Balmain For A Learner Fisherman

[GILL'T]

G'day Raider's

This is my first post so please bear with me. I'm new to fishing and admittedly a weekend worrier, after finally after far too much procrastination, I picked up a trust worthy Shakespeare "catch more fish combo" from the local Ray's outdoors.

After doing some of my homework and picking up a few new jig heads (NITRO'S), soft plastics, blade lures and various other items for the arsenal I have finally stated to land some catches. I've been frequenting Balmain East on the Darling Harbor side having the best luck around 19:30 to 20:30 mark.

I've been using squid for bait on a Nitro jig, without a sinker and seem to have to best results. I have tried my soft plastics (squiggy;s and zerek shrimp) without so much as a sniff from the fishes.... am I doing something wrong?

Not too big to boast about but..

Also after having this pesky bugger stealing the majority of my bait

I managed to hook up a Flaty but I think he was too heavy for my line and as I hoisted him out of the water my line snapped .

Also the Leather Jackets are a pain in the rear, I struggle to land them on anything I try

Any advice on the local area (land based), gear, and bait would be much appreciated.

[fishesh]

Good session for a beginner btw Rays outdoor is really overpriced for fishing gear you can probably get the same thing for half the price at big w or Kmart. Anyway for beginners I wouldn't recommend lures try some prawn on a size 4 long shank at any wharf around Sydney harbour it will guarantee you a leatherjacket

[Yowie]

Nothing wrong with a few of those fan tailed, or fan bellied, leatherjackets. Good eating. Sometimes the bones have a green tinge, but nothing wrong with the taste.

[KayakPat]

lures can be tough to get the hang of, a good all-round SP is Zman 2.5' motor oil grub there action is great and they float so with a jig when they hit the bottom their tail floats in the current. I've picked up most of my bream on these, pinkies, flatties, whiting and tailor. Its my go to when im not spinning metals from the rocks. On that note always carry a small metal with you, if you see any splashing/bait balls about they're worth a flick with tailor and salmon coming on them mostly but if your really lucky even kings. I've been landing big salmon and rat kings on 10lb so in the harbor I'd fancy my chances on my lighter bream gear (maybe not on a legal king hahah)

I was at balmoral baths the other day and saw a huge bait school pushed up against the beach. No splashing in them but when you were up on the bath wall you could see the tailor and salmon getting into it. 5-10 people were bait fishing from the wharf with no luck, I grabbed my tackle from the car and flicked my 10-20g metals in and pulled a chopper every cast. Gave the kids fishing there each a metal form my box and got them all onto fish too. Nothing to take home but it makes you feel better about those hard days.

Baiters are waiters, spinners are grinners.

haha each has its time and place, leather jackets are near impossible on lures unless you jag them (not legal) fishesh is onto it with his advice for them. If you can get the bait to move a bit with current or gentle jigging this makes them take bigger bites at a moving target instead of picking your hook clean with precision picking.

[Krispy !]

For leather jackets a fool proof way to catch them with near 100% success rate is with a sabiki jig (bait jig) And put. Tiny piece of prawn on each hook. They have a small mouth but with the jig you'll have no problem hooking them. They bait jigs are pretty sturdy as well, I've caught small kings, salmon, trevally, and even blackfish on them so they're a must have in my tackle bag.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Krispy !

[GILL'T]

Thanks for the advise Raiders.

I've heard about using berley cages with chicken feed, soaked in tuna oil is irresistible to the little buggers. I have seen small white plastic cages from BCF. Pardon my ignorance, but am I right in thinking I attach this at the bottom of my line, with hooks higher up (like a Paternoster rig) and cast in with the cage on the line?

or am I being completely thick?

Edited January 8, 2015 by GILL'T

[fishesh]

You honestly do not need to get this complicated just a handful of pillies every 15 minutes will do as burley. And as I said small hook with a bit of prawn will guarantee you a leatherjacket.

Good luck

[SgtBundy]

I have one of the larger $5 plastic burley buckets on a rope. I load it up with pillie pieces and tuna oil soaked bread and shake it up occasionally to put out a slick.

[adamski]

Hey bud, good effort at balmain- I had a similar experience there with the jackets a month or two back. I was using Sps and it was a bit tricky with the kelp and snags. If you're keen on using lures and sps, you could always try over the water at rozelle, there are some good spots with structure there for flatties and bream , plus a whole heap of other species, at high tide and the jackets don't seem to go there. Grab yourself a net with a long handle for the land based fishing- less chance of losing your fish in close. If you're keen on sps, I'd echo the zman grubz on slightly heavier jig heads, but also look at the gulp crabbies for bream and squidgie wrigglers. Good luck.