Help needed for the hopeless

[smiley_doobinator]

I've got a yabbie pump and siv so this weekend gonna dust it off and get me some livies.

[Freeeedom]

hi Smiley
Unfortunately the flathead and the summer whiting have both had a very poor summer in the places I fish. I can't remember a year when I have caught so few summeries, although they have been OK in the surf gutters on the Teewah beach. I've spent a bit of time deliberately chasing the flathead using live baits and have caught very few compared to previous years. Either their numbers are down due to over-fishing, or, more likely, they are not in their usual habitats due to the drought. On the other hand there are a lot more reef species in the estuaries this year than is normal, so at least that's a bonus. I think some good flooding rain will probably get things back to 'normal' and the fishing will become a bit more predictable. Where are you thinking of going? Let me know if you want some specific locations
Cheers Freeeedom
PS Make sure your yabby pump washer is still OK if it hasn't been used for a while

[smiley_doobinator]

actually freeeedom a little bit of info regarding tides and times would be awesome. Like what tide is best for flathead and I have heard they are aminly day feeders, have you caught more during the day than you have at night?

[sunny]

a little bit of info regarding tides and times would be awesome.

Think about the following things:

1. What species you are after?
2. What does it eat?
3. Where will you find its natural food?
4. What time of day / tide / wind will concentrate this food?
5. What can you present that looks really close to an apealling piece of this food?

As an example, flathead are mainly ambush feeders. They lie in one spot on the bottom and wait for poor harmless little bait fish to swim by and then SLURP!! So the trick is to think about the places where such a beast would be waiting for an easy feed.

One that often works is to go out on the second half of the falling tide and look for the spots along the bank where a little creek is draining out of the mangroves. Flathead like to sit and wait near the entrance to these creeks for small poddy mullet.

Another one that sometimes works is to look for the drop off at the edge of a sandbank when the water is flowing off the bank. Same idea, the flatty might be waiting for small fish to swim off the bank.

Presenting the right lure, bait or livie at such places gives you a good shot at catching a decent flatty.

This is just a general rule of thumb and of course doesn't always work, the idea is to think about what you want to catch and then make things as attractive as possible for that species.

[smiley_doobinator]

Sunny

That really makes sense especially the part about what conditions will concentrate the food. Thats kinda put it all together and now I understand alot clearer thanks champ.


Jason

First pan size flatty goes to you.....

[beedge]

Hey

just my 5 cents worth

Hit the pine river for cod try going right up the north pine or hit any snags, rock walls or wrecks you can find on the way and hit em where even when it's low tide they're submerged. Use squidgy fish in neon or silver fox colours 70mm or larger 20lb fluorocarbon leader minimum and lock that drag if you can afford it also use a light jig head and 3/0 - 4/0 hook size. I do this kind of fishing on a kayak and have had success from time to time. If I had a boat I'd start looking at structure on low tide to see what snags are the best to fish there's a few good ones in the pine you may even get busted off on a jack depending on whether they're there or not. As for flathead I've caught em as far up as leis park going 50cm so there's some fish up there. They like flash prawn squidgy flickbaits. Note all the fish I catch are from early mornings. Hope my 5 cents helps

from beedge

[rando]

Talk about deja -vu.
I wrote this same request 2years ago and the ausfishers helped me out (same guys too, thanks fellas.) (GDay Straddie, we still havent had a fish together)
Now I rarely go out and come back empty handed, so be assured the advice you get on ausfish is the real .

Here is my take.
Fresh bait ,fresh bait ,fresh bait, .....ad infinitum.
Burley, Burley ,Burley...

Go to the top of this page , Hints & Tips , and read and absorb "HOW TO BE A BETTER FISHERMAN.
Fish as light as possable lightest line, smallest sinker that will do the job, smallest hook that will suit your bait/target.
In the bay Whiting will feed with the rising tide up onto banks and weed beds exposed as the tide falls and they will be in as little as 150mm ofwater. So taget yabbie banks and weed beds that have been exposed , a good place to start is the area around Lota/Tingalpa creek.
On surf beaches sometimes the whiting are right at your feet, so dont try and chuck your bait to whoop whoop they will be lurking just behind the shore dump where the waves stir up the sand and uncover all the bits and pieces they feed on.
Keep asking questions,,,, there are no stupid questions!
GOOD LUCK.
rando

[straddie]

Heya Rando

(GDay Straddie, we still havent had a fish together) *Deja vu*
Funny I only mentioned that yesterday to another ausfisher, of the 4 or 5 or 6 times we have tried to catch up you or I have been either fishing elsewhere or had something on so we couldn't get out.

Might wait till the cooler months when I get a lot more active but will try and hook up with you then. It's just a matter of timing.

[Feral]

For location, you cant beat the blow fly or seagull technique. Without fail if some one catches a fish in the bay there are 5 other boats around him within 2 minutes!

So look for others catching fish and join in. Just approach slowly, if they are drifting, preferably up current, and then allow your boat to drift down over the same area (as they drift away, dont drift down onto someone). Dont get to close because you dont want to put the fish they are onto off the bite. Even if you dont catch any watch them and you might pick up some pointers on technique.

[smiley_doobinator]

Your spot on feral I think I learned a bit from a couple of blokes down at Jumpinpin this morning. I watched as the threw plastics about for flathead and they caught a few pan sized ones for their trouble and learn I did as I watched their techniques but I still gotta learn how to decide what weight to use for the conditions. Straddie has me sorted there tho the guy's a legend.