queensland new guy that wants to learn....badly lol

[Oceandonkey]

Hi all,

I posted this in the saltwater forum but realised this was the more appropriot one as, well the answer is obvious.

I just bought a 4.2m Stessco RV catcher, got my boat license just yesterday. Iv been fishing with my gf for the past few months of jetties river banks etc.

So we set out from Manly boat ramp at 6am this morning ready to bring in the motherload that afternoon cos hey now we have a boat, were not limited to bridge space anymore.

after 8 hours fishing around st helena, green island and out the front of manly my girlfriend succesfully caught 1 fish about the size of my middle finger.

did i do anything wrong with baits? I bought the berkly yabbies cos OMG 400x extra scent dispersion, they should have been jumping in my boat.i threw out a few different coloured soft plastics in the 1.5-3m region around st helena. I went and bought live blood worms, we had a fish from our last fishing event that we kept for bait cos it wasnt worth cooking 1 fish and that didnt work.

the worst part was there was NO wind at all the water was like a mirror most of the day so we both just sat there boiling.

was i fishing around the right area? was i using right baits? did a nuclear bomb go off in the bay and wipe out all marine life overnight?any hints on fishing the bay cos im dead keen going out tomorrow this time launching closer to home at wellington point at around 6am again. If any of you are there and see a boat driving backwards towing a subaru attached give me a hollar cos any tip no matter how big or small, even on my clothing style will be muchly appreciated : P

For the love of god we just want to catch 1 legal fish.....is that to much to ask kekekekek : D

[mackmauler]

whats your wasted time worth, 6 hours of my time 200 bucks for some practical lessons;)

[Feral]

If your totally green with the boat, and have not fished the bay with someone else in their boat, join a fishing club, or put your hand up as a deckie with one of the blokes here, usually a couple of offers each weekend going.

[Rocket75]

Hey Donkey...sometimes the fish just don't want to play the game:angry: ! You can be doing everything right and still it won't help.

Here are some Basics:

no point being where the fish aren't. If you have a sounder / fish finder, learn how to use it, cause this will show you where they are!

conditions: use the tide, swell and prevailing weather patterns to plan your trip.

Get as many things going for you as you can...good bait / lures, good burley, & the right gear used in the correct manner.

Don't walk under any ladders, break mirrors or squish black cats, because you still need your share of luck;)

Hang in there!

Rocket

[ellicat]

Welcome to the site Donkey,

My early morning suggestions -

Fish as light as you can considering what you're targeting and the run in the water. The less the difference between the high and low tides the less the run.

If you have a sounder look for drop offs and fish these (maybe a drift). Look for a bit of structure or a hole also. If you're static fishing berley up and allow some time for the berley to work.

Now you have a boat try fishing in deeper water unless you're still targeting whiting flathead bream and rays. But generally speaking the better specimens of these can be had in the 2m+ zones.

Keep searching and exploring and trying different techniques. When you start catching heaps don't tell anyone except for us;)

Looking forward to an appropriately placed report next time.

Cheers

[Oceandonkey]

thanks for that guys (& gals???), well elli im going out today with my gf and her old man around peel island i think he wants to go so ill let you know how it went.

Yeah Rocket i have depth finder and it trys to act like a fish finder but i swear it just has a program that runs fish across the screen just to p*ss me off. all day we had fish running underneath us. at one point when we were east of green island in about 8-9m of water and there was heaps of fish...according to that stupid machine.

So i've made an executive decision that it shall be our depth sounder finder thingie and the fish on it are just a screen saver.

Fill you in tonight on the trip...

till then adios amigo's

[Brian D]

Hi Oceandonkey

Welcome to the site. Luve your name - it could fit a few of us.

That was probably the best description of boat fishing a I have ever read. It decribed my thoughts perfectly, way back when I bought my first boat I got to a stage when I used to think I caught more fish from the bridge then the boat.

Rocket is on to something there - it's about timing as much as technique and tools. Seasonal fish not only come and go by the month but by the tide, moon, water temp, food chain etc. Regrettable he fish are not in the river or bay in the same numbers as years gone by - not just Brissy or Moreton but everywhere.

My biggest tip would be live prawns - get a cast net and catch live prawns. Best bait ever. If you can't get a bite on a livie give the fishing away for the day.

My next tip would be - Don't forget to enjoy boating. Go exploring up all the rivers and around all the islands. Take picnic lunches and a planket for the missus;), make a day of some private beaches and enjoy the beautiful part of the world we live in.

Then my last tip would be don't discount the fresh water dams.

Cheers and happy boating!

[roobs]

try fishing a couple of different rigs and baits i guess... you could have been over a school of milkfish that wouldn't touch your bait, or luderick that eat weed, you know what i mean- different fish have different diets. i would fish live bait over plastics any day- a bait jig can be just as effeciently as a cast net from a boat and the bay teems with herring. chuck one of those on and bob's your uncle anything from bream to tuna. using the bait in the area helps as well as that's what the fish will likely be feeding on.

[roobs]

try fishing a couple of different rigs and baits i guess... you could have been over a school of milkfish that wouldn't touch your bait, or luderick that eat weed, you know what i mean- different fish have different diets. i would fish live bait over plastics any day- a bait jig can be just as effeciently as a cast net from a boat and the bay teems with herring. chuck one of those on and bob's your uncle anything from bream to tuna. using the bait in the area helps as well as that's what the fish will likely be feeding on.

[Angus]

Actually the Saltwater section would have been better as this is for Reports not questions.

Not having a go at all mate its just you would have most likely recieved even more response as people come here to see how the reports are going.

Ill leave it here for now hough as the responses are coming.

welcome to the site mate and good luck!

Angus

[Bud]

hey mate nothing to tell you as it has all been said by our fine panel of experts...all I can say is karma to you for being keen and wanting to learn about this great sport they call fishing.

[Oceandonkey]

Thanks for the tip Brian on prawns, what area or types of structure do you look for to net prawns?

im guessing its best to practise in the back yard with a cast net?? they seem fair hard to use for a newbie.

[polyphonic]

As most folks on here know I'm always posting spots for deckies. The next time you see a post by one of the members jump on their boat for the day or tag along in your boat. That way you'll pick up some use full tips for fishing, boating and using your sounder. Just keep an eye on the going fishing section.

[Brian D]

Oceandonkey wrote:

Thanks for the tip Brian on prawns, what area or types of structure do you look for to net prawns?

im guessing its best to practise in the back yard with a cast net?? they seem fair hard to use for a newbie.

Mate if you are going to practice you mose well throw it in the river.

The best spot I have found are usually off the jetties where you launch your boat. To name a couple of spots.

Colmslie Boat Ramp

Bretts Wharf

VMR Redland Bay

Viccy Point

Eagleby Ramp Albert River and Logan River.

Any ramp where there is a jetty.

Google cast netting instructions and you should get some video instructions.

Poly's right - keep an eye on the going fishing section for some joint ventures.