Targeting pelagics from the rocks

[Ken_Oath]

Most of my fishing for pelagics has been from the boat trolling lures and using livies or bait. Recently I've been getting more into casting lures from the rocks and could use some pointers from more experienced fishos.

I'm based in Sydney around botany bay so my target species are tailor, salmon, kingfish and bonito.

My go-to setup is a saltist mq 4000 spooled with 300m PE2(41lb) braid on an 8ft 6-12kg td black rod and I also bring a heavier setup with either a Daiwa bg 5000(50lb line) or daiwa revros 6000(30lb line) on a 9ft6 PE2-5 saltist bw rod.

I use about a rod length of flouro leader, 20-40lb for the light setup and 30-60lb on the heavy

The lures I use are stickbaits and poppers between 100-160mm and 30-60g and also afew 20-40g metals.

I've gone rock fishing, using only lures about 5 times now and I haven't caught a single fish. Is there something I'm doing wrong/should change or do I just have to keep pumping out casts?

 

 

[Green Hornet]

Your gear looks/sounds suitable. 
At this time of year, I’d be concentrating more on the salmon and tailor, so think about trying to run your lures through and under the whitewater washes that the baitfish use as cover. Metals or minnows will work on a medium speed retrieve.
Down here on the south coast, dawn and dusk will improve your chances substantially off the rocks, not so much off the beach, so think about hitting your spot as early as you can.
For kingfish and bonito, you should really be waiting for the water temperature to warm up before catches become consistent. February is a good time to start thinking about kings and tuna. Your poppers and stickbaits are fine for the kings and the tuna will respond to a high speed metal. When the frigate mackerel are around, consider the smaller 20g metals wound flat out and you can add them to your catch list.

 

[Drunkenfisho]

12 hours ago, Ken_Oath said:

Most of my fishing for pelagics has been from the boat trolling lures and using livies or bait. Recently I've been getting more into casting lures from the rocks and could use some pointers from more experienced fishos.

I'm based in Sydney around botany bay so my target species are tailor, salmon, kingfish and bonito.

My go-to setup is a saltist mq 4000 spooled with 300m PE2(41lb) braid on an 8ft 6-12kg td black rod and I also bring a heavier setup with either a Daiwa bg 5000(50lb line) or daiwa revros 6000(30lb line) on a 9ft6 PE2-5 saltist bw rod.

I use about a rod length of flouro leader, 20-40lb for the light setup and 30-60lb on the heavy

The lures I use are stickbaits and poppers between 100-160mm and 30-60g and also afew 20-40g metals.

I've gone rock fishing, using only lures about 5 times now and I haven't caught a single fish. Is there something I'm doing wrong/should change or do I just have to keep pumping out casts?

 

 

 

When the weather warms up your chances of catching should also improve. My most successful lure fishing off the rocks is usually in autumn  -in saying that, you will still catch fish now, but I don't get out as much now as I would in late summer and autumn.

Those lures all look alright, and I can also recommend coco rigs and micro jigs

[Rebel]

Good Info. above.

I use a 10ft rod with a 5000 reel & metal lures off the rocks.

I use 20lb Mono with a 30lb leader.

Cheers.

[Bennyg78]

There is a fella on youtube" Indo Sydney Fishing" he jigs from botany bay for pleagics almost exclusively. It could be worthwhile checking some of his videos out

[PaddyT]

hop onto the Articles section-i put a summary of my 30 years experience of chucking metal into 4 short articles-have a read

 

[slowjigger]

Diving minnows work the best. You have some in your tacklebox so maybe just use them more. Smaller one would be best for bonito and salmon - around 12cm. PS pelagics are a bit quite over winter so you might to be better in the coming months.