telescopic_rodd

Just looks like an eel-tailed catfish.

Necklace carpetshark? (According to Google, I was curious).

Well, better to be the Donut Boyz than the Island Boyz IMO.

Time, more than anything, might be the key here. I've gone out for a number sessions (stopped counting, but maybe 5 or 6) and I'm still on the donut. Last time I was out it was a busy day on the water and so I had a good watch of some the locals casting around. Two in particular looked like absolute pros, so I watched them with great interest. To paint the picture, these guys were decked out in those flash Shimano wet & dry tournament shirts, had sensible bum bags to store their jigs and lures and attractant, and were wading out as far as possible and casting absolute rockets. They caught nothing. @SpeedyGiraffe49 I admire your persistence.

Thanks for the tips and replies everyone! I'll post some replies below: Definitely sub 2m - and preferably sandy areas, if only to save on snags 😄 My go-to weighting tends to be 1/8 to help with a bit of distance, but even that feels a bit heavy at the spots close by. A few points here: I'm using 6 lb braid and 6 lb mono as a leader. Have not gone off any wharves as yet - mostly since I know the shallow, sandy areas I'm at are definitely producing on baits, so there is no point going elsewhere yet when I know there are fish there! I definitely have a lot to work on with retrievals/working the SP. I've only fairly recently worked out how to get a bit of distance into casting! It will come together in time. I've read and seen tonnes about letting the lure rest. I've tried this but honestly probably do get a bit impatient there. I've tried slow rolls and flicking and retrieving the slack - I've found slow rolls do give a little interest every now and then. And @corro - ditto your comments in relation to slowing it down. Thanks Derek - I've followed a lot of your recommendations and I'm using a 7' 2-4kg rod with a 2500 reel coupled with 6lb braid and 6lb mono leader. Very standard bread and butter setup I think. I mentioned above that I'm certain that my technique needs work, and as always your tips are gold.

Anyone who read my intro post would know I'm keen on learning the art of SP angling. I've got a new setup and have gone out a few times. So far I've been focused on getting the technique right, but still it stings slightly that I'm yet to get off the donut. The most galling part is that I fish side by side with a mate who uses chicken thighs marinated in garlic that I prepare and he always comes away with something 😒 Today in fact he snagged a donkey of a bream. Didn't measure but let me tell you it was hefty. Previously he's gotten onto flathead too in a slightly different spot. Don't worry, I'll persist 🙃. I'm getting occasional hits, and have dropped a couple and was busted off once when it ran into rocks. If anyone wants to comment, this is what I'm using / doing: 2.5" GrubZ or Slim SwimZ in Motor Oil, Watermelon, or Midnight Oil. Size 1 hooks with 1/8, 1/12, 1/16 weighting. S Factor applied. Fishing couple hours either side of the tide. Finding most interest "on the drop". Mostly though they just seem to make initial enquiries and then lose interest. I guess the report here is that they are out there on the Parra River right now if you're keen to use garlic chicken!

Hello. I've had plenty of hits from this place when Googling various fishing related things over the years, but have never actually gone that step further and joined - primarily because I'm really only occasional / casual observer, and have generally only dipped a line in on breaks and holidays. When I was a kid I recall getting some good results on classic servo prawns up in the Cottage Point / Coal & Candle Creek / Akuna Bay area on a few occasions, and since then I've fished casually all up and down the NSW coast - always using the same tried and true servo prawn method. I've never really had a chance to learn fishing as an art, and I'm looking to change that this year. Currently I'm keen on purchasing (an affordable) light spin outfit and learning how to use SP's to target bream and flathead, with Parramatta River and Sydney Harbour likely to be the usual locations. Cheers, and thanks to all the many contributors over the years who have made this place such a great community and resource.

Great article. Thank you @DerekD