Routinely unhooking kelpfish

[sashkello]

Hi everyone!

So, I'm after some black drummer knowledge. I've recently spent about 3 hours trying to catch one off the rocks. Walked between few nice spots in the same open ocean area, just as pictured in black drummer youtube videos: whitewater washing over rocks with some cabbage weed, going into drop off where they can hide under some cliffs. Burleyed with bread and some cabbage every 20 minutes or so.

Firstly tried using cunji and prawn pieces, and the problem is they get taken within 30 seconds mostly by kelpfish. They are such a nuisance! I unhooked more than a dozen of them and had to cut off the leader a couple of times as they tend to swallow it. I heard that these are the prime baits for drummer, but how do I avoid these meddling fishies?! 

Then I tried bread, and had not much action with it, only one tiny pinky, but with water being quite turbulent it didn't stay on the hook too well, so gave up the idea. Fished with cabbage for a bit and got pretty decent luderick, but that's it, no more takers. So far I've only caught one drummer in three sessions and it was accidental catch on cabbage, when targeting luderick.

Any advice on how to avoid hooking up kelpfish? Is it just a problem with location or the fact of life?

Cheers,

Sasha

Edited July 29 by sashkello

[faker]

1 hour ago, sashkello said:

Hi everyone!

So, I'm after some black drummer knowledge. I've recently spent about 3 hours trying to catch one off the rocks. Walked between few nice spots in the same open ocean area, just as pictured in black drummer youtube videos: whitewater washing over rocks with some cabbage weed, going into drop off where they can hide under some cliffs. Burleyed with bread and some cabbage every 20 minutes or so.

Firstly tried using cunji and prawn pieces, and the problem is they get taken within 30 seconds mostly by kelpfish. They are such a nuisance! I unhooked more than a dozen of them and had to cut off the leader a couple of times as they tend to swallow it. I heard that these are the prime baits for drummer, but how do I avoid these meddling fishies?! 

Then I tried bread, and had not much action with it, only one tiny pinky, but with water being quite turbulent it didn't stay on the hook too well, so gave up the idea. Fished with cabbage for a bit and got pretty decent luderick, but that's it, no more takers. So far I've only caught one drummer in three sessions and it was accidental catch on cabbage, when targeting luderick.

Any advice on how to avoid hooking up kelpfish? Is it just a problem with location or the fact of life?

Cheers,

Sasha

To my knowledge avoiding kelp fish, alot of drummer fishers i know fishes early in morning just after sunrise and whole lot bug out by 9am.

Many even salt their own king prawns to make it more durable

Burleying and having a big piece out keeps the small fish busy as well.

[Green Hornet]

The best way to avoid kelpies is to ensure you use a sinker light enough so your bait stays in the mid water range. Those pests won’t usually rise too far off the bottom to take a bait though the drummer will.  
The best way to use bread is to either use fresh or if stale, very lightly dampened parts with no crust and squeeze it firmly around the hook to form a solid blob. It stays on quite well, casts good and won’t need a sinker at all, unless the water is really turbulent.

[sashkello]

1 hour ago, faker said:

To my knowledge avoiding kelp fish, alot of drummer fishers i know fishes early in morning just after sunrise and whole lot bug out by 9am.

I was there at sunrise From first light until about 10am. As soon as I could see my float without glowstick, kelpfish started to devour my bait.

13 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

The best way to avoid kelpies is to ensure you use a sinker light enough so your bait stays in the mid water range. Those pests won’t usually rise too far off the bottom to take a bait though the drummer will.  

Hmm, that sounds like a good advice... I was thinking that since drummer sit below the overhangs, I'd need my bait at the very bottom so that they can see it. If I need to fish mid-water, then it's the fist thing I'll try next.

[Green Hornet]

53 minutes ago, sashkello said:

Hmm, that sounds like a good advice... I was thinking that since drummer sit below the overhangs, I'd need my bait at the very bottom so that they can see it. If I need to fish mid-water, then it's the fist thing I'll try next.

Not at all. If you’re berleying and the drummer are actively feeding in your trail, they’ll be out in mid water using the whitewater for cover. I mentioned in another post recently, best to throw your berley right up on the rocks where the backwash is creating the suds and let the waves suck it in and over the ledge. Fish your baits in as close to that ledge as possible through the trail.  
If you have trouble keeping your baits midwater, use a small Bobby cork, somewhere between the size of your thumbnail and a golf ball to suspend it.

[noelm]

Green Hornet is on the money, without even seeing your rig, my guess is you are using a big sinker, and your bait is sitting right on the bottom.

[noelm]

Drummer will feed right on the surface, it’s common to have them break the water to take a bit of floating bread. Remember you don’t need to cast way out, and you don’t want your bait “anchored” to the bottom. 

[noelm]

I just re-read your post, you say you are using a leader….how heavy and what kind of setup are you using? Drummer are very basic fishing, about a number 1 hook, some 5kg-ish line and perhaps a tiny ball sinker running to the hook, some bread squashed onto the hook, job done.

[sashkello]

17 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

I mentioned in another post recently, best to throw your berley right up on the rocks where the backwash is creating the suds and let the waves suck it in and over the ledge. Fish your baits in as close to that ledge as possible through the trail.  

I fish right under my feet, where the ledge is, yes.

16 hours ago, noelm said:

I just re-read your post, you say you are using a leader….how heavy and what kind of setup are you using? Drummer are very basic fishing, about a number 1 hook, some 5kg-ish line and perhaps a tiny ball sinker running to the hook, some bread squashed onto the hook, job done.

I'm using same setup as for luderick, only with slightly bigger hook. So I can adjust to whatever depth. Leader is 8 pound. I'm a bit worried about float-less rig - the waves are throwing it around a lot and if I can't see where my hook is, I'm sure I'll get snagged all the time. I tried it once and got snagged twice in 10 minutes, just a nightmare to be honest. I don't know how you guys fish like that... Maybe just completely weightless is worth a try.

[faker]

25 minutes ago, sashkello said:

I fish right under my feet, where the ledge is, yes.

I'm using same setup as for luderick, only with slightly bigger hook. So I can adjust to whatever depth. Leader is 8 pound. I'm a bit worried about float-less rig - the waves are throwing it around a lot and if I can't see where my hook is, I'm sure I'll get snagged all the time. I tried it once and got snagged twice in 10 minutes, just a nightmare to be honest. I don't know how you guys fish like that... Maybe just completely weightless is worth a try.

Depends how deep you are fishing and its all line managenent on not letting it hit bottom

[Burger]

On 7/29/2024 at 1:15 PM, Green Hornet said:

Those pests won’t usually rise too far off the bottom to take a bait

When I read this I remembered getting told if your catching kelpies you’re fishing too deep or too close to the wall.

You might want to up your leader, 8lb is what I use for luderick off the rocks and drummer go harder and grow way bigger than luds.

I got a barely legal drummer on my luds gear and it gave me a REAL good workout, thought I had a pb lud….

[sashkello]

Yeah, I'll try fishing higher up next time. Doesn't look like the seas are kind, will have to wait a bit when it calms down to manageable swell size.