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Surf Fishing Newbie - Woorim/bribie


gooodluck

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Hi mate. Welcome to the forum. If you want to target larger fish in the surf you could try sliding. It gets the bait a long way out to where the bigger fish usually are. I know Jones’s Tackle at Chermside can advise you about sliding but I imagine any of the larger tackle shops will be able to advise you as well. As for a bait to use try a large (say 8/0 to 10/0) circle hook baited with a whole side slab from a tailor or mullet folded lengthwise with the skin to the inside. Good luck!

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3 hours ago, GregOug said:

Hi mate. Welcome to the forum. If you want to target larger fish in the surf you could try sliding. It gets the bait a long way out to where the bigger fish usually are. I know Jones’s Tackle at Chermside can advise you about sliding but I imagine any of the larger tackle shops will be able to advise you as well. As for a bait to use try a large (say 8/0 to 10/0) circle hook baited with a whole side slab from a tailor or mullet folded lengthwise with the skin to the inside. Good luck!

Im a newbie to surf fishing, and hadn’t actually heard of this technique before! Been doing some reading into it and definitely want to give it a try now! Cheers for the heads up! I think I’ll need to take your advice and talk to one of the fellas in the shops about getting set up. Seems like a bit of work/practice to get started but worth the effort. I live quite close to jones tackle so I might pay them a visit! Thanks again!

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1 hour ago, gooodluck said:

Im a newbie to surf fishing, and hadn’t actually heard of this technique before! Been doing some reading into it and definitely want to give it a try now! Cheers for the heads up! I think I’ll need to take your advice and talk to one of the fellas in the shops about getting set up. Seems like a bit of work/practice to get started but worth the effort. I live quite close to jones tackle so I might pay them a visit! Thanks again!

No problem. Let us know how you go.

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30 minutes ago, samsteele115 said:

Have caught jew, tuna and mackerel behind the breakers at woorim in a boat. So if everything lines up you'd be in for a chance landbased too 

That’s awesome! That’s what I’m talking about. I’m hoping to get back out there soon but was considering holding off until the full moon 🌕.

re: lures, I’ve never really fished with one outside of squid jigs. Is there any you’d recommend? I bought a 50g halco twisty yesterday but thought maybe I was cheaping out a little bit as it was only $10. 
 

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Hey Goooooodluck,

Welcome to the forum. 

Some great catches there mate, you are doing something right. 

No one catches fish if the rods are in the shed. Best advice is to keep at it. 

For bigger fish try bigger baits. 

Tailor can be caught using pilchards and gang hooks.

If you can jig up some herring at the jetty or cast net for some mullet, live baits are great for Trevally, Jew, Cod and lots of others. 

 

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13 minutes ago, Drop Bear said:

Hey Goooooodluck,

Welcome to the forum. 

Some great catches there mate, you are doing something right. 

No one catches fish if the rods are in the shed. Best advice is to keep at it. 

For bigger fish try bigger baits. 

Tailor can be caught using pilchards and gang hooks.

If you can jig up some herring at the jetty or cast net for some mullet, live baits are great for Trevally, Jew, Cod and lots of others. 

 

Cheers Drop Bear!

i think all I’m doing right is getting out there every weekend haha! Still got a lot to learn at this point, but really I haven’t missed a weekend for the past 5 months straight. Had my fair share of crap days but had some great days too. 
 

are live herring and mullet generally the best livies in your opinion? 
 

I seem to generally have the most luck fishing when there’s a nice big moon in the sky, as im usually out at night.

 

would you agree the moon plays an important part in night fishing? Is it just  as important for the bigger species, or mainly just for the smaller more common species that are feeding on small prey drawn to the moonlight? 
 

Sorry again for all the questions, I’m very curious to hear everyones input and advice on here!

cheers 🙂  

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36 minutes ago, gooodluck said:

Cheers Drop Bear!

i think all I’m doing right is getting out there every weekend haha! Still got a lot to learn at this point, but really I haven’t missed a weekend for the past 5 months straight. Had my fair share of crap days but had some great days too. 
 

are live herring and mullet generally the best livies in your opinion? 
 

I seem to generally have the most luck fishing when there’s a nice big moon in the sky, as im usually out at night.

 

would you agree the moon plays an important part in night fishing? Is it just  as important for the bigger species, or mainly just for the smaller more common species that are feeding on small prey drawn to the moonlight? 
 

Sorry again for all the questions, I’m very curious to hear everyones input and advice on here!

cheers 🙂  

All questions are welcome.

Herring and mullet are not the best live baits but they are pretty much all you will get if you are land based and they will often work well.  

If you burly up you might get some live gar, These are better IMHO. 

Also if you can get live prawns they are boss. 

Moon... big question in not many words. Here is some opinion. 

I know that crabbing before the full moon in the mangroves in the shallows gets you more crabs than after the full moon...

I feel that some fish wont go into the shallows as much when there is a full moon...

Some fish school up more at a full moon... 

I haven't really answered your question sorry. I don't believe there is an affinitive answer. 

The full moon makes it easier to fish at night so more people fish at this time and I wonder if this sways peoples opinion of its influence? Like people could say that "I caught this on the full moon therefore full moon is better fishing?" but scientist will tell you that coloration does not equal causation. 

It also gives you a full tide just after dark so this can be influential. 

Dunno sorry. I hope someone smarter than me picks up the baton. 

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3 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

All questions are welcome.

Herring and mullet are not the best live baits but they are pretty much all you will get if you are land based and they will often work well.  

If you burly up you might get some live gar, These are better IMHO. 

Also if you can get live prawns they are boss. 

Moon... big question in not many words. Here is some opinion. 

I know that crabbing before the full moon in the mangroves in the shallows gets you more crabs than after the full moon...

I feel that some fish wont go into the shallows as much when there is a full moon...

Some fish school up more at a full moon... 

I haven't really answered your question sorry. I don't believe there is an affinitive answer. 

The full moon makes it easier to fish at night so more people fish at this time and I wonder if this sways peoples opinion of its influence? Like people could say that "I caught this on the full moon therefore full moon is better fishing?" but scientist will tell you that coloration does not equal causation. 

It also gives you a full tide just after dark so this can be influential. 

Dunno sorry. I hope someone smarter than me picks up the baton. 

Appreciate this!

the tip for crabbing helps too. Keen to get my hands on some.

 

as for the gar, I’ve been able to catch quite a few off the pier at Shorncliffe using bread on a very small hook with no sinker. Seems to work pretty well- better than the gar rigs I’ve purchased in the past.

 the gar I’ve caught there have been 30cm plus most of the time. Hope that’s not gonna be too big. 
 

the other problem I face in that regard is transporting the gar from Shorncliffe out to woorim/a beach as I don’t have an aerated bait bucket yet. (Looking into making one DIY).

guess I could give the gar a go off the pier with the sliding technique, which I’ve read IS more ideal/easier from elevated ground.

however Im loving getting amongst the **real** surf 🌊 as I find fishing off the beach is far more relaxing than the (at times) noisy and crowded pier. 

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Also really appreciate your insight with the moon! 
I always sort of felt everything was more active when the moon was full.

generally I see far more prawns jumping around with a big moon in the sky than without, which usually leads me to flicking my squid jig. Managed to get 15 squid off Shorncliffe pier at the last full moon in these conditions but hey- could’ve just been a lucky night!

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3 minutes ago, gooodluck said:

Also really appreciate your insight with the moon! 
I always sort of felt everything was more active when the moon was full.

generally I see far more prawns jumping around with a big moon in the sky than without, which usually leads me to flicking my squid jig. Managed to get 15 squid off Shorncliffe pier at the last full moon in these conditions but hey- could’ve just been a lucky night!

It’s certainly sounds like it!

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Just now, GregOug said:

It’s certainly sounds like it!

Haha lot of trial and error with mixed advice from a few of the locals there. I’ve found for me that under cover area on the left side up the pier is where it’s at. No glow sticks or anything fancy, pink or white  “yamashita” jigs and a slow retrieval with the occasional jigging action seems to always land me at least one. 

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Hey gooodluck

Welcome to the forum. I've been to Woorim once (I think, lol), and caught some whiting and dart in the surf. I'm a very novice surf fisho, but your best bet for things like these (I think you already know judging from the pics above though), is to use good baits, such as worms, and light leader. 

You won't need an extremely long rod to cast out far, but they do take a bit of getting used to. Here are a couple options that may class as 'bigger' fish for you - 

- Tailor: You will read many tailor reports (mainly in Winter time), caught on gang hooks and pillies. I haven't caught them, but casting these into a deep gutter at night with lots of bait will hopefully get you one.

- Mulloway/Jewfish: These can be caught on livies, and will often come out of deep gutters as well. You will need a heavier leader, as they get a lot bigger than tailor, and even though they aren't live strip baits can still work. 

Pelagics - Finally, don't discount fish liek mackerel. I doubt you could get them from the surf (and I haven't even caught one), but from the rocks, or Shorncliffe Pier, you could get them. I have heard the Halco Twisty lures are very good, so just cause they're a bit cheaper doesn't mean they're worse!

Cheers Hamish 🙂 

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On 18/09/2020 at 8:24 AM, gooodluck said:

That’s awesome! That’s what I’m talking about. I’m hoping to get back out there soon but was considering holding off until the full moon 🌕.

re: lures, I’ve never really fished with one outside of squid jigs. Is there any you’d recommend? I bought a 50g halco twisty yesterday but thought maybe I was cheaping out a little bit as it was only $10. 
 

I find new moon is better than full moon for the visual-feeding pelagics during the day as they seem to be more frenzied up during sunlight hours. Especially dawn and dusk. Combine that with a moon rise and you could be in for a good session. Not sure about the science behind moon rises, but it's definitely a fish feeding time. 

Metal lures are cheap yes but they don't need to be fancy. You could literally put hooks on some cutlery and you will catch fish. They attract the more aggressive species like trevally, mackerel, tailor, tuna etc and can be a lot of fun to use when these fish are around. All it does is flash around on fast retrieve and prompt a reaction bite from these fish. 

If the fish are a little more shy then that's when plastics and other lures designed to be worked more slowly come into the picture 

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On 18/09/2020 at 6:03 PM, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hey gooodluck

Welcome to the forum. I've been to Woorim once (I think, lol), and caught some whiting and dart in the surf. I'm a very novice surf fisho, but your best bet for things like these (I think you already know judging from the pics above though), is to use good baits, such as worms, and light leader. 

You won't need an extremely long rod to cast out far, but they do take a bit of getting used to. Here are a couple options that may class as 'bigger' fish for you - 

- Tailor: You will read many tailor reports (mainly in Winter time), caught on gang hooks and pillies. I haven't caught them, but casting these into a deep gutter at night with lots of bait will hopefully get you one.

- Mulloway/Jewfish: These can be caught on livies, and will often come out of deep gutters as well. You will need a heavier leader, as they get a lot bigger than tailor, and even though they aren't live strip baits can still work. 

Pelagics - Finally, don't discount fish liek mackerel. I doubt you could get them from the surf (and I haven't even caught one), but from the rocks, or Shorncliffe Pier, you could get them. I have heard the Halco Twisty lures are very good, so just cause they're a bit cheaper doesn't mean they're worse!

Cheers Hamish 🙂 

Cheers for the info Hamish!

much appreciated,

you say you’re a novice but you certainly taught me a thing or two! 

I would love to get my hands on a nice jewy! 
I’m thinking I might hit shorncliffe pier to practise my slide technique before I take it out to the beach. That way I can get my hands on some nice live baits while I’m there too. 

I’ll probably give my halco twisty a flick too now that I know a bit more about them! 

Think I’m gonna look like a doofus with my big surf rod at the pier, but hey it’s all a learning experience haha 😆 

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1 hour ago, samsteele115 said:

I find new moon is better than full moon for the visual-feeding pelagics during the day as they seem to be more frenzied up during sunlight hours. Especially dawn and dusk. Combine that with a moon rise and you could be in for a good session. Not sure about the science behind moon rises, but it's definitely a fish feeding time. 

Metal lures are cheap yes but they don't need to be fancy. You could literally put hooks on some cutlery and you will catch fish. They attract the more aggressive species like trevally, mackerel, tailor, tuna etc and can be a lot of fun to use when these fish are around. All it does is flash around on fast retrieve and prompt a reaction bite from these fish. 

If the fish are a little more shy then that's when plastics and other lures designed to be worked more slowly come into the picture 

Really helpful info, cheers Sam!

i reckon I’ll probably try line up my next trip with that info in mind, and that I have a nice run in from say 3-4pm onwards and try my luck for dusk, as I’m usually fishing then or at night.

im thinking of arriving early at low tide and trying to get my hands on some live baits and also walking a fair bit out into the surf and anchoring my line for my slide.

will also be giving my twisty a few flicks too! Good to know an expensive price tag isn’t necessary

Keen to put these new techniques and info into practice and hopefully I see some results. 
 

little bit anxious about the sliding as I’ve never done it before, and like I said above might give it a crack at the pier for a practice run before hitting the surf. Have you got any experience with sliding ?

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46 minutes ago, Another Wazza said:

Hi there gooodluck, $10 a twisty might seem cheap, but if the macky’s or tailor are ravenous it can get expensive real quick

Hey Another Wazza!

i appreciate that,

maybe I needa grab a couple extras in that case...

have another rod or reel for back up too  lol 

too be honest I wouldn’t be too mad losing it to a fish, 

rather that than the snags I had last Thursday, costing me 2 gang hook rigs 😔

 

 

 

 

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14 minutes ago, gooodluck said:

little bit anxious about the sliding as I’ve never done it before, and like I said above might give it a crack at the pier for a practice run before hitting the surf. Have you got any experience with sliding ?

Wouldn't have a clue sorry! I've pretty much always fished with lures, the occasional livie of late. 

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2 minutes ago, samsteele115 said:

Wouldn't have a clue sorry! I've pretty much always fished with lures, the occasional livie of late. 

That’s all good! I’ve never used lures much so it will be a big moment when/if I can catch a fish with one! 

 

2 minutes ago, Another Wazza said:

The snag is the fisherman’s nemesis for sure, all that gear you end up donating over the years....

when you grab some more twisty’s it can pay to get a few different sizes, 20g through to 40g covers it most of the time, the Gillies range of slugs is good too, even a tad cheaper, 👍

Sound advice! I might’ve went a bit too hard on my first buy by the sounds of it. I think I grabbed a 55g , I’ll pick up some smaller ones in that case!

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On 18/09/2020 at 5:22 PM, gooodluck said:

Also really appreciate your insight with the moon! 
I always sort of felt everything was more active when the moon was full.

generally I see far more prawns jumping around with a big moon in the sky than without, which usually leads me to flicking my squid jig. Managed to get 15 squid off Shorncliffe pier at the last full moon in these conditions but hey- could’ve just been a lucky night!

And yes that's right! At night time everything seems more active doesn't it with a full moon. Bait fish throw a stronger silhouette from the moonlight for those visual predators to feed more easily. Which means when there's no moonlight those dawn and dusk times seem to be a bit more frenzied! Even throughout the day.

I have found the middle of the day to be the best time for catching tuna for example, when the sun is at its highest point. Pushing bait fish against the surface and straight in line with the sun light seems to create the longest of feeding frenzies. And easier to catch. Catching these visual predators can be a struggle in low light as they find it more difficult to ball up bait fish I reckon. 

Anyways I've gone off on a tangent there 😎

My point: new moon during the day fishing seems better 

Edited by samsteele115
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13 minutes ago, samsteele115 said:

And yes that's right! At night time everything seems more active doesn't it with a full moon. Bait fish throw a stronger silhouette from the moonlight for those visual predators to feed more easily. Which means when there's no moonlight those dawn and dusk times seem to be a bit more frenzied! Even throughout the day.

I have found the middle of the day to be the best time for catching tuna for example, when the sun is at its highest point. Pushing bait fish against the surface and straight in line with the sun light seems to create the longest of feeding frenzies. And easier to catch. Catching these visual predators can be a struggle in low light as they find it more difficult to ball up bait fish I reckon. 

Anyways I've gone off on a tangent there 😎

Now that’s interesting. I’ve always wanted to catch a Tuna- it’s on my bucket list. While I hear it’s quite unlikely from the surf it has been done.

gotta get out on a boat some day.

but you’ve given me something to think about when you say “visual predators”. As someone who has had less luck fishing in broad daylight, I think I’m coming to realise it’s may be because I’ve never taken advantage of the visibility . Being that I’ve pretty much always just fished from the bottom with any bait I could get my hands on- be it some stinky tweed bait Or a chicken breast from the fridge lol.

having that bait- especially live - somewhere between the middle and the top in the day makes a lot of sense to me. Having the sun flicker/reflect on the bait/livie has got to be almost mesmerising for (some) fish- or at least more interesting than my piece of dead meat sitting on the bottom. 

with that in mind, do you find that having light is better for fishing with lures then too? Or it varies from species to species?

i was having a flick off Margate last Thursday night and was thinking to myself... can the fish even see my lure when it’s this dark? Am I just wasting my time ? 

maybe I’m getting too ahead of myself here haha, always trying to find a logical explanation.

but please feel free to go off on a tangent

im learning heaps!

Edit: after clicking “post” I see how much I’ve run off a tangent also lol.

all tangents welcome here 🤣

 

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2 hours ago, gooodluck said:

little bit anxious about the sliding as I’ve never done it before, and like I said above might give it a crack at the pier for a practice run before hitting the surf. Have you got any experience with sliding ?

If you’re going to try sliding at the pier (which I wouldn’t recommend by the way) make sure there is no one anywhere around you when casting. Hit someone with that huge sinker with the large prongs hanging out of it and they won’t be with the living anymore. Best to practice away from others in the surf. And make sure you don’t hit yourself either!

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Just now, GregOug said:

If you’re going to try sliding at the pier (which I wouldn’t recommend by the way) make sure there is no one anywhere around you when casting. Hit someone with that huge sinker with the large prongs hanging out of it and they won’t be with the living anymore. Best to practice away from others in the surf. And make sure you don’t hit yourself either!

Ahh, that’s a good point. 
definitely don’t want that happening, and knowing my clumsy self it’s a likely hazard. 
just for convenience sake I was thinking there as it’s much closer to home and I read being higher than ground Level can be helpful. 
Can give it a crack at Margate I guess!

for the safety of the public 😅

 

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2 minutes ago, gooodluck said:

Ahh, that’s a good point. 
definitely don’t want that happening, and knowing my clumsy self it’s a likely hazard. 
just for convenience sake I was thinking there as it’s much closer to home and I read being higher than ground Level can be helpful. 
Can give it a crack at Margate I guess!

for the safety of the public 😅

 

Might be a good idea to don a crash helmet then until you get proficient at sliding!

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2 minutes ago, GregOug said:

Might be a good idea to don a crash helmet then until you get proficient at sliding!

Hahahah, look it’s probably not a bad idea knowing me. Unknowing Passers by are going to think I’m a pretty special specimen wearing my helmet and doing a sliding motion with the rod I think 😂

better safe than sorry tho 

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16 hours ago, gooodluck said:

Now that’s interesting. I’ve always wanted to catch a Tuna- it’s on my bucket list. While I hear it’s quite unlikely from the surf it has been done.

gotta get out on a boat some day.

but you’ve given me something to think about when you say “visual predators”. As someone who has had less luck fishing in broad daylight, I think I’m coming to realise it’s may be because I’ve never taken advantage of the visibility . Being that I’ve pretty much always just fished from the bottom with any bait I could get my hands on- be it some stinky tweed bait Or a chicken breast from the fridge lol.

having that bait- especially live - somewhere between the middle and the top in the day makes a lot of sense to me. Having the sun flicker/reflect on the bait/livie has got to be almost mesmerising for (some) fish- or at least more interesting than my piece of dead meat sitting on the bottom. 

with that in mind, do you find that having light is better for fishing with lures then too? Or it varies from species to species?

i was having a flick off Margate last Thursday night and was thinking to myself... can the fish even see my lure when it’s this dark? Am I just wasting my time ? 

maybe I’m getting too ahead of myself here haha, always trying to find a logical explanation.

but please feel free to go off on a tangent

im learning heaps!

Edit: after clicking “post” I see how much I’ve run off a tangent also lol.

all tangents welcome here 🤣

 

When the first of the westerlies start in May and through til July you'll find tuna pushing bait into the wind and therefore right up along the entire Bribie coastline. Definitely doable. 

What you use definitely determines what you may catch! It helps to have a plan in mind for a target species and hone in on that. 

To be honest I haven't fished at night in a very long time. I guess I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much, at least not worth the extra hassles of fishing in the dark. But thats just me. Lures do work at night though! 

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