Fishing - Does anyone on here know much about it?

[mr_sharks]

I'm about to go for a job with a fishing organisation. Basically I have no idea about fishing apart from ocassionally throwing a line out at a mate's place every couple of years.
Can anyone give me any good information regarding the equipment - types of rod and reel etc? I recently bought a book and that has helped heaps, but I'm still not certain about the equipment in particular.
HELP!

 

[Thomas]

Sure mate, although the information you require is most likely in that book you bought.

I've been fishing (sportsfishing) for 10 years now and exlcusively use lures and am mainly a catch and release fisherman....unless I am catching snapper. I fish mainly for bream and australian bass and have gone in a few comps here and there. I know some very influential people in the fishing business so if you've got any questions about that or lure fishing in general, swing them my way.

 

[Bazal]

I might be able to give you a hand, been fishing in various ways since I was a little tacker and have won a few prizes here and there in amateur comps...I'll try and answer any questions you have...

 

[mr_sharks]

OK well basically as a starter I want to find out the differences between the different types of reels - what are they and how are they different?
It was in the book but it didn't explain it very well!

 

[ozbash]

try these, the newcastle site is excellent

http://newcastlefishing.com/index.html

http://www.fishing.net.nz/index.cfm

 

[BWNB]

OK well basically as a starter I want to find out the differences between the different types of reels - what are they and how are they different?
It was in the book but it didn't explain it very well!

Spinning/Threadline: The easiest reel to use,most begingers use this reel as it is very easy to use. The bail, realeases the line from the spool and runs throught the guides.When you are bringing the line in you just flip the bail arm over and the line is fed from the guides to the line roller which feeds the line onto the spool. Depends what you wanna do but i would recomend this as the best all rounder...

Baitcaster: Is mainly used for casting lures and baits around structure. When you do cast with this reel for the first time you will have alot of trouble with it cause it tangles heaps but after you perfected it , you will get better distance and accuracy.I wouldn't recomend using this reel for general purpose because you will have alot of trouble casting it at first. If your a first timer go with the spinning reel

Overhead: Mainly used for big game and trolling for big fish. You cant cast with this reel and you just feed the line down with your finger. Normally you would use it in deep water so you would just drop it over the side. If you get this reel you will have a bigger line capacity and will be able to handle bigger fish better if your not fishing for big fish i wouldnt recomend getting this reel

In summary i would recomend you get what you find most comfortable. But if you just wanna cast light weight, heavy weight bait or lures go with the spinning

 

[Thomas]

Mr Sharks.

There are basically 2 types of fishing reels. Threadline and baitcaster.

Threadline are your typical reels you find on most rods and they sit under the rod. They are a very versatile reel for most kinds of fishing and can be used for bait and lure fishing.

The next most popular reels are baitcasters. These reels sit on top of the rod and are a little more difficult to use. They offer the angler greater control and are therefore used for lure fishing and sportsfishing.

Other reels include the Alvey (mainly used for beach fishing and estaury) and spincast reels (haven't seen too many of these though).

I would use a threadline reel if I am fishing with very light line and lure. They are also a little faster when you wind them in and as such are perfect for tuna fishing where you need a lure to go really fast in the water.

I use baitcasters for bass fishing (in structures like trees and logs where greater control is needed), for barra fishing and for magrove jack fishing. Because the reel is on top of the rod you can use your thumb to assist the drag.....I have scars to show that even when you tighten the drag up as far as it can go...fish still take line.

 

[Thomas]

But yeah...what the bloke above me says......

Baitcasters can be tricky for beginners.

 

[Bazal]

To further what has been said....

Threadline reels are very versatile and can be used in any situation; bait or lure, beach, boat, or rock fishing. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be used to tackle anything from the smallest whiting to the largest mulloway. They are also referred to as "eggbeater reels", a reference to the manner in which you turn the handle when winding. These reels are best suited for fishing baits or lightweight lures such as soft plastics. Threadlines also allow you to place more pressure on a fighting fish.

Baitcasters are mounted on the top of the rod and are used almost exclusively for lure fishing. They allow pinpoint accuracy when casting, meaning that you can present the lure directly into the snags and structures that the fish inhabit. They allow fine control over a swimming lure, but are very difficult for beginners as they are difficult to cast without the line overspooling.

Another common reel is the Alvey sidecast. These reels are excellent, hardy reels used for rock and beach fishing. They can be dropped in sand or saltwater and suffer very few ill effects, unlike the two previous types. They must be turned sideways in order to cast, hence the name sidecast.

 

[Thomas]

Ahhh Alveys.

I caught my first fish on a rod on an Alvey.

On a side note, I'm heading to the Whitsunday's in November with my g/f and 3 other couples. We are hiring a 48ft power catermaran and will be cruising the islands for 7 days.

Jealous?

Well...you shouldn't be. My mate's wife booked the trip at the same time there is a full closed season on coral reef fish...meaning livebaiting for red emporer and coral trout won't happen.

Doesn't mean we can't fish for giant trevallys around bombies though!!

 

[mr_sharks]

I go away for ten minutes then jackpot!!! Thanks for the information - everything is much clearer in my mind now!
On the topic of fishing, what about lures? What are the benefits/negatives of the different types? I understand there are spinners, jigs and spoons if I am correct?

 

[Bazal]

Ahhh Alveys.

I caught my first fish on a rod on an Alvey.

On a side note, I'm heading to the Whitsunday's in November with my g/f and 3 other couples. We are hiring a 48ft power catermaran and will be cruising the islands for 7 days.

Jealous?

Well...you shouldn't be. My mate's wife booked the trip at the same time there is a full closed season on coral reef fish...meaning livebaiting for red emporer and coral trout won't happen.

Doesn't mean we can't fish for giant trevallys around bombies though!!

Bastard! Nothing gets the adrenalin going more than a big GT smashing a popper near a bommie....sucks about the reefies though, some of the best eating in the sea right there.

 

[Thomas]

Bazal....my mate did say he can fillet a fish in about 30 seconds but then I told him how much the fines are.

Am keen to catch a few tuna too...maybe a big spaniard as well....but GT's will be fun.

Mr Sharks....you could easily write a 300 page book on lures and not even scratch the surface. There are heaps of books and resources online as well...but the one thing I always live by when using lures is

"Match the hatch"

Which means...match your lure to whatever the fish are eating and you will increase your chances of catching a fish. In saying that, I've caught heaps of fish on spinnerbaits and they sure as hell don't look like anything that swims in the water. Some fish are territorial and you can catch fish purely by annoying thr hell out of them with a lure.

I use the following lures:

Soft plastics of all different sizes and colours for bream, bass, jacks and snapper
Spinnerbaits for bass
crankbaits or hard body lures
spoons and jigs for fast retrieve fishing for mackeral and tuna
surface lures for GT's, barra and bass

Geez....I could go on and on and on

 

[Bazal]

I go away for ten minutes then jackpot!!! Thanks for the information - everything is much clearer in my mind now!
On the topic of fishing, what about lures? What are the benefits/negatives of the different types? I understand there are spinners, jigs and spoons if I am correct?

Mate lures is a massive topic, that would take hours to cover. But the basic kinds are minnows, poppers, spinnerbaits, jigs, soft plastics and flies.

Minnows. Come in thousands of shapes and sizes. They are lures designed to look like a bait fish, and incorporate a swimming action designed for maximum effectiveness. This effect is achieved using a plastic bib. Can be used for almost all species of predatory fish, come in floting, diving, sinking and shallow runner varieties. They also incorporate other tricks such as specific colour schemes, rattles, vibrating "propeller blades" etc.

Poppers are quite simply a floating lure designed to make as much noise and disturbance as possible. They have a concave nose designed to churn up the water they pass through.

Spinnerbaits are most effective on fresh water species such as cod and yellowbelly. They incorporate a spinnerblade to create vibrations, and a soft plastic or feather lure. They are useful in areas with heavy underwater timber as they are difficult to snag.

Jigs are simply a wedge of metal with reflective surfaces. They can be either retrieved at high speed rr dropped into the depths and bounced up and down. These lures are very effective on species such as kingfish and sampson fish.

Soft plastics are a finesse lure used to great effect on bream and flathead. They are made of a rubbery material and are generally bounced or fluttered around structures where these fish may be hiding. They require light threadline tackle and an expert eye to detect the often minute strikes.

Flies are generally used in freshwater fishing for trout and salmon, but are becoming increasingly popular in a saltwater environment. They are made from fibres such as animal hair or feathers and generally are made to resemble small insects or fish. The major types are "dry flies", which are fished on the surface, and "wet flies" which are fished further down the water column

 

[Bazal]

Spinnerbait pic that I can't add to the above post due to forum rules...

 

[Bazal]

Bazal....my mate did say he can fillet a fish in about 30 seconds but then I told him how much the fines are.

Am keen to catch a few tuna too...maybe a big spaniard as well....but GT's will be fun.

:lol: Yeah it ain't worth the fine, cheaper to stock up on some nice fillets before you go out there, or just make up for it with a few wahoo, jobfish or spaniards...tough break that, having to settle for them...hehe...

 

[Thomas]

Man that's one ugly looking spinnerbait!!!

I went bass fishing the other weekend and caught a bunch of nice fish on a small 1/4 ounce white one. They are fun lures to use!

I'm thinking of trying them out up North.

 

[mr_sharks]

awesome thanks so much for the information guys - much appreciated!

 

[BWNB]

If i were going fishing the flats or anything like that i would use Soft plastics, they in my mind are by far the best all rounder.If rigged correctly they will swim like a wounded fish and if used with the right techneque you will get the fishes attention. Ie flathead along the bottom. The disadvantage of these lures are that they can be torn or ripped very easily by fish like tailor.
Some popular SP's are
Berkley Bassminnows 3'
Atomic grubs and most shads

Popular SP brands
Storm
Berkley
Squdgies
Atomic
Mister Twister

 

[Bazal]

If i were going fishing the flats or anything like that i would use Soft plastics, they in my mind are by far the best all rounder.If rigged correctly they will swim like a wounded fish and if used with the right techneque you will get the fishes attention. Ie flathead along the bottom. The disadvantage of these lures are that they can be torn or ripped very easily by fish like tailor.
Some popular SP's are
Berkley Bassminnows 3'
Atomic grubs and most shads

Popular SP brands
Storm
Berkley
Squdgies
Atomic
Mister Twister

I'm a huge fan of the Storm shads when fishing the flats in the Hunter. I have pulled many a 65cm plus flattie out on these, as well as school jew up to 7kg...The Squidgies are a safe bet too, a small or medium single tail grub is effective on everything from sand whiting to big dusky flathead...