Sydney Fishing Advice

[Xukeepa]

Hello People

I recently got into fishing and i am planning to do some shore fish around the Sydney harbour area but i have no idea what kind of gear to get, especially for line and hook.

What kind of  line should I get?(under $30) 

What kind and size of hook to get? I want to maximise the species of fish i  can get with a good catch rate. I just don't want a hook that can only catch one type of fish 1000 times.

Thanks Guys

[anthman]

Rod - a graphite 2-4kg, 7-foot rod is ideal. try to avoid fibreglass/composite if you can.

Reel - a 1000,2000 or 2500 sized reel will do. Shimano Sienna series in any of these sizes is usually a good, beginner's choice.

Line and leader: two options here for the beginner: mono (simpler, cheaper) or braid w/ leader (need to  learn braid-to-leader knot, more expensive, but much better performance and sensitivity). Ill assumed the braid and leader option.

Line - 6LB braid will work for you 150yards is prob the length you will need to fill the reels stated above (with a bit of unfilled spool at the end - this is normal).

Leader - attach this to braid - i.e. reel -> braid -> leader -> hook/swivel/lure. Mono will do the job here (10lb). Can also go the fluorocarbon leader path, but will be more costly. Stick with mono leader for now.

Suggested setup: gear as above, with a "running sinker" rig, which is: braid -> ball sinker (size 1 jarvis walker) -> bead -> swivel (smallish, doesnt really matter -> leader -> long shank hook (size 2). Put on some bait depending on what you want to catch and off you go - cast it out and let it sit and wait! Expect to catch bream, flathead and whiting depending on where you are and the bait you use. The hook size of 2 should catch all (maybe go larger hook if you find you are gut hooking).

All up for the above gear, expect to pay about 150-200. If its just line, leader and hooks, then you could probably get away with $20 for line, $10 for leader and about $10 for hooks, sinkers and swivels.

[Xukeepa]

 @anthmanThanks Anthman what line would you suggest for just a single mono line?

and why long shank hook because most of articles and videos talks about circle hook and octopus hooks?

 

[Aardvarking]

1 hour ago, Xukeepa said:

 @anthmanThanks Anthman what line would you suggest for just a single mono line?

and why long shank hook because most of articles and videos talks about circle hook and octopus hooks?

 

The el cheapo Jarvis Walker line from K Mark actually isn't too bad if you're on a strict budget. If you're willing to sink more money then I'm personally a fan of maxima and platypus monos, maxima for heavier line and platypus for lighter.

I personally don't use long shanks, but I reckon he recommended them because they're a bit easier to use, as they are less prone to gut hooking so you can wait longer to strike without worrying about the fish swallowing it. I use octopus/suicide/beak hooks (all the same thing) about 90% of the time, and circle hooks on sleeper rods when I'm too lazy to pay too much attention to the rod, because circles hook the fish themselves. From my experience the hook up rate with circles is slightly less than when I'm holding the rod ready to strike with suicides, but sometimes it's nice to just sit on a jetty and read a book waiting for my line to go off.

[anthman]

16 hours ago, Xukeepa said:

 @anthmanThanks Anthman what line would you suggest for just a single mono line?

and why long shank hook because most of articles and videos talks about circle hook and octopus hooks?

 

Line: as aardvarking has said, the jarvis walker line will do, though its not much more for maxima and platypus. having said that, its not much more again to get braid...

Hook:

Depends on the bait, but likely that a long shank or a long shank baitholder will be a better hook for rectangluar shaped baits. Circle hooks are nicer on the fish (generally).

also, i find using a long shank hook (size 2) will be small enough to catch most fish - which is great for starting out so you can see whats eating your bait. As you get more experienced, start experimenting with circle hooks as you begin to target specific fish. E.g. for catching whiting, long shank hooks are a popular choice due to the smaller profile for the whiting to eat with their small mouths, though a small enough circle hook will also work (which begin to get pricy at the smaller size due to less availability in the cheaper brands).

Edited December 7, 2017 by anthman