New to surfers paradise where to fish and buy rod and reel?

[Goldiepom]

Just come over from uk done abit of sea fishing there but no fish like you have out here plus i was mainly a carp angler in lakes im staying for about a year so fancy giving it a crack i overlook the river where im living dont know what streatch if im allowed to fish i have read its mainly bream if it helps locals im near bang the centre off paradise near where the party boats go out. I ideally want to catch the sea hard fishing fish of the beach but i have seen people spinning off mini boats on the river but i wouldnt be on a boat purely by foot can you spin the sea for snapper etc? What am i going to catch in the sea i know snappers tasty but other than that i dont know much about your sea life i read about the spit at the end you catch snapper and loads of species i dont know but i did read tiger shark of 10ft get around there ideally im not experianced or brave dnough to catch these but anything else is ideal. Plus where to i buy my fishing tackle? I dont want to spend mega bucks but i dont want my tackle to let me down!
Also are any licences needed?
Many thanks guys
alex

[wayno60]

ok last first,
no you dont need a licence to fish unless you are in NSW or in some of our dams.
Head over to Nind st in Southport, just north of Surfers Paradise and there you'll find Doug Burts Tackle World, he'll fix you up with the gear needed.
You wont be spinning up and snapper off the beaches, maybe tailor or salmon but its not tailor season. Bait off the beach will get you bream, dart, (no no, not the dart)and you might pick up a flathead or a jew.
In the rivers pending on the bait, you can catch bream, whiting, flathead and mangrove jacks. these are probable the most common of the catches. if you dont like the bait idea you can use Soft Plastic, if you dont know SP google it.
you will still get bream, flatties and jacks on them.
Look for any deep channels in the river and you really cant go wrong.

i could rabbit on for hours but that will get you started.

[Fafnir]

Welcome Alex, hope you're enjoying the warmer weather.

I have only fished a little on the gold coast and others here will have had a lot more experience. But to answer a few of your questions, you won't need a license if fishing in Queensland unless you were wanting to fish in fresh water impoundments (dams) which it doesn't sound like you're looking to do.

You can fish from the beach for everything from dart, whiting, flathead and bream through to jewfish (mulloway) or tailor typically in the cooler months. You will also encounter many of these species in the canals. Access is the challenge there, as to where you can get to the water to wet a line. Plenty of parks around the place though. Flathead, bream and whiting are common in the canals, as are some species of trevally that can put up a reasonable fight on lighter gear. Mangrove Jacks are also found in the canals and can put up a good fight. Plenty of bullsharks in there too up to 3 metres plus but commonly caught at smaller sizes than that. Big ones are not good eating and from memory over 1.5 metres can't legally be kept and must be returned to the water.

The Seaway rock wall, down past Seaworld is a good place to start. Some quality fishing to be had there at times. Do a search of this forum on Seaway and you're sure to find lots of quality information.

Speaking of eating quality if you're looking for a feed then it's hard to go past whiting. In my opinion the best tasting fish in the country.

For gear and some quality advice on where to go and how to target the various species I would recommend calling in to Doug Burt's Tackle World in Nind Street Southport. I have found them to be very good the handfull of times I've gone in there. Others might have other stores they would recommend.

Hope this helps, plenty of others with more knowledge of the area will surely add more detail than I can.

[cobiaman]

Go to sportys warehouse mate, doug burts is just too expensive...

[Goldiepom]

Thanks for the replies guys sounds good i went to nind street yesterday as google told me closest to me easy to find aswell very helpfull in there sold me a shimano rod reel deal for $140 seemed a good price he said try lures spinners in the rivers up by the bridge that leads to southport in the sea weed area and the sea wall use bait sat on the bottom.didn't go there ended up bumping into 2 fisherman by the river who where catching live-baits and putting them on for bigger fish and when dead cutting tail off. They lost one sadly i was more struggling to catch live-bait i caught 3 rainbow fish i am told they where but also told not a good live bait so put them back. Going to give it another go tonight maybe or try head for the sea wall. Thanks for your help guys fingers crossed ..

[wayno60]

Off the walls be perpared to lose some gear. At low tide you can see how the base of the walls go out a fair way before it drops off into the channel. When you start to wind in hold the rod up high and wind at a good rate and dont stop or you'll be rerigging befor you know it.

[no chicken tonight]

Doug Burts tackle world at southport is a bit dearer, but the advise you will get makes it worth every penny, especially for a novice.
My advise is learn to walk before you run. Start with bream and flathead as the target species. You will soon be able to reliably target them, then move to bigger things.

[Goldiepom]

Thanks guys i went last night on the river as dusk tide was still on its way out before it got dark i was spinning but after i was bait fishing with prawns still no luck any tips? Whats it like fishing straight of the beaches around broadbeach? Also would you guys spin or bait fish if so what bait?..Plus whats best high tide low tide dawn dusk? Sorry for a million questions trying to find out all the answers to the questions i keep asking myself.

[thelump]

Goldieporn I thought I would add to what a few have said. As far as times to fish dusk and dawn are your prime times, if this coincides with a tide change even better! I would stick to the bait first then progress to spinners. Do you have a yabbie pump? If not then it would be a good investment. You can pump yabbies from many places around the goldy and where you pump yabbies you will more than likely find fis, whiting, bream flathead all live in that environment.
http://youtu.be/JeLC0nlInm4

Study this footage as it is in your backyard.
Also search on here for some posts from Darryl McPhee. He seems to catch quite a few whiting and bream landbased from around the gold coast and seems to be helpful.

This clip of youngy is from a boat but similar tactics will apply from the shore

http://youtu.be/ajE7yrAvUJg

As far as fishing offshore there are plenty of charters down that way or try and meet a few people that have boats. Joining a fishing club can also be a good idea. Remember google and youtube are your friends.
Hope this helps

[Goldiepom]

Thanks guys I'm off to the spit not hopefully ill catch a fish that looks good fun off the beach i am definitely going to get one of them tools and give it a go .

[WalrusLike]

If you want to get 'one of them tools' then you're in the right place.... there's plenty on here!

I am one of em....