Fishing For Almost A Year & I'm Still After A Decent Fish!

[dino76]

g'day,

i've now been for just under a year and i'm still chasing my first decent catch. with the exception of the last 3 months (just got married), i've been going out fairly regularly with a much more experienced mate - unfortunately we've been pretty unlucky (or is there more to it?) and havent even hooked anything of worth, let alone pulled one up onto the shore .

i've fished; bare island, yarra bay (prince of wales drive), clovelly beach off the rocks and just recently @ narrabeen beach.

i live in normanhurst (near hornsby) and would love to find a good spot within a 20km radius.

any suggestions for a struggling L Plate man?

please help a frustrated angler.

dino

[Jabroni]

g'day,

i've now been for just under a year and i'm still chasing my first decent catch. with the exception of the last 3 months (just got married), i've been going out fairly regularly with a much more experienced mate - unfortunately we've been pretty unlucky (or is there more to it?) and havent even hooked anything of worth, let alone pulled one up onto the shore .

i've fished; bare island, yarra bay (prince of wales drive), clovelly beach off the rocks and just recently @ narrabeen beach.

i live in normanhurst (near hornsby) and would love to find a good spot within a 20km radius.

any suggestions for a struggling L Plate man?

please help a frustrated angler.

dino

Not really too sure about those areas as ive only ever fished the hawkesbury on the north side, and that was by boat, and a couple of times near brooklyn, but they were nothing to brag about. Only tips i can give, that ive discovered over the last few months having taken up fishing again is...

If using bait, make sure its fresh. Burley helps.

Smaller hooks are better than larger hooks, and make sure they're sharp and that you dont have too much bait on the hook.

Light line is a must, the chances of catching 10kg shore based are very small, so there is no need to go for heavy line.

Start to think about tides, if your not writing it down, take mental note of what time of day the fish are biting at a certain spot, and what the tide is like, moon, wind speed and direction, etc.

If you're going to areas where there are other fishermen, take note of what they're doing. If you're fishing at night, dont leave your torch on all the time.

Thats all i got at the moment, that and don't give up. I went through about half a year of catching next to nothing until i started to fish with my head. Everytime i go out fishing with mates, i end up catching more than them. They think its all about luck, which to an extent is true, the fish has to be there when you are. But if you do the other things right, you increase your chances of a catch by heaps.

Edited July 2, 2008 by Jabroni

[kikila]

There’s no substitute for experience so just hang in there and things will start to come together but here’s a few tips.

Bait, fresh is best live is better, dawn and dusk are usually the best times to fish don’t fish mutable locations pick a spot you like and learn all you can about it talk to the people fishing there, find out what they are catching what bait they are using what’s the best time of day to fish, state of the tide high low run up run out all many place fish differently, you could join a fishing club, maybe a fishraider member will take you under their wing and give you a leg up.

[spirit_fall88]

i've been fishing for 3 years and i still havnt caught a kingie yet or anything decent. and i fish regularly!

[Guest]

I think it is high time we organised a take out a novice for the day and see if we can get you guys and gals onto some fish.

I will run it by Donna ,later tonight and the mods.

Cheers Stewy

[Ali]

i think a boat helps, even a small tinnie with a 6 hp motor for a few hundred dollars can get you to some nice places which will increase your chances of catching a big fish. just make sure you get some life jackets/safety gear with the tinnie.

[squid hunter]

i've been fishing for 3 years and i still havnt caught a kingie yet or anything decent. and i fish regularly!

I am exactly the same, after all my years of fishing, ive never been able to land that kingy ive been after.

Only ever hooked one on bread (yes bread) at norfolk island.. busted off after a couple mins.

Hopefully my next day on the bay will end my curse

So hang in there dino, you're not alone

Regards

Squid Hunter

[moses]

im all for taking out a novice fisherman for a day im at cremorne. maybe we could make a little competition out of this

[dino76]

thank you all for the advice and tips! not to mention "take out a novice for the day". this is exceptionally generous!

there is some very clear advice given;

* fish the one spot,

* ask the locals,

* use fresh bait and

* make sure that i note the tides and conditions.

i love the idea of "take out a novice for the day" but i WILL have to pass this weekend - my current fishing buddy will be HIGHLY offended if i cancel on him.

i've recently bought a fishing book in BCF but i'm having difficulty translating what i've read into results, but as kikila says; "There’s no substitute for experience so just hang in there". there is no risk of me quitting, the little success i have i enjoy far too much.

ali, thanks for the tip - going directly to trading post to see what is available.

thanks for your comments and tips so far & i look forward to posting a thank you once i've brought in my 'big one' in the very near future.

dino

ps moses - i still play rugby for mosman whales and i will be playing a home game on saturday down at balmoral; i may bring my gear for a 'cheeky'

[trungie]

I think it is high time we organised a take out a novice for the day and see if we can get you guys and gals onto some fish.

I will run it by Donna ,later tonight and the mods.

Cheers Stewy

Im totally up for this, consider me as a pre-applicant for a novice!

We should make a competition out of this! Which novice can score the best! Good for everyone!

[Danielsan]

Hi Dino,

I know your pain, BUT hang in there and your time will come.

I'm sure you've got the hang of bream, flatties and the ever present pinkies by now, so i guess the next few points are more focussed on what you want to achieve - a big fish from the bank...

1) Time Of Day: make sure that you go an hour or two before the top of the tide and fish for an hour or so after. The same applies to the low tide, but this depends what the water levels are like where you're fishing. I've caught some great fish in very shallow water! Kingies prefer the early mornings and will generally hit less tentatively. Same goes for Jews. So if you can get a morning high/run-in tide and have a live bait in the water you've got a much better chance!

2) Location: I grew up in Normo too mate. There isn't much going on around there - I can guarantee it. You'd be best off heading into Walsh Bay, Kirribilli, Cremorne Pt, Cliffton Gdns, Pittwater. It might be a little further to travel, but put it this way; put extra time into travelling to a place that has a reputation. If you time it right, as per the above, you'll be over the frustration before you know it!!! - I never thought Balmoral would be any good, but the first day I went there a school of 40, 80cm+ Kingies cruise along under my feet at Balmoral at 7 in the morning

3) Baits: fresh is best! if you fish a spot where bait fish (yakka and slimies) are, then all the better. ALSO remember that they're called bait fish cos bigger fish eat them. Hence if you come across a place where there are bait fish, there may also be predators!!! There is nothing more exciting than burleying up livies, only to see a school of Kings turn up and smash them! Believe me - it happens! If you strip or live bait them, you're in with a great chance!

4) Tackle: no angler has just one rod - it's a fact. Always make sure you have at least one heavy outfit with you. Have a rod for collecting livies (squid/yakkas/slimies) or even 2 - one with a squid jig and one with a bait jig, and then use the heavier outfit to send out your live morsel. this has worked for me time after time. I catch the first livebait, send it straight out on the heavy rod, and then go back to bait collecting. If you have a 4th rod, then you can flick a few softies around or even set up a few bottom baits for Bream, Flatties etc.

5) Patience and Persistence: some days/weeks you don't catch a thing, but stick to your plan (being ever mindful that conditions change and that adaptability is important), and you'll eventually come up trumps!

It took me at least 2 yrs to even hook a decent fish mate, but once you do, you'll only have yourself to thank!

PM me mate if you want meet up for a fish sometime. I'm always on a wharf when i can't get the boat out! and let me tell you, it's harder to land a raging king from a wharf than it is from a boat!

[hoges1974]

I think it is high time we organised a take out a novice for the day and see if we can get you guys and gals onto some fish.

I will run it by Donna ,later tonight and the mods.

Cheers Stewy

I am in for this NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN after 3 days fishing and not one fish landed in the last couple of weeks i need help

I am happy to put my boat up (only really good for 3 people but 2 is ideal)

[Guest]

This could be a great way to meet others and help out as well.

We will get something going very shortly to make your fishing days a lot better.

Cheers Stewy

[Koalaboi]

Hi Dino,

You've got some great advice here. I would add a couple of general points:

Good fishermen generally only go out when they know they're on really good odds to get a feed.

I reckon this comes from fishing a range of places in different conditions for different fish over a long period of time till you can establish patterns. Which spots work in which combinations of tide, wind, swell size and direction for which species of fish. You can say it's summer, falling tide, warm water southerly wind....I'm flicking SPs for flatties at spot P! Or, it's winter, NE wind, light swell, rising tide I'm off to spot Y to chase luderick!

It requires a bit of impatience because that leads you to try something different. It's no good staying at one spot for hours getting no bites and then going home...experiment.

Keeping a diary is the way to go. Writing something down actually pulls down the file menu in the brain and clicks on Save. The process makes you remember what you've done.

I recently decided to suss out a new spot for estuary luderick here on the Central Coast...after 37 years chasing blackfish off the rocks. Changed from a fixed float to a running pencil float, changed lines etc etc. I thought I'd be on the money quick smart......think again. I was getting lots of downs but frustratingly not hooking up! Finally realised that all I needed to do was to upsize my hook from 9 to 8. Rate of hookups to downs improved by over 300% immediately!

Pay attention to your gear. Keep it well maintained..everything: reels cleaned and oiled, hooks kept rust free, knives sharp etc etc

Learn your knots....a few will generally do for most situations but learn the right ones for the gear you're using.

Remember Grasshopper: it's the journey that counts!

Tight Lines,

Koalaboi

Edited July 2, 2008 by Koalaboi

[Kit]

Hi Mate,

I used to fish the rocks at Clovelly a lot when I was a student at UNSW... Used to keep my rods in the car and fish Clovelly whenever I had a break!

The gear I used to use back then was quite heavy, but i managed to catch a few fish.

I had a 10ft beach rod, a large threadline and 20lb mono.

I used to run a big bean sinker (ball seems to roll around a bit), running down to a swivel and then about 1m trace with a 3/0 hook.

I used to get some crabs off the rocks and use them as bait.. otherwise bait like cunje, prawns or squid seemed to work very well too.

which side are you fishing? the carpark or off the rocks on the other side of the beach? I've caught fish from both sides but the rocks on the other side of the beach can get a bit hairy when the waves are big.

Try and fish it on a low tide, I found the sea tended to be a bit calmer on a low.

I used to catch some big bream, parrot fish, and lots of sharks! the sharks sort of look like port jacksons without the markings, I was told they were blind sharks but I'm not too sure.

The biggest shark i caught there was 17kg and it measured well over 1 metre and was great fun, taking about 10 mins to reel in. It was caught on a whole garfish.

I've also seen other people catch Salmon and leatherjacket there. On the other side I mentioned earlier, there is a small channel in the rock.. try fishing in that too.. I've heard of drummer being caught there with bread.

I remember once I was fishing there using strip baits and was catching tiny rock cod after tiny rock cod. The bait was being nibbled and I thought it was another rock cod but then whatever it was just took the bait and ran.. whatever it was, it was really fast and powerful (unlike the other sharks I previously caught)... the first blistering run lasted about 10 seconds and took nearly half my line.. after that it bit through the line just above the hook. Maybe a shark of a diffrent kind.. or maybe a big tailor... drummer maybe??

good luck mate... keep at it, clovelly is a good spot..

Chris

p.s. fishing can get frustrating at times, but keep at it... I've been chasing Jew for years and I can't manage to get one if I needed one to save my life... but week in week out I just keep on trying.. some people say when you get your first, it gets easier..

Edited July 2, 2008 by Kit

[Danielsan]

Great advice Koalabi!

[dino76]

danielsan & koalabi; thanks for the advice - all this info is almost overwhelming!

danielsan;

* i’m nicking a note book and pen from work which will go straight into my flashy tackle bag!

* i don’t have any issue at getting up @ 4:30am (or earlier if required) to make my way down to our chosen location, however i believe my failing is lining up my early starts with the tides. an early start equals an early finish for me… my wife doesn’t appreciate fishing… nor does she enjoy the taste of them.

* i almost always use frozen squid, prawns or pillies. my last adventure to narrabeen beach i used fresh pillies, but i just kept on feeding the fish; they would either eat the pillies straight off my hooks (3/0 gangies) or they would go flying off when casting – head down with the bottom hook through the eye.

* i have a 12’ & a 6’6 shakespeare rod & real. i seem to do alright with my whippy rod when chasing squids down @ bare island.

* patience and persistence i have in buckets; ignorance i cannot tolerant (oxymoron?). i don’t want to go out there only to repeat the same mistakes week in, week out and not develop as recreational angler.

koalabi, i must admit that i do tend to hang around the one spot for most of the day… i’m a bit of an optimist and i’m always convincing myself that if i leave my line in ‘this spot’ for just a bit longer i will be rewarded. your advice has been heeded!

i need to be a little more diligent with maintaining my kit.

yeah, i have my fishing book and i will learn/refresh a few for sunday’s session.

chris, the rocks on the north end. i would of then use my 12’ with 15lb line, star sinker, with a two way swivel with a 1m leader for my sinker and 50cm for my gangies.

when fishing in surging waters/waves i often have difficulty telling the difference between nibbles and the pull of swell. a guy at work professes that he always allows the fish to hook themselves… tried that but to no avail!

thanks for the tips,

dino

[dpinta]

just kept on feeding the fish; they would either eat the pillies straight off my hooks (3/0 gangies) or they would go flying off when casting – head down with the bottom hook through the eye

You should be fishing the pille with the top hook through the eye. This will keep it on the hook during the cast as the eye socket will take the majority of the impact when casting and it wont come off. Also when fishing the beach for tailor,salmon,flathead etc you should be slowly retrieving your bait not just sitting it there. You will cover more water this way and the fish will hit it harder. This also helps when crabs are a problem as they dont get a chance to bait you.

Also when i am fishing whole pillies off the beach i also set a small rod with a pillie fillet or worm in VERY close on a small ( 3 to 4kg, 9 foot rod ) if the conditions allow. A lot of the times you will get more fish on the small rod, including salmon which often patrol the shore drop off and are often missed by the big baits out wider.

Give that a go and i think you will be pleasantly suprised!!!!

Edited July 2, 2008 by Flightmanager

[bongie555]

or if you've got a bit of change in your pockets my suggestion would be to jump on good charter boat like one of our sponsors, reef bashing or chasing game fish. saves the headaches, no guarantees but they normally do pretty well and rarely dissapoint, satisfies the craving. all going well im due for my first YFT next week.

whatever you do end up doin, at least you have made a lot of friends.... goodluck

[stricko4]

Dino,

Lots of great advice in this thread & you will find plenty more if you do some searching on particular subjects. And if the guys can organise the "take a novice fishing" I recomend you make every effort to go. Even though you regularly fish with a very experienced mate you can pick up heaps from being with someone different. Which brings me to another option not mentioned so far & that is paying to go on a charter or two. If beach or rock fishing is something you'd like to improve on I can highly recomend a guy based on the northern beaches who in a 1/2 day will show you more than most people could in a week. Everything from how to collect beach worms to his most successful rigs for whiting bream through to salmon, tailor & jewies. Also there are a few guys who run what they call "fishing schools". Gary Brown & Col Buckley are both members of Fishraider & I know Gary runs classes & Col who is North Shore based used to & may still. I've been on a couple of charters & most of these guys are very willing to give advice about how best to land that elusive first big fish. Also read as much as you can in forums like this & books & magazinse. And .... good luck.

Paul

[inhlanzi]

G'day Dino

I think you need to be very specific as to what kind and size of fish you want to catch and target it accordingly. I suggest one of the following Bream, Flathead, Kingfish, Salmon and Jewfish.

Each species requires its own little tricks and techniques. The great joy of fishing is discovering what to use where and when and how.

Living in Normanhurst you are very close to the Hawkesbury system. There are many excellent spots and species in the system.

When you say decent catch what do you mean by that? What kind and how big?

Start yourself a fishing journal or file and every time you learn something write it down.

After a while you will learn what works and what doesn't.

Be aware of:

Tides, (time and size)

Barometric pressure, (falling or rising)

Wind, (direction and speed)

Current, (direction and strength)

Water colour, (clear or dirty)

Temperature,

Go through each part of your tackle and ask is it the right stuff for the job?

Good fishos are good because they spend a lot of time, money and effort on their game.

I wold suggest starting off by learning to catch baitfish ( yakkas, slimeys, tailor, mullet, yellowtail pike, garfish ) and squid. If you learn to do this well it will stand you in good stead for the bigguns.

Good fresh bait is the key to catching fish.

Research your tackle and buy quality that will last. I promise it will cost you less in the end.

Ask good fishos what they use and why. Pretty soon you will get a good picture of what you will need.

On this site there are experts and gurus in just about every species. Read their reports and don't be shy to ask them questions.

Start off with a bait outfit and a medium outfit.

Don't use too many rods.

Read the "Articles" (top right on the menu bar) on this site by Ken and you will find just about all you need to get you going.

And most important of all don't give up.

Goodluck

cheers

inhlanzi

[slinkymalinky]

G'day Dino.

I agree completely with Inhlanzi.

I moved to Sydney from Tassie in the early 90s so had to learn how to fish from scratch having grown up chasing trout almost exclusively.

Far and away the most valuable 2 things I've learned are:

1. To target a particular species.

If you focus on one species at a time then you'll go to the right place, with the right gear, at the right time and fish the right way. You'll dramatically increase the number and quality of fish you catch of that species. Whenever you want, just pick a different species. You'll quickly gain the experience and confidence with each species to be able to catch them with much more predictability.

Going fishing for 'whatever comes along' is often a good way to catch nothing.

2. Learn how to catch your own bait

Fresh bait of any kind multiplies your chances massively... whether it's squid, weed, crabs, worms, yakkas. Of course you'll get good fish on purchased bait but if you take kingfish or jewfish as an example... while I've got no figures to back me up I'd be surprised if something like 80% of all bait caught kings weren't caught on fresh bait.

The other reason to learn how to find bait is that's also where you'll find good fish. Unsurprisingly, they feed where the food is.

Cheers, Slinky