Hook, line & sinker

Webmaster · Guru

Hook, line & sinker

Swoffer · Senior Member

Well I better start Seeing as I was the one who was whining the loudest smile

I'm a retired pro fisherman with 25 years up and down the WA coast , but mainly in Exmouth where I did 10 years as a charter operator and 15 as a prawn trawler skipper .

These days I fish almost exclusively with lures for estuary and fresh water species from tinnies and kayaks .

I also service and repair reels , a bit of a side line that I intend to take on the road with me .

Cheers Al

blaze · Guru

yep, I am in,
mad keen and been fishing from the time I could walk. Have chased fish from southern Tassie to Broome.
Best hook up that beat me was on a charter out of st Helens, marlin threw a hook after about half hour and four really good runs. Most fun has been 6 to 10 lb aussie salmon on fly rod. lots of hook ups and lot boated and released, worked the same shoal for 2 consecutive days. Biggest barra was 1070.
I will post some pics at some point
good onya al
cheers
blaze

Felicia · Guru

I try to fish, don't catch anything but enjoy it. Hints and tips to finally catch something would be appreciated. Mainly river fishing. Know nothing so please start slow. Been up at Khancoban in the last month, 8 hours fishing nothing on the hook.

Lynda

blaze · Guru

Felicia wrote:
I try to fish, don't catch anything but enjoy it. Hints and tips to finally catch something would be appreciated. Mainly river fishing. Know nothing so please start slow. Been up at Khancoban in the last month, 8 hours fishing nothing on the hook.

Lynda

ya need bait biggrin

Swoffer · Senior Member

Felicia wrote:
. Hints and tips to finally catch something would be appreciated.

Lynda

Yep thats why I thought a fishing thread or section would be a good idea .

See if your coming to WA I can see you right for info , but the minute I cross a border I'm as green as the next guy .

Swoffer · Senior Member

blaze wrote:
. Biggest barra was 1070.

cheers
blaze

A $1.00 barra is definitely on my bucket list . Caught a few in the NW , but nothing like a dolla.

Felicia · Guru

Blaze,

That I did know, had worms (on the hook) which someone in a caravan park gave us, when we were coming home passed them on to another caravaner while free camping at Paddy's River. The fish didn't bite.

Lynda

Felicia · Guru

Swoffer,

Was in WA about 18 months ago. Fed the fish on the Kalgan River, throw the line in, immediately get a bite, pull it in, tiny fish, let it go. Always caught a fish but they all had to go back. Packet of prawns gone in an hour.

Lynda

Hey Jim · Guru

I turn dreams into reallity

Swoffer · Senior Member

RE: Hook, line & sinker

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Swoffer,

The Cost breakdown go's like this.

The Enjoyment Costs =$00.00

The Camaradie Costs = $00.00

The Crewing of the boat Costs=$00.00

The Smile from ear to ear Cost= Priceless

A lifetime friendship is = TOTAL COST $00.00

The policy on our boat is this. If you don't want the fish to eat, then we Take the photo's and release it for another day.

We do not keep Billfish or sailfish.

We have made so many lifetime friendships.

And the best part is we take couples ( some have their dog with them and they come too) out and if they feel unwell we bring them back in side the reef to still have a fish. Some only want to see the Hump Back whales and Whale Sharks and sometimes the Manta Rays.

Some things in life are still FREE.

Hey Jim

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 22nd of November 2015 04:45:32 PM

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 22nd of November 2015 04:49:36 PM

Felicia · Guru

Hey Jim'

I'm mind blown. Hope I get back to WA, but can I at least pay for the fuel and the beer? If I ever in my life caught a fish as big as those I'd have to throw it back. Can I catch smaller ones to eat?

Lynda

Hey Jim · Guru

Felicia wrote:
Hey Jim'

I'm mind blown. Hope I get back to WA, but can I at least pay for the fuel and the beer? If I ever in my life caught a fish as big as those I'd have to throw it back. Can I catch smaller ones to eat?

Lynda

Hi Felicia,

We are planning another trip for August to September 2016.

If you are over that way send us Lambie and I a PM. We stay out at Yardie CVP in the( Yardie Novotel Tent.) biggrin biggrin biggrin We all attend happy hour @ 4pm-5-6pm.

We had a phone call tonight from WA. The Lady ( Clair Bear) holding up her Dolfin fish (also known as Mai Mai ) in the photo's and her Hubbie Ari, are flying into Sydney in December,

for a holiday and we going out to dinner and catch up.

They bring their dog out on the boat too.

Yes we can start you off on some tidlers first, biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin and work you up to a feed. smile there after.

Regards Jim & Lambie

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Monday 23rd of November 2015 08:41:11 PM

Murraman · Senior Member

I have always loved fishing, When I was very early teens my Nanna's Boyfriend always took me fishing when we went to Boat Harbour (Near Nelsons Bay, Newcastle) in the late 50's early 60's. It just grew on me from then. I had a lot of success off the break wall at Harrington NSW lately, Caught a lot of good Bream 31/34cm. The local crowd told me I was doing it wrong by staying in one place said you have to walk the wall.

So you cast in and walk at tide pace so your bait runs parallel to the wall, Boy did it make a difference, Lost less gear and caught more fish. I used mullet for bait. Always liked mullet.

Plan next year doing a half lap and doing plenty of fishing so what I would really like to know is about lures, Never really tried them, Some I have looked at don't have hooks so obviously you have to insert your own. So if anyone would like to tell me what lures work best for what fish and how to set them up. The more info the better as I'm a dummy about lures.

Swoffer · Senior Member

Hi Murraman
What lures work best for what fish is a question that could fill a book , infact it has , many times .

The ones without hooks that you refer to are most likely soft plastics (my personal favorites for most species) you need to get separate jig heads which iclude a hook and place it in the plastic yourself . One if the best things about this type of lure is the combinations that you can come up with yourself are endless.if something is not working for you , change it , this goes for any type of fishing . Dont get hung up on stereotypes , try different things . Over here in the west for instance large soft plastics are the go to lure for Murray Cod whereas most literature you read on east coast cod fishing will be about large deep diving bibbed lures , horses for courses.

Hope I havent made it more confusing .

Cheers Al

Swoffer · Senior Member

Swoffer · Senior Member

Cod AGM 098.JPG

Swoffer · Senior Member

Cod AGM 095.JPG

dave48 · Senior Member

Righto. Didn't see this forum. Going to do a bit of fishing over Christmas in NSW on the Clarence River very near the coast ( Yamba ). What bait, lures, tackle setups do people recommend. Dave

Swoffer · Senior Member

What sort of species / environment are you talking Dave ?

Estuary or fresh ?

dave48 · Senior Member

No boat mate. Definitely sitting on the river bank at the moment. Supposed to be good flathead in the river but after working for so many years I'm out of touch with the latest thinking. Maybe con the old girl for a boat later on but let's not push our luck at the moment. Would appreciate any suggestions. Dave

Hendo · Guru

Hi Dave.

I have fished Iluka, the other side of the river from Yamba. Lot of success with flathead on mullet also with "plastics", Gary Glitter or Blood Worm. There will be bream of the break wall. Suggest you keep an eye out for the locals and follow them around, most wont mind give you some info, maybe not their secret spots.
Tight lines

Hendo

dave48 · Senior Member

Thanks mate. Will do. Dave

Swoffer · Senior Member

Yeh soft plastics are all the rage Dave , thing is they will catch just about any river/estuary species you will encounter . Like Hendo said always check out the locals , when in Rome so to speak .
When it comes time to hit SWMBO up for a boat , have a think about a kayak , the abvatages are many .

-- Edited by Swoffer on Saturday 19th of December 2015 09:35:07 AM

pearla · Member

Remember

Its called " FISHING" not " Catching "

But it's the enjoyment , and relaxing .

I normally release my fish , but these 2 flathead were kept and weight in ,and eaten .

They were caught on live potty mullet at night in Lake Macquaire

I have released prob 6 fish at this size. over the time i fished there

I also use plastics , most of the time .

But the saying goes fresh is best

And the amount of great people i meet while fishing off wharf's ,and rock walls,beach fishing is fantastic .

frangipani · Member

What a great idea, we used to love to fish, in another life., Miss that, will pop in time to time to check out the posts, I used to kiss n throw them back too