NewToFishing

Far out mate, I had a read of that article and it's truly gold and what I was looking for. You are 100 percent on point in that we need to be thinking always. I will have to read it a dozen times to soak it all in and reflect more on it. On soft plastics, Im also one of those guys who thought they wouldn't work as well as normal bait, but after reading that article I will give it a go for sure. I'm guilty of using a lure a few times and not getting a bite and dismissing it haha. There is just so much to soak in, it's wonderful and having that knowledge from someone who has been there and done that and also mentored others to be successful is priceless. Much appreciated mate.

Bloody oath mate, I could imagine your feeling when you landed it, unforgettable, and those live slimy are amazing even though I've only used them once haha. May I ask what knot you prefer for game fishing, I mean the knot for the hook, I usually use a uni knot for that. I've seen some people use crimping but not sure if that's needed.

Very true mate, I've been waiting patiently on this weather to clear up so I can go again hahah... Dry lines at the moment. Yea weeding out what works and what doesn't is part of the fun I reckon, no one was ever born good at something, we all make mistakes and learn from them.

Thanks for that mate, yea it makes sense about the lightest tackle, as some fish could be line shy and not go for it if they see anything odd. About the fresh bait, how much of a difference does it make? For example if I buy a pack of pilchards and they thaw out and then I put them back in the freezer and use them a week later, does that really affect my chances of a fish hitting it? Just wondering in your experience how it affects it.

Bloody awesome kingfish there mate, I didn't know they could grow that big! Hoping to catch one even half the size of that in time. If you remember, how long was the fight? I'm assuming it was on live bait?

Yea I am coming to realise the beauty of fishing and it's very therapeutic mate, even just sitting alone and enjoying the view is amazing for mental health. There is also a "zone" which I seem to get into, you forget about everything else in life at those moments and just focus on the fish, that to me is priceless and very meditative.

Absolutely makes sense mate, I have been trying to target big game fish off the rocks, so have packed heavy duty tackle mostly. Have one rod and reel for live bait only and other lighter one for use while the live bait one is in the water, makes things much easier when you know what you are going for.

Cheers @big Neil, definitely a wealth of knowledge on this forum. I have realised as you said that the theory is already there, with YouTube teaching me a ton of skills. However getting out there is what makes the difference. Just waiting on some better weather 🌡️

Hi all, Hope everyone is doing well! As a new fisherman, I always like to learn new things from those who have experienced it before me. I thought I would ask you all, what's your best fishing knowledge/wisdom gained over the years? I'm sure we could all learn from each other here Thanks!

Noted mate, will keep that in mind for next hookup, hopefully soon. Would love to fish with you one day down in Kiama and learn from all the knowledge you gained over the years would be a goldmine. To be honest even if it was a shark or kingfish or whatever, it's the first big fish I've hooked and the terrain wasn't the best for bringing one up even if it got to that stage as I was fishing solo, no gaff and high cliff, probably would have snapped the line on the rocks trying to lift it up.

Not a drone in sight mate, I'm learning by experience that the big fish aren't always far out. Yea I had the drag set pretty high, the reel has about 30 kg of max drag so it can deal with anything. I instinctively lowered the drag once it went the bottom to allow it to come out by itself maybe, but that didn't work it just kept going deeper. I reckon next time il just have to drag it up before it dives down and not give it a chance, as my tackle was strong enough to handle it. True about the mono with abrasion resistance, good tip mate Il give that a go thank you.

Thanks mate, yea I hear they fight dirty, don't worry the first ever kingy I catch, will be posted here straight away hahaha.

True mate, I've got a ways to go still, but at least can do the basics and the inflatable life jacket is a good measure also. Hoping to become stronger swimmer over time.

Yea it could have been a shark mate. I saw a few divers near the beach to my right side. This spot isn't flat and a bit dangerous, but it's high up and the waves can't reach it thats why I went there. Landing a good sized fish would be extremely hard here agreed. You might know it, there are 3 rod holders dug into the ground.

Hi all, Hope everyone is well. I took some swimming lessons and can comfortably float and swim now. So I bought a life jacket and headed out to little blowhole in Kiama to see what would happen. Got there around 4:30 pm yesterday, no action until around 7 pm. Caught a large slimy mackerel and hooked it onto a live bait rig with a float and one metre of 100 pound fluoro leader with a uni knot. Around 1.5 hours later, the reel starts screaming and drag gets pulled, big fish on, it straight away went under the rocks and after some struggle, took the hook with it and also cut the leader. It might have been a kingfish, but I have never caught one before so I have no clue, but the strength of the fish was insane. I've attached the video of the fish pulling drag. Overall, caught 18 slimy mackerel of good size and then went home. Was a good result, but now I'm thinking of that one that got away lol. Not bad for my first time trying to live bait, I'm hooked now 😅 VID-20240110-WA0010(1).mp4

Mate have a look at the beginning of this video, it shows how a downrigger is used on the Phantom 4, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=16FMMhNk-iA&t=6s&pp=ygUjVHVuYSBiZWFjaCBmaXNoaW5nIGRyb25lIEF1c3RyYWxpYSA%3D

Hi mate, For the mavic pro there are 2 options, the light activated drop and the downrigger. The Phantom, I believe only the downrigger available. It has options to tighten or loosen the strength that it holds the line on, I believe it’s something very similar to what the guys doing the tuna fishing drop were using, but much less expensive. As for how to set it up, zip tie chopstick or something similar between the two feet, and then tie the downrigger to the middle of it, Just put the line on, set how tight you want it and when you close the bail, it should come right off. Edit: This is what the tuna fishing guys used : Google Sea Ulcer Sky Rigger Fishing Rig for DJI Phantom It costs $200 But as you can see, it’s the exact same mechanism as the downrigger i linked, take some inspiration from that and build your own.

That's crazy man, amazing tuna from the beaches I could only dream of, definitely will go to his charter soon.

Yea I noticed that mate the first time I did drone fishing. I used the Penn 950ssm, but didnt free spool it or tighten the drag too much. I set the drag just so I could hear it click and slowly took the bait out at a steady pace. It worked quite well and no tangles or lines in the wind. I also have an overhead reel which I haven't spooled with line yet and will give that a go mate. Appreciate the advice.

I'm keen too mate, it would be great to learn

That's definitely noted. I know it's my own responsibility and the forum has nothing to do with it. Thank you for the warning.

Yea agreed, the life jacket will not help me at all mate if i get dragged in, might have to stick to beach fishing or something until i learn to swim... honestly no i cannot swim. I had a drowning when i was younger so that scared me from the ocean.

Thanks for all the feedback and advice boys. Definitely swimming lessons are first priority, and already have bought a life jacket. @Volitan Its very sad that the days of LBG have gone, and i assumed as such when thinking about it, because of the state of commercial fishing etc, cant believe that the glory days were 50 years ago. @noelm, When the weather gets better mate, I will head down to Kiama and gather some livebait and try my luck there and just get some experience. I was tempted to buy a rather expensive reel (Daiwa Dogfight 8000) but to be honest probably will not even need it and the one I have now, 950SSM Penn, would be fine for the job until i can actually learn how to fish.

Yea the life jacket is a number one priority to get mate, as I'm not the best swimmer. I was thinking of rigging up a harness of rope or something to the rocks to avoid being washed in if a wave does come, have you seen anyone do that and how feasible would that be in a place like Kiama? I would imagine there has to be a place to attach it to the rock, but if not would just have to be super careful and always watch the water. I remember a few years ago a mate of mine showed me some mackerel he caught in Kiama, they were not huge so maybe they could be used for livebait also. He said they come in schools and you can just get them one after another easy.

Wow mate, you are a legend thank you for the knowledge, this would have taken me a huge amount of time to find out for myself. I will keep you guys updated on any success or failures lol.