DerekD

Hi @Gengar Was good to catch up with you yesterday and to give your new rod a run. Hope it hit home with what both @JonD and I were saying about the noticeable increase in casting distance gained when dropping down a line class or two. Your Veritas rod has a 6-10kg line and 20 to 68g lure rating so you you have some options available to you. If you were frequently fishing off the rocks I'd say go a bit higher (maybe 20lb) on the line but for what you have in mind with the beach and now hopefully the harbour I'd recommend a skinny 10lb (what we were using yesterday) or 12lb. 15lb would probably be a good all round compromise for that rod but you will sacrifice casting distance. If money were not an option I'd be looking at a Shimano 4000 reel (or equivalent in other brand) with 10lb all the way and a Shimano 5000 reel with 20lb all the way. That way I could switch between the two as circumstances dictate. I'd spool it all the way with whatever line you select. Based on past experience with that reel (and the colour changes every 10m) we were hitting about 100m with the longer casts. You will save a few dollars backing it with mono but not worth it for the peace of mind you have if you hook a cracker fish on a a long cast and only have another 50m of braid to play with before you see the backing traveling out through the guides. Additionally you will lose some line over time (birds nests) and you find you reach the point when you start to see the backing on most casts and risk having the joiner knot running through the guides so have to respool another 150m - easier just to run braid all the way from the start. What I've found with some of my rods I do for casting is that there is a sweet spot in lure weight which is usually less than the actual rod rating. I suspect that 50gms will be the upper range of that rod although you could comfortable cast heavier. The lures we used and what I'd suggest you buy in rough order: Halco twisty in 30gms and then consider the 20, 40 and 50gms. Had a swivel (and maybe clip) and swap the treble out for a large eye single hook (e.g. gamakatsu large eye in 1/0 or 2/0 or 3/0 depending on lure weight - I hold the single alongside the original treble and try to match overall size). Flutter type casting micro jig (e.g. Palms Slow blatt narrow/wide or oval or Hayabusa jack eye, etc) Slapstix 9 inch (white or pink) matched with TT tournament jighead in 5/0XH hook or TT Headlockz in 7/0XH hook with weights from 3/8oz to 3/4oz depending on what is needed) Slapstix 6 inch (white or pink) matched with TT tournament jighead in 3/0XH hook or TT Headlockz in 5/0XH hook with weights from 3/8oz to 1/2oz depending on what is needed) Bassday Bungy cast 30gm Popper (better in summer) - we used River 2 Sea Dumbell Popper 110 Rapala Xrap long cast lure in 12cm (36gm) or 14cm (54gm) with the single hooks Shimano Ocea pencil lures (similar to the Bungy but on steroids) Shimano Waxwing (discontinued) Floating stick baits (more for summer) A tackle box to put it all in. Regards, Derek P.S. When you do get the line sorted get out some of the metals and spend some time on the casting. The extra distance I am getting with that gear is just technique. Once you get it worked out you should be hitting the same distances I can.

Are you talking braid or mono or both?

You just do it to make me look good. I appreciate how considerate you are when I am a guest on your boat.

Hi Spud, I think I am pretty good at catching squid (see articles section in library for the post I put together) and have helped a fair few people over the years improve their catch rate. I've fished Middle Harbour for a long time too so the following is from personal experience. Firstly, I'm assuming you are fishing daylight hours so if you are getting a few in a couple of hours I'd say you are doing pretty well. I have several spots which produce reasonably consistently but I usually have to hit each one (and sometimes several) to get sufficient squid for a fishing session. Just some things to think about. Squid move around. 15 minutes could make all the difference between catching some and the dreaded donut. While I've heard of people who have found some locations where on a particular time of the tide their success rates goes up I haven't found one of these so called consistent spots yet. I also catch squid for fun so I'm not always desperate to catch them quickly. What is important is covering ground and effectively. When there are two of us on the boat we will cast in different directions (say one towards the shore and dropping it down the water column and the other parallel to the shore). Most importantly, when someone hooks up get a second jig very close to where you think the squid is. They often travel in twos and threes so you can usually pick up multiple squid. Seaweed in Middle harbour only seems to grow in the upper section of the water column (say top 3-5m). I find the edge where it stops growing then send long casts out parallel to the shore and a meter or so out from this line. I have some faster sinking (not to be confused with size) jigs if I need to cover ground quickly. The paternoster rig is another way of covering ground and you can send down multiple jigs. Do this on dusk with glow in the dark and your advantage increases. Spit bridge is a popular place for using this method and especially at night. Give some of the suggestions from the other Raiders above a try. If I'm fishing Middle harbour and really needed squid I'd hit a few shore based spots the night before and then zip lock bag them and put them in the fridge (not freezer). I'll try for fresh the next day but generally use the pre-caught ones first and if I don't get to the freshly caught ones I can save and freeze them for next time. This way I keep a rolling stock of pretty fresh squid. Regards, Derek

Hi Mate, Got some options to show you and think we can make it suitable for harbour fishing too. Give us a call when you can and please don't buy anything till you have tried the outfits I have. Regards, Derek

The reverse is also true Neil. Hope to see you sooner rather than later. I keep looking forward to that phone call along the lines of "I'd like to get (insert challenge here) off my fishing bucket list".

Hi @finfur It was a pleasure to meet you and I'm looking forward to the next session. The jump from freshwater to saltwater can take a bit of a learning curve but now that you have seen the techniques in practice I'm pretty confident you will have that autopilot reprogrammed over the next few weeks. We still have quite a few topics to cover and there will be a few fish and laughs along the way. I'm curious to hear what your next purchases will be. Regards, Derek

Hi BKK, the government advice is not to. Here is MY take on things based more on what I have read and reasoned. While I have seen some of the data it was a long time ago and I am not a marine scientist and I don't eat fish. In the past on the Parramatta river there were chemical plants (and especially in the Homebush area). I've heard even agent Orange as used in the Vietnam war was made up there (I have not verified this). Being less concerned (or probably less aware) of the environment there were chemical which got into the rivers. The dioxins were the bad one as they settle into the bottom and take a long time to break down. These can get into the food chain but it is not the same for all species. Something like bream which can live up to 30 years could develop a build up in their system over the years. This can then work its way into the humans but you would have to eat a lot of contaminated fish over the years. There were a number of families that commercially fished the harbour for several generations and I believe that fish made up a large part of their diet. Read this: https://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1692445.htm This is conjecture but I believe when it comes to the community the governing bodies have to take an extremely conservative view when advising people as to the safety of various activities. This I think is why they advised no fish to be eaten from the West of the bridge. It also ensures no come backs when people ignore the advice. Most of the pelagics spend a lot of time outside the harbour so I think they are a low risk. It is a non issue for me as most of my fishing is done in Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour or Pittwater. Regards, Derek. PS. Any local fishing shop should have the large eye single hooks. These are my usual go to for twisties but I get heavy duty ones too for other lures.

Hi BKK, The reason for changing out the treble is that it does less damage to the fish and is easier to remove for catch and release. The tailor will often engulf all three of the trebles in its mouth (say two hooks in the top lip and one in the bottom) and between the teeth and the jumping around they are a real pain to remove. Like for like in size I feel the singles are slightly stronger too. I use Gamakatsu large eye hooks but there are plenty of other excellent options out there. I don't seem to notice a significant difference in hook up rate between singles and trebles. I generally do not stop the retrieves when winding back a twisty (although I might change the pace to see what is working). The tailor's attack involves biting the tail off the prey which then makes it an easy meal. If it doesn't know which end the tail is it can get pretty expensive as it may bite off the line end. The stop start and darting retrieve is what I use for plastics. If I start losing tails then tailor are about then I switch to the twisty. Regards, Derek

Hi BKK, First thing is that it has to look right. Second thing is it is way more important how you fish it. The kingfish often likes to chase. I've seen them follow a lure up and then as soon as you stop the retrieve they then turn away. How do you use this to your advantage. A fast erratic retrieve gets their attention a pause then gives the king to have a look at it but before they can decide it darts off again. They have to make a split second decision to hit the lure or miss out. With the retrieve I've worked out for the minnows and slapstix we probably get 80% of the hits on the pause. Other people on here have mentioned metals. One gentleman I've been mentoring for several months has been doing pretty well on the pelagics. His technique of preference was to cast out a 30gm silver halco twisty with hook changed to single. He let it hit the bottom and then wound it back as fast as he could. You cannot outwind the fish. Very often the faster you wind the more likely you are to hook up. Especially true for the bonito from my experience. He did pretty well over the summer. Just because we didn't see a lot of feeding on the surface it didn't mean they were not ther.e. The casting and retrieving on faith paid off during multiple sessions. A lot of what you are asking won't hit home till you actually see it. At this stage for you it is theoretical. It took me a long time to work out what worked for me consistently. It was sometimes a lucky accident which lead to an Aha moment which improved my fishing and which I then refined as i helped other people. I love that you are so passionate and keen but at this point I think it will be more beneficial to head out with someone or with a few people and see what they do. Filter through the information and look for the why.

I think it will be too big but can you upload a photo of the hook alongside the plastic. 5/0 is not the same size across all brands as per the thread with the comparison photos I loaded. The front end of the plastic should sit just behind the jig head. Even better is if you rig it like you would when using. I use the 3 and 4" minnows with my bream gear and 4lb braid. For my 3 inch minnows (berkley power minnow) I use a TT jig head in size 1H (H is for heavy gauge). The weights I use are 1/4 or 1/6 or 1/8 oz. These are the ones: For my 4" minnows I use the 1/0 hooks and generally the 1/4oz. Look at the photo below. I was having a mini fishing competition with a mate. I needed a flathead to put me ahead so I wasn't worried about subtle and more concerned with covering ground. It is a 9gram ballhead jig with 1/0 hook. The hook comes out a bit too far back on the 3" lure for my liking but it still works quite well. It doesn't quite look right. It does still allow some tail movement though.

Hi BKK, This topic is a small part of what we will cover if and when you make it out with me. I've replied to this topic a few times in the past based on my experiences and fishing style so please don't treat this as set in stone. I would say yes on the 5/0 but the problem is that it depends on the manufacturer. For example, I use TT bullet head style jig heads. My go to is the TT Tournament type jig head (yellowish packet) but I'll also use the TT HeadlockZ. When using the headlockZ the 5/0 looks to be the same gape and size of the 3/0 in the Tournament series. Have a look at this post to see what I am talking about: I'll generally hold the jig head alongside the plastic to see if it looks right. Where does the end of the hook sit relative to the shoulder of the lure. How does the gape look. Too big and it might put off the fish or not swim right. Too small and it reduces the chances of hooking up or it might bend when subjected to the force of a king. Some further reading on this topic in general:

Hi Rebel, Thanks for the heads up but while I have a clean police record it is of little interest to me as it is safer all round to have another adult there. Current culture in the world is that any sort of accusation is very difficult to disprove. One wrong comment or misconstrued action (e.g. correcting a posture) can ruin your life. My other reason for it in this specific case is that it is something BKK and father can learn together. Regards, Derek

Hi Bkk, No particular rush as I get the exams are important. I fish multiple times most weeks and usually on the lower North Shore (from Mosman to North Sydney are my usual fishing areas). This site has an adopt a learner section with the proviso that the learner be over 18. As you are still at school I would prefer if you bring a parent or adult along. I have spare gear I use for teaching people and if your father (or mother) is keen we should be able to introduce him/her to lures at the same. When I mentor someone there is a lot of knowledge (gear, casting, lure types, retrieves, etc.) to go through and an 8 hour session on the first day is not uncommon. Minimum I prefer is 4 hours and there have been a few 12 hour sessions before. As long as it stays fun I don't mind how long the day runs. Some reports from some of the people I assisted in the last year: Regards, Derek

Hi BKK, If you can make it to the lower North Shore in the near future I'll be happy to meet up with you as it will shorten the learning curve dramatically. I just don't take any responsibility for any gear you decide you need to buy after heading out with me. It could get expensive. 😃 There is a PM (Private Message - envelope up the top of the page) function on this website if you want to reach out. Regards, Derek

Hi BKK, Welcome to the forum. Be warned - once you get used to catching them on lures it gets addictive (and potentially expensive). To assist with your question what gear are you using? I usually run two outfits to chase kings in Sydney harbour. The bream gear (2-4kg graphite rod, 2500 size shimano reel and 4lb braid with 8lb leader) when the pelagics are in the harbour chasing the small baitfish. I use 3 or 4" minnows with a TT bullet head jig head. 10 gram silver halco twisties are also very effective. The snapper gear (5-8kg graphite rod, 4000 size shimano reel and 15lb braid with 30lb leader). For this I like the 6 or 9" slapstix matched with a weighted TT jighead so I can work the full water column. Alternatively the heavier (say 30g or 40g depending on your rod rating) Halco twisties with a very fast retrieve work a treat. I prefer to change out the trebles for a similar sized single. I don't feel the hook up rate is noticeably worse and it doesn't tear up the face of a fish as much. Try unhooking a wriggling tailor when it has all three hooks in its mouth. Also I feel like for like the singles are generally a little stronger than the trebles. Regards, Derek

Hi Gengar, It was a pleasure catching up with you and your family. Also nice to see that the little tips and tricks that are picked up over several decades of pumping yabbies get passed on to another generation. Looking forward to see how you went with the pumping while on holidays. Regards, Derek

Really nice luderick/blackfish. Technically we are only in the first month of Autumn - a bit premature to be called a winter blackfish. 😄 Enjoyed reading the report. Thank you for sharing. Those weedflies have been really effective at times and completely reinvented the way I chase them (now on fly rod with a wool strike indicator so almost no resistance to downs).

Kings move around so pick a public wharf or outcrop of rock with a bit of a drop off. Use google maps or an old fashioned street directory. Have a look. Try and visit several locations. You'll work out soon enough if it suits you. I'd sometimes visit several locations in a day. The payback long term is that if one of them is unfavourable (say too crowded) on a day you have other options. Most people have put a lot of time to work out locations and while not a deeply guarded secret handed down from generation to generation they will reluctantly give them out to anyone who asks. Still no harm in asking politely as you have done.

Hi Lastworm, My family has been friend's with @Flop 's family for most of my life and I vouch for him (I've been a member on Fishraider for over a decade). I've seen his passion for the environment and I wouldn't have suggested he approach Fishraider if I felt it wasn't for the right reasons or that he'd abuse the data. I get your concern about protecting those spots you have put in hours or days of research to find and work out (I feel the same about my Sydney locations). Floris and I discussed this before he posted and one of my suggestions was that even general areas/regions should be sufficient. I'll let him provide some more reassurance on this topic. BTW thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey. On a lighter note, between his family and commitments to the University I think he'd struggle to get out to fish any of the spots. Hard enough getting him a hall pass to come fishing with me in Sydney. Regards, Derek

Just check that you get the right model. The ArrowZ range has a lot of options and the Frogley Offshore website is not particularly user friendly in that you have to jump around to find the different models. I wish they would put everything in the same table and have written to Frogley about this as it would make comparing across the range easier. I ended up buying three different models in the 1 to 10lb range whereas two would have done me - maybe they are smarter than I give them credit for. 😀

Hi Rebel, not sure as I haven't had a play with the Samaki rod yet. I'd have to try them side by side and based on the quality of manufacture of fishing gear these days I suspect they would both be excellent. I find the ArrowZ to be at a comfortable price point too for what you get. I got into the ArrowZ range in the bream series to match a lovely Stradic 1000 reel given to me as a thank you present. Liked them so much that I picked up several more.

Part of the positives and negatives of living in a democrazy ("Z" intended). Other countries have gone this way. I'd hate to take up fishing in Switzerland where you have to take a course to get a licence (not necessarily a bad thing) and catch and release is banned. I think live bait was also banned. Some further reading: https://www.urbantrout.net/fishing-in-switzerland-its-complicated-but-heres-your-insiders-guide-to-the-rules-and-regulations/#:~:text=In Switzerland fishing from the,and no exam is required.

First suggestion based on matching all your criteria is the Frogley’s ArrowZ Offshore range and specifically the AAS-270H (or the same in the 1 piece AAS-70H) which is 7’ foot exactly and rated for 10 to 50g lures and a line rating 14 to 30lb. If you look around I’ve found these for about $130. They are pretty light too so fairly effortless when casting for long periods.

Looked at this a few years ago. Back then from memory there were several hoops to jump through: Fishing licence =>Check Compound Bow => Check Special arrow (fibreglass) and retrieval device => Nope but had sourced it and quite affordable Restricted hunting licence => Check Advise local authorities 48 hours in advance of where you will be going => Just hit the too much hassle tipping point. Would still love to be able to do it as it combines a few of my favourite pastimes. Just not sure how the catch and release part of it goes (depending on your accuracy you could inadvertently skip over the catch part of it and go straight for release).