[lures to use for pelagics esp kings and bonitos]

Plenty of good info here.

 Pelagics can be very fussy at times so it's best to have a bunch of lures of different colours and sizes. Some of my best sessions have come from firstly getting an idea what they are eating on that day and matching that profile. This is done by just observing your surroundings, watch for birds, small schools of bait moving around etc.

 You'd be surprised how locked in they can get, often throwing a 3 inch lure when they're locked in to a 2.75 inch profile will mean the difference between a fish every 20 casts or one every cast (this is golden advice I received from another raider a little while ago). For this reason, I always go out with a bunch of metals (Any will work) and soft plastics in the 4-5 inch range (Jerkshads and paddletails). If I can't match the bait with a metal, I will trim down a plastic to the profile of bait I see swimming around.

 In saying that, often being unconventional can be rewarding. Many times I have been side by side with other anglers spinning metals and it's my big obnoxious popper that gets the bite.

 In short, take whatever you can with you and don't be afraid to switch it up.

[Sydney Main Harbour Activity]

Thanks for the report mate.

Very positive sign for things to come.

Cheers

[Beach main and leader lb]

Hey mate,

Last summer I got away with using 20lb mono and 20lb leader for most of my bait use having no trouble hooking whiting, bream, tailor and the odd salmon around Sydney. As long as your bait is presented correctly you shouldn't have too many issues going heavier.

On some days I would go down to a 10-12lb leader if I was struggling to get any hits which would help.

 

 

 

[Floating or sinking stickbaits ?]

On 6/24/2020 at 12:23 PM, Green Hornet said:

I fish sinking stickbaits, mainly because they're heavier, obviously giving you better distance and you can still fish them across the surface if you don't give them time to sink.

I dropped into my local store and picked up a couple of Samaki Flashs for something different. I have to admit, they look pretty good.

The Samaki Flashs are a gun little lure. Cast like a metal but have the action of a stick bait when swept. Unreal

[A Spin on the Sand]

Great Report mate. Stoked to see that the ankle held up for a session! Heres to many more

[Questions on beach fishing]

Casting distance is often misunderstood by many. Bigger casts can hurt your chances of finding the fish. A few threads similar to this one always advise that sometimes the fish can be within a few metres of shore which is often the case. I have found some of my most productive beach fishing days not needing to cast further than 10-15m. You'd be very surprised the size of some fish that come in close to feed. You want to cast into the gutters or just aside them mixing it up if you don't get a bite.

There's plenty of info available on identifying gutters both on here and on other sites so have a good read before you head out.

Beach fishing beats the life out of gear so a good rinse and wipe down with a cloth or towel at home goes a long way in ensuring longevity of your tackle.

Took a mate and I a few outings before we became confident fishing off the beach so don't beat yourself up if it seems slow at first.

Best of luck

 

 

[Questions on beach fishing]

G'day mate

I fish the northern beaches pretty regularly and it's great.

Your outfit is fine for throwing pillies off the sand. I personally use gang hooks as it holds the bait a little better in my experience but the circles should be fine.

I have two large star sinkers for beach fishing which I alternate between depending on the current. One is a 42g and the other is a 56g. Your size 1 should be fine if there isn't too much current but you may need to bring something heavier as the beaches have been very turbulent the past few weeks.

Finding a gutter is ideal on the beach. Not too sure if the lagoon is running after this rain but I'd assume so. 

I have never really found a drastic increase in hook up rate when using berley at my local but then again it doesn't hurt.

North Narrabeen is generally quite busy on the weekends so just be wary of others around and use common sense. For instance,  I wouldn't be using berley with heaps of people in the water.

The boys over at Narrabeen B&T are gurus of the area so I would highly suggest heading in for a chat.

Cheers

[Pelagic lures]

G'day Will

I'm not a rock fishing guru but I have picked up some solid tips from other fishos.

Some great hard bodies that I see often include Rapala X-raps, Storm So-Run minnow, Halco Lazer Pro and Nomad Riptide stickbaits.

Nomad and Halco make some wicked poppers for the price so it may be good to have one in your box.

Having a range of soft plastics is also handy. Anything from a 2.5" Slim SwimZ in a natural / white colour to large 9" plastics. It's good to try and identify what the fish are feeding on and try to match your lure to that.

In saying all of that, the humble metal should not be neglected. I have caught some quality fish with them and when you lose one it doesn't hurt the bank too much.

Cheers

[Rod to pair with Stradic FL]

I have a Daiwa TD Black Wicked Weasel and a Shimano Raider in 2-4kg. My 2500 Stradic sits perfectly on both.

Cheers

[Stradic FK vs CI4]

hey mate

I have a 2500 Stradic FK and a 2500 Stradic CI4. I find the CI4 to be much lighter than the FK but performance wise I find them relatively the same. I prefer the feel of the FK solely because it balances perfectly with my light set up better than the Ci4.

In saying that, they are both gun reels and you cannot go wrong with either.

[My First Alvey - Rod to match?]

21 hours ago, wazatherfisherman said:

Hi Slurm  same as Green Hornet I also have a preference for the A series- you don't need a drag for what you intend to do. Like he suggested, the 12' rod is better suited for your purpose as it gives you more options re casting and clearing line above the wave-break. Gary Howard rods are great and purpose built (as are the Alvey rods)

If you can find an old Snyder or Butterworth 6144 (6 wraps of glass, 144 inches-12') they are exactly what you're after also.

If you go slightly heavier in line class, say 12-15 lb mono you will have a good all-round outfit. Sometimes you will need a bit heavier sinker or a larger bait like a Pilchard/Garfish if you want to chase Tailor etc 

Thanks for your reply mate. I think the A series will be the way to go!

[My First Alvey - Rod to match?]

3 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

Hi Slurm

Personally I have a preference for Alvey A series, non drag reels just for the simplicity and fun factor, but the 60GVCR looks like a sweet little unit. As for a rod, I'd reckon something closer to the 12' mark would be better suited for what you're looking to do.

Just to provide you with a few options, have a look at Gary Howard rods too. He has a great range of Alvey suitable rods and one that comes to mind is the "Dart", 11'4" and 3-5kg.

In saying that Alvey rods are very popular as well.

I'll PM you a few extra details.

Thanks for your reply mate. The 11.4 seems like a great mid ground to me! I have heard that Gary's rods are unreal.

[My First Alvey - Rod to match?]

G'day legends!

After reviewing countless threads online I have decided to delve into the world of the Alvey.

I am going to be buying from them directly and was after a little guidance from those in the know!

I have been considering the SURF 60GVCR for beach work to target Bream / Flathead / Whiting mainly, however, my haunts are prone to holding the odd Tailor / Salmon / Jew. I'm thinking around 8-12lb Mono will be my choice (willing to consider others).

The two rods I am tossing up between is the R60 (10.6ft) and the R62L (12ft). I have experience with 9ft Graphite spin sticks luring off the sand / stones so I think I'll be more comfortable with the 10.6ft. In saying that, I would happily consider going bigger if it's going to make a significant difference in terms of using the reel to its full potential.

I am open to suggestions for a different novice outfit if anyone thinks I am not on the money with my choices!

To say I am keen is an understatement. Any advice would be golden.

Cheers!

Conor

[Getting started with a fishing kayak]

G'day mate,

I can't offer you too much advice myself as I don't own a kayak but I have borrowed one many times. I found it much easier to launch from a calm bay where a park or sandy beach joins the water rather than a boat ramp.  It is beneficial as a beginner as you don't have to worry about getting in anyones way or being intimidated by high traffic areas. This will also allow you to learn how to manoeuvre a kayak before you head out in rougher conditions.

It also somewhat comes down to what you're targeting, but in general terms respect peoples property when on the water. For instance, if you don't have a very accurate cast I would be cautious casting into moorings / piers to avoid damaging property. But in saying that, this method can be very effective on the Kayak once you are consistent 😉.

Aside that, you will also have to give some consideration to how you secure it to your car if you need to travel.

It's a start, but hopefully some more experienced members can point you in the right direction.

[2016 Daiwa Certate]

13 hours ago, rippinlips said:

Hi,

Do you have a rod already or in mind. I have certates in the sizes you are looking at. Personally like them in smaller sizes then Stella's in larger sizes. 

Cheers

 

Thanks for your reply mate. It was to go on a Daiwa Lazy 9.6ft 15-60g but I've decided to stay with the Stradic following a great response from Shimano regarding repair. Big fan of the Certates and hoping to pick one up eventually.

[2016 Daiwa Certate]

Thanks for all the replies legends! Shimano were actually very helpful in regards to following up a warranty claim so that's a big up in my book. Will consider all of the above in the coming weeks on the hunt for a new outfit. Cheers

[2016 Daiwa Certate]

1 hour ago, PaddyT said:

Arent the Certates only to be serviced by DAiwa- if thats still the case i persoanlly would touch them.

Thanks for your reply Paddy. I wasn't aware of this but am keen to look into it - definitely changes things! Cheers

[2016 Daiwa Certate]

2 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

Hi slurm

Although I don't own a certate I do own a Daiwa Morethan 3012H, which is just a tricked up certate. I also own a Stradic 5000 and can tell you the body size of these 2 reels is almost identical.

If its any help my Morethan holds 200m of PE 1.5 perfectly and the Stradic takes 300m of the same line plus a little backing.

Thanks for your reply mate. I'll be picking one up very shortly, cheers!

[2016 Daiwa Certate]

G'day all,

I have been meaning to pick up a 2016 Daiwa Certate as prices have dropped recently but I am lost for size as I believe reel sizes are not universal across brands..

I'd be looking at something around the 4000-5000 Shimano equivalent and some research suggests I would be after the 3012h or 3500hd model.

It is a replacement for my Stradic which broke over the weekend so I intend to use it for light beach work as well as a small boat outfit.

Am I on the right track?

I appreciate your time!

[Landbased Kingfish lures]

On 5/3/2019 at 9:27 AM, PaddyT said:

Ive got about 50 of them sitting in my garage- used to go through them like lollies when I spun the rocks.

Hey mate, is it as simple as painting the whole lure white? I'm a big fan of metals and am always looking for different things to try. Cheers

[Old Rod?]

9 hours ago, Berleyguts said:

Does it have a clear tip? It sounds like an Ugly Stick. Some of them had a NWS prefix but I can’t tell you what the “2000” means. Best thing is to pick steel that feels balanced with it and load it up with line and test it on the scales as Green Hornet suggested. Or take it to a good tackle store and get them to recommend a reel and line b/s etc.

No clear tip, but I did think it was an Ugly Stick at first. I'm gonna take it for a flick this weekend and cannot wait to give it a flick. Thanks for the advice

[Old Rod?]

9 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

Looks like a rod from around the late 80's to me.

If you can't find any info, there's 2 things you could do. Firstly, put a reel on it, run the line through the guides and attach the line to a spring scale. With the help of a mate put a nice bend in the rod and read the scale to see what weight its pulling. Double that weight and that's an indication of the maximum line rating. Of course you can go heavier line, but keep that scale weight in mind when setting your drag.

Secondly, grab a few different weight sinkers or metal lures, take it somewhere and cast it starting with light weight and work your way up until you feel the rod getting kind of sloppy and hard to cast accurately. That would be the limit of weight it will handle.

Graphite composite rods from back then were pretty tough.

Thanks for the tip. I have a few hours to tinker in the coming days and will see what I can come up with

[Old Rod?]

Hi all,

I was going through the old fishing gear in the shed and found an old rod that belongs to my dad. It's made by Shakespeare, but aside from that I have zero clue about any of the capacity. The photo attached shows the only print on the whole stick, I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea to what it means. I understand it's 10 foot, is 2 piece and has a wooden butt.  The last thing I want to do is load it up and snap my dads gear.

I sent a message to the manufacturer and they couldn't tell me jack.

Cheers

[Freshwater in the Snowys]

 

On 3/27/2019 at 3:34 PM, Houdini said:

Spawning season is from June to October so those rules won't apply to you this weekend.

Lake Jindabyne is open all year round and not impacted by spawn rules so you could have a walk and a flick around there or are you more specifically looking for streams to fish?

 

Will likely just walk the lake I think. Ill pop into the local tackle shop and ask for further tips. Thanks

[Freshwater in the Snowys]

Hi all,

Heading to Jindabyne this weekend and have a day to myself so was thinking of going for a fish. I've had a look on the DPI website and I'm a little lost with all the specific terminology regarding spawning streams and the such. As a result, not too certain with what I can and cannot target this time of year or if its even worth it. Purely after some catch and release fun to kill a few hours.

Any advice would be tops,

Cheers