big Neil

I prefer small hooks with a wide gape when targetting Bream. It won't hurt ur chances to try a lighter leader. Experiment a bit and u'll catch 'em. Neil.

So we've had our annual rainfall in the past week and everyone is over it. My mates have all headed off to South Australia for a weeks Snapper, KGW and Salmon fishing. I should have been going too but had to cancel out due to Drs appointment in Wagga Wagga. Here's the irony... I can't get to the Drs cos the roads are all flooded. Anyway a mate was saying that he couldn't find the plans for (The Ark...how to build in 6 easy steps ) booklet. "You can borrow mine, I won't need it" I said . "Do you need anything from the shops while I'm coming over?" He said "just some bread and milk, please". So I flicked the light on in the garage and started to get the boat ready for the trip to his place via the shops. The boat's all ready and I open the garage door prepared to launch. "What's this?" I exclaim. The sun is shining brightly and there's no sign of the raging torrent of water. What the.... oh, then I woke up. Phew! I really need to go fishing somewhere, ANYWHERE. Neil.

Hi Aaron, we've all started fishing and had to learn how to catch the various species, like flathead and bream. Today, beginners have all the information at their fingertips (internet). Don't complicate things to start with, simply use the gear you have, as many fish are not hard to catch. Brickman has given you some good advice about the berley trail and putting a bait with a hook in it into the berley trail. Try with no weight first and if necessary put a small running sinker on then attach your hook. There are plenty of videos to show you how to attach braid and leader together and how to attach a hook to the leader and you can access these via Google. None of it is difficult to learn and once you have those basic skills you will catch plenty of fish and enjoy the experience, like the rest of us do. The only other thing you need to do is practice your new skills. Good luck, Neil.

Skilled fishermen and survivors x 3 and a budding biographer thrown in. Well done on a gr8 and comprehensive report. Big Neil.

G'day Drummo, yep tidal influence controls feeding in that depth of water...Neil.

Hi Kaiser, never thought of using those type of hooks...how do u apply the cheese to them? Do u just put ur cheese at the base (pointy end ) or run it up the hook? Makes sense about them unsnagging easier..will give 'em a go next time I'm out there. cheers, Neil.

Hi Kaiser and friends... question. Do u have a preferred rig for Cod fishing? Yesterday I used 2 different rigs and there wasn't an obvious better one. Rig 1 was a paternoster rig with ball sinker and rig 2 was a running ball sinker to about 30 cms of the hook. Rig 1 allows me to keep the shrimp (or yabbies) off the bottom a bit and stops them from diggin in and hiding. Not much difference in snagging between them either as I managed to get both snagged. Cheers, Neil.

Hi Kaiser and friends, I went down to the Bidgee at Narrandera yesterday and fished from the bank. Got a few decent sized shrimp and managed a couple of 30-35 cm Cod and a few reasonable Carp which were black. Funny thing though, I went to the same spot a month ago and it was almost 2 metres deeper. Lots of Cod being caught in the Bidgee at the moment. Big Neil.

Hi Guys, sorry I can't help by going with you as I live 7 hrs from Sydney. I can suggest that you all head to the Nepean at Penrith and fish there for carp. You need to be a bit persistent and it will pay off, I'm sure. Carp have a great ability to find food sources so the trick is to put food in the water and bring them to your bait. Bread is great for this... either wet breadcrumbs, form into a ball and chuck in where your bait is or moisten bread slices, squeeze most of the water out, and chuck small balls of this near your bait. The fish will find these and start feeding... all you have to do is catch them. They are strong fish and good fun to catch on light gear (4kg line). Float fishing can be good but you need to introduce your "berley" through the area you're drifting (if there's any current flowing). Hope you get out and try this and catch heaps of big carp. Good luck. Big Neil.

That just about sums up the best aspect of fishing. The unexpected days are the most memorable ones. Good report that captured the atmosphere.

Wet every 2nd piece of bread and mix the wet piece with a dry piece until the consistency is quite firm. It's then easy to mould round your hook. Carp spend a lot of time feeding on the bottom so put a heavier sinker on to allow you to cast where you want and know that your bread is on the bottom. I usually position my sinker close to my hook. If you fish say 15 mtres in then you can break off small balls of the bread and throw them in around your hook. In still water this will attract the fish to your bait. In running water a small berley cage is good when used instead of the sinker and filled with the same bait you're using (bread, corn, etc.) Hope this helps, Carp are good fun and fight better than most of out native fish do. Cheers, Neil.

Hi Reeling, Katkis has given you some good information there. Catching fish is as diverse as the universe so it's probably best to break it down a bit and target the fish you're likely to catch in an area. Flathead and bream are a good place to start and if you want to improve your chances bait is the easiest way to catch them. A 6ft spinning rod and small reel filled with monofilament (for backing), 125yds of 6lb braid and a leader of approx 4-8 lb. If you take your reel into a fishing tackle shop they will fit it all up for you. Best baits are prawns, mullet(cut into strips). chicken or mullet gut, applied to baitholder style hooks. Use a sinker which is just heavy enough to stay on the bottom, where these fish feed. You can catch these species around shorelines, harbours, wharves and moored boats in any salt water environment. When you have the hang of catching these species on bait you can move on to other species or techniques. The internet is a gr8 source of information but you can easily become overloaded. The main thing is to get out and put the time in and you'll catch fish and have lots of fun. Good luck and we'll look forward to seeing your catches on the site, soon. Neil.

Ooooops, this is what happens when an old fart is let loose on a computer. Sorry.

Gr8 report Stan. I think that's what we all love about fishing is the anticipation and the 'hit' when it comes (often unexpected). Hope u get ur big 1 soon, Neil.

Gr8 report Stan and well done! Think that's what we all enjoy about fishing is the anticipation and the unexpected 'hit' when it comes. Hope u get a big 1 soon, Neil.

thank you Geoff. We all went the next day and landed a few Carp. Only managed 1 shrimp. Bit puzzled, where are all the shrimp? Can't remember...

Yesterday I took 3 of the grandkids to the Bidgee for a "fish". 13y/o lad, 10y/o lass and 7y/o lad. Easiest fish to catch is Carp so took a few leftover slices and the shrimp net. Plan was to use bread whilst I caught some shrimp, which are good bait for most fish. The river was running fast and the shrimp didn't want to play, so made do with the bread. Can't remember when I learned to fish or who taught me (maybe I was self - taught) but catching Carp round here is easy... piece of cake. They'll all have fun hauling in a few each. Baited up for them and handed rod to 13y/o who promptly cast into a substantial Eucalypt which he "didn't see". Told him to hang on a minute while I get the other 2 baited up and fishing. 10 y/o has had a few lessons from Poppy and made a good cast out into the current. I cast the other rod in and put it in the rod holder for 7y/o and set about getting line back from giant invisible Eucalypt. This achieved (with great skill) I put more bread on the hook and left 13 y/o to have another cast. I can see you're ahead of me here...that's right, with thousands of kms of river he casts across everyones lines. 7y/o decided his bait was gone and reeled in only to get snagged on a tree root below. Couldn't release it and broke it off. Retackled that line and put some more of the dwindling bait resource on and helped him cast in. Right now I can get my gear baited up and show them how it's done. Good bite on 7y/o rod and I told him to wait, wait wait...right now, strike.. and we're on. He's only a lightweight and the Carp nearly pulled him down the bank and in the river. He struggled for a few minutes, yelling and giggling before the fish got off right near the edge. He got to see it and it was "huge" in his words. They all managed to hook a Carp but none were landed. Saved me having to "knock 'em on the head". Anyway they must have had fun cos they want to go again today. More bread this time and I'm sure we'll have a few on the bank. Must have been how I started fishing, just can't remember...

[Hi General Zod, sounds like u had a very eventful day on the water. Main thing is u survived and next time u head out will be much less trouble. Good luck and let us all know how u go... won't be long before u get into the fish and iron out the boat problems. Good luck, Big Neil.

[Hi Craig, Prawns, mullet or mullet gut are good baits to start with. Try to fish close to structures such as wharves or moored boats. Use a sinker that is just heavy enough to hold the bottom and baitholder hooks work well. Hope you catch a few, Neil.

Hope everyone has a safe Xmas and 2012 and we r all able to keep doing what we love so much. A special thanks to the administration for keeping this magnificent forum going, for us all to enjoy. Cheers, Big Neil.

No big surprise, it's a gr8 site. Well done to everyone for their contribution. Neil.

Fab 1 ,how lucky were they that nobody was killed. Still time to buy the Lottery ticket. I hope u and they have a great Xmas and New Year...bet u all will. Big Neil.

A very well documented story Keflapod. Glad u ended up with a feed, u deserved it. Well done, Big Neil.

Hey Mad Mullet,you've got the life. A missus, a girlfriend and Bream like that...u've got it made, lol. Big Neil.