Fishing tips

thermalben's picture
thermalben started the topic in Monday, 2 Apr 2012 at 9:32am

OK, so I want to try my hand at fishing. I have a couple of rods and reels, and an assortment of stuff in a shiny tackle box (Chrissy present from a few years back). I've got salt water and fresh water options close at hand (Narrabeen). But, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.

Can anyone offer me some pointers? I'd really like to impress the missus.

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Andrew P Sunday, 2 Jul 2023 at 8:29pm

Snuck my trip south into a tight weather window and managed to land a few solid snaps



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tiger Monday, 3 Jul 2023 at 7:30am

Nice! Snaps on plastic are always fun.

indo-dreaming's picture
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indo-dreaming Monday, 3 Jul 2023 at 8:02am

@Andrew P

Wow solid fish and on soft plastics.....what state?...

Definitely not Vic you would be very lucky to snavel one of the smaller one's here in winter

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Andrew P Monday, 3 Jul 2023 at 8:11am
indo-dreaming wrote:

@Andrew P

Wow solid fish and on soft plastics.....what state?...

Definitely not Vic you would be very lucky to snavel one of the smaller one's here in winter

NSW

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indo-dreaming Monday, 3 Jul 2023 at 11:28am

Wow crazy you still get fish like this at this time of year even in NSW.

Ive really got to consider moving north again, somewhere where you can get fish like this even in winter, im so over cold water for surfing and fishing, just need to find somewhere that is atleast 3hrs from a city to keep weekend crew to a minium.

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Andrew P Monday, 3 Jul 2023 at 7:03pm
indo-dreaming wrote:

Wow crazy you still get fish like this at this time of year even in NSW.

Ive really got to consider moving north again, somewhere where you can get fish like this even in winter, im so over cold water for surfing and fishing, just need to find somewhere that is atleast 3hrs from a city to keep weekend crew to a minium.

Yeah it wasn’t that warm ID

7 fish in 12 hours of fishing across 3 sessions. They bit for 20 mins one afternoon and then 10 the next morning. Hard work!

eat-your-vegies's picture
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eat-your-vegies Monday, 3 Jul 2023 at 9:50pm

Hey Indo
I live 3 hrs from a city in nsw.
It doesn’t work haha

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indo-dreaming Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 8:04am
Andrew P wrote:
indo-dreaming wrote:

Wow crazy you still get fish like this at this time of year even in NSW.

Ive really got to consider moving north again, somewhere where you can get fish like this even in winter, im so over cold water for surfing and fishing, just need to find somewhere that is atleast 3hrs from a city to keep weekend crew to a minium.

Yeah it wasn’t that warm ID

7 fish in 12 hours of fishing across 3 sessions. They bit for 20 mins one afternoon and then 10 the next morning. Hard work!

Yeah okay, still some guys fish all their life's and never catch one like those two bigger one's

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indo-dreaming Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 8:07am
eat-your-vegies wrote:

Hey Indo
I live 3 hrs from a city in nsw.
It doesn’t work haha

4hrs it is then.

Problem is there is just nowhere left thats warm and more than 4hrs from a city, maybe NW WA but i want rights not lefts.

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Andrew P Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 9:41am

Bundaberg ID

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indo-dreaming Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 10:44am
Andrew P wrote:

Bundaberg ID

I actually like that area spent a little time there fruit picking and even did my scuba diving licence there and met some guys on the Goldie who use to live there, yeah it can get waves but its generally pretty crap for waves small and fickle and when waves often junky and short lived, and yeah offshore much better quality but still fickle.

I did live at Fraser Island for a few years that ticks a lot of boxes love the place and i can deal with the sharks but waves were very average, beachies crap 99.9% of the time and Indian head and Waddy can have there days but generally promise a lot and deliver very little, especially Waddy it should be another half decent QLD point but rarely even peels properly.

Such a shame.

Fishing though, amazing beach, rocks, and offshore reefs, and then bay side heaps of little creeks and others spots.

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flollo Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 10:49am

Indo, get into wind sports, and spend winters in North Qld. Perfect conditions this time of the year.

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freeride76 Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 11:55am

Just had a family reunion in FNQ and surfed everyday. 0.5-1ft+ windswell, warm water.
Crocs were a worry- in between two croc infested creeks.
Otherwise, pretty fun.
No-one out.

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seeds Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 1:00pm

Which beach Steve?

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freeride76 Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 2:22pm

Forrest.

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seeds Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 3:49pm

Do any fishing in those creeks? Or up Lucinda way?

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freeride76 Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 5:11pm

Yeah, both.
Quick sessions- couple of jacks, an under-sized Barra.

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seeds Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 5:28pm

Good one.

eat-your-vegies's picture
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eat-your-vegies Tuesday, 4 Jul 2023 at 7:35pm

Good to hear Steve
I was getting worried that the shemozzle was suing you for not repeating their vomit and you had to hide out somewhere or they’d send out knee cappers for you .
Just joking Coba .
Luv your take on the contests.
If I’d known you were going , I’ve got a lure that’s deadly on jacks I coulda LENT you lol.

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eat-your-vegies Friday, 7 Jul 2023 at 8:36pm

Some good tailor at the mo

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freeride76 Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 9:09am

Yes, finally.
Had some great action on surface lures.

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zenagain Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 2:20pm

Hey Free, you get a package recently from OS?

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freeride76 Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 2:52pm

Was waiting for me the other day-incredible surprise. Best present ever.
Correspondence incoming.

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tiger Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 2:55pm

What lure was doing the damage on topwater Steve? After a couple of lean years tailor-wise they seem to be way more abundant this winter. I'm guessing the more turbid waters of la Nina didn't help

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freeride76 Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 3:01pm

I was skipping a Bungee Cast like a garfish-deadly technique- then a new Rapala pencil dog walker.

This one: https://www.motackle.com.au/brands/rapala/rapala-precision-xtreme-pencil...

Bassday Bungee Cast: https://www.motackle.com.au/fishing/lures/hard-body/bassday-bungy-cast-1...

Yeah, I think you are right about the turbidity factor.

Only problem with those Bungee Casts is they are expensive and Longtails and GT's love them- bad news when hooking up on light tailor gear on the stones.

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zenagain Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 3:28pm

Cool, was concerned you didn't get it. Good luck.

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tiger Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 5:21pm

Nice mate. Yes can be an expensive business casting high end lures off the stones.

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tubeshooter Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 5:50pm

I've just been using the cheaper slugs. They don't seem too fussy at the moment anyway, and the salmon are real pain in the arse ATM. Bonito have also been amongst the schools.
I've switched to chasing thumper bream off the beach with pipis and mullet strips. Some nice ones getting landed ATM and they're basically right at your feet. Shiny and in top condition.

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tiger Saturday, 8 Jul 2023 at 9:22pm

Yep. The trusty halco twisty has been working fine for me on the tailor and bonito. Been catching a couple of each then reverting to crabs in the wash for some solid bream. Even landed a small Jew on crab last time out. Usually done and dusted by 8am. Hitting the stones early tomorrow, keeping the no surf blues at bay.

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freeride76 Sunday, 9 Jul 2023 at 7:33am

I threw plastics for jew yesterday for the pre-dawny.

Not a single jew bump but I got a massive bream on a big plastic- followed the lure up out of the wash, I dropped it back down and it ate it.
Must have been a territorial response, surely.

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flollo Tuesday, 11 Jul 2023 at 1:28pm
indo-dreaming wrote:

Wow crazy you still get fish like this at this time of year even in NSW.

Ive really got to consider moving north again, somewhere where you can get fish like this even in winter, im so over cold water for surfing and fishing, just need to find somewhere that is atleast 3hrs from a city to keep weekend crew to a minium.

Indo, I’m currently on the central coast and the only differences between summer and now are the wetsuit and the lack of people. Although surf is very small (2ft-ish) it is also completely empty. It’s exactly like summer, just super clean with westerly breeze and S direction rather than the NE. I had 2 great surfs yesterday and today in absolutely pristine conditions. There is not a cloud in the sky and you can easily walk around in shorts with warm afternoon temperatures.

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indo-dreaming Tuesday, 11 Jul 2023 at 7:32pm
flollo wrote:
indo-dreaming wrote:

Wow crazy you still get fish like this at this time of year even in NSW.

Ive really got to consider moving north again, somewhere where you can get fish like this even in winter, im so over cold water for surfing and fishing, just need to find somewhere that is atleast 3hrs from a city to keep weekend crew to a minium.

Indo, I’m currently on the central coast and the only differences between summer and now are the wetsuit and the lack of people. Although surf is very small (2ft-ish) it is also completely empty. It’s exactly like summer, just super clean with westerly breeze and S direction rather than the NE. I had 2 great surfs yesterday and today in absolutely pristine conditions. There is not a cloud in the sky and you can easily walk around in shorts with warm afternoon temperatures.

Nice, im jealous, wasn't actually too cold down here today but im just over winter and cold water, and has been lots of rain and wind of late.

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udo Sunday, 3 Sep 2023 at 12:32pm

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VicRhino Wednesday, 25 Oct 2023 at 5:24pm

Any swellnetters using a jet ski for fishing?

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adzy_ Wednesday, 22 Nov 2023 at 2:27am

Few jewies getting around at moment must be the wet weather, undersized thou 46cm n 49cm but still 2 in 9 days no complaints. Landbased ... kmart kids rod with a daiwa reel 15lb braid to a 20lb leader 0 ball sinker straight a 2o hook with a fresh herring. Happy days .... gotta the proof pics just dunno how upload em ... 39cm bream bycatch other day with the 46cm jewie

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saltman Wednesday, 22 Nov 2023 at 3:05pm

Also some big Tailor around the last week or two. (Between Freeride and the Goldy)
Regularly getting 50cm+ models and even a few >60cm

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freeride76 Wednesday, 22 Nov 2023 at 8:04pm

Had a red hot surface bite this arvo on big greenback tailor.

I took 7 home, which is a few more than I usually take, but I haven't had a feed for ages.

We'll eat them.

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saltman Thursday, 23 Nov 2023 at 10:35am

Agro tailor on poppers are so much fun!

I returned to the same stones this morning at 5.30am - nothing at all happening for 30 minutes so moved to a more exposed spot for an hour - and no one was catching a thing!
I put it down to the lack of swell so lack of white-water cover

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freeride76 Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 7:29am

If you told me I would get my PB jew off the stones in the 1st week of December on a mid neap tide, I would have laughed at you.

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basesix Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 7:36am

Yeeeeew!

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simba Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 8:52am

Fr, good fish and off the rocks as well..........weight ? im guessing around 20kg...?

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freeride76 Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 9:00am

142cm, a beesdick under 30 Simba.

very thick, well conditioned fish.

Pumped to get a clean , solo gaff shot on it.

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fitzroy-21 Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 9:02am

Absolute cracker FR. Good effort.

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freeride76 Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 9:09am

Just on a soft plastic, tiny little tick like a bream bite.

Ran me straight under a ledge thought I'd lost it, then swam at me, thought it was a tiny fish, then realised it was hooked and swam parallel to the coast, up into this crack where people blackfish.
thought for sure I would lose it.
backed off the drag and it swam out into open water, then back under a ledge.
Had to freespool again.
then finally up to the rock platform- for a perfect, first time gaff shot.
lot of luck.

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Pop Down Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 9:49am

Looks like that fish could feed 76 , Freeby :)

Sounds like U Freespooled it , really well with your local ( may I ask where this happened ) knowledge .

Is Soft Plastic tasty , for a fish , OR , just looks really tasty :)

A Tick , sounds like a , "whats this " action :)

I watched some footage yesterday , of a woman swimming with a couple of big Tiger Sharks .

Think it is the same girl who swam with Big Blue !

One shark was REALLY interested in her , circled her and kept coming back at her , snapping .

I couldn't believe it , but she stayed in the water and kept going back at the shark , pushing it away , and . AMLOST saying , I am NOT FN food you big fish .

Maybe , if not in a freezy , or charging from underneath , Sharks are able to be be dealt with ?

This Woman , like Laird H , IS pushing boundaries , like FR's fish .

I wouldn't do it , but , I love it .

edit - am glad my 2 daughters don't do this type of boundary pushing ,

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Craig Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 9:32am

That's a monster Steve! Need help dragging it up off the ledge?!

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freeride76 Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 9:33am

No Craig, I did it in stages. Definitely sweating by the time I got it back to the car.

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AndyM Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 10:04am

Fuck yeah, nice one Steve!
Bet you gathered an audience in the car park.

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AndyM Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023 at 10:06am

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