Beach fishing tips and tricks needed for Southcoast NSW

[mrmarosi]

Hi guys,

I am planning on heading down to Meroo National Park, just south of Ulludulla next week for a few days camping and mostly FISHING!

I am a keen fisho, but amateur at best. I went down and fished this very spot last easter, in search of a good beach Salmon or Tailor.

I had researched and learnt all I could about the best ways to catch these guys. No luck on the salmon in the end, caught a nice flatty and a few little ones, a dart, a small trevally and a rock fish of some description…and a tone of bream from Meroo lake..(thoroughly recommend!)

I can’t quite attribute my failure for the salmon though.. I was running two types of rigs.

A paternoster rig with a 2x 2/0 baitholder hook and BM 2oz sinker with enough trace to stop it all tangling up.

The second rig was a simple running ball sinker 1oz-2oz with 45cm leader into a 2/0 baitholder.

Both sets were baited with cut segments of pillies, I did try 3/0 ganged hooks, but never got a nibble… Plus I could never set the hooks right, and as we are camping, the further the trip progressed the softer the pillies became(ice kept melting), they eventually just fell of the hooks.

I had spotted a school of salmon about 10m offshore hunting through the waves, cast out into the pack, and not a bite.

Similarly, I attempted lures into the same school and not a thing. They were definitely salmon because I met a dude later that avo and he said he had caught two whoppers at that same spot! Bugger!!

I fished the gutters, the run-in and out tide, the deep holes and the rips…

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I have another 3 days next week to get them, and I am not coming home empty handed!

Cheers,

Liam

[mitchie18092]

Doesn't sound like your doing a lot wrong. I've run a similar set up with ganged pillie on the bottom, and a surf popper on top (super cheap - work well for some reason) for some pretty full on sessions. but this was way down south in Venus Bay (Victoria)

Just try to concentrate on the early morning and evenings and i'm sure you will find some success.

[mrmarosi]

I would say thats where I lost out Mitchie...my early mornings were more like 7:30-8am, and my evenings ended on dark usually, I will try get out there earlier and stay out later next time and see how we go.

[lillie]

Keep putting salt on the pillies and they will toughen up, nothing worse than soft pillies. Should be able to catch salmon during the day no worries if they are around. Good luck. Glenn

[LungFai]

See if you can find any beach worms and rig up one on your running ball sinker set up or on your paternoster rig. Also add on a few surf poppers to your paternoster to increase your marketing. When I'm down at Port Kembla beach and the Salmon ain't taking the pillies i throw everything else at em, beach worm, pippies, poppers and prawns. It either does the trick or i end up with bi-catches of whiting, bream and tailor.

[fisherman666]

I think you were pretty unlucky not to hook up casting to a school within sight. Anyhow, since you're camping and need the bait to last, next trip take salted pillies or buy the bait before hand and salt yourself prior. $2 worth of table salt might make all the difference. Good luck