Making hookups stick

[PierreChristian]

I'm just new to fishing, and the last couple of weeks I've had plenty of nibbles, tugs and bites, but I've only hooked up a few. I'm mostly fishing for bream and whiting around the gold coast. I went through 2 packs of prawns last week and only hooked up 3 fish. What am I doing wrong? How do i know when to strike or reel it in? Please help!

[zan0_15]

whiting and bream can be painfull for this! very frustrating. maybe try less weight so the fish can take off with it a bit more, they may be dropping it as soon as they feel the weight.

or there may only be pickers havin a crack at ur bait.

what size mainline and leader are you using?

[dan25]

Downsize your hook size and then you will get em. Try using really small jigheads with bait, really easy way in getting the bream to take it..

[sehrguht]

half hitching the tail of the prawn can also help to hold it on the hook so they dont just pull it off also.

and +1 for using jigheads with bait on them, i used to regularly fish a spot in the pine with live or very fresh prawns on a 1/16th jighead and just flick them against the bank and let the current do its thing.

[billythakid]

I'm just new to fishing, and the last couple of weeks I've had plenty of nibbles, tugs and bites, but I've only hooked up a few. I'm mostly fishing for bream and whiting around the gold coast. I went through 2 packs of prawns last week and only hooked up 3 fish. What am I doing wrong? How do i know when to strike or reel it in? Please help!

is the barb of the hook out clear and exposed of the prawn or is it fully covered inside the prawn ?????

[PierreChristian]

Great tips thanks. I'm using 2kg line, and I've tried both the hook buried and exposed, and peeled and whole. I was using a fair bit of weight to cast out but wasn't catching anything, and as soon as I halved the weight, I bagged a couple, so yeah I was thinking of cutting the weight again. My target area is tallebudgera creek a couple hours each side of the tide, into the deeper channel.