bennoz

how true ! i wound my casting finger in electrician tape to the point i couldnt bent the finger. One big cast and the braid cut straight through the tape and my finger

im a fan of braid - and yes to braid off the beach. Just use a wind on leader (fluro casts better IMO... less stretch when using big sinkers, otherwise id just save the cash cuz mono is fine) Braid... casts further cuts through wind and waves better smaller diameter - fits more onto reel more sensative to bites - can be helpful with all the wave movement lasts longer than mono

Hi Stephen im keen to join you and more than happy to pay my share / help with the chores. Pm me next time you're heading out Cheers Ben

woah how kool is that. its like stuff you only see on TV. dont even want to know how much that was...it was worth it

HAHHA Pred my B'day is coming up at the end of May. ive already contacted Reef Magic. now i just need to find 5 more people before i book...hint hint

g'day mate just my 2 cents here - and i wish someone told me when i first started... Sure its nice to have nice gear, but how often will you use it, how well will you look after it, and how much are you planning on spending ? just remember that top gear isnt going to get you bigger fish considering your rock / beach fishing - this is considered the most hard wearing type of fishing on gear. Sand/dirt gets in the reel gears, reel gets a drink in salt water, rods get dropped, scratched and nicks (leading to sharp edges and line breaks) etc etc etc have you checked out the swap and sell section on this site - i read this last week and was so tempted on the last 2 items... but i already own 2 rock outfits http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=55138

soft maybe... but not whipped

you guys are better than i am... another weekend i struggled out of bed with a hangover and couldnt move all day...

its been a while since i came back empty handed from a beach session (luckily). I find an hour each side of a tide change to be the most productive. Also changes in light - dawn / dusk also produce bites. As to water depth - doesnt really matter. You wont have to cast for just for the sake of it. Just have to find the "structure" the fish are in - on a sandy beach thats gutters, rips and holes

hey mate...been a while ive finally got a spare weekend and am thinking of heading out sat arvo / evening if your keen. not sure where yet - maybe curlcurl or whale beach

Hi All Its been a while since i got out on the beach and i was thinkin gof hitting Nth Narrabeen beach tomorrow morning. so if anyone is interested in coming, your more than welcome. The plan is 6:30 at the car park here: im out to dinner tonight, but PM for contact details if your interested cheers

who do their preferences go to ?

google dropper loop. learn to tie this knot. Practice with some cheap mono. Once you master this try the twisted dropper (i prefer the twisted as it holds up better in rough conditions - ie surf, without tangles) Alternatly you could buy the 3 way swivels, and use that to create the dropper for the paternoster tip: for making the rig - i like to use think heavy mono - say 60lb. Its harder to tie knots with but it tangles less when casting or while in heavy surf. dont stress though if you dont have any

did you fish from "fishermans rock" ? i love that scenery of that spot , although im always a little dubious of keeping the fish i catch from there

g'day mate i cant comment on the value of the rod, but i recently rebuild my old mans surf rod. It was a fun project and a good learning experience, but it was costly (both time and money) i spent $70ish on new guides $12 for spray paint $12 for spray varnish $8 per spool of thread (i brought 2) $16 for epoxy glue (which turned out to be the wrong one) $20ish for the correct epoxy glue so your looking at minium 100 bucks, not including redo-ing the grips or reel seat, plus the cost of the rod It is pretty cool though, catching a fish on a rod you built yourself

just remember that your rock fishing. Your reel IS going to get wet, Scratched and banged around. I wouldnt be spending a whole lot of money of a expensive reel for this type of fishing. I have shakespere sigma 2200 (a sponsor of fishraider site http://www.purefishing.com.au/reels/shakespeare/spin/sigma-2200-spin/ ). mine is the SIG70 and its great. the reel itself is very solid, smooth and has a decent drag. It has a high gear ratio and is spooled with almost 500yards of 30lb Fins braid. Reel+braid cost me just under $200 highly recommended

sounds like alot of fun did you get any squid ? what was your setup for the fish ? i live in the north shore, but im out maroubra way sat arvo/sun morning. Was going to drag my mate out for a fish of the rocks. Do you mind me asking where you were - im not too intamate with the area

pretty much. just go exploring. theres heaps of places to get down from. go for a wander tonight even walk across the stones from the wileys bath enterance further up the hill. i saw a couple, one in a deck chair, the other lying on the rocks - both sunning themselves on an awesome looking platform just down from wileys personally Id avoid the north side as theres usually more people, the rocks are more exposed to the open ocean and im not 100% on where the marine park starts from

the rocks around coogee are fairly well trodden and pretty safe. The beach is also patrolled, and wedding cake island reduces any swell into coogee bay. That being said always watch where you go for a good 15min (to get a feel for the swell) and tell someone whre your going predatory species like Aus salmon and tailor like a more "Active" beach - lots of current, whitewash and gutters to ambush from. coogee isnt one of these beaches so id target something else. personally id be looking at whiting, bream, flathead, squid, garfish, blackfish. good places to start fishing usually involve the edges where the sand meets the weed/structure. This means arount the point (north or south). you dont have to go far or even climb rocks to get to these places. running sinker to hook - cast to the sandy patches (to avoid snags) should get you whiting, bream, flathead float to hook/hooks over the edges of the weed should get you a wide range of species float out a pillie on a squid spike for squid while you bottom bash

what are your target species ? its usually a good idea to try and fish for a specific fish rather than anything FYI - i went snorkling around south coogee sun arvo / evening. About 50meters along the rocks from the pool at the south end, theres a big sandy patch - hard to miss from the shore as its between rocks and weed. While snorkling i saw a dozen BIG KG whiting. i was tempted to get out and grab my rod also saw a large school of garfish just before wileys baths, and the usual reef / rock fish in amoungst the structure

2 weeks ago i caught up with a mate, whos family has a holiday house in gwandalan (had no idea how close to snapper point this is) last weekend (just passed) i was too hung over to move not sure what the plan is this weekend but i reckon we oculd pencil something in

3rd time lucky hey sounds like you both had a good time...and another cracker bonnie - well done

thanks ceph, and everyone else for the help finished the rod last week and it came up a treat. really happy with it. Put a sand spike on the base of the rod. got a new reel - just a cheapie 50buck 5000size reel with some 20lp braid. Spent last weekend at a mates house on lake maquarie and blooded the "new" rod. Landed my biggest aus salmon ive ever caught, from frazer beach. weighed in at just over 5kgs. (pic doesnt do it justice ) Hooked up on 2 more large salmon but they threw the hooks with some great aerobatic jumps in the surf great fun and the rod handled a treat here are some pics - sorry for the poor quality (used my phone)

what a great idea.. Im in - Sundays are good and we can try em out afterwards

awesome stuff that pic would have been a RIPPER shot with the CBD in the background as a massive stripe jumps. even as it is, gives me tingles