Advice on books for complete novice !

[Wingnut]

Can anyone recommend some good reading (or a good outlet for fishing books) for a complete novice like myself ?
I am living in Melbourne.
I'd love to be able to take my young son out fishing (and hopefully catch his first fish), but I what I know about fishing basics (fish, bait, lines, rigs, knots etc. etc) I could scratch on an aspirin with a crowbar !

Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks
???

[Rowdy_2002]

A good place to start would be to go down to the local library. They will have a range of publications that are a good start. Some libraries also have magazines. There's no point spending $100 on a few books when you can check them out at the library and spend it on gear instead.
Another place to go is to your local tackle store and chat to the blokes there as they can give you advice on lines, rigs etc depending on what you want to target...

A good place to start is to target the bread and butter species like bream whiting and flathead as these don't require any special setups, just a hook, line and sinker on a handline is enough to get you going.....

[dazza]

hi wingnut,
welcome to the site.
mate as far as info- you are standing in it.

this site has probably everything you need.
if there is something specific just ask, everyone is pretty friendly around here, alot are queensland based, but we do put up with you mexicans
remember- no question is a stupid question and we all have to start somewhere.
cheers
dazza

[Girella]

Wingnut

Dazza is right regarding sepcific info.

The only two books I would worry about are Geoff Wilson's
Book of Knots and Rigs and the McNally's book of Baits & Rigs.

Both retail for about ten bucks each at any tackle store or
supermart.

Happy fishin.

[Leo_N.]

Good on ya for taking your son out fishing. I started fishing with my dad when I was pretty young, and it still is one of the best father-son bonding experiences that we share.

I've found Geoff Wilson's Knots and Rigs book invaluable - I believe that it also comes in a CD ROM form these days.

Also make sure you have a copy of the fishing regulations for your area, especially size limits (printed on the back of a tide chart - free from local tackle shop). A fish ID book is also very helpful for a beginner - you can often get waterproof ones from tackle shops.

These days the "I'm a novice, I didn't know that was an undersized fish" excuse doesn't cut it with the fisheries patrol, so you need to have a few resources if you want to fish within the law.

I agree with Rowdy - keep it simple and it will stay fun. If you try to make it too complicated too quickly it may get a bit frustrating. Get a basic egg-beater type reel and cheap(ish) rod to get you started. Learn a single knot and learn to tie it well - a half blood is a basic standard knot that I still use a lot.

[SeaHunt]

PM me your name and address and I will send you down a copy of Fishing for Dummies.
It's a crap book, mostly because of all the padding in there , but there are some very useful bits and pieces and its written by someone who knows what he is talking about, (Steve Starling).
Best of all it's free. 8)

[Derek Bullock]

Wingnut

I just bought a good book off Ebay called Fishing Victoria's Coastline by Bill Classon and Geoff Wilson. I plan to send it to a young bloke iin Melbourne.

It has maps of the whole Victorian coastline together with a description on where to fish for both boaties and land based. Certainly worth buying for any new Victorian Fisho.


Derek