Max 130
A hard body from Halco.
How to fish it
Cast or trolled depending on context. Match the depth class to where fish are holding — surface for top-water bites, mid-water for trolling 3–6m, deep-divers for 6m+ structure or shelf reef work. Pause-on-strike: 80% of strikes on a hard body happen on the pause after a twitch, not during the constant retrieve.
Targets: Spanish Mackerel, Wahoo, Tuna. Hard bodies cover the widest species range — barramundi on slow-rolled minnows, jewfish on suspending jerkbaits, snapper on diving lipless cranks, kingfish on big metal-bibbed trolling lures.
Standard cadence: cast or troll, twitch-twitch-pause, repeat. Adjust the pause length to fish mood — winter-cold or pressured fish want 4-second pauses; summer-active fish strike on retrieve. Vary cadence within the cast to find what triggers.
Leader: 10–20lb for bream/bass, 20–40lb for jewfish/barramundi, 40–80lb for kingfish/cobia. Mono leader gives slightly better action on light hard bodies; fluorocarbon wins for visibility and abrasion resistance on heavier lures.
Rigging
- Leader
- 10–20lb bream/bass; 20–40lb jewfish/barramundi; 40–80lb kingfish/cobia
- Braid
- 6–15lb estuary; 20–40lb offshore
- Cadence
- Twitch-twitch-pause; strike on the pause
- Hooks
- Upgrade stock trebles to single inlines for release survival
Reading BiteCast for this lure
When this lure is in your tackle box, BiteCast's data layers tell you the right conditions to fish it. The most relevant layers:
- SST (sea-surface temperature) →
Match SST to the target species' preferred range; sharp surface fronts often coincide with feeding zones, even inshore.
- Chlorophyll →
The green/blue boundary is the food-chain front — fish concentrate on the edge, not the dense bloom interior.
Best months in AU
Effectiveness varies by target species and water temperature — consult the species page or BiteCast SST layer for your local timing.
General guidance for southern + central AU; tropical north runs warm-water species year-round.
Where it shines in Australia
- Sydney Offshore (Browns / Banks)— EAC convergence + warm-core eddies push tuna and marlin within range Nov–May
- South-East Queensland (Gold Coast canyons)— Black + blue marlin, mahi-mahi, and yellowfin on the EAC mainstream Nov–April
- Far North QLD shelf— Year-round wahoo, mackerel, and dogtooth tuna over the GBR shelf and outer reef
Target AU species
About Halco
Founded 1950, WA-based. The AU trolling-lure standard.
Origin: Made in Australia
FAQ
What is the Halco Max 130?
How do I rig the Halco Max 130?
When is the best time of year to fish the Halco Max 130?
What species does the Halco Max 130 catch?
Where in Australia is the Halco Max 130 most effective?
Should I replace the stock trebles with single hooks?
Related lures
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