Fishing Tips

“That’s why it’s called fishing, not catching,” I said with a resigned face after a quiet day on the water and not landing any fish. Fishing gets tough! For fishos, few things are more frustrating than fishing your reliable spots and coming away without a bite. It’s disheartening working hard to fruitlessly fish the same tides and times that have …

HI everyone, I am thrilled to become a regular contributor to Bush ‘n Beach, a magazine I have been reading for a long time. I have been working in partnership with Brad Smith doing Gold Coast Broadwater and estuary charters for over five years. Smithy has been guiding for more than 25 years in the Tweed River and on the …

G’DAY everyone, in this month’s article I would like to discuss some options for October and there are plenty, as this month can be very exciting for us anglers. The reason this month can be a lot of fun is it’s the start of our summer period and our more common winter fish, the likes of flathead and bream, will …

G’DAY everyone, in this month’s article I thought I’d mix it up and not discuss how to target a specific fish but how to choose the right lure to catch more fish. Selecting the right lures these days is very overwhelming, with a huge variety of models and colours available in tackle shops. And to make it more confusing, they …

G’DAY everyone, in last month’s article we discussed locations for finding flathead and this month we will discuss options for targeting flathead with lures. Deepwater jigging or ‘tea bagging’ soft plastics and vibes is a very effective way to target flathead in both deep holes and channels 5m and deeper. In last month’s article I shared a screenshot from my …

FISHING around the shallow reefs of Moreton Bay will probably see two types of sweetlip turn up. The grass sweetlip (minimum size 30cm, max possession of 10) and spangled emperor (minimum 45cm, max possession five) are some of the tastiest fish getting around. They are also some of the best fighting fish you’ll encounter for the size. Grassies inhabit the …

FINALLY southeast Queensland has got some much-needed rain and relief from the heat and wind. Dropping water temperatures and the influx of fresh water should fire up the prawns and fish over the coming month and make for great fishing. Tuna Longtail tuna have improved in numbers and regularity, feeding off the surface throughout Moreton Bay since cyclone Oma. Unfortunately, …

YOU find that perfect snag deep at the back of some overhanging mangrove roots. You position the boat and prepare to make a cast. As the rod tip goes back, a shower of baitfish erupts and a red flash slices through them with an unmistakable snap. Your grip on the rod instinctively tightens and the heart beats a little faster. …

IT’S been a while since we had one of these little chats, Fred. The first time was almost 30 years ago when we discussed beach driving techniques in the Tide Guide. Last time was last year when we looked at some of the peculiarities of tides. This time I thought we might check out how the moon affects fishing. But …

FISHING is a sport where we are forever learning and over the past few decades I have learnt from magazines, television, the internet and other anglers, developing my knowledge and skills based around different species, techniques, environments, weather and water conditions, lure selection, knots and more. As we learn more and discover more pieces to the puzzle, we begin to …