how/where to saltwater fish for dummies

[eeww-worms]

hello everyone...

Like most kids, my dad used to take me out fishing.

I spent many a day drowning bait and my claim to fame is a largish flathead that swam past and got hooked in the stomach.

Now, many years on, I want to do the fishing thing with my son. Of course i dont know the first thing about it. I have rods... I have reels... I have inherited a fully stocked tackle box and have recently been given a bag full of squiggly rubber things.

I do not own a boat... we'll have to do it from the bank/jetty/pier. I dont mind fresh or salt water....

We live in the outer western suburbs of brisbane.

Right now, I guess, I am after locations .... where I can practise ... play with tackle etc.

Hopefully Santa is bring me a "How to fish for Dummies".

thanks in advance for any hints

eeww-worms

P.S. I went out to Wivenhoe today.... tried squiggly thingies... and even bought worms on the way. I was soooo glad no one was there to watch or overhear as I tried to get one of those wiggly things on my hook.... I even tried to talk them.

let's just say.... I managed to denude wivenhoe of most of it's weed......and my potplants will love the worms

[SeaHunt]

Hi eeww,
You need a permit to fish in Wivenhoe. and they will fine you if you don't have one.
But you can fish below the dam wall without one. If it is close it is not a bad place to catch a few tiddlers with your son. There is a road that goes to a lookout below the dam wall. From the look out you can see an almost round pool downstream. You can park down near there and walk down the hill to there. Worms will work best , fairly small hook. There are usually heaps of small spangled perch in there, can catch them and let them go for fun.

[dfox]

Probably a better and more interesting way to gain the basic skills in a few forms of fishing is to purchase a few of the local videos that show how to and where to fish, that way your not reading but watching how its done. Once you have an idea of the basics its much easier to understand what you should use and where.These are sold at most tackle shops and bigger stores as well as on this ausfish sight, so there not hard to find.There is also learn to fish classes run for the kids by different organizations on school holidays, not sure on any phone numbers. i think its important to get the young fella off to a promising start not a fustrating one so that its enjoyable, hope im of some help...good luck...foxy

[Aaron_Fogarty]

Your best bet would be the foreshores of Brighton, Sandgate and Wynuum. These spots are easily accessable, simple and comfortable to fish. Pick out a high tide during the day and fish 2 hours either side of the tide. Best baits are blood worms, yabbies and peeled prawns, any of the local B and Tackles will help you out. Use lite line about 6 to 8lb and #4 or #6 hook with an 0 ball sinker above a swivel. You will catch whiting bream, and the stray flathead. Bait fishing is very productive in these areas and the boy will catch a fish every time you go out.
Good Luck
Aaron

[SeaHunt]

i think its important to get the young fella off to a promising start not a fustrating one so that its enjoyable, hope im of some help...good luck...foxy

I could not agree more foxy, the kids have to catch something (even if it is a toadfish) pretty quickly or they lose interest. Thats why I suggested that hole just down from the Wivenhoe wall, it blocked by a small waterfall on the top side, and usually full of hungry little fish about 6 inches long, could be some bigger stuff in there but the bait doesn't last long enough to find out.

[eeww-worms]

Hi eeww,
You need a permit to fish in Wivenhoe. and they will fine you if you don't have one.

Hi SeaHunt...

yep, I knew about the permit and had one in my pocket while harvesting weed

I didnt know about the other area you mentioned, where a permit is not needed. Will definitely take spawn out there during the holidays. But we may need to experiment with bait OTHER than worms....I tried, I really did, but I just cant touch them

[eeww-worms]

Hi dfox,

thanks for the advice. And I agree that you'd want a kid to have as much excitement as possible. On our recent trip to rainbow beach... kid was the only one who caught something legal... he was stoked ... and as much as I would have loved that flathead for dinner.. .it was his catch...and his decision to return it to the water.

bless him.

we then had to BUY fish and chips on the way home

I'll look into kid fishing activities.. I think that was a great idea. thanks

[eeww-worms]

usually full of hungry little fish about 6 inches long, could be some bigger stuff in there but the bait doesn't last long enough to find out.

hi again SeaHunt...

He wont care at all if they are small as long as he is catching them.... he is not into the "taking home to eat"... just the adventure.

now, myself.... I fall more into the "catching is great but i'd love to get a good feed too" category.

[eeww-worms]

Hi Aaron..

Thanks for that tip.

I got Gregory's Fishing Guide to Brisbane & Surrounds from Santa.

I will look those areas up

and REALLy helpful advice on what side of the tides to go fishing there too

[chiefsimo]

Another option could be to have a go in the Brisbane River - especially when fishing for fun/practise or too windy/far to make the coast.

Despite the bad wraps, when i was a younger bloke, my mate and i regularly caught "something" in a 2 hour fish there around Mt Ommaney. We only ever used scrap meat - but if you were to use a better bait, i am sure your catch rate would increase accordingly.

There are any number of land based locations in the brissie river, and whilst you may catch mainly catfish, it is a great way to start by catching "something" rather then nothing as is more and more the case at the Gold Coast!

Best method we found was to use a largish hook (2/0-4/0) with the meat - catfish have big mouths and like to suck the bait - you need to yank a little to set the hook when u feel them making a run. We got some catfish up to 52cms... make sure u take some pliers/rag as they do have some nasty spikes and slime that likes to attach themselves to you! We also caught bream, eels etc.

[eeww-worms]

Hi chiefsimo,

tried under the jindalee bridge this morning (hey, it was raining )... and had someluck with catfish... smalllittle buggers but fun

4 catches... 3 snags but lots of fun....

then headed over to the Jindalee boatramp.... hooked two (biggish) "somethings" had a lovely play... but both "jumped" off the hook as I was bringing them to the surface.

unfortunately the rain set in and I was too drenched to stay.

Was quite lovely out there with no boast around

will take your advice on hook size and bait...

stay tuned for amazing success stories

[jimbo59]

i used to fish mowbray park in late 70/s caught many jew there. Right how to catch a jewy there; long rod, side cast reel 15lb line 3m trace 7/0 hook fresh! sqid not frozen tide comin in high tide after dark maybe around 7.30pm cast towards big block of flats on the other side of the river when the fish picks up the bait let him take it for arun turning the reel open to cast possy as not to let him know your trying to catch him cive it 10 m or so then lay a big strike on him really lay that hook home best night is adark one best of luck and keep trying cos they are there [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

[rando]

Hi EEW- Worms!.and all you other Fishermen.
This is my first post, but Ive been having a great time reading & learning over the past months.
This might be of some help, Sunfish regularly run both Junior & Adult angler education courses,and some of you computer literate guys might steer worm-man to a Sunfish link,I did the adult course some years ago and it was good ,and good fun,a weekend at moreton if my memory serves. I Know the kids courses are usually run during school hols, not sure if the adult course is still offer but it would be worth your while to see
Cheers
Rando