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livefibres, sabres, pacific composites, anglers, feel free to add the rest OR the shimano backbone rods are pretty good, get 3 shimanos for the price of one of the others. The more lines out the better, but if I had 2 outfits out id put 3 teasers out. take your pick, like rods i like a deep one and a surface splashing one.
My terminal rig is 100lb hard black magic-momo-ande.
Lures, yes might try later when i have some more time
Thunnus mentioned some excellent brands in the GC report, the way I choose is have a few out that have a cupped face and a couple of straight runners, flattish face angle. I put the biggest closer to the boat and the smallest further back. How you position the lures according to the seastate to get the best action from them, is probly a lot more important than brand.
the only other gear you REALLY need is a good sounder with a well calibrated (spelling?) temperature probe. Find the warm water/bait and you will find the fish. But remember the smaller the boat the harder it gets, mind you almost all of the fish i have been involved with have been caught out of outboard driven boats under 30ft.
Rods - I don't really like anything other than short strokers and running a rod one size up than the line class you expect to use. I have fished for them with M10s and Live Fibre 15-24s before but they hurt too much back at the anglers end and not enough back at the fish. Rob is right about Shimano producing some nice rods for good value for money at the moment. Personal favourites of mine are the Daiwa STP series rods. If the budget allows the next step up is getting Stuart Mackenzie from Precision Rods on the Sunshine Coast to roll you one. Alternatively and Ian Miller rod would be pretty good as well.
Reels - If the budget allows I prefer the TLD 2 Speed series - more for the larger handles if anything. If lure trolling TLD single speeds are fine as fight times seem shorter on lures.
Lures - Steve from Ausfish sells Boss Lures and Hexheads on this site. You wouldn't go to far wrong with them. Also to add to Rob's comments about big lures in close then progressively smaller as you go out, run dark lures in close near the wash so they sillohette better then bright lures like Luminescent colours long. If you start hanging out on the Pakula Marlin Bar for a bit of free info you might feel compelled to own a couple of Pakulas, his CD and a Witchdoctor teaser. Uzis are good value for money and can be purchased for around $13 at times. One good time is at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show where TMA/Pakula have a stand.
Leaders - you will only need 100-150lb depending on the brand and its thickness/abrasion resistence. As in all fishing you get more bites the lighter you fish - both leader and main line. Long leaders of one form or another are mandatory as in all fishing. You can fish very light lines in most forms of fishing if you have good leaders. A lot of bust offs can be attributed to tails/fins clipping main lines or body wrap/tail wrap. Wind on leaders (loop to loop or tied with knots) versus long leaders on your lures is the biggest decision.
Tactics - biggest decision is if you go lures or liveys. Either way your best bet is to follow the flybridge gameboats around. The ones with flashest gear won't be too far from the fish. Obviously if you are fishing off the Gold Coast and Peter Pakula goes past or if you were off the Sunshine Coast and Fred and Michelle Temminck (Old Kevlacat owners) went past it would be wise to follow them. They wouldn't be far from the fish. Most gamefishermen I have met are less secretive about GPS marks and fishing on their patch of bait than bottom dongers. Just keep a good distance off so your lines won't tangle, get out of the way if someone hooks up, have fun and if you tag and release your fish I am sure they won't mind too much.
Don't get too wrapped up in all though. Just head out, put a couple of lures out then crank up the stereo, knock the top off a couple, sit back relax and eventually you will get one. They are just another fish (albiet the top of the food chain and a perfectly evolved creature) but a fish just the same.
There is a few fish round too boys! Fished the sunny coast tourny weekend just gone. Fished on Kaneka and did a spot of switch baiting - best fun you can have with ya pants on i reacon!!!!. Even the deckies have a ball. Anyway from five fish that we raised over the 2 days on tagged one small black, had 2 spit the bait and one that the hook just fell out.
It was a great tourny and good on ya to the sunny coast game fishing club for an awsome comp - one of the best i have ever fished.
Bring on the goldy this weekend - you ganna be there smithy?
Yes we will be there. At this stage we will be on a 34' BW "Black Bandit".
If this falls through we will be on a 5.9m Cat "Two Up" with the boys from home (Wondai/Kingaroy).
Will you be with Wayne on "Keneka" again? Fishing the Gold Coast or just off the Sunshine Coast again?
Where were you guys fishing? We were on the 100m line with "Mr Bill" and "Manutea" Saturday arvo for one lost fish - probably a Tuna and a Wahoo. Didn't look like getting a Billy. Had the radio on 21 all weekend to hear the action. Who won and where were they fishing? Seemed to be an equal spread of Heavy and Light Tackle fish. How did "Cervantes" go? We were going to head to DI Pt at one stage but ended up putting in at Bribie.
Wes,
Must have just missed you at Hutchies. We camped on it Saturday night. First boat out on Sunday was "Incredible" a 40' Norcat. Next out were a Carribean and a Cat. We did a couple of runs over Hutchies for a Tuna and Wahoo bite off.
Bait is everywhere. We found heaps down the front of Moreton. Sounded like heaps of bait off the Sunshine Coast as well by radio skeds.
Smithy - i WAS fishing on Splinter (7.5m Lighting) but not fishing anymore so might head out with Wayne on the sunny coast for the day. We where working the 100m with Mr Bill and Manatua on fri, sat too, but headed further south as the day went on. We raised 3 fish in the first hour there in the morning then came back in the last hour in the arvo and hooked up on a small black, but the hooks didnt stick.
Mr Bill won with 2 heavy tackle fish and i think Shakara won the light tackle section. Yeah shorty did ok on Cervantes but nothing special.
Will we see you at little ships - i will be fishing with wayne down there.
Wes - we are planning a fly shot in a few weeks, whenever all parties can be in the same place at the same time.
Hey Wes - how'd you end up on Sat arvo??? Got a bit sloppy coming back in past Bribie. Used more fuel than I figured and probably only made it home with 5 litres to spare.
Saw a big plate boat heading west in the Trench around 12:00 at around the same time "Wild Thing" a 30' BW came in for a look. Out on the 100m line other than the two boats I mentioned was one other flybridge and a Kevlacat. Must have just missed you. We started from in between Wide Caloundra and Hutchies and trolled south to about the Cape. Spent the morning and early afternoon in the Trench.
We will be doing Little Ships for sure. We did it last year for the first time on a 30' BW "Bad Billy". This year it will be on "Two Up" the cat.
yeah i cant wait for little ships - never fished it myself but heard that its a blast.
The weather isnt looking too bad this weekend and i was hoping to head out to the trench in my 5.6m but looks a bit too blowy for us. Good luck down the goldy - looks like there might be a few fish caught.
The Longtails near Tangalooma where so frustrating. We threw everything at them, fly, slugs and live bait. They seem to come up for less than a minute and sound. There is so much bait out there. Maybe the bigger tides this weekend will get them firing.
The guys I took out had a great time jigging spotties off the beacon. I was hoping to put the on to a longtail. We had one run on the live yakka, but didn't get a good hookup.
George has to study for his exams so will be off the water for a while. I'll keep flogging away at Bribie and Tangalooma for the longtail in "Sherman"(my 5.5m plate centre console).
Hopefully the the longtails will come into the bay next month.
Smithy,
Keep us informed about the action. George and I are just getting into to the bluewater stuff. George is dead keen to get a billfish. I guess it just matter of time on the water, and getting the lures in front of enough fish. We were just testing the waters with our trip to Huchies.
Yep Thanks for the day Wes, had an awesome time! Ive seen the tuna that picky before and it would have to be about the most frustrating thing on the water!
If george needs anyone to give mongo XT a run during his exams - I'll nab some gps marks out of the old mans boat and it's a billfishing we'll go!
OR the shimano backbone rods are pretty good, get 3 shimanos for the price of one of the others. The more lines out the better, but if I had 2 outfits out id put 3 teasers out. take your pick, like rods
i like a deep one and a surface splashing one.
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