Any fisher people out there?

[greengarden]

I have just discovered fishing in the last few weeks and I am hooked LOL. Despite limited success so far(mostly I suspect due to a combo of recent sucky weather, less than ideal gear and trouble sourcing bait) I am persevering and I've decided to start getting some of my own, more suitable, gear in the hopes that will increase my success. Others get great fish here so I am sure it's my problem as opposed to a lack of fish

A neighbour of mine has been giving me some advice. He has great success where I fish using plastics. I have taken his advice on board and ordered what i hope are a good combination of basic plastics, braided line and leader line and the last step in the process is a rod upgrade! So far I've been just fishing with a basic rod set up of a running sinker and baited hook and I have been told that my rod will most likely be too flexible for the plastics.

So here is the question finally! When i am looking at rods is there some sort of number or other indicator that tells me how stiff the rod is? Being in a rural location my options for shopping around here are limited and if I go to our local fishing shop I will pay an arm and a leg for a rod and I'm really more looking for a budget rod to get me started(especially since I have just finished uni and currently on the job hunt so i am poor!) and that may necessitate looking online but I am struggling with what I should be looking for to get the correct stiffness for small plastics. Anyone have any advice for an ex-city girl who is still coming to grips with the fishing lingo!

[WhiteRabbit]

Good luck!

[Stefan]

where abouts in australia are you?
from what i read you are fishing freshwater? if so will need to check to see if you need a licence.

stefan

[isurus79]

What type of fish are going for? Here in the US, plastic worms are used mainly for largemouth and smallmouth bass and the rod are pretty darn flexible!

Watch out for braided line too. If your rod is too small (and too stiff!), it won't cast very far. I guess any advice I can give really has to be determined by the type and size of the fish you want to catch!

[greengarden]

Oh I have a licence

I am fishing for smaller species, mostly flathead and bream and the odd leatherjacket, trevally or whiting. I am fishing in St Georges Basin in the Jervis Bay area, it is an enclosed basin but is very much salty as it is connected to the sea. We even get the odd bull shark or dolphin in there!

I went today and tried using small live bait and got two more flatties which is better than yesterday(just one small whiting that went back). I got a third one too but it chewed through the line and stole my hook

---------- Post added at 02:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:28 PM ----------

I found a four pack of rods for sale, all different lengths and purposes so I will see how I go. I figure that I'll pick out the one or two I like and the kids can use the others.

[isurus79]

Ohhhh, you're going for saltwater fish!! I was thinking freshwater. Ok, then yes, braided line and a stiff pole is what you want! lol

For big trevally, all you need is some frozen squid, a dead octopus or a moray eel that has been left out in the sun for a few days. Bring big hooks and gear though!!

[greengarden]

Not many huge trevally where I fish. Most of the flatties I have been catching are about 40cm so on the small side of legal. I have been given some info on where I could go to catch bigger ones but can't try it until I can get a day without my daughter as my current spot is safe for small kids and the spot for the big flatties is deeper and off rocks.

[isurus79]

When I lived in Hawaii I used to fish for trevally whenever I got the chance. I always had the best luck (even for small ones) with dead squid at night. I never had much luck with plastic worms, but if you can skip a plastic fish or spoon over the reef flats right next to a drop off on a rising tide, that would bring them in during the day. Good luck and be sure to post pics!!

[Stefan]

40cm is nothing to complain about. lures like plastics are good, but they will take alot of time and practise to get the right technique, when you are fishing and see other people fishing aswell, ask them what they use for bait there rigs etc, most are really friendly and more than willing to give advise.
mornings and night are the best for fishing.
also dont count out google and youtube, have alot of info about where you fish etc.

stefan

[greengarden]

Yeah they are fine for me but I get the impression that most around here go for much bigger than that as everyone tells me how little they are LOL. I suppose they are on the smaller side when you are talking about a species that grows more than double that. The live bait seem like the highest success rate for me so far, all of my catches today were on that and I did try a few others things to see if it would make a difference. So until my order of plastics arrives so i can test them out I'll stick with what is working!