Fishing Monthly

Hi Roy, You would attribute the bite-offs to tailor? I understand, from what I've read on the Web, that US beach fisherman also use circle hooks for bluefish which are of course like our tailor, except they grow much bigger. When blue fish are around, the US fishos use heavy (100 lb plus) hard mono ...

I've just been reading about circle hooks, which seem very popular in the US with surf casters fishing for striped bass. Has anyone used them? The attraction in the US appears to be to allow catch and release with minimal damage to the fish. But I also understand a fish essentially hooks itself when...

Hi Paul,

Thanks for providing the necessary insight.

That's exactly what I was looking for and needed to know.

Regards,

Bob

Hi guys, I'm probably asking a silly question, but here goes anyway. I've been having some difficulty getting the baited hooks to release consistently on impact when using a breakaway shield. This might be due to the way I attach the hooks to the impact shield. Is it best to hook the lower of the ga...

Hi Stephano I fish mostly with mono, but have experimented a bit with the newer "super lines". I agree with most comments made. It's best to look upon super lines, whether braided or fused, as special purpose lines. I've only ever used Berkley Fireline, which is a fused type, but found it useful for...

Bob,i have the 535 mag its a great reel ,the only down side is line capasity is not great if you hook a speed meahine ,the speed master is a very common reel on the coast for HHS and most have no troulbe with casting them ,they just dont last more than 2 hard seasoins ,the handel get's a good knock...

Hi John, Thanks for your comments on oiling bearings. Although not sure I've the skill or inclination to "mag" my Speedmaster. But thanks for the tip about Zippo lighter fuel for cleaning bearings without the need to apply heat. I reckon I'll just keep the heavy motor oil up to them -- and try to "r...

Hi John, Thanks for your advice -- very much valued, as usual. I'm still weighing-up whether to buy yet another reel: I've already got drawers full. Probably makes more sense to make better use of what I already have. To your knowledge, are the Shimano Triton Speedmasters difficult to cast? I notice...

Hi fishos, For longer than I can remember I've owned a Shimano Speedmaster Triton III. It's been a fishing reel from hell. Even with heavy motor engine oil in the bearings it's a bit of a mongrel to cast. And, from what I've discovered perusing the Web, many others have had a similar experience. So ...

Bob, The following site has suitable floatd/attractors for sale, and a few good tips etc. http://www.tackletactics.co.nz/Floats.html I've purchased gear from them and found them to be speedy and reliable. They also have an interseting message board. Regards, Hi Roy, Thanks for the site reference. L...

Hi Jeremy,

Yes, I'd also be interested in reading about how Yarra jewfish are caught.

One good jewie's worth a year's pan-sized fish, so far as I'm concerned.

Technical aspects of tackle are fine, but they can't compare to a solid fish on the line.

Regards,

Bob

Hi Dave, Thanks for the cork idea. Actually, I've devised a similar one: rather than use a cork, I've tightly bound four small 5 cm long pieces of sleeping mat foam (as used for camping) to the line, just above the hook, using strong sawing thread. I've yet to try the rig, but tests in the laundry s...

Hi Rod,

There's an even more straight-forward chart here:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/visc.html

Regards,

Bob

Hi fishos, Years ago, when holidaying at Hervey Bay, I bought some sinkers that look like dumpy snapper leads: they have the same hole at the top for securing line, but are pear shape and hexagonal (six sided) rather than four sided. What are those sinkers called? I've a heap of them up to 4 ozs. H...

Hi Ken, Yes, I agree small hooks have their advantages. Provided you don't get bitten off, it's possible to catch large fish on very small hooks. I remember years ago I once caught a 10 lb school jew. No big deal? I was fishing in the estuary for winter black fish (luderick), using squirt (estuary) ...

When you are on the beach and there is nothing between you and NZ other than water, at times the sweep can be very strong...Using a grip lead and a rod rest you get to spend more time fishing than casting. Pyramid sinkers will give you excercise winding in, as the flat surface is against you. The i...

Bob, The weights with a swivel at the top work for me - like you, there isn't a lot of choice in my local tackle shops, either. I find that the pyramids hold better, bit don't seem to cast as well. I prefer to use a snap connector to attach the weight, allowing for quick and easy changes of weight ...

Hi fishos, Much of the time it's necessary to use a sinker when fishing the surf. As an Alvey user, however, I prefer to use no lead if conditions are suitable, or the minimum size sinker, when it's necessary to sink the bait. Often I'll just use a ball sinker on the line immediately above the hook....

Hi guys, Has anyone had experience using "crab-free" rigs. I saw a digram in a recent fishing article which described these. The general idea seems to be to make the hook and bait bouyant, so it floats above the sea-floor way from crabs, rays and other undesirable bait filchers and can be more easil...

Hi John, Thanks for this. I've purchased John Holden's Long Distance casting and Beach Fisherman's Tackle Guide as e-books, along with the original Long Distance Casting video, all on CD, by going through John's website. Total cost, including postage by air: $37.48 AUD. Seems good value. Supposedly,...

Hi guy, How critical is the tide to successfully catching fish off a beach? Do you take the state of the tide into consideration when planning your trips? I fish two types of beaches withing 15 minutes from my home. The first are surf beaches but sheltered within a bay near the inlet to an estuary. ...

Hi Rod, Thanks for answering my questions. Like you I tend to vary my hook size according to the fish I'm targeting, and then choose the size of bait to suit. I'm a big fan of ganged hooks. As well as, in the distant past, using four ganged 5/0s for fishing sea gar, and more recently three ganged 3/...

Hi John, Thanks again for your advice. I've looked at the websites. And also at the tournament casting board of this site. Going back through old posts I saw a reference to John Holden's website. His "How to cast" pages must be the best guide on the Web for non-tournament casting surf fishermen who ...

How do you choose the best size hook to pin your bait? Do you first decide the size of the bait you want to use according to the size of fish you want to catch, and then decide on hook size? Big bait, big fish? Or do you just use the size of hook for bait that's immediately available? Or the hook fo...

Hi John, Thanks for referring me to Nick Meyer's Breakaway USA site. I'd previously downloaded the PDFs from the Web but wasn't aware of the video. Actually, when I viewed the video, the aerialised Unitech cast appeared pretty much the same cast as the Hatteras cast demonstrated on the Hatteras Outf...