gooodluck

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 😆 

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. 

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!

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. 

It's a catshark.
Legal size for most sharks and rays is 1.5m max.
 
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02UEB-YCaGfcOOKfqQiWzU1wRc_fA%3A1600596912814&ei=sCtnX-CMMcS38QOGnqKgBg&q=catshark+moreton+bay&oq=catshark+moret&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgUIIRCgATIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKABOgQIABBHOgcIIxCwAhAnOgQIABANOgQIIxAnOgIIADoHCAAQFBCHAjoGCAAQFhAeOggIABAWEAoQHlC1pg9Y8M8PYOzkD2gBcAJ4AIABpgOIAY0TkgEHMi04LjAuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQjAAQE&sclient=psy-ab

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 🤣
 

I don’t think anyone is going to come near you! Lol

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 😅
 

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!

Hey everyone!
long time reader, first time poster here
I’m still learning the ropes with land based and surf fishing. For the past year I’ve been fishing off Shorncliffe pier, up to Margate beach and Woody Point just about every weekend.
Ive had some great fun, catching an array of species- Mostly Bream, and flathead. More special, or unusual catches off Margate being - 2 large octopus (about 1.5-2kgs), a small shovelnose shark (40cm), and a Gummy (?) shark (70cm) off the Shorncliffe pier.
caught all of these off a cheap 6ft combo from BCF,
But have recently added a large surf combo to my load out in hopes to chase something bigger/different.
recently had a crack up at Woorim beach off bribie, beautiful beach but the swell and wind was a bit too chaotic that night. Managed to land a 70cm flathead which was awesome (not the flathead pictured below, we let her go) but nothing after that.
I was wondering if you guys have any tips about surf fishing in the North Brisbane, 
what baits to use, and what (bigger) species I can target off the beach? 
 
nothing wrong with whiting, flathead and bream, but hoping to chase something new and a heavier hitter. 
 
sorry for the long first post but if you read this far, much appreciated!!! 
 
 

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

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, 👍

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 

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!

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 😆 

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. 

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 🙂  

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. 
 

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. 

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 🙂  

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. 
 

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 🙂  

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. 
 

Hey everyone!
long time reader, first time poster here
I’m still learning the ropes with land based and surf fishing. For the past year I’ve been fishing off Shorncliffe pier, up to Margate beach and Woody Point just about every weekend.
Ive had some great fun, catching an array of species- Mostly Bream, and flathead. More special, or unusual catches off Margate being - 2 large octopus (about 1.5-2kgs), a small shovelnose shark (40cm), and a Gummy (?) shark (70cm) off the Shorncliffe pier.
caught all of these off a cheap 6ft combo from BCF,
But have recently added a large surf combo to my load out in hopes to chase something bigger/different.
recently had a crack up at Woorim beach off bribie, beautiful beach but the swell and wind was a bit too chaotic that night. Managed to land a 70cm flathead which was awesome (not the flathead pictured below, we let her go) but nothing after that.
I was wondering if you guys have any tips about surf fishing in the North Brisbane, 
what baits to use, and what (bigger) species I can target off the beach? 
 
nothing wrong with whiting, flathead and bream, but hoping to chase something new and a heavier hitter. 
 
sorry for the long first post but if you read this far, much appreciated!!! 
 
 

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