Fishing tips
Less than a metre of water !?
Off the beaches ?
Hey Ben, sounds like if you're still keen to impress the missus then you should be stalking Freeride's Jew holes....you might want to hit up Freeride for an invite though.
Fishoes can get pretty narky about their spots.
And you thought Lunada Bay was bad....
Well Ben go into a good fishing tackle shop and tell them your new at the game and need advice,they should be only too eager to help so as to sell you some gear in the future.Plenty of quiet waterways up your way and throwing out 'soft plastics' for flathead and bream can be a great way to end a day especially if you get a fish,good way to chill out.
Blowin wrote:This is getting good.
Good to see Fitzroy Chiming in ....aren't you a pro fisho ?
This stuff must seem like child's play.
Nah Blowin, not child's play at all. I know and appreciate exactly what goes into catching good fish and still get that buzz when you get a good one.
One of the best fishing experiences I've had in a while was seeing my eldest daughter (8yo) catch, not only her first Barra , but two in a row a couple of weeks ago. 63 & 65cm all by herself on a cheap little kids rod and reel. Cast, hooked up, fought and bought to the boat all on her own. I reckon I was the proudest Dad in the country that day and she had a smile like a split watermelon for days. :)
Nice story Fitz.
Speaking of lures, these are deadly. Probably not well known out of Japan but lethal on virtually anything from Iwana (Japanese Brook trout) to Suzuki (Japanese Sea Bass). Reckon they'd go alright in Oz.
Love lure fishing. Used to do a spot of Saltwater fly too.
Nice fish blowin and impressive flick book shearer
Still get pelagics off the stones in Sydney have caught tuna and king fish just around the corner from one of Sydneys best waves.
There is also a place not far from a bombora in Sydney that houses Mangrove Jacks, GT's, bigeye's, TArpon and giant herring all caught and comfirmed - year round to boot.
'Qantas' colour laser pro gold - nuclear chicken Gulps everything loves em from flounder to flathead snapper - gold bombers for barra
Free ride do you have a wind direction that makes fishing quiet as I have been told by se locals a tad further south that they won't have much luck on a s/e.
alsurf South wind is just associated with falling barometric pressure I've had good luck just before big changes just don't fish during 'event'
Caught a bass today in a creek in Sydney you would never think held bass.
Are the tailor and salmon running down there yet or still to early?
My sure fire tip is to post anything against the conservatives and Tony " Tones" Barber will bite quicker than a run of flat head
Alsurf heaps around every surf - nearly got the metals out early one morning will in the coming weeks.
nah, SE wind is one of my favs. that's not a falling barometer wind around here, quite often the synoptic wind associated with high pressure.
Zen, I would go absolutely nuts if let loose in a japanese tackle shop. Love japanese lures. Problem is , because they are so expensive I'm reluctant to tie them on.
Where i am in Vicco many fisherman say "Wind from the east the least, wind from the west the best"
And actually i have found some truth to this.
Do fishermen really break out into verse when passing on useful tips?
Surely they just say "it's better when it's westerly, cobber".
Some very protective of there fishing grounds.....certainly break out into verbal verse over fishing near there grounds.
found a red hot tailor bite yesty afternoon. I did what I usually do when chasing tailor.....start at one headland and work my way across all the headlands till I find the fish.
first three spots were dead as door nails...got to the last spot just before sunset and it was on like donkey kong. Big greenbacks smashing lures every cast. Switched to light gear and hooked an absolute horse last cast. 4.4kilos of angry tailor on ten pound gear is good fun.
You may not like salmon but, as a fisherman , it's always good to see fish behaving like this.
http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-news/video-victoria-news/salmon-run-fo...
PS. You got a photo of that tailor Freeride ?
I never weigh my fish so it would be good to see what size you're talking.
Going sick, heaps of fun casting metal lures into Aussie Salmon when they are like that, good fighting fish on light tackle, taste like crap even fresh and bleed but fine for fish cakes.
Smoked aus salmon is good a stainless smoker can be bought well under $100
Are you an Alvey or eggbeater user free ride and if so what type of eggbeater?
All these years on Ben are you having a fish ?
Freeride that monster Jew caught in Sth Africa ....60kg whoa !
Not leaving bits of tackle, line, plastic bait bags and cigarette butts on the beaches and piers would be a great start drongos.
Finally managed to crack out the rods and reels, and am getting into the swing of things locally on the Tweed. Haven't had much luck other than the odd little sand whiting or bream, but I'm gonna give this coast a red hot go over the next few months. Lots of inlets, creeks, rivers, beaches, headlands - if I can't catch anything here I'll give up for good.
I can also see me spending an inordinate amount of money on this new hobby. Bloody hell it's expensive!
you should be Ok , its a pretty good time of year and there's plenty of ground fish on the move ,, tho if I had a dollar for every time someone said "if I cant catch anything here I'll give up for good" , and didn't ,,I could buy a new board. Tight lines.
You can catch anything off the beach or river or creek on a 30 buck combo set-up from BCF. Dig your own pipis, pump your own yabbies and it's a very low weekly spend, especially if you start putting fillets in the fridge.
I used to burley in the river/creek and catch garfish on maggots for tailor bait but can't be arsed now, just use lures.
Pack of chrome lures from BCF for ten bucks will cover you for throwing at tailor off the stones.
Give the estuary a miss.
The ocean may seem like hard work initially compared to the relative stillness of the river, but it is this state of flux and high energy that makes the fish bite more aggressively - at the right times - and gives access to larger fish .
Equals more food on the table.
Good luck , Ben.
Fishing is so similar to surfing in that it takes a long time to really get past the initial reward plateau of landing a fish , any fish ,to the point whereby you are consistently catching quality fish with any consistency as a result of understanding the process involved.
Its also like surfing in that you really want to proselytise the buzz , but you only ever want to fish a spot without any crowds .
Contradictory , I realise.
You'll realise what I'm talking about when you find a spot producing fish regularly and you rock up to find someone in " your " spot , hauling them in....and it's then that you'll realise that you are now undoubtably a true fisherman.
Doesn't compare with surfing as an acute high , but as rewarding on an overall level when you immerse yourself fully into the activity.
Agree with Freeride. Here on the East coast the tailor is the easiest fish to catch. Find a hole with a bit of spilling wash at the end of a rip or off the rocks and throw shiny metal lures at dusk / Dawn and it would be hard to miss especially if they coincide with the peak of a tide , particularly high. If you do miss, just come back the next night ...or the next until the fish show up. Or move to the next rip , then the next etc etc
Hints : Terns on the beach will indicate bait - and tailor - seagulls indicate the presence of hot , salty chips.
Fish the gutters between home and the office Benjamin
Flick a lure ,soft plastic ..or berley up and toss a bait
" If I cant catch anything here , I'll give up for good".. Post your photos Ben or I'll expect your resignation on my desk . But I wouldn't fish too close to' the office' while theyr'e pile driving , drilling or jackhammering around that new foreshore work, the mullet fishermen reckon industrial noise like that can spook fish.
Ben you did say can anyone offer me some Pointers
shannon_ryan instagram_
If you've got light gear (2-4kg rod & 6-8 lb line) and a kayak I'd be getting into the tweed river for a mangrove jack or bream with soft plastics. Under the edge of the mangroves in the shade or alongside the pylons of the bridge. The hunt is as good as the catch! Also with soft plastics in the area you would have to do alright with the lizards along the banks where-ever you see a drop off into deeper water they love the ambush spots. I haven't fished it just remember kayaking it about 8 years back seeing all the fish and wishing I had my gear.
Ben did the fishing bug get you are you having a cast ?
nathan fletcher insta - Lure pic.....you like this one freeride ...Faaark !
Had my first go at throwing a few squid jigs around for calamari last week while whiting fishing and got three good size calamari one just over 20cm hood, one over 30cm and one just under 40cm, had a good feed and have a heap of reasonably fresh bait for this week.(frozen)
Edit: actually i lied, i forgot i did have half a dozen cast the week before, 1st calamari/squid this week was on my first cast though :D got to love that.
having a little snorkel yesterday and found the biggest whiting I've ever seen in a very unlikely place. could be a spring/summer haven in the nor-easters.
A few weeks ago I was walking along the beach into town , which is a shallow bay type deal , when I spied a marlin in two foot of water over sand roughly 10 metres off the beach. This is in a spot where youd be doing well to catch a single flathead in a session. Bare white sand bottom , clear water with a young marlin cruising around. 5 feet from dorsal to tail.
I’ve heard of this further North ( Hervey Bay ? ) , but this was crazy.
Just goes to show that there’s no rules in nature.
yeah, inside of Fraser, full of baby blacks in a metre of water.
about this time of year.
I think i've said this before but i saw a bloke land a maybe 4-5ft long sailfish right in front of Wavebreak is. on the Goldy.
That was trippy.
everything swims into that seaway.
I caught a 30 pound long tail tuna inside the Richmond river.
walking at the waters edge in the dark a couple of years ago and about to paddle out in the grey light before dawn and there at the very waters edge were two sharks between 3 and 4 foot long thrashing about chewing on something. I could have easily knocked both on the head without getting my feet wet.
Ah Ben what a challenge and what’s going to impress the missus? A 10kg jewfish, nice whiting or a keeper bream. So mate I suggest narrow the playing field of choices. It’s like surfing. I don’t think a man if your experience would surf the same board in lumpy 2 foot onshore NE wind swell compared to 4-6 groomed south lines. So like surfing it’s an art. Do some research, pick your target and then equipment up appropriately. Best of luck.
Ty Pig Patrol U tube
Sewer fishing with Huge Rat Lure..wild stuff
This bloke fishes storm drains in the States ..some unbelievable catches from dodgy looking dead water
A new moon over a bountiful current held a bit of promise for the day’s hunt.
Three words to describe the fishing today......sharks , sharks and sharks.
At one stage there would have been at least a dozen small whalers schooling under the Sea Wok. Probably landed about twenty of the bastards. Lost too many good rigs to the toothy fuckers.
It was busy fishing all morning. With three rods in play it was mayhem. A couple of lives and a floating mulie ( pilchard ) on the go. Catching more livies whenever they spired on the sounder.
Mostly pike .....slippery buggers. Unlike compliant slimeys or yackas , the pike love to make a mess of the sabiki jig . So it was that I’d just pulled in a string of three of them squirming out of the water and the jig leader wrapped in knots around the floor of the boat when two of the livies went off simultaneously. The runs were short and plodding ....fucking sharks.
I grabbed the nearest and skull dragged it to the boat. Violent head shakes telling me it was no mackerel- the target species . No surprise with the absence of silver flash when I first caught colour. Good sized brown fish coming to the surface ....till it rolled and I caught sight of the yellow lips and throat of a very nice jewfish.
Shit just got real.
A bit of sweat hit my brow as I became invested in the fish. The fish running hard and too much happening at once. The second rod buckling over - another Jew ? - the sabiki jig, still wriggling with pike , now wrapping around my feet and the spare hooks digging into my legs , my hands slimed from the pike as though they’re dipped in Vaseline.
Got the Jew to the side of the boat with my feet hobbled by bait jig hooks. Threading the line around the second rod which was bunting ferociously . Finally get a gaff shot and my hands slip from pike slime , the gaff glancing off the jew’s thick scales. The fish powered up again and my heart leapt into my throat. Fuck.....this was way harder than it had any right to be.
The fish ran out of steam and started wallowing. Realised that I had time ...wait for the shot, the fish is fucked. Then it actually rolled over. Upside down and virtually immobile and the hook fell out of its mouth as though it was barbless.
Fuck !!!!!
Still time for a groping gaff shot as the boat and fish separated in the drift of the wind....the Jew was just out of range and the shot fell just shy. Curses now reaching the heavens. I grind the engine onto gear and shoot towards the fish just as it realised it’s luck and musters the strength to roll over and slowly disappears into the depths.
Wait...were you expecting a happy ending ?
Fucken fishing.
hahahahaha, got to love that sight as a beaten fish slowly powers away.
And then you call your mate seeking commiserations and the first words out of his mouth are......” You fucking kook . “
Not much I could say to that.
Blowin at least you didnt half gaff it,you know the panic lung and gaff breaks out fish gets off and dies or eaten ........after a good fight if you lose a good fish and it gets away without damage its all part of the game......lots sharks means lots mackers except they are a bit shy .....pike are great live bait.
Yep, got the Jew on a pike and also a couple of spotty mackerel.
Had a good observation today . After having the usual story where the floating mulie ( pilchard ) gets somehow smashed and travelled without hook ups , was rebaiting the gang rig and I tossed the busted old mulie over the side when a half dozens spotties zoomed in and devoured it at high speed.
I quickly dropped the gang rigged bait over the side and it drifted down to the waiting macks. Again they sped towards it then veered at the last second and slowly swam past. They fully registered the hooks even in the dullish water and immediately lost interest.
With them still lurking around, I dropped a livey over the side with a hook plainly visible sticking out of its back like a TV aerial. Wire trace obvious.
The livey lasted all of 1 second before it was grabbed in a blistering run.
I suppose the difference between live bait and dead bait is provenance . Similar to if I choose a pie out of a pie warmer at a bakery I’ll eat it without hesitation, whilst if I find a hot pie inside a bakery bag and it’s sitting on a park bench I wouldn’t consider eating it unless I was starving.
Dead baits catch some fish, live baits catch all fish.
yep pretty much it,cant beat a live slimey but they still work dead ....mackeral can be hook and wire shy at times esp in clear water...try going to lighter wire and smaller hooks if not on the munch....dont have shiny swivels and use as small as you can black ones..but you probably know this stuff.
Aaaarrrgghhh! The one that got away hey Blowin! Jew have a way of haunting you! I took the yak down yesterday, and will concur the fish were in a ravenous mood. Realised this little guy had hitched a ride, had to find him a new home in a suitable tree on the riverbank.
leaf gecko?
Yeah, got heaps of them. I store the kayak in an old wooden shed. There's a clutter of them that live in there. Felt really bad, should've checked the tree before I left to see if he was still there and bring him back to his family.
Great story Blowin, Got a great laugh and can relate to too much going on at once when you have a few rods going. Its amazing how you can turn into "Mr Fumbles" in a brief second.
Thought I’d add this to the thread.
Wife takes daughter and neighbours kids fishing 3@6-11+Alsatian.
Kids catch bream from the river, and everyone has a rod, yay!
Dog eats kids bait on line, surgery , I’m laughing but $1000+......Boooo!
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.