

Personally, I love chasing everything but there’s nothing quite like big saltwater barra to test yourself and get the heart racing.

Favourite style of angling?

I love a run and gun style of fishing. There’s something engaging about fishing multiple areas of a system over one tide phase, using a variety of techniques for multiple species and giving yourself the best possible chance to catch fish.

When did the love of fishing grab you and was there someone that got you into it?

Fishing grabbed me when I was kid. It started with catching bread and butter species on bait and over time evolved into lure fishing for a host of different species. These days I rarely bait fish and if I do it’s chasing whiting with my grandfather on Lake Macquarie.

What (e.g. escapism, competition, connection with people/nature) does angling give you?

Fishing gives me a range of things, it’s an escape from the busy life we all live and it’s a great challenge to myself.

Who or what inspires you?

In fishing I want be the best angler I can be. I want to be as efficient as I can be when I’m on the water, and I want to get as good as I can when it comes to catching different species.

What has been your favourite moment/memory in fishing?

There’s a lot that stand out to me but there’s one that stands out the most and that’s my first metre long saltwater barra. Catching it with my dad makes it even more special.

What’s your angling goals for the future?

The main goal for me is to be able to pick and choose what I want to catch and how I want to catch it. It’s really an unrealistic goal because of the number of uncontrolled variables that go into fishing, but it’s a goal I’ll keep on chasing until I get as close as I can to achieving it.

What advice would you give to new anglers entering the sport?

Time spent on water is key and making sure there is a reason or purpose behind why you’re fishing. Be open minded while you’re out there otherwise you won’t pick up on the subtle details. Fishing usually isn’t about luck or randomness, there’s generally a reason or reasons why fish are in certain areas at certain times, and why they ate a certain lure in a certain place at a certain time of the day. It’s not just a game of chance. Be confident in what you’re doing, be open minded, analytical and gather information and knowledge each time you’re on the water.

What can we do as anglers to make our sport and the industry better in the future?

I think the obvious one is to be environmentally friendly. The other one that I often think about is the reasons behind why we fish. With the grow of social media and the promotion of fishing we can fall into the trap of missing what’s at core of why we fish. Fishing first and foremost is fun thing to do and we should never lose sight of that.

What does the Daiwa brand mean to you?

I started off as a Bait Junkie tackle tester and I still remember the jitters I got when getting that email. To be where I am now as a brand ambassador makes me incredibly grateful. Daiwa is the pinnacle in fishing tackle design and innovation and to be a part of the team is an honour and adds another element to my fishing. There’s nothing more exciting than being involved in the R and D of a new product, then seeing it successfully hit the market. It’s an absolute buzz.