Ever wondered what’s happening on the bottom at your favourite fishing spot?
Well we found out what was going on at ours when we deployed a baited video camera ‘spy cam’ to the bottom and were blown away by what actually happened and the fish that were present. Watch on and witness the ‘undisturbed’ nature of key target species as they go about their business and react to a foreign object in their patch of reef.
What this footage revealed was somewhat of a surprise. While we knew the substrate was reef, we actually had no idea what the terrain physically looked like and exactly what species were hanging around. One of the most interesting aspects to take from this footage is the behavior of the different species as well as how they interact/co-exist with one another. Any Australian angler, particularly West Australian’s, could learn from what is seen in this video and use what they learn to improve the way they fish.
The patch of reef where we dropped the camera is about 25km from the Mindarie Boat Ramp, north of Perth WA. On the sounder it doesn’t look like much but there’s nearly always fish there. The conditions were very calm, the visibility was great and the depth was 45m. We fished around the camera for a few hours catching numerous WA Dhufish to about 6kg and other assorted reef species.
Species featured in this video include WA Dhufish, Breaksea Cod, Baldchin Groper, Snapper, Foxfish, Silver Trevally, Goatfish, Banded Sweep, Painted Sweetlip, Wrasse, Wobbegong Shark, Port Jackson Shark, Smooth Stingray and more. Surprisingly, on one of the drops we did (not featured here) there was even a pair of inquisitive Red Throat Emperor that came in for a look.
This 11.5kg WA Dhufish was caught at the same mark:
Watch on in HD as we head to Port Lincoln in South Australia on a private tour of the famous ‘Swim with the Tuna’ platform. In this rare opportunity we had the entire platform to ourselves, guided by local fishing die hard Jason Stephenson and his son Axel.
As we donned the mask and snorkel and dived in we were greeted by hundreds of hungry underwater torpedoes – Southern Bluefin Tuna in the order of 60kg+!! The Tuna would literally swim up to your face and between your legs as they frenzy over pilchards being fed from above. We were even able to hand feed the beasts.
Also at this same ocean platform, but not shown in this video, is a a separate cage where you can dive with large knobby Snapper, 20kg Mulloway, Queen Snapper and more. If you ever get the opportunity we highly recommend this experience, and suggest you book yourself a night or two in the award winning Port Lincoln YHA Backpackers – this place has to be seen to be believed.
Watch this video and you’ll never get bones in your flathead fillets again!
This video explains step-by-step the process of removing the fillets from a flathead with minimal waste, then how to remove the skin as well as the rib bones and those tricky few bones in the belly flap. The end result is fresh, boneless flathead fillets.
This video demonstrates the ins and outs of catching beach worms and how to prepare them alive for storage at home for up to a day or so.
The video includes many tips to help you master the art of beach worming so that you too can catch yourself some of the best live bait for bream, whiting and many other species. The footage was taken on the south coast of New South Wales.
What you will need to catch beech worms is 3 things; a pair of beach worming pliers, a stocking and some pilchards.
Giant Beach Worms are collected by anglers for bait. They live in the sand and eat dead fish, seaweed and pipis. They can grow up to 2.5m long and you can find them in the surf zone of sandy beaches throughout south-eastern Australia.
There are 2 types of beach worms, pink heads and green heads. Pink heads are really long and skinny, whereas green heads are shorter and thicker. With the pink heads you really have to take your time to avoid snapping them off. In hard, dense sand once you grab the head you will need to dig down and gain another grip on the worms body. Depending on the length of the worm you may need to do this several times before the worm finally ‘pops’ free and comes out. Larger green heads will also require digging out, whereas smaller green heads up to about a foot long can be pulled out in one motion when you grab the head.
Beach worming can be very difficult to get the hang of. The following tips will help make catching your first few worms much easier.
Catching the worms:
Make sure you have your 3 pieces of equipment; plastic worming pliers, stocking, pilchards. Cut a few centimeters off one arm of the worming pliers.
Target the worms that are furthest up the beach away from the breaking waves. This way you will have more time to get them to rise and you will not get as wet in the process.
Being able to identify the type of worm prior to grabbing it will help determine the method of extraction. If in doubt, just dig them out.
Push about 6-8 pilchards all the way down to the end of your stocking. This will be your ‘stinky’. Once the wave has come all the way up the beach and is about to start receeding down the beach wave your stinky back and forth in the waves as wide as you can and let the oily fish smell get dispersed by the waves.
What you are looking for is a little head popping u out of the sand. Where its head is you will see a v-shape in the water as it parts around the worms head.
Once you see a worm position yourself next to the worm sideways to the waves with the worm positioned between your feet.
As the last of the water washes down the slope bring the stinky towards the worm and let the last of the water wash the smell of the stinky over the worms position. The worm will pop out of the sand, and at this point bring the sticky closer to it, about 1cm away and about 1cm off the sand. DO NOT LET THE STINKY TOUCH THE WORM.
The worm will arch its ‘neck’ out of the sand and grab hold of the stinky. At this point stealthfully slide your pliers around the worms head and quick as a flash grab the worm tightly, but not too tight as to crush it’s head completely. DO NOT LET THE PLIERS TOUCH THE WORMS HEAD BEFORE GRABBING IT.
If the worm is large you will need to throw your stinky up the beach and dig with your free hand next to the worm to gain another purchase further down the body. When you grab the body do so with a small amount of sand between your hand and the worm because they are very slippery. All the while you are gently lifting the worm from the sand. If you feel major resistance from the worm do not force it otherwise it will break. You will feel when it is ready to come out as you apply constant upward pressure. You may have to dig down a few times grabbing the body bit by bit until the whole worm emerges.
Put the worm in a bucket and continue worming. Tip: Having a bait bucket on your waste will help save time and is the preferred way to stow your worms while worming.
Preparing the worms for bait:
On the beach find some nice fluffy sand at the top of the high tide mark.
Scrape away the hot sand on the top and pour your worms into the hole created.
Put a layer of sand about an inch thick into the bottom of your bucket.
Coat the worms in the light, fluffy, cool sand in the same way as you would breadcrumb a piece of fish then place them in the bucket. Coating the worms helps keep their protective slime in tack and also makes them easier to handle when baiting a hook.
Once you have coated all of the worms cover them in a layer of sand about an inch or so.
When you get home stow them in a cool place in the shade. The best way to keep them longest is to put an ice bottle next to them. Kept like this they will last a day or so. If you put them in the fridge or if the air temperature around them is too hot they won’t last as long. You can freeze them individually and they will still make good bait, but obviously not as good as they are fresh and still wriggling.
Here are 52 of Our Best Fishing Tips to make this year your best fishing year yet:
1. Learn from those that get results, and don’t listen to those that talk too much. It’s not what comes out of one’s mouth that matters, it’s what’s connected to their line! 2. Work on your patience and believe in your ability. This is important. 3. Take at least 2 fishing trips away per year. Book these in first before the year starts, otherwise you won’t take the breaks. 4. Become obsessed about fishing. Casual anglers should not expect results. 5. Don’t overcrowd other fishos. Give them space to swing a cat. If they are in your spot, go and say g’day then fish somewhere else.
6. Learn how to gaff and net fish correctly. Practice in a pool, dam or down the local wharf if you have to. This is something every angler needs to learn and it becomes increasingly important when targeting trophy fish, fishing competitions, etc. Your ability to gaff and net fish won’t go unnoticed by your mates either! 7. Think thoughts of success rather than self-doubt. A B-grade mindset yields B-grade results. 8. If your line cops a nick or fray, retie it straight away. 9. Never rely on a knot tied by someone else. If a mate hands you a rod to use, retie the knots. 10. Watch more fishing videos to get inspired. 11. Decide on at least 3 new PB’s that you want to achieve this year then target those fish. 12. Be selective about who you fish with, this matters. 13. Release the fish you don’t need. Release them correctly and with care. 14. Service your reels regularly. You’ll get extra mileage and they won’t let you down when it’s crunch time. 15. Own your own gear. Borrowing once-off is ok but perennial borrowing is cheap. 16. Don’t let outdated or cheap gear be your Achilles Heal. Only use quality gear by respected manufacturers. A $1K combo for bream won’t catch you more fish, but a $50 special will let you down eventually. 17. Carry a healthy supply of quality terminal tackle in all different sizes. It’s better to have too much than not enough. 18. Always carry a variety of gear, tackle and lures. Things can change quickly on the water and it’s those that adapt that get the results. 19. Use quality terminal tackle and don’t let price influence your purchase. It’s better to have less of quality gear than too much cheap gear. Go through your tackle box and throw away any cheap or rusty tackle, now. If your tackle box has rust stains, throw it away, now. 20. Upgrade the trebles on your lures. Replace any rusty/blunt trebles. 21. Make the most of every session – bring your “A” game to the water every time. 22. Fish new places/ground more regularly. 23. Accuracy matters. Take the time to improve the accuracy of your casting. 24. Distance often matters. Fish the lightest practically possible braid line when spinning. Ensure your spool is full (not over full). Use a longer rod. Use a heavier sinker. When spinning with metals choose those that are heavy for their size. Present streamline baits in the surf (rip the tail off pilchards if you have to). Learn a better leader joining knot.
25. When you lose a fish, immediately determine what went wrong and make the appropriate changes so that it doesn’t happen again. 26. Take a camera with you. Share your pics with mates and look through them when the weather is lousy, this will help you and them get amped for the next session. 27. Look after your gear. Wash your rods and reels after every session. 28. Carry you own knife. Keep it sharp. 29. Value your time on the water. Be grateful for the abundance of fish in our waterways and the lifestyle that fishing brings. 30. Keep your fish cool/on ice. If it’s worth killing it’s worth looking after. If it’s worth feeding to your family it’s worth feeding them the best. 31. Take your rubbish home with you. If you come across others’ rubbish take it home too. 32. Spend some time underwater. It’s amazing how your fishing will improve when you learn how different species behave, especially when feeding. Witnessing the finicky behavior of snapper feeding in shallow water is a prime example. 33. If you fish on a mates’ boat, flick them some cash for fuel and it’s won’t be the last time you fish together. 34. When using lures/fly, vary the action of your retrieve until you find what’s working. Change your lure/fly regularly until you find what’s working. 35. When using bait, ensure that it is well presented each cast and be sure to expose the point of the hook. A little effort here goes a long way. 36. Match the hatch. Present offerings the same as what the fish are eating. 37. If possible, plan ahead and pick the prime times of the week to fish. Keep an eye out for tide changes, tide height, moon phases, wind, swell, etc. Continuously fishing lousy conditions will make you depressed. 38. If your knot breaks while fighting a fish, accept the fact that you didn’t tie it right or that you need to learn a new knot. No questions asked. 39. Fish with stealth. Make less noise. Get in the zone and think like the fish you are targeting.
40. Justify each spot you fish by using all of your knowledge. Don’t just pull up aimlessly and expect to catch fish. Look for structure. Look for visual signs of fish. Look for bait. Look for birds working. Look for holes or gutters on a surf beach. On a calm beach, look for areas of interest like a rock outcrop or breaking waves. Think actively not lazily. 41. Berley may help depending on the scenario. Putting more effort into your berley making and method of dispersal will increase your success. 42. When connected to a solid fish stay calm during the fight. Keep your cool and play the fish firmly, taking every opportunity to turn the fish’s head and gain the upper hand in the battle. Never rush a fish but at the same time don’t be blasé. Take your time when landing the fish, it’s amazing how many good fish are lost at your toes. 43. Set your alarm 1 hour earlier or fish 1 hour later to make the most of prime times. Boat fishos know that this is not just about the fishing, it’s also about avoiding queues at the ramp. 44. Learn to catch your own bait and keep it alive. When it comes to bait fresh is best, but alive is better. 45. Change your bait/soft plastics regularly. If it’s been picked, waterlogged or lost it’s shape throw it away and put on a fresh one. 46. Challenge yourself to fish lighter. For example, chasing snapper with TLD 25’s is old-school – you get the drift? 47. Get your bait/lure in the zone and keep it there. Once it is out of the zone wind in and cast again. 48. Wear suitable clothing. On the rocks this means footwear, in the heat this means covering up. Buy a set of Polaroid sunglasses. Getting skin cancer is not cool and it will limit your days fishing on this fine planet. 49. Get to know the staff at the local tackle store. They always have a finger on the pulse and the better they know you the more they will divulge. 50. Keep up to date with bag and size limits. 51. Be humble, you’re not as good as you think you are and it will encourage you to learn more. 52. Read more, watch more, listen more. Education comes in many forms but practice makes perfect. Get Fishing.
All the best for a memorable 2014 from GetFishing.com.au!
