smc2010 Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Hi raiders, I'm looking for a bit of help, I need somebody to show me the ropes for some land based fishing around Sydney. I'm 24 yr old Irish guy, respectful and professional. I have been doing bits and pieces around Sydney but am only producing undersized fish. I could do with a mentor to show me certain rigs and areas that will increase my catch rate. Believe it or not as an Irish man I'd rather be fishing than in the pub. I did a lot of fishing at home in Ireland but it was all fresh water trout fishing, trawling, fly fishing etc. My friends here are not as passionate about it as I am and make plans to go but end up in the pub and are to sick and sorry for themselves when it comes to the time for fishing, which is very frustrating. I understand people have put a lot of time into finding there secret areas and don't expect them to disclose them to me. I have a few rods and tackle that I think are suitable enough for any land based around the area. I'm bound to public transport as I don't have my licence sorted at the moment but am willing to travel. Located in Waterloo. I'm free most weekends and some weekday evenings.I hope someone can send me in the right direction or allow me to join them some day.Thanks for taking the time to read this and any advice/help I get back. Sean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savit Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Mate, here is my suggestion. There is a map of land based fishing spots on this website. Just search for it if you cannot find the link. Check which of them are achievable by public transportation. Choose busy fishing period e.g. Friday evening or weekends. Leave your fishing stuff at home. Visit the spots and watch and learn what fishos are doing and what fish catching . If you haveany questions - just ask them and most of people are happy to chat about fishing. Avoid rocks without safety equipment. Also, if there is no enough reachable spots on website or you have a lot of general questions - just visit a local public library or bookstore - usually plenty of useful info about AU fishing and good basis to build an understanding of local fishing techniques, rigs, baits, species behavior etc and even printed guides with local maps with fishing spots. Try fishing early morning , late evening or nights - when larger fish comes closer to the shore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Hi Sean, welcome to Oz and Fishraider. I read your post and was about to scroll back to Forums when I recalled my own experience of coming to Sydney and not knowing a Flathead from a football. It can be very daunting for an avid angler to feel like a "fish out of water". I would hope that somebody from the 20,000 plus members living in your region would offer to help. Surely there's somebody who isn't too busy, to help a new member out. Is this the way we treat new arrivals in Australia? If all else fails Sean, do what Savit suggests and you will solve your problem. I just hope that the "spirit of Fishraider isn't dead in the water". Good luck, BN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smc2010 Posted February 6, 2017 Author Share Posted February 6, 2017 (edited) Thank you both for your kind helpful messages, and I guess that is probably one of the best ways to learn savit. As they say "watch and learn" but it would drive me insane having to go near any water and observe people fishing, with gear at home and me missing out on the fun haha. I will find that map on this website and see where it takes me. Yes big Neil 20,000+ maybe one will feel sorry for me haha. Hopefully in the coming weeks I can source a few areas to maybe bag a few bigger fish, thanks again guys. Sean Edited February 6, 2017 by smc2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rah Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Welcome to Fishraider Sean, Im sure there are lots of members who can give you a few tips. What kind of fishing are you doing? Bait, soft plastics? Where have you tried already? Any water is worth a try in my opinion, but cant say i know any spots that will guarantee a couple of fish. You could try the cooks, jump off the train at Tempe or get the bus down to the end of glebe point road and head down to blackwattle bay. These places are pretty close to you. Both of these places are catch and release. There is more info on fishraider than you can probably ever read. Use the search function up the top once you have found an area that you think looks good and see what other people have had success with. Good luck and I hope we get some reports of great captures soon. Cheers Tara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smc2010 Posted February 6, 2017 Author Share Posted February 6, 2017 (edited) Hi Tara, I have been to a few wharfs around and rocks at maroubra, malabar, LA perouse. Areas similar to these, I'm using Fresh and frozen prawns, frozen pilchards and salting them myself, frozen squid. Berlying with bits of prawns pillies breadcrumbs and tuna oil. I think I'm of to a good start but just not getting the fish. I'm destroyed with eels for some reason lately it's all I seem to catch. And trying to free them from tangled rigs is starting to piss me of as it can be time consuming. Is there anyway I can avoid these eels?? And I have been using some soft plastics with no result, some of the zman sp. But I have not put in enough time with them yet so that is my own fault. Edited February 6, 2017 by smc2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rah Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Sounds like you're doing everything right mate. I've not fished these areas so can't help with the eel situation. Zman grubs are great for bream and the paddle tails are great for flatties. Keep at it and something will click. Hopefully someone else can shed some light on the eels. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smc2010 Posted February 6, 2017 Author Share Posted February 6, 2017 Thank you I'm trying out Brighton le sands today with a handful of fresh prawns and a few of them zman grubs, paddle tails and some hard body rapalas. So hopefully something will work out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smc2010 Posted February 6, 2017 Author Share Posted February 6, 2017 Thanks everyone for your help, I was out today in Brigh On 06/02/2017 at 4:59 PM, noelm said: Around the rocks, you need to look for some deeper holes with a bit of wash coming over then, a tiny sinker (if any at all) and a peeled prawn cast right in the wash will catch Bream regularly, if beach fishing, use Beach Worms only for bait, and look for gutters, a small bean sinker, a small long shank hook using about 3-4kg line will catch you Whiting. Line was OK, 10lb braid with 8lb Fluorocarbon, After bringing my sinker weight down and brought hook size up a size or two today and lost one or two what seemed to be good fish (just cut the line after a few head shakes) plenty of bream boarder line legal and a Flathead or two on the prawns. After running out of prawns I switched to zman grub motor oil and got another flattie or two and a sting ray on the soft plastic, this is unusual I assume to get stingray on sp. But all in all the advice helped. Are fish in botany bay area OK to eat as I know the harbour is pretty much a no go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Great to see that you managed to get a few fish smc2010. Thanks to the Raiders who offered you constructive advice, too. Just keep at it mate and you will go from strength to strength. Don't be disheartened by "bad days", we all have them. You're on the way to a heap of fun on the water mate. Good luck. BN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rah Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Well done mate. You changed a few little things and got the results. Cheers Tara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMG Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 (edited) Best time for fishing,fish from 2 hours before high tide until 2 hours after high tide,at dead high tide for 1 hour the fish go off the bite until the tide turns. Botany Bay fish is ok to eat,the Cooks river mouth and anything up the cooks river is toxic due to the industrial waste leaked in to the Cooks river of past,West of the Tom Uglys bridge is suspect too. Edited February 8, 2017 by DMG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smc2010 Posted February 9, 2017 Author Share Posted February 9, 2017 Thanks dmg for advice all I don't have any interest in the harbour really as far as eating them goes, not even east of the bridge. I know they say it's OK to eat a small amount of fish from east side in the harbour. But to be honest in my opinion that's a load of bull as its basically saying its OK to take a small level of toxins that won't cause many health problems. I want 00.00 toxins haha YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH. non negotiable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budzsta Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 If you're still keen we can go for a fish. youll need rock cleats or rock boots as a lot of the time I fish from the rocks. Im not an expert and I mainly target bream and drummer, I've had more bad days than good days but things are starting to be more positive. today I managed 6 undersized kings on soft plastics. Good fun but none big enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smc2010 Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Yes budzta I'd love to join you, I don't have cleats or boots but will purchase them, I will pm you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts