PritchEagle Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Evening All. Hope everyone got a bite this weekend. i took my kids for a quick fish at little manly on the little manly beach side out on the wharf this arvo. Got down there bout 4. I own a $30 rod from tackleworld brookvale. Anyway my 7 year old threw the line in with a coles peeled prawn on the end and hooked up a pretty decent looking lizard. I took the rod but we couldn't reel it in - the reel just went the backwards. I tried to fiddle round with the drag but the it just wasn't strong enough to lift it up from the water. It is about a a 5m drop. Anyway the lizard put up a fight and got away sadly. I am a beginner so just wondering what I did incorrectly. Did I need to set the drag tighter or is there another setting I haven't figured out. or is the rod and reel just not good enough? Any help appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Short Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Should be a little tab on your reel somewhere to engage/disengage the anti reverse function....either that or take it back to the shop for a refund! Too bad he got away!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PritchEagle Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 Thanks mate - you were right it was the anti reverse. It's also a massive drop so I dunno if my 30 buck rod could take that much weight. The guy in the fish shop said I needed a long net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattGb1989 Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Up until recently when I bought a new set up I was using a cheep combo like yourself and there isn't nothing wrong with that, it's a good way to start and get experience. Sucks that the lizard got away but hopefully now with the anti reverse sorted you won't have that issue otherwise maybe source a spot where retrieval is a little easier or yeah a big net haha. Keep at it bud and good luck. Brownie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volitan Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Pulling a decent fish 5 metres out of the water probably isn't a good strategy regardless of the quality of your gear. Better to get a net under it, or look for a way to swim it over to a lower vantage point. Perhaps if you could have swum it back to the beach and dragged it out onto the sand or something then that would have been better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattGb1989 Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Yeah 100% right. But at the end of the day if ya kids had fun that's the main thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PritchEagle Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 Yeah thanks all. It's way too far from the beach. It's the point which was the old coal wharf until 1963. It seems like a cracking fishing spot. I agree I think I will need to buy the long net if I am gunna fish there - 43 bucks in the tackle shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savit Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 You might want to consider using a stronger line. I lost a number of flatties in the past while trying to catch them into 2.5M telescopic landing net. They just chew through the light leader by that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volitan Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 20 hours ago, PritchEagle said: Yeah thanks all. It's way too far from the beach. It's the point which was the old coal wharf until 1963. It seems like a cracking fishing spot. I agree I think I will need to buy the long net if I am gunna fish there - 43 bucks in the tackle shop. Sorry, didn't really mean the beach proper, just somewhere where you can get closer to the fish. The other option is a long handled gaff. Personally I don't like them because they make catch and release a bit impractical but they are probably more reliable then a net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike89 Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 As others have said, you'll either need to use a net or scope out a good spot to land them. I used to fish all the time without a thought as to how I'd actually land a big (or just big enough that lifting isn't an option) fish. Nearly killed myself a couple of times scrambling down ledges. Now when I get to a spot I'll always have a game plan before throwing a line in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PritchEagle Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 Thanks very much for all of your advice. Yeah i think I'll need stronger line and also a big net or a gaff if I fish there. I went again tonight and nothing was biting. It's a tricky spot as there is nowhere I can see to land the fish due to the drop. Heaps of people fish there though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novicefisherman Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 Long net would be the better option. You can buy the ones that extend out if you need the extra distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PritchEagle Posted March 17, 2017 Author Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) Thanks mate - yeah I saw them 46 bucks at the fishing shop in Willoughby. Anyone know whether you can buy them at KMart? Edited March 18, 2017 by PritchEagle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undy Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Kmart chatswood definitely sells nets - not sure if they are long enough for your needs. you should check them out before spending more on the net than your $30 spin outfit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PritchEagle Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 So true. It kinda doesn't make sense to spend more in your net than your rod and reel. I had a 5 buck one but I left it at little manly accidentally on tue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Short Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Wait until the next council clean up and grab an old pool scoop! Get a cheap hand held landing net and take the flat end off the pool scoop. Few screws or rivets in there to secure it and away you go. Might need a few cable ties or some gaffer tape in there somewhere to make it a legitimate home made work of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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